Ruth Ware’s latest thriller, “One Perfect Couple,” has all the trappings of a television series. There’s a reality show in the works, five “perfect” couples, a deserted beach paradise, and the search for which couple is really the perfect one. This gripping novel has plenty of mysteries to keep us reading well past midnight (as I did); and even at the end, we are left with a few questions.

What we know is that the main character, Lyla, who is also the first person narrator, does not want to be on a reality show. She is in her early thirties, and her boyfriend, Nico, is several years younger. Lyle is a scientist whose career is not progressing as planned. She’s working on research to confirm exciting data, but her data isn’t confirming what she had hoped for. That’s not only frustrating, but bad for upward career movement. Nico is an aspiring actor, and till now, “aspiring” is about all he has in terms of acting credits.

When Nico’s agent approaches him about this reality show, he’s desperate to do it. He thinks it might make his career. But the catch is that he needs to be part of a couple, and Lyla isn’t interested. However, because her study is winding down, she reluctantly agrees to go along with it. Her plan is that she will drop out after the first week or so. After all, she isn’t the flashy, camera-ready type. Nico can stay and compete because of the format of the show.

As soon as they arrive on the island, Lyla notices that things aren’t quite what she expected. The crew filming the production seems strangely sparse. There is no catering staff, just boxed pastries and cans of food. Much to their chagrin, the contestants’ devices are taken away, so they have no way of communicating with anyone. And when a storm sweeps in on their first night alone on the island and destroys much of the infrastructure, they must literally fight for their lives.

But as we come to find out, not everyone on the island is who they have purported to be. The deaths begin with the storm, but soon other contestants are dying. The cause of at least one death is obvious, as is the perpetrator, but other deaths occur that have murkier causes. There are definite #metoo vibes as Lyla and some of the other women must decide how far they will go to survive.

There’s also an alternating narrative written as a diary that presents the events as they occur, but with a very different, almost twisted slant. We know who the writer is, and we think we believe Lyla’s first person narrative of the events, but we are mystified about the purpose of the diary. We might have suspicions, but until the end, with the magnificent twist, we don’t realize its true purpose.

While this is my first Ruth Ware novel, it certainly won’t be my last. It takes good writing to keep my interest in spite of the fact that the main character is not someone who is entirely relatable. The narrative, the action, the situation — all the ingredients — come together into a perfectly created whole.

Please note: This review is based on the advance reader’s copy provided by Scout Press, the publisher, for review purposes.