This is my first DNF for an ARC and the guilt is nagging me, but I couldnÂ’t continue.

The Couple at the Table seemed a sure thing as the premise intrigued me and I loved The Understudy - a collaborative effort by the author and three other writers.

However, I couldnÂ’t connect with the writing here. ItÂ’s difficult to explain, but I couldnÂ’t interpret the authorÂ’s logic. It felt someone babbling in my ear with nothing discernable reaching me. I was lost and had to give up. No rating.

Even though I couldnÂ’t make sense of it, I can see from other positive that this was enjoyed by many and I wasnÂ’t the right reader.

Thank you to NetGalley UK, Sophie Hannah, and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity. This will be published on January 7, 2022.dnf netgalley-uk158 s6 comments Sandysbookaday 2,227 2,235

EXCERPT: 'Look, here's how I see it: we've been told that William couldn't have done it, right? I don't know if that's a solid fact - you guys are the experts - but if it is? And we know we all didn't do it, the rest of us, because we were together and could see each other the whole time. And no one could have got in from outside, which is another thing we've been told . . . You see what I'm saying? If everyone's in the clear, then no one is.' Jack spread his arms, a . . . what was that insult Sondra threw at Sellers whenever he thought he was right about something and tried to argue the point? It sounded demi-god. Demagogue, that was it. Jack McCallion sounded a demagogue, as he said, 'It's so simple, it's unreal. Normally when we say, "These three people, or these nine, or these twenty people can't have done X," it's meaningful. Why? Because there are another twenty, or hundred, or thousand people who could have done it. Here, though, we have a case where there are how many people who might have done it, according to you guys? Zero! Zero viable suspects. Couldn't have been an inside job, couldn't have been an outside job. Well, that doesn't work, does it? Because someone, as sure as eggs is eggs, murdered Jane Brinkwood.'

ABOUT 'THE COUPLE AT THE TABLE': 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?

MY THOUGHTS: Lucy Dean describes her ex-husband William Gleave as ' a computer that's only had a quarter of its software installed.' Which made me smile. At times the description could equally well have fitted DC Simon Waterhouse, a man obsessed with a crime, a murder, that appears to have no solution.

The Couple at the Table is a locked room mystery that would have been solved a lot quicker had the astutely observant Miss Marple, or the 'little grey cells' of Monsieur Poirot been employed. It is exactly their kind of mystery.

There are plenty of suspects, but not many whom we get to know well. Lucy Dean is the main player. She is the ex-wife of William, whose new wife has been murdered. Not only did she and partner Pete attend William and Jane's wedding, but they turn up at the resort where William and Jane are honeymooning. An uncomfortable situation? You'd think so. Do either couple leave? Where would be the fun in that?

All the couples at this small, exclusive resort have secrets, some major, some minor. All but one couple lie, but even they conceal things from each other. And some of them are better at lying than others.

The plot is ingenious, a little reminiscent of a famous Agatha Christie novel, but ingenious all the same. It is complex, and at times I am sure smoke billowed from my ears as the cogs in my little grey cells spun frantically as I tried to keep the characters, their movements and their possible motives straight. I did pick the killer reasonably early on, but wasn't one hundred percent sure I was right until the big reveal, which was carried out in true Christie style with everyone gathered in the dining room.

As I said it is a complex murder mystery, and at times it became a little too convoluted and confusing. I resorted to drawing diagrams at one stage to straighten everything out in my head. But The Couple at the Table is wildly entertaining and a satisfying read.

???.6

#TheCoupleattheTable #NetGalley

I: @sophiehannahwriter @hodderbooks

T: @sophiehannahCB1 @HodderBooks

#contemporaryfiction #detectivefiction #domesticdrama #murdermystery #psychologicaldrama

THE AUTHOR: Sophie Hannah (born 1971) is a British poet and novelist. From 1997 to 1999 she was Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge and between 1999 and 2001 a junior research fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford. She lives with her husband and two children in Cambridge. (Wikipedia)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Couple at the Table by Sophie Hannah for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...2022 2022-netgalley-challenge 4-star ...more90 s Ceecee2,319 1,928

The Tevendon Estate in the Culver Valley is an exclusive couples only resort and it’s where Jane Brinkwood honeymoons with husband William Gleave. She receives notes including one which warns her to beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours which makes no sense at all as all the tables are in a circle and equidistant. After a very dramatic evenings events Jane is stabbed to death in her cottage. Who warned her or were they threats? Who killed her? DC Simon Waterhouse and Sergeant Charlie Zailer amongst others investigate what seems to be the “perfect crime”. Which couple at which table? Your suspicious detective eyes fall on all present at one stage or another.

The book starts out really strongly with guest Lucy‘s perspective being extremely lively and entertaining as she has internal debates with herself and on occasions she is extremely funny. The writing is engaging with several interesting images of the couples at the tables giving you plenty of food for thought. Some of the characters are really good, some are really annoying such as pedantic Simon and of some don’t really feature much. The dynamics are really good as the bunch at Tevendon are certainly an odd disparate bunch and there’s plenty to cast your eye of suspicion over especially as an abundance of lies eventually emerge. So there are plenty of positives.

However, then in my opinion we stray into bonkers land, now sometimes I that but this becomes too long and convoluted as we analyse the bejesus of everything as we wander around and around from one guest to another and I glaze over. Some of the revelations are good, some are plain silly in my view and some of the discoveries make my head spin with a certain amount of incredulous disbelief. A few have no explanation at all. When the perpetrator is revealed it just had to be but the reasons are spurious. The ultimate ending is well, odd.

Overall, itÂ’s very mixed bag for me some parts are fantastic and others are just letÂ’s board the train to Crazy Town. ItÂ’s a shame because I usually really enjoy Sophie HannahÂ’s books but this one wasnÂ’t her best

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.86 s Anissa911 286

I have resolved to keep all my 2-star very short so here goes...

I guessed the killer at around 16-18% of the way in and figured I had a pretty good idea of their goal (I was right). All is not revealed until pretty far into the final third and let me just say, it wasn't worth all that preceded between the two. Overall a tedious overlong read with characters who were just a muddled, ridiculous mess that wasn't even memorable. I did get through it in two days through sheer disbelief that it wasn't getting better.

This is the second book I've read by Hannah and a second 2-star read. The summaries are so tantalizing but I am just not loving it (perhaps the ones I've chosen are just the middlers). Funnily enough, I had sworn off Hannah after I read the first book but saw her in a mystery writer's discussion last year and found her so funny and charming that I felt I needed to give it another go. I'll try another at some point but fear she may need to go on the same list I keep Ruth Ware books on (as in, "It sounds fantastic but I just know disappointment awaits. But do give the summary writers ALL THE APPRECIATION because they almost sold me!")

If you absolutely must... library.2022 mystery-suspense-crime78 s1 comment Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme)442 288

Newlyweds William Gleave and Jane Brinkwood are relishing their stay at the Tevendon Estate Resort for their honeymoon until anonymous threats begin to arrive through the mail slot for Jane. Despite one reading “beware of the couple at the table nearest yours,” Jane insists she won’t be intimidated and attends dinner anyway. But it appears that someone wants to play games as all of the tables have been rearranged. They have been positioned so that each table is equidistant from the rest. With the note appearing to now be meaningless, what was the sender hoping to accomplish? Are the prankster and note sender one and the same? And what do they have against Jane?

When someone, however, is discovered dead within hours of dinner, it appears the threats werenÂ’t empty after all. To top off the oddness surrounding the case, it becomes evident to the police that no one from outside could have committed the murder and all of the guests have alibis. This leaves the detectives spinning their wheels as they try to figure out the impossible. Who is the murderer? And are the remaining guests potential victims or perpetrators?

Suspenseful, spellbinding, and filled with Agatha Christie- slightly twisted, tongue-in-cheek characters, I thoroughly enjoyed The Couple at the Table. Told in two timelines through multiple narrators so that we see the complete picture, it even finishes up with a group meeting where the murderer is revealed. And to top off the classic feel in this very modern novel, a map of the scene of the murder is included within the story (only thing missing for the trifecta is a character list).

While it did have a relatively slow start that had me wondering if there was a bait-and-switch with the plot (there isnÂ’t), it quickly picks up once the second timeline begins. As the plot progresses, red herrings and secrets abound, but the fact remains that no one appears to have had opportunity to kill. Be not afraid, though, the ingenious (and slightly odd) Detective Constable Simon Waterhouse will catch his killer!

Sophie Hannah has shown herself to be a master at crafting authentic, yet quirky, characters and whodunnit style. They are the paramount reasons why I will be returning to the start of the Spilling CID series to read Little Face as I accidentally read the eleventh book first. Thankfully, it was perfectly fine as a stand-alone novel although IÂ’m sure I missed quite a bit of character development. Oops. If youÂ’re looking for the perfect locked room murder mystery, definitely pick this one up. Rating of 4 stars.

Trigger warning: divorce, infidelitydomestic-thriller mystery police-procedural ...more57 s Tracy 884 12

Meh. Not very thrilling and often boring. Unfortunately, I experienced much of The Couple at the Table as a slow moving story consisting of accusations, back-stabbing and complaining by a bunch of self-possessing and uninteresting characters. While this may appeal to others, it is not my type of psychological "thriller".
Narrator Julie Maisey did a fine job with all of the character voices and delivered a realistic performance.library-audiobook thriller-and-suspense45 s DeAnn1,468

2 confusing stars

I really wanted to love this one as I usually enjoy Sophie HannahÂ’s work, but this one is not as good as others IÂ’ve read by her. The premise is there, but the execution falls flat.

Of course, thereÂ’s a murder in this one, at an exclusive resort for couples. The murdered woman received warning notes and had a bizarre meltdown at dinner. Shortly after, JaneÂ’s body is discovered. Whodunnit? ItÂ’s all a bit complicated as Jane is the daughter of Lord Ian, the owner of the resort. SheÂ’s supposed to be on her honeymoon, but her husbandÂ’s ex-wife is also staying at the resort. Lucy has no good feelings toward Jane, so she is an immediate suspect. Her husband was also there, heÂ’s a suspect too.

We get snippets of what happened that night, but the case is still open six months later. Simon Waterhouse is investigating, plodding through all the details. Maybe thatÂ’s where this book falls apart for me. There are so many couples and theories and no way that I could have figured out what really happened. I struggled to keep track of who was who and keep losing the plot.

Alas, this was not the book for me. However, I will gladly read the next Sophie Hannah book in the hopes that it is a great one!

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review this one.2022 netgalley-202239 s Kevin312

Have you ever read Sophie Hannah? If not, let me introduce you to how this works.

Synopsis: Sophie introduces you to a situation which can't possibly be true. For example, in Little Face a woman goes out for the first time after giving birth, comes back home and tells everyone that the baby in the cot is not hers despite her husbands insistence that it is.

In Perfect Little Children (published as Haven't They Grown in the UK), a woman drives by a woman and her children who she hasn't seen in 12 years. The woman has aged but the children are still the same age they were 12 years ago???

In The Couple at the Table, a woman is murdered at a couple's only retreat. She was sent to warning letters prior to the murder, one saying "Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours" but all the tables were as close to one table as they are to another. Why would you send someone a warning letter that does not assist them?

Next, Sophie takes you through the case which is being investigated by DC Simon Waterhouse (the best detective in crime writing IMO). Simon is not a charismatic, loveable, rogue detective. He is miserable, introverted and diss people in general, but more than anything he does not let anything go as we can see when this murder is still unsolved after six months.

What I love most about Sophie Hannah is that she takes an outrageous premise and lures you in with it as you NEED to know how it pans out. She then slowly and without fanfare teases the story out, leaving clues and red herrings aplenty and then delivers an ending which you will rarely see coming but gives you great satisfaction.

One of, if not my favourite crime writer at the moment.

This book publishes on 27th January 2022 and I would encourage everyone to look out for it. It features the same detectives as her previous novels so there is some backstory it would be useful to know however it can be read as a standalone without reading the previous books. If you haven't read her previous books then I am very jealous of you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 37 s2 comments Mags Schofield299 6

This is perhaps the most disappointing book I've read.
I had such high expectations, but unfortunately reading became quite a chore. The characters behaved bizarrely and the whole story was slow and padded with irrelevant details and conversations. I realised after reading more than half, that there was no way the reader could work out what is essentially a closed room murder. Clues are few and far between, mainly consisting of people having lightbulb moments without any explanation. I have never met such ineffectual police officers, failing to ask pertinent questions until six months after a murder. Witnesses who lie and behave out of character, added to an implausible plot, huge numbers of characters and the sheer wordiness and length of this drawn out story, made this hard work.
The motive and identity of the murderer, when it eventually came, was a complete anti-climax, and the final part, written from the point of view of the victim was just bizarre.
I'm so pleased I read this through Pigeonhole. as the comments were way better than the plot.34 s1 comment Jade WrightAuthor 5 books201

This book sounded SO unique and fun... You're on your honeymoon at an exclusive, couples only resort. One night at dinner, you receive a note warning you to beware of the couple across from you. Dotted all around you are couple sitting at an equally distanced table from you. Who is the note referring to? You're about to be murdered - but you don't know it. Once you're dead, all the evidence seems to imply that no one at the resort had anything to do with it.

I'm definitely in the minority here. I really didn't this book. What a disappointment for the book that is supposed to be the 'impossible to solve mystery book'.
It bored me to tears - and there were far too many characters and theories to keep up with and it was ridiculously long for what it was. There was a strong start but it quickly became mindless babble that I couldn't care less about. I knew that it was going to be a slow-burning mystery, but I really was close to falling asleep more times than I can count with this book. I didn't care who the killer was and to be honest, I've already forgotten! Wasn't worth the time in my opinion.28 s1 comment Mike968 79

Recently published The Couple at the Table by Sophie Hannah is a standalone murder mystery. Six couples are at a holiday resort when one couple gets a disturbing warning whilst eating their dinner. Unaware which of the couples is out to harm them, one of them is then murdered and the police fail to solve the case. Set in the present day, with flashbacks to happenings leading to the murder, this seemingly impossible mystery of who committed the act is slowly played out. A typical classical murder tale set in the mundane life of its characters, each with their secret, ordinary lives and unsolvable mystery whodunnit. With its almost benign narrative and subtle clues and red herrings, this is a brilliant tale of murder and mayhem with a five-star rating. It is a typical cosy English crime mystery but with Christie-esque chic. cosy-mystery english-crime police-procedural ...more27 s Mandy White (mandylovestoread)2,324 670

I do love a locked room mystery and Sophie Hannah books so I was looking forward to getting stuck into this one. It was a little crazy onwards to the end but definitely entertaining.

Jane is on her honeymoon at an exclusive resort for couples when she starts to get notes left for her. she is told “ beware of the couple at the next table” which isn’t helpful as all the tables are the same distance apart. And then she is murdered. It had to be someone on the island, one of the couples. All the staff had left for the night. But who and why? As we read, we learn more about all these characters, none of whom are particularly able or trustworthy. Any of them might have done it.

I didnÂ’t realise going into this that it was book 11 of a series but it really did not matter. It is the police characters of Simon and Charlie that were recurring but this can easily be read as a stand alone.

Thanks to Hachette Australia for my copy of this book to read. It is out now.owned publisher-arcs z-read-in-202226 s Dannii Elle2,118 1,705

This is the eleventh instalment in the Spilling CID series.

Six couples are seated for dinner at six different tables an equal distance away from the others. One of the couples receives a note stating that they should beware of the couple seated the nearest to them. Who could they mean? When a death follows the note's arrival it seems that its contents were truthful and the race in discovering who the sender is and who they were referring to is on.

Sophie Hannah is a renowned thriller author who I have only sampled one or two books from before. Her name, my previous enjoyment of her work, and this title's intriguing synopsis prompted me to loan this book from the library, despite not ordinarily bonding well with police detective series.

I initially found this an absorbing read and enjoyed finding out the backgrounds for all of the couples as well as the twisted roots that bound them all. I soon discovered that the shared more than just their present surroundings.

My interest in solving the case remained but, for me, the focus on these interpersonal relationships started to dominate and, with so many characters involved in it, I sometimes lost focus and felt my enjoyment dwindling. This remained a solid read, which I flew through over the course of one day, but not my favourite thriller to have read as I desired more twists involved in it. This author still remains one I will return to in the future, however.adult-books-read crime-creations mysterious-miasmas ...more24 s Liz Barnsley3,548 1,043

The twisty thought processes of Sophie Hannah strike again in this brain bending mystery featuring Simon and Charlie, a holiday and an Impossible murder.

Of course it is entirely possible but it will bug you as to the solution right up until it is revealed...so addictive, beautifully written and full of red herrings.

The suspect group dynamic is truly excellent, this author is the queen of the quirky, oddly compelling character and this time there's a whole lot of them, all caught up in a case that even Simon struggles to solve.

I loved it. I always do. I did actually guess the killer correctly but honestly it wasn't through intelligent unravelling of the clues the author offers but a pure stab in the dark that happened to hit home. But hey. I'll take it!

Very much recommended. Wildly entertaining. 21 s Gary2,734 395

This was a good read with an interesting synopsis but I felt that it dragged a little and became a bit repetitive.

Someone is murdered while on holiday and receives a warning letter prior to the murder telling her to “Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours”. A confusing warning given that all the tables are the same distance apart. Also why would someone send a warning letter without telling them all the information.

I enjoy the authors writing but for me following a strong start the story lacked excitement and tedious.

I would to thank both Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for suppling a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.18 s Carol2,959 114

Married police officers Simon Waterhouse and Charlie Zailer are supposed to be taking a holiday at a luxurious resort not far from where they live. However, as is often the case with real or fictional detectives, trouble seems to follow them, so it isnÂ’t long after their arrival that one of the guests, Jane Brinkwood, daughter of the aristocratic owner, is found stabbed in the back.... deader than the proverbial doornail. The irony is that Jane herself thought nothing of stabbing others in the back, metaphorically speaking, when she was alive. Indeed, one of her fellow guests is Lucy Dean, whose ex-husband, William, left her for Jane. TheyÂ’d been having an affair for 18 months behind LucyÂ’s back, and Lucy had even worked as a trained medical companion for Jane during her pregnancy. Jane had also managed to upset everybody else at the resort, so there are plenty of suspects for Waterhouse and Zailer to investigate, although as everyone has an alibi, getting to the bottom of the matter proves rather difficult indeed. Actually, The Couple at the Table comes across feeling somewhat something that Agatha Christie could well have dreamed up. We have all the protagonists gathered at the scene of the crime, during which the detective sums up exactly what happened before revealing the killer. I was interested and invested in the crime during the first 200 or so pages, but then the last section was somewhat of a let-down. ThereÂ’s an awful lot of explaining to be done, and some of it just seemed to be too preposterous. IÂ’d love to be able to explain that better, but IÂ’d be giving away spoilers and I wouldnÂ’t want to ruin it for anyone still planning to read the book. Not at all a bad story and it is well worth reading and the 3.5 star rating.15 s ReadAlongWithSue ??. ??2,818 362

For some reason I just couldnÂ’t connect with this. ItÂ’s book 11 in a series? I felt I should start from the beginning but IÂ’m just off of detective novels at mo. Maybe IÂ’ll pick it up again sometimeÂ…..or not.2024-family-tbr-months-choice-jar 2024-off-my-physical-book-shelf-cha mystery-suspense ...more16 s Roman Clodia2,616 3,552

Reading this is a blast! Hannah has, again, pulled off a bonkers 'impossible' murder and her Poirot novels seem to have keyed her in to a definite Christie feel, but updated to a contemporary setting. It's great that she's returned to the Spilling series and has brought back Simon Waterhouse and Charlie Zailer, along with their colleagues and friends, though first-time readers (this is not indicated to be part of a series, #10, I think?) may find the characterization a little thin.

It took a few chapters before I settled into this one but once caught up in the tangled lives and stories, this became hard to put down. I'd say that in comparison with the earlier books in the series, this is lighter, without the same intensity of trauma and troubled characters.

The baroque twists and backstories reminded me of the classic Golden Age The Hollow Man.

In summary: brilliantly complicated and a bit crazy too!

Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley14 s Rachel Chambers242 6

Don't waste your money on this. A disappointing read from the start.14 s Whispering Stories2,930 2,609

The Couple at the Table reads an old-fashioned murder mystery and a psychological thriller rolled into one. The plot is simple in terms of the murder, however, the investigation and the toing and froing between the characters and timeline make sure you have to read the book slowly and take everything in as at times it comes across as a little confusing.

The pacing of the book felt quite slowly at the beginning as we are introduced to the twelve characters who were staying at the exclusive couples-only resort the night that one of them is murdered, stabbed in the back whilst her husband was in the same room and saw nothing.

In the second half of the book the pace intensified as the case starts to close in, though I did not suspect who admitted to the killing and by the end, I was unsure if this person was the real killer or just taking the fall, thatÂ’s how much it plays with your mind.

It most certainly is an intriguing book and if you your plots to go over the same scene from numerous points of view then you will love this novel. Especially if you adore books with plenty of characters that will get on your nerves and have narcissistic qualities. These characters really grated on me after a while, which I find is the making of a good story, when I become emotionally invested and either love or hate the characters.

Overall, if you to be led astray a few times, your books a little bit wacky and unusual but adore a murder mystery, then The Couple at the Table is the book for you.13 s Dawn 191 32 Read

I think this will appeal to both vintage and modern crime readers as it somehow feels both! You get the vintage crime vibe, but with lots of modern twists (n.b. all these twists and turns mean you need to pay attention).
I've since learnt that this novel contains characters from previous books and is therefore part of a series, but I haven't read any of them; it works just as well as a stand alone.13 s Stuart McCarthy77 1 follower

What a shitshow. The term red herring has officially lost all meaning...13 s Paula771 195

Great build up,but the end is pretty lame.11 s Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews2,049 299

*https://mrsbbook.wordpress.com

The Couple at the Table is the eleventh book in a series penned by British novelist and poet Sophie Hannah. I didnÂ’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 HannahÂ’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 havenÂ’t read a Sophie Hannah book before. The Couple at the Table therefore represents my first Sophie Hannah read. It probably wasnÂ’t the best idea to go into this authorÂ’s eleventh book in a well-known series, but I didnÂ’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 didnÂ’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 didnÂ’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.2023-books10 s Laura1,005 76

Book on www.snazzybooks.com

ItÂ’s great to be back in the world of Simon Waterhouse, and another twisty, addictive case.

I always hugely look forward to a new Sophie Hannah book, and the premise of this book intrigued me. The ‘locked room’-style instantly made me want to read it – we know one of the fairly small group of people staying at the luxury holiday resort must have murdered fellow guests Jayne, but even 6 months later the thoroughly entertaining Simon Waterhouse hasn’t worked it out. Oh, and I should mention – Simon and Charlie happened to be staying in the same resort at the time of the murder!

We see a lot of this novel from Lucy’s point of view. She’s the ex-wife of William, who is married to Jayne, the murder victim, and she happened to be staying at the resort at the time of the murder too! Since her and William’s marriage ended on very bad terms, you’d think she was suspect number 1. And yet, we soon find out there are a LOT of people at that resort who disd – perhaps even hated – Jayne, making it much harder for Simon (and Charlie) to work out what on earth really happened.

This is a puzzling but very fun murder mystery, and in the inimitable style of Sophie Hannah, youÂ’re kept guessing right up until the end. I had no clue about what had happened and couldnÂ’t have guessed it at all before the end but, as expected, I loved the journey to get there!

Simon is his usual brilliant but frustrating self, and CharlieÂ’s exasperation with him is as entertaining as ever! We switch between Simon and CharlieÂ’s perspectives, that of the other guests (mainly LucyÂ’s), and also staff member Anita. I loved the switch between characters and, although I felt this book moved at a slower pace than others in the series, I honestly didnÂ’t want it to end and enjoyed every page.

ThereÂ’s humour, surprises and plenty of intrigue from the first page to last. Sophie Hannah is still, without a doubt, the master of bonkers mysteries, and she is one of my favourite authors full stop.

Many thanks to the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.10 s Amanda LarkmanAuthor 5 books82

I cannot believe I'm giving a Sophie Hannah novel one star. I love her writing - read everything she's written and thoroughly enjoyed them all (though Haven't They Grown not so much) as she creates gripping thrillers with a fantastic - and intriguing - core premise. Read her short story The Octopus Nest to see this at its best.

I also am very fond of the Culver Valley series. But oh, dear this was AWFUL! I had to force myself to finish it.

OK, so it's a closed room murder - someone died - every possible suspect ruled out yada yada. Here we go, let's settle in to see how this unfurls.

Oh. My . God, I've never been so bored in my life. (Well, Moby Dick came close). Also, it can't have been the husband because he DIDN'T TURN ROUND when his wife was stabbed!? (This isn't a spoiler, you find this out about page 5)

The story is ridiculous, the couples completely unconvincing. I heard Hannah talking about it on the radio and even as she described the story I felt she was struggling to sell the premise. She also spoke about how she made a detailed plan of the resort, writing out a map and everything. It didn't work. I couldn't picture this so-called luxury resort at all. I just kept picturing a large grim Edwardian house surrounded by caravans. Not, I think, what she was going for.

The Lucy narrator was hilariously deranged but not in a good way and the victim, Jane, sounded a badly drawn Cruella De Vil. The whole 'letter to a murderer' thing was badly judged (and repeated twice). This was presumably so the reader could read through to find the clues, but I couldn't be arsed.

The 'let's all get together to reveal the murder' was unoriginal (don't mind that) but badly done (do mind that).

I don't know what happened here. It wasn't even that well written, it all seemed very grey and muffled - not her usual style at all. What a shame! I will continue to look out for her books though, maybe a blip? Let's hope so!

It's put me right off my run of thrillers - off to try Veronica Henry for some light relief.
10 s1 comment Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books)592 559

IÂ’ve been a Sophie Hannah fan for at least ten years. So much that my kids bought her latest book for MotherÂ’s Day when they were about eight and ten years old (now sixteen and eighteen). Later, the bookseller told me that my kids were so cute, bickering whether they should buy the Dutch or English version.
 
So, when I had the chance to read her newest story early, I was really excited. I had been waiting for the next Charlie and Simon for years, but I think I've waited too long. The magic I always felt between those two people waned in the meantime. And while I still love a lot of things the writing, the dual timelines, the mystery, and of course Charlie and SimonÂ’s interactions, the story just didnÂ’t come up to my expectations. This doesnÂ’t mean The Couple at the Table is a bad book. On the contrary! It just means IÂ’ve grown out of this series.
 
I received an ARC from Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.arc-netgalley-edelweiss mystery-thriller10 s Sharon1,728

I have to admit I struggled with this one. I loved the idea of it, and I've read books bynthis author before, but I found it really difficult to connect with the story. Set in an exclusive couples only resort, this follows the investigation into the murder of Honeymoon guest Jane Brinkwood. The story is told from different timescales and character perspectives, and whilst this wasn't confusing for me, the style of writing made it very hard to concentrate on their stories. There are a lot of characters, which was hard to keep up with, and I couldn't even hazard a guess as to what was actually happening. Such a shame as I've enjoyed previous books. This does have good from other readers, but it obviously wasn't the book for me.netgalley-2022 netgalley-books sharon-2022 ...more9 s Barbara Nutting2,998 137

Spare yourself the agony of trying to get through this boring and repetitious mess. How Ms Hannah ever inherited Agatha ChristieÂ’s mantel is beyond me!! Her writing is mediocre, her characters unrealistic and a this plot is so far fetched as to be comical.

I wallowed through half of it simply because it was the last book in my pile from the library. Had to pinch myself to stay awake. Skimmed to the last 20 pages for the big reveal- Not! No more Hannah for me.9 s2 comments Simone Cameron168 1 follower

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