The Couple at No.9 by Claire Douglas, was beautifully written and was a fantastic read, it was no slow burner as this book hits the ground running, Saffy & Tom have moved into her grandmothers cottage in a sleepy villiage, the young couple are planning a new life and when renovating the kitchen with an extension the builders discover not one but two bodies in the back garden, no one knows who they are and Saffy's grandmother can not shed light on the situation as she is now in a care home suffering with alzheimers. So we find out what happened through the unfolding stories of the different characters zipping between the past and present and what really led to the bodies in the garden.

I have loved all of Claire Douglas’ previous book so had high expectations for this latest one. I’m glad to say, I wasn’t disappointed!!

Saffy and boyfriend, Tom have just moved into a little cottage in a charming village. The cottage was initially Saffy’s grandmothers, Rose Grey, but she is now in a care home with dementia. Whilst the builders are in starting the kitchen extension two bodies are found in the garden. Who are they ? And who buried them there ?

Together with her mother, Lorna, Saffy tries to make sense of the gruesome discovery. They try to piece together snippets of information that Rose Grey reveals but how much can they rely on what she says ? Surely Rose didn’t know anything about the bodies ?

This is a great thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. Just as you think you’ve worked it all out something will come along to completely change everything. I found the majority of the characters likeable, especially Saffy. A great plot and just a great book that you need to read.

Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I loved this book and would definitely read more from Claire Douglas. It was a great thriller and one that you just had to keep reading! I didn't guess any of the twists and turns which shows the skill of the author!

Saffy and Tom have their own cottage, courtesy of Saffy's gran who is now in a nursing home suffering with dementia. Saffy's mum Laura is in Spain and has flitted about for most of her life, leaving Saffy to be brought up by her Gran, who she adores. Once Saffy and Tom start to have building work done, things change as 2 bodies are discovered in the back garden. Who are they and how did they die?

A great story and wonderfully written. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

Really enjoyed this read. The mother daughter relationship and the twist were very well executed.

It was the house of their dreams. Until the bodies were found . . .

Saffron and Tom have just moved into their dream home, 9 Skelton Place, in Beggars Nook which is set in the beautiful Costwold countryside, Saffy is pregnant and they are extending the house into the back garden to create a bigger kitchen, it's during these renovations that the builders uncover a body beneath the patio and the police are informed, forensics then discover another body and tell the couple they've been buried there at least thirty years, the police launch a murder investigation and ask to speak to the former owner, Saffy's grandmother Rose, but Rose is in a care home, suffering from Alzheimer's and her memory isn't what it used to be, but does Rose know more than what she is telling her family and the police, and what exactly happened at No. 9 thirty years ago?

The Couple at No. 9 hits the ground running when within the first few pages the bodies are discovered and Claire Douglas does not take her foot off the gas for the rest of the book. The plot is well crafted, the characters are authentic and likeable and I was so invested in finding out who the victims were and how they came to suffer this terrible fate back in 1980. The book is laid out across two timelines and narrated from various points of view, with twists that I did not see coming and left me with my chin on the floor. The chapters flow seamlessly back and forth between the two timelines, I love how the author gives in-depth detail of the relationships, not only between three generations of the women in this family, but the other characters too and how they are linked becomes evident later. Douglas knows how to write a fantastic thriller and this one ticks all the boxes, I always get excited when I see a new one by her and know I'm going to love it without even reading the blurb. This one is tense, exhilarating and thought provoking and I devoured it in a matter of hours, if I could give it more than 5 stars I would. It's an absolute blinder and I highly recommend!

I'd like to thank Penguin Michael Joseph UK and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

What a fabulous read a real pageturner and very cleverly written ,Claire Douglas doesn't disappoint with her new book .This is one of those books that is hard to put down ,it is so gripping and what a brilliant twisty ending !! Saffy and Tom have been gifted a small rundown cottage tucked away in a Cotswold village .Everything is great until building work uncovers two bodies buried in the garden ...who are they ? who has murderd them ? From then on the tension builds the characters are so well drawn I felt I knew them .Such a lovely gripping story would give it 10 stars if I could !! Many thanks to the Publisher,the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

What can I say other than you need to read this! I was completely hooked and I'll be honest when I say I felt so upset by the ending of the story and the revelations in the book that I literally felt I'd lost a member of my own family. In my eyes this shows what a fantastic job Claire Douglas did.

When Saffy and Tom move into her grandmother Rose's abandoned cottage they expect to put a whole lot of work in to make their own family home. What they don't expect is to find two bodies buried in the garden. As the police try to piece together information Saffy and her mum Lorna also try to get to the bottom of this nightmare but trying to question Rose, who suffers from dementia, will be far from straightforward. Added onto this is the overwhelming fear that someone is clearly watching them and trying to prevent the truth from coming out.

This story is told from a range of viewpoints and was very easy to follow. The more I read the more I wanted to read on and find out what had happened in the cottage and who the bodies belonged to.
The ending was surreal and does not disappoint if you are looking for a twist.

I'm looking forward to the next Claire Douglas book now.

When Saffy moves into her grandmother's cottage with her husband Tom she is both sad and excited. Sad because her grandmother's health has deteriorated to the point of having to be in a care but looking forward to making the cottage their future home. However their plans are abruptly put on hold when the builders discover human remains during excavation and Saffys life is turned upside down by revelations from the past which change everything she thought she knew about her family.
A very well written story which drew my interest from the first chapter and held me hooked throughout. The inclusion of Alzheimers whilst very topical was dealt with sensitively and thoughtfully which added to the sadness of some of the storyline. A really good read by a very talented, articulate author.

Saffy and Tom are excited to have inherited a little cottage in a village in the countryside. As the builders are digging to construct a new extension, though, they find a couple of skeletons buried under the patio. Police discover they’ve been there for over 30 years - back when Saffy’s grandmother Rose owned the property. Rose is in a care home suffering from Alzheimer’s - she remembers some things but is it enough to solve the crime?

I got quickly hooked into this story and was already recommending it to people by chapter 6! The plot is well constructed, and it’s told from different perspectives and different timelines which holds the reader’s interest. It plays out beautifully and even though there are a lot of characters to remember, it doesn’t get too confusing. And the twists!
I always think a mark of a great thriller is when it’s not too predictable and it keeps you guessing ‘til the end. This book does that. Love discovering new thriller authors so Claire Douglas shoots up to the top of my list, I’ll be seeking out more from her!

Saffy Cutler’s gran has moved into a care home and gifted a cottage named ‘Beggars Nook, to Saffy and her husband Tom. A cottage that Saffy didn’t know her gran owned, as a child Saffy visited her Gran at her house in Bristol. Lorna is Saffy’s Mum, living in Spain, she never stays anywhere or with any partner for very long. She is a free spirit and visits her family in England rather infrequently, perhaps once or twice a year. Saffy however has a strong bond with her gran and visits her regularly. Suffering from dementia, Rose can sometimes recognise Saffy and remember the past, but often regresses, unable to remember or recognise anything.

Having moved into Beggars Nook, Saffy and Tom are slowly redecorating, having employed builders to start work on an extension in the back garden. Saffy and Tom are keen to get the house sorted with a baby on the way. The building work stops when a body is found, buried in the garden, closely followed by the discovery of a second body.

Theo is a chef, living in Yorkshire with his wife. His widowed dad is difficult and on a visit to his mausoleum of a house, Theo discovers a newspaper cutting with a handwritten message on it. Theo can’t shut his mind off from what he has seen and decides to find out about the clipping and what the message means. Theo’s investigations lead him to Saffy, Tom and Lorna, the ties that bind them and the story slowly unfolds.

Telling the story from different perspectives, the story jumps back and forth between the past and present. Reading the story in this way should be confusing and hard to follow, but it really isn’t. It’s cleverly crafted and has a well thought out plot. With twists and turns at every corner it’s a gripping read that compels you to not put this book down. The plot is enthralling, whilst believable and totalling engrossing. Another enjoyable book by Claire Douglas that just makes you want to keep reading.

The Couple at No 9 is possibly Claire Douglas's best yet. An unputdownable mystery that left me wondering how it all tied up.

When Saffron and her husband Tom move into her grandmother's house gifted to her by her mother they are appalled to find human bones in the garden. What follows is not just the mystery of who they belong to and how they are connected to the house and Saffrom's grandmother, but a journey back in two families' history to find out how they ended up there.

The Couple at No. 9 is a superbly plotted novel of wonderful storytelling. My only quibble was the title which I felt didn't do the book justice.

I have not found a Claire Douglas book that I have not loved. I was super excited to get an advanced copy of the Couple At No.9, thank you so much Michael Joseph UK. Once again we are taken on a journey with the characters, as Claire slowly reveals enough information to pique our interest and make us read that one more chapter, continuously. I love how invested I became in these characters and what was happening. There is a massive surprise that I did not see coming and it was brilliant!

Saffron and her husband Tom are renovating her Grandmothers house that has been gifted to them. The last thing that they expect to find in the backyard is human bones. How did they get there, who is it and does her beloved gran know anything about it? And so begins a family mystery that will change them all forever.

You have to read this book. It is twisty, clever and tense and you will not want to put it down. Released August 19th, add this to your wish list now.

Young couple Saffron and Tom move into her grandmothers cottage, which will hopefully become their dream family home. While having some renovations done the builders unearth human remains.

Saffron’s mother lives abroad and their relationship has always been difficult. She gets on far better with her nan Rose, but she suffers now with dementia and when questioned about missing persons and the bones she reveals some names Saffron and mum Lorna have never heard of.

The plot thickens as we hear about Theo who is still grieving for his mum and tolerating his difficult father. His dad is a fertility specialist and Theo uncovers some disturbing evidence hidden at his fathers house that may tie his family to Saffron and Lorna’s.

The story is intricate and very well crafted. The truth of all the stories in uncovered slowly and written in multiple narratives. Towards the end the suspense is building and the tension mounts as we await the final reveals and wow are they worth waiting for!!

Highly recommend and a definite 5 star ⭐️ review for me. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another brilliant psychological thriller by Claire Douglas. A slow starter that takes off and then whoah a head spinner. Secrets from the past provide a twisty story connecting the couples who have lived at number 9.

I'm obviously in the minority with my review, but I found this book really difficult to get into, and I'm sorry to say I didn't care about Saffy, Lorna, Rose or any of the other characters who passed through the pages.
Thank you to netgalley and penguin books for an advance copy of this book

Another amazing book by Claire Douglas. This book literally didn't stop with the shocks and surprises. Amazing. As always. Highly recommended xxx

Strangely enough, this is the second of my hot picks for this quarter that features a character with Alzheimer’s and once again it’s a brilliant twisty read but that’s Claire Douglas for you! I love her books and she’s another of my must buy authors as I always preorder her books without even knowing the blurb!

Here we have a young couple who have moved into their new home, away from the city, expecting a quiet life but then their dreams come crashing down around them when their building works have to stop due to the discovery of two bodies buried in the garden. Who are they and how long have they been there? When the police get involved, it starts to get a little more personal when they want to talk to Saffy’s grandmother, the previous owner of the house. She is now in a home suffering from Alzheimer’s but when little clues gradually come to the surface, will it make her remember what happened thirty years ago?

I loved this storyline-and all the characters within it-as they attempted to find how who was buried in the garden and why. Claire Douglas was able to keep the tension high, pulling some amazing and unexpected twists out of the bag that I did not see coming. It may be a psychological thriller but it’s also a book about love, family and selfhood and it kept me up till the early hours desperate for answers. The mother/daughter relationships were especially well developed, poignant and bittersweet with unspoken regrets and lost memories.

The Couple at Number 9 is an intense read, beautifully crafted with a well balanced storyline. It was one of my hot books for August but it looks like the publication date has now been pushed back to 30th September. But it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year so make sure you keep and eye out for it!

When I see a new Claire Douglas novel I jump at the chance to review. But at the back of my mind I always wonder how and if I will be disappointed. They are always exceptional reads!

The Couple at No 9 is exceptional. Claire hasn’t failed this reading fan!

I don’t want to give too much away. But imagine an easy reading book, that has you turning pages, likeable characters and boom. You have a good book!

Saffron and Tom move into no 9 Skelton Place. The builders start work and it’s not long before two bodies are found.
A little skeleton in the closets, but so much better.

A murder investigation commences…. Starting with Rose the previous owner of no 9 - Saffron’s grandmother.

A page Turner and a must read.

Saffron and Tom have recently moved into a rural cottage that was owned by Saffron’s grandmother Rose, though had been rented out for many years. Rose, now in a care home with dementia, had transferred the ownership of the cottage to her daughter Lorna some years ago but not only was Lorna unaware of the cottage, she has no need for it so Saffy and Tom have moved in and with a baby on the way, they are eager to turn the slightly neglected building into the perfect family home.
During work to build a kitchen extension, the builders find human remains. When the police start investigating, it is discovered that there are two bodies, who likely died around 1980. When they start speaking to everyone who has lived at number 9 since the late 1970’s, the family discover that Rose not only owned the cottage but lived there for a while – around 1980. Rose suffers from dementia, and her answers to questions about the time are somewhat confusing (who is Sheila? What is she saying about a wicked little girl? Victor? Jean?) but Saffy & Lorna realise that there could be some moments of lucidity and truth in what Rose is saying so they start piecing together facts like a jigsaw puzzle …
The characters of Saffy, Tom & Rose are warm & relatable. Saffy’s mum, Lorna, starts out somewhat cold and detached, being somewhat distant and living abroad with her latest toyboy, but when she travels to the UK to support her daughter through this crisis we see the relationship between mother and daughter strengthening as they reconnect over the crisis.
This is a book full of secrets, surprises and twists but the author weaves it together well, flitting between Rose’s story in 1980 when she was living in the cottage and Saffy/Lorna’s story in the present day. There is also the story of Theo who lives in Yorkshire and visits his elderly father Victor out of obligation, but with little love. As the stories of all the characters start to collide it could start to become complicated but the author weaves them together in a way that is easy to follow & whilst none of the revelations came as a big surprise to me, many of them you wouldn’t have guessed a chapter or two ago & I always think that’s the sign of a good thriller/mystery writer!
Overall this is a well plotted mystery/thriller that will keep you engaged to the end – be prepared to stay up late reading in order to finish it as you will want to find out what happened …

In this book we meet young couple Tom and Saffy. They are right in the middle of renovating their dream home when shockingly a body is discovered. What follows is a very twisty tale made even more so because the previous owner of the cottage was Saffy’s grandmother, Rose. What happened all those years ago and does Rose know the truth?!

Well, they were only the tip of the iceberg for the questions I was asking myself throughout this book. I was completely intrigued by this story as secrets and lies from the past just won’t stay buried. This all combined to make me so eager to discover the truth! I really enjoyed the intriguing perspectives and all the parts set in the past. As snippets of information are revealed which bring new revelations but also on occasion even more questions.

For me The Couple at No.9 was a definite slow burn but this gave me time to process the information I was given. Which means that I also got a better feel for both the story and the characters. This also helped me to connect with the characters too. I have to admit that they weren’t necessarily without flaws but I think this helped to give them a more realistic edge. With the reader being pulled into a dark situation right alongside Tom and Saffy. The Couple at No.9 was intriguing, twisty and filled with secrets!