Love it!

I am nosy but not this nosy! Everyone is always so excited / nervous to meet new neighbours and this is why!

In-depth, exciting and has you on the edge of your seat

his is a great story about personal growth as well as a good mystery/thriller.

Through our leading lady Lena we learn about regret, how important speaking up is and also about holding grudges. Having read a few books lately from other genres I think my brain was leading me to places it really didn’t need to with this story, there were some really nice oh, maybe that’s coming up moments but didn’t materialise. Just like life does. This was real and raw in places but had some softer edges that pulled you right into the story and made you question everyones motives, actions and history.

For me this a story about loss, growth and learning all wrapped up in a pretty Bristolian suburb.

Claire Douglas stays being a favourite author. Someone I can trust to give me a new favourite book. This is no exception.
I go into Douglas books not knowing what it's about. But I find myself instantly gripped. Wanting to know who is who and what went on.
I had a few theories throughout. But I was still slightly off.
While overall I wasn't shocked by any reveal, the writing is perfectly paced with enough happening throughout its still an enjoyable read, you can get lost in.

Claire Douglas has done it again. She does not disappoint. Was gripped with it.
Lena has some new neighbours, after overhearing a conversation she is convinced something isn't right. Lena takes matters into her own hands to find out what they're hiding.
Would recommend.
Thanks to netgally for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review

Firstly thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy of this book. I was so excited to get it.

Lena overhears a conversation between her new neighbours and becomes fascinated with them and tries to find out more about them. Friends and family try to deter her from this but she carries on and gets herself in too deep to something she doesn't understand.

I have a love / hate relationship with this author. Some of her books blow me away and others leave me frustrated. I'm afraid this was the latter. I did enjoy it, the story was good, the plot was interesting and it is so well written. My frustration lay with the main character Lena. Her silly inner monologues about her marriage, her constant woe is me tale about her son moving away which was not due to happen for a whole year started to grate on me after a while. When writing these anxious characters there is a fine line between interesting and irritating and this was crossed for me one too many times.

That said I would recommend it. The story is really interesting and overall enjoyable.

This was an okay read. I felt it lacked the thriller element that her other books have though. The pace was rather slow. The ending did make up for this. I liked how it all tied up.

An enjoyable book. Lena overhears a conversation between her new neighbours that sounds as though they are going to kill somebody. She then spend a lot of time investigating them even using a key given to her by previous neighbours to enter their house. I did find Lena somewhat obssessive and a bit manic. Although Douglas keeps the story moving, I did find jumping between time periods and characters irritating especially as some of the passages were very short.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This book made a fantastic start to my 2025 reading challenge. It has plenty of mystery, with a slower beginning but a strong middle and ending. The story follows Lena, who has recently separated from her husband, and her teenage son, as new neighbors move in next door. It’s always a bit nerve-wracking when you get new neighbors—will they turn out to be the neighbors from hell? On the surface, the Morgans seem like a respectable couple: him, a retired surgeon, and her, a lecturer. But one evening, Lena overhears a conversation between them that she wasn’t meant to hear, setting off alarm bells.

Lena becomes obsessed with her new neighbors, leading her into grave danger. It’s a truly gripping book that kept me hooked to the end, even though I saw the final twist coming fairly early on. Claire Douglas is a master of psychological thrillers, and I loved that this story was set in Bristol.

I loved this intense read from Douglas which focuses on how well you really know your neighbours. Lena is a great character, she is likeable and evokes sympathy and I enjoyed following her. As well as her interest in her neighbours, Lena goes through a lot of personal events as well and I really felt connected to her by the end of the book. Don't get me wrong, some of the things Lena does are ridiculous but it works for the plot.
Which brings me onto the plot which I found to be gripping and Douglas does a masterful job at slowly building a sense of unease and danger which you know will meet a dramatic crescendo. There are plenty of twists and secrets for you to uncover as you read this and it proved to be a delicious thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy.

I find reading Claire Douglas thrillers so relaxing, which I assume must be because I know I'm in good hands. I flew through this over two days, and was thinking about it when I wasn't reading. I had inklings about most of the twists, but in a way that made me feel clever rather than they were too easy to solve. Really fun, quick read!

I liked this book. I didn't immediately guess where it was going. Loved the suspense. Not like many other thrillers out there. Will definitelybe picking up more by this author. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A brilliant book Lena and her son Rufus become suspicious of their neighbours, the Morgan’s, when Lena overhears a conversation from next door which is very unnerving.

They seem a very nice couple and they have a grandson, Lena has seen her walking with a pram her husband is a surgeon so are very well respected but Lena can’t forget what she overheard and starts to investigate with dire consequences.

Definitely recommend couldn’t put it down

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK for an ARC

Interesting story. Really good twist at the end. Didn’t see the need for the bad language though. Why do modern authors think we all use bad language? None of my friends or family do.

Highly addictive, pacy and will make you lose all concept of time. Claire Douglas is an auto buy author for me - I don’t even need to read the blurb, I will buy it regardless.

Very enjoyable and tense psychological thriller, albeit a bit far-fetched. I found it very readable and raced through it. Recommended.

Book Review: The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas

I’ve always enjoyed Claire Douglas’s thrillers, so I was excited to dive into The New Neighbours. However, I have to admit, this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations. While the premise is gripping – a woman overhears what she believes to be a conversation about a crime next door – the execution felt a bit uneven.

At the heart of the story is Lena, who becomes convinced that her seemingly sweet, retired neighbors are planning something nefarious. The tension builds as she obsesses over what she overheard, and I could feel her paranoia grow as she grapples with the possibility that her own mind might be playing tricks on her. The atmosphere is definitely unsettling, which I appreciated, but there were moments when the story dragged a bit, and I found myself frustrated with Lena’s choices and how long it took for things to progress.

What I did enjoy was the exploration of Lena’s past and how it intertwines with her growing obsession with the Morgans. It added layers to her character, and I liked how the book delved into themes of guilt and redemption. Still, the pacing felt off, and some of the twists seemed more forced than surprising. By the time the climax came, I wasn’t as invested as I wanted to be.

Overall, The New Neighbours is a decent read, but it didn’t have the same gripping intensity as some of Claire Douglas’s previous works. The mystery didn’t unfold as smoothly, and the tension, while present, didn’t feel as tight as I’d hoped. I’ll still be looking forward to her future books, but this one didn’t hit the mark for me.

Rating: 3/5
An intriguing concept with a tense atmosphere, but the pacing and twists left me wanting more.

Lena is helping her teenage son Rufus with his project collecting sounds. She has a microphone at the back of the house and picks up part of a conversation from her new neighours. She is suspicious about what they were talking about. The story if told from several pov and timelines. A good read overall rating 3 1/2 stars

Claire has done it again !!!! Another great book from Claire that will keep you hooked from the start, trying to figure out what is happening and who is guilty of what.

Lena has new neighbours, a seemingly nice retired couple but quite unexpectedly Lean overhears their conversation one evening. But that can't be right, what were they talking about, was it something illegal ? Slowly but surely Lena becomes obsessed with the couple and trying to find out what they are hiding, if anything. There are so many things in Lena's head that don't quite add up but can she find the truth before the truth finds her?

This is a great book with a tangle of lies and plenty of twists and turns. Tense at times but a great plot that will keep you guessing throughout. Some great characters that you will become invested in, especially Lena. If you have rear and of Claire's previous books then you will know what to expect, some great writing, plenty of twists and turns and some tense moments as well. Definitely one to add to the top of your TBR pile.

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

When lena overhears a convo she believes her new neighbours are going to commit a crime.
This is a good read. It is an easy read with loads of drama and more than a few twists. I loved Lena and sometimes thought she had it wrong and sometimes that she was spot on.

It is a well written story that unfolds beautifully. It actually kept me reading late into the night..

This is an enjoyable thriller. I love Claire Douglas and was excited to get to read this. It is a tad convoluted but it's worth sticking with as the threads do all come together in the end. I found Lena an interesting character and not only does she have flaws, such as getting too involved with people, but she also knows it. Her job sets this in the everyday and is something a lot of people will relate to. I particularly liked the back stories and the histories of the different characters. The reader keeps thinking they know what is happening and then there's another twist. It's only as it draws to a close that it starts to take real shape. Thriller fans will find it very satisfying.