“The Couple Before Us” is a mystery (maybe mystery-thriller) by Daniel Hurst. Mr. Hurst’s books, for me, are quick and easy reads - something I sometimes need to clear my head. This book was no exception. Although the prologue was the “gotcha” for an opening, I didn’t really feel it was necessary, as the marital tension between Christian and Di was interesting. The couple moves into their new home as the first owners, but Di finds a note implying that they’re not the first home owners, contrary to what the real estate person and “community welcomer” have told them. The note and the fact that she feels like everyone is lying to her really bothers Di. That’s about as much of the plot as I can say without giving the story away. Someone commented that Di came across as a “Karen,” and I can understand why that was said - everything is drama and she sees bad things happening everywhere (some true, some just an overactive imagination). I was going along with some of the twists and even understood the big one, but this book seemed like a roller coaster with a lot of big peaks then racing to the bottom but I cannot say that I fully enjoyed the ride. Some parts were believable but other parts I found just on the edge of “really?” Don’t get me wrong, this was a decent plot, but Di and Christian really need to work on their marriage and communication!

Classic Hurst! I enjoyed this domestic thriller and finished in a day. Constantly kept me wondering how in the world it would all wrap up.

big big whoop for this! my pulse raced, the tension grew and i was hooked. i was in it for the long haul which didn't turn out so long because i swept through this one. i could not stop. i had to know. i.had.to.know. where this was going.
does Daniel Hurst have a magic cauldron somewhere. because he just keeps bringing out the magic in these books. how does someone keep on keeping on bring out such brilliant books. all unique. all gripping. all brilliant.
you get that unease and creepy spine feelings all the way through this book. the sense of something coming.
Dionne is pregnant and she and her husband and son have moved to a brand new house in an exclusive estate. all so good right? Di wasn't sure at first but new Christian made sense in the end so here they are. surely she can make its cold feeling warm once its their own?
but whilst unpacking Di finds a note in the closet saying that something terrible happen to the people before them in this house. but how can this be. Christian told her it was brand new for them. but she is brought round again.
but things keep coming up. this question, this issue is not going away. not by a long shot. Is Di and her family in danger. can she even trust her own husband and what about the neighbours?
as more and more starts coming to Di and us readers we are getting more and more scared. more and more wary of the people around this house.
is it the writer, Di or the other us readers cant trust. it keeps you on your toes at all time and i loved it for making me question everything, ha.

Fab read as usual by Hurst. He just gets better and better. This was the next level in character building and plot thickening.

Thank you for the ARC. Pregnant Di, Christian and their 5 year old son move into a new estate. Strange things start to happen making Di question everything and everyone to the point she is paranoid. This book had some good twists I didn’t see coming. I even questioned Di’s sanity at one point.

Release: July 17, 2025
Author: Daniel Hurst
Publisher: Bookoture

4 ⭐

Moving into their beautiful new house was supposed to mark a fresh beginning for the narrator and her growing family. With a baby on the way and the scent of fresh paint still lingering, she wants to feel hopeful—but unease is settling in. Her husband, Christian, insists everything is fine and urges her to forget a mysterious note they received. But something about his reassurances—and the way he avoids certain questions—makes her suspicious.
Strange things begin to unfold, starting with something unsettling spotted in the neighbor’s yard. As she tries to piece things together, she can’t shake the feeling that the house has a history no one is talking about. And when she overhears Christian on the phone, sharing a secret she wasn’t meant to hear, she begins to wonder if she truly knows the man she married—or if danger is much closer than she thought.
From the moment I picked this one up, I was completely hooked. The Couple Before Us is everything I want in a psychological thriller—fast-paced, twisty, and impossible to put down. I flew through it in a single sitting, needing to know what was going to happen next.
The story follows Dionne, who moves into a new-build home with her husband Christian and their son, with a baby on the way. What’s meant to be a fresh start quickly turns unsettling. There’s something off about the house, the neighbors, and especially the tight-lipped community around them. When Dionne finds a chilling note and begins hearing suspicious phone calls, the tension snowballs fast.
This book is packed with secrets, gaslighting, and jaw-dropping twists that genuinely caught me off guard. Every chapter ends in a mini cliffhanger, and the suspense never lets up. The neighborhood’s rules and the eerie developer lurking behind them added an extra layer of paranoia that I loved.
Daniel Hurst once again delivers a satisfying, addictive read that blends domestic tension with a sense of creeping dread. If you enjoy thrillers that keep you guessing, mess with your head, and leave your heart racing, this is absolutely one to pick up. Hurst knows how to craft a binge-worthy, twist-filled story that you won’t forget.

Favorite Quote:
"the younger generation are as ever-changing as the wind and will often just jump on whatever it is that their favorite celebrity tells them to do."

This is another very enjoyable Daniel Hurst thriller with its usual twists and turns that kept me turning the pages! Christian and Dionne, along with their 5 year-old son, move into a new home while they await the birth of their unborn daughter. From the onset, things do not feel right for Dionne and numerous strange things begin to happen including with the next-door neighbors, Hayley and Theo. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this very exciting book.

Daniel Hurst once again delivers an edge-of-your-seat thriller. This book had me reading late into the night. I was addicted! It’s fast-paced with countless shocking twists and turns. The plot is unpredictable with a constant sense of foreboding. I recommend having time set aside for reading because once you start, you won't be able to stop. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was exhausting.

Dionne and Christian move into a new neighborhood with their son and impending birth of their daughter. Dionne gets too nosy for her own good and starts making really bad choices to sneak around and actually breaks into a few of her neighbors homes.

Some parts of this book were insanely annoying because Dionne just wouldn't let things go. In the end, they learn that they can't trust certain people and they learn it the hard way.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

This was a great, suspense filled thriller that you don’t want to put down once you start it!

I thought the pacing was good and I enjoyed going along with our main character, uncovering the secrets of the neighbourhood throughout the book, bit by bit.

The whole book had me questioning everyone and second guessing everything, while trying to piece together what was going on and in the end I was shocked in the best way.

If you read this before bed you will lose sleep- once things started to really unravel and secrets started coming out I had to stay up late to find out what would happen.

This is the first book of Daniel Hurst’s I’ve read but I’ll definitely be reading more now.

Title: The Couple Before us
Author: Daniel Hurst
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Pub Date: July 17, 2025
My Rating: 3.7 rounded up
Pages: 258

Dionne and Christian are a young couple with a growing family. They have a five year old son Kai and a baby on the way so have outgrown their current home.
Anyone who has gone house hunting knows is it a long process - I have personal experience and know at is NOT easy.
No surprise that Dionne and Christian have not found “THE’ perfect place. The finally check into a brand new development. Christian is fully on board, but Dionne is reluctant. (Yep know the feeling and yes new home is a lot of work: a blank slate with having to select carpet, drapes etc. as well as lawn landscaping... But ours was a young neighborhood and everyone was going through the same things and supported one another. So it was Great!

Although Dionne has different concerns than I had – in fact, her uneasiness reaches intense proportions as she just known something isn't right.

Needless to say, things get interesting and once again Daniel Hurst kept me turning pages saying ~ Where does he get his psycho ideas?
I have read nearly thirty ~not all but close to every thriller Daniel Hurst has written!
Yep I am a fan!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this early e-Galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 17, 2025

Just finished *The Couple Before Us* by Daniel Hurst, and I have *thoughts*. This one was creepy in the best way. It’s the kind of domestic thriller that grabs you with a seemingly simple setup—house-sitting for a couple—but slowly morphs into something much darker and unsettling.

From the start, there's a subtle tension that never lets up. The paranoia, the secrets, and the feeling that something isn’t quite right builds so well. You’re constantly questioning who to trust, and just when you think you’ve figured it out—plot twist. Daniel Hurst knows how to keep readers on edge.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I'm so glad I did. It's fast-paced, bingeable, and left me with that lingering chill I look for in a good thriller.

If you love eerie domestic suspense with an ever-growing sense of dread, definitely add this to your TBR.

My Rating 4.25
I love a good Daniel Hurst phycological thriller and the same goes for this one.
The writing drew you in and submersed you into the story. I was yelling at the FMC, the MMC seemed dodgy and the twist was good. I did fell the last part of the book could have more, felt a bit rushed. I enjoyed the book immensely.
Thank you to Daniel Hurst and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

✨ARC Review✨
📖 The Couple Before Us
✍️ Daniel Hurst
📅 Publication: July 17, 2025

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
Something awful had happened to the couple who once lived in this house. She found the warning note tucked in a hidden corner, despite her husband, Christian, claiming they were the first to live there. Had he lied?
This home was meant to be a fresh start. But as she walked through the freshly painted rooms, hand on her growing baby bump, unease replaced hope.
Christian told her to forget the note, but doubt lingered in his eyes. Then, she spotted something disturbing in the neighbor’s yard proof she couldn’t ignore.
When she overheard Christian revealing a secret, everything changed. Who lived here before? What really happened? And did she ever truly know the man she married?
As the truth emerged, one terrifying thought echoed: she should have run while she still could.
𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
This is my first time reading a book by Daniel Hurst, and I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging his writing is. He knows how to pull you into a twisted story. I’ll admit, more than once, I wanted to shout at the main character like, Seriously, what was she thinking?!
The big twist caught me off guard. I didn’t see it coming at all, which made the story even more compelling. While the ending felt a little rushed, it still wrapped things up well enough to leave me satisfied.
If you’re into dark psychological thrillers that keep you guessing, wondering who to trust, what’s real, and who’s hiding something, you’ll likely enjoy this one.

Thank you @Netgalley and @ Bookouture for allowing me to review this book.

The Couple Before Us by Daniel Hurst is another compelling read from this very prolific author.

Christian and Dionne have just moved into a new housing estate with their young son, Kai. But something about their new home and community is unsettling, and when Di starts to ask questions, she is immediately shut down by not only her own neighbours, but by her own husband. Who lived in the house before, and why is everyone so reluctant to speak of them?

I love Daniel Hurst's writing, and I will pick up any of his work without hesitation. This one was another page-turner. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NerGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

This was just not my vibe . The story sounded really interesting but it just wasn’t my cup of tea .
The mystery was dull and it was basically a dnf and the end just bombed .
I do think this author is a good writer though.

Another beaut from Daniel Hurst. I really enjoyed this one. A couple have moved into their new home, on a new estate. The whole place has Stepford vibes and is almost too perfect. They were told no one lived in the house before them… but there are clues that they aren’t the first…

Usual blend of twists, turns, family dynamics, and issues of trust that Daniel Hurst writes so well.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookcoture for the ARC.
Honestly I don't know how to feel about this book. I have never read any books by this author so I can't compare to other pieces of work, he has. At first I was intrigued and looking forward to the development of the plot. As I kept reading I found the writing to be just okay, some of the characters just were so annoying. (Wife). The ending just seem silly. Sorry to say I wasn't a fan of this.

This is another great thriller from Daniel, I don't know how he writes them so quickly! Loved it from the start, the msysterious note and strange neighbours! I couldn't stop reading till I finished it, such a twisty and fast paced thriller!

Another fantastic book from one of my favourite psychological thriller authors with a great storyline, plenty of twists and full of lies and deceit.

You didn't know who to trust and my suspect kept changing throughout and you never knew for sure until the brilliant ending, well done Daniel once again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this great ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.