Hooked from the outset, as always! Daniel dos it again with a gripping popcorn thriller! Thank you for the opportunity to read this proper to release

Di is three months away from giving birth to her daughter. But her family need a property to live in.

Soon her husband wears her down into buying a new-build property on a new estate.
But notes are found, and things aren't as they seem. Di is determined to find out the truth, but who is trying to stop her?

This narrative is written from Di's point of view, which I loved as it meant we were just as in the dark as our main character, having to find out the mystery with her. This brings atmosphere to the writing, making the reader feel what the main character is feeling.

This novel had me suspicious of everyone. I didn't know who to trust. Every character made you double-guess everything, and I love how Hurst always keeps us on our toes.

This author always gets my heart pounding at specific scenes and I can't get enough of them.

Hurst is one of my go-to authors, and I can't recommend them enough.

I read this book so quickly because it hooked me from the very beginning. I always enjoy thrillers that take place in suburbia and this is full of secrets, twists and turns. A delightful read!

Reading this one will make you think twice about purchasing a new home in a developing neighborhood.

Dionne and Christian are told they are the first to live in their new house, but a message discovered in an upstairs room says differently. Who left the note? And what happened to THE COUPLE BEFORE US?

Did anyone else get some Stepford vibes?

I give Daniel Hurst an extra star for creativity. The plot gets a bit OTT, but he really sticks the landing.

Definitely a good fit if you are looking for a popcorn thriller.🍿

Happy Publication Day! Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Another twisty domestic thriller from a favorite author! Daniel Hurst knows how to draw a reader in and keep them interested all the way through. Well done!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I was very excited to receive this arc , as I have read a good few of the authors books and have enjoyed them all. This one has an interesting plot and is a bit different it starts off really well but I found I lost a bit of interest after half way in but then it picked up again. None of the characters appealed to me much but that didn't matter as this book has a good few suspenceful moments and twists along the way until the end. This is t my favourite by the author but still a decent quick read thriller. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Rounded up to 4 stars.

I am grateful to have received an advanced copy, and to have been given the opportunity to offer an honest review. This is only my second Daniel Hurst book, however, I am excited to say that I enjoyed it much more than the first. There was a bit of a lull in the middle for me, however, it was also filled with suspense, twists, and some fun small surprises that kept me pretty entertained. It was a book I could put down, as opposed to those I have been eager to get through, however, I did thoroughly enjoy it and look forward to checking out other books by the author.

Pregnant Dionne, her husband, Christian, and their 5-year-old son, Kai, have moved into a brand new home in a new estate. It’s quite roomy and Christian is delighted with the house but Dionne has misgivings as she wanted a home that had been lived in and felt more established. Dionne finds a note saying that something bad happened to the couple who had lived in the house before.

Dionne doesn’t feel comfortable with the few people she has met and the owner of the estate, Cesar, is a domineering man who poo-poos her misgivings and assures her that no one had lived in the house before them. But other things begin to happen that prove another couple did indeed live in the house before them and have disappeared. She is frustrated that Christian tries to downplay her worries and she thinks he’s lying. What’s happening to her life and why?

I have mixed thoughts about this book. While the plot is unusual, I just did not like Dionne’s character. She’s certainly curious but she seems to be strange in that she doesn’t drive and she isn’t always nice to her husband who works hard. She takes too many stupid chances to solve a mystery. She’s just a bit ditzy. The story itself was OK but it didn’t seem to flow as smoothly as it should. However, the plot is good and I’m sure readers will enjoy the book.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Daniel Hurst really knows how to do a twist. There are so many twists and turns, but yet they all make the story what it is. The characters are described in such detail that I had no trouble envisioning this, as it played like a movie in my head, as I read. At first, it kind of had me questioning if this was a book like the movie The Truman Show with the way the developer always knew just when to interrupt things. This was a great book and will definitely recommend.

The Couple Before Us by Daniel Hurst is a creepy thriller.
Dionne, Di for short, is the protagonist throughout this story, as a heavily pregnant housewife.
So, Di, Christian and their son move into a smart new house on an up and coming estate, advertised as a quiet place with no problems. On the first day, Di finds a hidden note saying that someone lived in their house before them. She’s annoyed and suspicious as to why they were told that they were the first family to live in the house. Her husband brushes it off and reminds her how much they hated living in a cramped hotel waiting for a perfect home to appear. He loves the house.
The next door neighbours seem strange, the developer is definitely strange!
Things escalate quickly and I really enjoyed the tension that the author manages to create, making reading this story a real pleasure! Definitely a 5* read!.
Many thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #Bookouture, #DanielHurstBooks.

I've been lucky to have read a few of Daniel's book before this and he always manages to knock them out of the park, so when I was gifted this book I couldn't have been more excited. His book always seem to grab the readers attention and his plotlines are so unique that it's impossible to put down and this book was no exception. The flow of this book was exceptional and I really liked how the characters were written. Right from the beginning this book had a huge sense of mystery the only got stronger as the story progressed. I loved how captivating the plot was and the characters just added to the fascination. With short chapters it really let you five into the plot and helped keep the reader entertained. When our main character Diaonne finds her dream home she is super excited. It is everything she dreamed of for her, her husband and their new bundle of joy on the way. To make it even better it is a brand new home with no history of previous owners. Diaonne is thrilled and can't wait to get her family out of the hotel and into a place they can call theirs. It isn't until she starts unpacking however that she finds a mystery note hidden from the previous owner. But how could that be? Not only does this start to ring alarm bells but when the previous owners are missing it really sends a dark chill over Diaonne. She is desperate to get to the bottom of what is really going on and hellbent on protecting herself but also her family. I loved all of the tension from this book and I found myself desperate for answers, all the while hoping for the best for our family. There was so much going on in this story but it was very easy to follow and get lost in. I loved every minute of the plot because it was unlike anything I had read before and the writing style was one that continually left me forgetting all sense of time as I got lost in the words on the pages. Each chapter was jammed pack with tension apprehension and fascination and I found myself holding my breath as the story progressed. This story will have you questioning everything and everyone. Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? And what really happened in that house? There were so many twists in this book I never knew what to expect however that it was made it such a great read. Fantastic job and I can't wait to read more by this author. This was unlike anything I've ever read before or ever will read again. This is a story that will leave you breathless and desperate for answers but also a book that you never want to finish. I loved every minute of this book and I feel that thriller readers will devour this book. I can't wait to read all of the positive reviews that I know this book is destined to receive once it is released.

Daniel Hurst is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.! This book had me guessing and staying up late to get to the bottom of this mystery!
I can’t wait to see what else he comes up with!

I started reading this book today at work & I did not put it down.
It had me hooked from the prologue. The twists were brilliant. I was quite gobsmacked several times! Definitely recommend

Dionne is hesitant to buy the house that her husband Christian really wants, and for good reason. The real estate agent assures them they are the first to live in the house ….. if that is the case who left the note that said “Something terrible happened to the couple who lived her before”? Christian begins to act strange when pregnant Dionne shows him the note. Stranger things occur and Dionne begins to question everything and everyone in her life. Took me a bit to get into this one, didn’t love it but appreciative to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Daniel Hurst for the ARC!
This book was entertaining and definitely had me spooked. I found the main character sometimes difficult to connect to and a few of the plot details were a little implausible for me, but overall I enjoyed it. This is a great book if you are looking for an easy, chilling read. I definitely did not guess the ending which is always a plus for me when I am finishing any mystery book. My favorite character was Hayley as I really connected with her story and enjoyed hearing about her role in the final reveal. This was my first Daniel Hurst book and it won’t be my last!

I had the pleasure of reading this as my first ever e-ARC.

Thanks for the opportunity!

Overall, the book was enjoyable. Fast paced, quick and such a page turner. I’ve read many books by this author and they never fail to keep me coming back for more. There were a few repetitive points and I did feel the book could have been slightly shorter. HOWEVER, whilst the twists were not as dramatic as other books by the author, they still packed a punch and kept me engrossed.

I would recommend this book and I know many people will would enjoy it!

3.75⭐️.

Dionne and Christian moves into a brand new house as their family is now getting bigger. However, as soon as Dionne moves in, Dionne finds a note. The note simply says that a couple had lived in the same house before and that something terrible happened to the couple. When Dionne confronted Christian about the note, Christian believed that it was just a prank and that no one has lived in the house before. As Dionne begins to start new life in a brand new house, she couldn't help notice Haley, who lives next door. Haley tells her about the couple once again but as soon as she talked to Dionne, Haley also vanished. Now Dionne must try to find the truth about the house before it is too late.

The story started out great actually. There was a sense of mystery surrounding the new house and the fact that Dionne cannot trust any new neighbors also added the mystery and thrill of reading the book. However, the ending was what made me give this book a slightly lower rating. Everything went great with some twists and turns but the ending was something that I didn't expect and the one I actually didn't really like, which in my opinion kind of spoiled the overall story.

Overall I give this story a 3.5 star rating.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Not my favorite from Daniel Hurst, had a mix of things I really liked and really captivated me, but some things really made it hard to get through.
There is an eerie “too good to be true” vibe on the estate that me intrigued. Between the free monthly luncheons, overly friendly neighbors, odd restrictions, and a growing list of red flags—like a lack of phone service and secretive behavior from the authorities—I was curious to see how this all unraveled. There’s definitely something unsettling beneath the surface, and was invested in finding out what it was.

That being said, I am finding Dionne to be a frustrating character. While she tries to come off as selfless, she often reads as self-centered, overly reactive, and constantly complaining. Her impulsive decisions, lack of accountability, and tendency to overanalyze minor situations make her hard to connect with. She frequently assumes the worst without reason, creating conflict where there may be none. Because the story is told in her POV, it made it hard to get through the story and trying to uncover what is really happening on the estate.

I did struggle slightly at the beginning, but after about 20% I was hooked and read the rest of the book in one go. Lots of twists and turns, you never know who you can trust and super gripping.

I always look forward to titles by Daniel Hurst but I was disappointed with this one. The short chapters read very quickly but the storyline and characters are a little over the top/too far fetched. It twists along until the last few chapters when things all come to a head and then get quickly wrapped up. Definitely not my favourite by Daniel Hurst. (2.5/5)
Thank You to NetGalley, and Bookoutre for the invitation to read this ARC.