The Golden Couple

The Golden Couple is a psychological thriller that maintains many conceits of the genre while subverting others. The book includes elements that are characteristic of a thriller, such as numerous plot twists that keep the reader turning the pages. Unexpected revelations, like the identity of Marissa’s lover, heighten the narrative tension and maintain the book’s pace. The book also includes many red herrings—false clues that lead the reader in the wrong direction. Various characters, like Natalie, Polly, and Skip, seem like they all could be the book’s “bad guy” at one point or another. The red herrings continue to point at everyone except the book’s actual “bad guy,” Matthew, until the very last chapters.

The book also has an element of a detective novel to it, with Avery’s character posited as the detective. Avery investigates the Bishops as she tries to heal their marriage, even going so far as to follow them on a date night. The reader accompanies Avery on these missions, joining her in the sleuthing role. Meanwhile, Marissa’s chapters are told from a third-person point of view. It’s noteworthy that Matthew, the book’s