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.

Some elements of this book were very refreshing especially in the way Lucy never tries to ignore her worries but tackles them head on. So often in books I’m almost shouting at the characters to follow through on their feelings. However the plot seemed to be a bit repetitive and what really was a short read seemed to take me ages to get through I didn’t guess the culprit (s) so that’s another bonus.
I would recommend this book because overall it has many more positives than negatives.

★★★ 3.5 stars

The camera never lies...but someone is...

Let's just take a moment to admire that cover...and imagine being in the Maldives ourselves. That crystal clear water. The sunshine in the ocean blue sky. The luxury of such a destination.

That's just what Lucy was admiring in her colleague's photos upon returning from her honeymoon. Until she saw a familiar face...one that shouldn't be there. her husband's best friend Scott in the Maldives with his arm around a woman that wasn't his wife. Lucy doesn't know what to do with this information at first. After all, she and her husband Adam have been best friends with the Scott and his wife Cora for nearly two decades and their children are inseparable. They are practically family. In fact, they even co-own a holiday cottage in Norfolk that they are renovating together. Their lives are perfect.

But when Lucy sees this photo of Scott with another woman in the Maldives when he is supposed to be on a business trip in Tokyo, she begins to realise that maybe their lives aren't quite as perfect as she had thought. And that nothing is as it seems.

And then shortly afterwards, the woman from the photograph goes missing - last seen in the Maldives. And Lucy starts to question everything she thought she knew about those closest to her and wonders whether those that she loves and trusted the most may not be who she thought they were.

Beginning as a steady slow burn, the story soon picks up pace as Lucy realises that things aren't always what they seem. In the space of just a couple of weeks, the lives of each of the characters unravel by the day. It leaves you pondering just how well you know those closest to you.

My first read by Cooper and it was certainly interesting they way the story played out and how it all came together and then fell apart. I did predict the twists almost from the start but then as a seasoned mystery thriller fan, I tend to look where there aren't any clues and see what isn't there...and then piece it together. But in doing so, it doesn't ruin my enjoyment of a good story. And I did enjoy this thriller. In fact I read it in one sitting tonight in bed and am jotting out this review before I go to sleep.

Overall, a good read but nothing overly spectacular though still reasonably entertaining.

I would like to thank #HelenCooper, #Netgalley and #HodderAndStoughton for an ARC of #TheCoupleInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Lucy and her husband Adam have been couples friends with Cora and Scott for many years. Their closeness is evident in their decision to share the purchase of a holiday property, and even their young children are used to playing together.

So Lucy is shocked when, admiring a colleague's honeymoon photos from the Maldives, she sees Scott in one of the pictures, but with his arm around an unknown woman. Her colleague also refers to the couple as Jason and Anna!

Because Lucy does not want her friend Cora to find out about her husband's possible infidelity, she decides to investigate by herself. And Lucy's tenacity in doing so would do the legendary British bulldog proud!

But more she digs, the more bizarre her findings. And things take a decidedly unpleasant turn when the woman in the picture disappears. Soon, Lucy is left wondering how well she knows her friends - and, for that matter, her own husband...

The pacing of this story could have been improved, and some of the twists were predictable. But ultimately, this book has an interesting premise, and there are a few surprises in store for the reader (even if they're not quite as extreme as those awaiting Lucy!) My rating is 3.5 stars.

A really good summer read!! I was really hooked and was so intrigued at how this story was going to unfold!! Brilliant, highly recommended xx