My grateful thanks to the lovely team at Avon for sending me a copy of The Couple on Maple Drive by Sam Carrington in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share my review today – publication day.

It’s far too long since I last featured Sam here on Linda’s Book Bag. Then I was sharing details of Sam’s Bad Sister. Before that I was delighted to host a guest post here from Sam all about the allure of psychology alongside my review of Sam’s Saving Sophie.

Published today, 9th December 2021 by Avon Books, The Couple on Maple Drive is available for purchase through the links here.

The Couple on Maple Drive

You think you’d know a killer if you met one?

Think again.

When Isla McKenzie is brutally mugged, it’s her boyfriend Zach who’s there for her, who moves in to look after her when she can barely bring herself to leave the house.

But then something else happens, right on their doorstep. And it’s almost like someone’s out to get her…

Can Isla and Zach find out the truth before it’s too late? …Or at least before the secrets they’re hiding from each other surface?

Because those may be even deadlier…

My review of The Couple on Maple Drive

Isla’s recovering from a mugging.

It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of The Couple on Maple Drive as it’s a slow burn thriller that builds gradually, but once I was into the narrative I thoroughly enjoyed this deftly plotted book. I loved the podcasts that drip feed information and some obfuscation so that the reader isn’t entirely sure how the book might be resolved. The short sentence hooks at the end of each chapter add urgency and engagement, even if they did mean my life wasn’t my own as I was compelled to read on. As the pace increased towards the denouement I appreciated all the more the way Sam Carrington had constructed the story so that it all came together so satisfyingly. This is very clever plotting.

Despite the fact that I I didn’t really warm to Isla, I was fascinated by the way Sam Carrington made me care about her in The Couple on Maple Drive. I think it’s the depth of the psychological element to the story that creates such a response. Isla’s gradual emotional and mental recovery from the attack is so well depicted. I also thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of how we become who we are; how our past helps construct who we are in the present. The psychological aspect of The Couple on Maple Drive is very convincing.

Indeed, I think it is the way the reader gradually uncovers what is happening at the same time as does Isla that makes the story so successful. Add in themes around business practices, competitiveness, friendships and relationships, family and memory and The Couple on Maple Drive becomes layered and interesting beyond just the entertaining story. I found it made me think about society and those around me with a sharper perspective.

I really enjoyed The Couple on Maple Drive although, to mis-quote the Christie’s Crime Addicts podcasters, I’m not sure I would feel safe in the bay!

About Sam Carrington

Sam Carrington lives in Devon with her husband and three children. She worked for the NHS for 15 years, during which time she qualified as a nurse. Following the completion of a Psychology degree she went to work for the prison service as an Offending Behaviour Facilitator. Her experiences within this field inspired her writing. She left the service to spend time with her family and to follow her dream of being a novelist.

For further information visit Sam’s website and follow her on Twitter @sam_carrington1 and Instagram. Find her on Facebook too.