Rating:

Deadly Secrets

Authors: Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Marissa and Matthew Bishop have an outwardly perfect life; after all, they’re both attractive and wealthy, the seeming golden couple with nothing but good luck and luxury in their future. Underneath that polished surface, however, there are issues. It began as a drifting and ended in an unexpected betrayal. Marissa, more than anyone, knows that drastic measures are needed to save this marriage, and so she seeks out the unorthodox, blockbuster therapist, known for losing her license because of her extreme methods. This therapist, Avery Chambers, is also known for her success, and right know, that’s what the Bishops need most.

As Avery works through her own paranoia while following the Bishops, she starts to suspect that both the husband and the wife are keeping damning secrets. When Marissa reveals her infidelity in the first session, it seems like the bomb has dropped. But has it? Are there worse revelations in store for the seemingly perfect couple? How many cracks are there beneath that smooth surface, what is Marissa still hiding, and what is Matthew’s game?

I picked up The Golden Couple from one of the towering stacks of books in my bedroom, remembering vaguely that Book of the Month had recommended it, and that I had made it my monthly selection with some excitement. Knocking the dust off the cover, I started in, with little to no memory about the write-up. I was soon enmeshed in this domestic, everything-is-not-so-perfect drama. It has the usual MO: the wealthy suburbs, the woman with an unlikely creative/entrepreneurial job that would never make money in the real world, the man a walking suit with some sinister clean-cut vibes, and the therapist who might be more messed up than her clients. Predictable? Yeah. Utterly captivating. Yeah. All the tropes work together, and the ending takes a 180 degree turn that even the most diligent of readers will find surprising.

My least favorite character, admittedly, was Avery. I enjoyed the scenes (all too few) of her stalking her clients, but the plotline where she is targeted by Big Pharma for spreading a secret is entirely unrealistic and never truly fits into the Bishops’ story. It’s too much going on, and Avery should have just been the catalyst. I did, however, enjoy her adoption of an adorable Pit Bull named Romeo, and that little chap lightened her otherwise tedious sessions.

Image by Jupi Lu from Pixabay

Neither Matthew nor Marissa is exceptionally likable, although Marissa is a little more approachable and well-drawn. But who cares. We’re here for the drama. For the scandal. I didn’t want to like them. I wanted to second guess them and all their motives. I wanted to put my true-crime hat on, sit back with some popcorn, and suspect everyone and everything. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen delivered this pleasurable paranoia in spades.

As the narrative continues, some of the secrets start to become obvious, but others remain buried. Soon, we realize that the stakes are far higher than a happy marriage, and all those ominous notes start to escalate and coalesce into sheer madness. The ending epilogue is unnecessary (again, we don’t care about Avery), but the final showdown is glorious and bloody. Well done.

No, this isn’t art. This isn’t an unforgettable literary tribute to the human soul. What The Golden Couple delivers is sheer entertainment, and it does that very well, giving out just enough to keep the mystery escalating. Highly recommended.

– Frances Carden

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Frances Carden
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