The Couple at the Table by Sophie Hannah

If you know me in real life or you've read my blog for a while, you'll know Sophie Hannah is one of my favourite authors. When I got offered the chance to be on the blog tour for her new novel, The Couple At The Table, I obviously jumped at the chance. I took the book on holiday with me and basically read it in the space of 36 hours!

It's part of her Spilling CID/Culvery Valley series, following Charlie and Simon - detective duo turned couple - and a bunch of their colleagues. If you've read the other books in the series you'll get a lot more of the tiny details, but you absolutely don't need to have read them to enjoy this incredible mystery.

The book follows the investigation into the death of a woman called Jane, whilst on honeymoon at a luxury holiday resorted owned by her rich father. Also at the resort that week are Jane's new husband's ex wife, and Charlie & Simon themselves as well as various other couples. Jane is the recipient of a note which states that she should be careful of the couple at the table nearest to her own - and then she's found dead in her holiday cottage, alongside her very spaced out husband who absolutely couldn't have done it according the blood spatter on the back of his shirt...

📚 The Couple At The Table by Sophie Hannah 📚

As the investigation unfolds it takes a series of twists and turns; everyone else at the resort was together when it happened, so it seems that nobody could have done it. Simon is absolutely obsessed with solving the case, and will stop at nothing to make sure he does. It's your classic whodunnit, written impeccably and with no detail overlooked whatsoever. Sophie Hannah is a *fantastic* crime/mystery author, and this book is easily one of my favourites of hers.

Sophie also writes the new Poirot books, and this is evident to me from how this book wraps up - Simon gets all of the couples who were at the resort when Jane died to get together, then he explains exactly what happened and how. A very Herucle Poirot thing to do!

📖 My review of Haven't They Grown by Sophie Hannah 📖

I just can't speak highly of this book and it's easily a 5 star read for me. The immense detail Sophie Hannah goes into, the coincidental links between various characters, the underlying insight into Charlie and Simon's relationship... everything is perfect, from the level of suspense to the plot twist that I, for one, didn't see coming. It's out now and you absolutely should pick it up at your earliest convenience.

Have you read The Couple At The Table yet, or any of Sophie Hannah's other books? Let me know!