ARC review • pub date 06.24.25

A.R. Torre is one of my favorite authors and this new novel did not disappoint

I think you should go in blindly on this one and buckle up & enjoy the ride. She knows how to write characters that you love to hate, and books you want to pick up every chance you get. Definitely give this one a read.

Non-spoiler blurb: Dinah is a detective working a case where a woman is found dead in her kitchen, and her 20-something daughter all of a sudden missing. Dinah’s husband is a psychiatrist, and the missing daughter has just been admitted to his mental hospital. Full of twists & turns!

4⭐️

Thanks so much to Thomas & Mercer, Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse and NetGalley for my ARC.

Solid 3.5
Was very slow burn until about page 100 and I am glad I didn’t quit because it got very good after that.
Pretty good read and would have been 4 stars if the first half of the book wouldn't have been so slow.

What on earth did I just read? This book was very dark and had too many plot holes. I liked some of the twists, but I just kept shaking my head, wondering how it made sense.

I have lived everything I e read by this author, but this one fell a little short for me. It was unhinged af, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happed next. BUT it felt like a lot of details were left out. I was kind of confused for the first 25% because I kept thinking I was missing pages bi even went back and re-read pages to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind. I do plan on re-reading the final version just to see if anything is changed, but I don’t see my rating changing unless a lot of story is added.

A.R. Torre’s A Happy Marriage is a brilliantly twisted psychological thriller that keeps you gripped from start to finish. Known for her masterful ability to weave dark, complex narratives, Torre is the undisputed queen of unhinged psychological thrillers—and this novel is a shining testament to that title.

The story follows the seemingly perfect marriage of Joe and Dinah, two individuals whose life together appears idyllic on the surface. But as the narrative unfolds, Torre reveals the haunting truths lurking beneath the glossy exterior. This isn't just a tale about love and betrayal; it's a deep dive into obsession, manipulation, and the fragile nature of trust. As Dinah becomes entangled in a web of lies, deceit, and dangerous secrets, Torre’s ability to make the reader question what is real and what is fabricated is on full display.

What sets Torre apart from other thriller writers is her unapologetic approach to creating characters that are both deeply flawed and utterly fascinating. Joe and Dinah are complicated, unpredictable, and disturbingly human, making their actions all the more chilling. Torre’s characters are never one-dimensional, and she continuously surprises readers with their hidden depths and the shocking twists that emerge as the story progresses.

The pacing of A Happy Marriage is relentless, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Torre’s writing is sharp, evocative, and perfectly suited for this genre, making it impossible to put the book down once you’re invested. She excels at building tension and delivering twists that feel both shocking and inevitable at the same time.

While the story is undeniably gripping, there are moments where the narrative feels slightly dragged out, but these minor pacing issues don't detract from the overall experience. The dark, unsettling atmosphere that Torre creates makes up for any minor hiccups, ensuring that readers remain engrossed in the psychological drama unfolding before them.

In conclusion, A Happy Marriage is a dark, disturbing, and unrelentingly addictive read that showcases A.R. Torre’s skill at crafting complex characters and devious plots. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers that push boundaries and dive deep into the darkness of the human mind, this book is for you. Torre is, without a doubt, the queen of unhinged thrillers, and this novel proves just how well she reigns in this genre. Highly recommended.

Dinah Marino is a cop in Los Angeles. Her husband of ten years, Joe, is a psychologist.
Dinah's current case is the death of a terminal ill patient. Mom is dead and the college aged daughter is missing. Or she's the killer. Dinah has to find out. Or not...
And Joe. He's pretty busy with things too. Weird things.
We don't really know what to think of either of the Marinos.
Who is the good and who is the bad guy here? Is there a good guy?
What is happening?

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Phew. What was that?
I don't know how to review this book without spoiling anything, because we kinda know what's what in the very very beginning of it. Well, we don't know anything, but we know things. And it gets worse with every chapter. We have no idea what to think or what to believe or hope. But we so need to know how this will end. I can't think of an ending now that I'm only half through the book. Lol.
If you're looking for a very weird and mysterious and creepy and mentally questionable story - this is so the book for you.
I enjoyed reading it - even though I'm more of a happy end romance fan.
It was really weird and crazy and so many things. I would definitely watch the movie!

Detective Dinah Marino and her husband, psychiatrist Dr. Joe Marino, seem at first to have an odd but successful, loving and "happy" marriage... until the pages continue to turn and the reader learns how twisted these two are though Dinah's investigation of a missing girl.

It's hard not to give spoilers because where the book goes from there gets more and more bizarre and you absolutely have to suspend your disbelief in the final 50 pages or so (not easy for how over the top it gets), but I read it in under two hours, so I must have liked it enough since I couldn't put it down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Expected publication June 24, 2025

Dinah is a homicide detective for LAPD. She is one of the best detectives in the department. She is assigned a newbie to train. Meanwhile her husband runs a clinic as a psychologist. This power couple is juggling a lot but Dinah’s number one priority is protecting her perfect marriage.

I thought this book was very interesting. It was fast paced and engaging. I had an idea of what was going on in Dinah’s life but it was much more demented than I suspected. This book held my interest until the end because I really wanted to know how this story ended.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

This is ai interesting take on what makes a marriage happy. The beginning of the book was very absorbing and thought provoking as more secrets got revealed about who they were and what was keeping them together. It lagged a bit in second half and there was one plot point that didn't make sense given who they were and how prepared they were but overall a very good read. 4.5 rounded up

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. First off, I was insanely excited to be able to read this. I love A.R. Torre and her writing! This book was very good, I loved the premise overall and again her writing was unique, fast paced and an easy read. I did decide on 3.5 stars vs a full 4 stars just because I guessed the twist kinda early on. However, I would still definitely recommend especially if you need a good fast paced palette cleanser. This one was multiple POV, which I tend to like because it keeps me on my toes.

*Special thank you to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and A.R. Torre for providing me with an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was good, and twisted! I’ve really enjoyed AR Torre’s books. They are such good mystery/thriller books. I would definitely recommend this one!

I am a Fan of A. R. Torre books!!! I was excited to read this one. It started off strong and had promise. For me, "A Happy Marriage" felt predictable. In addition, I have to have a connection with all the characters in the story and I did not have it with this book. I wanted to love it as I've loved other works by this author. This was okay for me. My opinion is mine. I would definitely encourage readers to read "A Happy Marriage" themselves.

2.75* A.R. Torre has been one of my go-to authors, an instant-buy for me every time. (And I say this regardless of whether the plots are a miss, because I'm just a massive fan of her writing style). So I was super excited to dive into A Happy Marriage. Only... it didn't quite hit it for me. I'm all about unhinged, toxic main characters; they're my absolute guilty pleasure (her book, The Last Party, for example, THAT was a WILD ride and I gave it a solid 5 stars!).

But this time around, the writing felt flat. The dialogue was kind of monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged. While the plot had some twists here and there, the characters felt pretty surface-level.

On that point, taking the FMC, Dinah, for example. One of the only few things we know about her, which is the absolute bare minimum, is that she's a detective with the LAPD. That's it. We don't know how, where, or when she got here. So when I say bare minimum, I mean it - there wasn’t anything interesting about her (my opinion, of course) that made want to empathize / relate / root for her. Unlike some of Torre's other books where the MCs have always been linked to some sort of monumental past trauma, Dinah's background feels underdeveloped. I felt like she kind of just 'fell' to her 'darker' side without much explanation or objective. There's no 'focus' or character development/background, so it was pretty hard for me to invest her the characters in this book, including Dinah.

I also noticed that the tone in this book might vibe better with readers who prefer simpler writing styles, kind of like what Freida McFadden does in her narratives. While that can work for some, it isn't for me. I really missed the author’s sharp wit and depth, which has always been present in her other books.

That said, if you're into stories that explore darker themes and complex relationships, you might find some gems here. But for me, it just didn't deliver the ‘crazy thrill’ I was craving.

***

<i>Shout out and many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.</i>

I was hooked from the start! Though I did guess the main twist before I got to it, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The dynamic between Joe and Dinah was well written and the deep secrets and deceptions of their marriage and their respective lives was compelling. I would definitely recommend picking up this book.

I’ve been seeing so any reviews of this authors book so when I seen a book available on NetGalley I was excited about being one of the first people to be able to read and review this new book. I’m hoping her other books are better because this was just an okay read for me. I couldn’t wait to be done reading this book. The title seems misleading to me as someone who did not read the book summary. The entire book del more like the couple’s individual life and not their marriage. Throughout the whole book only a few things from their marriage was actually brought up. So I was expecting something else diving into this one. But if you loved this authors other books you may enjoy this one. It just wasn’t for me.

Short, exciting chapters will keep you on the edge of your seat. One more chapter turns into three or more every time. This was a fun and quick read with a unique and captivating story.

A. R. Torre is always a great choice for a quick thriller! I haven’t been disappointed yet!

Thank you to NetGalley, A. R. Torre, and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Can a marriage built on lies be a happy marriage? What about a career, or family? Those questions are at the heart of this twisting, suspenseful, multi layered gem of a book. From the first page, I was drawn in and didn't want to stop reading until I knew all the secrets and the mysteries were wrapped up. I suggest going into the story blind as I did and try figuring out what's going on as you read. Warning...you will change your mind with every chapter! Grab a drink and a snack, curl up in a quiet spot, and enjoy this book!

‘A Happy Marriage’ is a brilliantly twisted, darkly romantic thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The couple at the centre of the story is twisted, unique, and unsettlingly romantic in the best possible way. Their dynamic is mesmerizing, making this book perfect for fans of ‘You’ or ‘The Teacher’ by Freida McFadden.

A.E. Torre masterfully weaves suspense with psychological depth, creating a story that feels both intimate and dangerous. The tension builds steadily, keeping you questioning motives and second-guessing every move. If you love dark, twisted couples and a thriller that keeps you on edge, A Happy Marriage is a must-read.

My only complaint would be that I wanted to know more about the couples relationship… lots of intrigue and loose ends unfortunately left me wanting more!

This book kept me interested the entire way through, i thought i had it all figured out but of course i was wrong.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer for this gifted ARC.

If you think you can sense the twist coming in an A.R. Torre book, no you don’t.

I feel slapped after this book. Like legitimately shocked by it. A.R. Torre gets me every single time. With every new book, she one-ups herself and manages to set the bar even higher.

I am truly struggling to formulate words for how messed up and intelligent this book was. I thought I had it pegged. Thought I knew which direction it was going, and I was *so* wrong. And happily so. This mind blowing twist pulled me right out of my reading slump.

What words do I have to say to convince you to read everything she’s written under both pen names? I can’t even pick my jaw up off the floor after reading it. This. Just. Damn. Read it. And then everything else she’s written.