Kirsten and Nick are enjoying a weekend away from reality in a holiday let in Devon. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and all too soon they are handing the keys back to the owner and beginning their journey home. And so begins their horror story: The Taylors, as they are known on this short break, can no longer exist. The secrets they have carried with them for so long are threatening to out the covert couple, and ruin families and their carefully curated reputations.
After an incident on a leafy country lane, Kirsten soon sees a different side of Nick, one that she's not sure that she either likes or trusts. He's far too cold and calculated - something she initially finds reassuring, until she starts to think more deeply into it. He seems to have a way of making things go away - which covers their tracks nicely for a while. But once the truth starts to unfold a few weeks later and the enormity of what they have done hits home, Kirsten is concerned that Nick would happily throw her under the bus in order to save his own skin. Neither of them are nice people, and I pretty much felt that they deserved each other for what they'd done and how they handled the situation.
Meanwhile, back in Devon the family whose lives have been decimated are coming to terms with what has happened to them - and it doesn't take long for the anger and resentment to turn their desire for justice into the need for revenge.
The story is told from both sides with chapters highlighting the course of events from each of those involved. Although this gives the reader great insight, there are still plenty of facts left for some jaw dropping reveals throughout. There are also letters dotted throughout the book from a character incarcerated in a prison, initially whilst awaiting trial and then during the courtroom scenes - the great part is that we are not given many clues as to the identity of this mystery defendant, not even whether they are male or female. As I weighed up the possibilities it still was not obvious whose voice we were reading.
Overall I felt that the characters balanced each other so well - the nasty couple set on one side against such a lovely, wholesome couple on the other, and while life really was cruel to Amy and Greg I think the author gave them as fair an ending as was ever possible.
A great story that had me wondering how it would pan out - I definitely want to read more from this author in future.

On their way home from a weekend getaway, Kirsten and Nick strike a pedestrian, killing him. They hastily decide to flee the scene, keeping their secrets safe in The Other Couple. Meanwhile, the dead man’s wife Amy, is heartbroken, and will stop at nothing to bring her husband’s killers to justice. It’s an interesting, if not unique plot, and the first quarter of the book is fast paced and suspenseful. Unfortunately, it quickly goes off the rails, as the main characters actions become so unbelievable that it exasperates the reader. While you can bend certain aspects of the story to further the plot, repeatedly doing so negatively affects the credibility of the storyline. Great start, but it all falls apart. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Without giving away the plot, two couples lives are changed forever following a hit and run accident and one of them is out for revenge.
The story is told through Amy and Kirsten and an unidentified person’s letters from prison.
I quite enjoyed the book but I just couldn’t believe Kirsten would keep Rusty - and I couldn’t stop thinking this as I kept reading!
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Not everyone has a moral conpass, not everyone is faithful, not everyone has a maternal instinct, not everyone puts themselves first, a lot of people have the capacity to be vengeful....'It is one thing to share a secret together, it is another thing to share it apart'...
A page Turner of a tale with equal measure despicable and likeable characters. A proper good summer book

This is the first Diane Jeffrey book I have read and it won’t be the last! The Other Couple is published on 14th June 2023.

The story opens with Nick and Kirsten, seemingly a couple away for a relaxing weekend together in the South West of England. There’s something shifty about them. As they prepare to drive home, they run over a dog walker, sadly killing him. To their horror, they know who he is.

What follows is a game of cat and mouse between the dead man’s wife, Anna, and Nick and Kirsten. Anna is desperate for justice to be served, just how far will she go?

I didn’t like Nick and Kirsten but their characters aren’t meant to be likeable. I ended up warming to Anna and was rooting for her to get justice for her husband. The other characters are well done too.
Each chapter is from the point of view of a different character, usually Kirsten and Anna. There are also letters written by an anonymous prisoner throughout the book. At the end, it becomes clear who this is.

This book is gripping and a real page turner. The chapters are just the right length so you think “oh, just one more” and then can’t stop reading. I read the first half in a day!
The last 10% or so is particularly good and I raced through it to see what would happen.
I also liked the touch of having the wave to mark breaks in the story. I felt it was a reminder of how Anna and her husband were bonded and why she was so desperate for justice.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it an easy but gripping read. I would recommend it if you like a book that will hook you from the beginning and keep you turning the pages until the end.

This is a gripping domestic thriller which expands to cover a whole range of issues, and delivers a great story to its readers. The degree to which power and money corrupt people, and make some believe that they are better than others - and that therefore, the rules of law and society don't apply to them - is brought vividly to life in this story of two very different couples.

Nick and Kristen have been away together for the weekend and are en route to returning to their normal lives, when the unthinkable happens. Due to their own carelessness and callousness, they find themselves involved in a car accident in which someone is killed.

Unwilling to deal with the consequences of their actions the couple decide to cover up the man's accidental death, thereby immediately upgrading their crime to manslaughter.

Meanwhile, Amy waits at home for the return of her husband Greg, and their dog Rusty. Having just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary the previous night, the pair are over the moon at the prospect of welcoming their first child into the family in a matter of months.

But now, Greg is never going to come home. And Amy is left with weeks of uncertainty before her husband's body is found. Knowing that the police's theory that Greg may have killed himself cannot possibly be correct, Amy is determined to discover the truth. And once she does, she will not rest until Greg's killer is brought to justice.

But how will she go about making the other couple pay? And is it even realistic for a primary school teacher to think that she can take on the likes of one of Britain's leading defence lawyers? This absorbing story is a five star read and recommended to anyone looking for a thriller with a truly unexpected twist in the tail.

Phew - what a fabulous read about revenge! This one really does grab you right from the start. An excellent plot - a real spine tingler that makes you want to rush through it so you can find out what happens. The characters were extremely well written, and the twists were just superb. My heart broke for Amy and I had so much sympathy for her. Kirsten? I couldn’t bear her and disliked her intensely. I was completely captivated throughout and look forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this excellent book.

If someone has ruined your life should you take revenge? This is the burning question Amy faces in this tense thriller .

Amy is married to Greg and has just found out she’s pregnant , one rainy night he goes out with their dog Rusty and never returns . She is left questioning what happened to him and vowing to find out exactly what happened to him.

Kirsten and Nick have rented an apartment from Amy and Greg to have a weekend break, one they want to keep secret from their spouses.What starts out as an illicit getaway turns into something more terrifying and far reaching as each couples lives are intertwined in the most unexpected devastating way.

This book drew me in and kept me hooked, I felt for Amy and wondered what I would do if I was in her situation. I’m a fan of this authors writing but this book surpassed her others in my option. One I would highly recommend, a brilliant suspenseful read .

Revenge is a dish best-served cold. This is the premise of 'The Other Couple' by Diane Jeffrey, my first read by the author. A domestic thriller, the novel immediately opens with a bang - a heinous act is committed in the very first chapter and we already know who the killers are. Very different from the usual mystery, as readers are often left to come up with their own ideas of 'whodunit.'

Kirsten and Nick are on their way home from a romantic getaway when the unthinkable happens - they accidentally run over and kill Greg. Instead of calling the police and admitting what occurred, they decide to get rid of the body. Why? They have a secret no one can find out. However, Greg's wife, Amy has noticed her husband's disappearance and is insistent that something is wrong as he would never leave her. What follows is a twisty read as Amy learns there is no distance she won't go to find answers and avenge her family.

This was not like the typical thriller...and I really liked that! All the major players were introduced very early in the book and the major plotline was laid out as well, but that never stopped me from enjoying it. Jeffrey was somehow able to keep me intrigued to the very end. I also really liked Amy as the main protagonist; her pain and anger felt so real and jumped off the pages at me. I love when an author can bring characters to life.

My only issue with the novel was that there were some smaller storylines that were left open-ended and unanswered - I especially hate this in thrillers as I like when the plot is wrapped up in a bow.

In the end, I rate 'The Other Couple' 4 stars as I liked the overall plotline - one star was deducted because I'd have preferred to see all the threads of the story fully explained. Diane Jeffrey has made a new of me and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what else she has coming out in the future!

*A great many thanks to Netgalley, Diane Jeffrey, and HQ for this ARC. It is important to note that I was under no commitment to provide a positive review, and all opinions are undoubtedly my own.*

A perfect thriller! This kept me on the edge of my seat and really engrossed. It was a great story of revenge and I honestly loved it!

Nick and Kirsten have enjoyed a surreptitious weekend away from their respective “real lives”. Having been lovers for five years and so far successfully kept their affair well hidden from their families, an accident on a country lane threatens to expose them. In one second a decision is made that could alter their lives, but not necessarily for the good.

This is really different take on the bereaved woman, not seeking justice but revenge and I enjoyed the story. Fast paced, exciting and a “real just one more chapter book”, I read it in a flash. The author writes the characterisation so well, that I really did hate the “baddies” and rooted for the revenge plans to succeed, though not expecting how far the grieving widow was prepared to go!

A great plot, well written, suspenseful and very enjoyable. Pure escapism. One to recommend.

Thank you NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in advance for an honest review.
I thought this book was different and I like that. It makes you wonder what you would do in their situation. The book did not keep me on the edge of my seat but it was good.

Kirsten and Nick are enjoying a weekend away until, on their drive home, they accidentally run over and kill a man. They should call for help – but they have too much to lose, and no one can know the real reason they’re here. Instead, they make a split-second decision to conceal the accident. This is an author who has instantly hooked me with this one. I have been completely obsessed from chapter one.

Diane Jeffrey really knows how to write a stunning domestic thriller - always. This one starts with a bang and the writing is tense, well thought out and thoroughly suspense filled. The twists and turns are unexpected and seem natural and real. You don’t know how this will end and the truth is I didn’t want this one to ever end!

One of the best things i have read for a while!
All the ingredients for a great physiological thriller, several awful characters, a heart wrenching story, a few red herrings and a fantastic ending.
Really got my heart racing at points in the story and i was left sad that i had flown through the book so quick.
JUST SUPERB!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
Diane Jeffrey please keep them coming.

They ruined your life...it's time to get revenge...

Just wow! This has got to be the best Diane Jeffrey book I have read to date! Oh my gosh...the adrenaline was pumping from start to finish. You just know who the villain is so how will it all end? Even I had no clue as to its direction until just before the final twist. And what a splendid twist it was. They say that revenge is a dish best served cold but Diane Jeffrey has dished this one up piping hot!! Where to begin?

THE OTHER COUPLE is about two couples - Nick and Kirsten...and Amy and Greg. And to make this thriller even more twisted, Nick is married to Edie and Kirsten is married to Jamie. They met five years previously when Kirsten, a high end real estate agent, sold Nick and his wife their stunning house. And a celebratory dinner ended up being a five year long affair. Never mind that Kirsten had a hubby and 8 year old daughter Lily at home. No. These two are the most selfish narcissistic self obsessed people that they cannot (and will not) see beyond their own selfish needs and desires...and to hell with everyone else. Not least their spouses...but also Amy and Greg Wood.

Nick and Kirsten have just enjoyed a dirty weekend at a flat they've rented on the North Devon coast. Far away from their busy lives in London...and anyone who would know them. But as their weekend comes to an end and they must return to London, they round a bend in the pouring rain and hit someone walking their dog...who turns out to be the owner of the very flat they have just rented this past weekend - Greg Wood. Panic sets in and the couple decide they have far too much to lose and bundle the body into the car along with the dog. They return to London where Nick "takes care of things" and Kirsten goes back to her life with a dog now in tow.

Back in Devon, Amy Wood has a roast lamb ready for carving and awaiting Greg to return from walking Rusty, their dog. When an hour turns into two, three and four, she begins to realise something has happened. She calls his parents and friends and no one has seen him. When she finally does call the police, they begin to work on the assumption that Greg has left of his own volition. But Amy knows that not to be true. They just celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary the day before and were on the cusp of an exciting new chapter of their lives. Greg was excited. He did not leave her and take Rusty with him without a word.

But what happened to Greg? And if something did happen to him, then where is Rusty?

Told from the alternating perspectives of Amy and Kirsten, THE OTHER COUPLE begins as something of a domestic thriller but turns into something far twistier.

Kirsten is wealthy with a stunning home in an affluent neighbourhood, a loving husband and an 8 year old daughter - she has it all...and still she isn't satisfied. She wants more. She wants Nick. And he is nothing but an abusive controlling narcissistic sociopath. He controls her by ghosting her for days and weeks on end and then love bombing her when they reunite. I honestly don't know what she saw in him. Frankly they deserved each other.

Amy, on the hand, had all my sympathy. She had a loving husband that was taken away from her in an instant, lost her dreams and even her dog! This other couple took everything from her. My heart ached for her with the not knowing what happened to Greg. When the police fail to provide any results, Amy decides to do some digging of her own...and to find out the truth one way or another.

WOW! Despite knowing who was who and who did what, the tension in this book was so tight I thought I would snap from the sheer intensity of it all. I loved the letters peppered throughout the book that were tacked onto the end of selected chapters. They aren't signed and there is enough information for readers to glean that someone's in prison...but why? And how? And most of all, who? None of which become clear until just before the final reveal when everything begins to fall into perfect place. And oh what symmetry! That twist was just so delicious I just have to relish it, it's so perfect. I loved it!

Overall, THE OTHER COUPLE is an edge of your seat thriller that is addictive and compelling, despite knowing all the players and their roles, you still want to see how it all ends. It really is so good...too good to put down and I hated the times I had to because I just wanted to keep reading it! I loved it. A well deserved 5 stars!

I would like to thank #DianeJeffrey, #Netgalley and #HQStories for an ARC of #TheOtherCouple in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This is the second time reading a story from Diane Jeffrey. Loved every minute of it. Great story with fantastic characters. Looking forward to more from this author.

Thoroughly enjoyed the dark and compelling nature of this story.
The devastation wreaked by the accident and the ongoing impact it has on all three main characters is clear and the characters offer the full gamut of emotional involvement from empathy to sheer loathing for the reader!
I couldn't put it down!

Really enjoyed The Other Couple. Some great/unexpected twists and turns and real nail-biting moments. Recommend this book for anyone who might enjoy a modern crime/investigative story with a Fatal Attraction twist.

Thanks net galley and Diane Jeffrey for this great book loved it and could not put it down, did not expect to find it to be one of those books you cannot leave alone but it sure was.
Kirsten had been having an affair with Nick for over five years she was married with one daughter and Nick was married with no children,.
One weekend after having a weekend away in a beautiful hotel, something happened in a split second that was going to change their lives for ever and everyone else’s lives who were involved with them.
Great story loved it well done . Thanks