Title: JUST THE NICEST COUPLE
Author: Mary Kubica
ISBN: 9780778334064
Publisher: Park Row
Pages: 328
Source: Private Copy
A husband’s disappearance links two couples in this twisty thriller from New York Times bestselling author Mary Kubica.
Jake Hayes is missing. This much is certain. At first, his wife, Nina, thinks he is blowing off steam at a friend’s house after their heated fight the night before. But then a day goes by. Two days. Five. And Jake is still nowhere to be found.
Lily Scott, Nina’s friend and coworker, thinks she may have been the last to see Jake before he went missing. After Lily confesses everything to her husband, Christian, the two decide that nobody can find out what happened leading up to Jake’s disappearance, especially not Nina. But Nina is out there looking for her husband, and she won’t stop until the truth is discovered.
Official Summary
23 January 2025
Mary Kubica’s Just the Nicest Couple is a tightly woven domestic thriller that expertly plays on themes of guilt, deception, and the facades people wear. With its layered characters and steady buildup of tension, it’s a story that grips you from the start and keeps you guessing until the final reveal.
The book opens with the unsettling disappearance of Jake Hayes, a husband whose seemingly ordinary life unravels into a web of secrets. Kubica does a fantastic job of using dual perspectives—those of Nina and Christian—to create an atmosphere of doubt and suspicion. This shifting narrative provides just enough insight into the characters’ minds to make you question everyone’s motives while keeping the bigger picture tantalizingly out of reach.
Nina’s desperation to find Jake is palpable, and her character feels raw and relatable as she navigates the emotional turmoil of his absence. On the other side, Christian’s increasingly strained efforts to shield his wife, Lily, add a layer of complexity that makes you wonder how far someone would go to protect the person they love. The relationship dynamics between the two couples are fascinating, with Kubica peeling back the layers of their marriages to reveal cracks that many might recognize in their own lives.
Kubica takes her time to build suspense, letting the tension simmer as secrets begin to surface. The moral ambiguity of the characters is a highlight—there are no clear heroes or villains here, just flawed individuals making choices in impossible situations.
While the twists are satisfying, they’re not as shocking as in some of Kubica’s previous works. The resolution ties things up neatly, though certain elements could have been explored in greater depth, especially Jake’s backstory and the reasons behind his disappearance. That said, the ending delivers enough emotional impact to leave a lasting impression.
What makes Just the Nicest Couple stand out is Kubica’s ability to turn the mundane into the menacing. She takes ordinary relationships and adds a sinister edge, forcing readers to question how well they truly know the people in their lives.
This is perfect for fans of slow-burn thrillers that focus on character-driven suspense. While it may not have the most jaw-dropping twists, the story’s exploration of loyalty, trust, and the lengths people go to protect their secrets makes it a compelling and satisfying read.
Also by Mary Kubica
THE OTHER MRS.
Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor, Morgan Baines, is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie, who is terrified by the thought of a killer in her very own backyard.
But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. It’s their eerie old home, with its decrepit decor and creepy attic, which they inherited from Will’s sister after she died unexpectedly. It’s Will’s disturbed teenage niece Imogen, with her dark and threatening presence. And it’s the troubling past that continues to wear at the seams of their family.
As the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of Morgan’s death. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Mary Kubic is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of many suspense novels, including The Good Girl, Pretty Baby, Don’t You Cry, Every Last Lie, When the Lights Go Out, The Other Mrs, Local Woman Missing and Just The Nicest Couple. A former high school history teacher, Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford Ohio, in History and American Literature. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children.
Mary’s novels have been selected as Amazon Best Books of the Month and have been Library Reads selections. They’ve been translated into over thirty languages and have sold over five million copies worldwide. She’s been described as “a helluva storyteller,” (Kirkus Reviews) and “a writer of vice-like control,” (Chicago Tribune), and her novels have been praised as “hypnotic” (People) and “thrilling and illuminating” (Los Angeles Times).
Thank you for visiting the blog and reading my review. I have had fun working through Mary Kubica’s backlist, I am almost done. Are you a fan? Which is your favourite book? I would love to hear from you, please leave a comment below. Until next time…. Happy Reading!
