On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the gripping new novel by C.L. Taylor, The Guilty Couple.

BLURB
What would you do if your husband framed you for murder?
Hello. My name is Olivia Sutherland. I used to be just like any other woman. A wife. A mother.
Then I was wrongfully convicted of conspiracy to murder. Five years is a long time to spend in prison when you’re innocent.
Now I’m finally free, there are three things I must do:
– Repair my relationship with my daughter
– Clear my name
– Bring down my husband: the man who framed me.
I’ll do anything it takes – even break the law. I’ve already done the time, so might as well do some crime.
But what if this time, it’s not just my freedom he plans to take from me – but my life?
MY THOUGHTS
I love C.L. Taylor’s novels, so when her new book, The Guilty Couple dropped through my letterbox, I was desperate to open it up and read it straight away. Her latest book is a rollercoaster of a read and I was gripped from the first page. I had to get to the bottom of what was really going on with her new cast of characters.
We meet Olivia Sutherland, who has just been released from prison, after serving years for a murder which her husband, Dominic helped framed her for. As well as trying to rebuild her life and her relationship with her daughter, she is out to get revenge on her husband for framing her for a crime she didn’t commit.
I immediately connected to Olivia and her situation. It was so intriguing. How could her husband do this to her? I was rooting for her to get justice from page one. I really wanted to know why Dominic had Olivia framed all those years ago, and I really didn’t like him as I was reading, especially as C.L. Taylor delved more into his character, and what he has been up to since Olivia was sent to prison.
You can really see how desperate Olivia is to rebuild her relationship with her daughter, and I felt sorry for her as her daughter rebuked her. I did find myself shaking my head though, at some of the reckless decisions Olivia was making, in order to try and get closer to her daughter. But this adds to the tension in the novel as you have no idea how things are going to pan out for Olivia. Will she get the justice she deserves or will she end up back in prison because of a mistake on her part? Olivia has to make some big decisions as to how far she is willing to go to get her relationship with her daughter back on track, and get justice.
I really liked her friendship with her fellow inmate who has also been released from prison. I loved the scenes when it was the two of them together, and I thought the dialogue between them was done really well. There was real tension here as well, as Olivia relied on her for back up, and I felt that she was putting both of them in danger. I was glad that Olivia had her friend around as she had no one who she could trust or rely on.
The Guilty Couple is an utterly addictive read. C.L. Taylor’s novels always have such a gripping quality to them, and I flew through her latest book. If you’re looking for a tense thriller with taut writing and characters who you’ll root for, then you need to pick up this book.
Publisher: Avon
Publication date: 23rd June 2022
Print length: 352 pages
The Guilty Couple is available to buy:
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