Two Couples

by Cathryn Grant

Two Couples. One vacation. Who will make it out alive?

Emily: When I first saw the glass-fronted house perched on the edge of Lake Tahoe, a shiver ran though me. I knew I had to have it. And convincing my best friend Samantha and her husband, Patrick, into buying with us was easy; she always does what I tell her. But I throw my husband, Keith, a warning glance as he jokes about our bigger share. I need this week away to be perfect so they never learn my secret, or how far I will go to keep it.

Samantha: I can read Emily like a book. Toasting our first night away together, I can tell that something isn’t right. Why does she stiffen every time Keith speaks, and check her phone when she thinks no one is looking? I’ve always let her think that she’s the one pulling all the strings, but she has no idea why I drained our savings to buy this remote lakeside house or my real reason for being here…

As night falls on our first evening in our new home, an ear-piercing scream breaks the silence, scattering birds from the pine trees. Someone is a liar. Someone is a killer. Someone is dead.

Readers who love psychological thrillers like The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and The Girl on the Train will absolutely devour this twist-packed book from Cathryn Grant.

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 23, 2026

About the author

Cathryn is the author of over forty novels. She writes psychological thrillers, psychological suspense, and the ALEXANDRA MALLORY series which features a sociopath you can’t help but love. Readers say they're “absolutely addicted” to the series.

The things that cause torment in real life—obsession and revenge, guilt and envy and longing—are endlessly fascinating in fiction and she never grows tired of writing stories about characters struggling to overcome the worst.

Cathryn also writes ghost stories because who knows what lies beyond our senses—The Haunted Ship Trilogy and the Madison Keith series of novellas.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, walking on the beach, or playing golf, going way out of her way to avoid hitting her ball in the sand or the water. She lives on the Central California Coast with her husband and her cat, Cleopatra.

You can get in touch with her by email, find her social media links, or sign up for her monthly newsletter at cathryngrant.com/contact. As a thank you for signing up, you’ll receive a free short story about Alexandra Mallory.

Reviews

[Janna (Bibliophile Mom)]

Two Couples was a decent, tension‑filled psychological thriller with a juicy setup that delivered enough drama to keep me reading. The dual perspectives between Emily and Samantha added a fun layer of “who’s actually telling the truth,” and the lakeside house setting gave the whole thing a simmering, secret‑heavy vibe. It didn’t fully grip me, but it was entertaining and easy to follow.

The unraveling of hidden motives, strained friendships, and the slow build toward the inevitable scream made the story engaging. Some twists felt familiar, but the pacing stayed smooth, and the interpersonal tension between the two couples carried the book well. A solid, enjoyable 3‑star read.

What I Liked:
• Dual‑POV tension
• Secrets between the couples
• Strong lakeside setting

What Didn’t Work Out:
• Some predictable turns
• A few pacing dips
• Certain motives felt thin

Ratings Breakdown:
• Setting: 5⭐
• Characters: 3⭐
• Writing: 3⭐
• Message: 3⭐
• Overall: 3⭐


Final Verdict:
A twisty, secret‑driven thriller with simmering tension and a solid setting. Not obsession‑level, but definitely enjoyable, a comfy 3‑star read that delivers drama, lies, and just enough suspense.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the author for the copy.

~JaNnA~

[A Lane]

Two Couples is a gripping domestic psychological thriller full of secrets, lies and deception.

Best friends Samantha and Emily, along with their husbands Patrick and Kieth, purchase a vacation home in Tahoe. The excitement of their first visit is glorious until the shocking discovery of a body in their pool shuts that down quickly. No one can agree on how to handle the situation, and the lies and secrets pull the couples and friends apart.

This razor-sharp cat and mouse game grabbed me from the start. This story was so dark and twisted and had me racing to the end. The ending was a shocking stunner that I certainly was not expecting. Another great read from Cathryn Grant.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy

[Maja]

Thank you very much Bookouture for this ARC!

This was another entertaining, twisty novel about friendship and secrets by Cathryn Grant. Also it is sort of a destination thriller as well, which is always a bonus in my book.

I did enjoy the different POVs the story was enfolding through, and the ending did surely surprise me, as well. Can fully recommend!

[TJ Wynn]

Two Couples by Cathryn Grant was my first introduction to this author, and the premise definitely caught my attention. The story follows two best friends, Emily and Samantha, and their husbands, Keith and Patrick, who purchase a vacation home together in Lake Tahoe. Each has their own reasons and agenda for the purchase, and their first trip to the house comes with plenty of secrets already in the mix. Of course, things take a turn when they discover a dead body.

I’ll be honest: I really struggled to like any of these characters. Every single one of the main characters made choices that frustrated me, and I found them incredibly immature for people in their late 20s and early 30s. I don't necessarily need characters to be likable, but I do need their actions to feel believable, and that was a major issue for me here.

There were also two supporting characters whose involvement just didn’t make much sense to me. Their roles felt underdeveloped, and I never really understood what their purpose was within the overall story. Without spoiling, we do figure out their purpose.

One thing I did enjoy was the pacing. The chapters were short, which I always appreciate, and the book moved along at a good pace. Unfortunately, the story itself just didn't work for me. There were so many moments where I found myself questioning why these characters were making the decisions they were making. A lot of the plot relied on people behaving in ways that didn't feel logical, and that made it difficult for me to stay invested.

The twists also didn't have the impact I was hoping for, and unfortunately, the ending really didn't work for me at all. By the time I reached the end, I was more frustrated than surprised.

Overall, this one just wasn't for me. I can appreciate the fast pacing and short chapters, but the character decisions, supporting characters, twists, and ending ultimately made this a miss for me. That's just my personal reading experience, though, and I know this book may work better for readers who are more willing to go along with the characters' choices.

[Carrie Shields]

𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰.

That sentiment feels particularly appropriate for TWO COUPLES, where Emily and Samantha head to a remote Lake Tahoe vacation home with their husbands, Keith and Patrick, hoping for a relaxing getaway that quickly becomes anything but. Both women have secrets they're determined to protect, and when a body turns on their first night, it becomes clear that someone isn't being honest. The alternating points of view worked well for me because getting inside the heads of these characters added tension as their stories began to unfold.

I also enjoyed the addition of a POV from many years earlier. Those segments gave the story another layer of curiosity and made me wonder how that piece of the past would eventually connect to what was happening in the present. There is plenty of suspicion to go around, and I found myself paying attention to the little details and trying to figure out who was telling the truth and who was hiding something. The isolated setting also added to the tension because once things started going sideways, there wasn't exactly an easy escape.

This was an entertaining, twisty vacation thriller with enough secrets and suspicion to keep me turning the pages. I liked the way the different perspectives gradually filled in the gaps, and the remote Lake Tahoe setting was a great backdrop for a story where trust is in very short supply. If you enjoy domestic suspense with complicated relationships, hidden agendas, and a vacation that goes spectacularly off the rails, this one is worth adding to your list. Many thanks to Bookouture fo this early copy that will publish October 23, 2026.

[Lumi]

Thank you to NetGalley and the Bookouture for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ❤️📚

This was such a twisty read! I kept coming up with different theories about who could have committed the murder and what secrets were hiding in the past, only for the author to surprise me with the ending.

I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and how the past slowly started creeping into the present, making me more curious about what had actually happened. Samantha was probably my favourite character—I found myself especially drawn to her.

One thing I really liked was how the story reminds us that a relationship can look perfect and loving from the outside while hiding a completely different reality underneath. Sometimes you really have to dig deeper to see what’s going on.

I definitely didn't predict the way the climax played out, and that made the ending work for me. A fun, suspenseful psychological thriller with plenty of twists!

4⭐️ — definitely worth picking up if you enjoy twisty domestic thrillers.

[Kristy]

Samantha & Emily have been friends since childhood. Together with their husbands, Patrick & Keith, they buy a vacation home in Lake Tahoe. Samantha is hoping that Keith will see what a great relationship Emily and Keith have and will learn to prioritize her and put her first.
When they show up for their first 10 day vacation, there is a dead body in the pool but they choose not to call the police. By the following morning, the body is gone and everyone is hiding something. Throw in the oddball neighbor and her daughter, and no one is as they seem.

Overall the premise was good, but none of the characters were likeable. For 80% of the book they kept rehashing the same things, and I was waiting for them to move on.
In the last few chapters everything seemed to tie together, which redeemed it a bit, but it took too much handwringing and empty accusations to get there.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced read!

[Sarah’s Reading Mood]

Advanced Reader copy received from NetGalley

Two Couples is a psychological thriller that's really about relationships and how we see them. It's told from four points of view, and I loved how different each person's mind was, even when they were living through the same moments.

Samantha's chapters got me the most. Her thoughts were so honest and detailed that I kept thinking, I've had that exact thought. Even when everything is falling apart, her head keeps going back to her husband, and that felt so real.

Everyone is hiding something, and the secrets come out slowly, changing how you see each character. It made me think about how the grass always looks greener on the other side, until you get close enough to see it properly. And that epilogue… I did not see it coming.

[Deb]

Samantha and Patrick buy a holiday house in Lake Tahoe with their close friends, Emily and Keith, but things begin to unravel very quickly.

I know many people have given this book a high rating, but unfortunately, I don’t think it was quite for me. I found the writing somewhat repetitive, which made it difficult for me to fully connect with the story.

That said, I really liked Samantha’s character, and I enjoyed the structure of the book, particularly getting to experience the story through multiple characters in alternating chapters.

Thank you to Bookouture, Cathryn Grant and Netgally for this advanced copy.

[Michele]

Thank you Cathryn Grant, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the e-ARC

I was hooked on this book from the very beginning and I couldn’t stop reading it until I knew how it ended. This book was truly a masterpiece. If you like psychological thrillers that keep you guessing until the very end this book is for you.

[Stephanie]

An absolute rollercoaster from start to finish! The short chapters kept the pacing lightning-fast, and the relentless suspense didn't let up until the very last page. Let’s just say I thought I knew where things were going, and then boy was I wrong.

[Michele Rene]

This Thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, it was so good. Childhood best friends buy a vacation home, What could go wrong? Lots of things…a dead person in their pool for one.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!🤗