Mystery

The Couple at the Table

The Couple at the Table

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-01-24 00:51:15
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Sophie Hannah
  • ISBN：1529352819
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Summary

You're on your honeymoon at an exclusive couples-only resort。

You receive a note， warning you to 'Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours'。 At dinner that night， five other couples are sitting close by， but none of their tables is any nearer or further away than any of the others。 It's almost as if someone has set the scene in order to make the warning note meaningless。 Why would anyone do that？

You have no idea。

You also don't know that you're about to be murdered， or that once you're dead， all the evidence will suggest that no one there that night could possibly have committed the crime。

So who might be trying to warn you？ And who might be about to kill you， and seems certain to get away with it？

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Reviews

Sid Nuncius ，

I quite enjoyed The Couple At The Table， but I found the first half slow going， with lots of names and complex positionings of people and places to remember。 It picked up half way through and made a decent Golden-Age-style mystery， but I found it a bit unsatisfactory overall。The book is in many ways a modern take on a classic Country House Mystery， with a seemingly impossible puzzle at its core。 Several couples， including Waterhouse an Zailer are on holiday at an exclusive resort when one of the I quite enjoyed The Couple At The Table， but I found the first half slow going， with lots of names and complex positionings of people and places to remember。 It picked up half way through and made a decent Golden-Age-style mystery， but I found it a bit unsatisfactory overall。The book is in many ways a modern take on a classic Country House Mystery， with a seemingly impossible puzzle at its core。 Several couples， including Waterhouse an Zailer are on holiday at an exclusive resort when one of them is murdered。 The evidence shows that the one person who was with the victim couldn’t have killed her， the others were together the whole time elsewhere and it’s not possible that anyone else could have got in。 It’s an ingenious set-up， although I began to suspect at least part of the solution fairly early on。 As more information gradually comes to light later and DC Waterhouse doggedly and obsessively pursues the enquiry， complex backstories begin to emerge and eventually there is a Poirot-esque “One of you in this room is the murderer” denouement。I’ve only read a few of Sophie Hannah’s stand-alones before this and I’m new to this series。 It probably doesn’t help that I don’t know any of the characters and their pasts， but I did find this hard going to begin with。 Also， in Hannah’s others I’ve read， she has some witty and trenchant things to say about character and places; this is almost exclusively a puzzle plot with a little quirkiness and background thrown in from Waterhouse and Zailer， which interests me rather less。I think fans of ingenious mysteries will enjoy this far more than I did。 Personally， I wasn’t really engaged。 Sophie Hannah is a very good writer and storyteller， so it wasn’t bad by any means， but I did find it just a tad unsatisfying。（My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley。） 。。。more

Angela O'Hara ，

I've enjoyed many of Sophie Hannah's books but sadly this one， of the Waterhouse and Zellar series didn't cut it for me。 I found the characters unlikable， the story more of a "Death in paradise" venture。 If that's your type of read this book would be perfect。 I've enjoyed many of Sophie Hannah's books but sadly this one， of the Waterhouse and Zellar series didn't cut it for me。 I found the characters unlikable， the story more of a "Death in paradise" venture。 If that's your type of read this book would be perfect。 。。。more

Roman Clodia ，

Reading this is a blast！ Hannah has， again， pulled off a bonkers 'impossible' murder and her Poirot novels seem to have keyed her in to a definite Christie feel， but updated to a contemporary setting。 It's great that she's returned to the Spilling series and has brought back Simon Waterhouse and Charlie Zailer， along with their colleagues and friends， though first-time readers （this is not indicated to be part of a series， #10， I think？） may find the characterization a little thin。It took a few Reading this is a blast！ Hannah has， again， pulled off a bonkers 'impossible' murder and her Poirot novels seem to have keyed her in to a definite Christie feel， but updated to a contemporary setting。 It's great that she's returned to the Spilling series and has brought back Simon Waterhouse and Charlie Zailer， along with their colleagues and friends， though first-time readers （this is not indicated to be part of a series， #10， I think？） may find the characterization a little thin。It took a few chapters before I settled into this one but once caught up in the tangled lives and stories， this became hard to put down。 I'd say that in comparison with the earlier books in the series， this is lighter， without the same intensity of trauma and troubled characters。 The baroque twists and backstories reminded me of the classic Golden Age The Hollow Man。 In summary: brilliantly complicated and a bit crazy too！ Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley 。。。more

Mana ，

"Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours。" It is hard to imagine anything seriously malicious or dangerous happening in an only for couples luxury resort。 Who would need to tell anyone to beware in such idyllic surroundings？ One guest who’s here on her honeymoon with the former husband of another guest？ And then - murder。 As it seems the perfect and unsolvable murder， but there is Lucy， betrayed ex-wife and she wants to know who is the perpetrator and maybe she wants to thank them？ Sh "Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours。" It is hard to imagine anything seriously malicious or dangerous happening in an only for couples luxury resort。 Who would need to tell anyone to beware in such idyllic surroundings？ One guest who’s here on her honeymoon with the former husband of another guest？ And then - murder。 As it seems the perfect and unsolvable murder， but there is Lucy， betrayed ex-wife and she wants to know who is the perpetrator and maybe she wants to thank them？ She is absolutely obsessed， because the shadow of William and Jane’s betrayal has loomed over her life。 The plot is really intriguing， because everybody， accept the husband， were elsewhere when the murder happened。 Lucy can’t rule anyone out， so she doubts everyone。 As a protagonist， Lucy is very proactive， end reader understands her wish to revenge somehow， yet - she is still pretty unlikeable。The trajectory of cause and effect wasn’t a single， clear， straight line in any case。 Sophie Hannah rather likes to complicate things to the end， and then there is no big end at all。 It seems that I really can't warm to her novels nor to her writing style。Overall good crime novel。3，5/5 。。。more

Lisa ，

I’m not rating this as I gave up a third of the way through。 The narrative style with characters rabbiting on about inconsequential matters and overly explaining events and thought processes was just frustrating me。

Zelda FeatzReviews ，

Prepare yourself for a crime thriller that hosts the perfect， impossible murder in a true “whodunnit” style。 This book is the best “whodunnit” I have read in ages。 From start to finish this title will keep you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out who the murderer is。 There is just no guessing。Sophie Hannah is an author I have been dying to spend some time with and up until now I seem to have always missed out on her books。 This book left me kicking myself for not reaching for her bo Prepare yourself for a crime thriller that hosts the perfect， impossible murder in a true “whodunnit” style。 This book is the best “whodunnit” I have read in ages。 From start to finish this title will keep you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out who the murderer is。 There is just no guessing。Sophie Hannah is an author I have been dying to spend some time with and up until now I seem to have always missed out on her books。 This book left me kicking myself for not reaching for her books before。 I love her writing。 She managed to keep me guessing and completely entertained with The Couple at the Table。 She presents an impossible situation and keeps you wrapped up in the story right to the end where she presents an explanation you never see coming。 I cannot remember the last time a book left me this mystified。Jane Brinkwood is on her honeymoon when she receives a note saying: “Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours” However when she arrives at dinner， there isn’t one table any nearer to hers than any of the others。 Who is trying to warn her， and why？ When Jane is murdered and all the other resort guests are cleared of suspicion the police have their hands full trying to solve this mystery – someone killed Jane， but who and why？I found myself deeply intrigued by this book from start to finish。 The story is creative， unique， and full of mystery。 I enjoyed not having a clue and struggling to figure out whodunnit from page to page。 I was completely baffled。At the start of the book， I was fascinated by Lucy。 This woman writes a letter to an unknown killer， and she is actually voicing her appreciation and admiration for this person。 Once I found out what Jane did to Lucy I could understand her feelings， however， something never feels quite right with this character。 The more time you spend with Lucy， the more you realise that there is something very off with her。 Maybe it’s just me， who knows how far any of us would go when we are hurt。 I look forward to hearing what you think about this woman。 As for Jane， are there really people like her out in the world？ If there are， I hope never to meet them。 This woman was simply vile， and no matter what I could not feel any sympathy for her。 I did find that her character was a little exaggerated， no one could possibly be that horrible。 Exaggerated as she might have been， she was a great touch to this story。I have to say that I loved this book。 While the story was a little extreme and more like a group of teenagers acting out， I was intrigued and entertained by the “whodunnit” mystery of the story。 It was a book that kept me guessing and delivered an ending I did not see coming。 So yes， I loved this。If you are a fan of a good “whodunnit” and you are looking for a read that will keep you guessing， then you do not need to look any further。 I would highly recommend this book。 Be warned that the characters in this book behave like a group of unruly teenagers and their actions are not always very mature。 Nevertheless， this is a highly entertaining read。 。。。more

Sue Plant ，

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this booka fairly decent attempt at a Poirot novel that in this day and age doesnt really work。。。。jane and william are on honeymoon， but its not long before jane falls out with everyone at her honeymoon destination， well it was never going to go well when she bumps into williams ex- wife at the same resort。。。and then jane is murdered and it becomes a classic whodunnit。。。。with the ex wife being the lead suspectwith only a limited would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this booka fairly decent attempt at a Poirot novel that in this day and age doesnt really work。。。。jane and william are on honeymoon， but its not long before jane falls out with everyone at her honeymoon destination， well it was never going to go well when she bumps into williams ex- wife at the same resort。。。and then jane is murdered and it becomes a classic whodunnit。。。。with the ex wife being the lead suspectwith only a limited number of ways and people this case should have been solved quickly but a year later nobody is any wiser。。。until。。。。。。a slow plonder of a book that will keep you reading until the murderer is uncovered。。。 。。。more

Cleopatra Pullen ，

It's a long time since I last read any of Sophie Hannah's Simon Waterhouse and Charlie Zailer novels set in the Culver Valley and I had forgotten quite how good they are！ In this episode we have a mystery that Agatha Christie would have been proud of， complete with her speciality， an awful victim！Simon and Charlie are enjoying a stay at an exclusive resort when one of the other guest's is murdered， right under their noses。 The problem is that 6 months after the murder Simon Waterhouse is no near It's a long time since I last read any of Sophie Hannah's Simon Waterhouse and Charlie Zailer novels set in the Culver Valley and I had forgotten quite how good they are！ In this episode we have a mystery that Agatha Christie would have been proud of， complete with her speciality， an awful victim！Simon and Charlie are enjoying a stay at an exclusive resort when one of the other guest's is murdered， right under their noses。 The problem is that 6 months after the murder Simon Waterhouse is no nearer finding a solution， all the guests and staff have watertight alibis。 How did Jane Brinkwood's murderer manage to kill her， on her honeymoon no less， without leaving any trace？ The story is told in the third person with the exception of the parts told by Lucy who was the ex wife of Lucy's new husband， William Gleave， which has the more appropriate first person account。A slow burn that may make your head ache trying to work out the solution and very much worth the ride！ 。。。more

Elaine Tomasso ，

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of The Couple at the Table， which is billed as a stand-alone but features long term characters DC Simon Waterhouse and PS Charlie Zailer， set in the fictional Culver Valley region of Southern England。This novel is all about the how。 Obviously there is a who too， but with all the suspects ruled out for one reason or another， the big question is how it was done。 I’ll come clean straightaway and admit that I read much of the I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of The Couple at the Table， which is billed as a stand-alone but features long term characters DC Simon Waterhouse and PS Charlie Zailer， set in the fictional Culver Valley region of Southern England。This novel is all about the how。 Obviously there is a who too， but with all the suspects ruled out for one reason or another， the big question is how it was done。 I’ll come clean straightaway and admit that I read much of the novel pretty sure of the answer to both these questions and got shot down in flames in the Christie-esque denouement。 And it’s not just the denouement that has shades of Agatha Christie’s plotting， the whole novel does if that is possible in a psychological thriller。The novel is compulsive in its writing and that’s why I’ve rated rounded it up to 4* from 3。5*。 The reader just wants to know what’s coming next， although what does come is close to farcical in some respects and requires a fair amount of credibility swallowing to believe。 I defy any reader to guess the outcome or the shenanigans involved beforehand。 It is， however， a psychological thriller， so unbelievable conduct is almost standard in the genre。It may be unbelievable， but the author does a great job of the plotting。 It builds slowly and inexorably with a lot of smoke and mirrors to a satisfying （all loose ends tied up and motives explained） conclusion。 The twists and turns are plentiful and much of it hinges， in true old fashioned style， on a word here or there。The novel is told from various points of view， but chiefly Simon and Charlie on the investigative side and Lucy on the suspect side。 She is the traditional unreliable narrator with things to hide， a lot of hurt and an obsessive personality。 The Couple at the Table is compulsive reading， but I’m not sure the resolution is on a par with the writing。 3。5* 。。。more

Samadhee Ismail ，

I really like the plot and the story and I have to say I was looking forward to reading this book。 I was also excited when the publisher granted the ARC and I was looking forward to reading this one。But I am having mixed feelings about this book and it's in my opinion an OK thriller so let's start with the good ones。The plot of the story was really good and unique。 There are six couples at a table in a vacation house and each of them gets a note "Beware of the Couple Next to you，" then one woman I really like the plot and the story and I have to say I was looking forward to reading this book。 I was also excited when the publisher granted the ARC and I was looking forward to reading this one。But I am having mixed feelings about this book and it's in my opinion an OK thriller so let's start with the good ones。The plot of the story was really good and unique。 There are six couples at a table in a vacation house and each of them gets a note "Beware of the Couple Next to you，" then one woman， Jane Brinkwood， who is the wife of William Gleave who happened to be the ex-husband of Lucy， the main protagonist gets stabbed and murdered。 Which of the couple is responsible for Jane's murder？ So as I said， the plot was interesting and unique。But as I read the story， it got a bit boring。 Too much dialogue and at times it was a bit confusing。 It wasn't fast paced， not much of twists and turns you would expect in a thriller and overall， the ending was nothing new。 The writing was OK but nonetheless， I didn't enjoy this book as I thought I should。Overall， I give this book as three stars！Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC。 The review is based on my honest opinion only。 。。。more

Claire Bailey ，

Hands up， I didn’t， couldn’t finish this book。 I read half， albeit with great effort but chose to give up because it was just no good。The story has been and gone all within the first two chapters。 You don’t get an answer （obviously） but then what you do get is a rehash of the same story told by each and every person and if that wasn’t enough you get to read it as a letter too！ In short， there was no story！ It was just an empty middle of words circulating endlessly around characters that were unl Hands up， I didn’t， couldn’t finish this book。 I read half， albeit with great effort but chose to give up because it was just no good。The story has been and gone all within the first two chapters。 You don’t get an answer （obviously） but then what you do get is a rehash of the same story told by each and every person and if that wasn’t enough you get to read it as a letter too！ In short， there was no story！ It was just an empty middle of words circulating endlessly around characters that were unlikeable and unconvincing。I’ve enjoyed Sophie Hannah books in the past but this one could well have been written by someone else。 I can’t praise any of the book because it really was that bad。Judging by others reviews I’m not alone and it turns out the big mystery is just as confused so I’m pleased that I chose to stop where I did。Thank you to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review but I won’t be recommending this particular book。 。。。more

Tove R。 ，

I got such strong Agatha Christie vibes from this book。 It is like a modern whodunnit in the remote setting， not an old manor， but a small resort with some cottages。 One of the visitors - the owner's daughter， is murdered on her honeymoon。 Her husband is a suspect。 Anyone of the guest could have done it， or could they？ No outsider could have done it。Turns out it is an extremely complicated case， and it takes months to solve it。 Not all the guests are who they claim to be。 Everyone has secrets。 A I got such strong Agatha Christie vibes from this book。 It is like a modern whodunnit in the remote setting， not an old manor， but a small resort with some cottages。 One of the visitors - the owner's daughter， is murdered on her honeymoon。 Her husband is a suspect。 Anyone of the guest could have done it， or could they？ No outsider could have done it。Turns out it is an extremely complicated case， and it takes months to solve it。 Not all the guests are who they claim to be。 Everyone has secrets。 At some point most of them are suspects。 The deeper the police investigate the case， the more complicated it gets。 I felt a bit lost at times due to so much happening， so many details revealed， and I felt it was not realistic。 The twists and turns are similar to what goes on in the old Christie novels， and at times it works， but too much is too much。 I am not a fan of not revealing all the information to the reader when the information sees daylight。 I did however enjoy the read despite it quirks。 。。。more

Jennie Godfrey ，

I was so excited to get back to the Culver Valley and find out what was happening and this fabulous book was a welcome back to the place and characters I’ve grown to love。 The crime was suitably puzzling and I found myself musing on it when not reading and as always， the solution was mind bendingly good。 I loved being back with Charlie and Simon and the team， and the only reason I haven’t given this 5 stars is that I just felt like their story wasn’t given enough airtime/they didn’t move on far I was so excited to get back to the Culver Valley and find out what was happening and this fabulous book was a welcome back to the place and characters I’ve grown to love。 The crime was suitably puzzling and I found myself musing on it when not reading and as always， the solution was mind bendingly good。 I loved being back with Charlie and Simon and the team， and the only reason I haven’t given this 5 stars is that I just felt like their story wasn’t given enough airtime/they didn’t move on far enough for me。 。。。more

Fiona Mccormick ，

First of all I will say I love Simon and Charlie and it was fabulous to see them back！ The story in itself I felt was a little convoluted and I had to reread a couple of times to get up to date with who was who。 I felt the story lent itself to something more visual and I think this book would work really well onscreen。 Very cleverly written and quite Agatha Christie like， I just struggled slightly with all the motivations。

Angie ，

Simon Waterhouse could be the new Poirot！ The couple at the table is a brilliant thriller that will keep you guessing until the end。 Brilliantly told over dual timelines and from multiple perspectives。 It’s hard to review without giving away any spoilers。 I love the character of Simon Waterhouse， a DC who finds his unwanted holiday interrupted by a murder。 Simon becomes obsessed with solving the murder， even though 6 months on his boss wants him to quit。 Simon learns that everyone involved had b Simon Waterhouse could be the new Poirot！ The couple at the table is a brilliant thriller that will keep you guessing until the end。 Brilliantly told over dual timelines and from multiple perspectives。 It’s hard to review without giving away any spoilers。 I love the character of Simon Waterhouse， a DC who finds his unwanted holiday interrupted by a murder。 Simon becomes obsessed with solving the murder， even though 6 months on his boss wants him to quit。 Simon learns that everyone involved had been lying to him。As he uncovers the lies he uncovers the truth。 A dark and gruesome tale of murder。 。。。more

Madhuri Sridhara ，

After a year of reading mysteries with angst， I can happily say that I read and enjoyed "The Couple at the Table"。A locked room （rather a locked resort） mystery with a variety of characters that slowly spring to life， it's a cozy mystery with those classic "I know what's happened here but more on that later" moments。 This also surprised me with some laughs。 It was tough to guess who the murderer was as everyone had an alibi but it was cozy mystery I'd definitely recommend。 Thanks to Netgalley an After a year of reading mysteries with angst， I can happily say that I read and enjoyed "The Couple at the Table"。A locked room （rather a locked resort） mystery with a variety of characters that slowly spring to life， it's a cozy mystery with those classic "I know what's happened here but more on that later" moments。 This also surprised me with some laughs。 It was tough to guess who the murderer was as everyone had an alibi but it was cozy mystery I'd definitely recommend。 Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stougton for the e-arc。4。5/5 。。。more

Jade ，

This book finally got me out of my 3 star slump！ Right from the first few pages I knew this was going to be a good book。 It’s a classic who done it which I always enjoy。 Essentially without giving too much away， there has been a murder at a luxury holiday resort and the whole story surrounds who did it。 The only thing I would say is that the main character Lucy can be slightly annoying at times which distracts from the rest of the clever storyline。 I think what makes this book good is the simple This book finally got me out of my 3 star slump！ Right from the first few pages I knew this was going to be a good book。 It’s a classic who done it which I always enjoy。 Essentially without giving too much away， there has been a murder at a luxury holiday resort and the whole story surrounds who did it。 The only thing I would say is that the main character Lucy can be slightly annoying at times which distracts from the rest of the clever storyline。 I think what makes this book good is the simple yet fast paced writing but the fact that the author also knows when to slow the pace down to keep you in suspense。 I’m definitely looking forward to reading my next Sophie Hannah book。 。。。more

Bonnie Brazil ，

I do love a ‘Who dunnit？！’ and this did not disappoint， I requested to read and review this from NetGalley as I have read one other of Sophie Hannah’s book ‘Haven’t They Grown’ and I really enjoyed it and this one sounded like something I would also enjoy and I sure did！ This a story of a murder mystery with a closed circle of potential suspects all at the same couples only resort， only a few of the guests have a direct connection but it seems like everyone at the resorts had a bad experience wi I do love a ‘Who dunnit？！’ and this did not disappoint， I requested to read and review this from NetGalley as I have read one other of Sophie Hannah’s book ‘Haven’t They Grown’ and I really enjoyed it and this one sounded like something I would also enjoy and I sure did！ This a story of a murder mystery with a closed circle of potential suspects all at the same couples only resort， only a few of the guests have a direct connection but it seems like everyone at the resorts had a bad experience with Jane Brinkwood but is it bad enough for someone to go and murder her？ I was suspecting a few people throughout one of which did end up being correct but this story did have me guessing and the last 30% of the story I struggled to put down as the conclusion was fast paced and exciting， very well written。 The only reason it didn’t get a 5 star from me was that the killer and the reason seemed a little ‘meh？’ for me and I feel that this could have had a little more reasoning behind the murder。 Overall though a great murder mystery story and a strong book from Sophie Hannah， I will be looking to read more from this author。 Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 And thanks also to @HodderBooks and @HodderPublicity 。。。more

Gary ，

This was a good read with an interesting synopsis but I felt that it dragged a little and became a bit repetitive。Someone is murdered while on holiday and receives a warning letter prior to the murder telling her to “Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours”。 A confusing warning given that all the tables are the same distance apart。 Also why would someone send a warning letter without telling them all the information。I enjoy the authors writing but for me following a strong start the s This was a good read with an interesting synopsis but I felt that it dragged a little and became a bit repetitive。Someone is murdered while on holiday and receives a warning letter prior to the murder telling her to “Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours”。 A confusing warning given that all the tables are the same distance apart。 Also why would someone send a warning letter without telling them all the information。I enjoy the authors writing but for me following a strong start the story lacked excitement and tedious。I would like to thank both Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for suppling a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Carol Rogers ，

I love the Sophie Hannah Culver Valley books and this was no exception。 I really couldn't figure out the ending which was fantastic。 It did drag a bit in the middle but overall it was a classic whodunnit， along the lines of a Sherlock Holmes or Jonathan Creek。 I would recommend this if you want an easy read or you're a fan of the Culver Valley series。 I love the Sophie Hannah Culver Valley books and this was no exception。 I really couldn't figure out the ending which was fantastic。 It did drag a bit in the middle but overall it was a classic whodunnit， along the lines of a Sherlock Holmes or Jonathan Creek。 I would recommend this if you want an easy read or you're a fan of the Culver Valley series。 。。。more

Misfits farm ，

Jane has been murdered at a resort owned by her father。 She was with William， her husband on their honeymoon。 Lucy who was married to William is by chance also at the resort with her fiance， the two couples having previously got on well。 This is written in two timelines- one atthe time of the murder and the other almost a year on- the murder still not having been solved。 Jane had received a mysterious note “ Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours” however on the day of her murder all Jane has been murdered at a resort owned by her father。 She was with William， her husband on their honeymoon。 Lucy who was married to William is by chance also at the resort with her fiance， the two couples having previously got on well。 This is written in two timelines- one atthe time of the murder and the other almost a year on- the murder still not having been solved。 Jane had received a mysterious note “ Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours” however on the day of her murder all of he table had been rearranged so that each one had at least 2 others equidistant- and no-one knows who moved them。 Jane had a very public outburst before she and William retreated back to their cottage， most of it was aimed at Lucy who remained with all of the others at the dining area。 Who could have killed Jane and why？I enjoyed this- there is just that certain something - Sophie has the skill of writing to encapsulate you and keep the pages turning and turning。 I remember I felt the same about “ Haven't They Grown”。 Funnily enough although Lucy grew on me a little there wasn't really a character that I could say I liked or empathised with， yet I was still truly engrossed， again to me the talent of a crafted author。 A “locked room” type mystery with various twists and turns that kept me within the pages。 Loved it。For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog。blogspot。co。uk/or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog 。。。more

Sheri ，

I recently undertook a big reread-in-order of all Sophie Hannah's Charlie Zailer and Simon Waterhouse books， and very enjoyable it was too - I'd forgotten quite how good they are and how much I love Hannah's style of writing and these characters。 When I requested The Couple at the Table， I hadn't initially realised it was a Charlie and Simon book - it's quite a while since there's been a new one - so it was an excellent surprise to have the opportunity to catch up with them and the rest - Liv， G I recently undertook a big reread-in-order of all Sophie Hannah's Charlie Zailer and Simon Waterhouse books， and very enjoyable it was too - I'd forgotten quite how good they are and how much I love Hannah's style of writing and these characters。 When I requested The Couple at the Table， I hadn't initially realised it was a Charlie and Simon book - it's quite a while since there's been a new one - so it was an excellent surprise to have the opportunity to catch up with them and the rest - Liv， Gibbs， Sellers （who has an unexpected new girlfriend） etc。TCatT has a definite Agatha Christie vibe about it - the whole country-house-murder-limited-pool-of-suspects thing， though the "country house" here is actually an expensive resort， where Charlie and Simon spend a few days （Charlie's idea obv） which inevitably coincide with a murder; in this instance， of the awful Jane。 There's even a Poirot-esque denouement where all the suspects are gathered together by Simon to reveal whodunnit。Fantastic read， as always， which I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish。Anyway， I can't end this review without mentioning the following utterly delightful description of DI Proust， which made me cackle loudly: "an older， bald man with chalky-pale skin and a piercing stare who looks like a malicious frozen lollipop in human form"。 Kudos， Sophie Hannah。 There can be no more perfect description of the man。Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review。 。。。more

Jewels ，

As usual in my reviews， I will not rehash the plot （there are usually plenty of reviews like that around， if that's what you're after！）。I've enjoyed Sophie Hannah's "Poirot" novels， so was looking forward to reading this。However， this book was a bit of a strange read for me - largely as I did not realise that the detectives - Simon and Charlie - have actually featured in other novels so it's part of a series in effect。 I guess it works OK as a standalone， but perhaps I've missed out on some back As usual in my reviews， I will not rehash the plot （there are usually plenty of reviews like that around， if that's what you're after！）。I've enjoyed Sophie Hannah's "Poirot" novels， so was looking forward to reading this。However， this book was a bit of a strange read for me - largely as I did not realise that the detectives - Simon and Charlie - have actually featured in other novels so it's part of a series in effect。 I guess it works OK as a standalone， but perhaps I've missed out on some background information about the detectives that might have made me warm to them a little more。Like several other books I've read this year， I did not actually like any of the characters; indeed I'd have to say that disliked most of them if I'm being honest！ The behaviour of some people was absolutely bizarre too， but I guess that's true in real life！ However the plot was intriguing enough for me to want to read on。。。I ended up staying up late to finish it， and was pleased to find that my chief suspect（s） were not the culprits （just to explain - I was pleased because I read a lot of crime novels and often figure out "whodunnit"， so it's the sign of a good plot if I don't manage to！）So， on the whole I'd say I enjoyed this - and I will probably go back and read the previous books featuring "Simon and Charlie"。My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC。 All opinions my own， 。。。more

Kate ，

This is a strange book。 It's compelling and I didn't want to abandon it - I was desperate to find out who did it and I didn't work it out。 But the journey to the discovery is slow， muddled and completely bonkers。 I think there are reasons why I don't read many psychological thrillers and this contains all of them， primarily making the conclusion as daft as possible just so it can't be guessed。 The detective is also an absolute pain and his marriage to Charlie is unconvincing。 I was puzzled by th This is a strange book。 It's compelling and I didn't want to abandon it - I was desperate to find out who did it and I didn't work it out。 But the journey to the discovery is slow， muddled and completely bonkers。 I think there are reasons why I don't read many psychological thrillers and this contains all of them， primarily making the conclusion as daft as possible just so it can't be guessed。 The detective is also an absolute pain and his marriage to Charlie is unconvincing。 I was puzzled by the resort where events take place。 We're told it's exclusive， posh， expensive etc but it just felt like a pub inn。 Where were the staff？ And that ending。。。。。 。。。more

Aileen （Ailz） Grist ，

A very differnet style of murder mystery - at least in my reading behaviour。 Gripping。 Sort of a locked room murder in that no-one could have done it。 Most of the people who were there were together， blood splatter shows that the person with the victim couldn't have done it and CCTV shows that there was no-one else around。 So did they all do it together - a bit like Julius Caesar's death？Loved it - well worth the read。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the A very differnet style of murder mystery - at least in my reading behaviour。 Gripping。 Sort of a locked room murder in that no-one could have done it。 Most of the people who were there were together， blood splatter shows that the person with the victim couldn't have done it and CCTV shows that there was no-one else around。 So did they all do it together - a bit like Julius Caesar's death？Loved it - well worth the read。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book。 This review is voluntary， honest and muy own opinion。 。。。more

Susan ，

This is my first DNF for an ARC and the guilt is nagging me， but I couldn’t continue。 The Couple at the Table seemed like a sure thing as the premise intrigued me and I loved The Understudy - a collaborative effort by the author and three other writers。 However， I couldn’t connect with the writing here。 It’s difficult to explain， but I couldn’t interpret the author’s logic。 It felt like someone babbling in my ear with nothing discernable reaching me。 I was lost and had to give up。 No rating。Even This is my first DNF for an ARC and the guilt is nagging me， but I couldn’t continue。 The Couple at the Table seemed like a sure thing as the premise intrigued me and I loved The Understudy - a collaborative effort by the author and three other writers。 However， I couldn’t connect with the writing here。 It’s difficult to explain， but I couldn’t interpret the author’s logic。 It felt like someone babbling in my ear with nothing discernable reaching me。 I was lost and had to give up。 No rating。Even though I couldn’t make sense of it， I can see from other positive reviews that this was enjoyed by many and I wasn’t the right reader。 Thank you to NetGalley UK， Sophie Hannah， and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity。 This will be published on January 7， 2022。 。。。more

Littlenanny ，

BEWARE OF THE COUPLE AT THE NEXT TABLE NEAREST YOU。The note is meaningless as no tables are together，the gap between them is the same and there are five other couples present。You don't know your going to be murdered and all evidence suggests no-one there could have done it。 Who can commit the perfect impossible murder？A welcome return to Simon Waterhouse and Charlie Zailer。I did enjoy but there were parts I wanted to skip but overall a good read。 BEWARE OF THE COUPLE AT THE NEXT TABLE NEAREST YOU。The note is meaningless as no tables are together，the gap between them is the same and there are five other couples present。You don't know your going to be murdered and all evidence suggests no-one there could have done it。 Who can commit the perfect impossible murder？A welcome return to Simon Waterhouse and Charlie Zailer。I did enjoy but there were parts I wanted to skip but overall a good read。 。。。more

Marieke （mariekes_mesmerizing_books） ，

I’ve been a Sophie Hannah fan for at least ten years。 So much that my kids bought her latest book for Mother’s Day when they were about eight and ten years old （now sixteen and eighteen）。 Later， the bookseller told me that my kids were so cute， bickering whether they should buy the Dutch or English version。 So， when I had the chance to read her newest story early， I was really excited。 I had been waiting for the next Charlie and Simon for years， but I think I've waited too long。 The magic I alwa I’ve been a Sophie Hannah fan for at least ten years。 So much that my kids bought her latest book for Mother’s Day when they were about eight and ten years old （now sixteen and eighteen）。 Later， the bookseller told me that my kids were so cute， bickering whether they should buy the Dutch or English version。 So， when I had the chance to read her newest story early， I was really excited。 I had been waiting for the next Charlie and Simon for years， but I think I've waited too long。 The magic I always felt between those two people waned in the meantime。 And while I still love a lot of things like the writing， the dual timelines， the mystery， and of course Charlie and Simon’s interactions， the story just didn’t come up to my expectations。 This doesn’t mean The Couple at the Table is a bad book。 On the contrary！ It just means I’ve grown out of this series。 I received an ARC from Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Emma ，

"Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours。" A warning note given to Jane on her honeymoon at a couple's retreat， before she is murdered。 The note doesn't make sense as all of the tables were an equal distance from Jane's， so why the meaningless note？ Lucy， one of the guests， wonders who could have committed the murder， especially when it doesn't look like anybody there had the opportunity to。 A thrilling mystery with plenty of twists and turns。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for "Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours。" A warning note given to Jane on her honeymoon at a couple's retreat， before she is murdered。 The note doesn't make sense as all of the tables were an equal distance from Jane's， so why the meaningless note？ Lucy， one of the guests， wonders who could have committed the murder， especially when it doesn't look like anybody there had the opportunity to。 A thrilling mystery with plenty of twists and turns。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Couple at the Table

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Couple at the Table&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Couple at the Table&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0