The Couple in the Photo - by Helen Cooper (Paperback)

About the Book

"Lucy and her husband Adam have been best friends with another couple, Cora and Scott, for years. The four are practically family at this point, ... so Lucy is devastated when, while looking at a colleague's photos of a trip to the Maldives, she spots a picture of Scott, apparently on a luxurious holiday with another woman. Lucy is determined to protect her best friend from her husband's seeming infidelity, but when she learns that the woman in the photo has gone missing, she can't help but fear that Scott was involved. As she searches for answers, she uncovers secrets about her friends and her own husband that could destroy the wonderful lives they have built"--

Book Synopsis

A LibraryReads Pick

Be careful who you sleep with...They've already made their bed.

Lucy and her husband, Adam, have been best friends with another couple, Cora and Scott, for years. The four are practically family--they vacation together, co-own a beach cottage, and their children are inseparable. So Lucy is devastated when, while looking at a colleague's photos of a trip to the Maldives, she spots a picture of Scott, apparently on vacation with another woman.

Then she learns that the woman in the photo has gone missing. Lucy can't help but fear that Scott was involved. But searching for answers might uncover secrets about Scott, Cora, and even her own husband that could destroy the picture-perfect lives they have built together. Or maybe she was never part of the picture at all. Is it possible everyone knows more than they are letting on? If so, what are the consequences of exposing the truth?

Review Quotes

Praise for The Couple in the Photo

"Readers will be sucked into this well-written, fast-paced, twisty tale." --LibraryReads

"So many secrets . . . Another twisty, psychological thriller from author Helen Cooper. Fans of these types of novels will be happy with this one." --Red Carpet Crash

"A sharply constructed puzzle of a mystery, full of surprising twists and turns about marriage, friendship, motherhood and how the truth really can be in the eye of the beholder." --Kimberly McCreight, author of Reconstructing Amelia

"The Couple in the Photo had me hooked from the first page and I positively devoured this masterfully constructed tale of lies and deceit. An absolute must-read for all thriller fans." ― Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin

Praise for The Other Guest

"Difficult-to-put down thriller... Brilliantly characterized, boldly plotted, and boasting an ending that readers will think they have figured out only to have everything turned around." --Booklist (starred review)

"[A] strong psychological thriller...Credible characters enhance the suspenseful plot. Cooper remains a writer to watch." --Publishers Weekly

"In this captivating slow-burner, dark secrets lurk beneath a luxurious lakeside resort in Italy. Helen Cooper deftly navigates between what seems like two completely separate narratives. You'll be hooked on trying to solve this puzzle!" --Reader's Digest

"A luxury Italian resort with a dark side. A cast of suspicious, secretive characters. The Other Guest is an eerie and atmospheric mystery that kept me guessing from start to finish." --Allie Reynolds, author of Shiver

"An exquisite setting masks layers of secrets in this captivating thriller from Helen Cooper. The Other Guest is beautifully written, powerfully conveyed, and swirling with mysteries you'll race to the last page to solve." --Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot

Praise for The Downstairs Neighbor

"Fans of British mysteries will love this debut...It is difficult to put down. This is one that readers may not figure out fully, if at all, in advance of the denouement, but the author ties all the secrets together in a most satisfying reveal." --Library Journal (starred review)

"Perfect for fans of twisty plots that'll keep you guessing." --Country Living

"[A] heart-pounding debut...Even avid suspense readers won't be able to predict all the twists. Cooper is off to a strong start." --Publishers Weekly

"Cooper skillfully builds a house of cards, demolishes it, reshuffles the deck, and deals an even stronger hand, while keeping a few cards up her sleeve. An emotionally charged domestic-suspense debut, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware." --Booklist

"Cooper starts with a bang, with a missing girl and a big house filled with suspects, then holds the suspense high with characters that will keep the reader guessing--and guessing wrong. A gradual unearthing of long-held secrets wrapped in a smoothly plotted page-turner. " --Kimberly Belle, author of Stranger in the Lake

"Lock your doors, close your curtains, and sink into this claustrophobic tale of families, neighbors and buried secrets. Tense and perfectly paced, this emotionally charged novel will keep you guessing right to the very end." --Emma Rous, author of The Au Pair

About the Author

Helen Cooper is the author of The Other Guest and The Downstairs Neighbor. She is from Derby and has a MA in Creative Writing and a background in teaching English and Academic Writing. Her creative writing has been published in Mslexia and Writers' Forum; she was shortlisted in the Bath Short Story Prize in 2014, and came third in the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize 2018.