Welcome to my review of The Couple On Maple Drive by Sam Carrington. I felt that this book was a little disappointing, there could have been many more twists and turns, more red herrings, and it could have been less predictable, but that’s not to say its a bad book, just that it could have been better.
You never really know what goes on behind closed doors…
When Isla McKenzie is brutally mugged, it’s her boyfriend Zach who’s there for her, who moves in to look after her when she can barely bring herself to leave the house.
But then something else happens, right on their doorstep. And it’s almost like someone’s out to get her…
Can Isla and Zach find out the truth before it’s too late? …Or at least before the secrets they’re hiding from each other surface?
Because those may be even deadlier…
Sam Carrington lives in Devon with her husband, two border terriers and a cat. She has three adult children and a new grandson! She worked for the NHS for fifteen years, during which time she qualified as a nurse. Following the completion of a psychology degree she went to work for the prison service as an Offending Behaviour Programme Facilitator. Her experiences within this field inspired her writing. She left the service to spend time with her family and to follow her dream of being a novelist.
SAVING SOPHIE, her debut psychological thriller, published in September 2016. It became a Kindle eBook bestseller, with the paperback hitting The Bookseller Heatseeker chart at #8. Sam was named an Amazon Rising Star of 2016. Her second psychological thriller, BAD SISTER, published in 2017 followed by ONE LITTLE LIE in July 2018. THE MISSING WIFE published in June 2019 and her fifth, I DARE YOU published on 12th December. Sam’s sixth psychological thriller THE OPEN HOUSE will be publishing in December 2020.
You can find out about Sam’s novels, upcoming events and book news at samcarringtonauthor.com
I chose The Couple on Maple Drive by Sam Carrington as I had read one of Sam’s books before and enjoyed it, and the blurb for this book looked great.
This is a slow burn read. Isla has been attacked while walking home alone, which is relevant and current now. It’s a vile and brutal attack where she is left to die. With no reason or a memory, we join Isla on her journey of recovery and discovery. This is told mainly from Isla’s point of view; we explore her thoughts and suspicions and her feelings as she regains some of her memories.
The plot is intriguing, and Christie’s Crime podcast is excellent. The podcast is my favourite part. It adds great depth to the story and interest. It also helps to switch between the past and the present and introduce new elements to the story. Eventually, after Isla contacts Jase at the podcast, they have a more significant role in helping her piece together what happened and share it with their listeners.
Isla is initially almost agoraphobic, which is understandable given her horrible attack. Still, she quickly gets over this, which doesn’t seem very realistic. Zach’s controlling nature was particularly well portrayed. It’s disturbing and evident to the reader though not to the others in the book, particularly Isla’s friend Nikki.
The characters are pretty mixed. Isla isn’t particularly endearing. However, you feel for her after her ordeal and struggle to work through what happened and why. Zach is a bit wet; he is exceptionally well described though he didn’t come across as being particularly warm and loving, which he isn’t. I think this would have made the story better as you would have connected to him better and been more shocked when it’s revealed his true nature.
Nikki is possibly the worst best friend ever. If there was an award, she would be a winner. But, instead, she is self-obsessed and so wholly wrapped up in her own life that she really cares about Isla, which makes it easy for Zach to use her in part of his plant.
Jase is loveable and ultimately the most likeable of all the characters. He is caring and understanding, listening intently to Isla’s concerns and helping her to discover what happened to her.
The ending was slightly unexpected. A great twist made it better than some of the rest of the book. However, some ends were left loose, like what happened to the next-door neighbours? I disliked Isla’s sudden relationship with Jase. While it gives a slightly happily ever after feeling, it doesn’t feel very realistic and feels too soon after such trauma.
Overall, the book was a little disappointing, there could have been many more twists and turns, more red herrings, and it could have been less predictable. In addition, it’s not overly believable, especially the sudden recoveries and new relationships.
I wondered if Isla was correct or had an overactive imagination after her attack, and I would have loved for the book to take this route. A more realistic aspect with more paranoia would have provided a better read.
Having said all that, it’s not a terrible book at all. On the contrary, it’s an enjoyable read and an excellent introduction to the genre. I enjoyed it overall, but it had such a great premise that it just didn’t quite carry through.
| Title | The Couple On Maple Drive |
| Author | Sam Carrington |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | Kindle |
| Page Count | 359 Pages |
| Genre | Mystery & Thriller |
| Publisher | Avon |
| Release Date | 9th December 2021 |
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