Wow what a wild ride. Just when I think I had things figured out wow another surprise! I always enjoy everything from this author!

A Happy Marriage
By: A.R. Torre
Pub date: June 24, 2025
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Shared with my colleagues at Thriller Book Lovers The Pusle
This is my 3rd novel by Torre, and she is one I look forward into reading. With the title alone, you start to suspect there is “not” a happy marriage, at least to all involved.
Marriages stay together for other reasons besides happiness. It can be financial, health, for the kids, or something more sinister like blackmail.
Dinah Marino is a LA homicide detective and has been married to her husband Joe for ten years. Dinah is holding on to a secret, thinking her husband has no idea what it is. Joe is a psychiatrist, so he has more of an inside to her actions.
I do not want to give away anything as you can read the synopsis, but this one was a psychological thriller that had me thoroughly engaged to find out what was next.

I love A.R Torre and was so excited to read this early. It's definitely not one of my favorites from her, but it was still fun to read and exactly what I was in the mood for. 3 stars.

Honestly, idk how to describe this book without spoiling it, but some elements of the story include: multiple POV's, unreliable narrators, domestic setting, detective MC, and memory loss.

This was such a quick and easy read that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I consistently wanted to pick it back up and enjoyed my reading experience. But, This didn't entirely work for me because I don't like thrillers that withhold everything from you until the end. For over 50% of this book, you have no idea what's going on. This was obviously the intention, but I didn't think keeping this secret from the reader added anything to the story. The ending was also a little bit unsatisfying because everything wrapped up very neatly, exactly how you would've expected.

Overall, if someone asked me for an A.R. Torre recommendation, I would recommend The Good Lie or The Last Party, whereas this would be towards the bottom of the list. However, I would recommend this if you've liked her other books or are super intrigued by the premise. Pretty middle of the road mystery/thriller for me.

Dinah, a homicide detective with the LAPD, is married to her psychiatrist husband Joe for ten years, but she’s been keeping a secret all that time. When a new case lands on her desk, those secrets may destroy A Happy Marriage. To reveal too much of the plot would be a disservice, but suffice to say this is one topsy-turvy thriller that was hard to put down. The reader is kept totally confused, as little nuggets of information are dropped sporadically throughout the early going that the reader feels like they missed a paragraph or two, and this one goes in a completely different direction than expected, heightening the suspense. This is a relatively short read that you’ll breeze through, with a great plot and even better ending! Not what I was expecting at all, and in a great way. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Dinah Marino is a police detective who cherishes her marriage to Dr. Joe Marino, a clinical psychologist. They are devoted to each other, but Dinah has a secret that she has never shared with Joe and she will do absolutely anything to guard it. Dr. Joe receives a new patient at his private clinic with a connection to Dinah’s new case involving a dead mother and her missing daughter. Dinah’s secret is threatened, with potentially deadly consequences.

Commentary: A. R. Torre is a master at writing unpredictable and unusual characters, and this novel is no exception. As the reader progresses through the novel, they begin to understand that this marriage is not your typical union and that is all I will say to keep this spoiler-free! As is usually the case with Torre’s novels, the action moves at a quick pace, with short chapters and multiple POV. The plot is creative and unique, and the main characters are diabolical, which I couldn’t have enjoyed more. This is perfect to take on your vacation, although I warn you, you might end up neglecting your tan when you cannot put this down. A Happy Marriage publishes June 24, 2025.

Can you even imagine waking up in a mental institution remembering nothing but being told you committed yourself after admitting to killing your mother and then attempting suicide? 🤯

A.R. Torre’s mind is a dark and scary place… and I freaking love it!

The Last Party was my first foray into the twistedness that is Torre and after that, I knew if she wrote it, I would read it. A Happy Marriage totally delivered for me and I absolutely loved it. Horrifying, unique, unputdownable… this book had it all. I loved the various narrators and how I couldn’t quite make the puzzle pieces it fit.

This novel is fast paced and the chapters are short and sweet. I love that it didn’t quite work out the way I expected it to, though there were elements that weren’t a total surprise (and plenty that were!).

If you’re anything like the thriller bingers over at the Pulse and you love psychological thrillers, police procedurals, multiple narrators, and dark plots, look no further! Torre continues to impress me and I’m excited to check out her backlist and see what she comes up with next.

Anything that A.R. torre writes is absolutely amazing. I loved this one. The writing style and character development was so well written. I would recommend this one to anything looking for a dark twisted thriller.

Los Angeles homicide detective Dinah Marino has been happily married to Dr. Joe Marino for ten years.

Each will tell you that TRUST plays a big part in their success and yet, Dinah has never revealed her biggest secret to Joe, and she isn’t inclined to tell him about the good looking new rookie, Freddie Hodgkins, who has been assigned to trail her on her latest case.

Joe is a loving husband who remembers every Anniversary, all of Dinah’ s preferences and every item on his “honey-do” list. But, he also remembers every misstep-every mistake, and he isn’t very forgiving when Dinah doesn’t follow the rules that they have agreed upon together.

And, Dinah’s new case, involving a Mother who has been found dead under questionable circumstances, and her daughter who is now missing, will threaten the delicate balance of their happy, happy marriage….

A TALE OF TWO HALVES

This book started out strong, and it hooked me right away with Torre’s engaging writing style, DISTURBING premise, and short, snappy chapters, which allow you read “just one more chapter”! I was ALL-IN.

But, unfortunately, at the 50% mark, the story lost its way.

It focused on one “over the top” plot point while failing to flesh out the others. I was left with MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS, and I wanted more background on how Joe and Dinah got together, what happened to her former partner, Oley, and what was happening with Freddie Hodgkins involvement in the case.

At only 254 pages, this story felt INCOMPLETE-and for that reason, it was a bit of a MISS for me.

Prior to reading this book, I have read SIX others by the author, with FOUR earning 5 ⭐️, so I suspect I will probably love her next book which, as always, I will look forward to reading!

Expected publication date: June 24, 2025.

Thank You to Thomas & Mercer for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

3.5 wild and crazy stars

I expect twists, interesting characters, secrets, and a compelling read with this author.

In this one, LA homicide detective Dinah Marino is the star of the show. Her husband, Joe, is a psychiatrist who runs his own clinic and teaches. They have some interesting hobbies that we learn about later in the book.

We follow Dinah along on a murder investigation and see the dynamics in her marriage. There are also some dysfunctional family issues. I really liked Freddy, and I wished that we saw more of him in the second half.

About halfway through the book, there are some big twists that totally changed the story. Hang on for the wild ride with this one! And a bit of advice, don’t look to this couple for the model of a happy marriage!

A.R. Torre does not disappoint, at all, not even close!!! What a wild ride this was!!! This book was so addicting, I stayed up all night just to finish it and oh wow, totally worth it!!! Make sure you add this to your TBR!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for my honest review!

I can’t describe my excitement when @ThrillerBookLoversThePulse treated its members to ARC copies of “A Happy Marriage” by the brilliant A.R. Torre! She was one of the first authors whose diabolically twisted thrillers hooked me; if you haven’t read her work yet, you’re truly missing out! “A Happy Marriage” is an absolute 5-star gem you must experience! I have a spot waiting on my bookshelf for a signed copy of one of her books, which I hope to get one day. 🥰💜

Every thrilling twist in “A Happy Marriage” left me utterly captivated! I savored every unhinged moment. Torre has this remarkable talent for packing jaw-dropping moments into a story; she nails it every time.

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Marino: Joe, a brilliant psychiatrist, and Dinah, an intrepid detective—head over heels for each other. But here’s the kicker: Joe is a serial killer who occasionally fantasizes about killing Dinah... though, in his mind, it would be done with all the love and respect she deserves. What the heck 🔪🩸?

Both characters are shrouded in secrets, but is Dinah aware of Joe’s sinister little hobby?

Having devoured most of Torre’s work, she’s an extraordinary storyteller with a deliciously twisted imagination! She brings dark, morally ambiguous characters to life that linger in your mind. Their actions may be outrageous and hard to believe, but that makes them entertaining! Just surrender to the chaos and let your imagination run wild—you’re in for a treat!

Thanks to the publisher, author, and Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse for providing this ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced reader copy.

This was one of the most frustrating books I've read in a while. At first, the piling up of curiosity crumbs (what is the secret that Dinah and her husband are hiding? Why has Joe taken Jessica? What is the secret that Dinah is keeping from Joe?), kept me engaged and wanting to know how things would come together. But by the middle of the book there were too many unanswered questions and I was less curious and more frustrated. I wish the author had answered some of the questions (even some of the lower stakes ones); instead this felt like the author withholding nearly everything from the reader and the ending didn't quite live up to such a frustrating reading experience.

A Happy Marriage by A.R. Torre was a quick, entertaining suspense read that kept me turning the pages. The story had plenty of intrigue, twists, and just the right amount of tension to keep things interesting. I was fully invested… until the ending. It didn’t quite deliver the punch I was hoping for, which left me a little disappointed. Still, it was an enjoyable read overall!

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Perfect for those who love a fast-paced domestic suspense, even if the ending doesn’t quite stick the landing.

Wow. Just wow. It’s not every day the twists get me but this book was a WILD ride! These 2 were a match made in…. Well definitely not heaven. Is it far fetched? Yes. Could it happen? Who’s to say. This is definitely a worst case scenario type of book and will have you on the edge of your seat!

A Happy Marriage by A. R. Torre

What makes a good marriage? In the case of Los Angeles homicide detective Dinah Marino and her psychiatrist husband Dr. Joe Marino, it helps to have a very interesting hobby that allows each of them to engage in some very unsavory pastimes. Dinah pretty much goes through their marriage hoping Joe doesn't find out her secrets because they will break this marriage in two. On Joe's part, he knows so much more than Dinah suspects and has even contemplated bad things when it comes to his dear wife. This is not a healthy marriage and the two are walking a fine line between an enduring marriage and one that might implode at any minute.

At the moment, Dinah is investing a murder which has a victim and a missing daughter. Joe's hobby is mixed up with this investigation and Dinah is afraid secrets are going to come out about her that could be dangerous to her very existence. This married couple play for keeps, they aren't fooling around with their hobbies. Sadly, Dinah's old work partner is gone now and she's being tailed by a new guy who just won't stop asking questions and pushing her to dig deeper in this latest murder. As the pressure gets too much for Dinah, Joe's feeling the urge to nip certain things in the bud.

These two don't play around! Torre can write some really questionable and crazy people and she outdoes herself here. Can this marriage hold up under the consequences of Dinah and Joe's actions? Should their marriage last, at all?

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC.

From outside appearances Dinah and Joe have a perfect marriage. Dinah is the dutiful detective and Joe the respected psychologist. But appearances are often deceiving! And what it takes to make their marriage a happy one will shock you! This one had me guessing right up until the end. Another winner by AR Torre! Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this great ARC!

Maybe 3.5 stars.
I will start by saying I love Alessandra Torre but this one fell short. I loathed both Dinah and Joe and really struggled to connect to either one of them. The first 50% of the story dragged and I found myself setting this one down a few times in exchange for another one but kept coming back because I knew there had to be more. I don't know that I found the more, and I was not by any means blown away by the second half of the book but the pace picked up and new things started to happen. The whole thing felt far fetched and over the top.
Thanks NetGalley and publisher Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

I struggled with this one. It had potential but fell flat. I was super disappointed as I have liked several other books by this author.

I love a good thriller about a dysfunctional husband and wife, who are each harbouring their own dark secrets, so this book was right up my alley! This story had me hooked from the very first line! My jaw literally dropped on the first page, and I could not turn the pages fast enough.

I don’t usually love the unreliable narrator trope in thrillers, but I actually really enjoyed it in this book, and I thought it worked perfectly! I thought this was a really cleverly crafted story with so many layers, and so many twists and turns to keep the readers turning the pages. This book was definitely a little out there, and a little unbelievable at times, but I actually didn’t mind that at all and thought it was executed very well.

Endings are always hit or miss for me with psychological thrillers, and a bad ending can really ruin a good book for me- but luckily I loved the ending of this book! It was dark and twisted with a hint of humor, and I just thought it was the perfect way to end the story. Overall, this was a fun, twisty, fast read that definitely kept me turning the pages!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @alessandratorre4 @amazonpublishing @thrillerbookloversthepulse #thepulse #partner for the jaw dropping book!

AR Torre knocks it out of the park with this dark, twisted and toxic tale of love. I devoured her book last year which was a top thriller of the year for me so I jumped a the chance to grab this one. Once again, she simply nailed this ruinous love story! I think my favorite parts of how this author writes is how dark her thoughts are. Haha, call me crazy but I always feel like she takes it a couple steps past the dark and twisted straight to the sinister and disastrous. I love it. 😆 In this book we follow a married couple who on paper are amazing pillars of society however, in real life are atrocious and abhorrent. The best part? They are madly in love but don’t trust a single fiber of the other person being. If you’re looking for a tense book filled with deceitful characters and shocking events you absolutely should check this one out! It’s amazing!