Saffy and Tom have recently moved into a quaint, remote cottage in the woods used to belong to Saffy’s grandmother, Rose. Renovations are underway when workers unearth something shocking – two dead bodies underneath the cottage’s patio. The remains date back to the 1970s, when Rose lived in the cottage, so the police are keen to interview the elderly woman. Unfortunately, Rose has Alzheimer’s and is in nursing home. But does she remember more than she’s letting on? Meanwhile, someone else will go to great lengths to conceal old crimes, putting Saffy and her mom, Lorna, in danger as they work to unravel the decades-old mystery.

This slow-burn suspense is told from four main perspectives (with one more coming in close to the end) and on two timelines. It took a little while to get into, as there are a lot of characters introduced and it was a little confusing as to who they all were or how they fit together. Once I let go of trying to figure it out and just read on and let the story develop, I started to enjoy it more and things eventually fell into place on their own. The pace picks up in the second half, with plenty of twists to keep the reader engrossed. I guessed quite a few of them on my own – maybe they were telegraphed a little too well, or I’ve read too many suspense novels! Overall, this was an entertaining read and the emotional connection and generational bonds between the female characters were well done.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Poor Saffy and Tom. They are young and in love, moving into their first home and starting renovations before their child is born. Then the builders discover two bodies buried in the garden! As the story unfurls, we learn of secrets that have been buried (along with the bodies) for thirty years. A very enjoyable read with many likable and a few unlikeable characters.

Saffron and her boyfriend Tom inherit their dream home but finds some human remains in the garden. A police investigation begins and they find out the remains date back to the 70’s-80’s. They interview Saffron’s grandmother who has Alzheimer’s and I had to think “would someone with Alzheimer’s really be able to solve a case like this?” Despite the many, many characters to keep track of, I had no trouble keeping up! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

How many times one can assume an identity without slipping up at some point in time? What kind of acting skills you need to fool everyone at every stage of your life? This story is full of characters either too cunning or too naïve. There are no in between characters. But it’s one hell of a good page turner that keeps you awake.

Unassuming couple decided to expand their kitchen into their garden. Contractors found something in that very same garden that they usually don’t find: two bodies. It was assumed that those bodies were dumped there between 70s and 90s. This discovery opened can of worms (of family secrets) that no one expected to uncover.

Having multiple points of view and multiple narrators makes this story even more enjoyable. You can identify those who are cunning and those who are as pure as a baby flipping between different povs. Twist at the end was quite unexpected. This is definitely a fun read for mystery lovers

Thank you, Harper Perennial and Harper Audio, for the gifted copy of this book and gifted audiobook through Libro.FM! {partner}

Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 8.2.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

“But, before she can grasp hold of it, it floats away, like the seeds of a dandelion on the breeze, out of reach."

Well, this book was a complete surprise!

I had been in the mood for a mystery, but every book I picked up fell flat for me. I decided to start reading The Couple at Number 9 on my Kindle (before bed), and it piqued my interest, so I picked up the physical copy the following day. Before I knew it, I was taking my dog on a 4-mile walk just so I could sneak in a few extra minutes of the audiobook!

I loved how Claire Douglas told this story - it was definitely mysterious, and I also enjoyed the dual timeline aspect of the story. It gave me a grander sense of 'putting together pieces of the puzzle' as each chapter provided a new piece to work with.

At first, I wasn't sure why the author included the pregnancy aspect in the book, but it turned out to be a nice way to tie in the relationship between the characters (mother/daughter).

I had a feeling as to which direction The Couple at number 9 was going and loved reading as the author wove her story together seamlessly. I thought the book was close to being finished, but I had 100 pages left. I started to worry that I would lose interest, but nope! I was drawn right back in. The extra twist definitely threw me off!

4️⃣ Told from the perspective of Saffy, Lorna, Theo, and Rose
🎧 Excellent audiobook
🧩 Putting together a puzzle of clues
✌🏼 Dual timeline
🔎 Several mysteries wrapped into one

❌ - sexual assault, rape

I recommend checking out the audiobook if you need a little motivation to get things done or take that long walk around your neighborhood! You can use my code 'BookendListens' to start your audiobook membership with Libro.FM!

Discovering decades-old bodies in your backyard during kitchen renovations is bad enough, but what would you do if you found out they had a connection to your family? That's what happened to Saffy and her boyfriend Tom when they inherited a before then "unknown about" cottage from Saffy's grandmother. It's soon determined the victims were murdered, and Saffy gets pulled into a rabbit hole by investigating with her mother, trying to delve deep into her grandmother's Alzheimer-ridden brain to find the truth.

Family secrets are bound to come out, even if they've been squashed for decades! I enjoyed the mystery around this story plus the clear love and bond between mothers and daughters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for the ARC! This book is available on August 2, 2002.

I love stories that feel like they've been pulled from the headlines, and The Couple at Number 9 definitely felt familiar. But I won't be more specific due to spoilers!
The story begins with a young couple, pregnant and moving into their first house, just starting life and being all cute and happy. Until the builders working in their back yard discover the remains of two bodies. The only really puzzling thing is, this home has been in the family for years, so someone must know who these people are and how they died.
This was a really entertaining story that unraveled at just the right pace. I was fortunate enough to get to listen to the audio version and it was wonderful and kept me completely engaged the entire time.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper for the opportunity to read this book!

The Couple At Number 9 is an uncommon Brit murder mystery seen from multiple perspectives. How do you explain two unearthed bodies in your backyard, especially when they're decades old?
Saffy and her partner are as perplexed as the police when their new home's backyard becomes a tomb. Saffy's grandmother Rose tries hard to remember through her Alzheimer's haze about her odd tenant when she lived in the same house forty years ago. Many miles away, Theo wonders why his dad is acting so strange when he hears about the bodies.
Clair Douglas crafts a many faceted puzzle told over two timelines. The Couple At Number 9 should be #1 on your fall thriller list.

I received an ARC for my honest review.

I first requested this because of the cover. I started reading it and the story line had me hooked. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

Saffy and Tom have recently moved into cottage no. 9. They’re renovating their garden when human remains are discovered. I never imagined the ending and it totally blew my mind. There are multiple characters and multiple points of view. Usually when there are too many characters, the story seems to get convoluted and confusing.

Book Review ** The Couple at Number 9 - Claire Douglas ** Rating: 4/5

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publication Date: August 2, 2022
Read if you Like:
- Novels by Lisa Jewell or Ruth Ware

An expecting Saffron Cutler moves into 9 Skelton Place with her boyfriend, Tom, with the intention of renovating the property and making it their own. During the renovations to the back yard the construction workers discover two bodies, which it turns out have been buried there for 30 years…meaning her grandmother, Rose, was the owner of the cottage at the time. What happened 30 years ago?

Thoughts:
- This novel has a great setting of an older, remote, cottage-style home in the English countryside which backs up to creepy woods.
- We get multiple narrators and timelines, which is done very well, but can also be confusing at times if you’re really not paying attention or put the book down for too long and come back to it.
- The plot twists here are really great and not something that I personally saw coming. And there are a lot of them.
- The unreliable narrator aspect is done really well. We also get a narrator that transitions from letter form to in person and back again which is really neat, and my first time reading this style
- There are times where the plot is a bit slower than I would’ve liked and I wish we would’ve gotten more on the characters’ relationships to connect us more to them, but overall these had minor impacts to the novel and plot.
- Lorna really cracked me up as a character. She was simultaneously the over-protective mother but also someone who constantly ran away from her problems and feelings by living in a perpetual vacation spot with a hot young fling.

Overall this is a great psychological thriller - stick through the first couple of chapters and narrators as you begin to figure out the story line, and by the time you've been introduced to everyone you're really hooked into trying to figure out what's happening.

I honestly really loved this book with its multiple points of view, alternating timeline, intriguing puzzle.. what more could you ask for in a mystery/thriller book? I was flipping through the pages fast!

I enjoyed how the characters were written, especially with Theo and Lorna. The writing helped me connect with the characters further increasing my obsession with this book!

While I felt like certain sections dragged on.. the plot twists, the characters, the overall ending, made up for it. I would totally recommend this book to my fellow readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Claire Douglas for the chance to read and review The Couple at Number 9.

There were a lot of POVs to keep up with while reading this book. It had a decent amount of mystery and thrills. I was left guessing who the killer may be. It wasn't a great mystery thriller but it was an okay read. I'll check out more by this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC!

I was pleasantly surprised at how caught up I got in this book. I was so involved in it, I totally missed a conversation with my husband. It's his own fault for not noticing the furrow of my brows when I get knee deep immersed in a story.

A house with a history...mulitple POVs...perfect!!
This was my first Claire Douglas novel and it was a great one!

I love a good Claire Douglas and this one did not disappoint!
The discovery of two bodies while doing a remodel leaves Saffy and Tom wondering just what happened in their cottage before they moved in...and more importantly was Saffy's grandmother, the former owner, involved!

Once you get started reading this one, you won't want to stop!

I loved this book! A very fast-paced novel that kept me guessing throughout. The multiple POV's really created a solid thriller.

3⭐.
This was another ok thriller I have read recently. It followed the typical formula of couple rents a house, weird stuff happens. There are killers in their midst. I will say that I found the writing and overall story a bit more interesting most of the read, then some thrillers here lately. I will def. pick up more from this author. This particular title was just ok for me. Nothing stood out among the rest really. Sometimes thrillers get stuck in a certain formula, and you feel you are reading the same story over and over with different characters.

I DNFed almost halfway through. I found it to be convoluted with too many characters. I put it down a couple months ago and have not felt like jumping back into it.

A dream home turned into a nightmare...
As the construction crew is digging up the garden to add an extension to the Cutler's newly acquired cottage, they come across the remains of two bodies. According to forensics, the bodies have been there for atleast thirty years, which means Saffy and Tom have nothing to worry about. But Saffy's grandmother Rose, the previous owner, does. Rose isn't of much help to the police as she has Alzheimer's and her memory is increasingly confused. With their baby on the way and an ongoing murder investigation, it also appears that they are being watched. Are Saffy and Tom safe in their own home? Who was buried in the garden and why?
I've never read anything by Claire Douglas before and am pleased to say I'm now a fan! This story was more of a slow burn and at times seemed to be a little drawn out due to the complexity of the story, with several timelines and many POVs within each timeline. Overall I really enjoyed this story. There were so many unexpected twists and turns, it constantly had me guessing! Along with reading the e-book, I also listened to the audiobook. The narrators, Nathalie Buscombe and Kenton Thomas, did a great job reading this story. I would definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by them. I recommend this story to anyone who loves a intriguing, slow-burning thriller.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and Edelweiss+. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

THE COUPLE AT NUMBER 9 by Claire Douglas centers on a thirty-year-old mystery when new homeowners, Saffy and Tom, uncover two bodies buried in their backyard. What unfolds is a twisty story of secrets as the past comes to light.

I think I would have loved this one more if I felt any sort of emotional connection to any of the characters, but I just didn’t.

With that being said, let’s dive into what I did love! Multiple POVs - always a fave for me - and this one also has a past timeline, which is a fun way to let the reader play detective.

THE COUPLE AT NUMBER 9 also has such an intriguing premise that makes you want to get to the end the moment you start reading! Also, the final twist was both *chefs kiss* and heartbreaking, which, let’s be honest, is one of the best things one can ask for.

This is my first read by Claire Douglas, but won’t be my last! Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: August 02, 2022