A review by kathywadolowski
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ahh, Ruth. We meet again.

Though I'm always a little war[e]y (lol sorry I'm the worst) before I dive into one of her books, the few hits just keep me coming back to see what she's got up her sleeve. And I was pleasantly surprised by "One Perfect Couple"!

I will admit that I'm a biased sucker for locked-room, everyone's-dying mysteries. But listen, I've seen a lot of thrillers totally botch an homage to Queen Agatha Christie's classic "And Then There Were None," and Ware does a really solid job of incorporating the basic storyline while also adding fresh twists and elements to keep this version from feeling stale. Since it was pretty clear

who the culprit was early-ish in the book

, Ware switched up the formula and smartly employed some narrative devices to give you hints about surprises to come while keeping you guessing about how things would unfold. The characters weren't the most likable, but their decisions made sense, the plot moved, and the ending was really effective in tying the narrative together.

All-in-all, a really enjoyable thriller and a super solid entry into the Ruth Ware catalogue. More of this plzzzzz!!!