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.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I found it very enjoyable, although also very scary. The story follows the characters in slightly different timelines, which are not linked until the story nears the finish. It is well written and I can recommend it.

A 4 star read from me. The book is mostly told from the point of view of Lena, who is separated and the mother of a teenage boy living in Bristol. One night she accidently overhears a conversation between the new next door neighbours which is somewhat sinister. Another woman appears to have been abducted, the links to the plot are not clear and there are also flashbacks to Lena's time as a student midwife though she never finished her training. The plot is quite cryptic and at times repetitive . Gradually the different strands come together and we find out what it really is all about. Perhaps it is a bit farfetched that Lena gets so paranoid about her neighbours. Working in healthcare myself, I a m not too sure that some of the alleged irregularities would be possible., but certainly in the last part of the book, the pace picks up and most ends are tied up.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

I do love a Claire Douglas book and was delighted to get an arc of The New Neighbours.

Lena is in a new phase of life. Her son is soon to fly the nest and go to university, she’s early 40s and newly single. When Lena meets her new glamorous neighbours she’s instantly in awe of the polished wealthy couple. Soon things start to raise alarm bells when inconsistencies in their life start to niggle at Lena. When she over hears what she thinks is a plot to carry out a nefarious deep, she just can’t let it go and her curiosity gets the better of her.

Another great page turner from Claire although I did guess the plot twists relatively early. A fun quick read for fans of Claire’s books.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for this ARC. A fast paced, full of twists and turns crime thriller and I loved it. A book you won’t want to put down with likeable characters and a good plot.

Awesome book, full of twists! So well written, very descriptive - found myself willing Lana on, the back story was intriguing and the emotional turmoil was real! I did feel she was treated a little with kid gloves, almost like everyone expects her to act irrationally but there was no explanation for this.

Claire Douglas knows how to write for her set of skills. and im glad she found that place in thrillers. because her books are the gift that keep giving.
every time i hear she has a new book im exited for it. she writes suspense so well. and keeps ramping up the thrill and pressure. certain authors also manage to write that angst and creepy vibe. i dont know how they do it. its like splashing certain colors on a page give you certain feelings. except somehow they do it with tone and words that just lend to the spread of uncertainty and unease.
Lena is one of those characters that cross the lines when she has that nugget in her mind. and one of those characters that your not quite sure is either on to something or going mad! and when even her own close family question her you wonder quite whats going on. but also this wouldnt be a story if all were innocent would it?
Lena has new neighbors. she welcomes them of course. they seem nice and harmless elderly couple. one day when helping her son record some bits for school her mic pics up something that sends shivers up her spine. her neighbor's...planning a crime. and from there she spirals. we spiral. it all spirals as things start occurring and little things start not adding up.
Lena helps her teenage son Rufus gather sounds for his media studies project. The boom-microphone picks up a conversation between her neighbors, the Morgan's. And she’s certain they are planning a crime. Her friends and family tell her she must have misheard, but she is not so sure!

Generally a good,easy read but personally I found Lena quite annoying and some of the things she did a bit of a stretch to believe.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

If you are prepared to remember this is fiction and so not question the likelihood of what is happening actually happening, the coincidences and the tall tale plot then it is a good read,certainly well written and with interesting characters

And who doesn’t love a book about new neighbours? I LOVE books that involve them and street dynamics and who gets on with who etc

One thing got to say is that old problem of flushing was present, at one point both characters were doing it ( male and female ) hot flushes here, a flush creeping up there and you got the feeling everyone flushed at least hourly

Involved some emotional subjects and by lines that were handled well

I guess I would say not believable in parts but written well enough to enjoy none the less

Thank you to the UK publishers and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've read a few Claire Douglas books now and I have found I really like her writing style. It is always an easy read and very digestible, and this latest installment was no different.

I particularly enjoyed the last 20% when everything started to come together. I did find it a little slow going in the beginning, but the ending made up for this. 3.5 🌟

Wow, what a book this was! I raced through this, especially the last quarter of it, it had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how it was all going to end! There were lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing and I liked the dual timeline style of writing. This is the first book by Claire Douglas that I’ve read but it certainly won’t be my last, I’ll be recommending this to everyone.

"The New Neighbours" by Claire Douglas is a psychological thriller with a lot of suspense.

Thank you Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the advance digital copy via Netgalley.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

Claire Douglas is not a new author for me as I read 5 of her books before. This is why I was looking forward to this new book.

This is the story of Lena and her new neighbours, the Morgans. They seem like a nice older couple, until Lena overhears them talking and begins to suspect that they want to do something illegal.

I liked the fact that there are multiple POVs and timelines. The story is unraveled slowly and we get small clues along the way.
Lena starts to get obsessed with her neighbours and crosses some lines (like stalking them and going to their house when they are away). But everything that she finds out about them is suspicios and thinks get dangerous.
There are a few twists that I did not expect and connections between characters that are only revealed at the end.

This was an entertaining read for me and definitely a page turner.