This is my first book by Claire Douglas and I need more. I truly enjoyed this book. I liked the atmosphere of the small, quaint and a little creepy town. The beginning of the book was a bit slow going as the characters were developed, there were a lot of characters to get to know as the story unfolds. It's well written and when the story starts to pick up pace there's a simmering suspense with a couple surprise twists and a few I did manage to guess. Overall an enjoyable read.

Saffy and Tom get an unexpected surprise when they are renovating their house, The construction crew discovers human remains. Since this is a family home, given to Saffy by her grandmother, it opens a world of questions. Told in dual timelines, the story of the house and its inhabitants, past and present, are uncovered. There were some great, surprising moments in this story, but it also dragged a bit during Theo's chapters. I believe this is my first book by this author and I would like to read more.

Claire Douglas is a favorite author so I was thrilled to get approved for The Couple at Number 9. I enjoyed the dual timeline. There were so many twists and turns that surprised me and I love that in a book. Highly recommend adding this one to your TBR.

More than I expected. Interesting, with some twists. Would recommend to patrons. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Claire Douglas never ceases to surprise me when I read her books and The Couple at Number 9 was no different. I loved the premise with Saffron finding human remains in her backyard, and since that is the first thing that happens it really set the tone for the rest of the story. There are multiple viewpoints and while I won't say who, I definitely had my favorites. I really enjoyed the blend between past and present and Douglas created a very lovely ominous feeling throughout the story. I was shocked by all of the reveals, and I didn’t have anything guessed which is something I always appreciate. I thought it was a very original storyline as well and I loved the mystery.

The audiobook is where things got a little dicey for me and while I loved Nathalie Buscombe’s narration for the female viewpoints, I found it hard to understand Kenton Thomas who narrates Theo. I would be able to listen to Buscombe at a faster speed but whenever Theo’s chapters hit I would have to slow it way down to be able to understand Thomas and he also sounded a little muffled. For some reason, Buscombe isn’t mentioned as a narrator on Audible or Libro.fm either, and I don’t understand that since she narrates basically the entire book. Either way, the audio for The Couple at Number 9 was not my favorite thanks to Thomas, and I would personally recommend reading Theo’s chapters since I ended up following along in the book for those myself. Minus the weirdness of the audio, the book itself was very twisty and enjoyable, and I loved this newest release from Douglas!

**3.5-stars rounded up**

When Saffy and Tom move to 9 Skelton Place, they're excited about the possibilities. The property once belonged to Saffy's Grandmother and it will take a little work to get the place just how they want it, but with their first baby on the way, they're willing to take on the project. As they prepare for a kitchen extension, a construction crew begins digging up the back garden. That's how they discover the two bodies buried there.

Early analysis indicates the bodies have been buried there for about 30-years. While their presence isn't the result of a recent act of violence, it's quite clear that a crime, or crimes, was once committed there. 9 Skelton Place becomes a crime scene; a very unpleasant occurrence for the young couple just looking to nest.

As part of their investigation, the police ask to speak with the home's former owner, Saffy's Grandmother, Rose. Unfortunately, Rose is currently suffering from fairly advanced dementia. Saffy frequently goes to visit Rose in her Care Home and can attest to the fact that some days are worse than others. It's unclear if Rose will be able to provide any reliable information to the investigators.

Hearing of her daughter's troubles, Saffy's Mom, Lorna, returns from Spain, where she lives abroad with her boyfriend. Lorna has always been a free spirit, with Saffy often feeling the more mature of the two. It's clear that Lorna loves her daughter though and she's here to help. The more Saffy and Lorna dig into the mystery of 9 Skelton Place, the more ominous it all seems. There are entire chunks of Lorna's very early history that she knows nothing about. What has her mother, Rose, been hiding from her?

I liked this. It was a good time for me. It wasn't perfect, but I found the mystery, the characters and the family dynamics quite interesting. Once I started down the rabbit hole of the bodies in the garden, I was compelled to discover the truth. I had to know!

This story is told through both past and present perspectives. You learn about the present by following Saffy, Lorna and a man named, Theo. In the past, you learn about Rose's time living at 9 Skelton Place. I found both timelines interesting and like how each present section seemed to build off things discovered from the past.

Theo's perspective was confounding to me at first. I wasn't quite sure why it was necessary, but it did ultimately serve a purpose and I like how it all wrapped up in the end. Overall, I thought this was an entertaining read. Douglas did a great job creating a puzzling little mystery and it was fun watching it all come together.

While this won't be the most memorable Mystery/Thriller that I read this year, I am still happy that I picked it up. This was my first Claire Douglas and I definitely enjoyed her style. Thank you to the publisher, Harper Paperbacks, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, and Harper Paperbacks for my honest review.*

Imagine starting a home reno on a house that has been in your family for years and bodies are discovered buried in the back yard. Saffy and Tom have recently moved in and found out they are expecting when the bodies are discovered.

I enjoyed everything about this novel! The premise, the various points of view, the differing time lines, and how it all kept me guessing throughout the entire novel. Several major plot points that I haven't read before and it all flowed perfectly! And enough suspense to keep me coming back to it.

I have already recommended to friends and added Douglas to my list of must read authors.

Sutton and her boyfriend move into a cute little cottage. It has been passed down through the family, and they are very excited to gut it and redo it as their own. Except the renovations uncover a dead body. Her family has owned this home since it was built.. so how could this have gotten there? Bread crumbs are sprinkled throughout the novel.. it was a bit long and drawn out. But still a good read.

Very fun mystery! It isn't anything new or something that will knock your socks off but it is a solid good time and I highly recommend this!

This one was a sloooow burn. Saffy and her boyfriend are undergoing renovations at their cottage when something is discovered that they never expected...buried bodies. As police investigate, they need to question all owners from the past 30 years, which means they are relying on the memory of Saffy's grandmother who is currently suffering from Alzheimer's. Is she even going to be helpful?

This one took me a bit to get into as I felt like it was just taking too long for twists and info to come and there were too many POVs. Plus, the fact that the police were relying on somebody with dementia to solve a crime? I'd call that a stretch. I found myself not really being interested in the characters and eventually, not even interested enough in the mystery. I pushed through to the end though to see if I had it figured out. Overall, this was a 2.5 star read for me.

“The Couple in Cabin No 9” was my first Claire Douglas novel.

The book follows Saffy and Tom, who are renovating their cottage when two bodies are found in the garden. The story switches between Saffy, Tom, Saffy’s mom Lorna, Saffy’s grandmother Rose and Theo.

The characters gradually uncover secrets of the past and start interlocking them. The characters' conversations were detailed. However, there seemed to be a trace of overlap between two of the main characters. One of them could have been eliminated. I felt there was a little too much repetition in the first 20% of the novel. I wanted to skim.

The story took off halfway through the novel. There are plenty of revelations that come to light. At that point, the book held my attention. The second half of the novel was quite enjoyable. The tension picked up. There was a good amount of suspense.

I enjoyed that it revealed the mystery in the beginning and the reveal at the end. The middle of the novel was a bit of a challenge for me.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to Killer crime reads for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a little to get through this one but in the end it was well worth the read! I loved that the story was told from different perspectives and timelines. The way the story centered on this mystery of two bodies found buried on a family property really intrigued me. I think my only complaint with this book was how long it took to get through it. Though, I am a new mom so that could have something to do with it. The closer I got to the end, I had to know the answers and I do have to say that the ending was worth it in the end.

4/5 stars!!

A murder mystery that keeps you turning the pages.

While remodeling Saffy and Tom find bodies buried on their newly inherited property. While there is no way they were involved it was Saffy's grandmother's home so did she, Rose, know that they were there and was she involved.

This book is told from two timelines. The present with Saffy and Tom and the past from Rose. You get to know these people and secrets they may have been hiding. This is a page turner that will have you guessing. It's well written and truly an enjoyable read. It had moments where it dragged for me but overall it was so worth the read.

I'm working hard to get caught up after an illness.

4 stars and I recommend this one.

A bit of a slow start, despite bodies being located in the garden early on. Multiple points of view, so a bit confusing with the characters. Not a thriller, but a mystery. The twist at the end wasn’t too bad though.

I just reviewed The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas. #TheCoupleatNumber9 #NetGalley
[NetGalley

If you like slow burns with an incredibly over-complicated plot, far too many characters, and is definitely a "mystery" (very loose) not a thriller, then The Couple at Number 9 might be for you.

This book had a lot of promise, but the most thrilling thing that happens, happens in the first chapter. Everything else after chapter 1 just drags on and on. This book was WAY too long with what felt like a lot of useless filler.

By the end, there was a little twist that I enjoyed. But, overall, I don't recommend this book.

My first Clare Douglas and it didn't disappoint. Such a great domestic thriller. Thank you to Harper for the gifted ARC my honest review.

This book started off strong and I was drawn in. Can you imagine doing basic home renovations and finding two bodies in your garden? That's a great start to a book, for sure! But from there I think this book took a turn and became a bit too slow and a bit too cumbersome. I could discern where it was going from about the midpoint, and it seemed to slog from there to the end. I liked the premise but didn't like the pacing, laborious details, or switching points of view. When I finished the book I didn't have any particular feelings about it and didn't feel like I'd be eager to recommend it to others. It was just ok.

Started slow but really packed a punch with the twist! I liked the multiple POVs and the back and forth timeframe which helped piece together the mystery. I didn’t see the twist coming so I loved seeing how everything played out.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m getting through some of my backlog and was really glad I finally made time for this book! The character development was spot on, and every time I thought I knew where it was headed, I was caught completely off guard! I loved never knowing where the story was headed until it all comes together at the end, wrapped with a neat bow. I will definitely be reading more by this author and would totally recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers and mysteries!

Another home run psychological domestic thriller by one of the best authors in the genre. I received this advance copy from Netgalley and I was thrilled as this is the best offering yet from Douglas (I have read all of her books and she started out great and just keeps getting better)! Excellent dialogue, character development (she makes you care about the main character, you identify with her and you cheer her on...Reading Claire Douglas' novels is like eating your favorite treat, when a new book of hers is released I tend to consume it all in one day/night