Book Review: The Couple at the Table by Sophie Hannah
Title: The Couple at the Table
Author: Sophie Hannah
Published: January 25th 2022
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Pages: 368
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
RRP: $32.99
Rating: 3 stars
SIX COUPLES. ONE LUXURY RESORT. THE PERFECT MURDER . . .
A dream honeymoon…
You’ve madly in love, newly married and at an exclusive resort.
A nightmare dinner …
You receive a note warning you to ‘Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours.’ There are five other couples. Any of them might have murder in mind.
A crime that seems impossible…
Who tried to warn you? Who is out to get you?
And will you make it home alive?
SOPHIE HANNAH IS THE QUEEN OF THE UNGUESSABLE MYSTERY!
Review:
The Couple at the Table is the eleventh book in a series penned by British novelist and poet Sophie Hannah. I didn’t realise that The Couple at the Table was a series based novel as I purchased this one on a whim at an airport. A psychological thriller slash murder mystery novel, The Couple at the Table is a baffling mind teaser for fans of the locked room crime genre.
Twelve guests and six couples all converge on a luxury adults only exclusive resort in Sophie Hannah’s 2022 release, The Couple at the Table. While some are enjoying their honeymoon and much needed break away, their peace is about to be shattered by a shocking murder. When a note is discovered one night issuing five couples with a dark warning that they need to watch out for one couple, alarm bells ring. The scene is set and the mood plummets, as each guest is put on edge. Who is hell bent on warning these people of their possible impending death and who will be murdered?
So a quick glance over my reading records on Goodreads indicated that I haven’t read a Sophie Hannah book before. The Couple at the Table therefore represents my first Sophie Hannah read. It probably wasn’t the best idea to go into this author’s eleventh book in a well-known series, but I didn’t pick up on this when I purchased The Couple at the Table. I think it is very possible to read this one as an independent release to the other books in the series, there didn’t appear to be a lot to catch up on. I enjoyed the conceptualisation stages of this one very much, but the middle dragged a great deal and the end was a bit of a letdown. It seems a shame to rate my first Sophie Hannah book so harshly.
What Hannah does do well in The Couple at the Table is introduce each of her twelve characters and suspects to her reader with quiet ease. Hannah is clearly adept at this style of book and we have a great shift in perspective from character to character. The cast are quite eclectic, which made this book more interesting, especially in the early stages as the audience gets to know each guest. The timeline moves quite well between the past and present, which is marked out for the reader. The narrative is defined by some clear and flowing writing, with an obvious focus on the psychological, which I appreciated. The pace was too slow in my eyes, especially the middle section of the novel which really lagged. The second half the book seems to move up a gear as the police officers with their accompanying interview segments help draw the book to a conclusion. I didn’t guess the killer element of the tale at all, which is a plus for this crime fan!
A book that held great initial promise, especially for those who love a classic murder mystery story, The Couple at the Table was a mediocre psychological fiction tale that kept me occupied during a long-haul flight.
The Couple at the Table by Sophie Hannah is published by Hachette Australia on January 25th 2022 $32.99.
https://www.hachette.com.au/sophie-hannah/the-couple-at-the-table-the-top-10-sunday-times-bestseller-a-gripping-crime-thriller-guaranteed-to-blow-your-mind-in-2023
To learn more about the author of The Couple at the Table, Sophie Hannah, visit here.
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