I absolutely loved The Guilty Couple - I could not put it down. It was fast paced and full of tension, twists and turns. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my ARC.

I really wish that publishers would STOP adding buzz words like "nail-biting", "full of twists and turns, "unputdownable", "totally gripping", and "edge of your seat" to the end of their titles. It always (for me at least), ends in a letdown.

Sadly, this one was no different. It started off strong, with Olivia first being sentenced to jail for a crime she claims she didn't commit, and then giving us a glimpse of how she handled those five years (being smart and strong). But then she gets out and she just goes... stupid.

Time and again she takes risks to try "and prove her innocence", but each time she only ends up proving why she should be in jail. She violates the terms of her probation on a monumental scale (more than once), but no one cares. That might be because the only cop we ever see in this novel is not only doing everything but actual police work (honesty name me one cop who has the time to moonlight as a personal trainer or spend hours spying on people). Of course, Dani is also more corrupt than Olivia, not only sleeping with Olivia's ex-husband, but helping him to frame her in the first place.

The story itself moves on at a fast pace. but any reader with half a brain could see the twists. turns and surprises a mile away (including the reason why Jack went so long without contacting Olivia, and who was actually responsible for certain things). Added to that, none of the characters were even remotely likable except maybe Smithy, but even she was so one-dimensional that I didn't really care what happened to her.

I tried to like this story, but my lord. Between the glaring plot holes, and all of the characters acting completely OUT OF CHARACTER (Dani and Olivia I'm looking at you two specifically), this one just wasn't for me.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

What would you do if your husband framed you for murder?

Five years ago, Olivia Sutherland was convicted of plotting to murder her husband. Now she’s finally free, Olivia has three goals. Repair her relationship with her daughter. Clear her name. And bring down her husband – the man who framed her. Just how far is she willing to go to get what she wants? And how far will her husband go to stop her?

C. L. Taylor's books are always full of mystery, twists and interesting characters so I couldn't wait to read her latest release. At the beginning of the novel, we meet the novel's protagonist, Olivia. She is out of prison after serving a five year sentence. Her new life as an ex-con is a far cry from her previous life as a middle-class mother and art gallery owner. She is desperate to rebuild the relationship with her now teenaged daughter, Grace, and prove her innocence after being framed for conspiracy to murder by her husband, Dominic.

The story is told from multiple points of view and keeps the reader guessing throughout. Each character seems to have their own agenda and it's difficult to know who is telling the truth. Aside from Olivia, we hear from Dominic, her estranged ex-husband and Dani, a corrupt police officer who will go to any lengths to raise money to put her sister into rehab.

I particularly liked the exploration of life after prison. Olivia’s experiences convey the culture shock of someone who has spent years locked up, only to be released and thrust into a world that has changed in the time she’s been away. Her daughter is five years older and finds it difficult to trust her. Olivia struggles to find a place to live and a job. She has to rebuild her life with the help of the friends that stood by her, as well as some new acquaintances she met inside. Add the emotional impact from the injustice of being framed, and you can see why she desires revenge.

I think the novel would have been even better with more scenes based on the past. I was interested in Olivia’s life with Dominic before she went to prison and it would have been good to see some flashbacks of this, especially as there were some key events that happened during this period that led to her imprisonment.

C. L. Taylor has been very open with her process about writing this book. You can find information about how she plotted the story on her website - it's definitely worth a read if you're interested in the writing process. It’s interesting to see how the seed of an idea transformed into a full novel.

I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys twisty thrillers with themes of women fighting injustice, betrayal, social issues, unlikeable characters, motherhood and secrets.

‘He framed her. Now she’ll destroy him.’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Avon Books U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Guilty Couple’ by C.L. Taylor.

This domestic noir opens at the conclusion of a 2014 trial in which art gallery owner Olivia Sutherland is convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. Her alleged target was her husband, Dominic. She receives a sentence of ten years. Five years later Olivia is released on probation and intends to clear her name and reestablish her relationship with her now 12-year-old daughter, Grace. Oh and see that Dominic pays.

There’s no doubt that Dominic is a rotter as we quickly learn from his chapters. He has an ally in Dani, who played an important role in Olivia’s conviction. Dani also has her own chapters and is a serving police officer with a side business as a personal trainer. Her reasons for cooperating with Dominic’s scheme become clear as the plot unfolds.

Yet Olivia has not only survived those five years in prison but has made allies, including the street smart East Londoner Smithy.

‘The Guilty Couple’ was a fast paced thriller and while some aspects of the plot were a bit out there it proved an entertaining summer read.

Overall, ‘The Guilty Couple’ proved an engaging domestic noir/psychological thriller that I zoomed through.

Olivia spent 5 years in prison for attempting to murder her husband, Dominic. She swears she was framed. Her lover, and supposed co-conspirator, disappeared after she was sent away and no one has seen him since.

Her main focus is rebuilding a relationship with her now 12 years old daughter, Grace. Grace doesn't want the same thing. There's a restraining order that doesn't allow her near her old home where Dominic and Grace live. She has supervised visits with Grace, closely watched by Dominic’s parents during the visits.

Olivia is staying for the time being with her friend Ayesha, and is desperate to clear her name. She meets up with her former cell mate, Smithy, who has some ideas how they can make that happen. Dom is still seeing Dani, his personal trainer and also a police detective. Olivia thinks she was in on sending her away. Dani needs money from Dom to get her sister, Casey, into drug rehab. Dom and Dani don't trust each other, but also feel they have to stay close because of that.

You soon learn nothing is quite as it seems. Everyone has secrets. The narrators are not reliable and you as the reader don't know what to believe. Olivia starts digging and realizes Dom had many secrets he kept from her. Things get intense. Oliva, who is not actually a criminal, is breaking into homes and offices trying to dig up what she needs on Dom. This will keep you on the edge of your seat! Then Olivia is betrayed by someone she thought she could trust, and things go even more sideways.

This was a wonderful domestic suspense. It was twisty and full of surprises!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Read this if you like: Fast paced thrillers, multiple pov, twists and turns, short chapters

Five years ago, Olivia Sutherland was wrongfully convicted of plotting to murder her husband. Now she's finally free, Olivia has three goals: repair her relationship with her teenage daughter, clear her name, and bring down her husband. He is obviously who framed her.

I enjoyed this book. The pacing of it was great. It has multiple POVs but they are easy to keep up with. The story was downright crazy. I didn't know where it was going to go. It was fast paced and really kept me guessing. There were a few things I found odd, one being the narration calling the characters by their last names sometimes. I definitely don't think someone's inner thoughts would call someone else by their last name. There were a ton of side stories that all came together. I really liked that. I liked the ending. I will definitely be reading more by this author. Go get this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Avon for the gifted copy! ❤️

Firstly I would like to thank Avon books and the author C.L Taylor and netgalley for a copy of her book to read.

This is my third book ive read from this author, This was a quick enjoyable read.It tells you a story of Olivia who was in prison convicted of trying to murder her husband Dominic.Did she? or was it a set up.when she leaves prison she wants one thing to see her daughter.Dominic has a lover Dani is she involved? This book has so many twists and turns making it an exciting read.Highly recommend and looking forward to reading more books from this author.

This book has been reviewed on goodreads and Amazon uk

This author always writes excellent stories and this one is no exception. I just loved it. The story involves three main characters the husband, the ex wife and the police lady, all of whom are devious to say the least.
The plot kept twisting and turning and in so doing kept me on the edge of my seat as to what was really going on.
A superb rate that keeps you on your toes throughout.
Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this exciting thriller

I'm always excited for a new release from C.L. Taylor and <em>The Guilty Couple</em> is another exciting and addictive thriller with a brilliant concept and strong characters.

As with all of Taylor's books, her writing is incredibly engaging and it's easy to find yourself hooked with her original concepts from the very beginning. It's gripping and tense, the plot moves at a quick pace to keep you on your toes, and I had no idea whose trust I could rely on.

Told from three perspectives, the cat-and-mouse chase takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride and I found Dani's narrative, especially, very compelling. Her characters are all strongly developed and I was constantly excited to pick this book back up and get back to the story.

There are a couple of things that I would have liked a few clearer answers for. For example, although the ultimate question is why Liv's husband set her up for murder in the first place and everything is building up to that answer, I could have done with a longer discussion around the thought processes of these actions, as well as more recent ones, to really get into the nitty-gritty of it all, which is what would have made this a five-star read for me.

But although things were wrapped up a little too quickly for me, I had great fun with this thriller overall and I will always recommend Taylor's books.

Olivia was sent to jail for trying to kill her husband, but she's innocent. Five years later she wants to get her daughter back and clear her name.

I absolutely loved this fast-paced novel full of suspense, secrets and twists! You can easily read this novel in one sitting as you do not want to put it down, I purposefully forced myself to read this over a couple of days just so I could sleep.

Taylor writes using alternating chapters with a different character in each; the main character is in first person while the others are in 3rd. This helps with the fast-paced narrative carrying the storyline along.

This is a very well-written novel with characters you will despise and some you will be fighting for, this is the first novel I have ready by this author and it won't be my last.

Where to start? Another Callie Taylor masterpiece. If you love novels by John Marrs or Mark Edwards you will love this. It is a twisty, turny, dark, edge of your seat book that will leave you wanting more. How does she think these things up?

For five years Olivia was in prison for attempting to murder her husband, the only thing is - she didn't! She was framed by her husband, and who else? She has had 5 years to plot with her cellmate how to prove she was framed, and how to get back her now teenage daughter.

Unfortunately others have had the same 5 years, and this time they may not just be satisfied by framing her - they might just want to get her to disappear for good. Who are the good guys and who are not? Sometimes the lines are very blurred.

This is a book which will keep you guessing right to the end. Ms Taylor will keep you hooked, and reel you in.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4787167877

Another winner from another of my favourite authors... delivering again after again...
In this book we meet Olivia who went down for plotting to kill her then husband Dominic. A charge which she maintained is false. Now free, after serving five years, she has certain goals... reconnect with her daughter, clear her name, and prove, once and for all, that her husband was the one who framed her...
And so begins a bit of a cat-and-mouse game - Olivia trying to get revenge over her husband, who is, in turn, still trying to hurt Olivia herself. But how far is each willing to go to get what they want, and at what inevitable cost...
Oooo this was a bit juicy... and although there was some that was a bit over the top and implausible, there was more to really get to grips with that was wholly believable. I wasn't too enamoured with Olivia initially as she had been plotting to leave her husband for her lover, so... not the best of characters. That said, it wasn't an apposite reaction to frame her for conspiracy to murder! But then again, she had a cracking time running around trying to prove her innocence and piece it all together. Especially as that truth delivered shock after shock to her, talk about what goes around...!
But I don't want to spoil things... Suffice to say that I did enjoy the myriad secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour that I read about herein. Really like car crash tv - you can't look but you have to! Especially when Olivia was "crossing the line!" Heart in mouth...!
Short punchy chapters really help the narrative move along at quite the pace, also making it extremely hard to put down. My advice, clear the decks, get a comfy chair, a drink and some nibbles, and buckle up - you're in for one heck of a ride.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

When the new CL Taylor book drops - every other read takes a back seat!

And as usual I loved it. Completely original, which is something I love about Taylor's books. She brings a unique voice to any story. This time we've got a wife (Olivia) sentenced for the attempted murder of her husband (Dom), being released after serving her sentence and wanting to prove her innocence.

This is a heavily character driven plot and as such we get to know our main characters really well. The story is told from the viewpoints of Olivia and Dom. We hear how Olivia is trying to rebuild her relationship with her daughter Grace and also how she is going to manage to just generally live in her post prison life.

Another fantastic novel from CL Taylor and I can't wait for the next.

Recommended to fans of CL Taylor, clever psychological thrillers and twisty crime fiction.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

A fast paced thriller - I enjoyed this
Lots of action and suspense. Great twists in the plot

This keep me enthralled from start to finish

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books, and Ms. Taylor for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.
This is an author who is new to me, but I understand that Ms. Taylor’s books are quite popular. Her writing is very easy to read and the pacing of the plot is quick enough to keep a reader turning pages. I definitely read this very quickly as I was eager to find out what happened next.
The plot itself is somewhat implausible, and I felt myself feeling frustrated with the main character at times when she made what I would consider foolish decisions. On the other hand, I think a person “in real life” would probably make lots of foolish decisions – none of us is Jason Bourne! However, certain situations were a stretch. I don’t want to spoil anything – it’s so easy to ruin a thriller – but I had my doubts that certain characters had enough time for all their jobs AND their side jobs.
If you’re able to overlook a few implausibilities, then you’ll find this to be a compulsively readable, fast-paced psychological thriller. 3 1/2 stars.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Guilty Couple’ written by C L Taylor in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

‘The Guilty Couple’ is the story of Olivia who’s spent the last five years in prison for her part in conspiring to kill her husband Dominic. Their marriage hasn’t been good but she would have never have contemplated taking Dominic’s life, as her lover Jack Law could have told the police if he hadn’t disappeared. Now, Olivia has been released on probation and is determined to clear her name and rebuild her relationship with twelve-year-old Grace. But first she’ll need to uncover the secrets her ex-husband is hiding, the disclosure of which could destroy his affluent lifestyle.

This is a fast-paced thriller told from the perspectives of Olivia, Dominic and his girlfriend DS Danielle Anderson who helped put Olivia behind bars. As the story progresses Olivia relies on friends Ayesha, Nancy and cellmate Smithy to help prove her innocence, and the action, suspense, drama and twists and turns that come thick and fast are destined to keep you reading until the small hours when the conclusion is reached and the truth revealed.

In 2014 Olivia Sutherland was convicted for plotting to murder her husband, Dominic. Now five years later and she has been released from prison, she's determined to clear her name, prove that she was framed, and desperate to fix her relationship with her daughter, Grace but in her quest to do all this she discovers that things aren't as clear cut as she thought and Dominic has so many more secrets than she ever thought possible.

The Guilty Couple is narrated by Olivia, her ex-husband Dominic and Dani, who is a police officer and was Liv's personal trainer before she went to prison. Each of the main characters tells their story which, when all slotted together, completes the jigsaw puzzle explaining the timeline of events that led to Olivia being sent to prison. This story has many unlikeable and, at times, toxic characters and, quite frankly, I didn't trust any of them! Having said that, there is one constant that shines throughout and that's the love that Olivia has for her daughter Grace, and nobody is going to stop her trying to prove her innocence so she can make up for the time she's lost in her daughter's life. Taylor spectacularly weaves yet another top notch thriller, with twist after thrilling twist, drawing her readers in with short chapters that had me racing through this book and I devoured it in less than 24 hours. If you love a fast paced, compelling read then this is one for you.

I'd like to thank Avon Books UK and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Rating - 3.5 stars rounded off to 4.

Kept me hooked and turning pages!

Synopsis -

Olivia Sutherland was wrongly convicted of conspiracy to murder her husband 5 years ago. Now that she is getting out, she has a lot on her plate - clearing her name, rebuilding her relationship with her teenage daughter and expose her husband Dominic, who framed her. But how far can she get with accomplishing these goals? Surely Dom will not make it any easier for her.

Review -


This is primarily a plot driven, mystery sort of a book, with not many characters with whom you can connect with. We have the POVs of Olivia, Dom and Dani, the detective involved in Olivia’s case. I loved getting all their perspectives and with the chapters being short, I just wanted to keep going.

With unlikeable characters, I really wished this book amped up the thrill and twist factors at the least. The intrigue and suspense were certainly maintained well, but the book kept dipping in momentum at times for my liking.

I loved the cat and mouse chase between Dani and Liv – with Liv’s friend Smith thrown into the mix, things got pretty stimulating. I was engrossed as the threads from the past, secrets, double crossing and lies finally collided, keeping fingers crossed for Liv to emerge unscathed on the other side.

The big reveal managed to escape my speculations, but somehow didn’t really excite or wow me in any way. The ending although satisfactory, felt slightly unrealistic leaving a few questions open.

However, mystery/psychological thriller fans could still enjoy this one!

Thanks NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I do enjoy this authors writing, she engages the reader and writes in a accessible style for us 😀, this book holds true to this but for me the story and characters was just about on the threshold of going from believability to something else, the writing though carries it and I forgave the unlikelihood of the progressing story
Enough said tbh, to sum up very readable, not so believable

6/10
3 Stars

Another great read from CL Taylor that I raced through. An excellent plot line that had me fooled for quite some time, the pace started off slow but as it all picked up and never let up till the ending which was a very satisfying ending.
My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.