Really enjoyed reading this book. Full of twists and surprises. Found the characters very believable and well presented
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion

My first introduction to this author and I will certainly read more of hers.

Saffy and Tom are in the midst of renovating their beautiful cottage that belonged to Saffy’s grandmother, Rose, when they make a shocking discovery.

The story flicks between past and present, with the story of Rose as a younger woman and Saffy and Tom trying to establish what happened.

I did not guess the ending at all – a really great read and thoroughly recommended.

Another great read from the author, I enjoy her style of switching between characters both in the past and present, interesting yet easy to follow. I really liked all the characters and the twists are fantastic, Great thriller!

A good read
It’s told from different points of view and timelines
Looking forward to reading more from this author
Thanks NetGalley

I can sum this book up in one word. And that word is WHAAAATTTT??!

Saffy and Tom are renovating her grans cottage which now she is living in a care home has been given to them. The timing couldn't be better-Saffy is pregnant and they're ready to settle down. But their world is shattered when their builders uncover two bodies buried in the garden. The police are soon investigating the occupant at the time of the deaths - Saffys gran Rose. But Alzheimers has ravaged her memory. But it's apparent she knows something. And worse the discovery has also attracted dangerous interest....

You can absolutely rely on Claire Douglas to present a fantastic story but she's outdone herself this time. Multiple timelines and POVs build up tension and mystery throughout. The characters are sympathetically portrayed and thank the Lord do not do randomly stupid things. There's no literary equivalent of the "I'll be right back" moments here! But there are several WHAAATTTT??! moments instead. Great stuff.

Loved this book, a gripping read and one that has you from page one, it didn’t let up, a fast paced book with a fair few twists and turns, what more could you want!!!! Defo a must read!

I am a big fan of Claire Douglas and this novel doesn’t disappoint. Moving between the 1980’s and present day, and between characters it tells
the story of Saffy and Tom who have a gruesome discovery while renovating the house Saffy’s grandma, Rose owns. The narrative moves back to when Rose lived in the house with her young daughter and lodger Daphne and the tense relationship between them.
I honestly couldn’t work out how this book would end and was completely satisfied by the way all the strands linked up at the end. A great thriller.

I hate starting a new book and having to get to know the characters etc but when it came to this read I was hooked from the first sentence. It’s such an easy and intriguing read that it doesn’t feel like that. The storyline flows well and is told from different points of view and 2 different timelines. That aspect really added to the read as just as you are on the cusp of a twist you are left hanging and thrown into the other timeline and left wanting but you also want to see what the turn of events are here so it’s ok. Great twists and turns along the way. As for the characters some really likeable ones especially Saffy and Tom and then some really unlikeable and then you have the ones you can’t make your mind up about. All in all a well thought out plot that gave you just enough to keep you going to get to the outcome and go away satisfied. Would recommend…

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was published on the 19th of Aug 2021.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Couple at No. 9, a story that covers decades, centred on one house, different families and the bodies found in the garden.

I have been incredibly busy with work, and with a TBR list growing ever larger, I decided I needed to read just one book - just to get my brain re-engaged, I am glad I chose this one. As I have said before, I am not the biggest fan of changing perspectives but this was very well done.

I initially preferred the plot to the characters, but they grew on me! This was a well written thriller with a satisfying ending that kept me guessing at every turn.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin and Claire Douglas for allowing me access to this thoroughly enjoyable book.

The Couple At No 9 by Claire Douglas was a very enjoyable read! A great thriller with lots of intriguing twists and turns!

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>I have long been a fan of Claire Douglas. She has a great way of taking a 'standard' domestic thriller and adding a twist in the tail that makes you want to keep reading. That's definitely true here, where the story kept shifting the ground beneath my feet so that I wasn't quite sure who was good, who was bad, who was in danger, and who I needed to keep an eye on. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The story itself is real enough to make it relatable and the characters felt genuine - I cared for Saffy and her mom and felt for them as the secrets her grandmother kept started to tear her world apart. And it was well written; Douglas' style is easy to read without anything being 'dumbed down'. It all made for a real page turner (something I needed after some of my latest reads, which have really let me down).</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Is there anything I didn't like - just one thing, the title...I still can't quite figure out why The Couple at No. 9 were so important to the story (unless I missed something - if you've read it and I have, please let me know). </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Claire Douglas does it again! I love her device of switching between people’s inner thoughts, how carefully the story is layered and the breakneck speed towards the end where it all unravels. Moments of topicality brighten the story and it was a thriller the whole way through. Need to re-read!

A good thriller which kept me guessing and had a refreshing storyline that wasn’t a carbon copy of books that I’ve previously read before .3,5

Ioved this book it had me gripped from the beginning. Complex amazing characters. I’ve the writing style & so many twists. I would highly recommend this book.

If you love complex characters then this is the book for you!

As a fan of Claire Douglas I was super happy to see that her fantastic characterisation was ever present.

A thriller mixed with mystery this is a real twisty and cleverly complicated tale that you really have to get stuck into.

Told from different POVs it also jumps through decades so make sure you are sat comfy as you need to be in for the long haul.

After inheriting a little cottage in the Cotswolds, Tom and Saffy cant wait to start renovating, well that was their plan until two bodies are unearthed in their back garden!

The story slowly unravels, too slowly at times, leaving clues in its wake. It does pick up pace but not until about 1/3, 3/4 of the way through which at times felt hard going but once it oicks up it stays at lightning speed.

Will the identities be found? When memories are blinded by dementia who can be believed?

It's a fabulous "whodunnit" as long as you're willing to put in the concentration.

Thanks to netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the ARC.

This is the first novel I've read by Claire Douglas and I absolutely loved it ! When Saffron and her partner Tom move into 9 Skelton Place they discover 2 bodies buried under the patio. The bodies have been there for at least 30 years and the police need to question Saffron's grandmother Rose, now in a care home and suffering from dementia. I love plots which link to the past and I loved the alternating narratives of present day Saffron and Rose's life 30 years ago. Running alongside these narratives is the present day story of Theo and his father. I was intrigued to find out how the stories would weave together and I loved the way the author gives the reader information gradually while still maintaining the pace and tension. This was an intriguing, compelling and completely gripping read with a twist I did not see coming ! Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Another good read by this author with good characters and writing. Gripping with twists it was a good storyline that held my attention to the end.

When Saffy and Tom move into her grandmother’s house they are excited to start renovating. However, when 2 bodies are discovered under the patio, Saffy must confront her deepest and darkest family secrets…

Having previously enjoyed several books by Claire Douglas, including ‘Do Not Disturb’ and ‘Then She Vanishes’, I was excited to request The Couple at No 9, which sounded like just the kind of twisty crime thriller I enjoy reading. The narrative alternates between Saffy, who discovers the bodies in her backyard, her mum Lorna, her grandmother in flashbacks and Theo, a man who is just trying to find out the truth about his father. Each perspective is well drawn and interesting, with their own narrative voice. I particularly enjoyed the flashback chapters and how they kept the pace up and drip-fed information slowly, not revealing too much in one go. It was a little hard to keep up with the number of names though and I think Lorna’s point of view could have been edited out and explored within Saffy’s chapters instead which would have made it a little more straight forward to follow.

The book itself is very well paced and there are plenty of twists and turns throughout to keep you hooked. I was initially a little confused as I’m sure I read in the opening few chapters that Saffy and Tom move into No 10 so I was expecting their neighbours at No 9 to come into the story at some point. The blurb says they move into No 9 though so perhaps I misread this or it was a typo! I do think as the bodies are so old and the case is cold, there is a missing element of danger facing the main characters. There is a side-character introduced who is there to up the stakes, but this didn’t really pan out as well as I’d hoped. I really enjoyed the main ending twist though and I did not see it coming at all which was nice and refreshing. I also liked how Theo and Victor’s story was intertwined with the events too. I have listened to a podcast about a very similar, real-life doctor recently so this seemed like a truthful and interesting development.

Overall, The Couple at No 9 is another great, twisty crime thriller from Claire Douglas. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin – Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge Claire Douglas fan, and have thoroughly enjoyed all her books. While The Couple at No 9 had relatable protagonists and it hummed along, ultimately the suspense part of it, the mystery, was predictable and lacklustre. I saw the big twist coming. Also I felt the detectives didn’t really do much. Additionally I couldn’t get on with Rose’s second person narrative choice which slowed the story down for me. I much preferred the present day narrative.

Saffy, who is 24-year old and pregnant with her first child, has inherited her grandmother’s house. One day the builders find two dead bodies. The crime dates back to the eighties.

A somewhat decent read, but thrillers fan might spot the big twist.

I have nothing but praise for Claire books and this was no different. The story is excellently written giving different perspectives over the 2 decades. I fell in love with pregnant Saffy and felt nothing but motherly instincts towards her after the horrors are found in her garden. Both her mother and grandmother Lorna and Rose are both strong women who would do anything for the child they love. The perspective of Theo was genius and another twist to the story. Finished in 24 hours. Thank you and look forward to the next book.