Really enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading more by this author quick read that will keep you entertained thanks netgalley for the ARC

The Couple at Number 9 was my first read by Claire Douglas and I was so surprised by how much I loved it. Can you imagine renovating your house and finding not one but TWO dead bodies in the garden? That’s exactly what happens to Tom and Saffy, the new couple who has just moved into 9 Skeleton Place (a fitting name now that I’m writing it out). Questions arise about how the bodies got there. This question is made even harder to answer because the previous owner, Saffy’s grandma Rose, is currently in a nursing home with dementia. The answers lie within three generations, multiple perspectives, and a story that spans the course of nearly forty years.
I could not wait to see where this story was going. I figured some of it out around the halfway mark, but this did not stop my enjoyment of the novel as I still needed to figure out the whys, when’s, and how’s… and trust me, there were tons of twisted secrets throughout! Saffy was insufferable and unlikeable at times. The Couple at Number Nine is a mystery but at its heart, it is also a story about mother-daughter relations. This slow burn mystery was a delightfully good time, and I am looking forward to reading more by Claire Douglas in the future.

4.3

Absolutely enjoyed this book!

I was extremely anxious reading this book. The plot was so well constructed and executed.

Reading Between the Wines book review #74/135 for 2022:
Rating: 4 ½ 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Couple at Number 9
Author: Claire Douglas
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: Wow the last 40% of this book had me so engrossed and reading any time I could sneak a few minutes here and there. Every time a new part came, a new shock came. By the time Part 4 rolled around my mouth was opened and I know I made an audible gasp. I have to admit, it took a little effort to read the first few parts because it was a really slow burn with a lot of repetition. But after Part 2, it started picking up. I really enjoyed the mystery and the twists and reveals that were under my nose the entire time. This book does not give you that “yeah right” kind of twist but one that is feasible yet still shocking. This is my first Douglas book, but I do not wish it to be my last.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @HarperPerennialAndPaperbacks for an advanced copy of @TheCoupleAtNumber9.

#TheCoupleAtNumber9 #ClaireDouglas #HarperPerennialAndPaperbacks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Thank you so much @HarperCollins & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 02 August 2022)

SYNOPSIS | Saffy & her boyfriend (Tom) move into a little cottage in a remote village that she has just inherited. She is really excited to make the place her home, but during renovations they find a buried body in the garden. Furthermore, it looks like the remains have been there for over 30 years dating back to when her grandma lived at the property.

WHAT I LIKED:
- a good couple twists that kept the story intriguing
- the pacing was excellent for the majority of the book (it dragged at the end though)

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- there was a lot of over-telling & over-explaining instead of letting me figure it out throughout
- the evil monologue explaining why they did what they did & how they got away with it *yawn*
- the fact the police investigation hinged on an old woman with Alzheimers

I’m

This was a well written, fast reading, enjoyable book, that I highly recommend!

A young woman and her husband, expecting a baby, move into a charming cottage, owned her elderly grandmother. In the midst of a renovation/expansion, the builders discover the remains of two people buried deep in the yard.
Thus begins the investigation and unraveling of a twisted “ who are they” plot.
While the elderly grandmother, suffering from dementia, is unclear in her memories about the past, both her daughter and granddaughter search to find out what happened more than 30 years prior, and why two bodies are buried on the property.

As the clues are uncovered, the answers are revealed.
Although it was not hard for me to guess the outcome, the unveiling was interesting to read.
I enjoyed the book, the details and the ending.
4 1/2stars for good twists and an interesting plot!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy and opportunity to share my review.

Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

I enjoyed Claire Douglas’ last release, “Just Like the Other Girls” so much I knew I was going to read this latest book from the prolific writer. Sadly, it didn’t meet my expectations, but it’s still a pretty solid read, owing to how well Douglas writes female-to-female dynamics, especially when it comes to families and generations.

Part of the problem with this book, I think (when you compare it to “Just Like the Other Girls” is that there were just too many characters involved to keep the editing as tight and the characterizations as developed in this book. Plus, there were so many male characters in this book, and Douglas seems to not have the same flair for developing and writing males as she does females. The male characters in this book are less complex, if not close to stereotype cut-outs compared to the complex and rich female characters. This leaves the book feeling unbalanced, because the males are necessary for the book’s plot but their thoughts, feelings, and reactions are easy to predict.

Douglas writes a great suspense thriller, don’t get me wrong. Her prose is strong and her storylines are very entertaining. It just seems that with this book she made a misstep by not giving her male characters the development they needed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for granting me access to this title.

I liked this book a lot, and it kept my attention with its twists. There has been a rash of domestic neighborhood thriller type mysteries lately, and this one, while good and entertaining, didn't really stand out as anything different.

Saffron Cuttler and her boyfriend Tom have just moved into their dream home and are expecting their first baby. However, their kitchen expansion and renovations go horribly wrong when the builders unexpectedly dig up the remains of two bodies. Hoping the bodies are from hundreds of years ago Saffron tries not to worry. However now that the police have officially turned her backyard into a crime scene and launched an investigation her dream home is starting to become a nightmare. It’s not long before it’s determined that the remains seem to only be about thirty years old. Now Saffy definitely has something to worry about because thirty years ago her grandmother Rose was living in the home. Wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery she’s going to have to question her own grandmother who suffers from memory problems and increasing confusion as she’s started suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Holy hell y’all The Couple At Number 9 is a roller coaster and a thrill ride. It’s a slow burn that will drag you right in from the first page. Saffy, Tom and Lorna are such loveable characters and you’re rooting for them to solve the mystery and be able to move past what’s happened. There’s plot twists galore and and ending that I kind of guessed but still loved. The Couple At Number 9 is a psychological thriller that is full of so much family drama you can barely keep it all straight so if that’s your jam this this one is definitely for you. This is the first Claire Douglas novel that I’ve read but it’s definitely not going to be my last one.

This book was everything I thought it was going to be and more. It was twisty and an excellent mystery. Highly recommend.

A journey through suspense, family secrets, mystery, and allure, The Couple at Number 9 will keep you reading until the story completely unravels. Loved this read and would love to see it translated to the screen!

I can't say I liked this book, because I have to say that I LOVED this book!
Saffron and Tom are ready to start their family in their dream home they are remodeling until everything is put on hold after they find 2 dead bodies baried under the garden.
Who are they? How long have they been there? Did grandma Rose know them or that they were there?
Rose keeps naming people they don't know, someone is hiding in the woods behind the house, and no one seems to know anything, or do they?
An amazing story, with more twists and turns than a amusement park ride, and will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire ride!!!!

The Couple at Number 9 is a intriguing story filled with suspense. It is different from anything I’ve read lately. Claire Douglas knows how to write a psychological thriller. I highly recommend.

The English countryside, a pair of dead bodies, and the kind of twisty-turny intrigue that I can truly say I didn't see coming. It's hard to review this book without spoiling; suffice to say that it's perfect for anyone who loves a thriller, particularly one set in the English countryside in a small, slightly claustrophobic town.

A twisty thriller with multiple POVs and dual timelines is basically the set up of my perfect book.
Going into this I was very intrigued.
Saffy and Tom move into Saffy’s grandmother’s cottage and begin renovation when two bodies are found buried in the garden. Totally normal right? No!

From there the story gets twistier and creepier.
Saffy’s grandma Rose not only has dementia, but a journal we see passages from, and a whole lot of secrets.
But then Saffy’s mom also lived in this cottage for a bit right? Except she only remembers tiny glimpses of feelings or memories.
And then there’s Theo and his father in Yorkshire that also tie into the story somehow after Theo finds a newspaper clipping in his dad’s office related to the bodies being found.

What a wild!
Overall parts felt drug out, the middle started to get long, I was ready for more answers, and I did guess a major twist but the reveal was still fun!

Divergent stories weave together nicely snd unexpectedly. Didn't see it coming. Nice job going back to the 70's and to current seamlessly. Good character development. Will read more by Claire Douglas.

Okay, I really wanted to love this one. It had so much potential but it was wayyyy too much of a slow burn for me (which, as a fan of the Gothic genre is saying something!)

The story did finally get super juicy by the end but unfortunately by that point I was just turning pages to figure out the ending because I'd been reading it forever (or so it felt.) I thought the ending was very clever (even though I did figure it out before the reveal) so I'll bump it up a few stars overall.

Thank you to Netgalley for my #arc

I’m still stewing over this one hours later because I HAVE THOUGHTS 🙃🙃🙃

first of all, this story alone begs the question of what would you do if you found two dead bodies in your backyard while doing construction? for me, I’d move LOL 😅 but for the MCs, they’re determined to solve the mystery

and the only one who can truly solve the mystery is … a 80+ year old woman with dementia 🫠

I absolutely loved the premise and how rose flitted in and out of consciousness. as someone who grew up with their own grandmother suffering from dementia, the representation was spot on!

every time rose revealed a little bit more about herself, the story developed even more! I found myself second guessing and re-guessing every character every chapter 😅

while I did guess the big twist, I still absolutely loved the ride!

the thing that didn’t sit quite right with me was the LGBTQ+ representation. it felt very surface level, thrown in as a plot twist, and superficial. if you’re going to include a FF couple, make it meaningful and not as a throwaway plot point. I also am really sick of the trope where the MC realizes she’s queer all of a sudden and then turns psychotic because of her revelation.

while I do think the author meant to include it as representation of the community, it was very poorly done in my opinion.

thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 🥰

rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: australian malbec

In 'The Couple at Number 9', a pregnant Saffron and her partner, Tom, are renovating her Gran's cottage in Wiltshire, England, as their dream home. Then, the builders unearth bodies from its rear garden!

The story moves back and forth in time to show Gran's earlier life in the cottage with small Lorna (Saffy's mum) and how she came to share her home with another woman. Slowly, jigsaw pieces of the puzzle come together.

When the full picture emerges, it's a fascinating one.

The twists! This thriller held my attention until the very last page. I read this in one sitting and couldn't put it down