I’m a huge fan of C.L. Taylor’s writing and so when a surprise copy of her latest book The Guilty Couple arrived I was thrilled. My huge thanks to Becci Mansell for sending me an early proof and to Ella Young for sending me a finished hard back copy. I’m delighted to share my review of The Guilty Couple today.

Other reviews of C. L. Taylor’s books here on the blog include Strangers, The Missing, The Treatment, The Fear and Sleep.

The Guilty Couple will be published by Avon Books tomorrow, 23rd June 2022, and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Guilty Couple

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?

Because his lies run deeper than Olivia could ever have imagined – and this time it’s not her freedom that’s in jeopardy, but her life…

My Review of The Guilty Couple

Olivia is about to be released from prison.

Every time you pick up a CL Taylor novel you know you’re in for a twisty, exciting and compulsive read and The Guilty Couple is no exception. It’s an absolute cracker and I loved every word. Think of every aspect you want in a thriller and The Guilty Couple has it in spades. Unreliable, rounded and wide ranging characters fill the pages, and plot twists abound in The Guilty Couple so that it’s packed with surprise. There’s compelling writing, a fast pace and hooks that won’t let you go, making The Guilty Couple a fabulous read.

What C L Taylor does so brilliantly is to create flawed, nasty, repulsive, appealing and utterly brilliant characters that the reader loves, loathes and is totally mesmerised by. Except perhaps for Ayesha, the women in the story are far outside my experiences and yet I believed in every one completely. Although Olivia is at the heart of the story, I think it was Smithy I loved the best, but what we have here are women whose personalities are authentic, contradictory and complicated – just like any one of us in real life. The pairings and guiltiness in this story ebb and flow so that I found my head spinning with the relationships and interconnections ensuring that I was left breathless by the cleverness of both plot and character. The phrase ‘guilty couple’ could certainly be applied to more than just Dominic and Dani! Because both plot and character are so dynamic, settings are smaller and more familiar, like offices or flats, so that the contrast heightens the tension in the action, making for an even more satisfying read.

I loved the themes here too. I think The Guilty Couple would reward numerous readings even when the plot is known – or perhaps that should be especially when the plot is known, because the explorations of guilt, motivation, retribution, revenge, control, what constitutes criminality and so much more reverberate beneath the surface and the intelligent plotting becomes even more impressive in retrospect. It’s a story that makes you think long after you’ve finished reading it.

It’s so hard to review The Guilty Couple without spoiling the read for others. I thought it was a fabulous story. I always expect top quality from CL Taylor, but this time she has surpassed my expectations. The Guilty Couple might be my favourite of her books to date. It’s brilliant.

About C.L. Taylor

C.L. Taylor is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her psychological thrillers have sold over a million copies in the UK alone, been translated into over twenty languages, and optioned for television. Her 2019 novel, Sleep, was a Richard and Judy pick. C.L. Taylor lives in Bristol with her partner and son.

You can follow C.L. Taylor on Twitter @callytaylor and find out more about her on her website. You’ll also find her on Facebook and Instagram.