I’m a huge Claire Douglas fan, and have thoroughly enjoyed all her books. While The Couple at No 9 had relatable protagonists and it hummed along, ultimately the suspense part of it, the mystery, was predictable and lacklustre. I saw the big twist coming. Also I felt the detectives didn’t really do much. Additionally I couldn’t get on with Rose’s second person narrative choice which slowed the story down for me. I much preferred the present day narrative.

Saffy, who is 24-year old and pregnant with her first child, has inherited her grandmother’s house. One day the builders find two dead bodies. The crime dates back to the eighties.

A somewhat decent read, but thrillers fan might spot the big twist.

I have nothing but praise for Claire books and this was no different. The story is excellently written giving different perspectives over the 2 decades. I fell in love with pregnant Saffy and felt nothing but motherly instincts towards her after the horrors are found in her garden. Both her mother and grandmother Lorna and Rose are both strong women who would do anything for the child they love. The perspective of Theo was genius and another twist to the story. Finished in 24 hours. Thank you and look forward to the next book.

Great start and straight into the plot of this book. Bodies found in the garden while work being carried out. As Saffy inherited the house did her grandmother have anything to do with it ? Such questions need answering but it’s not that easy to get answers !
Such a tense and riveting read – twists and turns and surprises ! Loved it and didn’t want to stop till I had read it all
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the read

I really look forward to any Claire Douglas book. Once again this one doesn't disappoint. Very cleverly written and didn't see the twists coming.

It all kicks off with 2 bodies being found buried in the garden whilst excavating group d ready for a kitchen extension. Past family events are then gone through with the slow help from Granny who is now suffering from Dementia. Frustratingly finding things out a little at a time.

There are some chapters going back in time of the mother Rose narrating as if to the daughter Saffy about why things were happening. Another angle is introduction of a man trying to figure what his dad has done and why are the explicit photos hidden.

It all comes together near the end and a wonderful twist that I didn't see coming.

The Couple at No.9 is a gripping, tense read from the brilliant Claire Douglas!

We’re thrown straight into the plot, with two bodies discovered in Saffy and Tom’s garden as they’re landscaping the garden. Long before Saffy inherited their house, her grandma lived there – could she be something to do with the bodies? Surely not. Plus she’s now in a nursing home with advanced Alzheimer’s…

What follows is a tense, intriguing and riveting read – the plot is brilliantly crafted and thought out, and there are plenty of twists and turns throughout. I was really rooting for these characters, and loved the dual timelines as we switch between the perspective of Saffy’s grandmother Rose and back to Saffy herself in the present day. As the reader you’re slowly piecing together what happened along with Saffy, and there’s a great ending.

I won’t say much more as I don’t want to give anything away but I was completely engrossed in this brilliant read. You can’t go wrong with a Claire Douglas read and this is no exception!

I am always delighted at the news of a new Claire Douglas novel and this one did not disappoint.

Saffronand Tom have moved into their first home, a cottage formerly owned by Saffron’s beloved Grandmother, Rose. They have great plans and the building of an extension is underway when human bones are found in the garden. Elsewhere, Theo is trying to uncover his father’s secrets and his search will bring him to Saffron’s cottage. The narrative switches between characters and between timelines…casting back to events around the time of the murders.

I find domestic thrillers more satisfying; the satisfaction for me lies in its possibility. This story was beautifully domestic and nightmarishly possible. As the search begins to establish the identity of the dead bodies, I could feel the frustration of Saffie and her Mother, Laura, and the anxiety and fear as Rose appears to have been involved. Rose is suffering from dementia and her dips into and out of lucidity are poignant and heartbreaking but also an excellent device in frustrating the search for the truth, adding to the tension.

This was a really tense and completely absorbing read. The characters were very well fleshed out as was the wonderful sense of place. The tension was tangible and made this very hard to put down, and at times oh how jumpy I was!!

With many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for a digital copy of this great thriller.

An enjoyable mystery, fast paced, with believable and interesting characters. I guessed the twist two thirds in but this did not detract from the storytelling. A well written, satisfying read.

When Saffron and her boyfriend Tom move into their new home in Skelton place they are excited about their future together, especially with their first baby on the way. The last thing they expect to find when they start some renovations on the cottage is two bodies under the patio.

As forensics discover the bodies have been there at least 30 years Saffron feels it's nothing for her to worry about until police want to interview the former owner of the cottage Rose. Rose is Saffron's grandmother who is now residing in a care home suffering from Alzheimer's and is increasingly confusing her memories.

This plot throws twist after twist - I never knew what was coming next and absolutely loved it. Claire Douglas now sits firmly on my list of favourite authors who always delivers. Highly recommend.

What a great read from this talented writer. Lots of twist and turns that will stop you in your tracks. Brilliantly written and keeps you turning the pages . Definitely recommend

Die Autorin führt schnell in die Situation ein und die Geschichte beginnt direkt sich zu entfalten. Es ist bald eine leicht schaurige Atmosphäre zu spüren, die jetzt herrlich zur Herbstzeit passt, obwohl das Buch wohl im Frühjahr spielt...

Ein Teil der Erzählung besteht aus den Rückblicken aus Großmutter Roses Sicht, beginnend Weihnachten 1979, als sie Daphne Hartall kennenlernt, die ihr Leben verändern würde.

In den anderen Teilen geht es um die schwangere Saffron Cutler und ihren Freund Tom, die das Cottage ihrer Großmutter No. 9 Skelton Place bewohnen dürfen. Eines Tages werden bei Arbeiten für eine Erweiterung der Küche im Garten zwei Skelett gefunden. Da sie schon länger tot sind, stehen sie nicht unter Verdacht, aber die Polizei will mit allen früheren Bewohnern sprechen. Auch mit der an Alzheimer erkrankten Rose, die in einem Heim lebt. Als Saffrons Mutter Lorna davon erfährt kommt sie überstürzt aus Spanien heimgereist. Auch aus ihrer Sicht gibt es eigene Kapitel.

Die Autorin macht deutlich, was alles an familiären Erinnerungen verloren geht, wenn die ältere Generation nicht mehr präsent ist. Das kann ich aus eigenen Erfahrungen nur bestätigen. Bei den verschiedenen aus der Vergangenheit auftauchenden Personen muss man sich konzentrieren, um den Faden nicht zu verlieren. Die wirren Äußerungen von Rose treiben die Geschichte voran.

Man rätselt mit, was die Personen wohl miteinander zu tun haben. Die Geschichte gewinnt an Komplexität. Nach einer unerwarteten Wendung kann das Ende überzeugen. Ich habe mich von der Autorin wieder gut unterhalten gefühlt.

Absolutely gripping read. I’m still chilled to the bone. I’m not going to forget this book for a while- it’s definitely playing in my mind.

With a cleverly complicated and twisted plot, this book was a thriller combined with a murder mystery as well as a character study of some complex characters. Saffy and Tom Cutler have inherited a cottage that they intend to do renovations on and make it into their dream home. At least, that’s their plan until two bodies are discovered in the back garden. With a forensics analysis, it is determined that the bodies have been there for about three decades, leading the investigators to the doorstep of Saffy’s grandmother Rose. Rose is elderly and suffering from Alzheimer’s, so her contribution to the mystery was cloaked in believability or not, depending on how coherent she was when she was being questioned. There is not doubt that the mystery unravels slowly, leaving plenty of clues along the way and with a whole gaggle of possible suspects. The memories of those who were around at the time of the murder are foggy and unclear to them as well as to me. That made the reading of the book not quite as mindless as I had hoped since I really had to pay attention to which character was putting forth which clues. The pace was very slow at first and did not pick up until about a third of the way through when Saffy feels like she is being watched and is in danger. Once this whole scenario began, the pace of the book quickened and was a mesmerizing and engaging read. There were many questions asked and answered as the solution to the mystery progressed, making this book one of the most complex and delightfully puzzling whodunnits that I have read in a long time.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I love the writing style of this book, the different POV kept me engaged till the early hours of the morning. I thought the story was good, I kind of guessed the outcome before the final but still thought it was a good plot. over all a good crime mystery

My first read of a Claire Douglas novel but sure it won’t be my last. This book is well written and steadily builds up the suspense. Interesting characters and a plot that is clever, addictive and has an excellent twist.

Saffron Cutler and her boyfriend Tom move into 9 Skelton Place, when they receive the cottage as a gift. Saffron and Tom are renovating the property in anticipation of the birth of their expected child, but are surprised by what they discover. Two bodies lie buried under the patio and it appears they have been there for over thirty years. The police are alerted and a murder investigation is launched, the police are keen to speak to the previous owner, Saffron’s grandmother, Rose, but that will be difficult due to her Alzheimer’s.

Although Rose’s memory is foggy due to the illness it is clear she remembers something, what exactly happened all that time ago and did her grandmother know anything about it.

Addictive read.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book was intriguing but sadly for me it didn’t deliver on tension, drama and interest. I liked the different povs of the main characters which created a good diversion from now and then back to the past. Some of the characters were well defined while others were like bit players who were used more as literary devices (I’m thinking Tom, the erstwhile husband who we never get to know or find out what he thinks or feels while being supposedly a central part of the drama). It all wrapped up too nicely for me. Sorry but it was a bit of a let down but I’ll still give three stars as I think others won’t be as critical as me.

This was a really well written thriller with a bit of a twist. Would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers.

I enjoyed the story as well as the characters. The story was well told and kept me glued to the pages. Towards the middle I started to (correctly) guess what the twist was going to be. I would recommend this book.

A gripping, fast paced and well plotted story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The plot is well developed, twisty and kept me guessing.
I liked the excellent character development and storytelling.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Couple At No. 9 is another great read by Claire Douglas, I have yet to find a book by this author I haven’t liked and can’t wait forger next.
Saffron and her boyfriend, Tom, have been given a house, Skelton Place, by Saffron’s mother. The house belonged to saffron’s grandmother but because her mum lives in Spain she has done the generous thing and gifted it to Saffron. When they move in they want to change a few things but it all comes to a grinding halt when builders uncover a body buried in the garden and to make things worse when the police come they find another. Saffron’s grandmother is in a home with Alzheimer’s and is hit and miss when she remembers things and also unreliable. Did Saffron’s grandmother murder someone or is she completely innocent?
This was a very tightly woven plot that worked extremely well. I liked how another family are mentioned in other chapters and how it weaves seamlessly together. I didn’t work it out so plus points there, I was halfway there but there is a shock element to the ending that I didn’t get.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

In her latest novel, The Couple at No.9, Claire Douglas explores the nightmare scenario of what happens when building work unearths human remains in the back garden of a young couple’s new home.

Claire Douglas takes a situation most of us thankfully only ever see from the helicopter footage on the news, once the forensics tent is up, and looks at what it’s like for the homeowners in whose back garden these bodies are discovered.

Saffy and Tom have only recently moved in and are busy renovating the cottage before their baby arrives. Everything seems to be going to plan until the grim discovery not only calls a halt to their building work but also upends their lives. Their new home becomes a crime scene, the hot topic of village gossip and speculation and the focus of a media circus. It also feels less like home and much less safe all of a sudden. My heart went out to Saffy and Tom for the unimaginable shock and despair they feel at finding themselves in such a disturbing situation, effectively confined to a house of horrors that was meant to be their dream home.

Claire Douglas isn’t content to leave it at that and here’s where The Couple at No.9 takes its first of many fiendishly clever turns. Their cottage actually belongs to Saffy’s gran and, while Saffy has many happy memories from the time they spent together there, Rose’s memories are altogether less reliable because she’s an Alzheimer’s patient now living in a nearby care home. All of which means that Saffy and the reader have to figure out how much Gran knows about what went on, the extent of her involvement (if any), match people to the names she mentions and determine whether or not they’re involved in this case or wholly unrelated randoms, while unlocking the secrets buried along with the bodies. Preferably before the police do.

The reader does have a slight advantage over Saffy here but often I was left reeling. There were other reasons for this as well but at times Gran seems to offer up a new name whenever they speak to her and I had to work hard to keep track of who everyone was. I’m sure this was Claire Douglas’s intention, partly done so that we feel some of Gran’s confusion, together with the agonising frustration not only of trying to have a conversation with an Alzheimer’s patient but of being someone suffering from it who still has more lucid moments.

I thought the way Claire Douglas handled Gran and her Alzheimer’s was sensitively done but she also uses it to good advantage here. Not that this is solely Saffy and her Gran’s story. Saffy’s partner, Tom, deserves a special shout-out for being such a decent man but Lorna, Daphne, Theo and his Dad are also characters well worth a mention as they add depth and shape to the book’s wider story. I’ll leave you to discover how for yourselves.

The Couple at No.9 is a tense and incredibly claustrophobic novel: it’s an unnerving suspense with a relatable young couple caught up in a homeowner’s worst nightmare. Claire Douglas is an astute author. She knows exactly what to reveal and when and never fails to surprise along the way. Her novel twists and turns as sharply as if she’s running us around tight switchbacks over vertiginous drops. It’s fascinating yet unnerving and I loved where she went with this and that I didn’t fully appreciate how apt the title is until I reached the very end. Can’t recommend this one enough.