Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for early access to this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first novel by Daniel Hurst, and while I did enjoy the overall premise, I have to admit the writing didn’t quite meet my expectations. It felt a bit underwhelming at times — the pacing and tone sometimes veered into awkward or unbelievable territory, which pulled me out of the story. That said, I still found myself strangely compelled to keep reading, wanting to see how it would all unfold.

The setup is undeniably intriguing: a mysterious warning note hidden in a brand-new home, a pregnant wife starting to question everything, and a husband who may or may not be hiding something. It has all the classic ingredients of a domestic psychological thriller. I appreciated the tension and twists, but the execution didn’t always hit the mark for me. Some of the plot elements felt a little odd or forced, which made the storyline wobble.

Still, fans of fast-paced domestic suspense might find this an entertaining, if slightly uneven, read. I can see why Daniel Hurst is a bestselling author — the hook is strong, and the book is undeniably readable. I may give another of his titles a try to see how it compares.

I was drawn into this book immediately. The writing is lovely and easy to read. I do have to say that the main female protagonist is… frankly annoying. She is prone to coming off as hysterical and unreliable. Goes off on crazy adventures with no thought (she’s pregnant too!) of her safety. Leaps to wild conclusions and seems obsessive. Yet it was a good read! I’m not sure how the author did it, but he had me hooked and looking for more. Certainly worth a try. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I’ll be looking for more.

Not Daniel Hurst best work. I understand it is fiction, but I found it to be repetitive with Deon's curiosity and dumb decisions, making it annoying and unrealistic. Who really has nothing better to do than stalk your neighbors. Who really cares and obsesses if someone lived in a house before you? Some decent twists but nothing jaw-dropping.

Unfortunately, The Couple Before Us falls flat in several key areas. While marketed as a psychological thriller, the plot is disappointingly basic and highly predictable. The “big twist” — that the villain is essentially a wolf in sheep’s clothing, hiding in plain sight — is a tired trope that offers little surprise or originality.

The characters lack depth, and their motivations often feel forced or underdeveloped. Instead of building genuine suspense, the story relies on clichés and obvious misdirections. The writing itself is average at best — serviceable, but never compelling. The dialogue feels unnatural at times, and the pacing is uneven, dragging in sections where the tension should be rising.

For a book in a genre built on psychological nuance and subtle tension, this one opts for convenience over complexity. There are much better thrillers out there with more engaging plots and sharper writing.

Verdict:
A forgettable read that rehashes familiar ideas with little finesse. If you’re looking for a truly gripping thriller, this isn’t it.
⭐️⭐️ (2/5)

3.5 stars rounded to 4
I really enjoyed this, im an avid thriller reader and devoured this in a day
I love how quick paced it was, and all the characters had me on edge. Dionne appeared and an unreliable narrator, and at times, seemed she was going mad. I enjoyed this, as I have other Daniel Hurst books

my criticism is I lost track of some of the characters and felt a bit like whiplash with the constant twists (maybe too many)

Unfortunately this was a bit disappointing. Dionne was portrayed as the “difficult” pregnant (this was mentioned too many times) wife who just has the hysterics. Also there were too many misogynistic remarks like “women only talk about kids and trashy t v shows” “a good wife believes her husband”. It caused me to get more frustrated and not enjoy the story that much.
The plot was also very predictable. Everything was over explained and did not leave any room for the suspense.

If you haven’t read this authors books before I would say choose this to start with…its very typical of the author in the way it is chapter then question mark/cliffhanger and also in the way the book takes ordinary characters doing ordinary life things that turn into chaos…..plus this one is tense from the start and is built around a new housing estate and the person who owns the land and new neighbours etc, what more could a reader want

It’s a very moreish read and I was stopping myself flicking the pages forward as so wanted to find out the secret (s) that were ongoing and were the baddies really baddies etc

We all know the author writes brilliant thrillers and psychological jeopardy brilliance but this one stands out even amongst all the other greats as an awesome read

Daniel Hurst is one of my all time favorite authors and ‘The Couple Before Us’ did not disappoint! A fantastic quick read that I couldn’t put down!

Imagine moving into a brand new house on a new estate, the first family to live there and then finding a note that suggests there was a couple who lived there before. Nobody else has mentioned them, there’s no evidence and the owner of the estate insists the note must have been some kind of practical joke. This is the position Dionne finds herself in and it makes her increasingly suspicious of everyone and everything she sees and hears leading to a lot of spying, a lot of accusations and some very tricky situations as Di tries to get to the truth and the thought of the couple before becomes a growing obsession.

I initially struggled to get into this book and was getting increasingly frustrated with Di and her actions. However, Daniel Hurst has a great gift for drawing the reader in and so I kept reading and became more and more engrossed as events became increasingly strange and the list of potential explanations and also potential predators grew.

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 the main character. This was my first standalone by Daniel Hurst for some time after reading several of his series and it was actually nice to not be left on a cliffhanger for a change!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced reader copy in exchange for a review.

This one was just meh for me. The premise had potential, but the execution fell flat. The FMC wasn’t particularly likable, which made it hard to stay invested in the story. Also… how many times can one book remind us a character is pregnant? I swear it was mentioned at least once a page. We get it.

While the pacing was here and there, I found myself more annoyed than intrigued. It wasn’t the worst thriller I’ve read, but definitely not one I’d revisit.

Wasnt my favourite book that ive read from Dablniel however the plot was interesting and it was a fun read. Nice and short chapters and good character development. Overall id say 4 stars.

I devoured this one in just 2 days! It usually takes me 3-7 days to read a book but I could not stop reading. This book hooked me right away and the tension of the story kept building. I loved all the twists and turns and I didn't guess the ending. loved the setting in the new estate community. I liked how all the characters seemed sketchy. This was such a fun, fast paced thriller that I definitely recommend this summer!

This book was an easy read (read it in one sitting) and did hold my attention.

It starts off with a couple wanting to start new, buying a home. The husband wants a new build; the wife prefers an older home with charm - they move into a new build. This home is fresh, never had tenants and in a quaint neighborhood, until the wife finds a note that starts a spiral of perhaps they were lied to and something sinister has happened.

This book was "okay". It had me until about halfway through. I felt the 'reveal' was too soon and anti-climatic. Then the story kept going. I lost interest and the overall ending was confusing and disassociated from the rest of the book.

Overall, I wasn't mad about reading it or felt like I wasted my time. It was still a decent story/read but due to the last half of the book, it warrants a 3 star.

Thank you for the opportunity!

Pregnant Dionne, her husband Christian and their son Kai just moved on to the next chapter in their lives and into what should be their forever home - a supposedly brand new house in a new development area. Now they've got the garden, the space, everything they'll need for their soon to be two kids.. But if the house is new and they're the first people to live there, why is there a hidden note upstairs talking about terrible things that happened to the couple before them? And why does it feel like no one is taking Di's concerns seriously?

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book, I liked the slow start because for this genre I think that's absolutely necessary and here it was well done. The writing style fit it, the pacing went well, the mystery built slowly after that initial shock with the note.. I liked Di and it absolutely made sense to me why she felt like she needed to solve this mystery instead of doing what she was told - ignore whatever questions she had and just sit back and enjoy the new house. As the story progressed, she got a few off moments though, best example being she hears someone crying and immediately makes it her business to find out exactly why that person is crying because they obviously need to confide in her and then she's shocked when that person isn't interested at all.

There's multiple plot twists and especially the first few were very well placed, they added so much to the story and the intrigue of it, I was impressed. They're plausible, they remind you that you're in the mind of Di only and she's a little paranoid and may have just been a victim of a little tunnel vision due to that.. And those twists just kept you on your toes while reading. It's just the final plot twist I've got an issue with since it kind of feels like it's not really part of the book. Up until that point Di explored all the mysteries by herself, found out bits and pieces that she had to try and connect, she got involved herself.. And here she just gets it handed to her, explained in great detail.

Finally, I wasn't too big a fan of the writing style by the end of the book - it's rather slow and very descriptive, so it fit the beginning perfectly. Something happened, someone said something and Di immediately seemed to reflect on it in detail. Which is fine when she's going for a walk at night in a new area, or meeting someone new, but when the tension was high, it just didn't feel fitting.

Overall, it's a quick read, sure to grab your interest and draw you in deeper with every single twist. The suspense is built up well and it's just fun to read.

Thank you Bookouture for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Although I generally enjoy a psychological thriller this one just didn’t do it for me. After finding a note in their new home about the previous owners, the main character Dionne (Di), who was pregnant with her second child seemed to be a little overzealous. What I mean by that is, being pregnant she did things that were questionable to me. Breaking into two of her neighbours homes, walking alone in the middle of the night in an area where she believes something has happened to her neighbour, just to name a couple things.

I found the other characters lacking subsistence. No real buildup to any of the characters. I never had the “sitting on the edge of my seat” feeling, or holding my breath page turning heart racing excitement.

I feel there could have been more potential to the storyline but as it was it just didn’t work for me.This was my first book by author Daniel Hurst. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up a copy of one of his other books before making a final decision about whether or not I enjoy his writing.

I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley for which I am leaving a review.

This book was an absolute thrill ride from start to finish. Exceptionally well written and tightly paced, it grabbed me from the very first page and didn’t let go. The twists and turns were relentless—just when I thought I had things figured out, the story veered in a completely unexpected direction.

What really stood out to me was the single point of view. Staying in one character's head throughout the story made the suspense even more intense and personal, adding a layer of emotional depth that’s often missing in multi-POV thrillers.

The pacing was perfect—fast without feeling rushed. Every chapter ended with a hook that made it nearly impossible to put the book down. I flew through it because I had to know what happened next.

If you're looking for a gripping, one-sitting kind of read, this mystery thriller should be at the top of your list.

This foreboding, fast paced, thriller was packed with lots of twists and turns throughout. The ending of this one was typical Daniel....did not see that coming!! I found it hard to put this one down. I always love Daniel's books. This is one of his best works. At times i was actually a little scared with goosebumps on my arms. Great book!!!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
As a couple with their son move into their beautiful home the wife finds a note saying something happened to the couple who lived there before.
How can this be they were the first to move into this home. And— what happened if this note is true? As she begins to dig for answers life for then becomes more scary and dangerous. Does she really want to know? Are they safe?

I really wanted to enjoy this but found myself pushing through to see how it all ended.

‘The Couple Before Us’ follows Dionne as she and her family move into a new home, being sold it as ‘the first people to ever live there’. When they move in, Dionne finds a mysterious note in a wardrobe that says something bad happened to the previous tenants. But when Dionne moved in, the estate agent said the house is new and nobody has lived there before. So what really happened?

For me, it felt like I was being told over and over what the character was doing, or going to do, rather than leaving that up to my imagination. At times it was overly explained that I wanted to skim to keep going.

The FMC was unlikeable. And while you can see she really tried to get to the bottom of the mystery, she was acting erratic and irrational. Dionne was acting out of impulse and not thinking through her actions, and while it’s necessary for the main character to act out in a thriller, it felt more like stupid attempts for the plot to unfold as the story goes on.

The big reveal at the end didn’t make sense. It felt like the author chose it in a way to shock the readers into a ‘I bet you didn’t see that coming!’ But usually it’s foreshadowed so when you go back, the signs were always there, but there was no indication it would go that way. So it fell flat.

Ultimately there is an audience for this book, specifically people who like fast paced thrillers with shocking plot twists. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.

Thank you to Bookouture for providing me the ebook through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

A psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, as you read deep into the night. Fast paced. I loved it!