Wow! What a book. This book grabs you from the very first page and has you totally hooked. You have no choice but to read on and on and on to find out what was going to happen and how the story resolves itself.

Shalini Boland has written a wonderful example of a psychological thriller in this book. At times it is like watching a train crash happening and not knowing when it is going to stop or what the end result will be.

Zac and Nina move into their dream house but this dream quite quickly becomes the ultimate nightmare and I think this book could single handled pop the housing market, after this who would want to move into a new house!

In case you can’t tell I really enjoyed their book which I virtually read in one sitting, well an afternoon and evening. This is the second of her books I have read and I have loved both of them. Now to add her to my must read list. If you love psychological thrillers or great reads you must read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for providing a copy of this book for me, for an an open and honest review.

Nina and Zac buy their first home in Mistletoe Lane. Nina has just started her own business named after the road name and they're looking forward to a new life ahead of them. However, things don't work out as Nina planned as there are several hiccups along the way. I couldn't put this down as I knew there was a twist but didn't work it out. A brilliant read by Shalini!

Another deliciously twisted thriller from Shalini Boland! I was gripped from the First page and couldn't put it down.
This author is a master of plots not being what they seem, and her knack of developing a strong sense of unease is so good, I truly felt Nina's stress, anxiety and unease, I also love her sub plots that weave their way in to the plot twists.
I also love how her books end with a truly chilling snippet!
Superb thriller!.

I am always eager to read any book from this author because I'm always guaranteed an engaging and entertaining story. Narration style is fantastic and smooth. I look forward to reading more from this author. Her talent is, in my opinion, to keep readers glued to the story from beginning to end. I was really surprised by the outcome of this story. I guessed wrong who the culprit was and I loved it! Ms. Boland did it again! Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author, for this ARC.

Reading Shalini for the first time, this book was a decent hit for me.

Zac and Nina move to a new flat downstairs. Another couple Vanessa ( who is 5 months pregnant) and Chris stay upstairs.

Nina is super excited to start ahead with her new life. She is also starting her business all over again.

However, things are not as it seems. Soon, the couple starts having problems without knowing why or how.

To be honest, I figured out the main twist while 20% in the book. An extremely subtle hint was there which kind of made me sure of the twist. What was left was why ?

Coming to the 'why' part? The reasons provided were well 'dramatic'. I am from India and this reminded me of an early 2000 Indian daily soap.

But keeping all of this aside, it's a good read. The writing is smooth and definitely you would want to finish in a sitting. The writing is beautiful.

Would rate it a 3 stars

Well, Shalini did it again! I don't know why she isn't a more well known author because I have loved every single book she has written.

Another page turner by Shalini Boland. Full of suspense and sneaky plot twists made for a fun read. Right from the start I knew something was off with the couple upstairs and I kept reading to see just how bad it could get. Can’t wait for the next read. So good.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Nina & Zac purchase a flat & are excited to start the next phase of their life together. They meet their neighbors & feel optimistic about things.

Soon, tensions rise & Nina feels uneasy about their upstairs neighbors, Vanessa & Chris. Nina thinks that Vanessa could be in danger. When things take an extreme turn & Zac leaves Nina, she starts to wonder if maybe SHE is the one in danger…

This was a good thriller; the outcome was not exactly what I expected. I felt it was all very rushed, though. We had 98% buildup, 1% reveal, and 1% epilogue. I felt the twist was over explained and it was a little underwhelming.

This is my first ever attempt on reading a book by Shalini and I must say that I was completely bought by this book. The Couple Upstairs is an intriguing story about two couples living in the same building. Nina and Zac move into the former’s dream home. They buy the lower unit while the Jackson’s live in the upper. To Nina, the couple upstairs were a mystery mainly because of the way the couple behaved. Nina tries to succeed in her online business when everything starts to go downhill; her business and her relationship with Zac.

The Couple Upstairs surely is a fast read for anyone who loved a cozy reading curled up in their bed. I must say that the writing is so good that you’d intermittently check the Couple Upstairs in your own unit even if it’s a single-storey building.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me this ebook for an honest review.

Nina and Zac move into a new home, perfect for Nina as it has an out house she can use as a home office to help expand her business. The only fly in the ointment is that it's a converted house and they have neighbours above them. Nina is hopeful they will become friends, but upon meeting Chris and Veronica Nina gets a weird vibe from Chris.

Maybe they will have more joy with the rest of the neighbours. but the whole street is less Ramsey Street and more Nightmare on Elm Street.

Then things start going wrong for Nina's business...

As you would come to expect from any Shalini Boland book, it's a twisty old read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion,

New Home, New Start….?
Not everything is as it seems in this twisty psychological suspense. A new home and a new start which also comes with new neighbours. All seems well, better than that in fact, but what is simmering below the surface? Led by a credible and well crafted cast of characters this is an engaging, immersive read which may leave you seriously having second thoughts about your new neighbours.

I received this arc through net galley and the publishers.


We meet zac and Nina who buy a flat on mistletoe lane but things aren’t what they seem and things start going bump in the night.
I raced through this book eager to find out who was the wrong one amongst them.

Shalini Boland is a master of suspense. Shalini weaves a great story and gives you many reasons to think one way and then a few pages later you are give new information and you change your mind! This book was no different, I had thought I knew who the bad guy was... then suddenly you are confronted with the real bad guy. I will admit that this one was not my favorite story, but all the components of a great thriller are here!

The Couple Upstairs was an excellent, fast paced psychological/domestic thriller. With Shalini Boland you basically cannot go wrong! The book had her trademark twists and turns and kept me guessing.

Thank You to Bookcouture and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another brilliant, captivating, addictive, engrossing book by the awesome Shalini Boland. WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!. I bloody well loved every word, every page, every character and the plot was completely gripping. I had to read in one sitting because it was impossible to put down. Shalini knows how to draw the reader in and she keeps you guessing until the last twist is revealed. The ending was out of this world and if you think you know where the story is going, think again because you will be wrong. I highly recommend this psychological thriller, you will not be disappointed. Shalini is one of my favourite authors and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next, without a doubt it will be an equally gripping, mind blowing read.

Once again Shalini Boland has written an excellent physiological thriller,Nina and Zac move into a downstairs flat and all seems ok even with the couple upstairs Vanessa and Steve although Nina thinks Steve is a control freak.But when events take a turn for the worst for Nina especially they both start to question why have they moved here and even if they should be together at all,as Zac starts to have grave doubts about Nina and just what she is doing and who with ? Keeping secrets from one another certainly doesn’t help matters either but by the time the truth comes out it may to late. Shalini Boland excels in writing these types of books and she doesn’t disappoint with her latest book,it will have you gripped from the first page to the last,I can’t recommend Shalini Boland’s books highly enough if you enjoy this genre,once again a cracking 5 star read.

Shalini Boland is truly the queen of plot twists! Another great book by her - full of suspense, confusion, shock and surprise! Loved it as much as I loved all of her other books. Can’t wait for the next!

Nina Davenport is so excited to be moving into a beautiful downstairs apartment with her partner Zac. They have been together for a while and although the property comes with a hefty mortgage Nina is not unduly worried. Zak has his own plumbing business and she is embarking on a new venture selling unusual fashion items by mail order, she has even managed to attract a backer who is willing to put money into her business. They soon meet with the couple upstairs who knock on their door with a welcoming homemade chocolate cake, they seem like a lovely couple, around the same age and Nina soon has thoughts of joint dinner parties and drinks in the garden. How wrong can she be from that moment on her dreams of an idyllic future with Zak and a successful business are blighted by the actions of the couple upstairs. This is a great stand-alone psychological thriller that I raced through and thoroughly enjoyed.

I just finished reading "The Couple Upstairs" by Shalini Boland. Thank you to NetGally for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a review.
I almost put this book down at the beginning because it just did nothing for me. I am glad I didn't, because about a third of the way into it, the story got much more interesting. I began slow but ended in a very exciting way. Because it is a psychological thriller, the twist at the end was unexpected. I knew that there had to be a twist, but I didn't figure out what it could be. The author did an excellent job of introducing the back story through a narrative, but I didn't put the pieces together.
In the end, I found this book to be unique and intriguing with a strong and capable female lead character. I love that she was flawed but prinicpled.
To say that the characters are not who or what they seem is an understatement but I do believe that anyone how enjoys psychological thrillers will enjoy this book. The story is well told with well-developed characters that the reader cares about.
I am happy to recommend this book.

Zac Ainsworth and his girlfriend, Nina Davenport, both in their 30s, are the new owners of 15A Mistletoe Lane. Zach is a self-employed plumber and heating engineer, and Nina has just started up her online fashion store, “Mistletoe Lane.” The couple upstairs in 15B, Chris and Vanessa Jackson, are expecting their first child. After a promising neighbourhood party, Zach and Nina are looking forward to settling into the neighbourhood. Doubt creeps in when an innocent comment is made about the name of their street and suddenly everything is not as it once seemed.

“Our new home was supposed to be a chance to leave our past behind. But was moving here the worst mistake of our lives?”

Shalini Boland is an auto-buy author for me as I can always count on her fast-paced thrillers to entertain. This one, like all others, has a purpose to each chapter. Boland is very aware of her character arc and the overall theme, resulting in each chapter ending up like a mini story. You’ll notice she ends each chapter with an unsettling feeling or question to be answered. In this case, the upstairs neighbours and the investor. This propels the reader to the next chapter, immersing them further in the story.

Boland is also a master of exquisite characterization. Her main characters are always interesting and each have a personal journey aside from what’s going on around them. Although I had trouble identifying with Nina at first, I became invested in her story when I realized her business was being sabotaged. The author is so adept at making the culprit seemingly appear obvious and then catches readers off guard once they realize who it really is.

Boland creates tension in this story with the weather and adds to it by backing the protagonist into a physical or emotional scenario. Sometimes I felt like yelling at Zach because I knew more than he did! He repeatedly treats Nina with undeserved disdain.

Once you reach the last remaining chapters, the brakes come off the cart and it gains unstoppable speed as it hurtles along the rollercoaster track, twisting and turning, throwing all your preconceived notions to the wind. As it pulls into the final chapter, it all makes sense and you are reminded of the warning about the street name and undoubtedly agree that Boland got you AGAIN!

Publishes September 13, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Shalini Boland, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.