THE 2020 BESTSELLER!
Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Shari Lapena and Lisa Jewell
The perfect couple … or the perfect lie?
A devoted wife… husband…
Gemma turns to the police. She is horrified by what she discovers – a serial killer is on the loose in Bristol. When she sees photos of the victims she is even more stunned…they all look just like Danny.
Who would you believe?
But the police are suspicious. Why has no one apart from Gemma heard from Danny in weeks? Why is there barely a trace of him in their flat? Is she telling them the truth, or is this marriage hiding some very dark secrets?
‘Keeps you guessing as you frantically turn the pages’ Sunday Times bestselling author C. L. Taylor
‘I couldn’t put it down!’ Alex Lake, bestselling author of Seven Days
‘There is no let-up in this twisty-turny thriller’ Kate Riordan, author of The Heatwave
What readers are saying about The Perfect Couple
‘This book kept me up all night. So many twists and turns. I just could not get enough’
‘Oh my word!! This book was absolutely brilliant!! I cannot even describe how brilliant the plot was and the twists and turns were just amazing!!’
‘The perfect read!’
‘Jackie Kabler -you have written a thriller beyond words!’
‘A page turning, knee trembling read!’
‘Suspense, thrills, police procedural, and a good old-fashioned creepy scare await you’
‘Amazing, twisty, ride. I was left with a jaw dropped open and asking myself why and how’
‘Oh My Gosh what a Head Spinning book!!!!. Kept me on my toes through every chapter’
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“The Perfect Couple” is the deceptive story of Gemma O’Connor, a decidedly unlucky woman, but a strong woman none-the-less. In a first person narrative, she talks to herself, talks to readers, and talks to her husband. She shares her thoughts, concerns, frustrations, and fears. Her husband does not come home one weekend, and everything in her life changes.
Kabler created complex and secretive characters. Gemma is both sympathetic and implausible at the same time. She and husband Danny are living in a new house, in a new city, where Danny has a new job as an IT specialist. Gemma despondently shares her situation with readers. She connects with readers and yet is unrealistic and deluded, perhaps even dangerous.
Avon Police Detective Sergeant Devon and Detective Chief Inspector Helena Dickens are investigating the deaths of two men who look surprisingly similar. They are immediately interested when Gemma reports the disappearance of her husband who bears an eerie resemblance to those two murder victims. They investigate in an orderly fashion, and uncover details and horrible connections that change everything. Their investigation reveals anomalies in Gemma’s story, and she laments that her whole life has been a lie. Certainly someone is lying, but who? Hate has been hiding as love, and deep dark secrets slowly surface.
“The Perfect Couple” has a startling ending to a compelling story that leaves readers aghast. I received a review copy of “The Perfect Couple” from Jackie Kabler, Harper Impulse, Killer Reads, and One More Chapter. I eagerly await the next book.
I thoroughly enjoyed “The Perfect Couple;” it was a great read/ Very entertaining and it kept me glued to the story all the way to the end.
Good suspense throughout and a look at life behind the facade of wealthy neighbours.A serial killer mixed in there keeps readers wondering.
Boring, slow paced.
Spin near the end. Otherwise it is somewhat predictable.
I found The Perfect Couple to drag too much for my liking. Far too much “thinking” put into so many, many words, rehashing too many happenings and thoughts to the point I was simply skipping over complete paragraphs without losing any grasp of the story line. The set up and plot of The Perfect Couple is great, but the same book could easily have been written with 100 less pages. Newlyweds Gemma and Danny have moved from London into a quaint little home in Bristol. Danny is set to begin a new job in Bristol, and for two weeks he has left the house early in the morning and comes home late at night as he has always done, working long hours in the IT field. One evening after two weeks in their new home, Danny does not return home. After several days, Gemma becomes increasingly worried and finally calls the police. The police begin their missing persons investigation, only to discover what they feel are more holes in Gemma’s story than answers. The police soon begin to suspect Gemma of hurting her husband, and upon entering their former home, no longer suspect Gemma but now charge her with murder! The last quarter of the book really picks up and does turn into the thriller promised by the overview of the book, and I found myself cheering for our star Gemma. I was glad to get through it to find out the written ending although the conclusion was easy to guess.
Gemma and Danny have been together for a year. The relationship seems to be solid … the couple is seemingly happy.
But then one night, Danny doesn’t come home. When she reports him missing to the police, she’s stunned to discover there is a serial killer running rampant … and the photos of the victims all look just like Danny.
When the police investigate, what they find is more questions. Why is there no trace of him i their home? Why has no one except Gemma heard from Danny in weeks?
Is she telling them the truth .. or is there something more sinister in the works?
This started out with a genuinely interesting plot, although the writing seems a little choppy. I would like to say it got better the more I read … but I can’t. There’s nothing unique or magnetic about the characters. The police were not credible at all. I found myself skipping pages to get to the end … which was less than satisfying. Not the worst I’ve ever read … but very disappointing.
Many thanks to the author / One More Chapter – Harper 360 / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This was a real page turner. Very hard to put down!! Hope she is writing another book
Good mystery!
Great suspense , gripping story
Amazing surprises, kept me reading!
Big disappointment. I’m not even sure why I picked this book up. Just looking for something different, I guess. Hadn’t read a mystery/thriller in a while and was in the mood for one. I picked the wrong book. Implausibilities in a mystery are real deal breakers for me. I’m just too much of a realist. The writing wasn’t bad and the characters were okay, but the ending fell flat. I contemplated giving up on this book several times. I should have.
Didn’t like it
One of the best mysteries I have read, I was kept guessing until the end.
Excellent read.
Great read
The premise of the story excellent, parts of the story very well developed, my disappointment comes with how little digging the detectives did to solve the crime, how easy they pointed a finger at the one who was only trying to help, the one who should have been the detective.
Narration was very well done, by Elaine and Hattie.
Great, very quick read and entertaining!
Great read!
Very well done book. Full of twists and anxious moments. Couldn’t help but feel empathy for the heroine of the book.