A Book A Week

I read a lot of thrillers. Dating all the way back to my days in high school, I would spend way more time devouring the mass market paperback edition of whatever thriller was besting the NYT bestsellers list than the books I was supposed to be reading for school. All these years later, the genre continues to be one of my favorites. The only downside to reading as many thrillers as I do is that they've become a bit formulaic. It is rare for me to get to the end of one of these books without guessing the big twist. The books by writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have been some of the few exceptions. In fact, the way they built upon established formulas while completely subverting expectations in their novel The Wife Between Us cemented them as must-read authors in my yearly TBR list. Their new novel The Golden Couple was sent to me by their publisher, and I couldn't be more excited to read their latest effort.  

Avery Chambers is a formerly licensed therapist who has newfound success after losing her initial career. You see, without being required to follow a prescribed method to treat her patients, Avery has been able to take a more unconventional approach. And it works! These days, she only takes on clients who she knows can be cured within 10 sessions. How does she do it? It's simple really. Avery obsesses over her clients, learning every aspect of their lives and relationships, even interjecting and setting up specific scenarios for them to live through. Like I said, unconventional but effective. After so many years of this kind of success, Avery feels pretty confident when her latest clients enter her office for their first session. Little does she know that she's about to meet her match. 

On the surface, spouses Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem like a normal couple. For all appearances, their relationship seems strong, and the pair have made a loving home for their young son. There's no such thing as perfect, and the Bishops are about to prove the point. As they walk into Avery's office, Matthew is unsure of why they are at a therapist. Then Marissa drops the bomb. She's cheated on Matthew, and, for the sake of their marriage, wants Avery's help in patching things up. There's only one problem. The more Avery dissects the Bishop's marriage, the more confusing things become. Amongst the lies and infidelity rests something more sinister, the kind of secret that has the potential to destroy a marriage and the lives of anyone who comes close to it. What is the secret? You'll have to read to find out. 

With The Golden Couple, authors Hendricks and Pekkanen take all the things that have made their previous novels so intriguing and ramp them up another notch. The story is told through shifting perspectives, giving the reader just enough breadcrumbs to follow into the next moment without giving too much away. The authors eschew the usual crimes or murders that typically drive the suspense in this genre in favor of even more electrifying personal relationships and character revelations. Things get a bit convoluted, but I didn't really care. I was so enamored by the actions of each of these characters that I couldn't stop reading. Even better, I didn't see the big ending coming. That's always a win in my book. If you're looking for the kind of book that shocks, surprises, and keeps you reading into all hours of the night, look no further. The Golden Couple proves once again that Hendricks and Pekkanen have got the goods. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2022, 10)

Earlier this year, Rachel Hawkin's thriller The Wife Upstairs capitalized on the idea of secrets between spouses. I mused then that no matter how long two people are together, there will always be things in each other's past that remain a mystery. In the world of literary thrillers, this conceit can be used to drive some pretty crazy stories. Author Peter Swanson is no stranger to that setup. In fact, his 2019 novel Before She Knew Him used secrets and lies between spouses to weave a tangled web of brilliant suspense and deceit. In his latest novel Every Vow You Break, Swanson hopes to once again use the unknowns between a married couple to thrill audiences anew. 

Abigail is living a dream. Her life has become something right out of a fairytale, a modern-day romance that she never saw coming. How could she, a normal girl, capture the attention of a handsome millionaire like Bruce? Her life seems destined to be perfect from here on out, and she's truly met the man of her dreams. Then, on her luxury bachelorette party weekend, Abigail risks everything. Too many drinks and an encounter with a stranger at the bar lead to a single night of lust. Abigail is overcome with regret in the morning, vowing never to speak of the night to anyone, especially not Bruce. 

Secrets have a way of coming back to haunt you. As Abigail celebrates her wedding with Bruce, she can't help but think about the man with no name who nearly brought her marriage to an end. She never dreamed her marriage would begin with a lie, but she also knows that Bruce values honestly and loyalty above all else. Her one night of infidelity could derail their entire life together. Even as the couple celebrates a magical wedding night, Abigail can't help but think of the other man. For a moment, she even thinks she can smell the cigarette that he smoked that night. But that is crazy. Her life is with Bruce now. She never has to think about that night again. Or does she?

As the happy couple arrives for their honeymoon, they are glowing with the kind of bliss that most newlyweds experience. Abigail was a bit hesitant about spending the next week at a luxury resort on a private island, but she's now confident that a week unplugged from everything is the perfect way to begin her marriage. All that goes awry when she spots him. At first, she's certain that she's dreaming. How could the stranger whom she had a one-night stand with be at the private resort that even she didn't know about until arriving? At second glance, though, Abigail knows that it is him. The secret with the potential to end her marriage before it even gets off the ground is here, and she will stop at nothing to keep it buried. 

Peter Swanson has become one of my go-to authors of standalone thrillers. Each year, he reliably releases his latest novel filled with an intriguing setup, quick pace, and plenty of twists and turns. Every Vow You Break continues that tradition but to more middling results. The story of a future wife's infidelity against her seemingly perfect husband and the subsequent effort to hide those actions provides a great setup for the thriller. That being said, I found it tricky to root for her, especially given that her troubles were mostly self-inflicted. Nevertheless, Swanson knows how to keep the pages moving through ever-tightening suspense and enough twists to keep you guessing. The ending of this one was pretty much sealed from the start. There are only so many ways this story could go, and the last few twists felt more forced for shock value than actually advancing the narrative. In the end, this won't be my favorite novel by Swanson, but it also won't be my last. I've already got my eye on his next effort Nine Lives that releases next spring. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2021, 46)