Written by Mary Kubica,Just the Nicest Couple is a 315-page mystery, leading a reader through surprise twists and turns in search of what really happened to one Dr. Jake Hayes, alternating between 2 points of view. At the beginning of the story, it is learned that Dr. Hayes has not returned home after work, which worries his wife, Nina Hayes, but she brushes it off at first as they had had a bad argument the night before. However, when Jake does not return home after a few days Nina worries increase, specifically surrounding her marriage, for as far as she knows, Jake has still been going to work. It is not until she receives a call from the hospital he works at does Nina realize that Jake isn’t gone by choice, he is missing.
From our other viewpoint, at the start Christian Hayes is told by his wife Lily, a good friend of Nina’s, that Jake had attempted to assault her while on a hike at a well-known trail, and in her escape she fears she may have killed him. It is only after they find out that Jake had not returned home since the incident that they agree that at no cost can anybody find out what happened. This sets the scene of a mystery tale, that doesn’t end the way you may think.
Through the use of multiple POV’s, Mary Kubica is not only able to flush out her characters by showing how they are handling their situation, but she is also able to drop hints throughout the novel, helping to tie up all the loose ends by the conclusion. My one critique, however, is because of how much time we spend learning about the situation, it is a slow uptake before the mystery starts to be solved, which isn’t for everyone. Overall, while better suited for a patient reader, Just the Nicest Couple would be a wonderful read for anyone who is a fan of suspenseful mysteries.
Written by K. Price
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