✉️ B O O K • R E V I E W ✉️
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Title: The Couple at Number 9
Author: Claire Douglas
Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Dead bodies uncovered in a house belonging to your grand mother? A secret past that is being brought to the surface? Hell Yes. Sign. Me. Up.
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This was everything I could have wanted in a mystery/thriller. I was hooked right from the start, as Claire Douglas wasted no time in starting off with a bang. I loved the entire concept of the dead bodies being unearthed along with a ton of family secrets.
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Told in my favorite style with multiple points of view, the reader follows Saffy, Lorna, Theo and Rose (in the past). Having all of the different voices tell their story just makes this one that much more intriguing. I loved that Rose’s input in the story is in the past, giving the reader a teaser as to what happened all of those years ago.
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This one is a tad long, but you forget that with the intriguing storyline; it’s filled with twists and turns that will have you shocked to your core. I honestly didn’t really see any of them coming; okay, maybe one, but that one wasn’t overly shocking. I loved where this one led me, I found myself unable to put this one down. If your looking for a good whodunit mystery with a ton of family secrets - look no further, this was a great read!
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Huge thank you to @netgalley, @clairdouglas and @harper for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! The Couple At Number 9 is out now and I highly suggest you grab it!
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Would you continue to live at a house where a dead body was found? Would you want to help figure out what happened?
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#netgalley #netgalleyearc #electronicadvancedreaderscopy #deadbodiesunearther #familysecretsrevealed #twistaftertwistaftertwist #addictingread #unabletoputdown #whodunitmystery #thecoupleatnumber9 #clairedouglas

What a treat! I was surprised by how good this was. Saffron (Saffy) and Tom have recently moved into a cottage house that has been handed down from Saffy's grandmother. In the midst of renovations, two bodies, a man and a woman, are found buried in the back yard. As the detectives work to uncover what is happening, readers are thrown into a tale more complicated than just a murder. The story is a twisty, turny, thought out, and engaging read. Told through multiple points of views, Douglas does an amazing job of intertwining each of the unique character's stories. Even using different points of views, secrets and clues are kept hidden until just the right time, Just when I thought I knew who did what, I was thrown in another direction. What a fun fast pace read full of suspense, mystery and intrigue!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas.

This book had a bit of a slow start, perhaps because there were quite a few characters that needed to be introduced, as well as different timelines, and the author wanted to lay a good foundation for the crazy twists to come. And wow were there some twists in this book!

I struggle so much with connecting to characters when a story is told in third person narration which it tends to be in a book with so many characters. I loved how the author, Claire Douglas, kept the narration to first person throughout the story, even when switching back and forth between several different characters. This helped me to stay connected to each of them, as if I were in their heads at any given moment. This became especially important leading up to several big reveals.

Douglas also did a phenomenal job at creating a creepy and intense atmosphere, right from the start as we are introduced to our main characters as several buried bodies are discovered in their garden. I found myself wanting to finish this before nightfall to prevent any nightmares from finding me, and yet the book overall, was not very scary.

The only thing I disliked about The Couple at Number 9 was that it was a bit of a slow burn up until the midway point. Like I said, I think this was probably pretty necessary to set the scene; however, thrillers that begin on the slower side, are sometimes harder for me to get into. Had it started off at a quicker pace, this would have been a five star read for me.

I did an immersive read of this book, going back and forth, and at times simultaneously reading from the text, while also listening on audio. All in all, this was great on audio, narrated by Kenton Thomas and Nathalie Buscombe, and if you are inclined to listen to audiobooks, I would say to give this one a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Tom and Saffy thought they had their dream house and their plans for the home were going great until all the planning and events came to a halt! Two skeletons were found, I think the police were kind of incompetent. However, the beginning was a bit sluggish do not give up a little past halfway this book picked up! The twist and turns had me biting my nails and on the edge of my seat!
Now I did enjoy the person who held the key to the secrets buried had Alzheimer's disease. That was a nice touch! If you enjoy Ruth Ware or Lisa Jewell then you would love this thriller. This is a great family secrets thriller and will keep you on the edge of your seat! I definitely recommend it! Thank you Netgalley and Harper Paperbacks for the extraordinary opportunity to read and review this one! It definitely was a treat!

Enjoyed this book very much. It had a lot of twists throughout. A major mystery was solved around the 65% point of the book but the rest of the story unveiled more depth and a couple plot twists. Thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy to read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Claire Douglas is a thriller author that needs way more hype. This is the third of her novels that I’ve read, and she continues to exceed my expectations! The Couple at Number 9 is her latest, and it delivers all the twists and surprises I’ve come to expect from her. There were several perspectives, and while I guessed bits and pieces of the big reveal, watching all the pieces add up made for such a fun reading experience. I especially loved trying to figure out how Theo fit into the rest of the story. This wasn’t as fast paced as some of Douglas’ other books, but it felt like more of a slow burn mystery, rather than feeling like it was dragging. If you’re looking for an author who knows how to write a twist, make sure you check out Claire Douglas!

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 @harperbooks 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 #𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲!

SUMMARY:
Saffron and Tom move into a home, inherited from Saffron's elderly grandmother. They add on an addition, but then the workers find two bodies in the ground. Work is stopped and Saffron and her mom are determined to find out what happened, and just how much the elderly grandmother remembers.

MY THOUGHTS:
I think I need a break from the cold case murders. I just didn't care who the people were, nor did I care who killed them. Overall, I felt pretty bored with this book.

I thought the twist at the end was a clever twist, and I did appreciate that and didn't see it coming!

I was more invested in Rose's parts of the story than I was in Saffron's current day stories. I think if the main focus had been on Rose, I would've enjoyed it more.

The title was slightly misleading... I don't get how it connected to the importance of the book.

Book: The Couple At Number 9
Author: Claire Douglas
Publisher: Harper Perennial and Paperbacks
Pub Date: August 2, 2022

Meh. I didn’t really enjoy the book that much. It was very boring and I had a hard time finishing it. I could never get into the story and I didn’t find it to be a psychological thriller. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is August 2, 2022.

What a fun thriller! I really enjoyed the various storylines throughout. Douglas does a good job of keeping the characters separate but identifiable while making them interesting. The family drama kept me entertained and Douglas is clearly a strong writer. The ending really elevated this one for me and was a huge surprise!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ”The Couple at Number 9.” I liked how the story started off with the discovery of the two bodies, however I found it hard to connect to the characters and that may be why. There were a lot of background characters which led to some confusion. Some of the twists I expected, but one left me quite surprised! Overall it was a good mystery.

WOW!!!! Talk about a plot twist. I was NOT expecting that ending. NOT AT ALL. Such a great book. I loved the switching between past and present viewpoints. The characters were amazing and the did not rub me the wrong way at all throughout the book. Everything was super believable and just made for such a great book.
Do yourself a favor and read this.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

As this intensely twisted heart pounding story begins, we find Sutton (Saffy) Cutler and her boyfriend Tom who have just moved into Saffy’s grandmother Rose’s cottage. It was a place neither she nor her mother Lorna knew Rose even owned until she was put into a home for dementia, and they went through her possessions. Purchased years ago, Rose would apparently rent it out. Why did she never tell anyone of its existence?

When they moved in, Saffy and Tom decided to make a few renovations inside and out as they just had found out Saffy was pregnant. All was going well until the workmen discovered what looked like skeletal remains in the garden. Shocked, Saffy calls the police and her mother who is at the moment living in Spain with her younger boyfriend.

When the results of the bones come back as actual human remains, two to be exact, and they both are considered to be homicides, the police begin an investigation and Lorna returns to England to try and assist Saffy and figure out how this could possibly have happened. It certainly could have nothing to do with Rose who they found out lived in the small town with Lorna only for a short time many years ago when Lorna was about two, a period in Lorna’s life of which she has very little memory.

Rose has very confusing answers as to who lived there years ago. And as Saffy and Lorna try to investigate on their own with the tidbits they are able to make sense of, the police are interested in speaking to Rose as a person of interest when they discover the name of one of the dead seems to have disappeared around the time Rose may have been staying at the cottage, the other body still unidentified. If she had been involved, how on earth could she have kept that a secret for so many years? Could something be buried deep in her subconscious, and she just can’t remember anymore?

As Saffy and Lorna begin to make progress, there is someone out there who does not want them to continue. Lorna is accosted and threatened that if she does not find the information which is hidden in the house and get it to him Saffy will pay. And then the house is broken into and although nothing was taken, it’s very clear the person was looking for something. But What? Who is watching them? Could Rose, this sweet woman who would do anything for her family be a killer? And is so why?

But believe it or not this is only one part of this incredible story, which with the sub-plots as it all comes together makes for a scandalously delicious ending! Buckle up readers! You are in for quite the ride!

Thank you #NetGalley #HarperPaperbacks #ClaireDouglas #TheCoupleAtNumber9 for the advanced copy.

I really love a good decades old mystery, bodies buried in the yard, family secrets story! This one had it all! I actually liked all the characters (except for one) and enjoyed reading all the POVs. It was just a tad too long, could've been wrapped up 50 pages or so sooner. But my interest was held to the end. I did figure out the twist before the big reveal, but that's ok. The clues were put there for me! Thanks NetGalley for this ARC! I will definitely read more by this author.

Review of The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Huge thank you to @harperperennial and @harperaudio for the paperback and audio copies of this book.
This was a really quick and entertaining read for me. I liked the premise and felt for the main character. What made this one a bit disappointing for me is that I was able to correctly predict most of the twists and a few parts didn’t make sense to me. Overall a solid thriller and definitely look forward to the book by this author.

Quick synopsis: Saffy is pregnant and has moved into her grandmother’s old cottage with her boyfriend Tom. With renovations a body is discovered in the garden. The police must question her grandmother Rose who is in a home for those with memory issues. Saffy is insistent to find out the truth about the body in the yard.

This was my 100th book of the year! I can’t believe how many books I’ve read this year - so many great ones and this was one of them. I was so relieved this book ended up being amazing after a few disappointments.

Saffron, or Saffy, is pregnant when she and her husband move into her grandmothers old cottage. They’re working on adding an addition when two skeletons are discovered buried in the garden. The book is told through several points of view, including Saffy and her mom Lorna. During the course of the investigation secrets are uncovered and Saffy and her mom are unsure of everything they’ve ever thought to be true.

So many twists and turns with one that completely blindsided me! I love it when that happens. I really enjoyed this story. I’m not sure who’s POV I enjoyed the most as they were all great and brought something different to the table. I really enjoyed Saffy anxiousness and love of staying home instead of partying, and I really enjoyed Lorna’s free spirit. The other points of views were also great and I really enjoyed learning how they all came together as secrets were revealed. I gave this 4.5 stars and highly recommend you check this out! I want to extend gratitude to @netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Started out well and very intriguing but the multiple POVs made it a taaaaad bit drawn out. It was still a good thriller.

Not to be confused with The Woman in Cabin 10...

This book was only okay to me. I love a good mystery, but the best part of a mystery is trying to solve it as the story unfolds. Trying to solve a murder that happened 30+ years ago was not as much "fun". It wasn't as engaging of a novel as I like. When you power through as many books as a lot of us do in a year, you want to be absolutely captivated by the pages you're reading. The Couple at Number 9 did not do that.

Read this if…you like a mystery buried within a mystery buried within another mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley, Harper Perennial, and the author for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a tough one for me. It started out interestingly enough, but then it dragged on forever. There were a lot of characters in play here and multiple mysteries interwoven together that went far beyond the bodies in the garden. It alternated between the past and present as well as 4 or so POVS. I have to give credit to the author for keeping all the plots lines straight without having any plots holes.

Other than the pacing, I don’t really have any specific complaints. I can’t really pinpoint why this one was just okay for me, so it could have just been my mood at the time. If you like intricate mysteries that revolve around long buried secrets, you might enjoy this.

Special thanks to Harper Perennial and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my own opinion.

It's harder and harder to find a really good book these days, not the tented authors fault, it just feels like a book explosion and its hard to weed out the ones you'd really rather read than the mediocre. This book is not mediocre..

First off, I like multiple POVs and I love puzzles, the especially witty and clever kind, and in my opinion this book is unique that way.

Saffron,"Saffie", pregnant with her boyfriend' Tom's .baby is thrilled when her beloved grandmother Rose, gives them her home because she's in a home for the elderly struck with debilitating Alzheimers Disease.

So when the couple decide to .ake some renovations, the builders find 2 bodies buried in the backyard around 30 years ago, most likely murdered. The problem is Rose was living there 30 years ago and now her past is a blur. She did have a tenant named Daphne around the time, who is now nowhere to be found..

Saffie's young mom, leaves her young boyfriend and flies from Spain to help Saffie with this mystery.

Who did it and why? The only one could be Rose to at least remember enough to say what happened or did she do it or know who did? I mean she was living there and owned the home.

I love a good puzzle and this book doesn't disappoint.

I really liked the cleverness of the author and I hopetoread more from her in the future. 4 stars!

This one is almost 4 stars for me.

Fast pace, captivating and twisty thriller but for some reason it was missing that “Wow” factor to give it full 4 stars. I did enjoy it and never was at a point where I was bored or wanted to put it down but it didn’t really stand out from other thrillers/mysteries. The story was well written with different POVs and timelines, which I liked.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC in exchange for my review.