Review by Booklist Review
There's no such thing as the perfect couple, and Hilderbrand's (The Identicals, 2017) beachy latest is chock-full of examples. There's Greer and Tag Winbury, British expats opening their Nantucket estate for their younger son Benji's wedding over the Fourth of July weekend. Greer's mystery-writing career is petering out, which upsets her less than her conviction that Tag is cheating. Celeste, Benji's fiancée, worries that her working-class parents won't fit in with the Winburys, which would be especially cruel since her mother is dying of cancer. All of these issues, though, pale in comparison to the maid of honor washing up on shore on the morning of the wedding, dead. The time line moves between the present, the start of the holiday weekend, and the beginning of Benji and Celeste's relationship, allowing the reader to slowly put the pieces together with the Nantucket police. Or try to. Hilderbrand throws enough curveballs to keep readers guessing, but not too many, maintaining the breezy pace her novels are known for. The mystery element is new, but The Perfect Couple is classic Hilderbrand.--Maguire, Susan Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The summer wedding of the year on Nantucket Island is shattered when the maid of honor's body washes up on the beach right before the ceremony in Hilderbrand's deliciously captivating drama. It's July 4th weekend, and Bronx Zoo assistant director Celeste Otis, a kind young woman of modest upbringing, is set to marry the very privileged Benji Winbury. When Celeste finds her best friend, the vivacious Merritt Monaco, dead, Nantucket police chief Ed Kapenash and stalwart Massachusetts State Police detective Nick Diamantopoulos set about questioning family and friends, some of whom are more forthcoming than others. A tangled web of shocking secrets and steamy affairs is revealed, but is one of them really capable of murder? Using multiple viewpoints, Hilderbrand (The Identicals) realistically mines her flawed, likeable characters' lives. She gives each a depth and humanity that's difficult to pull off with an ensemble cast, with character notes such as Celeste's mother's desire to see her daughter married before she dies from breast cancer. The author shows similar attention to peripheral characters, such as Lola Budd, who's dating Chief Ed's ward and gets a chance to help the investigation and impress the chief. Hilderbrand's legions of fans will be thrilled by this delightful whodunit, and it will earn her plenty of new ones. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
In this latest novel by Hilderbrand (The Identicals), the wealthy Nantucket-based -Winbury family prepares for the wedding of younger son Benji when the maid of honor is discovered dead on the shore the morning of the ceremony. The story opens with the police chief getting the call, and from there the point of view extends a periscopic lens on all of the players in this family drama. The time line effectively jumps back and forth between the investigation and earlier events; as secrets are revealed, the steady pace and heightened intrigue draw in readers. Among the many likable and flawed characters is the memorable mother of the groom, mystery writer and gin heiress Greer. Her pragmatic outlook about her husband's infidelity and full embrace of future daughter-in-law Celeste, who comes from a modest background, adds refreshing realism to a story that could have become melodramatic but doesn't. -VERDICT Smooth storyteller Hilderbrand succeeds in creating another domestic drama with a beach setting and a satisfying conclusion that will please a variety of readers. [See Prepub Alert, 12/11/17.]--Sonia Reppe, Stickney-Forest View P.L., IL © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A wedding on Nantucket is canceled when the bride finds her maid of honor floating facedown in the Atlantic on the morning of the big day.One of the supporting characters in Hilderbrand's (Winter Solstice, 2017, etc.) 21st Nantucket novel is Greer Garrison, the mother of the groom and a well-known novelist. Unfortunately, in addition to all the other hell about to break loose in Greer's life, she's gone off her game. Early in the book, a disappointed reader wonders if "the esteemed mystery writer, who is always named in the same breath as Sue Grafton and Louise Penny, is coasting now, in her middle age." In fact, Greer's latest manuscript is about to be rejected and sent back for a complete rewrite, with a deadline of two weeks. But wanna know who's most definitely not coasting? Elin Hilderbrand. Readers can open her latest with complete confidence that it will deliver everything we expect: terrific clothes and food, smart humor, fun plot, Nantucket atmosphere, connections to the characters of preceding novels, and warmth in relationships evoked so beautifully it gets you right there. Example: a tiny moment between the chief of police and his wife. It's very late in the book, and he still hasn't figured out what the hell happened to poor Merritt Monaco, the Instagram influencer and publicist for the Wildlife Conservation Society. Even though it's dinner time, he has to leave the "cold blue cans of Cisco beer in his fridge" and get back to work. " I hate murder investigations,' [his wife] says, lifting her face for a kiss. But I love you.' " You will feel that just as powerfully as you believe that Celeste Otis, the bride-to-be, would rather be anywhere on Earth than on the beautiful isle of Nantucket, marrying the handsome, kind, and utterly smitten Benji Winbury. In fact, she had a fully packed bag with her at the crack of dawn when she found her best friend's body.Sink into this book like a hot, scented bath...a delicious, relaxing pleasure. And a clever whodunit at the same time. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
