The Couple at the Table Book Review

Title: The Couple at the Table

Author: Sophie Hannah

ISBN: 9781529352825

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 359

Source: Review copy from Jonathan Ball Publishers

You’re on your honeymoon at an exclusive couples-only resort.

You receive a note, warning you to ‘Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours’. At dinner that night, five other couples are sitting close by, but none of their tables is any nearer or further away than any of the others. It’s almost as if someone has set the scene in order to make the warning note meaningless. Why would anyone do that?

You have no idea.

You also don’t know that you’re about to be murdered, or that once you’re dead, all the evidence will suggest that no one there that night could possibly have committed the crime.

So who might be trying to warn you? And who might be about to kill you, and seems certain to get away with it?

Official Summary

20 January 2022

Prepare yourself for a crime thriller that hosts the perfect, impossible murder in a true “whodunnit” style. This book is the best “whodunnit” I have read in ages. From start to finish this title will keep you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out who the murderer is. There is just no guessing.

Sophie Hannah is an author I have been dying to spend some time with and up until now I seem to have always missed out on her books. This book left me kicking myself for not reaching for her books before. I love her writing. She managed to keep me guessing and completely entertained with The Couple at the Table. She presents an impossible situation and keeps you wrapped up in the story right to the end where she presents an explanation you never see coming. I cannot remember the last time a book left me this mystified.

Jane Brinkwood is on her honeymoon when she receives a note saying: “Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours” However when she arrives at dinner, there isn’t one table any nearer to hers than any of the others.

Who is trying to warn her, and why? When Jane is murdered and all the other resort guests are cleared of suspicion the police have their hands full trying to solve this mystery – someone killed Jane, but who and why?

I found myself deeply intrigued by this book from start to finish. The story is creative, unique, and full of mystery. I enjoyed not having a clue and struggling to figure out whodunnit from page to page. I was completely baffled.

At the start of the book, I was fascinated by Lucy. This woman writes a letter to an unknown killer, and she is actually voicing her appreciation and admiration for this person. Once I found out what Jane did to Lucy I could understand her feelings, however, something never feels quite right with this character. The more time you spend with Lucy, the more you realise that there is something very off with her. Maybe it’s just me, who knows how far any of us would go when we are hurt. I look forward to hearing what you think about this woman. As for Jane, are there really people like her out in the world? If there are, I hope never to meet them. This woman was simply vile, and no matter what I could not feel any sympathy for her. I did find that her character was a little exaggerated, no one could possibly be that horrible. Exaggerated as she might have been, she was a great touch to this story.

I have to say that I loved this book. While the story was a little extreme and more like a group of teenagers acting out, I was intrigued and entertained by the “whodunnit” mystery of the story. It was a book that kept me guessing and delivered an ending I did not see coming. So yes, I loved this.

If you are a fan of a good “whodunnit” and you are looking for a read that will keep you guessing, then you do not need to look any further. I would highly recommend this book. Be warned that the characters in this book behave like a group of unruly teenagers and their actions are not always very mature. Nevertheless, this is a highly entertaining read.

About the Author

Author bio from the author’s site

Sophie Hannah is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling writer of crime fiction, published in forty-nine languages and fifty-one territories. Her books have sold millions of copies worldwide. In 2014, with the blessing of Agatha Christie’s family and estate, Sophie published a new Poirot novel, The Monogram Murders, which was a bestseller in more than fifteen countries. She has since published two more Poirot novels, Closed Casket and The Mystery of Three Quarters, both of which were instant Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers.

In 2013, Sophie’s novel The Carrier won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the Specsavers National Book Awards. She has also published two short story collections and five collections of poetry – the fifth of which, Pessimism for Beginners, was shortlisted for the T S Eliot Award. Her poetry is studied at GCSE, A Level and degree level across the UK. Most recently, she has published a self-help book called How to Hold a Grudge: From Resentment to Contentment – The Power of Grudges to Transform Your Life.

Sophie has recently helped to create a Master’s Degree in Crime and Thriller Writing at the University of Cambridge, for which she is the main teacher and Course Director. She is also the founder of the DREAM AUTHOR coaching programme for writers. She lives with her husband, children and dog in Cambridge, where she is an Honorary Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College.

Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publisher for this review copy. I loved every minute I spent reading this book. Are you a Sophie Hannah fan? Which is your favourite book by her? Leave a comment below.

Thank you for stopping by, I have no doubt you will find this book entertaining and look forward to hearing what you think of it. Feel free to drop me a line once you have read it. Until next time…Happy Reading!