Amazing as usual for Claire Douglas. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Good twist, I saw it coming though not long before it was revealed. A quick and easy read, exactly what you want in a thriller.

Lena and her son Rufus are leading an ordinary life until Lena overhears snippets of conversation from her new neighbours. It sounds like they are plotting something criminal. Lena is intrigued and determined to find out what's happening.
Then sit back and enjoy the rollercoaster! The plot twists and turns and every time I thought I'd worked out what was going on, something new came up and changed my mind.
Lena is a frustrating main character. A seemingly normal woman who is intent on putting herself in danger. Although that doesn't matter with Claire Douglas' brilliant story telling. I've read several of Claire's books now and they are all excellent.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

When Lena helps her teenage son gather sounds for his media studies project, she doesn't expect her boom-microphone to pick up a conversation between her neighbours, the Morgans and she’s certain they are planning a crime.

Told in different time frames, The New Neighbours is a slow burn thriller/family drama that never really sets the pages alight. It started off well but then I had trouble connecting with it because Lena's obssessive behaviour stretched credulity and I felt the storyline was too far-fetched.

Would you really break into your neighbours house after overhearing a snippet of a conversation?

I know this book is receiving many 4 and 5 star reviews so maybe I was expecting more from it. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it, it was ok, so I rate it 3 stars.

BOOK REVIEW 📚✨️

The New Neighbours - Claire Douglas

Huge thanks to netgalley for this ARC. I was so excited when I got approved. 🥳

_____________

The Blurb:
Do you trust the couple next door?

When Lena overhears a conversation between her next-door neighbours, she thinks she must have misheard.

After all, the Morgans are a kind, retired couple who have moved to a suburban street in Bristol where nothing ever happens.

But it sounded like they were planning a crime.

Her family and friends tell her she’s made a mistake.
Yet the more Lena looks into the Morgans, the darker things seem.
And the more she fears it might be linked to a secret from her own past.

Because, if her suspicions are true, then someone is in real danger.

And it might just be her…

___________


My thoughts:
Claire is a brilliant story teller and intricately weaves little bits of information throughout the plot to keep you guessing about whats happened and what could be next.

This story falls more into the phsycological thriller genre and is told from the POV of multiple characters and jumps back and forth in time.

Lena our FMC is in a time in her life where she has seperated from her husband and is counting down the days until her son leaves for university, already she is feeling lonely and lost. Good thing some new neighbours move in next door to keep her entertained! We constantly see our FMC Lena crossing the line and being nosey, and it gets her into trouble, more than once. Yet she overheard some arguements from next door and commited to finding out whats going on with her odd new neighbours...

Creepy things start happening, missing women, potential drug smuggling, job loss and a Lena gets tangles in a web of lies and mystery that surround the neighbours next door.

This one was a page turner, and surprisingly, I didnt see the twists coming which is always appreciated in this genre. I really enjoyed this one and cannot wait to dive further into the Claire's work.

A new book by Claire Douglas is a surefire way to get my attention and have me canceling my weekend.
I binged those over two evenings and it did not disappoint.
In true Claire Douglas fashion the twists keep you guessing right up to the very last chapter and every time you think you've got it worked out there's a new piece of information to throw you.

Claire Douglas is one of those amazing writers who manage to transport you straight into the setting of her books. I felt like I was living every second of the action with Lena and Rufus living next to the ominous couple Marielle and Henry. Twists and turns throughout kept me hooked and kept the action flowing! Another outstanding thriller from Claire Douglas.

Very twisty and turney.....I really hadn't a clue where it was going and I sure enjoyed finding out. Really good read.

WOW!!!!! Hooked from the first page and read this book in one sitting… Full of tension and suspense. A real page turner, a domestic noir but OMG so much more!!!!!

A very interesting and action packed book with plenty of twists and turns. There are elements that didn't seem to believable but if you take the story as it comes and suspend belief it's quite an intense thriller.

Another hit for Claire Douglas with this novel. Unusual plot, but totally believable as I'm sure it has happened in the past, and maybe in present times (no spoilers). Loved the main character Lena and her son Rufus. A few red herrings thrown in for good measure and totally didn't see the ending!

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

Forty-something Lena is recently separated from her ex-indie rockstar husband Charlie and living in their family home with their 17 year old son Rufus and dog Phoenix. During a heatwave, retired snd seemingly respectable couple Henry and Marielle move into the house next door, with their very expensive car and clothes, and talking about their baby grandson. However are they really what they seems? Shortly after they move in, while helping her son by doing some audio recording for his college work, Lena accidentally tapes the new neighbours talking about what sounds like a crime, specifically abducting a woman. Lena's family and friends urge her to not get involved, but she can't help herself and very quickly becomes obsessed. Lena is convinced that Henry and Marielle are hiding something, but exactly what is it? And how many lines will Lena cross to find out?

This was a definite page-turner. It's mostly told in the first person from Lena's perspective, but you do also get the pov's of other characters, and across multiple timelines. Of course, being a thriller there are red herrings and twists, but I also really enjoyed Lena's family dynamics - talking about her divorced parents and with a critical mother, her and Charlie's struggle and inability to have a second child, and the breakdown of their marriage. It stopped Lena from being a character only interested in her neighbours and the secret that she's convinced they're hiding, often taking extreme risks to find out what it is. I really enjoyed this book, Claire Douglas nailed the pacing, it being set during a heatwave helped to crank up the tension, and the story was gripping.

Many thanks to Michael Joseph &Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Lena is helping her teenage son Rufus with his college project, which is recording sound, Lena accidentally records part of a conversation between her new neighbours, which suggests the may be doing something illegal. As they are an elderly retired couple she doubts herself, surely she is wrong, she begins to obsess over the conversation, she shares with her friend and her ex husband who both warn her to stay out of her neighbours business.
Lena uses a spare key she has had from the previous owner & snoops in her new neighbours house on two occasions. What are they hiding, what do all the old newspaper cuttings pinned up on a wall mean.? Lena continues to snoop. This is an intrusion mystery with a few twists, a little unbelievable at times, but fast paced, the different parts of the story all come together well, a strong ending, overall a good read.
This is my eighth book by this talented author. 3.5 stars.

A well thought out plot with a simple premise. The new neighbours seem pleasant enough, a harmless well off retired couple, but when Lena accidentally picks up snatches of their conversation while she is trying to help her son record background noises for his college project she suspects they are planning a crime. When she confides in them, her family and friends think she is jumping to the wrong conclusions, but the more she finds out, the more she is convinced it is true.
The twists and turns kept me interested throughout. A great read.

Thank you #netgalley for copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review

Do you trust the couple next door?

When Lena overhears a conversation between her next-door neighbours, she thinks she must have misheard.

After all, the Morgans are a kind, retired couple who have moved to a suburban street in Bristol where nothing ever happens.

But it sounded like they were planning a crime.

Her family and friends tell her she’s made a mistake.
Yet the more Lena looks into the Morgans, the darker things seem.
And the more she fears it might be linked to a secret from her own past.

Because, if her suspicions are true, then someone is in real danger.

And it might just be her…

Wow I adore Claire Douglas loved this book the characters storyline brilliant I read this in two sittings just couldn’t put it down always look forward to this authors books xx

Claire Douglas masterfully delivers a tense and gripping psychological thriller with The New Neighbours. The story seamlessly switches between POVs across different timelines, keeping the reader constantly reevaluating the truth. Throughout the book, suspicion bounces between the Morgans, making it impossible to pin down who the real psychopath is—until the final reveal, which still manages to shock. The pacing is tight, the twists are expertly placed, and the tension builds relentlessly. Just when you think you have it all figured out, Douglas proves you wrong. A must-read for anyone who loves an unpredictable, well-crafted thriller.

I always enjoy reading work from this writer and very much enjoyed reading it. I admit I was hooked from the start.
It runs at a fast pace which does not give you time to analyse the improbability of much of the storyline. There were many coincidences which in normal circumstances would not occur. However, I could visualise the situation with the strange behaviour of the new neighbours and Lena being inadvertently drawn into the web of deceit.
Jumping around in time was good because it gave explanations in parts where you could have been puzzled. Each time little snippets of individual’s lives were revealed.

The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas
Published by: Michael Joseph Penguin Random House
Publication Date 13/3/25

No spoilers

Fast paced twisty thriller. I had to really concentrate to keep the plot threads in my mind but it kept me interested right to the end.

This is my first book by Claire and it most certainly will not be my last (I’m also listening to Then She Vanishes right now and own 4 others). This was told over three parts and multiple POVs, past and present, which I loved, there weren’t too many characters so everything was easy enough to follow and all set at a good pace, giving you just enough to keep you desperate for more! Lena did make me want to give her a shake sometimes but I also know in her position I’d be the exact same! I did guess some of what was going to happen but parts still left me wide eyed and open mouthed! Great detailing, I could picture myself in Lena’s home, in the neighbours home, I was truly transported into this book which shows the excellence of the writing.

The New Neighbours is a gripping, twisty ride that keeps you hooked—just don’t think too hard about how everything falls into place! Claire Douglas spins an intricate web of secrets, paranoia, and jaw-dropping coincidences that demand you go with the flow rather than step back and scrutinize. If you do, you might start questioning the sheer improbability of it all. But why would you? It’s a thriller, and it’s a fun one. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a Review Copy

This book had me gripped from start to finish. I fell asleep every night I read it and not because it was boring but because I was trying to get to the end quicker to find out all the secrets. It’s been a while since a book has left me this gripped. At times my heart was racing, there was lots of sneaking around and near misses!

Lena has just separated from her husband when new neighbours move in next door, the Douglas’. She is in her garden one evening recording sounds for her son when she picks up a sinister conversation they are having. Being bored at home she finds herself delving into her neighbours lives trying to figure out what they were on a bout whilst reliving secrets from her own past.

This is a fast paced thriller and I loved it!