The Perfect Couple

The Perfect Couple (2018) is a mystery romance by New York Times best-selling author Elin Hilderbrand that is set in scenic Nantucket, Massachusetts. The novel opens with a tragic death and a canceled wedding at the height of Nantucket’s busy tourist season. With a mysteriously dead maid of honor, a devasted bride, a missing best man, and a groom’s family intent on guarding its secrets, the Nantucket investigators have their hands full. As Chief Ed Kapenash leads the investigation, it becomes clear that the wealthy, perfect world of the novel’s characters hides many dark realities.

Within weeks of its publication in 2018, The Perfect Couple topped the New York Times bestseller list. Breezy in tone, yet filled with sharp social observations, the novel is Hilderbrand’s 21st book and her first mystery involving a death. Hilderbrand has been called the “queen of beach reads,” referring to the idea that a reader could quickly read her books while sitting at a beach (Heaney, Kate. “How Elin Hilderbrand Became the ‘Queen of Beach Reads.’” The Cut, 2019). The Perfect Couple is being developed as a limited series by Netflix.

Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her three children and her husband.