Cover Image: The New Couple in 5B

The New Couple in 5B

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I have read other Lisa Unger books and this one was unfortunately a disappointment. The supernatural aspect of the story was the only part that I did enjoy, but it played a minor role. The main character's point of view was tedious in the description of her slow boring thoughts. The police involvement was impractical. I finished the story to the end, but even the ending was not great.

Was this review helpful?

4 stars

The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger - Oh dang. This was good. I took a little bit off because the beginning was kind of a slog, but the rest of the book was fast-paced and very entertaining. I do think I would have liked to know more about the door man and his feelings after the woman died and maybe a bit more about Chad's past but otherwise, I'm happy with what I read. Freaking old rich people and the stuff they would do to upkeep their appearance/status.

This audiobook is narrated by Vivienne Leheny

•Thank you to @harperaudio & @parkrowbooks

Was this review helpful?

This gripping gothic narrative will have you captivated from the first few pages with its creepy and cramped style; but, don't expect it to seem realistic.

Was this review helpful?

This was an atmospheric, layered mystery, with lots of death by many different means. It reminded me of a darker, eerier "Only Murders in the Building." It was a bit slow at times, but it did keep me guessing and interested. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator, Vivienne Leheny, was first rate. Many thanks to Harper Audio/Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for an audio e-ARC of this book.

Was this review helpful?

What can I say, I’m a big fan of Lisa Unger and she did it again. It was twisty, suspenseful, creepy and unputdowable.
It kept me guessing, by the end everyone was a suspect and I just needed to know what was going on behind everything. A fantastic read.

Thank you @harlequin_audio and @netgalley for this gifted audiobook.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝟱𝗕 by @launger released March 5, 2024.

Was this review helpful?

This story takes the reader on a ride, in the dark and you feel like you are blindfolded. Trying the solve the mystery won't be easy as you certainly are missing pieces to this puzzle until the end. Overall, a good read and a unique story.

Was this review helpful?

There are times in a b0ok like this where the twists seem contrived, and while this seemed a little in the machinations surrounding the apartment, I appreciated the understanding that the main character has for her past, and how it influences her present and her decision making. The way that her past is worked into the story, and her talents are exposed and discussed in the book are really clever. I liked the characters so much, I was disappointed at the husband by the end of the book, but overall this was a good, fascinating tale that kept me interested and enjoying this title until the end.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you #NetGalley, and #HarperAudio for granting me access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a good thriller. I gave it 3 stars, but it should be more like 3.5. The story had all of the elements a thriller should have, but the ending was more of a head tilt than a twist. Regardless, it was enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

This title contains plot lines related to and descriptions of the following: mental illness, gaslighting, religious abuse, suicide, death (including that of a child), pregnancy, infertility, and miscarriages.

After providing that disclaimer, it feels weird to say this book is fun, but it actually is! I flew through The New Couple in 5B and was desperate to find out what would happen next. I loved the flashbacks and dual timelines. Perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Rosemary’s Baby! The narrator was wonderful and paired very well with the story.

Was this review helpful?

This was a fantastic thriller! I liked how it was mostly set in the present time but would also occasionally go back into the past. I thought Rosie and Chad were really compelling and complicated characters. The twists & turns were also really well done. The audiobook narrator was really fantastic. The tonal changes during the exciting scenes really worked well for this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Unger & Harper Audio for an audio ARC of The New Couple in 5B in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Unger can be hit or miss with me, but when she hits, she does so very well. So, I’m always going to read her books. Luckily, this one was a hit!

I have described this book to friends as Lock Every Door meets The Nestlings.

This story was VERY atmospheric from the start, which I absolutely LOVED!

The doorman is creepy AF and the reader learns pretty quickly that not all of the neighbors are what they seem; and the ones who are, don’t stick around very long.

After inheriting a luxury apartment from his late uncle, Chad & his wife Rosie move into their seemingly dream home at the Windemere, but soon after moving in, Rosie begins to see creepy ghosts and encounters strange neighbors & literally no one will answer her questions, especially the doorman. What exactly is going on at the Windemere & why has it been so plagued with crime over the years?

This was a solid 4.5/5 Stars that I am happy to recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I found that the New Couple in 5B was very predictable. The twists were obvious early on in the book. I am growing bored with the mystery / thriller genre as a whole because it largely features white women who question their own sanity and/or others do as well. The thick Southern accent for the young sister to be too harsh, off-putting and somewhat infantilizing to her character.

Was this review helpful?

I was really wanting to like this book but it was like I have read/heard this story before. I was hoping that there was something more to the story than the typical Park Avenue haunted house story (there’s a few books and TV shows that oddly/eerily are very similar to this book). I was hoping then for a clever twist at the end, which there was, but sadly I definitely saw it coming. I was also a little saddened by the fact that everyone is “gaslighting” the main protagonist Rosie kind of due to her gender. Disappointing as the author is female and is perpetuating that stereotypical trope.

Was this review helpful?

I was a little confused when I first started listening to this audiobook as my brain could not figure out the different characters and their storylines. Once I figured that out, the story was great and moved along at a quick pace. I loved the hints of paranormal activity and that Lisa Unger brings us back to the necklaces and the group that wears them throughout the story. Looking forward to Lisa's next book.

Vivienne Leheny did a great job narrating this story and i look forward to listening to more books narrated by Vivienne in the future.

Was this review helpful?

This book constantly had me trying to keep up and get to the bottom of what was happening. There were several elements of mystery and intrigue, but at times it was slow moving and there were so many characters that I felt like I was ping ponging around trying to keep up with everyone.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks so much to Lisa Unger and NetGalley for the advanced audio of this story.
Rosie and Chad inherit a luxury apartment in the historic swanky Windermere. Rosie, an author, and Chad an aspiring actor can't believe their luck. The elegant building comes with its very own doorman, security, and new friends. The Windermere's dark and haunted past begins to rear its ugly head and a shadow is cast upon Rosie and Chad and soon people begin to die.
As Rosie and Chad settle into their new home, we begin to see things are not always what they seem, and the dead have never left the Windermere.
A great mystery/thriller by L. Unger. A great combination of spooky and mystery.

Was this review helpful?

Only Murders in the Building vibes, but without the comedy. I was interested in the story - it was a slow burn, but kept me turning the pages. You find out early on that there is a supernatural aspect to the story, so keep that in mind depending on your reading preferences.

Was this review helpful?

This is my 1st novel by Lisa Unger, but certainly not my last. When a young couple, Rosie & Chad are bequeathed an apartment in a historical building, they think their future is looking up. Weird events begin to unfurl, and the residents are their own set of odd. It quickly becomes known that this building has been the home of many tragedies. Can a building really be haunted? If so, can it be cleansed, and its spirits find closure? Or maybe certain people are behind the mounting number of curious and scary occurrences. Paradise found or doomed? Thanks to Harper Audio & NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I loved everything about Lisa Unger's latest release, The New Couple in 5B. A building full of secrets, residents who all seem friendly, but also to be hiding something, and a ghost in the basement? Yes, yes, and yes. I loved the dual timelines and how they tied together, all around Apartment 5B. This is my favorite kind of thriller, where there's a realistic, believable plot with real-life characters, but also that element of the paranormal to add in that little spine-tingling chill that is perfectly narrated.

Was this review helpful?

Rosie is a true crime author trying to start a family with her husband, Chad, in New York. Their lives are forever changed when Chad inherits a luxury apartment from his uncle in the historic Windermere. Both Chad and Windermere have tragic pasts and Rosie keeps having visions of more tragedy on the horizon. Are these visions just her overactive imagination or is more death to come?

An absolute page turner with so many twists that I didn't see coming.

Was this review helpful?