I found this book a little far fetched, however I did enjoy reading it somewhat. It started off slowly and I almost put it down, but picked up midway through.. I'm not a big fan of different chapters from different characters points of view. 3.5 out of 5

This multi POV, back and forth timeline mystery is seriously tense and was extremely enjoyable. At 400 pages sometimes mysteries can become a bit dragged out and boring in the middle but this book for me went quick and I couldn’t wait for the next twist and turn of this crazy story.

Saffy and Tom inherited a cottage in a quaint village and have decided to redo and make it their own. Unfortunately once the backyard is just beginning to be dug up for their kitchen renovation a discovery is made…..bodies! Something no one wants to find in their backyard or anywhere near their new forever home that they are planning to make their family in. There are many characters in this twisty mystery including Saffy’s mother Lorna, I wasn’t sure about her at first but learned to really like her and so so many things were explained in the end that it changed how I had looked at her character the whole book.

Rose the amazing grandmother to Saffy and mother to Lorna unfortunately is now in a care home suffering from dementia and is having less and less clear moments where she remembers. The story is set in 2018 and has flashbacks to 1980 along with multiple POV’s you are given little bits of the mystery each change in character and timeline.

The writing was exceptional people were willing to be vulnerable and express things to each other and with that allowing secrets from a deep past to reveal themselves. This was very reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel where you are given what you need mostly to figure out the mystery. I loved it and will definitely be recommending this to everyone who loves mysteries.

The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas

Happy Publication Day!! 🎉🥳

Saffy and her husband Tom are finally able to live the life they’ve always dreamed, a mortgage free home from her grandmother undergoing renovation to their liking, newly wed and a baby on the way, life is blissful; until renovations are suddenly halted when two bodies are discovered buried in the garden. A police investigation underway discovers the bodies have been there for at least 30 years which, almost brings Saffy a sigh of relief until the police believe her grandmother is somehow involved. Suffering from Alzheimer’s, Saffy and her mother begin to fear that her grandmothers long repressed memories will begin to surface.

The cover and description of this book try very hard to pose this as an edge of your seat thriller however; I think I would put this in the category of a cozy mystery. Yes there are dead bodies, many twists and turns, multiple POVs etc but the setting in the English countryside and flashbacks to 30+ years ago feels more cozy ish to me somehow? The plot is good and there is just enough twists to keep the story moving but this book is long (400 pages) and gets a bit long-winded at times. The overall reveal is great and there’s awesome character development between the three generations of women but just wasn’t a page turner and fairly forgettable for me. Beside the twist everything is unfortunately fairly forgettable in my opinion but still a fun read.

The plot twists that Claire threw into this novel, are AMAZING. Claire definitely is an amazing author who knows what she’s doing when she writes these jaw dropping thrillers.

We get so many perspectives in this book, and at first it seems odd. They don’t all particularly fit together and it doesn’t make the most sense as to why we’re getting all of these perspectives. But when it all clicks and it is figured out- holy shit.

I loved every bit of this novel. This is my second Claire Douglas novel, and it won’t be my last. Saffy was such a relatable character. She was anxious and just wanted to live her life without any problems. Her and Tom are such a cute couple, and I love how their relationship is shown throughout the story. Saffy and her mother, Lorna, not having the greatest relationship made this novel come alive more. That element definitely added a wonderful taste.

Whew there was a lot going on in this book. A major part of the mystery was solved and I figured I was nearly done but I was only at 80%! It wasn't necessarily overly long, there was just so much going on...maybe too much.

I listened to this novel on audio and generally enjoyed it, although the accents were thick (particularly Theo's) and it caused me to really have to slow the reading speed down. Each character was played by a different narrator which I always prefer and it definitely helped keep the complex storylines more clear.

While this book was wholly original, a lot of the subplots and side stories were very familiar. The old woman with dementia seemingly speaking nonsense but who really holds the key to it all; the estranged relationships between father and son and mother and daughter; the powerful man behaving badly; the women fearful for their lives and hiding under a new identity.

All in all this was a good read but not one that is likely to stick with me. I probably would have enjoyed it more if some of the subplots were more streamlined or excluded all together.

Thank you to Harper Books, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for the copy of this novel.

Saffy, 24, and her boyfriend, Tom, 24, have moved into a cottage in the Cotswolds. The cottage was owned by her grandmother, Rose Grey, who has since moved into a care home as she has Alzheimers. Saffy’s mother, Lorna, 40, has been given the house by her mother, Rose, but as Lorna now lives in Spain, she gave it to Saffy. Saffy is pregnant and while it was unplanned, she and Tom are very happy.

When workers were digging the garden of the home, they found the remains of two people - a man and a woman. This has brought a lot of attention to the cottage which hopefully will cease soon as the police work to discover who these people are.

Lorna lived in the house with Rose when she was very small and now that she’s back for a visit, she has little memories of it. After a few years there, Lorna and Rose moved to Bristol and Rose rented the cottage.

Theo Carmichael is the head chef at a restaurant. His father, Victor, lives in a huge mansion by himself since his wife, Caroline, died some years ago. The man is well-known in the medical field, yet he is angry all the time. Thus, Theo tries to limit his time with his father. When visiting him, he finds a clipping of the bodies found in the back garden in the Cotswold with a note his father made saying - find her.

As the story progresses, we see how all of these people are part of events from the past. What happened to those people whose bodies were found in the yard and what do all of these people have in common?

I had to pay close attention to this book to see how all of the side events knitted together. I think the author did a magnificent job in creating this incredible plot and in her creation of each of these great characters. This is one book you do not want to miss.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

At the beginning of this book I had a bit of deja vu. I know I read a book where someone starts doing home improvement and finds bodies buried in their backyard. I truly hope this happens more in fiction than real life! But, quickly it was obvious this was a different story. This was several different stories that all weaved together like a finely woven scarf that circles the reader's neck providing comfort while at the same time catching them tight. With strong character development and multiple well written mysteries unfolding, even if the reader feels like they have figured one part out, they are still only part way there. I was glued to the page until the very end!

4.5⭐️ Alternating between past and present timelines, this thriller was told from the POVs of women across three generations. I love how the story steadily built suspense, the plot was cleverly executed, the chapters were short and there were several mysteries wrapped into one. A perfect read for anyone who likes British “whodunit” thrillers! Can’t wait to see what Claire Douglas writes next!

This was the first novel from Claire Douglas that I've read, but it will certainly not be the last! The Couple at Number 9 sucked me in from the very beginning, and I wanted to binge the entire thing in one sitting.

Claire Douglas has reignited my love of reading through The Couple at Number 9. If this isn't at the top of your TBR list, you're seriously missing out on an amazing book that everyone should be reading.

This thriller does not disappoint! It was creepy, it was suspenseful, and it was fast-paced with something big happening in every chapter. I also really appreciated the writing style, which masterfully switched between multiple viewpoints and various timelines.

Saffy and her husband Tom are gifted a cottage in and small English village from Saffy's grandmother, Rose, when she enters a nursing home while battling dementia. As they prepare to welcome their first baby, house renovations come to a complete halt when contractors discover two bodies buried in the garden. Saffy's mother returns home from living abroad and together, she and Saffy must piece together Rose's brief history in the little cottage. I could not turn the pages fast enough, and it sits in one of the top thriller spots of 2022 so far!
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Thank you to the author, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, and NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. #TheCoupleAtNumber9 #NetGalley

I have never read any books by the author Claire Douglas. I love a good mystery. When reading the description, I thought this was right up my alley. The plot captures your attention and gets you entrenched in a mystery you never see coming. The complicated characters and two timelines keep you on your toes.
Saffy and Tom inherit a house that Saffy's mom Lorna did not want. Their excitement to renovate the old house is short lived when two bodies are discovered in the backyard by workers. This propels the story forward when you discover the bodies have been there for decades. Who are these people? Why were they murdered? Did her grandmother Rose know these people, after all she was living here at the time. Another complication is the investigation. Saffy's grandmother is in a care facility, and her memory is faulty with Alzheimer's. Trying to get answers becomes tricky as bits and pieces start to come back to Rose, but they make no sense to everyone else.
It was a slow burn read that you want to know what happened, but you have to pay close attention. At times the story seemed to drag, but the end result is worth the wait. I would recommend this read for those who want a story that makes you think and be surprised. This is it!
#NetGalley
#TheCoupleatNumber9

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
This book had multi- POV, went from present to past and was an easy read. The story moved at a steady pace. I flew through it in about 24 hours. I enjoyed the story the whole time.

I liked Saffy and Tom. I liked Rose. I didn't like Lorna. She irked me 😄.  I don't think she was meant to be likeable though. I'm not sure how to word this but the important characters had an important role and the secondary were, well, secondary. You know sometimes the important characters needed more involvement and then you have the opposite where pages of a book could have be removed because the secondary characters went on and on?  Not this book! The author nailed that part IMO.

I wasn't able to guess the major twists at the end of the book until I was about 80-85% finished. At that point I had a pretty good idea what the ending would be.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗳
🏠you like a book with a steady pace
🏠 going back and forth from past to present & multiple POV is something you look for in a story
🏠 a book with a happy ending x 2 is your favorite kind of ending.

The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas is a psychological thriller about a young couple who discovers two dead bodies in their cottage yard when they complete renovations on their dream home. After the bodies are discovered, a web of lies and mystery are uncovered that show her Gran may know more than they ever imagined and may be a part of something truly horrific that happened in that little cottage years before because she was living in the cottage when those bodies were murdered.. The only problem is Gran now has dementia and her memories are easily confused. Will they be able to get to the bottom of this mystery?

I really enjoyed all the different characters and perspectives that were in this story. I like piecing stories together through different perspectives. Also, there was a past and present aspect of the text with dueling timelines which added to the story telling. I really liked the dynamic between the three generations of women: Saffy, Lorna and Rose. Each character brought something different to the story. I also loved how the book ended. I really enjoy knowing how all the characters end up in the end and I was happy with the ending in this one. I also liked that they left a little mystery up until the very last page.

One of things I would have preferred was if the book was slightly shorter in length. I feel like the story could have been told a little quicker and the book did drag a little bit, especially in the beginning. Once the mystery and story really got going, I did enjoy it.

At first, I was confused with Theo being thrown into the story, but ended up really enjoying his storyline and what we brought to the story. I was able to figure out a few of the twists that happened, but even with those twists there were other parts that I didn't see coming and added additional layers to the story.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, especially the second half. The characters were interesting and likable and I enjoyed piecing together the story through the different perspectives and dueling timelines.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A psychological suspense that will leave you speechless. We get multiple point of views within one family with a dual timeline! This is a must read!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Saffron "Saffy" Cuttler and her boyfriend, Tom have moved into 9 Skelton Place, a home she was given by her Grandmother Rose, who is suffering from Dementia. Saffy and Tom are expecting a baby and are in the process of making renovations to the home when their builders find two bodies buried. Further investigation shows the bodies have been there for almost 30 years.

Rose might have lived there at the time, but she has Dementia, and her memories might not be the best to go by...…

This was an enjoyable mystery, but will I remember it in months to come? I'm not sure. This book moved at a nice pace and was well written. The mystery was good, the twist was one I did not see coming and yet, it didn't really stand apart from other books in the genre. My main issue was that I didn't really feel for any of the characters. None really stood out for me but I enjoyed the mystery of the identify of the bodies and what happened to them.

Enjoyable with a nice twist.

Thank you to Harper Paperbacks and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Net Galley for having provided me a copy of this book. Sadly it wasnt for me and was a disappointment. I was really looking forward to this one too just based off the synopsis but nope. This book dragged on WAY TOO LONG and just felt like nothing was happening and there was too much back and forth going on, to many characters to keep reading about. I lost interest and kept wanting to put it down. Hopefully others will enjoy this one more than i did. Just wasn't for me.

Claire Douglas has written just an outstanding, twisted mystery/ thriller. With multiple point of views you are transported in between the past and present. The mystery of who the two bodies buried in the garden has such a jaw dropping outcome. When the past and present collide, you are left with a truth so disturbing that it's shock value will shake you to your core. I absolutely loved this book, and highly recommend it. Claire Douglas is such a genius storyteller, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

The Couple at Number 9 sucked me in from the very beginning and didn't let go! Wow, what a mystery!! I hadn't read any Claire Douglas books before, but she will be on my radar now! This book was so well written with such an amazing twist at the end. I still can't believe it!! Well done, Claire Douglas, well done!!

Imagine moving into a cottage with your husband, being so excited to add on to it, and having the builders find 2 dead bodies in the garden grounds. Yep, and the kicker is the cottage has been owned by your grandmother for decades! Saffy and Tom are in that predicament and Saffy is pregnant with their first child. They were given the cottage by Saffy's mom as she lives in Spain at the moment. Rose, the grandmother, is in a home with dementia. Her memory comes and goes. On good days, she remembers who people are and on bad days she doesn't remember much at all. Will Rose be able to tell them who are the bodies in the garden are? Did she know there were 2 bodies in her yard? How did the bodies get there?

The police say that one of the bodies was definitely murdered with a blow to the head. They're running DNA and dental records to try to find out who they are. The work on the house had to be halted until the investigation is done. Saffy and Tom are now living in a house with a huge hole in their back yard with tons of press people and curious neighbors constantly gathering to look at it. Saffy's mom, Lorna, comes to stay at the cottage to help out with everything as Saffy should avoid stress.

Lorna and Saffy have both been accosted and warned that they could be in danger. Who is this man who's threatening them? He says he's an investigator, but that seems unlikely. He wants to know where the evidence is, but they have no idea what he's talking about. As Rose remembers what happened in the past, will she be able to tell Saffy and Lorna in time to help?

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It kept me reading well into the night and had me guessing several times. My favorite books are those where the suspense builds and there's a big twist. This book had all of that and more! Do yourself a favor and pick up this book on August 2, 2022. I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for sharing an advanced copy with me in exchange for a fair review. #CoupleatNo9 #ClaireDouglas #NetGalley #HarperPublishing

🔹 My take: 4.5/5

🔸Saffron and Tom have recently moved to house no. 9 at Skelton Place which has been lying vacant since decades. They have started their renovations when one afternoon, renovators unearth 2 skeletons in the garden area. On further investigation, they find out that the bodies are not dating 100 years back as they had hoped for, but are fairly recent like 40 years back. This was the time when the house was owned by Saffron’s granny and who briefly stayed in the house near about that period. Saff’s gran is almost 75 years now and suffers from dementia. She is able to recollect things only in bits and pieces and it’s impossible for Saff to make sense out of it. What spans is a tale across 3 generations where everyone wants to find the truth but is equally scared as to what they will unearth. And whether it would be better to let few things buried forever rather than to bring them in light.

💫 Oh, that happiness when you complete a 5 starred (ok roundabout 5⭐️) novel. This book was amazingggg… it had all - multiple POVs, alternating timelines, simple writing, tension buildup, mysterious house, village lifestyle, sinister woods, detectives & police investigations, false identity, dark past, cold blooded murder and much much more. I don’t think I will be able to forget this story for some time now. And am trying to get hold of other books of Claire Douglas. I loved this that much.

💔 The reason why this is not a 5 star read for me is I could correctly guess few of the twists in advance. Also, you need to be patient while reading this book since there are lots of twists coming up later but you need to continue reading until you reach there.

💗 Psychological thriller and mystery lovers, pick this up - you will not repent…

Thank you @netgalley @harperperrenial @clairedouglasauthor for gifting the eARC in exchange of honest review.

This was a slow burn that kept giving you small small glints into what happened that kept you reading.

This was told in different povs which I enjoyed. The only thing I struggled with is that a couple of povs were told in first person, but the others were told in third person. I wish they were all told in the same context.

This had some twists that I did not see coming and I loved it. I mean, what would you do if you dug up bodies in your yard?

3.5 stars, rounded to 4!