A Happy Marriage

I have mixed feelings about this book.

On the one hand, I devoured it in a little over a day, so Torre was clearly weaving her usual magic! I tend to be a very distractible reader, so a book that keeps me planted and turning pages for hours at a time is a rarity, and I can unequivocally say that I was entertained. Was I satisfied at the end? Yes and no.

First, a short recap:

Dinah and Joe Marino are, by all appearances, a happily married couple of eight years. She’s a detective for the LAPD and he’s a clinical psychologist and college professor. She’s been called to the site of a woman’s death which she’s all but rubber-stamped as a suicide, even though the woman’s twenty-year old daughter Jessica is now missing. Freddie, a young, wet behind the ears trainee shadowing her doesn’t think it’s that simple. When Freddie makes an unexpected revelation one day to Dinah, her carefully constructed world with Joe is threatened. They’ve been keeping their own secrets, and things are about to get very messy!

I’ll leave it at that. The less you know the better. I’m going to share mini rant about what didn’t work for me but it’s hard to do without saying too much, so SKIP THIS NEXT SECTION  IF YOU’RE GOING TO READ THIS BOOK!!!

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Tone: Was Torre going for dark humor a la Samantha Downing or was she playing this straight, albeit OTT? ***SPOILER*** My biggest head-scratching issue was pretty much everything Jessica said and did. For someone in her situation, she didn’t react or talk like any human being would be expected to. She sounded vapid and quippy most of the time as if she was too dumb to understand the peril she was in or what had happened. She just seemed to go along with everything. Some may argue it was due to the drugs Joe gave her or his mind control tactics - I just can’t buy it. ***END SPOILER***

Speaking of Downing: ***SPOILER*** Was anyone else reminded of Ivy and Wes from A Twisted Love Story when they were reading about Dinah and Joe? The toxic dynamic felt so familiar, even though their dysfunction with each other was expressed differently. ***END SPOILER***

Also, the whiplash: ***SPOILER*** Dinah is about to off Jessica on one page and suddenly grows a conscience and saves her a few pages later? And what does Torre have about moms wanting to kill their daughters. Apparently one book about it wasn’t enough!  ***END SPOILER***

Believability: Just chuck it. Oh, and watch your step. You might trip on some plot holes. Who needs everything to make sense in a thriller?

Dangling Thread: ***SPOILER***Why introduce Freddie in such an interesting way and then just drop him for the rest of the story? That was disappointing.***END SPOILER***

The Ending: Really? Just gonna let all that go, huh? 🤦‍♀️

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Final Thoughts:

I had some major issues with aspects of this book, but as I said at the beginning, I was also thoroughly invested and entertained, and at the end of the day that’s what’s most important, right? Despite my issues, I still liked the book and would recommend it to those who enjoy a bonkers psychological thriller. I can’t wait to see what comes from Torre’s mind next!

★★★ ½

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley and author A.R. Torre for this digital ARC to honestly review. It's out now.