Kept me guessing but I was happy with the conclusion. Work stops on a couples renovation when 2 bodies are found at their house. My first Clare Douglas..certainly not my last. Great read

Tom and Saffy, a young couple expecting their first child have moved into a cottage gifted to Saffy by her mother Lorna (aka Lolly) who did not know of the existence of the cottage.  The cottage was previously owned and occupied for a time by Lorna’s mother Rose who is now in a care home with Dementia. 

During the course of a renovation/extension to their kitchen the builders uncover 2 bodies, a male and a female. The Police, Lorna and Saffy are determined to discover who the bodies are, and when it transpires that the bodies were buried some time during the late 70’s or early 80’s they realise this was during the time when Rose had lived in the house with a young Lorna who has little or no memory of living there with her mother.  During that time Rose takes in a lodger, Daphne.

The book is written largely from the perspective of Saffy, Lorna and another character,Theo in the present and Rose and Daphne in the past.  Rose and Daphne appear to have both run away from their disturbing pasts which comes to light during the telling of the story during their time occupying the cottage.

This book is particularly well written and draws the reader in.   I struggled to put it down as I tried fruitlessly to figure out who the bodies were, “who did it and why”.  I had quite a few theories around the events but was totally surprised by the conclusion.

I highly recommend this book and other books by this author who never fails to surprise and enthral

Thanks for Netgalley UK, the author and the publisher Penguin for providing me with an arc copy of the book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of the book.

The Couple At No. 9
Author: Claire Douglas
Publisher:Penguin Michael Joseph Uk
Publication Date: 19/8/21
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

No Spoilers

Although a slow burning mystery this caught my attention from the outset and gripped me until the end.
A young couple, Saffy & Tom renovating a house inherited from her grandmother, find their works halted due to the discovery of 2 bodies. Told from the perspective of Saffy, her mother Lorna and Rose her grandmother, this is complex twisty thriller with a satisfying conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’d like to thank the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Totally loved this novel.
There were twists and turns some I saw coming but not all of them. I found the characters well developed and believable, a mixture of likeable and irritating.
There was a good pace to the storyline and I enjoyed the different perspectives given to tell the story.

I would definitely recommend

I really enjoyed this read! It kept me interested throughout and I really wanted to know the truth and what happened.
It is about Tom and Saffy, who move into a cottage that was owned by her grandmother, who now has dementia. They are expecting their first child and are excited to start their family life in this pretty cottage. They start work on the garden, only to dig up old bones and unearth stories from the past that had been kept hidden for a long time.
This is a domestic thriller, and while it isn't fast paced, it keeps you wanting to turn the pages and to find out all the secrets for the past. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, and the story develops at just the right pace and it slowly unearths all the secrets from the past.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely read more from this author.

"And Now This. This extra mystery. The two dea bodies in a Wiltshire garden...And the words 'Find Her' in his father's sprawling handwriting. It finally hits him that he'll never get answers from his dad. It's been too many years. Too many unanswered questions. He's just going to have to do some digging of his own."

Present day Wiltshire and pregnant Saffron (Saffy) and boyfriend Tom inherit Beggars Nook, a small cottage in a Cotswold village, from Saffy's Grandma, Rose who has dementia and is in a care home. Mum Lorna, long divorced from Saffy's dad, Euan, lives in Spain. A kitchen extension reveals two bodies buried in the back garden. Who are they and what does Rose know about them? Lorna and Saffy, alongside the police, decide to find out.

Present day Harrogate and Theo, married to Jen are trying to start a family. Theo's mum, Caroline, died of a tragic accident fourteen years ago and his father, Vincent is distant and cold. When Theo discovers a cryptic note on a newspaper cutting, he decides to investigate, not trusting his dad to be honest. Will he find out what links him to the bodies in Wiltshire?

1979 and Rose is living in the cottage, hiding from someone, with Lorna as a toddler. Short of money she takes in a lodger, Daphne Hartwell and a relationship blossoms. But Daphne is secretive. Is she being honest with Rose? And will whoever Rose is hiding from find them?

This domestic thriller, with two timelines and multiple narrators, is complex and pacy. Saffy, Lorna, Rose and Theo are all relatable and engaging, dealing with the shock of past events revealing themselves. Secrets, jealousy, obsession and betrayal are revealed as we are drip-fed clues about the womens' lives. Beautifully crafted, this is an excellent and engaging read.

Saffron and Tom are entering an exciting time in their lives with a baby on the way and renovations taking place on the cottage they have been left. Then one day the builders have some shocking news for the couple - two bodies have been found buried in the back garden. Forensics estimate the bodies to have been buried for about 30 years. At first Saffy thinks this doesn't affect them, but then she realises that the bodies were buried during the time her grandmother Rose lived there. Rose is now in a care home with Alzheimer's and while she seems to have some information about the bodies, none of it makes sense and she is very confused. Saffy is stressed about the situation and doesn't want to upset her grandmother, and the reporters hanging around the cottage do not make her feel any better. Then she begins to feel like someone is watching the cottage... What happened all those years ago? Who do the bodies belong to? Is her grandmother involved? And could Saffy and her family be in danger?

Another brilliant book from Claire Douglas. The plot is thrilling and tense and keeps you turning the pages until the great ending. I like how we have chapters from the past that lead up to the events of the present. The twists are just fantastic and absolutely shocking! I loved this book and really recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

At first I found it confusing as there were different people being introduced in the chapters and there was a lot of skipping back and forward from the 70's to the present but once I got my head around who was who etc I got sucked in
Good book with plenty twists I didn't see coming

So just who are The Couple at No. 9? Well, that's the beauty of this read - on the surface they are Saffy and Tom. who have just moved into their dream cottage (inherited from Saffy's grandma, Rose who now sadly has dementia) and all is going well until they find 2 bodies buried in their garden. As you do.

The bodies date back to when Rose was living in the house, so just what does she know about what's happened - what can she really remember? It fits firmly in the family-secrets thriller genre, had a twist that I didn't see coming and the pace steadily built up the tension to a fab ending.

Really enjoyed it!

Well. That was some book. I've regularly read Claire Douglas and I was worried that maybe this one would be like the others, she can't keep doing something new, keep her readers guessing, can she? Well for this book she absolutely can.

The couple, Tom & Saffy, at No. 9, have recently inherited their cottage in the Costwolds from Saffy's grandma Rose. It's a beautifully quaint house, and having spent time in the Cotswolds all the descriptions of the bricks and the surrounding areas just brought back a flurry of memories for me. But everything isn't what it seems. Harmless building works turn up two dead bodies in the garden and with it a whole lot of secrets are unearthed.

The start of the book was a bit of a meandering tale for me, I wasn't truly captivated, but was moderately intrigued. And whilst I never had a firm grip on where the story would lead, I figured it would only be a matter of time before I figured it all out. If like me, you're feeling this way at all, perservere. It'll all be worth it in the end.

Because maybe Tom and Saffy aren't the only couple at no. 9?

Skeletons in the closet ★★★★☆

When two bodies are found buried in the garden of the cottage she inherited from her grandmother, Rose, pregnant Saffy must uncover the secrets of her family's past and present. And somebody is watching them...

Rose's diary account of 1980 and her current day dementia keeps us guessing at every twist and turn. Are the names that Rose occasionally remembers related to the murders or are they other figments of her past? Who were Rose and Daphne running from? And what does Saffy's mum Lorna not quite remember?

The identities of the victims and the killer are gradually revealed after a sinister cat and mouse game that exposes what really happened to the original couple at number nine.

A cleverly plotted murder mystery that will keep you on your toes. Another excellent read from Claire Douglas.

When Saffy's beloved grandmother, Rose, is moved into a care home she is devastated. That changes to amazement when her mother, Lorna, gives her the country cottage neither of them knew Rose owned. Newly pregnant, Saffron and husband Tom begin updating and extending their new home looking forward to a new exciting chapter in their lives.

As the builders begin to dig up the back garden they make an horrific discovery which makes everything grind to a halt. Skeletal remains have been recovered and until the forensic team have finished looking at what is now an active crime scene no more work can be undertaken. Saffy phones Lorna in a panic and she rushes from her home in Spain to help. With Rose suffering with dementia and being investigated by the police, mother and daughter join forces but nothing can prepare them for what is about to unfold.

Claire Douglas has written a family saga that spans a lifetime and, quite literally  unearths secrets from the very beginning. There are four different points of view which weave together but unfortunately I found this to be too many and although it wasn't confusing it did mean each storyline was too spaced out for me. What happened to Saffron and Tom was ever evolving and produced an interesting and challenging mystery to solve with twists and turns along the way.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is an original take on a family with secrets saga but sadly I found it too busy with people to completely engage me.

Saffy and Tom have just moved into 9 Skelton Place and expecting their first child. During some renovation works two skeletons are found buried in the garden and their worst nightmare begins. The house once belonged to Saffy's grandmother, Rose who is now living in a nursing home with Dementia, her periods of lucidity becoming fewer as the weeks go on.
Investigations discover that Rose was living in the house at the time one of the bodies was buried but questioning her is difficult, and the more pressure on her to answer questions, the worse her memory gets.
The story is told in the present day with the investigations, but flits back to the years Rose was living there and her life as a single mother to Lorna (Saffy's mother).

Its a steady paced tale which can seem a little slow at times but that does help to build up the tensions and frustrations of the police and Saffy. A great read

I found 'The Couple at No. 9' to be a slow-burn, intriguing and layered family mystery.

Saffy and Tom have not long moved into their new home and are looking forward to the birth of their first child when a spot of building work unveils some skeletons in the back garden.

Saffy questions her gran, now in a care home with dementia. Gran owned the cottage back when the bodies were likely to have been buried. But her lovely Gran is rarely lucid and the more Saffy, Tom, and Saffy's mother Lorna look into things, the more questions arise.

As I say, it's a slow burn rather than an in-your-face thriller, and that worked for me, though some readers might prefer it to pick up the pace. I enjoyed the slow unveiling of layers of secrets that kept me reading til the end. Tom didn't register much for me, but I liked the writing for the three women and particularly felt for Lorna, mother of one, daughter of the other, stuck in the middle and never quite happy.

The Couple At No. 9 is a real page turner from beginning to end with no let up in the middle.

Saffy and Tom have recently moved into a cottage that was owned by Saffy’s grandmother Rose. Rose is now in a care home with dementia but has gifted the cottage to her daughter Lorna having rented it out for several decades since she moved out in 1980. Lorna lives in Spain with her latest fling so has allowed Saffy and Tom to use the cottage as she is not interested in settling down in the UK.

During groundwork for an extension the builders finds human remains and the police are quickly involved and find the bones of a man and woman dating back about forty years.

The story is told from several main viewpoints in different timescales – that of Rose in her younger days when she was living in the cottage, Lorna’s viewpoint and that of Saffy. There is also the story of Theo who lives in Yorkshire and visits his elderly father, Victor, more out of obligation than love. The story of all the characters start to collide and there are plenty of unexpected twists and turns on the way.

This is another cracking story by Claire Douglas and I look forward to many more by her. With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley, publisher and author for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow - what a refreshingly different idea for a story this was!! Mysterious and twisty from beginning to end, with surprises aplenty along the way. An intricately weaved plot, so cleverly crafted together.

Definitely not a book for "a chapter a night" type reader :-)

Another great read from this author. It was very easy to get into the story which is full of twists and turns. To say much more would spoil the enjoyment. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review.

A super thriller that keeps you on your toes. Very interesting and unusual story full of suspense with a most unexpected twist near the end.

Young couple Tom and Saffron never dreamed they would have a house of their own. But, when Saffron’s grandmother Rose goes into a care home as she suffers from dementia, her cottage is gifted it to her mother Lorna. But Lorna has a life of her own in Spain, so she gives it to her daughter Saffron or Saffy s everyone calls her.
When Saffy is gardening in her garden her partner Tom calls her to see something that the builders have dug up. When she goes to see what it is she is shocked to see a human hand buried in the soil. It turns out that there are two bodies buried in the garden.
The Police are call in and the investigations starts to find out who these two bodies are and what Grandmother Rose had to do with them. The story goes back in forth in time to ascertain why is there two bodies buried in the garden.
I always get excited when Claire Douglas writes another book. This one is a bit different to her other books that I have read that she has written. This is a really slow but engaging story told in several points of view. Which goes back in forth of time of Rose’s life living at the cottage. This is also an intricate story of secrets and lies which to be honest struggled a little bit with glad I stuck with it to the end for the surprising twist. 4 stars from me.

Ooh some serious misdirection between those page! Highly enjoyable with twists and turns aplenty, nicely crafted and beautifully delivered. I could see this as a movie!