A brilliant book Lena and her son Rufus become suspicious of their neighbours, the Morgan’s, when Lena overhears a conversation from next door which is very unnerving.

They seem a very nice couple and they have a grandson, Lena has seen her walking with a pram her husband is a surgeon so are very well respected but Lena can’t forget what she overheard and starts to investigate with dire consequences.

Definitely recommend couldn’t put it down

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK for an ARC

Interesting story. Really good twist at the end. Didn’t see the need for the bad language though. Why do modern authors think we all use bad language? None of my friends or family do.

Highly addictive, pacy and will make you lose all concept of time. Claire Douglas is an auto buy author for me - I don’t even need to read the blurb, I will buy it regardless.

Very enjoyable and tense psychological thriller, albeit a bit far-fetched. I found it very readable and raced through it. Recommended.

Book Review: The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas

I’ve always enjoyed Claire Douglas’s thrillers, so I was excited to dive into The New Neighbours. However, I have to admit, this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations. While the premise is gripping – a woman overhears what she believes to be a conversation about a crime next door – the execution felt a bit uneven.

At the heart of the story is Lena, who becomes convinced that her seemingly sweet, retired neighbors are planning something nefarious. The tension builds as she obsesses over what she overheard, and I could feel her paranoia grow as she grapples with the possibility that her own mind might be playing tricks on her. The atmosphere is definitely unsettling, which I appreciated, but there were moments when the story dragged a bit, and I found myself frustrated with Lena’s choices and how long it took for things to progress.

What I did enjoy was the exploration of Lena’s past and how it intertwines with her growing obsession with the Morgans. It added layers to her character, and I liked how the book delved into themes of guilt and redemption. Still, the pacing felt off, and some of the twists seemed more forced than surprising. By the time the climax came, I wasn’t as invested as I wanted to be.

Overall, The New Neighbours is a decent read, but it didn’t have the same gripping intensity as some of Claire Douglas’s previous works. The mystery didn’t unfold as smoothly, and the tension, while present, didn’t feel as tight as I’d hoped. I’ll still be looking forward to her future books, but this one didn’t hit the mark for me.

Rating: 3/5
An intriguing concept with a tense atmosphere, but the pacing and twists left me wanting more.

Lena is helping her teenage son Rufus with his project collecting sounds. She has a microphone at the back of the house and picks up part of a conversation from her new neighours. She is suspicious about what they were talking about. The story if told from several pov and timelines. A good read overall rating 3 1/2 stars

Claire has done it again !!!! Another great book from Claire that will keep you hooked from the start, trying to figure out what is happening and who is guilty of what.

Lena has new neighbours, a seemingly nice retired couple but quite unexpectedly Lean overhears their conversation one evening. But that can't be right, what were they talking about, was it something illegal ? Slowly but surely Lena becomes obsessed with the couple and trying to find out what they are hiding, if anything. There are so many things in Lena's head that don't quite add up but can she find the truth before the truth finds her?

This is a great book with a tangle of lies and plenty of twists and turns. Tense at times but a great plot that will keep you guessing throughout. Some great characters that you will become invested in, especially Lena. If you have rear and of Claire's previous books then you will know what to expect, some great writing, plenty of twists and turns and some tense moments as well. Definitely one to add to the top of your TBR pile.

Thank you to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

When lena overhears a convo she believes her new neighbours are going to commit a crime.
This is a good read. It is an easy read with loads of drama and more than a few twists. I loved Lena and sometimes thought she had it wrong and sometimes that she was spot on.

It is a well written story that unfolds beautifully. It actually kept me reading late into the night..

This is an enjoyable thriller. I love Claire Douglas and was excited to get to read this. It is a tad convoluted but it's worth sticking with as the threads do all come together in the end. I found Lena an interesting character and not only does she have flaws, such as getting too involved with people, but she also knows it. Her job sets this in the everyday and is something a lot of people will relate to. I particularly liked the back stories and the histories of the different characters. The reader keeps thinking they know what is happening and then there's another twist. It's only as it draws to a close that it starts to take real shape. Thriller fans will find it very satisfying.

Super excited to get an advanced copy of a Claire Douglas book.
While I did enjoy it I felt it was more cosy than psychological.

Thank you Netgalley & Claire Douglas.

Lena’s new neighbours appear to be a respectable older couple, however when she inadvertently hears a snatch of their conversation she becomes suspicious.

With its short pacy chapters, this book drew me in from the start. When Lena tells her friends what she has heard they are unable to believe her. There is obviously a back story with darker elements which are explored as the story unfolds.

Lena begins to feel nervous when home alone at nights, and I was unable to put this book down. There are backstories with several characters giving their own versions of events which gives a more rounded account. None of the characters are what they appear to be, and you wonder who to believe.

This is a gripping, compelling thriller with twists and turns, which I found impossible to put down. The twist at the end was astonishing.

Lena is parted from her husband and lives with her son , new neighbours move into the house next door and Lena overhears part of a conversation that worries her
. The story is full of twists and turns relating to Lena's neighbours, career, son and relationships
. I read this book in two days as I could not put it down. I thought I had worked out the story towards the end of the book but was totally blown away by how the story ended.
A great read, thank you for the opportunity of reading an advanced copy.

I love books about neighbours and community so this one appealed from the off. Lena's new neighbours appear to be well-to-do, but when she overhears a conversation she is convinced something is going on... and she needs to know what. What follows is her delving into their life - but what will she uncover and who will she endanger in the process?

As a thriller this book did keep me gripped although there were parts of the plot that seemed overly convenient.

Lena is struggling to get over her recent and upcoming life changes and latches onto some wild conspiracies about her new neighbours. She decides to investigate them and ignore her loved ones words of warning.

I’ve read a few Claire Douglas books and this wasn’t my favourite as it was a bit far fetched but it was still very good and kept me interested to find out what happened next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random house for my advanced reading copy

4.5 Stars from me

I've been blessed with reading a run of really good psychological thrillers lately, and The New Neighbours was another outstanding example of this field.

I already had high hopes having read and enjoyed The Wrong Sister and The Couple at No 9 by the same author.

Main character Lena was someone I wasn't sure I'd like to start with but she grew on me as the book went on and I found myself rooting for her and admiring her bravery as the book went on. She'd been through enough already to be honest so hats off to her for not turning a blind eye to the odd behaviours of the new couple next door - as so many other characters in the story urged her to do.

The story unfolded fabulously, just when I thought the main 'thing' had been revealed, there was more for poor Lena to contend with! The Morgan's were also great characters - to get to know and then to try and understand what the truth behind their situation might be.

Hats off to Claire Douglas for another brilliant psychological thriller - and I look forward to reading whatever messed up tale she dreams up next!

My thanks to the author, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of Claire Douglas, have read all her books, so was very excited to get an ARC of this. It's intriguing, with plenty of mystery and suspense. There's something exciting and terrifying at the thought of having suspicious neighbours, so it keeps you hooked.

4.5 stars - Thoroughly enjoyed this new thriller from Claire Douglas. Couldn’t put it down.

Lena’s new neighbours are clearly hiding something and she witnesses some weird conversations and noises coming from their house. I was so intrigued to know what was up with the Morgans next door! Lena used to be a midwife in training until something happened at the hospital she worked at. We get flashbacks to this time throughout as well as flashbacks from her neighbour Henry’s perspective when he was a doctor in London in the 1980s and another character, Natalie who is running away from her past. My mind was all over the place throughout trying to work out how all these different storylines related to each other and there were so many possibilities. But what played out at the end wasn’t what I was expecting and I really enjoyed the ending. Would highly recommend - is published on the 13th March 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a book with multiple pov's , twists, full of suspense and is definitely a page turner! This is a fast paced story and would class it as a domestic psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Claire Douglas is a fantastic writer and can't wait for her next one already. Would highly recommend this book. I rated this 4.5 stars on story graph but rounded up to 5 stars here. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

I would normally love a book by Claire Douglas but I found this one a little too unrealistic to really enjoy.

This is a great read. I loved the premise and how there are time jumps. I must say the main female character is extremely nosy and whilst I would like to believe I wouldn’t be that nosy, part of me thinks I would. With twists and turns aplenty I can well recommend this book.