The Couple in the Photo

I don’t often read a book without reading the synopsis first but when I saw the cover of The Couple in the Photo I knew this book was for me. I am so glad I went into this one blind as it rocked my socks off. The plot was engaging, the twists shocking and the female MC Lucy was smart, relatable and clever. Lucy and her husband Adam are best friends with married couple Scott and Cora. They have the perfect couples friendship and their lives are deeply intertwined. So imagine Lucy’s shock and devastation when she sees a photo of Scott with another woman on Vacation. What is going on? Lucy is blindsided and afraid but is committed to uncovering the lies and deception to figure out the truth. And I’ll tell you, you won’t believe it.

The Couple in the Photo is a masterfully written domestic suspense novel you don’t want to miss out on. I look forward to reading more books by Helen Cooper. Thank you to Netgalley and Helen Cooper for my e-arc of this book.

A good read with lots of tension and twists. I was totally engrossed and couldn't stop reading it, Looking forward to reading more from the author.

3.75
Lucy & Adam plus Cora and Scott are very close friends and even share a holiday home which they’re renovating. All wonderful until the day when one of Lucy’s colleagues is back from her honeymoon in the Maldives. She sees a photo which couldn’t and shouldn’t have been of Scott. From that point on she’s a woman possessed, day and night until she gets the answers she’s looking for. It was so easy to get into with an appealing style of writing. Sadly the characters were anything but appealing - every single one! It could’ve been condensed a bit and Lucy could have stopped poking her nose where it wasn’t wanted. It’s nice to see different places being used rather than London, Edinburgh or Cornwall. There’s a few “surely not” parts - eg Scott and the colleague being in the exact place at the same time. This is a good read for those who enjoy family dramas combined with a mystery or two. I enjoyed the book and would definitely read more by Helen Cooper.

A good read
A very good plot
Will have you hooked
And has plenty of twists and turns
Thanks NetGalley

As thrillers go this was super twisted, and a real insight into friendship, infidelity, and when things go wrong... I loved the character dynamics here and it's really well written, so if you are a fan of psychological thrillers this is one that will have you holding your breath as you turn the pages and try to work out what the hell is going on!

A tale of lies and deceit. It's masterfully crafted from the beginning until the ending which you don't see coming.

This is the third book I’ve read from the author and I really enjoy the writing style. The Couple in the Photo was good but wasn’t my favourite release to date.
I do intend on picking up the author’s next release and I’m looking forward to seeing what is brought out next.

I loved this book! The story revolves around two couples who spend all their time together and whose kids are well adjusted with each other. How the relationships start to unravel is quite interesting and keeps you turning the page to find out more. Great read!

Lucy and Adam are best friends with Scott and Cora, doing everything together. But when Lucy sees a photo seemingly showing Scott on holiday with another woman- and when that woman goes missing, Lucy can't help but suspect Scott from being somehow involved. Her investigations shine light into murky corners in everybody's lives, not just Scott, and things start to unravel faster than expected.
A fast paced thriller, a good holiday read.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I did enjoy it.
Lucy and Adam, and Cora and Scott, are best friends and do everything together. Their children are all friends and play together as though they were family. They have even bought a cottage in Norfolk to renovate so they all have a summer home.
Lucy loves photos and analysing them so when Ruth, her colleague, comes back from honeymoon and shows off her photos, Lucy can't wait for a look. She is shocked to the core, however, when she sees Scott with another woman in the photo. What unfolds is lie upon lie and Lucy doesn't know what to think or who to believe. When the woman in the photo goes missing and makes the national news, she feels she has to report what she knows.
I won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil it but this story is full of twists and turns - unfortunately, I guessed the main part right at the beginning as it was just a little too obvious for me.
Having said that, the storyline was a good one and Helen Cooper writes really well. Worth a read 4⭐️

The Couple in the Photo by Helen Cooper was a good book. However, it did not have me gripped from the beginning like other books I have read, but once I finally got into it I really enjoyed it. The story started to come together and became a good read. So stick with it.

This book would be great for a lazy relaxing holiday sitting by a pool or on a beach.......then this book will have the right atmospheres and smells to make this book more alive.

Big thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, Helen Cooper and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

Absolutely LOVED this!
Lucy is a bit of me - obsessively needing to know what happened and I did not predict what did!!

A really intriguing and gripping book that kept me hooked and guessing. I actually liked that there was only a small circle of characters and how their lives were intertwined, but also separated by loss, lies and manipulation. I was completely invested into the mysteries behind the photos and found this a really brilliant premise for a book. Try as I might, I was unable to guess the ending which is always a nice feeling! I will definitely recommend this book and read more by this author.

This was quite a good read but it got a bit chaotic towards the end. The characters were well presented and all fairly likeable and the story build up was fun, I just felt it became a bit manic with everything being thrown at the final few chapters! I would recommend it however and thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy

This is a full on five star affair of a book. Lucy, Scott, Adam and Cora. Who is telling the truth? What is going on? Is suburban life really like this?
A fantastic unravelling of domestic life as old truths are revealed.
Absolutely brilliant read. Well done Helen Cooper. I loved it!

Amazing amazing book I personally would give this 100 out of 100 and would most definitely read this again full of twists and turns in most chapters and I would reccomend this to anyone and everyone!!!!

This is the first book I’ve read by Cooper. It certainly had plenty of plot and twists to squeeze in. When Lucy sees her workmate’s honeymoon photo it blows her world apart. Who can see really trust? What is real? How is this all going to end.

Great in-depth writing. Fantastic descriptions. It was a great first read of Helen Cooper. Looking forward to reading her first two books soon.

This is my third Helen Cooper thriller. As I loved the first two I had very high expectations of this one, and I can confidently say that she hasn't let me down. It was brilliant!

The story involves two young couples who live in Leicester, England. Lucy and Adam - Cora and Scott. They all have jobs outside the home and both couples have two young children. They are very close friends and do a lot of socializing together - they even bought a summer cottage together in Norfolk.

When Lucy, a teacher, sees her co-worker's holiday photos she is shocked to recognize Scot her close friend, on the beach in the Maldives with a woman who is NOT Cora. She is very upset by this as she doesn't want to jeopardize her friend's marriage by saying anything. Yet, she is torn by wanted to be honest with Cora... When the woman in the photo she saw is on the news reported as missing, things begin to spiral... Strangely, her co-worker doesn't seem to want to acknowledge that the woman in the photo is the same woman that is missing. Why?

"...she felt a surge of resentment that Scott's secrets were spawning her own, like toxic pieces breaking off and taking root where they landed."

This is a novel of secrets. Secrets that can fester and taint all those privy to them. It exemplifies the knowledge that a person can never fully know someone else. How even deep trust can erode given the right circumstances.

Yes, there is a plot twist or two that will satisfy lovers of the genre.

Highly, highly, recommended to those readers who enjoy intelligently plotted thrillers.

4.5 stars rounded up

Really enjoyed this book ,very twisty,I enjoyed it that much I have recommended to my book friends that they must read it,
Did not see the twists coming that the author threw at Us readers .

Lucy and her husband Adam are best friends with Cora and Scott, their children are friends and they are very close, going to each other homes and even holidaying together.

When Lucy is looking at her colleagues honeymoon photos in the Maldives, she spots her best friend Scott with another woman.

Lucy is determined to protect her friend but when the mystery woman is reported as missing Lucy fears that Scott may be involved.

This was a great read with plenty of twists that will keep you gripped until the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.