“The Couple at Table Six” by Daniel Hurst [Book Review]

There’s an old bit of advice writers hear all the time. If you want to be a writer, you’d better be a reader. I usually try to knock out half a dozen novels between books I’m writing, just to see what’s out there and what people are loving these days. So I searched up some bestselling thrillers from the last few years and landed on The Couple at Table Six (purchase here) by Daniel Hurst.

The story follows Hannah, a waitress whose life is about as exciting as stale toast. She works at a restaurant where a married couple, Max and Nadine Murphy, come in every week and always sit at the same spot, table six. Same time, same table, same routine. Before long, Hannah starts paying a little too much attention to them. And by a little too much, I mean a lot. Her curiosity slowly turns into a full-blown obsession, especially with Max. Since her own life isn’t exactly popping, Hannah starts building these whole fantasy scenarios in her head where she’s somehow part of their world.

The book starts slowly. Like, really slow. Slow enough that more than once I thought about tossing it aside and grabbing something else. For a long stretch, it’s basically Hannah watching this couple and letting her imagination run wild. Meanwhile, her fixation keeps getting darker and creepier as the story drags along, eventually shifting from imagination to reality, as Hannah begins stalking the couple.

Eventually, the cracks in Max and Nadine’s marriage start to show. Nadine, who at first comes across as the sweet, quiet wife, finally grows a backbone and decides she’s not going to let someone destroy her family. Max also shows some pretty ugly sides of himself along the way, though when things really hit the fan, he does step up beside Nadine to deal with the mess.

A lot of the dialogue felt pretty predictable, and some of the metaphors were the kind you’ve heard a hundred times before. I caught myself rolling my eyes more than once. Still, I kept reading, partly out of stubborn curiosity. I mean, this was a bestselling author. Surely something had to happen eventually.

And to be fair, it finally does. In the last quarter of the book, the tension starts climbing, and we get a twist that’s at least somewhat believable. Was it amazing? Hard to say. It might just be that after waiting so long for something interesting, any bit of action felt like a reward. Kind of like being starving and someone hands you a cookie. Maybe it’s stale and a little soggy, but at that moment, it’s the best cookie you’ve ever tasted.

In the end, The Couple at Table Six has a solid idea at its core. I just wish the suspense had kicked in a whole lot earlier instead of waiting until the final stretch to wake things up.

That being said, I’ve read a few other books by Daniel Hurst lately that I honestly enjoyed a lot more and felt were well worth the cover price. Because of that, I’m definitely not crossing him off my reading list just because this one turned out to be a sleeper. One thing I do like about Hurst’s writing is that he keeps things straightforward. His stories move in a clear line, stay focused on the plot, and don’t wander.

So, what’s the takeaway here? If you’re curious about Hurst’s work, it’s probably a good idea to dig around in his catalogue and see what grabs you. He’s written quite a few thrillers, so there’s plenty to pick from, and chances are you’ll find one that hits the mark for you.

As for The Couple at Table Six, this one just didn’t land for me. The idea behind it had potential, but the slow build and late payoff left it sitting well below my expectations. Not a total loss, but definitely not the first book I’d point someone toward if they asked where to start with Daniel Hurst.

Publisher: ‎Catterall Press
Publication date: ‎April 1, 2022
Language: ‎English
Print length: ‎263 pages
ISBN-10: ‎1919600574
ISBN-13: ‎978-1919600574