This is another twisty story from Claire Douglas!
Each time I thought I had seen through the fog of misdirection this author weaves I was thrown a curve ball of more information and be it factual to the storyline or just more misdirection, it served to show the errors in my assumptions!
This was a fascinating story which kept my interest throughout the whole length as I tried to figure out what was going on, which side stories were linked and who everyone actually was!
The characters were varied and well drawn to their rolls in this story arc which was engaging and had a very satisfying finale after an extremely twisty, didn't see that coming, style of wrap up! I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read more by this author in future!

I always look forward to a good Claire Douglas book every year and in terms of the plot, this one did not disappoint. I was hooked pretty quick and there are lots of twists to keep it fresh!

My only gripe are the characters. Nothing against them personally - they’re all well-developed - but their actions were just so unrealistic. I know this is fiction but some of the things they do just wouldn’t happen except in a book.

However, it was a still a very enjoyable and intriguing read with all the hallmarks you’d expect from a Claire Douglas novel.

Another gripping psychological thriller from the excellent Claire Douglas. The titular couple seem somewhat strange and their neighbour Lena overhears them discussing what sounds like a crime. Has she imagined it or is she in danger? Lots of twists and turns and a real page turner.

When Lena overhears a conversation between her next-door neighbours, she thinks she must have misheard.
After all, the Morgans are a kind, retired couple who have moved to a suburban street in Bristol where nothing ever happens.

I found this a difficult book to believe in. The characters are fabricated and totally unbelievable. The main character is implausible and some of things she does are ridiculous. I lost the plot quite early on and it was so far from reality it became a real slog to complete it. Not for me.

I just love Claire Douglas and I have read all her books. What a treat to be able to have the early read on her new book The New Neighbours. This again did not disappoint, after the neighbour hears what she thinks is a plot to kill someone the book turns into another exciting on the edge of the page turner as usual. Characters well written, story line good to follow and just didn’t want it to end.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and to publisher Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House | Penguin for the early read

Claire Douglas is very good at twists and turns. This book keeps you guessing all the way to the last few pages. As for the plot, I will not be retelling that aspect as I believe that the ‘blurb’ writers do a much better job and know how to not give anything away, and you certainly wouldn’t want that with one of Claire’s books. I did however find this story quite silly and contrived with some unrealistic scenes or happenings which slightly annoyed me. On reading this you just have to take it as it is and not try to reason out whether a real person would act in a particular way. Given this I would recommend it but its not a 5 star book for me. 3-4 stars.

I love a Claire Douglas book, but the last couple of books she released didn't really do it for me. However with this book, Douglas was back on form!
I really enjoyed this book!

I was gripped from the beginning, and was constantly wondering how the plot would end. Lots of mysteries, lots of questions to answer.

The reasons I couldn't give this book the full 5*'s, is because the ending was just a little wild for me. It went up to full 100mph with no real lead up, and just went a bit barmy!
Also - I was left with some unresolved questions. It didn't explain what had happened to one of the 'missing' characters. I was left wondering why this subplot was even in the book...

Overall though I did really enjoy reading, but just felt a bit let down by the ending.

I really struggled with this book, as I found the premise completely implausible, once I had read what had been overheard. It just seemed completely over the top to me, possibly because I have recently moved house myself, and could not relate this crazy theory to any of my lovely new neighbours.
The actions of the main character are bizarre and unbelievable, to say the least. She is not a likeable protagonist.
I’m afraid I lost interest very quickly, and DNF.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

It held my attention, but I didn’t find it thrilling enough. The plot and the perpetrators' motives didn’t feel believable or plausible.

There is much to enjoy in this psychological thriller, but it suffers from a lack of plausibility at times, especially in the second half of the story. The main character is Lena, who is going through a tough time in her life after the breakdown of her marriage. When an older couple moves in next door and Lena overhears a suspicious conversation between them , she becomes somewhat obsessed with finding out what they are planning. Lena’s behaviour isn’t always rational but the story is engaging throughout, with effective characterisation and plenty of suspense to keep the reader engaged.

This is the first book I have read from this author and I really enjoyed it.

Lena is recently separated from her husband and lives in her family home with her son Rufus in Bristol. One night when she is helping her son with his project she overhears her neighbours conversations.

This book is in 3 parts and you hear from a few characters. I really enjoyed the twists to this book and would definitely be reading more from this author. This book is definitely addictive, gibe it a read.

A dark domestic psychological thriller set in Bristol. Slightly unbelievable characters especially the "new neighbours" and plot but I was drawn into the story and the twist at the end was satisfying .

Wow I haven’t read a book by this author for a while and has forgotten how good there books are. This book has me gripped from the first page and read in almost one sitting.

This was a gripping domestic thriller which makes you question do you really know what goes on behind closed doors and are your neighbours really who you think they are.

This story would make a good premise for a tv drama series

I have read a few books by the author and this was horny favourite. However there was still plenty of suspense and twists throughout. It seemed there were confusing characters at times which affected my rating. If you want to try a book not this author don't start with this one.

I have read a couple of Claire Douglas’ books before, so I was looking forward to her latest novel, The New Neighbours. The cover appealed to me as I like purple, but it doesn’t really stand out from other novels in the genre.

Lena lives with her teenage son, Rufus, following separation from her husband. When a well-to-do, retired couple move in next door, Lena doesn’t think much of it. That is until she overhears a snippet of a conversation between them that makes her suspicious of them, especially the husband. What’s really going on behind closed doors?

The story is mainly set in the present day but does feature flashbacks so you understand more about the characters and their motivations. The characters are quite well done, but I didn’t really feel much of a connection with them.

Easy to read, the short chapters keep you reading to find out what happens. I enjoyed the first half with the build up to the suspicious behaviour of the neighbours and the speculation about what was going on. The second half was a bit predictable and too far fetched for me. The ending was quite underwhelming.

Overall, I liked the book, but the latter part was too far fetched and predictable for me. I would still read more books by this author.

This book is an engaging psychological thriller with an intriguing premise, but, for me, I felt that it didn’t fully stick the landing. The story effectively built up the suspense as a couple moves into a new home, and the protagonist finds themselves caught in a web of secrets and paranoia. The author created an intriguing premise which lent itself well to providing an unsettling atmosphere, which did ultimately deliver some solid twists, however the execution felt a bit uneven at times.
One of the main drawbacks, I felt, was the tendency to over-explain key plot points through the use of rhetorical questions posed through the thought processes of the main character, rather than letting the reader piece things together themselves, additionally the narrative often reiterated some details unnecessarily. While some of the twists were surprising, I felt that some did feel a bit far-fetched - I mean would you sneak into your neighbour’s house if you were a bit suspicious of them?
Despite these issues, I did find this book a pretty decent read with moments of real tension.

There are some authors whose new books I drop everything for - Claire Douglas is one of those authors!!
This one has it all, suspense, paranoia and secrets. There are a good few “sitting at the end of your seat” moments, even in the first few chapters.

The story jumps between the past and present, with plenty of twists along the way. The mystery surrounding the Morgans kept me hooked until the very end - who needs sleep anyway! That said, some parts are perhaps, a little bit unrealistic. However, the ending, for me, was completely unexpected!

The “New Neighbours” is a must-read for 2025

While helping her son with a project Lena picks up a conversation between her new neighbours and it sounds like they are planning a crime.They re well respected and in their sixties so her family and friends think she is blowing things out of proportion but Lena is sure there is something not right with her new neighbours can she prevent something bad from happening is she putting herself in danger in the process.

This is a fast paced thriller and full of twists it does take a while to pick up but it's well worth it and the ending I did not see that coming at all ! Definitely would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, Michael Joseph Publishing and Claire Douglas for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a reasonably pacy domestic mystery with some interesting characters, I liked the fact that the 'new neighbours' were older than in previous booms I have read in this style.

Initially quite slow to get going, it did pick-up from around half-way and, if you are willing to suspend belief slightly and overlook that amount of coincidences, this is a solid read.

I’ve really enjoyed every one of Claire Douglas’s books and this one was no exception. The story does have multiple points of view, although it is mainly Lena’s ,and is spread over two time lines which makes it easy to follow. The story starts of with Lena overhearing a conversation between her new neighbours which starts her thinking they might be up to something they shouldn’t . There are multiple layers to the story but it is so clever how they are all interweaved with the plot. The story was a little convoluted at times but it didn’t stop me turning the pages, eager to find out what was going on. A very enjoyable read with a very unexpected twist!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and publisher for giving me the opportunity to toreador read this book.