Today’s book review is for The Couple in Cabin 14 by Nancy Savage, a psychological thriller about a romantic getaway turned nightmare when the couple next door turns out to be hiding a deadly secret.
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Book Synopsis
What happens when a getaway becomes the holiday from hell?
Dean and Amber are on vacation in a secluded lakeside resort, hoping to fix the cracks in their marriage. Their only companions are the couple next door, Sophie, a beautiful redhead, and the mysterious Marc, who appears to be hiding something.
Before long Amber begins to suspect the couple aren’t who they say they are. Obsessed with uncovering the truth, she digs into the couple’s past.
As she struggles to rekindle her marriage while investigating the couple next door, Amber soon realises that she can’t trust anyone.
Just who is the enigmatic couple next door? And are some secrets better off staying buried? From Goodreads.
“But something about this couple is just wrong. There’s no other word she can think of to describe it.”
The Basics
Category: Thriller
Tags: Thriller, psychological thriller, mystery, fiction, adult
Author: Nancy Savage
Publisher: Bloodhound Books, August 2024
Where to Find: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
**Spoilers Ahead**
In an attempt to bring back the spark in a marriage gone stale, Amber and Dean set out on a luxury vacation for relaxation and romance. Sparsely populated this time of year and surrounded by nature, the Spring River Resort in Oregon is the perfect getaway – on its surface. Immediately upon arrival, they are greeted by the only other guests staying on the same road of the resort property, a couple staying next door in cabin 14. Amber takes an immediate dislike towards the couple – her gut tells her that something is not right, and she inwardly vows to figure out what.
Thanks to author Nancy Savage, I received an ARC of The Couple in Cabin 14, a fast paced psychological thriller. This book was a quick and enjoyable read, full of twists and turns I did not see coming.
“So, there is it. Cabin fifteen, Alpine Drive – their home for the next week.”
So Let’s Get Into it…
Amber and Dean have been having a difficult time finding balance in their relationship. When Dean’s mother’s health rapidly declines due to Alzheimer’s, he begins spending less and less time at home to take care of his mother. In doing so, his marriage begins to suffer. Amber never had a close relationship with her mother-in-law, and now she feels as if Dean is prioritizing his mother over her and their relationship.
The book begins with Amber and Dean driving to Spring River Resort. There is obvious tension between Amber and Dean, and together decide they desperately need a vacation to relax and reconnect. After 13 years of marriage, their relationship feels disconnected and redundant. Amber and Dean agree to treat this vacation as a symbolic fresh start, to reignite the loving relationship they had when they first met.
“But after a delayed set-off – due to lost car keys and a premature turn-off that took them thirty minutes in the wrong direction before they had to make a U-turn and drive back again, all the while arguing over whose fault it was – the trip had felt doomed before it had barely begun.”
From the beginning I liked both Amber and Dean, each very relatable and realistic characters as a couple and as individuals. Both characters have unique flaws impacting their relationship, especially with communicating – but you can tell they deeply care for each other. They are still in love, just not feeling the love – not like they used to.
I did occasionally struggle with connecting with Amber and understanding her motives. Though she is the main character, the book is written in third person. I personally prefer thrillers written in first person – the additional layer of an inner monologue can provide depth and clarity on a character’s motives or decisions. However that is a personal preference – and though I didn’t completely understand Amber’s thoughts and actions pertaining to the couple in cabin 14 early in the book, as the story continued Savage did a great job subtly expounding on her rationale and choices.
As Amber and Dean make it to Spring River Resort and check in to their cabin, they are greeted by their neighbor Sophie. Amber takes an immediate dislike to Sophie – not only due to her own insecurities, but also Sophie’s seemingly shameless flirting with Dean right in front of her. I could clearly tell that Sophie was crossing the line, and was instantly curious to see if the audacious act was a sign of things to come. Sophie introduces Amber and Dean to her partner Marc, who is extremely rude and short with the couple. Amber gets a feeling that Marc is hiding something after Dean thinks he recognizes him from his hometown. Marc says he must have him confused with someone else, but Amber’s suspicions grow due to Marc’s adamant denial of growing up in Bakersfield.
“You really should be more careful. Next time you might end up getting hurt much worse than that.”
Dean tells Amber to just forget about the couple next door and enjoy the vacation. However, Amber cannot drop the subject. Behind Dean’s back, she begins looking into the couple more, including getting their last names from the property manager. “Looking into” becomes an investigation, and Amber even involves her mother-in-law. She contacts her to ask if a kid named Marc lived in the neighborhood Dean grew up in, and her suspicions are confirmed. Her mother-in-law even remembers Marc’s last name, leading Amber to discover he is hiding a huge secret about his identity.
“Amber had set out on this trip to repair her broken marriage, but now she is wondering if there will even be anything left to salvage after they get home.”
Through reading old articles and light Facebook sleuthing, Amber finds out that Marc is married to a woman named Joanna. She is disgusted that Marc is cheating on his wife with Sophie. Amber struggles deciding if she should confront Marc and Sophie with this information or not, so instead she decides to tell Marc’s wife directly about Marc’s infidelity. Amber goes to contact her via Facebook, but upon finding Joanna’s profile she uncovers something that horrifies her – Sophie has been impersonating Joanna online for over a year. Shocked by this revelation, Amber fears that something sinister has happened to Joanna and Marc and Sophie are to blame.
“Marcus is married. But not to Sophie.”
Amber does whatever is necessary to play down her activities to Dean – but her deception and gaslighting isn’t able to hide what has now become an obsession. He doesn’t understand Amber’s unhealthy obsession with the couple next door, and is hurt and angered that she would call his ailing mother to pry her for information. However, don’t feel too bad for Dean – because before this vacation began, he decided without consulting Amber that due to his mom’s declining health she would move in with them. Amber finds this out from Dean’s sister while they are on the trip and can’t believe Dean would decide that unilaterally. Especially knowing that Amber and his mother do not get along AND they’re in the midst of struggles with their marriage currently rocky. It is safe to say that rekindling the spark in their relationship is not going as planned.
“Whoever it was that said it’s better to ask forgiveness than seek permission must have been a sociopath.”
With few options and no way to contact Joanna without Sophia knowing, Amber decides to turn to Joanna’s friends on Facebook. Maybe one of her online friends has realized that something is off about Joanna’s posts and uploaded photos. Or better yet, maybe someone has been in contact with Joanna and this is all some sort of bizarre misunderstanding. Amber messages Joanna’s friend Morgan on Facebook, and is filled with dread when she answers. Morgan tells Amber that she believes Marc is dangerous and murdered his wife.
“But she does know one thing with one hundred percent certainty, she cannot leave this alone. She has to get to the bottom of it.”
Reeling, Amber makes it her personal mission to find evidence that Marc and Sophie committed the crime and get justice for Joanna. As Amber readies herself, we’re given one more ominous twist: after a heated argument regarding her obsession with the couple in cabin 14, Dean goes for a walk to clear his head – and doesn’t return.
This was a very enjoyable read, and Nancy Savage did a great job weaving unexpected and escalating plot twists throughout her book (especially the last!) I am also happy that Dean and Amber got a happy ending in the epilogue! Their marriage is stronger than ever after the turn of events that happened at Spring River Resort, and Amber now has a sweet relationship with her mother-in-law.
“She feels a warm glow – as she does often now – of appreciation of life. Just being here. She knows how easy it could have been for things to go very, very differently that night at Spring River.”
So Bookmark or Bin it?
Conclusion: Bookmark it
This book is fast paced and unique! I was in a bit of a thriller slump, with the past few books I read being very predictable. However, this was not the case with The Couple in Cabin 14. This book had ominous foreshadowing throughout, but the clues were cleverly placed and didn’t point you towards an obvious outcome. I read this book quickly because I couldn’t put it down and had to find out what secrets Sophie and Marcus were hiding!
Fun Extra Tidbit
The Couple in Cabin 14 is Nancy Savage’s debut novel. The book is set in the fictional Spring River Resort in Oregon – I wish this was a real resort because the description made it sound like a perfect place to have a romantic outdoorsy vacation! Enjoying the outdoors and camping are activities that Savage enjoys doing with her family.
Thanks so much for reading my book review for The Couple in Cabin 14 by Nancy Savage! Now it’s your turn! Have you read this novel or any others by Savage and if so, what are your thoughts? Please feel free to share in the comments below!
Happy reading 😊
