Introduction
Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks wrote the psychological thriller The Golden Couple. It chronicles the narrative of a “consultant,” Avery Chambers, a former therapist who was barred from practicing owing to wrongdoing. The plot revolves around Avery, who assists a married couple, Marissa and Matthew Bishop, in healing from Marissa’s marital infidelity. The couple looks to be making progress until the book’s major twist: Matthew is just pretending to forgive Marissa and has been planning a murder plot against her and the man she had an affair with, Skip, all along.
Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks are a #1 New York Times bestselling literary partnership who have worked on a number of novels together, including The Wife Between Us (2018), An Anonymous Girl (2018), and You Are Not Alone (2020). Before working together, they worked as an author-editor duo. The edition referred to in this study guide was released in 2022 by Pan Books, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, London.
Plot Synopsis
The Golden Couple is narrated from alternate points of view, changing back and forth between Avery Chambers’ (first person) and Marissa Bishop’s (third person) voices. The novel is divided into three parts, each concluding with a surprise. Avery and Marissa meet as Marissa seeks Avery’s assistance with her marriage. Marissa has been unfaithful in her marriage and wishes to inform her husband, Matthew Bishop, with the assistance of Avery.
Avery is a former therapist who was barred from practicing because of her unusual methods. She still operates as a “consultant,” offering help in a unique 10-step process. The first gathering is called “The Confession.” This is also the meeting during which Avery, who is immensely successful and in high demand for her services, determines whether or not to accept the individuals as clients. Avery meets the Bishops in the opening chapter and is charmed by the seemingly flawless “golden couple.” She decides to collaborate with them.
The Bishops’ withholding of information complicates Avery’s engagement with them. Marissa first asserts that the man she had an affair with was a stranger from the gym. Marissa confesses at the end of Part 1—to the reader, not Avery—that the man was a close family friend of the Bishops, someone she and Matthew have known since they were teenagers. While Matthew was away, Marissa slept with the man in the Bishops’ home, while Marissa and Matthew’s son, Bennett, slept upstairs.
Various outside players hamper Marissa and Matthew’s attempts to negotiate Marissa’s marital adultery. For starters, Marissa is still receiving texts from the man with whom she had an affair. In addition, flowers are brought anonymously to the Bishops’ home, and a vaguely menacing note (“I’m not letting you go so easily”) is left under the door at Marissa’s workplace, Coco, a small boutique she manages. At one point, the Bishops’ home appears to be broken into. The characters believe that Marissa’s jilted lover, whom she has rejected in favor of repairing her marriage to Matthew, is responsible for these atrocities. Natalie, a woman who has a crush on Matthew, and Polly, Marissa’s secretary, who appears to be obsessed with her, are two other false leads in the story.
In fact, Matthew is the perpetrator of these crimes. He’s doing these things to amuse Marissa as well as exact his revenge: While Matthew seemed to forgive his wife, he was actually hatching a complex plan in which he would portray Marissa’s ex-lover as an obsessed, furious guy and fabricate a situation in which the ex-lover killed Marissa and attempted to kill Matthew. Matthew will then shoot his ex-girlfriend in self-defense.
Matthew was well aware of Marissa’s affair before she told him. Matthew also knew who Marissa’s lover was: a man named Skip, whom they’d known since they were teenagers. Marissa kissed Skip during a game of Truth or Dare when they were all around 16 or 17 years old. That kiss appeared to have some meaning. Tina, Marissa’s childhood best friend, was murdered that night. The murder was blamed on a local high school English teacher. In actuality, Matthew was the murderer.
Skip was also someone Avery dated for a short time. Acelia, a pharmaceutical corporation that Avery had railed against, engineered Avery and Skip’s encounter. Avery learned from one of her patients that Acelia was planning to release a lethal medicine to the public and contacted the FDA’s whistleblower hotline. Acelia has been bugging Avery ever since in order to get the identity of the person who told her. Chris, a DC lobbyist who works for Acelia, urged Skip to date Avery and gather information. Chris is Matthew’s father as well. This is how Avery, Matthew, and Marissa’s worlds intersect: Chris assigned Skip to date Avery; Skip, believing Matthew was hazardous, forwarded an article on Avery’s unusual tactics to Marissa; Marissa then took Matthew to see Avery.
Matthew ultimately tells Marissa everything. He verifies her assumptions about Tina’s murder. He also describes the extent he’s gone to frame Skip, such as sending anonymous flowers and letters to make Skip appear obsessive. Avery and Skip come just in time as Matthew prepares to shoot Marissa. Matthew is shot and killed by Avery. Skip and Marissa eventually end up together. Avery maintains her isolated life and job, gaining recognition not only for her unique methods and loss of license but also for being an ex-therapist who shot a client.
In the last pages of the novel, it is also revealed that Avery assisted her ex-husband, Paul, in killing himself. Paul had a fatal brain tumor, and Avery gave him a lethal dose of morphine at his request.
Prologue- Part 1: Chapter 7 Analysis
The prologue and early chapters of the book introduce one of the book’s primary themes: The Risks and Rewards of Rule-Breaking. The “maverick therapist” featured in The Washington Post Magazine piece, Avery Chambers, is a big rule-breaker. She was barred from working as a therapist after illegally entering a client’s house. However, her rule-breaking pays off: Avery’s “consulting” services are in high demand, and her techniques appear to succeed, as proven by Cameron’s decision to leave his abusive ex-wife, Skylar. Avery’s rule-breaking can also be evident in less extreme cases, such as offering tequila to Matthew and Marissa Bishop during their first session.
The eponymous “golden couple,” Matthew and Marissa, appear to be ready to put Avery’s tactics to the test. Avery immediately recognizes that the Bishops will be a difficult case: “Twelve minutes ago, they breezed into my office—glamorous, affluent, enviable.” The perfect couple. The underlying flaws they’ve never let the public see are now beginning to emerge. It’s about to get a lot uglier”. Avery’s warning that things are “going to get a lot uglier” is useful foreshadowing. The reader should brace themselves for the psychological thriller’s twists and turns.
The distinct narratorial point of view distinguishes this psychological thriller from others in the category. The chapters alternate from Avery’s and Marissa’s points of view. While two points of view are not unusual, having one character’s point of view in the first person and the other in the third person is. The fact that Avery is the first-person narrator and the book’s opening voice establishes her as the protagonist. Avery will play the role of “detective” as she attempts to unravel the complexity of the Bishops’ marriage while also learning the truth about Matthew’s status as a murderer.
Because Matthew lacks a narrator, the reader must rely solely on Avery’s and Marissa’s perceptions of Matthew’s actions and emotions. Avery and Marissa both observe Matthew’s rage and bewilderment at Marissa’s confession of infidelity. Because of this limited point of view, the authors are able to conceal Matthew’s culpability. When the book begins, Matthew is already aware of Marissa’s affair, but Avery and Marissa—the two narratorial voices to whom the reader has access—are unaware. Only in the last pages will the reader discover (via Avery and Marissa) that Matthew’s surprise is all a ruse.
Matthew’s performative temperament, ironically, complements his wife, Marissa. Both members of the couple are actors, and the entire relationship is an act. Thus, the initial chapters address another major issue in the book: the deceptive nature of appearances. The “golden couple,” Matthew and Marissa, are the perfect example. When Marissa gives Avery a canned response to a question, Avery corrects her, saying, “That’s an Instagram post”. Marissa discovers that their marriage consists of “curated moments served up in public”, a discovery delivered in the third person that underlines the divide between the public (and the reader) and private realities.
These chapters also include a number of red herrings: false clues that will lead Avery, the book’s unofficial “detective,” and, by extension, the reader astray. Avery’s history with the pharmaceutical behemoth Acelia is one example; while Acelia is frightening, they are not the most serious menace in the book—Matthew is. Polly, Marissa’s helper, is another example of a red herring. Throughout the book, Polly appears to be borderline infatuated with Marissa, which is hinted to in Chapter 4 when Marissa finds Polly wearing Marissa’s earrings. Polly is later implied to be dangerously obsessed with Marissa.
Finally, as is customary in thrillers, these early chapters introduce a number of puzzles that must be answered. initial, there’s Tina’s death, which is only mentioned briefly in the initial half of the novel but is crucial to the conclusion—Tina is the first person Matthew murdered, showing that he’s capable of killing. Then there’s the matter of who Marissa slept with. The identity of this individual is unknown, and the revelation that it is someone Marissa and Matthew know well, rather than just a random guy from the gym, will alter the course of the story.
These early chapters also introduce the concept of Loyalty vs. Betrayal. Marissa’s betrayal of Matthew in the form of marital adultery is the most blatant example. Avery’s narrative about her former client, Finley Jones, and Acelia, on the other hand, is another example. Finley betrayed Acelia, her employer. However, this betrayal was carried out in order to preserve lives. This relates to the book’s examination of blind loyalty at any cost—an exploration that will be cemented in the last chapter when it is revealed that Matthew’s mother and father knew he murdered Tina and assisted him in getting away with it by lying to the police. When it comes to loyalty and betrayal, Pekkanen and Hendricks explore the fuzzy lines of good and evil, and the discussion of Acelia in the early chapters pushes readers to deal with these moral problems.
Part 1: Chapters 8-14 Analysis
This second group of chapters continues to throw red herrings at the narrators—and, through their eyes, the reader. Natalie is a good example. Natalie makes Marissa envious, and it’s indicated that Natalie could endanger the Bishops’ marriage. Later in the novel, it’s even implied that Natalie has a link to Polly and purposely sent Polly to work for Marissa—perhaps to keep an eye on her and Matthew’s relationship. None of this will come to pass. Natalie is essentially a deception. She hasn’t slept with Matthew, and her only link to Polly is that she temporarily worked at the same real estate business as Natalie. The portrayal of her as a “confident and sexy” counterpoint for Marissa employs the femme fatale archetype to heighten the (false) sense of threat.
Polly is another figure who is shown as a possible threat; Marissa expresses this to the reader, believing that “Polly could become dangerous”. The authors employ the word “could” as the operative word to highlight the storyline’s numerous potential directions and therefore engage the reader. Skylar is another example, albeit she is portrayed as a threat to Avery and Avery’s stepdaughter, Lana, rather than to Marissa. Threats abound, but Matthew, the most dangerous of them, appears to be harmless, stressing the concept of The Deceptive Nature of Appearances. The reader’s doubts about him are unawakened.
Skip is another example of a character who is ultimately harmless but is portrayed as a threat. At various times throughout the novel, he is portrayed as a threat to both Marissa and Avery. The majority of the novel leads up to the (false) idea that Skip is the antagonist: either Acelia’s associate or the one who murdered Tina and is now fascinated with Marissa. Until the end, the narrative casts doubt on Skip’s character, leading Marissa and Avery, as well as the reader, who is constrained to their points of view, to feel that Skip is the antagonist in the novel. When Avery sees Skip sneaking into her office, she gets an early warning.
In addition to laying red herrings, these chapters demonstrate another frequent thriller conceit: a plethora of plot twists. The first seven chapters provided exposition: basic character information and the story’s central concept. The stage is now prepared for the authors to offer unforeseen storyline developments. The first big plot twist occurs at the end of Part 1, when Marissa discloses (only to the reader, not Avery or Matthew) that she did not sleep with a random guy at the gym, but with a close friend of hers and Matthew’s. Despite the fact that the reader does not yet know who the friend is, the scenario is presented as heinous. This story twist contributes significantly to Marissa’s character development; while the novel began with an apparent “confession,” the reader learns that the deceiving nature of appearances applies to Marissa, who has been — and still is — concealing something.
This story twist ties up with the book’s topic of Loyalty vs. Betrayal. Marissa’s betrayal of her marriage with Matthew is most visibly shown by the couch, which she purposely stains in order to get rid of it. This physical stain externalizes the conceptual stain she now associates with the couch as a result of her affair. Marissa, on the other hand, acknowledges that she is “erasing the physical link to that night, but not her traitorous memories of the illicit hours she’d spent on it with the man she’d invited into their home”. This reflects the permanency of betrayal; both the stain and her recollections are permanent.
Part 2: Chapters 15-24 Analysis
The objective of the dualistic narratorial point of view is demonstrated in Part 2 of the book. With access to Marissa’s thoughts, the reader already knows that Marissa did not sleep with a random man at the gym, but with a close friend of the Bishops.
A very, on the other hand, is only now realizing that Marissa is lying about who she slept with. As a result, the reader sees Avery in sleuth mode, such as when she visits Marissa’s gym. The knowledge gap between the reader and the main character, Avery, creates tension because the reader must wait for Avery to absorb this information.
Nonetheless, the reader and Avery share one question that propels the escalating action in Part 2: with whom did Marissa sleep? The reader must rely on Avery, the quasi-detective, to solve the case while simultaneously obtaining information from third-person chapters depicting Marissa’s point of view. This lets the reader identify more strongly with Avery, the protagonist.
This highlights an important aspect of Pekkanen and Hendricks’ depiction of Avery: she is an antihero who lacks the attributes of an ideal protagonist. This is highlighted by Avery’s proclivity for breaking rules, which relates to the book’s theme of The Risks and Rewards of Rule-Breaking. Avery infiltrates the Bishops’ lives and follows them to their places of work and recreation.
Avery’s prior activities that resulted in her license revocation—breaking into a client’s home to record them without their consent—are seen to be repeated, implying that Avery’s depiction as an antihero is, for the time being, flat. Pekkanen and Hendricks, on the other hand, have cast the reader and Avery as co-detectives, putting the thematic dilemma of the risks versus rewards of rule-breaking to the test. As with the concept of Loyalty Versus Betrayal, the line between right and wrong is blurred in order to fascinate the reader. Cameron and Skylar’s situation exemplifies this—Avery committed something unlawful, and as a result, Cameron left Skylar, his violent wife. In this work, the reader is waiting to see Avery, now free of the constraints of a therapist’s license, break the rules again.
A multitude of plot twists and red herrings heighten the narrative suspense in these chapters. One is the menacing note that has been put under Coco’s door.
When Marissa visits Polly’s apartment and realizes that Polly lied about having a rodent problem, the plot intensifies around her character. Given Marissa’s previous concerns about Polly being a potential risk, Pekkanen and Hendricks utilize this untruth to mislead both the reader and Marissa. Avery also notices hints that Polly is a menace, such as the threatening note that Marissa ripped up and tossed away in Polly’s bag, glued back together. Threats hinted at in Part 1 of the book become more palpable in Part 2’s escalating action.
This is likewise true of the dangers that Avery encounters. For example, when she is threatened by an Acelia salesperson after her doctor’s appointment, the authors predict worse danger: The menacing entity warns Avery, “[w]e won’t stop.” And things may get a lot worse”. For the time being, the authors use the earlier red herring that Skip snuck into her office to infer that Skip is the antagonist. The narrative proceeds to aggressively push the reader away from the book’s true villain, Matthew, and toward Skip, Natalie, and Polly.
However, as the mounting action progresses, the story introduces true clues as well as deceptive clues. Bennett’s Cub Scout rope is a good example.
This is introduced in Chapter 18 when Bennett is unable to locate his Cub Scout rope—the fact that he uses it to practice knot-tying for his children’s club makes this item purposely innocuous.
Marissa recalls seeing the rope the night of the affair and doesn’t think much of it—this is intended to cause the reader to disregard the hint. However, it would be shown later in the novel that the rope-assisted Matthew in learning about the affair. When Skip was at the Bishops’ house, he was playing with the rope and knotted it in a sailor’s knot—one that Matthew realized Bennett couldn’t tie.
This book also introduces another indication that Matthew is the antagonist, which will not be revealed until the very end of the book. Matthew tells Marissa that kissing her for the first time “was like glimpsing the ocean for the first time”.
Marissa discovers in the book’s penultimate chapter that Matthew stole these remarks from Skip. This “ocean” also conjures up images of vacations and employs a romantic cliché related to Avery’s views that their marriage consists of “Instagram posts” and “curated moments.” Matthew’s character epitomizes one of the book’s main themes, The Deceptive Nature of Appearances. The coordinated onslaught against Matthew stands out in this segment. It would later be revealed that Matthew faked the entire affair, but Matthew tells Marissa, “[i]t’s like the only thing he wanted to do was beat the crap out of me”. Matthew’s entire character is built on deception, which exemplifies the book’s premise; suitably, this will only become obvious at the conclusion.
Part 2: Chapters 25-31 Analysis
Part 2 of the novel, like Part 1, concludes with a plot surprise and moment of revelation: When Avery walks inside the Bishops’ home, she is surprised to see Skip—the guy she briefly dated—and to learn that he is a close family friend of the Bishops. In actuality, Skip is the close family friend with whom Marissa had an affair, which will be disclosed. This type of cliffhanger at the end of a section keeps the reader turning the pages, maintains the pace of the book, and leads into Part 3 to examine the relationship between Skip, the Bishops, and Avery (Part 3 will expose all the specifics).
This group of chapters also provides a fresh twist in Avery’s personal story with Acelia. When a new “client” of Avery’s (“Rose”) turns out to be Acelia’s representative, the narrative tension soars to new heights. Avery knows midway through her first session with Rose that Rose has already arrived at her place.
The threat grows increasingly tangible, and the reader’s anxiety is heightened by the knowledge that Avery, the novel’s quasi-detective, has been duped in her own house. Acelia herself is a metaphor for several of the book’s themes. The fact that the corporation is pharmaceutical and yet knowingly makes lethal medications demonstrates The Deception of Appearances. Rose’s appearance emphasizes this link; Rose looks to be a client but deceives Avery.
Avery also learns that Paul’s (her late husband’s) life insurance claim is being challenged. The insurer suspects Avery of being involved in Paul’s death, which would amount to insurance fraud. Pekkanen and Hendricks purposely gloss over this little twist by making it peripheral to the core plot of the book; yet, the detail is significant, serving as a small clue to the plot.
This aspect of Paul’s death is an example of “Chekhov’s gun,” which, according to Russian writer Anton Chekhov, must fire in the second act if presented in the first. The final chapter of the book reveals that Matthew’s father, Chris, works for Acelia and orchestrates the insurance probe. Furthermore, since Avery euthanized Paul, it will be revealed that the assertion is—shockingly—true.
Chris, Matthew’s father, is introduced in these chapters as a new character in the book. This introduction introduces new clues into the narrative, propelling the plot toward the conclusion. In Chapter 26, Marissa and Matthew discuss Chris, and the reader obtains insight into Chris through Marissa’s inward introspection. Despite Matthew’s accomplishments, Chris is not proud of him.
The father-son feud is a subtle hint: The true reason for Chris’s hatred for his son is revealed in the book’s final chapter when Chris reveals to Avery that Matthew murdered Tina.
This is alluded to in an anecdote Marissa remembers when Chris was unhappy with Matthew for phoning a technician to fix his broken car: “You can’t outsource everything in life, Chris had remarked. Though I suppose you’re used to having others clean up after you”. Chris has suspected Matthew of murder for many years.
Meanwhile, the red herrings point everywhere but Matthew keeps piling up. Avery, the story’s detective, is sent running after one false lead after another as she attempts to solve the riddle of the “golden couple.” Polly, for example, stays skeptical, and her character’s suspicion grows stronger—for example, in Chapter 27, when Avery realizes Polly has begun wearing Marissa’s perfume.
Part 3: Chapters 32-44 Analysis
Before Matthew is revealed as the antagonist, the book’s investigator, Avery—and, with Avery, the reader—are pushed and pulled in all directions by the increasingly accelerated escalating action in the preceding chapters. Skip appears to be the guilty culprit until Chapter 41. The red herrings surrounding his apparent fixation with Marissa multiply, and one indication after another suggests that he may cause harm to the Bishops. Even Tina’s death, which is explained in full in Chapter 33, becomes linked to Skip when Marissa believes Matthew lied to cover for Skip.
The book’s concluding chapters, as is customary of a thriller, resolve its numerous puzzles. All of the questions raised in the increasing action are addressed, most notably in Matthew’s denouement speech to Marissa in Chapter 41, in which he lays out all of the details in a lengthy monologue.
Marissa’s discovery of the sailor’s knot in Bennett’s Cub Scout rope, a symbol of both Marissa’s treachery and Matthew’s deception, serves as the spark for his denouement. Finally, Matthew admits to killing Tina. This point builds up to the novel’s finale because it emphasizes his potential for murder, intensifying the tension with the implication that he will do so again.
Marissa affirms Skip’s innocence and Matthew’s guilt only after Matthew’s denouement. Avery figures it out by piecing together evidence like the blue leather gloves, without hearing the confession, which provides a climax for each hint planted by the authors throughout the story. The novel’s investigation of the hazy borders between Loyalty Versus Betrayal is highlighted by the fact that Matthew’s own father, Chris, seemed to know all along that he was guilty. In Chapter 36, Avery begins to suspect problems in Chris and Matthew’s relationship, foreshadowing what she finds later in the last chapter, when Chris admits, “I lost my son when he was sixteen and came home with blood on his shirt the night that girl was murdered.” My wife went to bed early that night, but Matthew advised her she could lie and say he and Skip had watched a movie with her, which she did.
She was constantly there to cover for him” (397). The blood-splattered shirt motif is the most vivid depiction of the book’s treatment of loyalty and betrayal. Chris remained devoted to his son as a father. As a result, the book compels readers to reconsider previously favorable associations with loyalty and negative associations with betrayal.
The last chapters of the book also invite the reader to consider another theme: The Risks and Rewards of Rule-Breaking. This issue is exacerbated by Avery’s character development, which reveals that she did, in fact, euthanize her spouse in order to relieve his pain.
This distorts the reader’s perception of Avery and builds to a climax in the book’s discussion of this issue. Avery’s character is continuously breaking norms, and the authors in this thriller genre juxtapose Avery’s activities with those of Matthew, a murderer. Because the book concludes with this revelation, the reader is left to examine the ethical implications of euthanasia.
Finally, the book carefully concludes its most important theme: The Deception of Appearances.
The “golden couple” of the earlier chapters have fallen apart in front of the reader’s eyes. Matthew’s effort to murder both his wife and himself exemplifies the deception of appearances. He spent the entire book pretending to forgive Marissa while planning her death.
As Matthew confesses, Marissa realizes, “Matthew has been creating fictional scene after fictional scene.” And she believes each and every one of them.
He was never the oblivious, victimized husband. That was a mirage, the work of a skilled con artist”. Matthew is later referred to by Marissa as “a master illusionist”. Even Avery, the quasi-detective figure, has to admit that Matthew’s dishonesty has reached new heights. She double-checks if he’s dead after shooting him, thinking, “He tricked me before.” He will not do it again”.
The novel’s main struggle, that of a couple pretending to be “golden,” is resolved at the novel’s climax and descending action, when Matthew’s illusion is shattered and Matthew and Marissa’s marriage becomes “real.”
Discussion Questions
What is the central theme explored in The Golden Couple and how is it reflected in the book’s title?
Is it possible for a couple who seems flawless on the surface to actually have a troubled and broken relationship? What does Avery’s accusation about Marissa’s marriage reveal about her perception of their first meeting?
What is Avery’s response when Marissa shares a cherished memory? What does the user mean by “something real” and why are they asking for it? What does the narrative reveal about the state of the “golden couple’s” marriage? How does the book establish its conflict right from the beginning? What message does it convey about appearances?
How does this concept apply to both couples and individuals? How does Matthew’s character serve as the ultimate proof of the book’s exploration of the idea that outward appearances cannot be trusted? What are some indications that Matthew is a caring husband and is committed to repairing his relationship with his wife, despite her infidelity?
What is the significance of the photos of her in his office and how do they reflect the emphasis on appearances in the novel? What does the person mean when they say, “I’ve done a lot of soul-searching, and one thing I know for sure is that I want to stay married to Marissa”?
Can you explain why you feel unable to control the situation? What are some reasons why the speaker loves their wife? Is it possible that Matthew is plotting to kill his wife? To what extent does Matthew’s duplicitous nature extend, and how does it relate to his role in Tina’s death?
What challenges does Marissa face when she discovers that her seemingly perfect husband is planning to harm her? What does the protagonist come to understand about the man she thought was an oblivious and innocent spouse?
Was the illusion described in the text the result of a talented con artist’s skillful manipulation? What does Marissa mean when she describes Matthew as “a master illusionist”? How do words like “illusionists” and “con artist” capture the concept of the deceptive nature of appearances?
How does an illusionist, specifically a magician, excel at manipulating people’s perception to either create nonexistent objects or alter their appearance? How does Matthew embody the idea of presenting dissonance between reality and surface appearances? How does the idea of flawed characters manifest in other characters, such as Marissa and Avery, in the story?
What are some examples of loyalty and betrayal in various relationships or situations?
How does Marissa’s marital infidelity highlight the theme of loyalty versus betrayal in the story? What are some other instances of betrayal that can be found in the book? How does Finley Jones betray Avery’s pharmaceutical company client?
What role does Matthew’s mother play in the story and how does her loyalty to her son manifest? How does Chris’s loyalty to his son influence his decision to remain silent, even though he didn’t actively lie to the police? Did Chris have knowledge of Matthew’s involvement in Tina’s murder, given that Chris confessed to Avery about losing his son when he was sixteen and returning home with blood on his shirt on the same night the girl was killed? Why did Matthew ask the user’s wife to lie about watching a movie with him and Skip? Why did she always cover for him? How do the authors explore the themes of loyalty and betrayal through the character of Matthew? How does Matthew’s mother’s loyalty to him by obstructing justice contrast with Marissa’s betrayal of him? How does Marissa’s escape from a violent marriage relate to the themes of loyalty and betrayal?
How do Pekkanen and Hendricks challenge the conventional moral associations between loyalty and betrayal in their work? How does the concept of loyalty to one’s parents influence the moral perception of individuals like Matthew, a murderer, who are able to evade punishment while an innocent person suffers due to their parents’ unwavering loyalty? What are the implications of Marissa’s character engaging in marital infidelity?
How does Marissa’s “betrayal” of Matthew contribute to the narrative structure and potentially lead to a happy ending for her? How does Finley’s betrayal of her employer contribute to saving lives and promoting public health? How does the book challenge traditional notions of loyalty and betrayal, and what impact does this have on the reader’s perspective?
What are some extreme examples of repercussions and punishment for betrayal explored in the book? What are the potential consequences of Marissa betraying her husband? Do you think Matthew believes that this particular sin should be punished with death? How does Acelia pursue justice in her quest to find out about the employee who betrayed her and Avery? Who are the antagonists in the novel and what actions do they take in response to betrayal?
What are the potential risks and rewards associated with breaking rules?
How does the character of Avery in The Golden Couple exemplify the theme of the risks and rewards of rule-breaking? Is Avery known for breaking rules? How does the description of the protagonist as a “maverick therapist” in the Prologue contribute to the overall characterization of the character?
In what way does the protagonist’s offer of tequila to Matthew and Marissa in their initial meeting with her in the first chapter reinforce this perception? What are some other examples of rules and laws that Avery breaks, besides the one mentioned?
What are the consequences of breaking numerous rules in one’s professional life, leading to the loss of their license? What are the potential consequences of her actions in terms of violating her new clients’ privacy and pushing the limits?
In what ways does Avery’s personal life reflect her tendency to break rules, particularly when she discloses her involvement in her husband Paul’s decision to end his own life? What are the ethical considerations surrounding compassionate euthanasia in cases where the individual is seriously ill, like Paul’s situation? How might the pursuit of insurance fraud charges by a life insurance company impact the broader conversation on end-of-life care?
Is Avery portrayed as someone who breaks rules in order to serve a greater purpose or achieve a greater good? How is the character rewarded in the narrative? What potential consequences could arise from a therapist’s mistakes in their practice? What are the consequences of the protagonist gaining notoriety in the book? How does this impact her workload and drive the plot forward? What significance does the act of shooting a man dead at the end of the book hold for the protagonist and the antagonist? How does this action contribute to the overall theme or message of the novel? How does the comparison between the antihero and the antagonist contribute to the exploration of moral ambiguity in the novel? In what ways does it allow the reader to form their own opinions about Avery’s inclination to break rules?
How does the characterization of Avery in the novel relate to a larger pattern of rule-breaking? What are the ethical implications of Avery’s decision to break into Skylar and Cameron’s home in order to secretly film them? How did she manage to make Cameron leave his wife? Does Avery express regret for her actions? How is Avery’s return to normality in the falling action of the novel implicitly rewarding for his actions? When do you think rule-breaking should be rewarded and why?
Reflection Essays
1. The title refers to Matthew and Marissa, the “golden couple.” Explain the importance of this pseudonym, taking issues like The Deceptive Nature of Appearances into mind.
2. The Risks and Rewards of Rule-Breaking is one of the book’s topics. Look into this theme through a character other than Avery.
3. The book contains numerous red herrings to throw Matthew off guard. Throughout the book, investigate one of the red herrings and discuss its importance. Natalie, Polly, and Skip are all possibilities.
4. The book alternates between Avery’s first-person and Marissa’s third-person points of view. Examine the significance of this narratorial change and how it affects the reader’s experience.
5. Think about Tina’s past. Why did the authors provide this backstory? What does it bring to Matthew’s persona?
6. Avery has her own storyline revolving around Acelia. What effect does including this subplot have? Consider how it affects the narrative’s tension and rhythm.
7. Marissa not only has an affair; she also has an affair in the home she shares with Matthew. Discuss the novel’s use of residential areas.
8. Consider Polly’s character and how obsessed she appears to be with Marissa’s beauty, even dressing in her style and using her scent. Investigate Polly’s portrayal in the novel.
9. Matthew’s connection with his father, Chris, is strained. Discuss how the authors depicted this father-son connection.
10. It is revealed in the last pages of the novel that Avery did, in fact, assist in the euthanasia of her ex-husband. What is the impact of authors including this information? Why do they keep it hidden till the end of the book?