When I say I couldn't put this down because I needed to know what happened!!! I thought I had it figured out to be thrown for loops and twist galore! I loved this book and the details and how it had me sucked in!! When you move into a beautiful house and quiet neighborhood what could go wrong? This just proves you never know who people truly are and what their intentions are!
Thank you netgalley and publishers for allowing me an arc for my honest review!

I love anything Daniel Hurst and this did not disappoint. Edge of my seat the entire time and I couldn't put it down to even go to the restroom. Thriller title at its best!

Thank you, Bookouture, for the ARC of The Couple Before Us. I'm a big fan of psychological thrillers, but this one left me wanting more. I felt there was too much of Dionne's thoughts, which frankly, were getting on my nerves. I didn't like her.. I felt the author could have gone into a little more detail about her husband and her parents. The plot was good, but I did feel like the writing lacked depth.
This review will also be posted on Amazon and Goodreads.

This book had me hooked right from the beginning. It was the perfect domestic thriller with a twist that I did not see coming. I found the characters relatable and well developed even when I did not like them. Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. I was very excited to read the newest Daniel Hurst book and it did not disappoint. I devoured this in one day! I just love his books

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of The Couple Before Us by Daniel Hurst. It will appeal to readers who enjoy a domestic thriller with plenty of twists and an unpredictable ending. This was a comfortable, easy read, evenly paced, and the plot flowed well, but it tended to be far-fetched. It was a gripping read, but the tension and suspense were mainly derived from Di's perspective.

The main character, Dionne (Di) was incredibly annoying. She is married to Christian and they have a 5-year-old boy, Kai. She is heavily pregnant with another baby on the way. They are presently staying in a hotel and are desperate to move into a spacious new home before their second child is born. Christian has found a new, modern home in an exclusive development. There will be a backyard for Kai to play, a room of his own and a nursery for the baby. Dionne complains that it is too modern and prefers an older home that has already been lived in, stressing that an older house would have more character. Since time is running out, she consents to move into the brand-new, modern home with her family, but she is not happy with the decision.

While unpacking, Di discovers a note in a closet. It refers to a couple who lived there before and seem to be missing. Christian insists they are the first people to live in the house and to forget about the note. Is he lying? The note contributes to Di's unpredictable, unhinged, and hysterical behaviour. She imagines sinister forces everywhere and views the neighbours suspiciously. For example, she sees a neighbour crying over the fence in the backyard. She imagines that her boyfriend is cruelly abusing her. When the woman goes away, perhaps he has killed her. She thinks the couple were connected with the disappearance of the people who were previously in Di's and Christian's home. Di is determined to discover what happened to them, fearing that the note was a warning that her family may face a similar fate.
She confronts the estate's manager, Cesar, who also insists that her family is the first in the house, and that someone, possibly the builders, has played a prank on them. At a neighbourhood gathering, she meets an elderly man who confirms that a couple did live in the house. Cesar interrupts, saying the man has dementia.

For a woman soon to give birth, Di acts in a paranoid, frantic, and irrational manner. Her inner monologues are dramatic, overwrought and paranoid. She runs around, rescuing people, breaking into houses, hiding under beds, wandering around after dark, and alienating her neighbours. She makes a couple of unsuccessful calls to the police, angering Cesar. Any appearance of crime will drive down the value of the homes. Her husband does little to stop her antics.

There is a well-known saying: "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you." Does this apply to Dionne?

In an action-packed finale, we learn that her family, especially her son, are indeed in danger. This has been mainly due to her irrational behaviour. The solution to the mystery is unpredictable, but looking back, some clues can be discerned. I would be interested in trying more books by the author. The book is scheduled to be published on July 17, 2025.

Daniel Hurst did not disappoint! As an avid reader of Daniels books, this was just as much as a creative genius masterpiece as many of his other works. This book sends you on a emotional rollercoaster. Filled with action, dark secrets, domestic drama, and twists you have no idea are coming, I could not recommend this book more! You will not be able to turn the pages fast enough!

Does Di truly know the man she is married to? Strange things begin to happen in the new house Di, Christian and Kai move in to. Can she trust the others of the neighborhood? Is someone out to harm her family? You will just have to read to find out! Let me tell you though, you think you have it all figured out, but I promise you, you don't.

4.5 CONFIDENT stars!! Get your copy pre-ordered today! Set to publish 7.17.25

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Daniel Hurst for the eArc!

I loved the premise of this book, and it was mainly well written, with plenty of twists to keep the reader interested.
Dionne is written as a strong and intelligent woman, but as she is heavily pregnant, we are told that hormones come into play.
There were certainly times that I found myself shouting out loud at some of the poor decisions she made. If I was married to Christion, I would certainly have demanded the truth. But then, who is telling the truth, and who can be trusted.
There was certainly plenty of tension in the book, before things became a little incredible. A good read if you can suspend belief at times.
Thanks to Net Galley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A challenging read, this novel introduces Di, a pregnant wife and mother of a five-year-old, as she and her husband decide to purchase a newly built house. Despite her initial reluctance to move into a home without it ever having someone loving in it before. I really didn't understand her motivation to want to live in a used house. And when she finds out someone did live in a previously she was appalled


Soon after, Di uncovers a singular unsettling evidence suggesting the house was not as new as believed, igniting a spiraling paranoia about its past and any previous inhabitants.

Unfortunately, what begins as a promising psychological suspense premise quickly devolves. The narrative struggles with both clarity and pacing; the prose often feels overwrought with every action and thought meticulously explained, and the dialogue frequently veers into repetition. The plot itself becomes increasingly convoluted, incorporating a dizzying array of dramatic elements from "rich people problems" and financial disputes to murder, entrapment, and a general sense of narrative silliness that detracts from any tension. Ultimately, this story feels stretched thin, suggesting a concept that might have been more effectively explored as a concise short story rather than a full-length novel.

Thank you netGallery for the ARC.

Received this as an ARC from NetGalley.
Disappointing read.

FMC was portrayed as an unhinged pregnant lady who was paranoid. It didn’t seem realistic for a pregnant lady who is busy with a child, her side business, moving homes, to be so concerned as to whether there was another couple living next door.

Plot hole that I could not get over,
FMC’s husband was on the phone with someone, and she heard it. She wanted to clarify with her husband. But when something happened, poof, that desperate need to find out was gone. The desperate need to move away from her husband, was gone too.
Nothing carried through, even knowing the FMC is somebody who bites and never lets go.

Writing style was straightforward, but truthfully it feels like what a student would submit.

If you’re expecting a twist that perplexes you, you’re reading the wrong book.

Dionne, Christian and their son Kai move into a new home on an exclusive estate. Dionne is a bit sceptic at first but as Dionne is expecting and they need a bigger place, Christian talks her around. But when moving in some boxes Dionne finds a note saying ‘something happened to the couple before us. Paranoia sets in and Dionne wants to find out more. She asks the Estate manager and her said that it might be one of the builders playing a prank. But Dionne is not so sure. Even more weird going on appear and Dionne wonders if her family are safe living there.
Mr Daniel Hurst has done it again with ‘The couple before us’ This is gripping, tense, thriller that keeps you wanting more. This did have a sense of ‘The Stepford wives’ scenario’ intertwined in the storyline and paranoia especially with the protagonist all through the book. It did make me appreciative of my own surroundings and the community of my own estate I live in and put me off moving anytime soon!! This is a great thriller but in this one I did feel a bit disappointed at the ending. I missed his famous cliffhanger he usually does at the end. 4 stars from me.

Daniel Hurst is one of my favorite thriller authors and he doesn’t get enough hype! I absolutely enjoyed this newest thriller of his about to drop! It had me in the edge of my seat, especially because the MC was so pregnant but making decisions that would put her whole family in danger *sigh definitely read this one to find out what happens!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC for exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller. It has twists that I really didn’t expect and the idea of this creepy housing estate with hidden mysteries was a great idea.

Sometimes I did find the writing a little bit clunky and the FMCS actions to be a little far fetched but I guess when your head is being messed with and you are being gaslighted you do things that are out of character.

A nice quick enjoyable read

First book I’ve read by Daniel Hurst. I was hooked by this fast paced thriller. So many twist! Writing style reminds me of Freida McFadden which i love. Can’t wait to read more.

"I received a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review."
Expected Pub Date: July 17, 2025
___

House-hunting is never easy, but for Dionne, Christian, and their six-year-old son Kai, the pressure is even greater. With baby number two on the way and time ticking down, the family is desperate to find somewhere new before the birth. They eventually settle into a freshly built, modern estate that seems perfect on the surface—but Di, heavily pregnant and increasingly uneasy, can't shake the feeling that something is off. Her anxiety turns to dread when she discovers a chilling note tucked away in a forgotten corner of their new home: "Something terrible happened to the couple who lived here before…" From that moment, an unsettling atmosphere takes hold, and Di begins to spiral into paranoia, questioning everything and everyone around her.

Daniel Hurst has long been one of my go-to authors when I'm in a reading slump or just in the mood for something quick and gripping. I thought I knew what to expect from him by now—but this book totally took me by surprise. The setting—a quiet cul-de-sac with an eerie undertone—was spot on, and the story, told from the POV of a heavily pregnant and understandably anxious wife, kept me on edge the entire time. I genuinely didn't see the twist coming. The true suspects weren't even on my "suspect list". I found myself judging and second-guessing every single character. Each one seemed dodgy in its own way, and I loved how my feelings toward them shifted as the story unfolded.
At one point, I was convinced this was going down a cultish route—there's this weird, unsettling vibe that lingers over the estate, with secrets and scandals hiding just beneath the surface. Cesar, in particular, gave me the creeps with his strange visions and controlling presence—he seriously came across like some kind of cult leader. And, of course, the husband (because it's always the husband, isn't it?) was infuriating—constantly brushing off his wife's very valid concerns, despite all the signs pointing to something sinister. Di herself is nosy, quick to judge, and suspicious of everyone—from her own parents to their new neighbours. And lastly, there's the neighbour with his cryptic jokes and bizarre behaviour, who definitely seems to be hiding something dark.
This book isn't just plot twists driven; it's packed with well-developed, layered characters that kept me gripped from start to finish. An addictive, chilling read that I couldn't put down!

As I say in every review, I am patiently waiting for this author to blow up like Freida McFadden did! These are such excellent popcorn thrillers that have me on the edge of my seat turning pages into the night. There were so many good twists in this and I finished within 3 days because it was that good!

I Love all of Daniel hurst books!!! His books are always fast paced, loved the story and the POV written . I finished this within 2 days

This was the first book I’ve read by Hurst, and it was amazing! It was thrilling, gripping, and intense — I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time watching the secrets and action unfold. The narrative was also unique, which made the journey even more exciting for me. I especially loved the characters in this! They were written really well; the ones who were responsible for what happened were not who I suspected at all. They did what they did, and it makes sense. Overall, The Couple Before Us was a 4.5-star read for me. I will definitely be reading more of Hurst’s books now!

Daniel Hurst has done it again! Another heart pounding, can’t put down thriller! Di and Christian have just moved into their dream home, a brand new home in a picturesque neighborhood. Di can’t shake the feeling that something is off, though, and when she finds a hidden note warning her she is not the first person to live in this house, she is determined to discover the truth. Lots of twists in this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this great ARC.

Daniel Hurst has done it again! If you're a fan of psychological thrillers that have you in a chokehold from the first page and don't let go, then prepare yourself for "The Couple Before Us." Hurst proves once more that he's a master at crafting narratives that are as mind-bending as they are addictive.
The story plunges us into the world of Dionne, a woman navigating the turbulent waters of pregnancy, whose emotional roller coaster is intensified by a move to an unsettling new home. Having personally experienced how deeply our emotions can fluctuate during pregnancy, Dionne's struggle felt incredibly authentic, adding another layer of unsettling realism to her story.
What follows is a descent into obsession that will have you questioning everything. Every attempt Dionne makes to uncover the truth is met with frustrating gaslighting, leaving her feeling increasingly isolated and as if she's losing her grip on reality. Even her husband, Christian, offers no solace, further blurring the lines between truth and paranoia. It's a nerve-wracking experience to witness Dionne's escalating desperation, a true mystery that keeps you hooked, wondering if she's truly unraveling or if there's a sinister plot at play.
Dionne's relentless pursuit of answers puts her and her unborn baby in perilous situations, yet her determination to crack the case wide open is unwavering. This book is a page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat, breath held, right up until the very end. And trust me, the twist at the end? It's a jaw-dropping revelation that you absolutely will not see coming. Hurst doesn't just deliver a surprise; he blows your mind with a conclusion that redefines everything you thought you knew.
"The Couple Before Us" isn't just a book; it's an experience that will leave you questioning your own perceptions long after you've turned the final page.

Get your copy on July 17, 2025!

+++I have received this eARC in an exchange for an honest review+++

I want to thank @danielhurstbooks @netgalley and @bookouture for allowing me to read this amazing eARC. I truly feel honored to have had the privilege to read and review it.

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