I love a Claire Douglas book - she never fails to disappoint me and when this came up on Netgalley, I jumped at the request button!

The story follows Lena as she accidentally overhears a snippet of her neighbours conversation and spirals from there. The story really makes you think about who might be living next door - there's plenty of drama, and suspense throughout and I also love the dual timeline and multiple POV that there's a little bit of.

definitely one I'd recommend!

This is a complicated story, which makes for an excellent read. You won’t know half the obstacles until you reach towards the end of this novel. It’s well written; it’s a page turner as you wonder how Lena thinks as she veers from one disaster to another, while trying to solve a problem; but was it all miscommunication? She tries to trust her friends with knowledge and information, but they don’t all believe her and with good reason. Why are the neighbours friendly, then dismissive then a variety of other emotions and attitudes reach the surface? As you turn the pages you may change your mind about whether a crime was committed or who did it. Has it been completed yet? I’ll certainly seek out other books by this writer, Claire Douglas, because this book is good. Which side of the fence will you take? I was almost more concerned about her teenage son, until those outcomes were explained. Phew!

I’ve really enjoyed Claire Douglas’ previous books and this is another great read.
Lena is keen to meet her new neighbours, but after overhearing a conversation between them, she’s a bit wary of them.
There’s a few things that happen that seem pretty unrealistic and unlikely, but if you put that aside, this book will have you hooked.
I can’t say too much more in case of spoilers, but I would recommend this book if you enjoy a good thriller.
Thanks to Michael Joseph Publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

What do you do when you are sure your new neighbours are planning to commit a crime, however no one believes you? This is the dilemma facing Lena who overhears part of a conversation between Henry and Marielle Morgan, a lovely retired couple who have moved to Bristol to be close to their new grandchild. Everyone Lena tells says she must have imagined it, or there must be a simple explanation for what she heard. Lena is not convinced and the more she thinks about it, the more certain she is that something is very amiss with Henry and Marielle. Lena is determined to find out what is going on, and with little regard for her own safety, sets out to uncover their secrets. In doing so, Lena must confront her own past mistakes.

The is an entertaining thriller with all the numerous twists, turns and red herrings you expect from Claire Douglas, but not so complicated that you loose track of who is who and who might have done what. There was plenty to keep me captivated, page turning well into the night as I tried to unravel the plot. I did eventually work it out, shortly before the reveal, however the ending still managed to surprise me. The characterisations are excellent, although I did find some of Lena's escapades a touch unrealistic.

If you enjoy fast paced, easy to read thrillers I can highly recommend The New Neighbours.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review.

Absolutely loved this! It's well written and sucks you in. It has short chapters and they always end on little cliff hangers so you have to read just one more chapter so you're not kept wondering lol. I felt the characters were well written, the plot was well paced out and it felt like there wad always something happening so it never dragged or because boring. This was everything I'd want from a dark, domestic noir

Lena lives with her teenage son in a Bristol neighbourhood. Reeling from the breakdown of her relationship with her husband and unsatisfied with her work, she feels cast adrift. When immaculate Marielle and Henry Morgan move next door, Lena is discomforted by their presence. Lena plays a risky game trying to find out the truth about her new neighbours.

This is the second Claire Douglas book I’ve read. I love her writing style. I found it really easy to get into. Chapters are short and punchy, propelling the plot forward and giving mini cliff hangers after each one. I found Lena as a character pretty annoying, but enjoyed learning about the Morgans. Definitely recommended for thriller fans. You’ll find it hard to put it down.

Lena and teenage son Rufus live alone in a boring, suburban road in Bristol. Until their new neighbours move in and things start becoming a lot less boring. Whilst recording ambient nature sounds for Rufus' school project, Lena happens to record a conversation between the neighbours which is anything but surburban. In fact, Lena thinks they might be planning a crime....

What's great about the storytelling in this book is the characterisation; with the view point moving between the main players. You're never sure who you can really trust, and whether it's just Lena's imagination running away with her.

This is my first Claire Douglas book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't wait to devour her other books!

I absolutely love Claire Douglas and was super excited to read her new book. The New Neighbours is another dark, domestic, twisty thriller that is intriguing and intricately woven that it will blow your mind. Highly recommended xx

Thank you to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an early copy to enjoy.
I know Claire Douglas has written many books, but for me this is the first book.of her's I've ever read.
This psychological thriller was fast paced.The first few chapters began about the characters themselves. Then the story took off and I absolutely loved it! I was gripped and could not put it down.
The chapters were a nice length and there were lots of twists and turns, making this a page turner. Each chapter was named with the character names, five main characters in total and most chapters ended you felt compelled to read the next chapter.
At the beginning of the book the various stories of each character were all totally separate and as you continue to read the book the story begins to intertwine together and you begin to make connections with information and people. The twist at the end was not obvious at all.
An excellent 5 start read!

Wowsers... what a ride this book took me on! It definitely hit the ground running, sucked me in, held me captive all the way through, spitting me out at the end, after reading in only a couple of sittings, completely spent, but wholly satisfied.
Ok, so there are parts that are a wee bit OTT and maybe a far fetched, especially the ultimate ending. But, when taken as a whole, it was such good fun that I can forgive the odd eye-roll along the way.
So... single parent Lena is helping her son with a sound project for his course. It involves using rather sophisticated equipment which they are using to record ambient sounds. It also picks up her new neighbours, the Morgans, conversation which, on playing it back, sounds rather disturbing. It sounds like they are planning a crime and that it wouldn't be their first...
As well as the action playing out in the present, we also delve into the past. To see how the Morgans met and started their lives together, and also to witness why Lena quit her midwife training.
And that's all I am saying as it all gets a bit convoluted and interconnected and we also have a couple of side-stories to contend with so anything more I say might spoil things. Suffice to say that it all comes together nicely at the end, even if there are those things that maybe were a wee bit contrived, a tad implausible, and a bit too neatly wrapped up. But it was so much fun getting there...
All in all, a cracking addition to an already well impressive back catalogue, all of which I have read and wholeheartedly recommend. I can't wait to find out what she serves up next... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book

Bobol bach am nofel. Mae Claire Douglas o hyd yn llwyddo i'm hudo i fyd rhyw ddirgelwch tywyll ac mae hon yn bendant yn un o'r rhain. Cwpl sydd wedi ymddeol sy'n symud i'r tŷ drws nesa i Lena ydi canolbwynt y nofel, ac wrth i Lena eu clywed yn trafod rhywbeth amheus iawn mae ei hamheuon yn gwaethygu wrth i amser fynd heibio. Mae'n anodd iawn gwybod beth sydd am ddod nesaf yn nofelau Claire Douglas, ac wrth i chi feddwl eich bod wedi dyfalu'n gywir ac wedi cysylltu pawb â'i gilydd mae sawl tro yn y gynffon yn arwain at drywydd cwbl wahanol. Mae gan yr awdur ddawn o gyflwyno cymeriadau diddorol, tywyll a chyffrous, ac mae'r troeon yma yn sicr o'ch synnu. Mae fy mhen yn dal i droi ar ôl y diweddglo, gyda gallu anhygoel yr awdur i glymu pob llinyn storiol gyda'i gilydd yn gelfydd gan roi ergyd ar ôl ergyd i ni fel darllennydd. Gwych, dydi nofelau Claire Douglas byth yn siomi, ond mae hon yn bendant yn un o'r goreuon!

Dear me what a novel! Claire Douglas always manages to whisk me away to some dark mystery and this one certainly is no different. A retired couple who move into the house next door to Lena are the focus of the plot, and as Lena overhears them discussing something very suspicious, her doubts worsen as time passes. It's so hard to guess what's to come in Claire Douglas novels, and as you finally start to think you've solved the mystery and connected all the dots between the various characters, many twists and turns lead to a completely different path. The author has an ability to create interesting, dark and thrilling characters, and the twists in this one will leave you stunned. My head is still spinning after the ending, with the author's ability to tie all the storylines together cleverly giving one hit after another to us as readers. Fantastic, Claire Douglas novels never disappoint, but this one is certainly one of the best!

Who are the new neighbours? Are they what they seem or something more sinister?
When Lena overhears a conversation between them she is intrigued. However, she is known for rushing in, coming to conclusions without really thinking things through or seeing the bigger picture.
She decides to delve further although everyone says to leave it.
Soon she begins to realise it is personal.

I did enjoy this twisty ,on the edge of your seat , thriller but at times did think that the main characters actions were a bit over the top and suspect. As the book goes along you start to realise that there is much more going on but still parts were a bit jarring and unbelievable (I suppose it is a novel ). Still a decent read even if I was mentally shouting at the book at times.

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 . .