My thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The New Neighbours’ written by Claire Douglas in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Whilst recording outdoor sounds for her son Rufus’s college project, Lena inadvertently hears a conversation between her new elderly neighbours Marielle and Henry Morgan. Lena is suspicious and despite being warned not to get involved she can’t help herself, and uses a key she’d been given by her previous neighbour to get inside their house and have a look around. What Lena sees surprises her and gives her a reason to find out more.

‘The New Neighbours’ is a twisty thriller that’s told by Lena, her new neighbours Marielle and Henry, and Natalie who is scared of being caught, with a timespan that encompasses the present time to 1986 when we first meet the Morgans. From the start I was drawn into this well-written plot with some parts that were quite chilling, and the further I read the more intriguing it became with lots of drama and suspense together with excellently described compelling characters. I recommend it to anyone who wants to lose themselves in a story of suspicion, secrets and creepy neighbours, and an ending that’s so unexpected it's left me surprised and completely shocked.

Having enjoyed a few of Claire Douglas's books, I was excited to read this one. The premise is interesting - as Lena records some sounds for her son's college project she overhears a conversation between her seemingly respectable new neighbours, which suggests they may be planning a crime. Unable to let it go, Lena begins to investigate...
I found it a gripping read. It is full of twists and turns and it kept me reading, wanting to discover the secret the neighbours were hiding.
I liked that parts of the story were told from different perspectives and I think the gradual unveiling of past events and how they connected with the present worked well. There seemed to be too many "coincidences" for the story to be realistic or believable, but as a work of fiction, it was an engaging thriller that I'd recommend.

Lena lives alone with her 17 year old son Rufus, now that her husband has moved out. When an older couple moves in next door, she tries to be friendly with them and thinks they're lovely. Until she overhears them planning what she thinks is something illegal. She is determined to find out what they're up to. But is she in over her head?

I enjoyed this one, but one thing niggled at me. And that was, based on the tiny snippet Lena overheard, she became super unnecessarily obsessed with finding out what they were talking to. Maybe it's just me as a 'keep-to-myself' kinda person, but I personally would have brushed it off and not thought about it at all. But then, I guess, we wouldn't have a story, would we? I love this authors work, and this one was filled with some great twists, which kept me hooked throughout.

'The New Neighbours' is the latest unputdownable psychological thriller by Claire Douglas!

Lena inadvertently overhears a suspicious conversation by her seemingly lovely neighbours, an elderly couple that has just moved in. She initially thinks she is imagining it but then the story begins to unravel and the truth about events which happened a good few years ago comes to light. With it's many twists and turns and suspenseful moments the novel keeps you on your toes.

I highly recommend this book to all fans of crime fiction and psychological thrillers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for the ARC.

Another fab read from Claire Douglas.
Thanks to net galley and the publishers
I raced through this and could not put it down.
4 stars

Lena lives in Bristol with her son Rufus, having recently separated from her husband Charlie who lives in a flat close by. Rufus splits his time between both parents and Lena is very uncomfortable with staying home alone when Rufus stays over at his dad’s. Rufus is soon to leave home for Uni, which adds to Lena’s anxiety about sleeping in the house alone.

Some new neighbours move in next door and Lena is quick to be acquainted with them. To begin with the Morgans seem like a lovely retired couple. However, Lena is helping Rufus with his coursework one day, recording some noises in the garden. But Lena finds herself recording something very different, a conversation between her new neighbours which sounds rather unnerving and sinister. Lena’s interest is instantly piqued and she vows to find out more about the new couple next door and just what they are hiding, despite her family and friends telling her to keep well out of it. The Morgans are hell-bent on rectifying some previous wrong-doings and holding those responsible to account. Lena soon discovers that the couple know more about her and her past than she realised and she is put in grave danger.

Another cracking read from a great author. A cleverly put together plot with lots of twists which only adds to the gripping plot.

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
I was instantly hooked. This felt so real and kinda made me want to spy on my neighbours, but maybe it's better that I don't. The short chapters and multiple POVs made me fly through this story. I loved how you get to know all the characters more and more. I saw the ending coming and it was kinda satisfying but also a bit disappointing at the same time. Overall, it's a really quick and enjoyable read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Quick read
Multiple POVs
Character Development
Short Chapters

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘮-𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘶𝘱 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦.

𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘶𝘱𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘸.

𝘠𝘦𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 . .

The New Neighbours is a great psychological thriller with lots of suspense and tension with a decent plot although a little rushed at the end.

The main character, Lena, has recently separated from her husband Charlie. Charlie is now living in a nearby flat while Lena is in the family house with their son, Rufus, who is shortly going to university. There are a lot of mentions of Lena’s sad anticipation of having empty nest syndrome when Rufus goes to Uni. There are not crucial to the plot and the repetition was tedious. As did the many references to the hot weather. I thought the heat was going to have some crucial significance but I guess it was just to illustrate the rising tension.

New neighbours have recently moved next door to Lena and Rufus. Lena is helping Rufus with some sound recordings for his school work when she overhears a rather sinister conversation between Henry and Marielle, the new neighbours, which suggests they are up to no good. Some of the conversation was captured on tape and Lena mulls over it while starting to keeps a close eye on her neighbours’ comings and goings. Henry seems to spend much of his time on the drive so there is plenty of opportunity for Lena to watch him and have chats.

Lena works part-time at the local Citizens Advice Bureau and has been known to not respect boundaries between herself and her clients in the past. Despite having had a warning about this she gets over involved with a client who is seeking his missing sister. Not only is this something that Lena should not be giving advice on, she also accepts an invitation to visit the client at his home.

There are a lot of coincidences in this book as to who Lena is interacting with in different spheres of life but all have a connection. I found I had to suspend belief quite a lot and also a certain amount of frustration at the lack of involving the police at times when it would seem obvious to have called them. There was also a fair bit of telling the reading what to think instead of letting the reader make their own conclusions from the narrative itself.

This is not my favourite book by Claire Douglas, and at times almost seemed like it was not written by her, but I will always eagerly await her new ones. With thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph/ Penguin Random House for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The latest book from Claire Douglas is, as usual a very enjoyable read.
A cross between a domestic and murderous thriller it is curiously entertaining and will have you checking out new neighbours very closely indeed.
I did find some aspects seemed a little lengthy but on the whole it is a pretty well paced story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.

The story is told through different perspectives, with Lena's told in first person pov and then Henry and Natalie's shared in third person. I'll be honest, I felt a bit confused as I lost track of what had happened by the time we switched back to their points of view.

Lena overhears her new neighbors talking and thinks it sounds like they are planning a crime. She starts to dig a little deeper and becomes more convinced that there's something criminal going on.

I was drawn to this book because of the premise, it made me think of the film Disturbia. However, I have to say that I found the pacing quite slow, with not much action happening until the very end. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters, which left me not caring about how things would turn out.

But, the ending definitely made up for the slower start! I really enjoyed the twists and the suspense in the second half of the book.

Thank you to Michael Joseph, Penguin publishing and NetGalley for this arc.

I absolutely loved this book. @clairedoulasauthor never disappoints.
This is a fast paced, mysterious, tense and twisty read. I couldn’t put it down, and found myself holding my breath at times. Just brilliant.
It’s cleverly written and immersive. I love the authors writing style as it flows really well and how the story weaves together, with the little hints so you are kept guessing throughout what might happen next. The multiple POV’s and storylines with the insight into the past had me hooked from start to finish. I enjoyed the short chapters, the well described believable characters and the eerie suburban setting and the heat all adding to the suspense.
Overall a gripping page turner and brilliant psychological thriller. Definitely recommend if you enjoy this genre.
With thanks to #NetGallery #MichaelJoseph @michaeljbooks for an arc of #TheNewNeighbours in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 13 March 2025

The New Neighbours is another fab thriller by Claire Douglas.
Lena and her son Rufus are in the garden trying to get some outside noises recorded for his media studies project. The microphone picks up a conversation between her neighbours and leaves her thinking the worst. Her neighbours have just moved in and seem really nice, they are an old retired couple but are they as nice as they seem? Lena’s best friend tells her to keep her nose out but as she’s only part time in her job, Rufus being old enough that he’s got his own life and recently parted from her husband leaves her with a lot of time on her hands. The more she delves the deeper she gets until she can’t really get any deeper and realises there’s a lot more to her neighbours than she thought and a lot of planning had been done for them to be in the house they are in.
I’m not wanting to spoil this great thriller so have been quite vague in the storyline. The book has a good pace all the way through with a great twisty plot that is typical of this authors previous work which gently leads you down the wrong path! I did figure out a few things before they were spelt out to me but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment at all.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If your looking for a thriller which will have you on the edge of your seat throughout with twists you just can’t see coming then this is a book for you.
I was lucky enough to get to read this ahead of its publication on 13th March 2025 and wow what a book!

There were moments I was shouting in my head to main character Lena to walk away and go back home as the suspense was so real.

Lena has new neighbours move in, a nice retired couple The Morgans, but Lena soon starts to question if all is as it seems next door when she over hears a conversation of them planning what sounds like a crime.

Her family and friends all tell her to keep out of it and keep herself safe but Lena just can’t forgot what she heard, especially when things unravel and it seems The Morgans may just have a link to her past which she would rather forget.

Claire Douglas soon became a firm favourite of mine after reading my first book of hers and this book is everything you expect from one of her books with that feeling that it’s really happening, yet with some shocking unexpected twists you just don’t see coming.

You don’t have to wait long to read this book yourself with publication in 3 days, I recommend you pre order or add to your to be read lists now and you won’t be disappointed! Thanks to penquin randomhouse and netgalley for allowing me to read this early. #netgalley #thenewneighbours #clairedouglasauthor

In The New Neighbours, Claire Douglas delivers a fast-paced, heart-pounding thriller that will have you second-guessing everything you thought you knew. Lena, a mother helping her daughter with a media studies project, inadvertently picks up a conversation between her neighbours, the Morgans, that makes her suspicious. She’s certain they’re planning a crime, but no one believes her. The Morgans are a well-respected couple, with no history of trouble.

Despite reassurances from friends and family, Lena can’t shake the feeling that something sinister is unfolding. What if she’s right? What if she could prevent a disaster and make up for the guilt from her dark past? As Lena digs deeper, the tension builds to a crescendo, and her every step leads to more questions and unexpected twists.

The complex characters and numerous lies keep the suspense high in this intricately woven mystery. The New Neighbours will have you on edge, eagerly flipping pages to uncover the shocking truth.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Claire Douglas's books always manage to grip me immediately, I found myself drawn into the uncertainly and mistrust of the neighbours. Very intense and compelling read overall.

I always look forward to reading the new Claire Douglas so was excited to get this as an advanced copy.

Lena is going through a difficult period in her life, her and her husband are separated and her teenage son is getting ready to start uni leaving her with an empty nest.

Overhearing a suspicious conversation between her new neighbours, retired couple, the Morgan’s peaks her interest and she starts to believe they could be involved in something dodgy.

Lena starts to obsess about what they could be up to, going to extreme lengths. I really enjoyed the ending and felt satisfied with how it was all wrapped up.

Lena is a relatable and believable character going through a tough time.

Three different viewpoints over different timelines helps to tell the story and keep the tension going.

Overall a really good psychological thriller. This book will make you look at your neighbours differently and question how much you really know (or want to know) about them.

Lena is pleased to see she has new neighbours, it may just take her mind off her own personal worries for a while, and they seem nice enough. Marielle and Henry Morgan are a respectable retired couple so she's certain she won't be getting any trouble from them but, whilst helping her teenage son Rufus with his media studies project, she picks up a snippet of their conversation on his boom microphone and, from what she hears, she's convinced they're doing something illegal. Her best friend Jo tells her she must be mistaken and to leave well alone, but Lena doesn't want to make the same mistake she made years earlier and decides to investigate, what she discovers should make her walk away, but it doesn't. Is she putting herself in danger by pursuing this, or is she doing the right thing this time?

The New Neighbours is the latest domestic thriller by Douglas, told from multiple perspectives across a dual timeline. As with all this author's books, this one is compelling and drew me in from the first page, keeping me hooked throughout, it has a fair few characters to get your head round and with the regular switching between timelines it's one you definitely need to concentrate on so you don't lose the thread of the plot. It's very clear from Lena's obsession with the Morgan's that she's using her past experience to not take anything at face value, she is certain something is going on with them and won't rest until she knows for sure, even if it means putting herself at risk. There are some great twists in this multi layered story that kept me guessing throughout and, just when i thought I'd finally figured out where it was heading, Douglas threw in another twist to turn everything on it's head again. This is another great read from one of my go to authors that I definitely recommend.

I'd like to thank Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for inviting me to read this, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

A great read.
Claire Douglas books swing from one extreme to the other in terms of how good they are but this is one of the better ones.
Everyone is a little bit messed up and it’s not always obvious what is going on which keeps the interest piqued.
It’s not even that far fetched, you could totally see a documentary being made about this particular subject so you don’t have to totally suspend reality to enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and publish for the ARC

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast-paced thriller with really interesting characters. I love the whole dynamic of new neighbours and all the drama in the neighbourhood.

The only thing for me is that some of the events that took place were a bit unrealistic but of course, it is all fiction. I really liked the FMC. The plot really picked up towards the end of the book and I did find myself guessing some of the plot twists. I am someone who reads a lot of thrillers though so I was trying to guess through out.

I would recommend this book to friends. Thank you so much for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Below is the blurb

"Do you trust the couple next door?
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.
But it sounded like they were planning a crime.
Her family and friends tell her she’s made a mistake.
Yet the more Lena looks into the Morgans, the darker things seem.
And the more she fears it might be linked to a secret from her own past.
Because, if her suspicions are true, then someone is in real danger.
And it might just be her…"

The story focuses around the main character Lena, who has just split from her husband and living with her teenage son. She overhears a conversation between her retired new neighbours and becomes suspicious. I think the story is at times far fetched and has lots of co-incidences to make it work but generally it was a good read. I haven't read the author before and would definitely keep an eye out for her other books.