The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is a thriller absolutely worth your time. As I state in my spoiler-filled thoughts section (a section to check out once you've read this novel, because it is worth a read), these authors are a dynamic duo. Their writing style and ability to create engaging thrillers make for good reads and that includes The Golden Couple.

This novel will continually have you guessing who the antagonist is, heighten your suspicion of each act and scenario, contains morally grey characters, and the two changing POV's compliment each other and are all reasons why this is a good read. It may not be the most unique storyline in the thriller genre but it's presented well and you will be hooked from start to finish. The Golden Couple is a 2022 publication worth an hour of your time.

Told from Marissa's and Avery's POV, the plot begins with a bang. Marissa cheated. How do her and her husband move forward and how can their newly found therapist with unconventional methods help? The intensity that draws you in never drops, there are a few lulls but it never disappears making the plot engaging. The best part of the altering POV's is that Marissa's and Avery's take on a situation are so distinctly unique that their interpretations rarely overlap and if shown alone, would make you believe their "truth" but because we see both sides, it adds a subtle element of comic relief because you actually know what is happening in the situation. The Golden Couple has a plot that is intriguing and solid throughout.

The characters are morally grey and I adore morally grey characters. I always appreciate when characters have layers and my goodness, these characters are sweating with all the coats they wear. Marissa is presented as a caring, passionate, and loving individual but she cheated on her husband and is quick to frustrate. Matthew is presented as loyal and charming but he tends to prioritise work over family.

My favourite character is Avery whom is presented as all-knowing and intuitive but, some of her intuitions she gleans from situations is so wrong, something we only know because we see both sides, that it makes you question her capabilities within her profession. And her profession is an extremely important aspect of both the novel and who the character is.

These characters are shrouded in greyness, and this cloud drives the story forward; the amount of layers intensifies the plot and is absolutely worth a read. These characters act like people you meet in real-life and they are a strong component of why The Golden Couple is a good read.

In the ending I found one moment forced, as if it was an attempt to tie up loose ends when loose ends would have fit easily within this novel but that was my only vice. The ending cumulates all the information you've learnt throughout to create a massive explosion as everything is revealed. This novel ends with a bang, not a whimper. The Golden Couple is well-paced with constant turns and herrings that will leave you guessing until the end (like me) or until you can recognise a herring and uncover the truth. Regardless of how you discover the truth, this is a good novel and one I recommend reading.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen do it again, I'm not surprised. These two authors create engaging material and every time I read one of their works, I am immersed. The Golden Couple is one of those engaging materials and it had me hooked from the beginning. I don't have extensive thoughts on this novel as I found it a worthy read with a well-paced plot and more importantly, kept changing my opinion on who the instigator was. I knew somebody from the present was involved in the murder of Tina and I initially suspected Polly or Nina were working with the culprit. I thought it was either Nina and Matthew, Polly and Matthew, Polly and Skip, or Skip alone.

Turns out it was Matthew alone which up until the moment they were huddled around the fire and Marissa told him the identity of who she slept with that I realised it probably was Matthew and by then, it was the right time to reveal him as the sinister antagonist. I mean, it made zero sense for such an emotional individual, as seen in his reaction in Avery's office, to have little reaction to having been cheated on with his "best friend." Cheating hurts more when its someone you know because you know, emotions, so his lack of emotion compared to "finding out" was suspicious.

I think the only thing I found frustrating was Chris's involvement at the end. I feel it was a touch forced tying in the situation and that the company Aecilia could have been eliminated from the story completely. The complexity of the characters and how they intertwined I feel would easily have been enough to drive the story without Chris's involvement. I think Avery could have lost her license from something else - it could have shortened the story eliminating this component or it could have enhanced the intensity. Removing it also could have reduced any skepticism regarding her and her potential involvement with Matthew and Marissa. I liked how Avery was portrayed to not be infallible. She was wrong about Marissa constantly and I think that attests to how well Matthew manipulated people. I am glad their son was disconnected from his father because his father was a psychotic murderer.

I enjoyed all the complexities of this novel and although I still feel Chris's connection was forced, I overall found how everything wove together to be fantastic and in all, this was a wonderful read. I cannot wait for other works by this dynamic duo and here is to hoping they create another psychologist thriller because dang, they excel in that strangely specific sub-genre. And here I will wait, until this dynamic duo can create a new and thrilling read!