**3.5-stars rounded up**

When Saffy and Tom move to 9 Skelton Place, they're excited about the possibilities. The property once belonged to Saffy's Grandmother and it will take a little work to get the place just how they want it, but with their first baby on the way, they're willing to take on the project. As they prepare for a kitchen extension, a construction crew begins digging up the back garden. That's how they discover the two bodies buried there.

Early analysis indicates the bodies have been buried there for about 30-years. While their presence isn't the result of a recent act of violence, it's quite clear that a crime, or crimes, was once committed there. 9 Skelton Place becomes a crime scene; a very unpleasant occurrence for the young couple just looking to nest.

As part of their investigation, the police ask to speak with the home's former owner, Saffy's Grandmother, Rose. Unfortunately, Rose is currently suffering from fairly advanced dementia. Saffy frequently goes to visit Rose in her Care Home and can attest to the fact that some days are worse than others. It's unclear if Rose will be able to provide any reliable information to the investigators.

Hearing of her daughter's troubles, Saffy's Mom, Lorna, returns from Spain, where she lives abroad with her boyfriend. Lorna has always been a free spirit, with Saffy often feeling the more mature of the two. It's clear that Lorna loves her daughter though and she's here to help. The more Saffy and Lorna dig into the mystery of 9 Skelton Place, the more ominous it all seems. There are entire chunks of Lorna's very early history that she knows nothing about. What has her mother, Rose, been hiding from her?

I liked this. It was a good time for me. It wasn't perfect, but I found the mystery, the characters and the family dynamics quite interesting. Once I started down the rabbit hole of the bodies in the garden, I was compelled to discover the truth. I had to know!

This story is told through both past and present perspectives. You learn about the present by following Saffy, Lorna and a man named, Theo. In the past, you learn about Rose's time living at 9 Skelton Place. I found both timelines interesting and like how each present section seemed to build off things discovered from the past.

Theo's perspective was confounding to me at first. I wasn't quite sure why it was necessary, but it did ultimately serve a purpose and I like how it all wrapped up in the end. Overall, I thought this was an entertaining read. Douglas did a great job creating a puzzling little mystery and it was fun watching it all come together.

While this won't be the most memorable Mystery/Thriller that I read this year, I am still happy that I picked it up. This was my first Claire Douglas and I definitely enjoyed her style. Thank you to the publisher, Harper Paperbacks, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, and Harper Paperbacks for my honest review.*

Imagine starting a home reno on a house that has been in your family for years and bodies are discovered buried in the back yard. Saffy and Tom have recently moved in and found out they are expecting when the bodies are discovered.

I enjoyed everything about this novel! The premise, the various points of view, the differing time lines, and how it all kept me guessing throughout the entire novel. Several major plot points that I haven't read before and it all flowed perfectly! And enough suspense to keep me coming back to it.

I have already recommended to friends and added Douglas to my list of must read authors.

Sutton and her boyfriend move into a cute little cottage. It has been passed down through the family, and they are very excited to gut it and redo it as their own. Except the renovations uncover a dead body. Her family has owned this home since it was built.. so how could this have gotten there? Bread crumbs are sprinkled throughout the novel.. it was a bit long and drawn out. But still a good read.

Very fun mystery! It isn't anything new or something that will knock your socks off but it is a solid good time and I highly recommend this!

This one was a sloooow burn. Saffy and her boyfriend are undergoing renovations at their cottage when something is discovered that they never expected...buried bodies. As police investigate, they need to question all owners from the past 30 years, which means they are relying on the memory of Saffy's grandmother who is currently suffering from Alzheimer's. Is she even going to be helpful?

This one took me a bit to get into as I felt like it was just taking too long for twists and info to come and there were too many POVs. Plus, the fact that the police were relying on somebody with dementia to solve a crime? I'd call that a stretch. I found myself not really being interested in the characters and eventually, not even interested enough in the mystery. I pushed through to the end though to see if I had it figured out. Overall, this was a 2.5 star read for me.

“The Couple in Cabin No 9” was my first Claire Douglas novel.

The book follows Saffy and Tom, who are renovating their cottage when two bodies are found in the garden. The story switches between Saffy, Tom, Saffy’s mom Lorna, Saffy’s grandmother Rose and Theo.

The characters gradually uncover secrets of the past and start interlocking them. The characters' conversations were detailed. However, there seemed to be a trace of overlap between two of the main characters. One of them could have been eliminated. I felt there was a little too much repetition in the first 20% of the novel. I wanted to skim.

The story took off halfway through the novel. There are plenty of revelations that come to light. At that point, the book held my attention. The second half of the novel was quite enjoyable. The tension picked up. There was a good amount of suspense.

I enjoyed that it revealed the mystery in the beginning and the reveal at the end. The middle of the novel was a bit of a challenge for me.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to Killer crime reads for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a little to get through this one but in the end it was well worth the read! I loved that the story was told from different perspectives and timelines. The way the story centered on this mystery of two bodies found buried on a family property really intrigued me. I think my only complaint with this book was how long it took to get through it. Though, I am a new mom so that could have something to do with it. The closer I got to the end, I had to know the answers and I do have to say that the ending was worth it in the end.

4/5 stars!!

A murder mystery that keeps you turning the pages.

While remodeling Saffy and Tom find bodies buried on their newly inherited property. While there is no way they were involved it was Saffy's grandmother's home so did she, Rose, know that they were there and was she involved.

This book is told from two timelines. The present with Saffy and Tom and the past from Rose. You get to know these people and secrets they may have been hiding. This is a page turner that will have you guessing. It's well written and truly an enjoyable read. It had moments where it dragged for me but overall it was so worth the read.

I'm working hard to get caught up after an illness.

4 stars and I recommend this one.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

A bit of a slow start, despite bodies being located in the garden early on. Multiple points of view, so a bit confusing with the characters. Not a thriller, but a mystery. The twist at the end wasn’t too bad though.

I just reviewed The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas. #TheCoupleatNumber9 #NetGalley
[NetGalley

If you like slow burns with an incredibly over-complicated plot, far too many characters, and is definitely a "mystery" (very loose) not a thriller, then The Couple at Number 9 might be for you.

This book had a lot of promise, but the most thrilling thing that happens, happens in the first chapter. Everything else after chapter 1 just drags on and on. This book was WAY too long with what felt like a lot of useless filler.

By the end, there was a little twist that I enjoyed. But, overall, I don't recommend this book.

My first Clare Douglas and it didn't disappoint. Such a great domestic thriller. Thank you to Harper for the gifted ARC my honest review.

This book started off strong and I was drawn in. Can you imagine doing basic home renovations and finding two bodies in your garden? That's a great start to a book, for sure! But from there I think this book took a turn and became a bit too slow and a bit too cumbersome. I could discern where it was going from about the midpoint, and it seemed to slog from there to the end. I liked the premise but didn't like the pacing, laborious details, or switching points of view. When I finished the book I didn't have any particular feelings about it and didn't feel like I'd be eager to recommend it to others. It was just ok.

Started slow but really packed a punch with the twist! I liked the multiple POVs and the back and forth timeframe which helped piece together the mystery. I didn’t see the twist coming so I loved seeing how everything played out.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m getting through some of my backlog and was really glad I finally made time for this book! The character development was spot on, and every time I thought I knew where it was headed, I was caught completely off guard! I loved never knowing where the story was headed until it all comes together at the end, wrapped with a neat bow. I will definitely be reading more by this author and would totally recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers and mysteries!

Another home run psychological domestic thriller by one of the best authors in the genre. I received this advance copy from Netgalley and I was thrilled as this is the best offering yet from Douglas (I have read all of her books and she started out great and just keeps getting better)! Excellent dialogue, character development (she makes you care about the main character, you identify with her and you cheer her on...Reading Claire Douglas' novels is like eating your favorite treat, when a new book of hers is released I tend to consume it all in one day/night

I was in the middle of the road for this book. I didn't read it until October and I wasn't in the right head space to read this book. I don't think that it's fair for me to review a book that I didn't give my full attention to. So this book is a soft DNF

5 stars! The Couple at Number 9 was riveting and I cannot give it enough praise.
Thank you to Claire Douglas, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.15⭐

Featuring ~ multiple 1st person POV, dual timeline, 4 part story, dead bodies, murder mystery, Alzheimer's

Our narrators are:
Saffy/Saphie (spelling in book vs in audio) ~ daughter to Lorna
Lorna ~ mother to Saffy
Rose ~ mother to Lorna (unreliable in present due to Alzheimer's)
Theo ~ you'll have to find out his connection to the story on your own

I really like that this one was written in dual timeline in the present following Saffy and Lorna, and in the past with Rose. The story flowed along nicely and had some nice twists! I like how it was wrapped up.

I was able to listen to the final version as well, so I went back and forth reading and listening. It was narrated by Kenton Thomas and Nathalie Buscombe for 12 Hours 43 Minutes 56 Seconds, mostly easy to follow at 2.25-2.5x. Kenton had such a heavy accent that I had to slow his parts down. It was interesting that when there were phone calls there was sort of an echo.

The Couple at Number 9 is a decades old mystery. Saffy and her husband Tom are adding on to the kitchen in a cottage they recently inherited. When the hole is dug in the back, 2 bodies are found; bodies that have been buried for 30 years. Saffy and Tom are obviously not involved since they weren't born yet, but Saffy's grandmother, Rose, lived there during that time period.

Rose is probably the only one who can solve the mystery, but she is suffering from Dementia and when questioned, only some of what she says makes sense. There are multiple POV's and timelines, 2018 and 1980. Rose was hiding from someone in this little town, but who and why? And when she takes in a boarder, can she trust her?

There was a time in early on when I was getting confused by all the names, but stick with it and it all makes sense in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.