Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

I love a good thriller and this was no exception. The story is great, love multiple Pov's, however this was a little too slow moving for me. I feel like there was too much information and that I would have enjoyed this more if it had a quicker pace.

I loved the characters, Theo, Saffy, Lorna and Rose. I also thought the twist at the end was great, really intense!

Out August 2, 2022!

I hadn’t read Claire Douglas before now, but I am now a fan! I received an ARC of this title for an honest review. I loved every twisty, dark, shocking turn of this book, many of which I did not see coming like I sometimes do. Told in multiple POVs and amid two murders from 1980 recently discovered when a woman and her husband move into her grandmother’s old cottage rent-free, it makes you doubt what you know about your friends and your family as more and more secrets and questions emerge surrounding the deaths of the two bodies found while the couple is renovating. If you find a stopping place before bed, take it or else you’ll be up all night like me. So worth it though. Highly recommend for book clubs or at least lend it to a friend soon after so you can discuss.

This book was so good! I want to see more from this author in the future!! I couldn't put this book down. What a page turner!!!

I'm really torn on the rating to give this book. I think it hovers somewhere around a 3.5 to 3.75, but it isn't because the writing or the story are bad or have major plot holes that frustrated me as a reader. If this were a TV show, a mini-series probably, I think I would have been drawn in and enjoyed it much more than I did as a book. As a book, it was way too slow moving. There was no action since everything seemed to have happened in the past timeline, so there was nothing to build to. And yet, the story was very interesting, and the characters drew me in, and I wanted to see what would happen next. I was able to guess most of the major plot points once the very slow starting premise of the story and introduction to the necessary characters was complete, but that's okay because they were still entertaining.

Ultimately, this read like Desperate Housewives...a drama without any major bang moments and maybe that's where it lost a bit in the ratings for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the relationship building/dynamics. It was just a bit too slow moving of a story for what I like to read without much of a payoff at the end. I'd be all in if this were made into something motion picture, though!

I really wanted to like this story...the synopsis sounded very interesting, but I just couldn't get into the book. The story (at least for me) was a very slow burn, which made it difficult for me to keep my interest up.

The story itself was well-written, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I'm sure that it will definitely be enjoyable for others, just not me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

twist and turns and twist and turns repeatedly--> this is the book for you!! I was shocked and my mouth dropped!! Different POV did not bother me at all which is a surprising aspect and I enjoyed each of it!

This was much different than I anticipated but not in a bad way. The characters were flawed and interesting, and the main twist was something I didn't guess. As a mother with a close relationship with my own mother and grandmother, I felt a kinship in the scenes with Saffron, Lorna and Rose.

This book had so many twists and turns. When I thought I knew what was happening new facts were revealed. I appreciated that everything could be traced back and made sense within a thriller. Douglas does a great job with her characters. They feel real. I enjoyed this book!

This book had so many twists and turns it was like a rollercoaster!

We get a few different POVs, Saffy, Lorna, and a guy named Tom, who at first seemingly has no connection to what's going on, but of course, he does, and Rose's POV from the past. I loved everyone's POV, but I especially loved Roses.

When bodies are found on Saffy's property during a home renovation, everyone wants to know who they were. Well to find those answers Saffy, her husband Tom, and her mother Lorna are going to have to ask some tough questions. It turns out the bodies date back to when her grandmother lived there, so asking her what she knows is the number one priority... Well, Rose has dementia so who knows when or if she will be able to help the investigation. Although every time they visit her they do get another small piece of the puzzle.
Lorna comes to help, and I could really get behind the way Saffy felt about her, she loves her mom, but there is a thing as spending too much time with someone, especially when you are two very different people.

Then not only do we have to figure out who the bodies are, but there is a guy coming around asking for something her grandmother hid, and he is threatening Saffy and her family to get it.

Every piece of the puzzle gives us a new twist and when we get the final one, Bam!.. I had no idea that was coming and it really just pulls everything together.

I really enjoyed this story, it was a page-turner that I couldn't put down until I reached the end!

The Victims . . .

When pregnant Saffron Cutler moves into 9 Skelton Place with boyfriend Tom and sets about renovations, the last thing she expects is builders uncovering human remains. The remains of two bodies, in fact.

The Investigation . . .

Forensics indicate the bodies have been buried at least thirty years. Saffy has nothing to worry about—until the police launch a murder inquiry and ask to speak to the cottage’s former owner. Her grandmother, Rose.

The Witness . . .

Rose is in a nursing home and Alzheimer’s means her memory is increasingly confused. She can’t help the police, but its’ clear she remembers something.

The Killer . . .

As Rose’s fragmented memories resurface, and the police dig ever deeper, Saffy fears she and the cottage are being watched.

The Truth . . .

What happened thirty years ago? Why did no one miss the victims? What part did her grandmother play? And is Saffy now in danger?

Such a great story. I felt this was more than a mystery. It was a lot about family bonds and relationships as well. And what lies and secrets can do to break those bonds.

I loved the character development with this one. I think it was a pretty solid mystery but did have a few different strings being pulled which did at times make it a little hard to follow for me but really came together in the end.

I really enjoyed mysteries and a puzzle to solve. One twist i did have figured out but it was still a good read. Really enjoyed it.

The Couple At Number 9 by Claire Douglas

A heart-pounding psychological thriller about a couple who inherit what seems to be their dream home until they make a horrifying discovery — and the danger begins!

This was an excellent thriller. The story was twisted at times, yet it gripped your attention. Many secrets, tense at times, and always hiding something. Enjoyable right up to the surprise ending. I recommend this book.

When I first read the synopsis for The Couple at Number 9, it seemed like it had everything I was looking for in a mystery thriller. I couldn’t wait to read it. Unfortunately, the book just wasn’t for me. There was nothing specifically wrong with it at all. In fact, it was written well, and the beginning presented an interesting premise. However, by around the halfway point I just wasn’t into the plot or the characters, and I kept easily putting it aside for other things. I wasn’t the right reader for it, and I encourage people to check out other reviews and make their own decision about the book. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

The perfect page turner summer suspense novel that sucks you in from first page to last. Although I guessed two of the major plot twists ahead of time it in no way diminished my enjoyment of the novel.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of The Couple at Number 9.

Give me all the mystery thrillers - and this one did not disappoint. It's a slower paced book but don't let that deter you - its filled with suspense, conflict/tension, and so many twists!

MC Pregnant Saffron Cutler moves into a cottage she inherited from her grandmother Rose. Saffron and her boyfriend Tom are living a happy life until two bodies are discovered buried on their property. According to forensic analysis the deceased were buried while Saffron's grandmother Rose owned the house. Rose has Alzheimer's and lives in a nursing home. She unable to provide reliable information. Will these murders ever be solved?

The Couple at Number 9 is told from 4 different perspectives with two alternate time lines. Initially, the multiple characters take time to get used to, but about half way through the book things really take off. You will be shocked by the plot twists that follow. The novel is definitely worth reading. If you think you know what's going to happen? Think again!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

We follow Saffy and her husband Tom as they have recently moved into her grandmothers cottege that they inherited. It is perfect timing because Saffy is currently pregnant and they are trying to get the house in order before the baby arrives. They start some renovations in the backyard, but then the unthinkable happens, a body is found.
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Let me first start by saying that this book is definitely a slow burn the first like 50% of the way through. Don’t get me wrong, It was still enjoyable and I was becoming attached to the characters but there were definitely times that I found myself spacing out while reading. However, once things started happening, I couldn’t put the book down and was so invested in the characters lives that I wanted to know what was going to happen. I enjoyed all the twists and turns and a majority of them were so unexpected that it just kept me on my toes. I absolutely love Claire Douglas’s writing style and the way that she incorporates the different POV and timelines. Overall, I think that if you can get through the beginning, it is definitely worth it!
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This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Claire Douglas' book The Couple at Number 9 is a slower paced novel filled with tension, suspense, conflict and twists. Douglas definitely tests the main characters and takes readers on a roller coaster ride.

Synopsis:
Pregnant Saffron Cutler moves into a cottage she inherited from her grandmother Rose. Saffron and her boyfriend Tom are living a happy life until two bodies are discovered buried on their property. According to forensic analysis the deceased were buried while Saffron's grandmother Rose owned the house. Rose has Alzheimer's and lives in a nursing home. She is unable to provide reliable information. Will these murders ever be solved?

The Couple at Number 9 is told from 4 different perspectives with two alternate time lines. Initially, the multiple characters take time to get used to, but about half way through the book things really take off. You will be shocked by the plot twists that follow. The novel is definitely worth reading. If you think you know what's going to happen? Think again!

The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas is available on August 2nd.
(4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks (Harper Paperbacks), for allowing me to review this intriguing multiple-layer mystery. Your kindness is appreciated!

This is a fast-paced novel full of twists. I must say that I saw the main one coming. The rest were very unexpected, and I cared enough about the characters that I wanted to find out what was going to happen, even after I saw my suspicions confirmed. No spoilers, but the final revelation made me think how I’d feel if something similar happened to me. Saff is very likable, she has a huge heart, and I loved her relationship with her husband Tom, and with her Dad. Lorna, Saff’s Mom, was harder to like, but she ended up growing on me, especially after some twists about her childhood were revealed. It’s a fast and addictive read and I really liked the ending.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, Harper Paperbacks!

This thriller kept me reading for hours at a time and also kept me guessing. There were parts I didn’t like, a bit to slow at times, but the author still held my interest with her unique characters. The POV’s were easy to follow and the story came together with a satisfying ending.

Saffron and Tom inherit the Skelton Place number 9 from Saffron’s grandmother. After believing it’d take years and years to own their own place, they’re extremely grateful, and it came at a great time as Saffron is pregnant. They start some renovations in the backyard, but everything is halted as the workers find a body, and the police find another body. Two bodies have been dug up from their backyard, who could’ve put them there? Saffron’s grandmother has Alzheimer’s and Saffy and the police have questions for her.

It was kind of slow at a lot of times, I found myself putting it down a lot. The alternating characters was confusing in the beginning but everything came together in the end. After my confusion in the beginning, I did enjoy seeing the connections between the different characters and it genuinely kept me guessing until the very end. Overall, I did enjoy this book and it was definitely suspenseful! I’m glad and grateful I got the opportunity to read this book, I’m sure it’ll be on a lot of people’s radars when it comes out!