A couple disappear in the outback known for it's gold mining. They stop at a pub, and are very secretive as to where they are going to camp.
They are never heard of again.

Detective Veronika Pope leads the case, which is a cold case, hoping to give the grieving family some closure. She uncovers much more in this remote town than she expected.

I enjoyed this novel, a satisfying end to a cold case is what I like.
The characters in the town are described so well that I can picture them, and I was hooked from the beginning of the book right until the end, where I was shocked at who was actually guilty of foul play.

I recommend this book. 4/5 stars. Excellent read

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've never read anything by Anna Willett before but I knew right away I was in good hands. She has a very clean, pared back style, as does Detective Inspector Veronika Pope. Here is a female police officer to admire: strong, capable, no chip on her shoulder.

Iron Creek, in the outback, is one of those towns you see in films: hardly any women, red dust everywhere, and men who stare and leer at new comers.

Pope is sent there to investigate a three year old cold case. A middle aged married couple passed through but were never seen again.

Veronika finds Iron Creek a lawless community where the residents have developed ways of making money aside from the gold mining the region was famous for.

With limited resources, some operating remotely, Veronica peels back the many layers of an onion to find a motive for the couple's murder.

Held my attention throughout with numerous twists and surprises. I loved how hands-on Pope is, hurling herself at a fleeing suspect and pinning him down, in spite of being unarmed and half his size. Happy to make the acquaintance of DI Pope.

A loved up couple vanish in a remote area of the outback and there is still no trace of them three years later. Detective Veronika Pope is given the cold case and is determined to find out what happened to the couple. However, she finds the locals unhelpful and in some cases suspicious. Can they find the couple and put the truth together? Another thrilling entry to the series, this one keeps you guessing until the end. Brilliant!

I loved this premise and flew through it in a couple of days. Its very character based but really well written and set the scenes so perfectly and vividly. I like the twists and turns and didn't see them coming. It felt real and bad original characters that weren't your stereotypical small town cast where someone's hiding a shady secret. Well worth a read!

Wonderful book about a cold case, I was hooked to the twisting plot!
This is set in the outback of Australia, in the old gold mining areas. As the detectives search for clues for a missing couple who had disappeared over three years ago, they find there is much more to the story than the search for gold.
I love how the families of the missing couple are included, bringing them to life as people, showing the emotional effects of wondering what happened.
The plot is brilliant, twists galore and a true page turner.
I have read Anna Willett previously and the books are always amazing!

This is the 4th book in a series featuring a really interesting, strong female MC. It is the first one I have read, but was easy to follow as a stand-alone novel. Detective Veronika Pope is handed a baffling cold case about two people who disappeared a few years ago.

An apparently loving couple are last seen in an area of the Outback known for gold mining. Spotted at the local pub, they are said to have been tight-lipped about their plans, and subsequently vanished into thin air.

This happened three years ago. Understandably, their families want answers as to what happened to their loved ones, and it is Veronika's job to deliver them. Which is easier said than done when the locals of Iron Creek are less than forthcoming with answers of any kind. Luckily, Veronika is a hands-on investigator, who cuts no corners in terms of her efforts.

This was a well-written thriller that utilised its atmospheric setting to great effect. There were enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing, and the final denouement was not by any means a foregone conclusion. Recommended to those who enjoy a good police procedural delivered by a writer who knows how to keep you guessing.

Three years ago Jona and Laura disappeared while camping in the outback, they vanished without a trace. The local police organised a search party but apart from discovering a stone with blood on it they failed to find the couple or their bodies.

now a cold case team led by Veronika Pope is replicating the investigation but soon she and her team discover new evidence and a lot of the inhabitants of the small community turn out to have shady pasts and things to hide. Slowly, slowly we follow the ideal couple through their lasts days and hours. the abundance of suspects keeps you guessing to the very end, also because there are no obvious solutions that stand out from the beginning. I really liked this book.

The ideal couple is the first thriller I read that is set in the outback of Australia and also the first cold case novel that I read (as far as I can remember). The book turned out to be the fourth in a series. I really liked this one so I am sure to go and read the others as well.

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

"The Ideal Couple" by Anna Willett revolves around a couple who have been missing for about three years, leaving no trace behind. Detective Veronika Pope, the protagonist of the series, with her team has to navigate through the labyrinth of secrets in a small Australian town.
Overall, "The Ideal Couple" is a good read for fans of crime fiction and mystery thrillers.

My thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of the book for my unbiased review.