The Perfect Couple

By: Jackie Kabler

Narrated by: Elaine Claxton, Hattie Ladbury

Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

 The USA Today and Kindle best seller.

The perfect couple...or the perfect lie? 

A devoted wife.... 

A year ago, Gemma met the love of her life, Danny. Since then, their relationship has been perfect. But one evening, Danny doesn’t return home.

A missing husband.... 

Gemma turns to the police. She is horrified by what she discovers – a serial killer is on the loose in Bristol. When she sees photos of the victims she is even more stunned...they all look just like Danny. Who would you believe?

But the police are suspicious. Why has no one apart from Gemma heard from Danny in weeks? Why is there barely a trace of him in their flat? Is she telling them the truth, or is this marriage hiding some very dark secrets? 

©2020 Jackie Kabler (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"An intriguing and gripping psychological thriller that keeps you guessing as you frantically turn the pages." (Sunday Times best-selling author C. L. Taylor)

"This is a psychological thriller that has everything: intrigue, mystery and constant twists and turns. I couldn't put it down!" (Alex Lake, best-selling author of Seven Days)

"There is no let-up in this twisty-turny thriller...Just when you think you've cracked its secrets, your expectations are upended again." (Kate Riordan, author of The Heatwave)

-Possible spoiler-

I liked reading this book as the narration is stellar. The writing is good too except that the COPS actually believe that depression and makes ppl serial killers. Wow. The opposite is true of mentally ill ppl, but this is the reason the stigma won’t go away. The keystone detectives never thought to ask about family members, ex girlfriends? Really?
There are very few female serial killers it’s extremely rare, especially this kind. Another unbelievable part of the plot.
Why do so many books start out reasonably then go off the rails? Do authors get caught up and can’t think of plots that aren’t ridiculous?
It’s a decent read but as a depressed person who has never hurt a loving thing in all of my 60 years I’m deeply offended. STOP IT AUTHORS!

Great, Suspenseful

This will keep you guessing right up to the end!! Loved the title. Definitely worth a read/listen

Really REALLY Bad !

This was quite possibly the worst so called mystery/suspense thriller I've ever listened to. The perfect couple should have been called the book of idiots... especially the way the police were portrayed. For the first several HOURS it just went around and around in circles, with the same information, and the same ridiculous reactions to it. I wasn't sure I would finish it, and the narration made it even worse. I'm very glad it's over and I would not recommend wasting the credit or the time

Awful, Awful, Awful

This book is so bad, it's stunning. I was going to stop many times, but tried to continue to get to something going on. Eighteen chapters in, I thought I had to be near end, but there were dozens more - life is too short - deleted it, What I listened to, most of what goes on is dialogue in the main character's head. And she keeps repeating the same thoughts over and over again in different ways. I tried skipping a couple of chapters and sure enough everything that previously happened was thought by her in detail. The actual mystery may be a good one, but it is wrapped in mind numbing repetitive inner dialogue. So much so, she becomes very unhlikeable.

Loved this book!

Very much enjoyed listening to this book. Narrator was perfect too. I enjoyed that till the end I didn't know how the mysteries would turn out. Also nice that our heroine may have missed some things, but she didn't seem like a completely clueless female, as is the case in so many of my favorite domestic drama books

Pretty Good but not great

Would have given this a 5 except the police and detective writing was so bad. The author didn’t do much research on how to write insights into how police work it sounded like juvenile writing. The fact that the detectives jumped to conclusions without any evidence was just ridiculous.

I do so enjoy my British thrillers!

I do so enjoy my British thrillers!
I thoroughly savored this suspenseful mystery from beginning to end. Jackie Kabler, new author to me, pens a flawless and uniquely surprising whodunnit, is accompanied by brilliant narrators Elaine Claxton and Hattie Ladbury. Taken from two points of view on a bizarre missing person’s case, it is well-paced and an audictive listen. Worth the $9.93 (I save my Audible credits for pricier books). I’m purchasing Kabler’s “The Happy Family” immediately. Audible has reduced prices on its audiobooks, so take advantage! The shocking ending (wow) I never saw that coming made this listen all the better. I want to scream from the rooftop, “Epic, I say. EPIC! EPIC! EPIC!

😮👏⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👏😮

One of the best books I've listened to.

The story line grabs you and drags you in. The performance is wonderful. A twist at the end just brings it all home! A must read/listen

It was ok

Just ok. Wasn’t that suspenseful to me. Wasn’t worth my credit. Didn’t have me on the edge of my seat. It was just ok.

Loved It

Twisty and turning. The main character was sympathetic and likable. I enjoyed the plot very much.

Has Audible got this one wrong?

I bought this book mainly based on the many 5 star reviews and comments and I have to say for the first time ever the fair people of Audible have got this one wrong! ( in my humble opinion of course. )

I found the story to lack any real mystery, tension nor authenticity. The story to begin with was interesting but became way to basic and slightly ridiculous in places.

Without giving anything away I felt the narrative was pretty basic, the ending predictable and in my opinion utterly unbelievable.

I didn't feel there was any real depth or texture in the story with the way the Police handled the case for one being unrealistic.

My final point which is disappointing is with how cliché and stereotypical they made the Irish appear, The manner by which he spoke, the phrases and the swearing is azy in places. Sorry to say but the Irish don't literally say Gobsheit whenever they get angry.

Such a shame as the reviews hyped it up to be something which I felt fell really short of the mark, maybe its just me but I felt it was an example of writing for the masses without any real passion from the author.

Contrived!

I started it so i finished it but oh my goodness! The police come across as bumbling, unprofessional idiots and the main character is feeble. Having said that, the story wasn't too bad. Good for a beach read really in the absence of something better.

Great story to listen to....but...

I loved listening to Gemma’s story but the police were embarrassingly ‘doh’ ..... Also, the narrator’s Irish accent was dodgy but overall a great listen.

Disappointing

Very predictable storyline, could t see where the storyline twist was at all.
Dragged on I skipped 15 or so chapters on the middle and still didn’t miss any of the storyline.
Waste of a credit ☹️

Brilliant!

This is such a great story which goes from strength to strength. Absolute compulsive reading/listening. Couldn’t put it down. Well done Jackie Kabler

Hmm. splendid idea but I found the protagonist irr

Hmm. Splendid idea but I found the protagonist to be irritatingly self defeating and obtuse and there was far too much repetition of her 'story' to various people - once always suffices. The readers voice also managed to make her sound whining and self pitying.

Excellent, breathtakingly story!

loved it, every word, the story was unexpected, tried all along to guess myself the ending, unsuccessfully though.

A real gem

Halfway through this book I was sure I knew how it would end ..I was wrong! With plenty of twists and turns, I was gripped and “binge-listened” to the end.

Fabulous gripping thriller

Once started I could not put this down.
would highly recommend you listen to it.

Oh dear. This is the ultimate pathetic crime:(

Narration- woefully poor with attempts at lots of cringing accents.
Story- REALLLLY- a woman who’s husband is so say dead -and yet she’s not grieving?? The plot- arghhhhh unbelievably pathetic.
Golly what a complete and utter waste of a credit.