Claire Douglas masterfully delivers a tense and gripping psychological thriller with The New Neighbours. The story seamlessly switches between POVs across different timelines, keeping the reader constantly reevaluating the truth. Throughout the book, suspicion bounces between the Morgans, making it impossible to pin down who the real psychopath is—until the final reveal, which still manages to shock. The pacing is tight, the twists are expertly placed, and the tension builds relentlessly. Just when you think you have it all figured out, Douglas proves you wrong. A must-read for anyone who loves an unpredictable, well-crafted thriller.

I always enjoy reading work from this writer and very much enjoyed reading it. I admit I was hooked from the start.
It runs at a fast pace which does not give you time to analyse the improbability of much of the storyline. There were many coincidences which in normal circumstances would not occur. However, I could visualise the situation with the strange behaviour of the new neighbours and Lena being inadvertently drawn into the web of deceit.
Jumping around in time was good because it gave explanations in parts where you could have been puzzled. Each time little snippets of individual’s lives were revealed.

The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas
Published by: Michael Joseph Penguin Random House
Publication Date 13/3/25

No spoilers

Fast paced twisty thriller. I had to really concentrate to keep the plot threads in my mind but it kept me interested right to the end.

This is my first book by Claire and it most certainly will not be my last (I’m also listening to Then She Vanishes right now and own 4 others). This was told over three parts and multiple POVs, past and present, which I loved, there weren’t too many characters so everything was easy enough to follow and all set at a good pace, giving you just enough to keep you desperate for more! Lena did make me want to give her a shake sometimes but I also know in her position I’d be the exact same! I did guess some of what was going to happen but parts still left me wide eyed and open mouthed! Great detailing, I could picture myself in Lena’s home, in the neighbours home, I was truly transported into this book which shows the excellence of the writing.

The New Neighbours is a gripping, twisty ride that keeps you hooked—just don’t think too hard about how everything falls into place! Claire Douglas spins an intricate web of secrets, paranoia, and jaw-dropping coincidences that demand you go with the flow rather than step back and scrutinize. If you do, you might start questioning the sheer improbability of it all. But why would you? It’s a thriller, and it’s a fun one. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a Review Copy

This book had me gripped from start to finish. I fell asleep every night I read it and not because it was boring but because I was trying to get to the end quicker to find out all the secrets. It’s been a while since a book has left me this gripped. At times my heart was racing, there was lots of sneaking around and near misses!

Lena has just separated from her husband when new neighbours move in next door, the Douglas’. She is in her garden one evening recording sounds for her son when she picks up a sinister conversation they are having. Being bored at home she finds herself delving into her neighbours lives trying to figure out what they were on a bout whilst reliving secrets from her own past.

This is a fast paced thriller and I loved it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely a very easy read, I found it quite difficult to get into but once I did, I just flew through it. The plot essentially is that Lena, the fmc, has just split from her husband and is finding life quite difficult and lonely with her son Rufus due to go off to university. During all this, a new and older couple move into the house beside her, seeming like kind and friendly neighbours. Until accidentally, whilst filming audio for her son’s school project, Lena overhears something from the house next door that sends her spiralling.

The plot drew me in at once but I found the entire thing slightly slow and anticlimactic. There was no audible *GASP* or anything that particularly shocked me when reading. However, it was enjoyable and the plot twists that did come, though they may not have come as a surprise, still worked well for the storyline. Though I find I have unanswered questions and feel slightly underwhelmed by the ending as I wish things played out a little differently.

However, that being said, I do think others will really love this book more than I did, so I still recommend giving it a go and I will for sure be reading more of Claire’s work!

An average thriller. It kept my attention. The plot twists were good but nothing too exciting. It was good but unfortunately not that memorable for me.

‘The New Neighbours’ is a tense psychological thriller by Claire Douglas that deals with paranoia, secrets, and past mistakes.

Lena is a mother helping her teenage daughter with a media studies project when they accidentally record a conversation between their neighbours, the Morgan’s. Lena is sure she overheard them planning a crime, but no one believes her. The elderly Morgan’s are well liked and appear to be perfect neighbours so surely Lena must be mistaken.

Lena is convinced she heard correctly and refuses to let it go and decides to investigate. The more she delves into the mystery the more the tension builds and her own dark past starts to reappear. Is Lena correct or is it a figment of her imagination.

A good read with lots of twists and plenty of tension.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

One day a mysterious couple, Henry and Marielle, move in next door to newly single Lena and her son Rufus. At first Henry and Marielle seem like an ordinary older couple but Lena accidentally over hears a curious conversation between her new neighbours which makes Lena more intrigued. She starts picking up other pieces of conversation and watching their every move getting more and more creeped out by their behaviour. After some risky sleuthing so finds more some worrying details about her neighbours which escalate into the climax of the story.
An interesting and different story which kept my attention.

Lena overhears a conversation between her new neighbours that confuses her, and raises some suspicion. Further interactions with the new couple leave Lena even more worried, and confused as she finds herself drawn in with more questions than answers...

This was a gripping thriller with some good twists. The writing style wasn't my favourite, and it felt a bit long which did mean that the build up of tension wasn't the best, but overall I did enjoy it!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to netglley, the author, and publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy of The New Neighbours by Clare Douglas.

I found this to be a great, fast, paced, "just one more chapter" book that was difficult to put down. It had so much mystery and intrigue, relatable characters and I really enjoy the dual timeline aspect that allows for the story to unfold at its own pace.

I don't tent to try and guess where a storyline is going and I didn't see the ending coming at all.

Overall 4.25/5 - I would have loved to see the ending explored a bit more but that's just me!

A great thriller with a premise we have all wondered about - what do the neighbours talk about and what do they really mean? I found this gripping and making me realise how nosy I am. Think this will resonate with many!

The Morgan’s have moved in next door to Lena and her teenage son, Rufus.

Since Lena split with her husband, she hasn’t been herself. Since the Morgan’s have moved in, she’s started to take an unhealthy interest in them. Lena is convinced all is not as it seems … is she right?

Oh my goodness, this story turned me into a bit of a wreck! It was intense and actually a bit scary at times.

I like Lena’s son, Rufus, he is a great character with an unintentional secret of his own.

A tale that is told over two timelines but still easy to follow what is happening.

There are many lies and deceit in this storyline that all needs to be uncovered.

Just who can be trusted?

This is a good read with many exciting twists but don’t leave too many spaces in between reading because the plot is complex and it would be easy to forget what was read before. Lena lives with her son Rufus who will soon be going to university and she has just separated from her husband. She works part time in the local Citizens Advice Bureau but that doesn’t give much money if she lives alone. She had partially trained as a midwife many years ago but gave up when she realised colleagues were behaving unprofessionally. That is about to come to haunt her. One day she sees a new couple moving in next door and overhears a conversation between them that makes her feel something is wrong. From there the story unfolds. It is a n intricate and well developed story making the reader know how it is going to end. I recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

This was my first Claire Douglas book and it did not disappoint! I really enjoyed the different POVs and timelines throughout the story and felt everything came together quite well at the end. I did find Lena a bit jarring at times which slightly took me out of the story but I still enjoyed my reading experience.

A great suspenseful page turner. I did find myself shouting at Lena for some of the decisions she made!
Claire Douglas built the tension well and kept me guessing to the end. Lena’s family thread running alongside what the neighbours were up to worked well and have some extra surprises.

Worth a read!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the copy to review!

I’ll start by saying that I enjoyed this book in that it was fast paced and gripping throughout. However, there were a few inconsistencies that left me hanging at the end. Drew seemed to be a big character in much of the story, right up until….he wasn’t! He just dropped out of the story never to be heard of again which just seemed odd. It was apparent that there was something wary about Kit, I wasn’t surprised he turned out to be the lost son, but found it almost laughable that he ran off with the next door neighbour, his birth mum, but was happy enough to have killed his dad. At some point in the first 1/3, someone is watching Lena and says something along the lines of ‘she is hers and always will be’, no idea who it was. I’ve also just noticed on Goodreads that the blurb refers to Lena and her teenage daughter - I figured Rufus was her son…! Although, in my head, I kept thinking Rufus was the dog! Overall, it was good, but a fair amount of niggles need ironed out.

Claire Douglas books are the true definition of a page turner and this captivating thriller was no exception.

I felt that I was living the story along side the main character, Lena and felt like I was working out the mystery at the same time as she was.

I loved how Claire Douglas keeps the reader guessing until the very end and the fact that I kept constantly flirting between one theory to another. I’ll definitely be buying this on the release date.

I love all of Claire Douglas' books and this is no exception. It's fast paced and tense with the twists slowly unraveling. I honestly didn't see any of it coming and I loved it. The ending did feel rushed though - it could've done with a couple more chapters to wrap it up properly.