The first half of this book was a little slower for me but the second half was a bit more lively. It failed to capture my attention for a while and I struggled through it, but the ending did tie up nicely.

Lucy and her husband, Adam, have been best friends with Cora and Scott for years. Adam, Cora and Scott have been friends since college and now they do everything together from vacation to owing a rental house. When Lucy sees Sott with another woman on vacation in Maldives, she isn’t sure what to do.

Lucy is determined to protect Cora but when she learns the woman in the photo has gone missing, she keeps digging and uncovering secrets. When the woman ends up dead, she knows she can’t give up. The more Lucy digs, the more she is determined to uncover the truth, but what are the consequences?

This is one of those books where you know who the culprit is right from the beginning but you keep reading because you want to know all the details. I don’t really care that I figured this one out right away, I kept reading because the details seemed like a good read, and I wasn’t disappointed. I did pause around the 25% mark or so, and checked some reviews to see if the plot picked up as it was a little slow. Thankfully I found out that it did, and almost immediately after picking it back up things took off and didn’t stop until the end. I loved finding out all the pieces of this story and how they all fit into the puzzle. This was a really entertaining story, and I had a really good time with it.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Penguin Group Putnam, and Netgalley, for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great book. I enjoyed it from the first page to the last. Highly recommend!

Lucy and her husband, Adam, have been best friends with another couple, Cora and Scott, for years. The four are practically family at this point—they vacation together, co-own a beach cottage, and their young children are inseparable. So Lucy is devastated when, while looking at a colleague’s photos of a trip to the Maldives, she spots a picture of Scott, apparently on a luxurious holiday with another woman.
Lucy is determined to protect her best friend from her husband’s seeming infidelity, but when she learns that the woman in the photo has gone missing, she can’t help but fear that Scott was involved. As she searches for answers, she uncovers secrets about her friends and her own husband that could destroy the wonderful lives they have built…and she suspects that everybody around her knows much more about the missing woman than they are letting on. Is Lucy actually the one most in the dark? If so, what are the consequences of discovering the truth?

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"The Couple In The Photo" by Helen Cooper was an addictive page turner with lots of twists & secrets.
It held my interest throughout the story.
I would definitely read another book by Ms. Cooper.

4.5. I was sucked into this book in the first chapter! It was such a great opening. A co-worker is showing honeymoon photos from the Maldives when Lucy believes she recognizes her husband’s best friend in a photo with a woman who is not his wife. Lucy is sure that the woman in the photo is the one that then goes missing. She tells her husband but he doesn’t believe any of it. These are their best friends so now Lucy tries to figure out if these people in the photo really is husband’s best friend or not. Sooooo good. Is she being gaslighted? Is she wrong? Who can she trust?

I really like Lucy’s character. The author portrayed her as a smart woman trying to figure out what the heck is going in between her husband and their best friends.

Preorder this book. Ask your library to order it. You’ll love it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Helen Cooper and G.P. Putnams Sons for the ARC.

I received an advanced copy of this book from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam via NetGalley.

Lucy and her husband, Adam, share a close friendship with another couple, Cora and Scott. These four friends are practically family, sharing vacations, co-owning a beach cottage, and watching their young children grow up together. However, Lucy's world is shattered when she comes across a photo of Scott on a luxurious trip with another woman, during a colleague's presentation on the Maldives.

Lucy is determined to shield her best friend, Cora, from the potential infidelity, but her concern deepens when she learns that the woman in the photograph has gone missing. This leads her to suspect Scott's involvement in the disappearance. As she embarks on a quest for answers, Lucy uncovers hidden truths about her friends and even her own husband, secrets that have the power to unravel the lives they've so carefully built.

Amid her investigation, Lucy begins to suspect that everyone around her holds knowledge about the missing woman, knowledge they are keeping hidden. The narrative raises questions about the consequences of unearthing the truth, and whether Lucy, the one seemingly in the dark, will pay a price for discovering the secrets that lie beneath the surface.

This book was an intriguing exploration of complex family dynamics and the way relationships can unravel under the weight of shocking revelations. I found myself questioning how I would react if I were in Lucy's shoes, faced with an overwhelming amount of information and difficult decisions. The author masterfully conveyed the initial closeness of the family, and it was fascinating to see how this bond slowly disintegrated as the story unfolded.

Scott was a character who left me on edge throughout the book. He exuded a sense of unpredictability and cagey behavior that kept me guessing about his true nature and what he might do next. In contrast, Cora seemed to have it together the most within the group. However, the character who intrigued me the most was Adam. His interactions with Lucy raised questions about the authenticity of their relationship right from the start, and I found myself constantly reevaluating their connection.

This was an entertaining, fast paced, but pretty predictable read. This was written in the third person, which at times was rather annoying and took away from the story at times. The friendship and overall dynamic between the two couples was interesting, but I found Lucy's obsessiveness to be creepy at times. This was intriguing, but did feel like a soap opera.

My thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me this arc.

A picture does not always represent what it may appear to. That's what Lucy Taylor finds out the hard way about her best friend Cora s husband Scott.

I DID like this book. It was a page turner with lots of twists and held my interest to keep reading. SO many secrets! My issues with this, I found Lucy a big annoying busy body. I found the end a bit messy not knowing what to believe. All in all not a bad book.

Thank you #NetGalley and # PENGUINGROUPPutnam and #G.P.Putnam'sSons for letting me read this book early.I was not on the edge of my seat but the story held my interest. Great plot twist that I was not expecting.

This was a super fun story full of twists and turns. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book and did not see the end coming. Great character build up and taut storytelling combined in a great mystery read for the Fall.
I can't say too much without giving away spoilers but I definitely recommend this thriller where everyone seemingly has a secret to hide from Lucy. Who should she trust?

I love Helen Cooper’s books! After reading the Neighbor Upstairs, I was excited to read this one! And reading this one has me looking for others by her, because I was hooked from the start. I was trying to figure out the mystery & put the pieces together before they were revealed. I cared about the characters and the storyline was different than many others in the genre. It’s definite top pick for readers who enjoy thrillers!

A picture is worth a thousand words…..
But are they the right words? Is it the right picture?
A group of three friends from college have a secret. A big one. One of the three has married out of the group and this spouse has no idea. Until she sees a picture and starts putting things together but is it what she thinks? Could it possibly be? Things get twisting and turning and then there’s a twist straight out of left field. Never saw it coming. (This started as a 3 ( out of 5) stars for me. It was just kind of ho hum. As it progressed it turned to a 4 , then a solid 4.5. So, I’ll average it out at a 4.)
It was definitely an enjoyable read. I would recommend it.
It will be released December 5th 2023.
Thank you NetGalley and Helen Cooper for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

The premise of this book is so good — but the story itself didn't hold. I love an outlandish plot line and could have rolled with the improbabilities of this one. However, the characters all got under my skin, especially Lucy. Her fixation around the friend group was both unrealistic and annoying. If the mystery was suspenseful enough, I probably could have gotten past that, but the story was so slow-moving with too much filler, and it ended up in my DNF pile.

Meh. This book fell really, really flat for me. After reading the description I was intrigued, and I do definitely think this book had promise. Unfortunately, it was just wayyyy too predictable and slow, with really shitty characters. I knew the overall premise of the plot and most of the twists a few chapters in, but had to get through 30 more just to see the ending / if anything changed. I didn't hate this book, but I'm not sure if I would recommend it!

As always, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing this ARC for me to read and review!

This was…. Not good. At least for my taste. Slow, boring, kind of ridiculous twist, and annoying characters.

I feel like this started off a bit slow at first but then before I knew it, I was halfway through. Then, just when I would feel like I had this figured out, something would make me doubt my hypothesis and pivot the narrative. Definitely snuck up on me and kept me guessing. The characters are all flawed but likable and the story gets more engrossing the further in you get. I was really surprised how much I liked this one! Thanks so much to Helen Cooper, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc!

This is a slow burn thriller, but do not give up on it quickly! You think you may know how it ends, but you don't. There was plot twist after plot twist, but spread out in a way where it was not overwhelming or confusing. I could feel the tension and intensity of the situation through Helen Cooper's amazing and descriptive writing. I could imagine Lucy's frustrations and emotions as she uncovers the secrets and lies around her. I also loved how the book ended. By the end, all my questions were answered and the story was tied up in a neat bow.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a murder mystery and marital/friendship issues.

3.5/5

It starts off really slow and I struggled if I should continue with the book. The book does pick up a little bit. Most of the twists were predictable.

I loved the premise of the book and was really hoping it would have been a little bit better.

Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it! Was suspenseful and kept me on my toes at parts, but the ending was a little lackluster!

This was a great read! Nice job Helen Cooper. I was totally invested from the very beginning and the action just kept hoping. Awesome characters development that kept me flipping pages long into the night.
Thank you NetGalley, Helen Cooper and Putnam Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.