Gemma and Danny have been living in wedded bliss for over a year when they decide to buy a house in Bristol---trading in the city apartment life for something better suited to maybe starting a family. When Gemma comes back from a work weekend away, expecting Danny to have dinner ready with a glass of wine, she’s surprised to find there’s nothing of the sort. No notes or calls from Danny, nothing missing, nothing disturbed, so where did he go? As Gemma works with the police who are also investigating the murders of men who resemble Danny, they start to look more and more at Gemma and her story, her alibis, and even her mental state. I enjoyed the book; it was an easy and interesting story for sure; however, once again the ending came in a bit cobbled together and unreal. I know this is fiction, after all, but it still needed to be a bit more believable. For my tastes, at least.

Special Note: Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Couple, grabs you right away when Gemma comes home to find her husband is not home. This book was a very fast read, it kept me guessing till the very end, one minute you think you have it figured out, and then the next you don’t. Looking forward to reading more from this author. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Gemma and Danny were married after a whirlwind romance and have recently relocated to have a better quality of life and think about starting a family. So when Danny doesn't come home one night, Gemma is frantic - they had no marital problems, spent all their time together, and were besotted - Danny wouldn't just leave her. 

But when Gemma turns to the police, she finds they're more interested in her than in Danny. No one in their new neighbourhood has ever met Danny, or even seen him. And when the police contact Danny's new employer, they say he never took the job. But then it turns out hat there's a serial killer on the loose, and all the victims look like Danny. So is Danny in trouble...or is Gemma having problems of a different kind...?

While I did enjoy this book, there were a few problems with it, the first one being the characters. I could've shaken Gemma on several occasions (open your eyes, woman!!!) and Danny was a little bit pantomime villain for my liking (his confession to Gemma made my blood BOIL). That having been said, it was a gripping read, and I liked the fact that I genuinely had no idea who was responsible for what and who was lying for most of the book. The ending was a little far fetched (and I could've done without the last little 'reveal') but as long as you're willing to suspend your disbelief a little bit, this is a rollicking read with plenty twists and turns along the way. I look forward to reading more from this author. 

Thank you to netGalley, who provided me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gemma comes home from a work trip expecting dinner and cava to be supplied by her husband Danny, Instead she finds an empty house, empty fridge and no champagne reception. Over the next couple of days she sits at home and worries until she eventually goes to the police to report him missing. At first the police are inclined to be dismissive of what looks like being another missing person case but they change their mind when they see his photograph. He looks exactly like two young men who have been found murdered. Is Danny a possible third victim?

I enjoyed this book although it was ultimately unbelievable in many areas. The characters are on the whole sympathetic and reasonably well drawn and there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A nice'n'easy read - a missing husband, a serial killer on the loose and a detective keen to join up the dots. Enjoy it for what it is - a thriller with a zippy plot, a twist and a happy ending. If one was being picky one could question the detective's determination that there was only one solution to the crime, some of the meanderings of the narrative and the mildly saccharin ending - but hey, sometimes you need a whodunnit - and this is perfect.

Gemma and Danny have moved to Bristol and starting their new lives as a married couple. Coming home from work one day Danny is missing. Two bodies have turned up and dci Helena Dickens is working hard to solve these crimes until Gemma is linked to them.
What a whirlwind of a read, the last twenty percent of the book had me racing through the pages. Fantastic work from Jackie again.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The perfect couple…or the perfect lie?

This was my first book by Jackie Kabler and I was to not be dissapointed. I read in the acknowledgements at the end of this book, this was only her second Physcological Thriller after moving in a different direction from other genres. This surprised me as it's very well written and I'm so glad you switched genres and graced me with this storyline!

Anyway back to the book itself!.....
The perfect couple;
A year and a half ago, Gemma met the love of her life, Danny. Since then, their relationship has been like something out of a dream. But one Friday evening, Gemma returns home to find Danny is nowhere to be seen.

Set in Bristol (where I'm from- I love a read that is set in my hometown as you can connect with the places mentioned and it's easy to picture-perfect the storyline!)... There is a serial killer on the loose and the police are trying to track him/her down before anymore deaths occur.... On top of this Gemma's husband has gone missing and bares a striking resemblance to the two dead men that have been killed by the serial killer.... Is Danny another victim of the serial killer?.

The storyline gave nothing away, I could not have guessed the outcome come the and end. I was held in suspense, fear and shock and really felt for Gemma at times.
The storyline finishes up with the most beautiful ending.... Another twist I couldn't have foreseen and I really enjoyed this final last touch to wrap up this rollercoaster of a storyline!

Very well written and I'd fully recommended this book to friends and family! I will go back and read Jackie Kablers first Physcological Thriller now! 5 stars from me!

Gemma seems to have a wonderful life with her new husband, Danny. After just recently moving into their new home, Gemma comes back from a business trip to find Danny missing.

Where has he gone? And why can no one else remember seeing him recently? Why do none of her neighbors even acknowledge his presence?

Without much help from the police, Gemma is determined to find out what happened to Danny. Meanwhile, the police have bigger problems as a potential serial killer is on the loose in the area.

A very fast read with interesting character development. My hesitation to rate above the three stars is because it was a bit too repetitive for my liking, and at times, unbelievable. Overall, though, I was very intrigued by the plot and found the ending quite satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

Overall rating - 4.5 out 5 stars.

WOW, this book was an absolute rollercoaster from beginning to end, I usually try and play detective and try and figure the story and book out, and reading this was no different, except I came to every conclusion except the right one.

The first few chapters were quite fast paced which (without giving too much away) was necessary to the story. Gemma had gotten home from work to find her husband missing, and the first few chapters followed her panic, trying to contact him and find out what was going on. 

The book naturally slowed down as the story progressed, but it never once felt boring or like a slog to read. Every chapter brought something new. 

This book was such a wild ride, once it peaked and we discovered what happened everything did add up but I would never have worked it out on my own. To strike the balance of having a shocking twist but also planting the seeds along the way is difficult but this book achieved it!

Character wise, I struggled to buy into all of them. Gemma was really well rounded and brought to life, but others i.e. Danny seemed flat and 2D, they lacked life. 

On the whole, I thought The Perfect Couple was a really exciting and refreshing read and I would definitely recommend it.

I found it difficult to put this book down, although certain parts of the story were a bit unbelievable.
Gemma, married to Danny, living an apparently perfect life, comes home one day to find her husband missing. Her feelings, her angst, her panic, are all so well drawn.
What isnt so perfect is that we are expected to believe that the police could really be that daft? Without any real solid evidence they are fixated on Gemma as a killer. Without going into the story and spoiling it, it didnt seem to be possible that she was anything but a grieving wife.
The character of Danny and his insouciant retelling of the crimes makes one gasp
I have a horrid feeling about the smallest member of her family!
Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy, which was much enjoyed.

Gemma a happily married freelance journalist comes home to find her husband is no where to be found. When days have passed she had no other option than to report him missing. Gemma is shocked to discover her seeming perfect husband Danny and their marriage may not be what it seems. With no evidence to back up her story, the police begin to believe that Gemma may have something to do with her husband’s disappearance.

While the search for Danny continues, the police are also on the hunt for a potential serial killer who is targeting men that strangely resemble Danny.

Told in alternating chapters going between Gemma and the police, I found myself racing to the end of the story to unlock the final mystery of what happened with many twists and turns along the way. While the story at times was predictable, I was constantly entertained and found myself wondering what to believe and what not.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

‘The Perfect Couple‘ is a truly great find! Gripping, easy to read and utterly unpredictable. The term ‘unputdownable’ could have been coined specifically for this book.

Following an overnight work trip, Gemma arrives at the Bristol home she shares with husband Danny to find him missing. As her concern grows she reports his disappearance to the police. The situation escalates when the police realise Danny bears an uncanny resemblance to a number of men who have recently been found murdered all around city. Gemma unexpectedly finds herself under suspicion when the police fail to find ‘proof of life’ for Danny for weeks prior to Gemma reporting him missing. What follows is a rollercoaster of twists and turns that are both utterly compelling and suggestive of the brilliance of Jackie Kabler’s brain, which was clearly made for writing psychological fiction.

An effortless 5 stars, I can’t recommend this read highly enough.

My thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for the pleasure of reading this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Ooh I liked that, a bit rushed at the end but that twist was awesome. The police lady who fixated on Gemma needs firing! I was about 80% through when my brain said ah hah. A worthy thriller, worth the read.

An outstanding domestic noir. Jackie Kabler writes an even-paced plot with dynamic characters and an evasive antagonist. The storyline presents a seemingly familiar trope but Kabler offers multiple diversions throughout the plot to keep the reader engaged. A nice, quick read that checks all the boxes. Highly recommended. 5 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC of #ThePerfectCouple. It was read and reviewed voluntarily.
@wayward_readers #wayward_reader #tarrahmarie #harperimpulse #killerreads

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing.

I very much enjoyed this book! Loved the characters and all of the twists and turns. Just when I thought I had it figured out, there was another plot twist. Read this super quick. I loved the author's writing style and I cannot wait to read more from her. Thank you for the advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed this book, it was well written with interesting and well developed characters, a good story line that got me interested straight away and a satisfactory ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Impulse Killer Reads for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Another frustration, disappointment, another quick trip to Switzerland book (nope it doesn’t mean I’m money laundering or having a meeting with a mysterious bank manager resembles Jean Dujardin. This is not Wolf of Wall Street scene. I’m not in Switzerland, I’m Switzerland, amazing skiing place, homeland of chocolates and also a person who is exiled to stay in the middle which means I didn’t like this book but I also didn’t hate this book. I just have to forget my times I spent to turn the pages and my mind for questioning all those dysfunctional couple relations!)

I think one of my first mistake was being intrigued with this book’s blurb and using my delicate fingers (don’t worry I only use them for clicking my keyboard) to request this book without thinking a second or reading the other reviewers’ opinions.

Let’s get back to the story to give you much better picture about the progression, characters, what is going on, who am I and what was the main purpose of the author to choose to write a story like this:

We have a couple as you may quickly understand from the title. One day Gemma comes to home and she finds out her husband Danny disappeared so she starts to jump on the bed, putting cologne on her face and screaming in the mirror like Kevin from Home Alone. (Nope, this is a trick for you to make sure you are still reading me!) In the meantime there is a serial killer threatening Bristol and DCI Helena investigates the missing victims. As soon as Gemma comes to the station for reporting her husband’s disappearance, she finds out he fits with the other missing victims’ pattern.

But slowly revelations come out and Gemma sees that her marriage is full of lies. Nothing is real about their relationship and Helena suspects that she might have killed her husband (What!!! Oh come on, if she killed her husband why was she conducting a serial killer case?What were the motives of Gemma to kill the other people? Did she kill them as a sport or punishing them for reminding her husband! Nope I didn't buy it!)

In my opinion the author planned to write two different books but then suddenly she decided to unite them and now we have a suspicious husband- wife psychological thriller and serial killer hunting crime thriller and those two story lines don’t match with each other. Every time the author tried to match them to complete the puzzle, something eventually failed illogically.
So I wish she would have discarded the serial killer case and focused on husband and wife’s dysfunctional relationship drama which could satisfy a thriller lover like me. A simple and plain story would always work better.

So let’s give our mediocre three stars and move to the other book journey.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads to share this ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.

Ten stars to this author for this book!

One of the best suspense/mysteries I have ever read. Riveting, realistic, and excellent in all categories . whatever yo do, do NOT miss reading this one, it was truly amazing!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I was gripped from the outset it drew me in and didn't let me go until I finished it, which I did in one sitting. Great story and characters I will definitely be recommending to everyone I know.