"The Couple Before Us” by Daniel Hurst is a twisty 4-star read! Dionne, her husband Christian, and their son Kai move into a brand new estate, hoping the extra space will be perfect for the baby on the way. But when Di discovers an ominous note, she starts to suspect that the house may not be as new or as safe as it seems. Despite the increasingly dangerous situations she faces, Di is determined to uncover the truth.

In typical Daniel Hurst fashion, this is a fast-paced story packed with twists, maybe even a few too many. Some parts of the story were confusing at first, but as it progressed, the odd behavior began to make sense. At times, Di’s actions didn’t feel entirely believable for a pregnant mother. Still, I enjoyed the book and will definitely keep reading whatever Daniel Hurst writes next

Thanks to Bookouture, Daniel Hurst, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

Dionne, her husband and their child have just moved into a brand new home. They're second child is due soon and they wanted a bigger place to raise their family. They're the first to live in this new home so why did Dionne find a note hidden in a closet warning that something awful happened to the couple that lived there before them?

Dionne can't shake the feeling that something is horribly wrong in this perfect new neighborhood and her suspicions only increase when her neighbor goes missing.

She knows she's been lied to but she doesn't know who she can trust.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Couple Before Us. The mystery of the whodunnit and what exactly is going on was enough to keep me turning pages, but just barely. The FMC was exhausting and repetitive.

The Couple Before Us by Daniel Hurst is a fast-paced domestic thriller that keeps you hooked from the start. The plot centers around two couples and a house-swap arrangement that quickly turns unsettling. Hurst does a great job building suspense and dropping twists at just the right moments. While some of the characters’ decisions feel a bit far-fetched, the story is undeniably entertaining and perfect for fans of quick, binge-worthy thrillers.

Rating: 4/5

Wow!! Thank you to Daniel Hurst and Bookouture for the opportunity read this as an ARC.
This book is well and truly had me on the edge of my seat! The start is a little slow burn however once it picked up I genuinely couldn’t put it down.
The plot follows Di, Christian and their son Kai who move into a new build house on a new estate owned by a man called Cesar. Apparently no one has lived in their house before but Di finds out otherwise…. What happened to the couple that lived there before? Di is on a mission to find out.
Each chapter gripped me and I couldn’t put this down!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 2.5 out of 5
An okay thriller that delivers an easy, entertaining read—but not much more than that.

The premise is intriguing enough and the author does a decent job building suspense. That said, the plot starts to unravel under closer scrutiny. Character motivations often feel thin or inconsistent, and some twists come off more as contrived than clever. The story leans heavily on convenience, with a few too many coincidences to feel truly believable.

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture for sending this book for review consideration.

e couple before us - Daniel Hurst
Thanks @netgalley & @bookatour for the ARC!
Pub date July 17th 📙
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mood: 🤔😯🍿

✅ REVIEW:
I found it to be an entertaining book with a simple yet well-crafted plot. It’s an easy read, with short to medium chapters that keep the pace flowing nicely. Not the most memorable for me, but it gave me a good time and helped me unwind for a few hours. Perfect if you’re looking for something light and enjoyable.

Dionne (heavily pregnant), her husband, and their young son are moving into what seems like their dream home. It’s a brand-new house, and they believe they’re the first ones to ever live there. But soon, Dionne finds a strange note that says something bad happened to the people who lived there before. After that, weird things start to happen. But no one, not even her husband, believes her…
Told in single POV, 1st person, it can be read as a standalone novel. This was my first book by Daniel Hurst, and I liked it. The story was fast-paced and easy to read, with short chapters. The plot was interesting and kept me curious. I just wish there was a bit more character development so I could connect more with the people in the story. Overall, it was a quick and entertaining read, and hope you like it as well!

Thanks to Daniel Hurst, Netgalley, and Bookouture for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. (Expected publication: July 17, 2025)

These characters made me mad but at the same time I couldn’t wait to turn to the next page.

Daniel Hurst books always keep you guessing, and I almost never figure them out.

That being said, great read with lots of twist. I enjoyed this read.

Hurst is a familiar name in the psychological thriller genre, and this novel follows in the same vein. The story centres on Di, a pregnant mother navigating a new neighbourhood alongside her husband, Christian, and their son, Kai. Told from Di’s perspective, the plot kicks off with her discovering a mysterious note on move-in day—launching a tense, paranoia-fuelled search for answers.

The premise was intriguing, and Hurst does a good job of hooking the reader early with an air of suspense. The pacing moves along quickly by the end, and even though many of the twists were fairly easy to anticipate, they still gave the story momentum and a reason to continue 'til the end.

However, I struggled with Di as a main character. Her narration often felt overexplained, and her internal monologue became repetitive to the point of frustration. At times, her logic didn’t quite hold up—for example, proudly announcing she’s never learned to drive and then lamenting how trapped she feels. These kinds of contradictions made it hard to connect with her or fully invest in her point of view.

That said, while The Couple Before Us wasn’t quite for me, I can see how it might resonate with a different audience—especially readers who enjoy slow-paced domestic thrillers with a touch of neighbourhood drama.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARC Review out 7/15

I was fortunate to read this before it was released. I enjoyed this book it kept my attention and had me guessing the whole time. I feel in the beginning Dionne was portrayed as a hormonal, overthinking anxious pregnant woman. Multiple characters were gaslighting her and downplaying her thoughts and feelings by the end her feelings were validated.

The novel The Couple Before Us by Daniel Hurst is a psychological thriller.
Dionne and her husband, Christian, are looking forward to starting a new life in their new house. However, upon finding the disturbing note, Dionne begins to question what happened to the couple who lived there before them. 
She tries to shake off her worries and trust her husband, but when she overhears Christian on the phone revealing a secret, her suspicion grows. This leads her on a path to uncover the truth about the former residents, but the closer she gets to the answers, the more she fears her safety and relationships. The story builds suspense as she grapples with fear and the unsettling feeling that she should have left when she had the chance.

Psychological thriller from Daniel Hurst. This is probably the best yet. Di and Christian are in need of a new property as they have a growing family. They move to a new build estate and from the start something seems off with it.
While trying to sort the house out and run a normal family life Di is getting more and more unnerved by the place. The suspense is high in this story and it speeds along to the climax, not one we would expect while reading. The ending seemed a little rushed compared with the speed of the earlier chapters and I was left with a couple of questions, but then again I often am regardless of the book I'm reading. None of this detracts from the impact of the story. And I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it to people who want to be on the edge of their seats wondering where it was going to lead and if the characters would survive to the end of the story. Amazing story. With thanks to the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Daniel always writes entertaining books that compel you to turn the pages quickly. This story is about pregnant Dionne, Christian and their son who move into a new house on a newly built estate, against Dionne’s better judgement. And then she finds a strange note and bizarre things start to happen. This book stretched credibility and Dionne is a frustrating protagonist, but nevertheless it’s a fun, twisty read.

Thank you to Daniel Hurst, Bookouture and Netgalley for my advance copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. This is the first Daniel Hurst standalone I’ve read, after finishing The Doctor’s Wife series.

I initially struggled to get into this book and was getting increasingly frustrated with Di and her actions. The last few chapters were twist after twist and took me in some directions I definitely hadn’t expected. While I finished and enjoyed some of the book, it was also made difficult by just not liking Di. This book had me until about halfway through. I felt the 'reveal' was too soon and anti-climatic… and then the story kept going. I lost interest and the overall ending was confusing and disassociated from the rest of the book.

Overall, it was still a decent story/read but it wasn’t my favourite Daniel Hurst book and there’s other thrillers I would reach for again before picking this up, a 3 star from me.

This was a fun read that kept me turning the pages quickly. When Dionne and Christian move into a new home as the first ever residents, Dionne soon discovers that people may have lived there before. But what happened to them?

The sinister vibes were really fun to read, but had me expecting a bit more from the ending. The resolution felt a bit rushed and underwhelming.

There was a great story in here, but I'm not sure it lived up to its potential. Still a fun read if you want a light thriller.

I enjoy Daniel Hurst books and I gotta say I thoroughly enjoyed this one too even if I found the main character annoying.

Full of Twists and turns and like Hursts other book I have read i started and finished it in one setting.. a definite recommend

Thanks Bookouture and Netgalley. All thoughts and feelings are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

This was a solid domestic thriller with an intriguing premise. I liked the slow unraveling of the mystery, and there were definitely moments that kept me curious about what was really going on. That said, I did find the Female Main Character frustrating at times and Christian’s detached attitude didn’t help matters. But once everything comes to light, the character behavior makes more sense in retrospect.

The pacing was a little slow for my taste, and the ending left me more surprised than satisfied. Not in the jaw-dropping twist kind of way, but more of a “wait, really?” reaction. Still, the plot was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages, and I appreciated how everything came together by the end.

This book was fast-paced and kept me turning the pages, but it still felt a bit meh overall. The writing was solid, and I liked the premise, but I struggled with the main character—she rubbed me the wrong way from the start and continued to annoy me throughout the story. As for the ending, it just felt too far-fetched.

I tried to get into this one and just didn't care about the characters. It felt very chaotic but I will try another Hurst book in the future.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Couple Before Us” by Daniel Hurst, I must say, it was an absolute delight! I couldn’t put it down. The plot was so intriguing, and the twist at the end was completely unexpected. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Highly recommend it if you’re looking for a gripping and entertaining read!

The Couple Before Us by Daniel Hurst was an okay read for me. I found the story to be a little hard to believe in spots,, but generally enjoyable. It has a strong plot, albeit a little far-fetched, plenty of twists, and overall relatable characters. There was a good sense of unease throughout, and not knowing who to trust, which kept me reading.