This is what I have put on Goodreads 💜
This was my first ever book by Ms Douglas - what am incredible story .

This book had me gripped right from the start - a story of Alice and Tasha two sisters who love very different lives Alive is wealthy and married to a rich man , with homes in London and Venice.

Tasha is married to Aaron and still living in the village of Chew Norton where they grew up , they have twin girls and live a fairly humble life .

When Alice and Kyle offer to live swop and look after the twins so that Tasha and Aaron can go away to their villa in Venice it sparks a serious of events that lead you to ask what lengths someone will go to to keep their secrets and the past in the past !

A tense gripping and complex thriller which had me reading in one sitting until 2 am !!

What a gripping page turner. This is a complex mystery full of misdirection and intriguing plots. At times it feels like a hollywood movie. Skillful writing creates this masterpiece where you want to know the whole truth and sence something is bigger. Then the final twist and reveal blew me away. Highly recommended fir anyone who loves mystery with well developed characters. Thank you sp much netgallery and publisher and author for this 5 star read.

Brilliant, pacy, interesting and exciting! Kept me guessing and kept me changing my mind! Loved it and already recommending it!

Claire Douglas gets better and better .
This story is fast paced and engrossing .
The story is of two sisters Tasha and Alice , their lives are very different .
The sisters have a close relationship made even closer by their other sister being kidnapped when she was a baby and has never been found.
A shocking event shatters both their lives , but who is the perpetrator?
This is a gripping story and I was absorbed in it from the first page , there are plenty of twists and turns and kept me guessing to the very end.
Highly recommended!
Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph , Penguin Random House .

Claire Douglas never fails in delivering an engrossing read with an engaging storyline, enjoyable characters and a fair few surprises thrown in. This book is definitely no exception, it fully lives up to what I have come to expect when reading one of her books!

The story is told from a few viewpoints but mostly by Tasha, explaining the dynamics of her family and the history between those she was born to and those who are her family now. As the secrets start tumbling out the book got harder and harder to put down as I raced through it trying to find out the truth of what had happened.

When all was revealed I did ask myself why I had ignored the hints that would have lead me to suspect this surprising twist in the narrative and yet, being given the surprise ending was the cherry on the cake of this very easy to read book.

This thriller will ensnare you in a tight grip until the satisfying conclusion. There were more twists and turns in this book than a roller coaster ride! Wow!... I was sitting there in complete surprise with a wide-open mouth! If you like a good thriller with lots of twists, you need look no further!

Set in south west England, it follows Tasha and her family and her sister, Alice.
Tasha and her older sister couldn’t be more different - Tasha is married with two children, while Alice is a high flying scientist
When Tasha and her husband decide on a break to Venice, Alice offers to stay in their home and look after the kids.
But an unexpected call when in Venice, reveals that Alice and her husband Kyle have been attacked and Kyle killed.
Why would anyone want to her sister, but then Tasha receives a note ‘It was supposed to be you’
An excellent, solid thriller that draws you in straightaway, with short chapters and told from multiple points of view, it’s an intriguing plot that keeps your interest.
Cleverly written, pulling you in various directions as to who was guilty
Thanks @clairedouglasauthor, @michaeljbooks & @netgalley for the twisty, immersive read

A cleverly constructed, fast-paced thrilling read!

Claire Douglas is adept at taking a normal situation and adding tension and uncertainty. The characters leapt off the page fully formed and realistic. The main setting became a clear picture in my mind too.

I loved the twisty plot, which kept me engaged trying to unravel it, thinking I was on the right lines before twisting out of my reach.

The sibling rivalry, but strong love and bonds, so well portrayed, could be true of so many families. The situations they faced were truly terrifying and as the back story was revealed, the readers empathy is drawn from them.

I have to say, there was a moment when I paused reading, to reflect on a fact that had just been revealed - what? But it made total sense.

A brilliant read, thanks Claire!

Loved the look of the plotline and so in I plunged. Halfway through and I have decided this book is just not for me. I was expecting a pacey thriller and it read as pedestrian and frankly somewhat disjointed.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Tasha and Alice are sisters who look alike.

Tasha is married with twin girls whilst Alice is a scientist and is married to an equally successful businessman. Tasha’s wedding anniversary is coming up and they decide to swap their lives for a week. Tasha travels to Venice to spend the week with husband Aaron and try to rekindle their marriage whilst Alice spends the week with husband Kyle looking after Tasha’s twin girls. Tasha knows the twins will be safe.

However, she receives a call from home telling her that Kyle is dead and Alice’s in intensive care. They rush home and find not all is as it seems. Can the police piece everything together and find out what really happened?

Another fantastic read from Claire Douglas. I don't know how she manages to come up with such gripping and twisted storylines. A writer whose novels just get better and better. Bring on the next one. 4 stars

Tasha and Alice are sisters leading very different lives. They swap lives for a few days with Tasha and her husband staying in Alice holiday apartment in Venice. While Alice and her husband look after Tashas kids in Tasha’s home.

While in Venice, Tasha receives a call informing there was a burglary in her house resulting in her sister and sisters husband being attacked.

As we progress through the book it becomes clear this was no burglary and that more than one family member is keeping secrets!

I like Claire Douglas’ books and this one is no exception. It’s an easy read, fast paced and the story keeps you wanting to read on. There’s plenty of twists too, if anything maybe too many red herrings. I found it difficult to like Tasha as a main character too.

All in all, 3.5 stars from me. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy and this book is out now!

I was soon drawn in to the story but felt rather letdown by the false narrative. It seemed contrived and also the plot was repetitive. All that said I did want to get to the end and some of the reveals did come as a surprise.

Claire Douglas is just brilliant, after reading the couple at no 9 as an arc, I was excited to be approved for the wrong sister.

Brilliantly written, thrilling, I was hooked and had to know what happened. Just 1 more chapter......

Thanks to netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Definitely recommending!!!

I love Claire Douglas and will alsways preorder her books as soon as they are available! And I’m so excited for this first hardback novel! It’s a brilliant twisty tale with plenty of fun plot twists to keep the action fresh and intriguing-in fact I thought the twist here was an incredibly clever one and seamlessly followed the storyline to provide a shocking denouement. Great characters, compelling plot points and an old mystery to solve all came together to prove that Claire Douglas has become one of the UKs best psychological thriller writers. Loved it!

Although a bit bit of slow burner, it is well worth sticking with this book. Beautifully written and truly a masterpiece.

I loved The Couple at No 9, so I was so delighted to be able to read another Claire Douglas book!
It's a gripping thriller with plenty of twists and turns- just when you think you have worked out the ending, you're reminded why you are a reader and not an author and have been expertly outwitted and faced with yet another twist!
I think I liked it even more - great read!!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

missing baby
murder
assault

oh this book has it all a missing baby and a family distraught after years of hoping to find baby holly and with no signs of her for years they have all given up hope of ever finding her again

tasha and her hubby go away to venice courtesy of her sister alice and her husband kyle, its a way for them to connect as life has been hard for them but they are chased in venice by a man with a knife

but its the phone call saying come home kyle is dead murdered and alice has been assaulted that have them flying back to their daughters distraught at the news

but life has curve balls and life is about to get interesting for them all

what a ride of a book this one was... couldnt put it down at all....

looking forward for more books by this author

I started this book, put it down and then decided to pick it back up. It kept me gripped and the twists and turns in the story and 'whodunnit' keeps you guessing to the last and did not see the final twist coming.

Does show how little we know about what goes on behind closed doors!

I've read and enjoyed a number of Ms Douglas' books, and this one was no exception.
As well as the core "whodunnit" there are a number of mysteries to be solved in this story, including the abduction of a baby. As with all her books, the author provides a number of red herrings and always stays one step ahead of this reader. Family dynamics feature heavily and are well written, my only quibble would be that the ending seemed over complex, but it was fun getting there!
Thank you to netgalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book