The Arrangement by Robyn Harding

 They agreed -- no strings attached. So how did "The Arrangement" end in murder?

Natalie Murphy leaves her stifling hometown of Blaine, Washington, for the glamorous life as a student attending the Manhattan School of Visual Arts. She's talented and naive but broke -- with annoying roommates who are just about ready to kick her out of the shared apartment. Then she gets to know a fellow student, Ava, who is living in a penthouse in Chelsea and who has lots of nice things. What she learns -- Ava is a "Sugar Baby" and goes on "dates" with rich men. That's how she gets her money. It's not long before Natalie sets up her profile and agrees to her first "meeting" with a prospective "Daddy." Of course she doesn't intend to have sex with one of those decrepit, gross old men. There are rules! But then she meets Gabe Turnmill and everything changes. Natalie is loving her new lifestyle even if she sometimes feels that she is little better than a prostitute. After all, Gabe really cares about her and they are developing a "relationship."  What Natalie doesn't know is that Gabe is very married and intends to stay that way. When he tries to break it off, Natalie's fuse is blown and things spiral completely out of control. NO SPOILERS.

This was a very compelling book that kept me glued to the pages as I rapidly raced to the end without leaving my chair. The writing is good, the story is chilling and the tension immense as the reader anticipates the very bad thing that is probably going to happen. Along the way, I found myself almost yelling at Natalie to "GET REAL" and had to remind myself she's barely 20 something and remembering what girls of that age are like -- otherwise I would have found some of the events a bit more implausible and unrealistic. Not knowing anything myself about the world of paid escorts, I could see how a young innocent could be drawn in through their own ignorance and naïveté. I very much enjoyed the book though I'm not sure I was all that pleased with the last couple of chapters and the resolution after all. Regardless, I will be recommending this intense suspense novel with all of its angst and drama. It's a sordid, sorry tale with a warning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - domestic suspense