The Arrangement

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and emotional abuse.

In The Arrangement, Modglin exposes how love becomes a weapon when wielded by individuals determined to possess rather than cherish their partners. Through Ainsley and Peter’s increasingly toxic dynamic, the novel demonstrates that genuine affection can be perverted into a form of psychological imprisonment, where control masquerades as devotion and manipulation is reframed as sacrifice.

Ainsley exemplifies this destructive pattern through her elaborate orchestration of Stefan’s murder, which she presents to Peter as the ultimate expression of marital commitment. Her confession reveals the calculated nature of her “gift”—she deliberately sought out a police officer, fabricated stories of domestic abuse, and manipulated Stefan’s protective instincts to create a scenario where Peter would kill him. Yet Ainsley frames this manipulation as an act of love, telling Peter, “I’ve given us a gift. I’ve made our sins equal” (199). She transforms murder into a romantic gesture, arguing that sharing such a profound secret will bind them together permanently. This twisted logic reveals how she weaponizes the concept of partnership, using their shared culpability as emotional blackmail disguised as intimacy.

Peter’s serial-killing activities demonstrate another facet of love corrupted by control. To him, his 15 murders over the years are justified through his role as a provider and protector—maintaining the family’s suburban facade requires eliminating any threats to their carefully constructed normalcy.