After leaving her own party early celebrating her promotion, Isla is brutally mugged and left unconscious. She is left with Amnesia and her arm in a cast. Her boyfriend Zach who she only knows a little while decides to move in to help with her recovery. But as time goes on, she feels like she is a prisoner in her own home. Although Zach wants her back to work at his family firm. Isla feels like there is something is not right about him. But she doesn’t know if it’s the crime podcasts and crime tv shows she watches making her paranoid or there is something just not right and the Police has no further clues who attacked her that night.
Thank you, Avon, and NetGalley for a copy of The couple on Maple drive by Sam Carrington is the first book from the author I have read. I also had a feeling of trepidation after I saw mixed reviews for this. But I am so glad I did read this is a fabulous, gripping, page turner that I didn’t want to put down. It is well paced story and I liked the inserts of the podcasts in between to keep the story fresh and engaging.
I can’t believe I haven’t read any of her other books but now will look out for the other books that she has read. I am hooked. 5 stars from me.

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of its release date…. Secondly erm WOW!! Just as it’s been with all of Sam Carrington’s books I was unable to put this down!! Edge of your seat, nail biting kind of suspense with plenty of shock moments…. 100% recommend reading this and every other one of Sam’s books ASAP!! 🤍

Isla and Zach are a new couple. To Isla something happens and she wants to discover who was the guilty person. She listen to postcasts, discover secrets and it is an interesting reading/listening. The ending is great, with a turn I was not guessing.
Happy reading/listening was great, narrators did a great job.

Thank to Avon books and Harper Collins UK Audio for read and audio copy.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I wish to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC in return for an honest review. I found it well-written, with enough suspense and tension to keep me involved to the end. I believe I am in a minority here, as many rated it highly and prospective readers should not be deterred by my misgivings. I thought it was slow-paced at first, and the twists were somewhat predictable. My main problem was my dislike for the protagonist and most other characters. Its conclusion was action-packed and bloody.

The book was narrated from Isla's perspective. She suffered a concussion and a broken wrist while walking home through a park at night. She had been at a party to celebrate her promotion at work. She did not see her attacker and her purse and cell phone were stolen. Isla now suffers from retrograde amnesia, paranoia, and PTSD. She is afraid to leave the safety of her home and fears the person who injured her will return to kill her. Her days are spent watching crime documentaries and following a local true crime blog. Most of the story takes place inside Isla's shattered mind, a place I found disturbing. Her newest boyfriend, Zack, the son of her unpleasant boss, has moved in with her to comfort and protect her. She speculates that someone from her workplace attacked her. She begins to resent Zack's loving attention and his attempts to control her behavior. There is some domestic drama in their relationship.

After several weeks at home alone during the day, while Zack is at work, she finally finds the courage to venture outside her home. She goes to the headquarters of the people involved with the true-crime blog. She resents that the police have not viewed finding her attacker a priority, and fears he may return to harm her. Even though I understood her fear and emotional trauma, I had trouble feeling much sympathy for her to any extent. Before the mugging, she presented herself as judgmental and entitled. She had only one girlfriend but didn't fully trust her.

Isla is thrilled that Jase, the leading blogger, believes her suspicions, and she gives him the names of possible assailants from her workplace. He promises to investigate and help her find justice. Her memory begins to return in bits and pieces. She begins to make rash decisions and statements, further putting her life in jeopardy. Were her suspicions correct that it was someone she knew from work? What was the motive?
We know early from the blog that there may be a murder in the home. The mystery is who might have been killed and who did it?

The Couple on Maple Drive opens with a transcribed broadcast of a true crime podcast, Christie’s Crime Addicts, as they report on a suspected murder at Maple Drive in Devon. Tapping into society’s obsession with true crime is a genius move by author Sam Carrington, as it immediately grabbed my attention and put me immediately in the heart of the action!

The story follows Isla and Zach, colleagues turned couple who are living together at Maple Drive after Isla became the victim of a violent mugging and didn’t want to be living alone.

The attack left Isla with some memory loss, but as memories start to return, she starts to wonder if she can trust her friends, colleagues or even her own boyfriend. The true crime addict in her won’t rest until she finds out the truth of why she was attacked…

This was an easy to read mystery, with the true crime podcast angle refreshing and contemporary.

The narrative switches between Isla, Zach and the podcast, which allows the truth to be revealed slowly, though i felt like it was a bit of an anticlimax.

Full of twists, this is a surburban, domestic thriller full of uncertainty, paranoia and mistrust. Saying that, I really liked some characters and found myself hoping they weren’t the guilty party!

An enjoyable read, but it didnt blow me away. A solid story, and I would read other books from the same author. Fans of Shari Lapena may enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon books for the opportunity.

I love Sam Carrington's books and The Couple on Maple Drive did not disappoint. There are a few different points of view in the novel - Isla, Zach and a podcast. I particularly enjoyed the podcast chapters and how they tied in with the main story - very cleverly done. I don't want to give away too much about the story other than it has a modern Agatha Christie feel to it - plenty of red herrings, a non-existent police investigation and amateur detectives. I was gripped from the beginning of the book and had to keep reading as the tension grew. An excellent read.

Overall this was a good thriller but not one of the best I have read. Good characters but I feel it could be about 200 pages less.

An excellent read that held my interest from the beginning until the end with well described characters that I felt I knew them.

All in all it was one of those books that I thought I had guessed the ending but sadly not, my opinions changed a few times.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon books for allowing me to read this book which I can thoroughly recommend.

This is the first book I have read by Carrington and the description of the book immediately grabbed my attention. I love a good thriller and had high expectations for this novel.

Isla is brutally attacked on her way home from a party. Left with a severe concussion and no real memory of what exactly happened, Isla confines herself to her home, fearful of what may happen if she ventures out into the world again. Her new boyfriend Zach moves in with her to make sure that she feels safe but nothing seems to work. Isla becomes increasingly paranoid and afraid, and when she tries to piece together the events of the night of her attack, she realises that things are not what they seem.

The premise of the book sounded fantastic… and then I read the book. It is a slow-burner to the point where you are willing the events to hurry up a bit on the pages! It took away from the story. For almost half of the book, things just don’t seem to happen at all and it turns more into of an inward analysis of a person experiencing PTSD and paranoia. The pace also meant that within the first 20-30 pages, I had figured out who the attacker was and was waiting for the story to finally reveal this detail which didn’t happen until the latter end of the book. I think a few more red herrings would have really given the story a bit more intrigue for the reader to keep their mind actively working on figuring out who the perpetrator was. The story has multiple timelines, moving from past to present events which also seemed to decelerate the pace of the book as certain aspects are repeated.

On the positive side, the characters were well written and I enjoyed the inclusion of excerpts from a true crime podcast which brought a sense of realism to the scenario.

This book would be a good read for someone who is venturing into the thriller genre for the first time. I prefer my thrillers to have a bit more bite and twists!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. The Couple on Maple Drive will be released on the 11th of December.

Isla was brutally attacked on her way home from a party. Since then she’s become afraid to leave the house and spends her day listening to truncheon podcasts. She’s is grateful her new boyfriend has moved in to look after her as she has no real recollection of what happened leading up to the attack. However as the days progress, Isla becomes convinced this wasn’t a random attack and tries to peace together what really happened. From the premise I wanted to love this book. However it was pretty clear very early on how this was going to unfold and who was guilty of the attack. It was also too slow placed. I did want to finish the book though so would rate it 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for the advanced review copy.

After being brutally mugged Isla doesn't leave the house. Her new boyfriend moved in to help after the attack. As Isla tries to piece together the fateful night she realises all may not be as it seems. With the help of a true crime podcast can she finally find out what happened to her?

This was a slow burn. For about 50% of the book not much happens. We follow the timelines of past and present as Isla tried to piece together what happened to her. We also have snippets from the true crime podcast that Isla listens too. I like the added element of a podcast in a book as we hear about the other crimes that have happened in the area that Isla lives.

I feel like there could've been some more red herrings placed throughout this book as I feel we as the reader knew who the perpetrator was very early on which is disappointing as I like to keep guessing till the end.

Overall this was not bad I think I'd read something by this author again as the writing was well done and the story flowed nicely I just like a bit more action and mystery in my thrillers.

Maybe if you're just starting out with thrillers or mystery's this may be a good one for you.

Be ready for an intriguing read that will keep you flipping pages. The Couple on Maple Drive tells an interesting story that questions how well you know the people around you while looking at the damage a demanding parent’s expectations can do to a child.
Sam Carrington is yet another “new-to-me” author. I am thrilled to have yet another author to add to my list of favourites. Her writing is gripping and keeps you entertained from start to finish. The story is colourful and creative and leaves you wishing for more. I look forward to spending more time with this author.
After a mugger left Isla for dead, she agrees to Zach, her new boyfriend moving into her house to help her. Isla no longer has the strength to leave her couch, but is she becoming too dependant on Zach? Has Zach taken too much control? As Isla fights to regain control of her life, she notices things are not exactly what they appear to be. Both are keeping secrets, deadly secrets. What will happen when those secrets are brought to light? Is Isla strong enough to deal with the truth?
I found myself quickly engrossed in this story and devoured this book in two days. It’s a fast, intriguing read that keeps you curious from the very first page. I loved the chapters featuring the True Crime podcast, these pieces are sometimes hard to establish a timeline for but it makes the story more interesting.
The characters were well-drawn, making them realistic and relatable. The author did a great job showing Isla as a strong independent young woman who ends up broken down by the vicious mugging. You go through her recovery with her and see her return to her previous strength and independence. Zach well, the man was just a little too perfect. From the beginning, you get the feeling something is not quite right with this guy. Isla manages to find an explanation for every one of his actions and I found myself annoyed with her for doing so.
I must add this book to my loved list for 2021, I raced through this book eager to find out how it would end. The story was a fast, gripping read that kept me glued to the pages from start to finish.
Mystery and thriller fans are in for a treat when they reach for this title. It is a creative, well told story that is full of surprises and will leave you looking at your neighbours a little differently as you wonder what is happening behind their closed doors.
If you are looking for a quick, twisty tale, then you will not go wrong selecting The Couple on Maple Drive.

Isla loves true crime tv and podcasts, until it involves her. She is mugged when going home from a work party one night, her purse and cell phone are stolen and she is left for dead on the side of the road with a head wound and concussion and broken arm. Her boyfriend Zack moves in to help her recover and she starts to suspect him of being involved in her mugging and embezzlement from the company that they both work for.
I thought the premise of this story was good and the characters were well developed. The narrative just felt forced and fell flat for me and thus my rating of 3 instead of 4 stars.
I would like to thank the publishers and net galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Following a brutal mugging,after celebrating a promotion, Isla has become agoraphobic, she spends her days watching crime programmes on TV and listening to a local crime podcast. Her boyfriend Zach moved in to support her during this time, they haven't been yogether long and met while working at his Father's company. As time goes by Isla starts to remember snippets of what happened the night of the mugging. Is she still in danger from the culprit. She starts to do her own sleuthing with disastrous circumstances.
This was a really enjoyable read, a well written psychological thriller, my heart was racing at certain points and I was really engrossed in the story. I read in one day as couldn't leave it at each chapter end.
Many thanks for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

The premise sounded interesting, but I really struggled with this one. There was a bit of an "overdone" feel to it, with overthinking and overexplaining by the characters. I would've preferred more action, as I had a hard time staying engaged with the slower pace than I've come to expect in this genre. Things picked up a bit near the end, but it was a little too late. Overall, the "thriller" component was weak. The true crime podcast angle did add a bit of a unique angle to the story.

I don't think I have read many of Sam's books before if any. This book was fantastic. I loved the sound of the plot it sounded intriguing, I knew it would keep me on the edge of my seat and keep me guessing as to what was going to happen. I found it engaging and twisty with the right amount of turns to make you want to read on just a little bit more. The story is about Isla, she hardly leaves the house after she was involved in a vicious attack, when her boyfriend moves in, things start going bad, but is someone out to get her? secrets and lies and betrayals all make this one hell of a ride of a read. I felt as though I was on a rollercoaster of emotions. It was such a brilliant read and from now on I will be catching up on all of Sam's previous books as I loved this one.

After being mugged, Isla has lost some of her memories. Slowly, she realises that the attack wasn't random and that she might still be in danger.

This book kept me steadily interested. However, I felt detached from the main character and therefore found the story lacked tension. Still, it was a decent, enjoyable read.

Such a thriller this one is! Information is given out in excruciatingly small amounts with each passing chapter ensuring a high degree of ‘being hooked on’.

After a traumatic mugging experience, Isla McKenzie is left trying to piece together the bits of her memory that she had lost. What follows is massive overthinking leading to delusional imagination and paranoia. Or is it the truth?

Through multiple timelines of before & after the attack, and the present, the story gradually unfolds and all of your inner-detective personality will want you to keep reading to find out whether the character you are rooting for is in fact not as great as you thought. Along with multiple timelines, there also are multiple perspectives to deal with and since that just gives out more information, it really does not get confusing as it sounds. The true-crime podcast angle was really interesting and completely in with the times.

The element of surprise (or shock) is well guarded through the book and every time a bit of Isla’s memory comes back to her, we have yet another character to suspect with motive, means and opportunity. The last 100-something pages literally zoom by and everything ends up tied with a neat little bow.

The story gets done but it leaves you with a serious thought about trust and how much of it we offer the people in our lives and whether they have earned it. Things are indeed never as black and white as they may seem.

This one has surely intrigued me enough to check out earlier works of the author as well!

When Isla is brutally attacked on her way home from a party celebrating her promotion, she can’t remember what happened. So new boyfriend Zach decides to move in with her and keep her safe. But something is nagging at the back of Isla’s mind and as her memory starts to return, she’ll have to decide if Zach is her savior or something more sinister.

A good suspenseful thriller with twists and turns along the way which made for an enjoyable read.

Started out as an enjoyable read, but not what I’d call a thriller or suspense/mystery. In the search for the person who attacked her, Isla finds she doesn’t know whom she can trust.