Matchmaker: A totally unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist

by S.E. Lynes

She’s looking for love. I know the perfect man. My husband.

Cat is young, and pretty, and shy. At work, she blushes almost every time I talk to her. She reminds me sometimes of how I used to be – before marriage, before children. Before I was afraid.

So when she tells me, nervously, that she’s considering dating again, and asks if I have any friends who might suit her… I know exactly what I’m going to do.

I’m going to set her up with my husband.

I think I’m being so clever. No one would do what I’m doing, so neither of them will suspect a thing. Least of all him.

But I don’t know Cat as well as I think I do. She took this job with me for a reason.

I have no idea what she’s really looking for.

Because it isn’t love…

A completely gripping psychological thriller about love, marriage, secrets and revenge that will leave you gasping at the twists. Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Gillian Flynn and Claire Douglas.

See what readers are saying about S.E.

‘Wow!!!!! Loved!!!!! Speechless!!!!!… My head was spinning throughout the whole entire book… Kept me guessing and that ending was a complete shock… I raced through each chapter like it was my last.’ Blue Moon Blogger, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Incredible… Will stay with me for a loooooong time. Fantastic, Intense, Gripping, Phenomenal!!!!!!!… I loved it.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A nail-biting read!!!… grabs you from the first chapter and doesn’t let you go until the end!… there was no way I could put this one down and it resulted in an all-night read and a book hangover!’ rubie_reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Just WOW! Totally unputdownable.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I am shocked, dumbstruck, gobsmacked, speechless and trying desperately to find the right words to give this book the justice it deserves… Wow! I loved it!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘OMG!!! JUST WOW!!!… I was completely gripped throughout this page-turning thriller… AN ABSOLUTELY ADDICTIVE MUST-READ.’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘You know when you pick up a book and can’t put it down because it has you gripped, and you read in bed until your eyes are closing and the book keeps falling from your grasp. Then you wake up at 3.30 a.m. and think I can’t sleep because I am thinking about that book so I might as well finish it? Well this is one of those books!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What the heck have I just read?!?!… Left me reeling! I kept tapping my kindle in disbelief as the truth came out… This is one twisted thriller! Loved it!!!’ A Knights Reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Kept me up all night and I swear my heart was racing the entire time.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 13, 2026

About the author

S. E. Lynes is the #1 Amazon best selling author of THE HOUSEWARMING, and 'intelligent and haunting' psychological thrillers, VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE, CAN YOU SEE HER? and HER SISTER'S SECRET
Formerly a BBC producer, after gaining an MA in Creative Writing, she became a Creative Writing Tutor at Richmond Adult Community College and now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing. She has also published three children's books in Italy.

Reviews

[Janna (Bibliophile Mom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matchmaker turned out to be such a refreshing surprise for a thriller girlie like me. I went in with pretty low expectations mostly because I’ve been binge‑reading mystery and thriller books back-to-back for the last three years. The premise hooked me straight away, and the characters were so well-developed that I found myself invested from the first few chapters.

The author executed the plot smoothly by adding in twists and turns that felt sharp and intentional. It gave me that familiar Freida McFadden energy but with a fresh new voice that kept things exciting. The mind‑bending moments were intense in the best way even when I managed to predict a few things, I was still left impressed. This is absolutely making it onto my top reads of the year.

What I enjoyed:
• Fresh new voice (for me) in the mystery/thriller space
• Mental health themes handled with care
• Domestic violence portrayed sensitively and realistically

What didn’t work out:
• The villain’s intense behaviour may be overwhelming for some readers
• The big secret felt a bit heavy to carry and unfair
• Repetitive descriptions of the villain that hinted at certain twists too early

Ratings Breakdown:
• Setting: 4⭐️
• Characters: 5⭐️
• Writing: 5⭐️
• Message: 4⭐️
• Overall: 5⭐️


To sum it up, this is a solid recommendation for fellow thriller girlies who love a good mystery with a whodunnit vibe. It’s the perfect one‑sitting read that's gripping, fast-paced, and satisfying. Huge thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and SE Lynes for my copy. As always, this does not influence my honest thoughts and opinions.

~JaNnA~

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, this is exactly what a thriller should be. There are twist after twist, and you never feel like you can fully trust anyone until the truth is revealed at the very end.

Ellie restores your faith in humanity, and she is the kind of friend everyone needs. I loved Megan and felt so sorry for her and everything she went through. Cat was the most mysterious character. One minute you feel bad for her, the next you think she must be evil, and then you start to feel sorry for her all over again.

I loved the ending and felt it wrapped everything up perfectly. Nothing disappointed me in this book. It was gripping from start to finish.

✨ Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me a copy of this book. This did not affect my review in any way.

[Charlie Mavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t enjoy the beginning, the last maybe 10 chapters was brilliant but I thought the rest was quite slow

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Matchmaker was an interesting read but it ultimately didn't deliver a jaw-dropping ending.

The beginning portion of the book is great - it keeps you guessing on the connections and the reality behind each character. The characters are deeply and deceptively intertwined, and the author keeps you guessing with an interesting plot.

The last third of the book didn't deliver on the excitement that the first-half built up. I felt like the book set up what could've been a great finale but the plot was actually very straight-forward and it left me feeling a little underwhelmed.

I loved how in-depth the author gets with the two lead female characters - I genuinely felt like I got to know them individually and got to understand the purpose behind all of their actions and sympathize with them.

While I love how the author built out both lead character's inner worlds as individuals, I do wish the author would've spent more time building out the two characters' relationship with one another a bit more authentically, because the dynamic between those two characters and their perverse solidarity with one another was actually some of the most interesting bits of the entire book.

All in all, a solid read that I enjoyed!

[Caryl Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐ 3 stars

Okay… confession time 🤭 I went into this fully expecting a can’t put it down, stay up too late thriller… and it just didn’t quite hit that level for me.

It took me a while to get into it 📖 the opening felt a little slow and I never got that instant “OMG I need the next chapter NOW” feeling. Once things picked up, there were some intriguing moments, secrets bubbling under the surface, and I can definitely see why other readers loved it 👀✨

The concept is clever and there’s plenty of relationship drama, tension and twists, but emotionally I stayed a bit on the outside. I didn’t fully connect with the characters and the pacing felt slightly uneven for my taste.

That said, it’s absolutely not a bad read 👍 Just not the gripping, edge of your seat thriller I personally hoped for. If you like slower burn psychological suspense with messy relationships and secrets, this could totally work for you 🖤

#NetGalley Thank you for the ARC!

[Madeleine Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my go to authors who never disappoints! This book had me hooked from the very start and loved all the twists too

The story centres around Megan and Cat. Two women from very different backgrounds but both linked by trauma from the past.

Megan lives with an abusive, controlling and unfaithful husband and struggles to find a way out. And Cat is full of revenge after an incident in her childhood dramatically changed her life

Their lives collide when Cat manages to get a job with Megan at the local library which sets up a whole chain of events

"When there is something wrong at the heart of your existence, bringing that something out into the open is terrifying. It takes more courage than most people have"

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author and the latest book does not disappoint. I love a book that has me convinced things are one way and then the ending spins me through a loop and this book defiantly did. We meet two women from very different backgrounds but linked by a tragedy from the past. One is struggling to live with her unfaithful and controlling husband but feels trapped because of her children and the other one is struggling with thoughts of revenge of an incident that destroyed her life as a child and fighting demons of her own. As the two come together it sets of a chain of events that no one will escape unchanged. Do not miss!

[Kara Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy from Net Galley. This was a new author to me but a true psychological thriller. The character development was well done pulling me into the story of two main female characters. While tragic issues, such as abuse and an eating disorder were explored, it added to the richness of the characters. I was rooting for both of them. This was more of a slow burn than a page turner for me, but the ending was a twist. I recommend and would read others by this author. 3.5-4 range.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think a fair 4.5 stars for this, another fabulous read from SE Lynes. I found myself thinking of “Sweet Pea” a lot whilst reading this, especially from Cats character. I was hooked from the start with the fast paced story that had twists. I did have the ending worked out quite early on, I don’t know if that’s just because I’ve read a few books by this author or if there were some tell tale signs, however I still really enjoyed it and would recommend to those who enjoy a thriller.

[Ree · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨️Netgalley ARC Review ✨️

⚠️TRIGGER WARNING⚠️: Eating Disorder

It was predictable, slow and felt like it dragged on until the very end (about chapter 52 or so).

There was too much ED talk/behavior going on for me. I wish I knew about it before I requested this book. I found myself constantly putting it down despite the plot itself not being completely terrible, albeit predictable.

Overall I'd rate it maybe 3-3.25 stars. It had a lot of potential but just felt a little flat.

[Thewhittlelibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay! I won’t lie, it was a little slow for my tastes. & there was a lot of dialogue that kinda took me out of the story, because it wasn’t based in the US. That isn’t a fault on this book, of course. It was just something to get used to. I did like the twists, even though they were pretty predictable & I was satisfied with the ending. All in all, it was a middle of the road average read for me.