Claire Douglas is firmly on my list of reliable authors. I have never not enjoyed one of her books and this is no exception. The characters were believable and the story gripping, easy to follow and full of plot twists. Easy recommendation from me.

OMG! What have I just read! This book is amazing!!! I loved the storyline, I loved the characters, the good ones & the bad ones. There's so many twists and turns, it's full of drama. This book will have you staying up reading well into the night. I read this in one sitting. 5 stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Helping her son with college work, Lena happens to overhear a rather innocuous conversation from her new next-door neighbours. Hoping she must have misheard, Lena can't help herself going on a deep-dive to convince herself she didn't hear the neighbours plotting a possible crime. What she finds leaves her rather unsettled.

A fast paced, twisty Thriller by one of the queens of suspense. Utterly unpredictable.
I absolutely enjoyed the book and love Claire Douglas's descriptive writing

Well, this book only strengthens my resolve to keep to myself and stay away from any new neighbors! lol. This was a nicely suspenseful thriller with a surprising reveal and nice twists that keep the reader turning the next page frantically. Lena is in the middle of turmoil of her husband and her separating and her son Rufus getting ready to go off to college leaving her house empty and uncertainty of what she will do next. So I guess it is a good thing that new neighbors, Henry and Marielle move in next door. And certainly it leaves Lena with plenty to do when an accidental eavesdropping recording happens and then the odd and creepy things start piling up, along with missing women, and suspicions of drug smuggling and other things. Lots of tenseness and suspense as the chapters go back and forth in time, leading up to a surprising ending (though I had guessed a bit and then discarded the idea) that had me going "Oh My!" Very unexpected and fun to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this thrilling advanced copy to read and review!

Claire Douglas's The New Neighbours is an engrossing read that hooks you right from the start. The central premise—a casual eavesdropping incident that leads to a chilling suspicion—is undeniably gripping. Lena's discovery sets off a tense sequence of events as she becomes increasingly obsessed with the notion that her well-respected neighbours are plotting something nefarious.

Lena's internal struggle is deftly portrayed, and the novel effectively juxtaposes her present-day paranoia with the shadows of her past. The narrative keeps readers on their toes with plenty of unexpected twists and turns, making it a compelling page-turner.

However, while the book excels in building suspense, it does stretch the limits of believability. The idea of a respectable elderly couple plotting a crime is intriguing but may feel a bit contrived for some readers. This is especially true when Lena's growing conviction isn't always met with logical progression within the story.

Nevertheless, although The New Neighbours is very much a plot-driven thriller, and fans of the genre will likely appreciate the labyrinthine plot and the constant sense of unease, there Lena's life will chime with many readers providing an anchor. The unpredictability of the plot, keeps the narrative entertaining, even if a suspension of disbelief is required on occasion.

A readable book which draws you in from the beginning when a snippet of a conversation is recorded that sounds very suspicious and makes the new neighbours next door appear potentially dangerous. A lot of flashbacks to the past which on occasion becomes confusing. My mind was working overtime trying to second guess what had happened in the past and what the neighbours were planning but nothing prepared me for the final twist which unfortunately seemed a tad unbelievable. Not my favourite book by Claire Douglas.

The story follows Lena, who becomes obsessed with a sinister conversation she overhears between her seemingly sweet, elderly neighbours. What starts as a nagging suspicion soon spirals into an all-consuming need to uncover the truth—especially as it ties into her own troubled past.
The tension builds beautifully, with expertly placed twists that keep you hooked until the very end. The eerie suburban setting adds to the suspense, proving that danger can lurk where you least expect it. The writing is immersive, creating a constant sense of unease while making you question who—if anyone—can be trusted

The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps you second-guessing until the final pages. When a young couple moves into their dream home, they quickly realize that something isn’t quite right—not just with the house, but with the people around them. As secrets unravel and paranoia builds, Douglas expertly weaves a story filled with tension, deception, and unexpected twists.

The novel’s greatest strength lies in its atmosphere and character development. The creeping sense of unease is palpable, and the alternating perspectives add layers of mystery that make it difficult to know who to trust. The protagonist’s growing fear is convincingly portrayed, making their descent into doubt and suspicion feel all too real. While some of the twists lean into familiar thriller territory, Douglas keeps the story fresh with well-placed reveals and compelling writing.

The pacing is strong, though the final act feels slightly rushed compared to the slow-burn tension of the earlier chapters. Some loose ends could have been explored further, but overall, the resolution is satisfying and leaves an impact. The New Neighbours is an addictive read with plenty of suspense, making it a solid 4-star thriller—perfect for fans of dark, twisty domestic mysteries.

I found the story to be rather far-fetched sadly. It did pique my interest towards the end and I wasn't totally expecting the outcome but it didn't make up for the slowness of most of the book. My frustrations with the main character, Lena, didn't help.

Hooked from the very start! Lena has some new neighbours and accidentally records their conversation with some equipment her son has brought home for a project. It sounds super suspicious to her and she can't let it go despite everyone else telling her to!

It started slow but picked up the pace as the story progressed and had me on the edge of the seat. The story is told in multiple POV's and towards the end we figure out the connection. Even though some of the parts felt a bit farfetched, it didn't bore me off. Also I didn't foresee a twist incoming. As usual Claire excels in writing psychological thrillers . I loved the main lead Lena's character even though I disliked the character in the start, she grew on me as the story moved .Overall its an easy read thriller. I thank netgalley and Michaeljbooks for eARC copy

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Lena is struggling a little with life. Her husband has moved out and seemingly moved on and she’s suffering from anticipatory empty nest at the prospect of her only son going to uni.
When two seemingly lovely neighbours move in next door, she quickly finds herself both intrigued and wary of them.
A twisty tale of secrets, lies and deep seated hurt,

First I want to thank @netgalley, @penguinukbooks and @michaeljbooks for this ebook copy of this book.

This book was fantastic! I finished this in less than a day! I just didn’t want to put it down at all. I was hooked from the beginning through to the end.

This was so fast paced, I just kept turning the pages needing to know more and then I was finished 😂. The twists and turns were just fantastic. I loved everything about this book! The ending was brilliant and I definitely didn’t see it coming.

This is my first book from Claire Douglas and it won’t be my last! The writing, the atmosphere just superb.

Lena is pleased when Henry and Marella move in next door - a settled, older, middle class couple who seem like lovely people….but all is not as it first appears….

I’ve read several of Claire’s books and think is her best one yet. The way the story builds up with layers upon the initial plot, including a back story from Lena’s past, makes for a thrilling and suspenseful read.

Will be highly recommending.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

A solid read, but I found the narrative a bit disjointed hopping between characters and timelines, with a big dollop of coincidence to make the plot work. Not my favourite by this author.

Claire Douglas is one of my all time favourite authors so when I seen this I made sure I had no commitments for the day cause I knew I would not be able to put this down. It definitely did not disappoint it was fantastic I loved everything about it the writing style the character development and the unique story there was so many twists and turns which I did not see coming.

This story focuses on Lena who’s recently separated from her husband and her son is about to fly the nest so she is feeling a bit down and lost with her life. So when new neighbours move in and she overhears part of a suspicious conversation they were having she can’t let it go. Everyone around her tells her they are an old couple nothing to be suspicious about but Lena can’t help but investigate.

Another fantastic thriller by this author which I will be recommending to everyone. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this excellent book.

Thank you for the invite to read and review this story by Claire Douglas. I am fast becoming a big fan! Like her other tales, this is a deep and mysterious story full of intrigue and twists. Well written and cleverly planned, with well conceived characters it leads you on a journey of surprises and unexpected consequences. Lena overhears a shocking conversation and her dilemma which results threatens to open up her dark past and the subsequent consequences. The story centres around the theme people are not always as they seem and appearances can be deceptive. Incredibly tense and twisty a thriller right to the end.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for an advance copy of the book. I really enjoyed this book and sped through the last 20%. There were some parts I found a tad annoying ie. Constant paragraphs about Rufus getting older and ‘flying the nest’. The actual plot was great.

Blinking heck! I could not guess the ending at all! Claire Douglas teases you, making you think you know how it’s going to end, but then throws in a curve ball.
Fast paced and believable characters. I can definitely recommend this book.

I enjoyed this and it was gripping but not fully. It tends to lull and then rage especially the ending, interesting enough to keep me reading.