A fun and claustrophobic summer read, The Couple at No 9 is everything you want in a thriller: a murder to solve, a clever plot, compelling characters. The slow-burn tension ratchets tighter and tighter until you’re suddenly flying toward the gasp-worthy end. Irresistibly tense, utterly unforgettable and surprising in all the right places, you won’t want to miss this brilliantly written thriller.

This title looked and sounded liked creepy joyride and I was not disappointed. Douglas created an atmosphere that was both warm and inviting, but also off and disturbing all wrapped in one.
I loved the uncertainty that followed that characters throughout the story and receiving information piece by piece while not knowing whether you can trust it. These characters were developed and solid. Their story was likewise.
I look forward to reading more from Douglas in the future.
The narration of this audio book was wonderful. Thomas’ voice was a great choice and easy to listen to.

The Couple at Number 9 starts with a bang...Saffy and Tom, soon to be parents, find as they are preparing to expand their home, 2 bodies. The investigation commences and soon the readers find out that Saffy's grandmother, Rose, and mother, Lorna, lived there at one point in time. While the police hunt for information regarding the identities of the victims, Saffy, Tom, and Lorna begin their own search to determine how Rose, who is suffering with dementia, is connected to the deaths.

The novel is told from several points of view, including Saffy, Lorna, Rose, and Theo, a Yorkshire chef, who grew up with a controlling father with many secrets. One finds many twists and turns along the way, and eventually are hit with a bombshell! One that I did not see coming!

In addition to the thrill of this mystery, the reader is coupled with familial relationships that need to be addressed after years of avoidance.

I enjoyed my first Claire Douglas nove and look forward to reading other titles by this author.

A dream home turned into a nightmare...
As the construction crew is digging up the garden to add an extension to the Cutler's newly acquired cottage, they come across the remains of two bodies. According to forensics, the bodies have been there for atleast thirty years, which means Saffy and Tom have nothing to worry about. But Saffy's grandmother Rose, the previous owner, does. Rose isn't of much help to the police as she has Alzheimer's and her memory is increasingly confused. With their baby on the way and an ongoing murder investigation, it also appears that they are being watched. Are Saffy and Tom safe in their own home? Who was buried in the garden and why?
I've never read anything by Claire Douglas before and am pleased to say I'm now a fan! This story was more of a slow burn and at times seemed to be a little drawn out due to the complexity of the story, with several timelines and many POVs within each timeline. Overall I really enjoyed this story. There were so many unexpected twists and turns, it constantly had me guessing! Along with reading the e-book, I also listened to the audiobook. The narrators, Nathalie Buscombe and Kenton Thomas, did a great job reading this story. I would definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by them. I recommend this story to anyone who loves a intriguing, slow-burning thriller.
I received a free copy of this audiobook via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

When pregnant Saffy and her husband Tom are given a cottage by her gran they were so excited to start to make this new place their home. They think working to improve their home will be fairly simple with the help of some builders until they make a disturbing discovery: two bodies buried on their new property. When they contact the police they of course want to talk to Rose, Saffy's gran who was living in the cottage when the bodies were thought to have been buried there. However, Rose suffers from dementia and has difficulty remember her grand daughter never mind what happened so long ago. Lorna, Saffy's mom also arrives and now there are three generations of the women together again with Saffy and Lorna trying to figure out what secrets Rose has hidden away in her memories.

I really enjoyed this story and had fun trying to piece together the mystery as I read further. I loved the multiple POV's and timelines that the author switched between especially the three generations of women. I think my favorite character has to be Lorna who was such a spirited and quirky woman. I did find that the story did drag in parts but for the most part I was usually excited to see what would happen in the next chapter. The twists and turns that were thrown by the author had me clutching the pearls at so many different parts in the story. Claire Douglas' writing had me tense and worried in many scenes for all my favorite characters especially pregnant Saffy, Lorna, Rose, and the little dog Snowy. I found the characters very realistic, the story well crafted and written and the mystery and thrills excellently executed and now I can't wait to read more by this author. I really liked the narrator Kenton Thomas and the way she did a great job keeping the flow of the story going and I had no problems keeping the characters apart when she switched between them.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the digital audio copy of this book with me in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I really loved the narrator of this one. They did a great job adjusting voice inflection for each character. The plot and storyline were smooth and intriguing. I will definitely recommend to others!

Mysterious and perfectly slow building. There are secrets very deliberately revealed at certain times and plenty of twists to keep the pages turning. As you read, you gain little bits of the puzzle, but as soon as you think you can start putting it together, you get a new piece that you have to work into the picture. Great characters, all very interesting in their own right. Dual time lines definitely added a lot of expectancy and guessing and were always full of details and intriguing. Rose with her Alzheimer's makes the reader wonder if she's reliable or not. I really liked Saffy and cared about how things affected her, too.

It was a long book, but the audio version really saved me from getting bored with the length. Very good narration on this one. Different voices for characters helped to individualize them when they were speaking.

Satisfying ending and believable. In fact, the whole story is plausible, so if you prefer reading something which doesn't require you to suspend disbelief, you will like this one.

I certainly enjoyed this audiobook and have already started recommending it!

~ Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. ~

The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas will be a good beach read. It is quick and easy but also engrossing.

When Saffron Cutler and her boyfriend, Tom, decide to have renovations done on their cottage before the arrival of their baby, the last thing they expect the builders to find is two bodies in the garden dating back to the 80s when Saffy's gran lived in the cottage. Not only do they need to wonder what her gran's connection is to the bodies, but a strange man starts lurking around, another shows up with startling news, and Saffy and her mother's lives are turned upside down.

The Couple at Number 9 is a perfect thriller. It has all the twists and turns, but they are truly startling. Truly plot twists and that keep you guessing. In the beginning, you'll be wondering how all the things fit together even how the characters come together. The book is written from alternating points of view - something perfect for thrillers. You never quite get all the pieces at all the right times until the end when the characters begin to converge on one another. The audiobook made for perfect listening. With the alternating points of view came alternating narrators and accents and voices. The narrators did a perfect job especially with the alternating accents. It really made the different characters come to life and it made them easier to discern from one another.

If you truly want a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, keeps you guessing until the very end, this is the one for you! I was thrown for a loop so many times. Just when I thought I had it figured out, there was another twist in the narrative. This is a rare treasure to find in the vast sea of thrillers on the market today.

I enjoyed this audiobook very much. The narrator did a great job. The story was engaging and there were clever surprises along the way.

A book that starts with "it was the house of their dreams. Until the bodies were found...." is sure to be a wild ride. The Couple at No. 9 definitely lives up to any expectations, and blows past them!

This is an intriguing story of three generations of women, Saffy (24 years old), Lorna (her mother and grandmother to be at 41) and Rose (Saffy’s grandmother, aged 78). When Rose settles into a retirement home Saffy and her partner Tom move into the Rose's cottage in Beggar’s Nook. Two skeletons are discovered during renovations in the back garden. Who are they and who killed them? It’s clear that they’ve been there for a while so did anything happen in the ’80s when Rose was living there?

This is a beautifully written, expertly-plotted psychological thriller with a twist that still has me reeling..It's a fun and claustophobic summer read. I loved the characters – Saffy, Tom, Lorna, Rose, and Daphne. I loved the setting. I thought Rose’s dementia was portrayed accurately and sensitively. And that twist!!! The Couple at No 9 is everything you want in a thriller: a murder to solve, a clever plot, compelling characters. The slow-burn tension ratchets tighter and tighter until you’re suddenly flying toward the gasp-worthy end. Irresistibly tense, utterly unforgettable and surprising in all the right places, you won’t want to miss this brilliantly written thriller.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Claire Douglas and Harper Audio for this engaging andthrilling listen.

A couple moves into her grandmothers cottage and decides to expand the kitchen. That’s when two bodies are found buried in the garden. A man and a woman. The mystery begins when Saffy tries to get the answers from her Grandmother who is in a care home with Alzheimer’s. Rose is only coherent a bit but when she starts rambling about Jean, Saffy has more questions then answer. Loved this book. The concept was really great. Rose has so many secrets that Saffy and her mother has to uncover the the truth about who are the people buried in the garden.

What a nice surprise!

This was a rollercoaster that I wanted to immediately jump back in line to ride again. I was totally engrossed in this audio from the first page. The plot was well developed with a twist that I absolutely did not see coming. One of the best I’ve come across in a long time.

Claire Douglas and Kenton Thomas did a good job with the narration. Thomas’s voice, as Theo, was unique/odd, but I did end up getting used to it.

I highly recommend to anyone looking for a suspense/thriller you won’t want to put down. 4.5 stars.

***ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one was a real slow burn. While the concept of the story was great (and was the whole reason I chose to read it), it wasn’t executed in a way that gripped my attention. The plot rotated through too many characters’ points of view, and it took too long to get to the real meat of the story. The twist was a good one, but I had predicted it too early on.

I really enjoyed this mystery. I listened to the audio version.
At about 80%, I figured out whodunnit. Rather than being disappointed that I figured it out, I felt satisfied. This is a complex mystery told in two timelines. The author builds suspense very effectively. Each time part of the mystery is revealed, something new is added to complicate the plot and engage the reader. This story kept me absorbed and guessing throughout. Even after I figured out who I believed committed the crime, I enjoyed how the author presented the resolution to the myastery. The ending was completely satisfying.
Characters, atmosphere and dialogue were all well-developed. I cared about the characters and experienced anxiety on their behalf. This is a piece of excellent storytelling.
I had not read this author before, but would definitely read her work in the future.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator did something I haven't heard before and that was during phone calls in the story, she made it sound like an actual phone call with the voices. The story was very twisty turny and felt like there were several stories intertwined. The book goes back and forth in time, re-telling what happened in the past and catching us up with the present. I would consider this is a slow burn suspense story. It was somewhat predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless. Thanks to Netgalley and HarperAudio for the ARC.

Brilliant! Beautifully written, with a plot impressive for both its breadth and depth. I loved how it was written from the point of view of several different characters, each well developed and convincing in telling their various stories, culminating in the whole coming together beautifully in the end. There are some great twists to this wonderfully originally story. Highly recommended! I had the pleasure of listening to an e-ARC of the audiobook, and the narrators were absolutely wonderful. Many thanks to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the chance to listen to this book.

I loved this newest addition to Claire Douglas's catalog. I enjoyed how twisty and unpredictable the story was, keeping me guessing until the end reveal. I felt a connection to several characters and thought they were well developed and (mostly) likeable. I have already recommended her work to others and cannot wait for this one to print to do the same.

What a great thriller! Claire Douglas is a great novelist and I will highly recommend “The Couple at Number Nine” to any suspense readers.

4-4.5 Stars
Hidden family secrets that were assumed to be buried forever in 1980, but have been uncovered by the granddaughter and daughter of the person who holds the key…Rose, Grandma and Mommy respectively.

Started a tad slow developing the characters; however, once things started progressing the bombshells kept dropping.

Narration: I thought the narration was great, except I didn’t particularly like when they made a phone call…the person on the other end of the line was fuzzy intentionally which I had to rewind a few times to be able to understand what was being spoken better.
Personal preference perhaps.

Overall: I would recommend this book and narration to anyone who loves a good family thriller that could possibly make your sweet cookie baking Grandma into a murderous monster?
Thriller lovers, this is a book for you!!

Thank you netgalley and HarperAudio for the gifted copy.

Scheduled for a July posting on Instagram prior to the audiobook release August 2nd.