One Perfect Couple

Ruth Ware knows how to spin a tale and spin it well. Her latest book, “One Perfect Couple”, is about 5 couples who are participating in a new reality show that takes place on a tropical island somewhere in the Indian Ocean. The main character, Lyla, has some initial hesitation about taking part in the show, but her boyfriend, Nico, a struggling actor, convinces her that this could be his big break as well as the chance to leave a dreary London in February for a free tropical vacation. She agrees to go but with the plan of getting eliminated from the show early on. Upon arrival at the island, Lyla is beginning to see Nico’s point of view until their plans start to go awry. 

Obviously while actual reality shows would be managed better than this fictional one, the story does cause some thought about how scripted “reality” shows actually are, and how easy it can be for social media personalities to present themselves in a positive light.

The author’s descriptions of the island, the circumstances the characters have to endure, and especially a storm that takes place, are vivid enough that you almost feel the experience yourself.  Yet the book is 385 pages and there are parts where the story slows down a bit. While the plot may bring to mind a slight resemblance to Agatha Christie’s classic “And Then There Were None”, and the book is classified as a mystery, there’s not a lot of mystery concerning who the villain is, this is more of a thriller, but a captivating one at that.