3.5 stars. This book had me from the beginning. It had the perfect creepy, mysterious feel to it. There were a lot of characters which did get a little confusing at times. The first part of the book was engaging and moved quickly but then the second half just dragged. The pace had me wishing the book would just end. Overall, I still enjoyed it and the twist was a really good one. The female narrator was easy to understand, but I admit I had a little trouble understanding the male reader at times.

I really really loved this one. The pace of the novel was initially a bit slow but it wasn't a bad slow. It provided the readers a bit of build up and had the readers curious and desiring for more. Once the book got going, let me tell you, it got going! WOW. The plot was well constructed and connect so brilliantly with everything. Douglas did a phenomenal job at creating a creepy and eerie environment.

I listened to this one on audio and I would definitely recommend. Kenton Thomas and Nathalie Buscombe did a fantastic job. I would say give this one a try if you like audiobooks.

This was my first book by this author, and while this particular book wasn't for me, I'm still willing to try another book by this author some other time.

The book moved really slowly so it was hard for me to stay focused and pay attention to the story.

I also was not really a fan of the narrator.

What an interesting thriller! Told from various points of view, some more distinctive than others, the book was intriguing,
Loss of memory and dementia seem to be quite a dominant theme in today's mysteries. The twists and turns weren't, perhaps, unpredictable but there was still enough to keep me reading persistently until the end.
Narration was great and added to the story!

"Tense, twisty, fraught with emotion and packed with secrets. The Couple at Number 9 is Claire's best thriller yet" This was the blurb that grabbed my attention and made me excited to make it my next thriller!

I love when a twist hits and I didn't see it coming. Saffy and her husband Tom are trying to complete an addition on their home before their baby arrives, when they discover two skeletons in the garden of their home. This sets the course for family secrets and discovery, and I loved it.

*many thanks to Harper Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

A cottage that has been in the family for forty years becomes a nightmare for Saffy and her husband Tom. Hoping to complete an addition on the cottage before the arrival of their baby, they instead discover two skeletons in the garden of their home. This discovery unwinds the history of her family and everything she knows to be true. Told in four perspectives, Saffy, her mother Lorna, her grandmother Rose, and Theo who we're not sure why they're included until over halfway through the story. There were a lot, and it did get a little confusing with the audiobook as there wasn't a clear distinction between the characters, but it was very easily figured out. The story was appealing and a good listen, and the twist at the end wasn't much of a twist, but it didn't negate the story and provided a nice conclusion and wrap up.

I originally gave this book 3.5 stars (bumped to four stars), but lowered it to a solid three stars after some reflection. I was feeling pretty smug when I *thought* I had it figured out, then realized I was wrong, then realized I was kind of right. I was intrigued by the story and, while I did enjoy it, found it to be missing . . . something. Maybe it was the two timelines, maybe it was a seemingly unnecessary large number of characters, maybe it was the numerous points of view . . . none of them seem to take away from the story on their own, but together they just didn't seem to work for me for some reason.

I did enjoy Nathalie Buscombe's narration, but was totally enthralled by Kenton Thomas.

This was one of my first audio ARCs with Netgalley and it was a hit! I'm also a sucker for multi POVs, and adding the additional element of memory issues for one character amped up the mystery.

I loved Kenton Thomas's voice, at times it reminded me of Tosin Cole and I was not going to complain. :) Kenton did a great job of distinguishing the different characters voices and I will definitely look for books narrated by Kenton Thomas in the future.

The book itself had a lot of twists and turns and I liked how the relevant information was provided to the reader. I was able to guess who the killer was but finding out the why behind it was still entertaining.

This one surprised me. I had an image in my head of the type of story I was about to embark on based on the cover of the book, but that just shows you that you really can’t judge a book by its cover. The story lines were intriguing, with multiple twists that I didn’t see coming. Victors part in the story line from the past turned out to be a different type of sinister than I was expecting, but no less destructive to Rose and Daphne’s relationship. The LGBTQ representation with their relationship was a pleasant surprise as well, making me root for Daphne even when I suspected her. It’s always interesting in a multi timeline story to see how each character eventually fits in to the bigger picture that the author is moving towards. Especially when the characters you expect to play major roles are misdirects and vis a versa. It’s definitely a good study on the consequences of jealousy and the actions that jealousy can produce, alongside the importance of trust and companionship in the struggle of finding and keeping love.

This was my first Claire Douglas book and I am happy that I chose to give her a try.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will now look for other books by this author.

This was a deliciously twisty, creepy domestic thriller and great on audio narrated by Kenton Thomas. A new to me author, I was immediately drawn into this story and invested in finding out what happened thirty years ago and how Saffron's grandmother Rose was involved. Recommended for fans of Lisa Jewell. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

A house inherited from her grandmother Rose, Saffron, now expecting and her boyfriend Thomas, set out to make improvements. While digging up the patio, two bodies are found. Who are they and how long have they been there? Her grandmother Rose, has dementia and now living in a memory care unit. Her own mother hasn't lived in the house since she was three. Getting answers will prove beyond challenging, as her grandmother is only aware in bits and pieces and for short periods of time.

This was a slow unraveling of a story but one that kept me interested. I enjoyed the characters, the clues revealed along the way. The look into the past of Rose and a glimpse of life in this town. Despite all the clues, I was filled more than once and surprised at the denouement. I'm not very good at guessing the who doner, so it's a good thing I never became a detective.

Loved the narration by Kenton Thomas.

I received a copy of this audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for a review. I had never heard of this title or author but the summary and the cover intrigued me.

The book starts off like any other book...a young couple is fixing up their new home. During renovations two skeletons are found in the garden. Who they are and what happened 40 years earlier unfolds in the rest of the novel. I love books with surprise endings. I will definitely be on the lookout for other books by this author.

If you like mystery authors like Ruth Ware and Alice Feeney you will enjoy this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4964050294

This was a good book. A little slow at points but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it to a friend

The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas was an entertaining audio book for the most part. Its a tense thriller told from the viewpoint of the different characters. From Saffy and her husband, who had hired a crew to do a renovation to their cottage by adding on to the kitchen, that resulted in finding human bones, and put a quick stop to the renovations! Saffy's mother, Lorna has been living in Spain, and rarely visits, even though her own mother Rose, is in a care facility, and gradually developing dementia. But she came back because of the bodies in the backyard.

The POV's come from multiple people and several different generations, each with their own take on who and why 2 different people were buried in the garden. I admit that maybe listening to the book while doing a 14hr drive may have something to do with my opinion, as at times it was hard to track what was going on and who was talking.

I appreciate being able to listen to this ARC, and this review is my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher

A young couple about to start a family make a grisly discovery when home renovations begin on their inherited cottage. The mystery is revealed piece by piece through different points of view. This was a great story with interesting twists and turns.

The publisher's description of this book piqued my interest. I have not previously read any of Ms. Doublas' work, but I intend to seek out further titles from her.

I loved every aspect of this book. For those who have read books like the "Women's Murder Club" series by James Patterson or "The Lost Apothecary" by Sarah Penner, the multiple POV presentation will be familiar and easy to follow. If you are not familiar with this writing style, it may seem slightly disjointed at the beginning, as there are no clear indications of how the various storylines are connected. The greatest value of this particular literary device is that it allows the reader insight into the thoughts and memories of the main character's grandmother, who is suffering from dementia.

While there were several plot points I was able to deduce through the telling of the story, the revelation of them as the story progressed was not anticlimactic. It was more a feeling of suspecting how some of the dots were going to connect, followed by triumph when the connection is finally revealed. The kicker is that when those connections are confirmed, they are done so in a way that only elicits more questions.

I was given early access to this book by NetGalley and Harper Publishing in both an ebook format and an audiobook format. I highly enjoyed the audiobook format, as the dual narrators did an excellent job of embodying the various characters they were portraying.

I highly recommend this book/audiobook to anyone who likes murder mysteries without a lot of gore. While I would not go so far as to categorize this as a "cozy" mystery, there are several elements that could qualify it as such. It is more of a roller coaster ride than most cozy mysteries

This was okay. I wanted to like it more than I did. I got a little bit bored and a tad lost at times. I think the overall story was great and kept me interested to follow through to the end. The characters were intriguing and the plot was well paced. I just got a little confused by the characters at times. Maybe that was my own fault. It was definitely worth the read though. So I give it 3 and a half stars.

Review of The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Huge thank you to @harperperennial and @harperaudio for the paperback and audio copies of this book.
This was a really quick and entertaining read for me. I liked the premise and felt for the main character. What made this one a bit disappointing for me is that I was able to correctly predict most of the twists and a few parts didn’t make sense to me. Overall a solid thriller and definitely look forward to the book by this author.

Quick synopsis: Saffy is pregnant and has moved into her grandmother’s old cottage with her boyfriend Tom. With renovations a body is discovered in the garden. The police must question her grandmother Rose who is in a home for those with memory issues. Saffy is insistent to find out the truth about the body in the yard.