Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely a very easy read, I found it quite difficult to get into but once I did, I just flew through it. The plot essentially is that Lena, the fmc, has just split from her husband and is finding life quite difficult and lonely with her son Rufus due to go off to university. During all this, a new and older couple move into the house beside her, seeming like kind and friendly neighbours. Until accidentally, whilst filming audio for her son’s school project, Lena overhears something from the house next door that sends her spiralling.

The plot drew me in at once but I found the entire thing slightly slow and anticlimactic. There was no audible *GASP* or anything that particularly shocked me when reading. However, it was enjoyable and the plot twists that did come, though they may not have come as a surprise, still worked well for the storyline. Though I find I have unanswered questions and feel slightly underwhelmed by the ending as I wish things played out a little differently.

However, that being said, I do think others will really love this book more than I did, so I still recommend giving it a go and I will for sure be reading more of Claire’s work!

An average thriller. It kept my attention. The plot twists were good but nothing too exciting. It was good but unfortunately not that memorable for me.

‘The New Neighbours’ is a tense psychological thriller by Claire Douglas that deals with paranoia, secrets, and past mistakes.

Lena is a mother helping her teenage daughter with a media studies project when they accidentally record a conversation between their neighbours, the Morgan’s. Lena is sure she overheard them planning a crime, but no one believes her. The elderly Morgan’s are well liked and appear to be perfect neighbours so surely Lena must be mistaken.

Lena is convinced she heard correctly and refuses to let it go and decides to investigate. The more she delves into the mystery the more the tension builds and her own dark past starts to reappear. Is Lena correct or is it a figment of her imagination.

A good read with lots of twists and plenty of tension.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

One day a mysterious couple, Henry and Marielle, move in next door to newly single Lena and her son Rufus. At first Henry and Marielle seem like an ordinary older couple but Lena accidentally over hears a curious conversation between her new neighbours which makes Lena more intrigued. She starts picking up other pieces of conversation and watching their every move getting more and more creeped out by their behaviour. After some risky sleuthing so finds more some worrying details about her neighbours which escalate into the climax of the story.
An interesting and different story which kept my attention.

Lena overhears a conversation between her new neighbours that confuses her, and raises some suspicion. Further interactions with the new couple leave Lena even more worried, and confused as she finds herself drawn in with more questions than answers...

This was a gripping thriller with some good twists. The writing style wasn't my favourite, and it felt a bit long which did mean that the build up of tension wasn't the best, but overall I did enjoy it!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to netglley, the author, and publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy of The New Neighbours by Clare Douglas.

I found this to be a great, fast, paced, "just one more chapter" book that was difficult to put down. It had so much mystery and intrigue, relatable characters and I really enjoy the dual timeline aspect that allows for the story to unfold at its own pace.

I don't tent to try and guess where a storyline is going and I didn't see the ending coming at all.

Overall 4.25/5 - I would have loved to see the ending explored a bit more but that's just me!

A great thriller with a premise we have all wondered about - what do the neighbours talk about and what do they really mean? I found this gripping and making me realise how nosy I am. Think this will resonate with many!

The Morgan’s have moved in next door to Lena and her teenage son, Rufus.

Since Lena split with her husband, she hasn’t been herself. Since the Morgan’s have moved in, she’s started to take an unhealthy interest in them. Lena is convinced all is not as it seems … is she right?

Oh my goodness, this story turned me into a bit of a wreck! It was intense and actually a bit scary at times.

I like Lena’s son, Rufus, he is a great character with an unintentional secret of his own.

A tale that is told over two timelines but still easy to follow what is happening.

There are many lies and deceit in this storyline that all needs to be uncovered.

Just who can be trusted?

This is a good read with many exciting twists but don’t leave too many spaces in between reading because the plot is complex and it would be easy to forget what was read before. Lena lives with her son Rufus who will soon be going to university and she has just separated from her husband. She works part time in the local Citizens Advice Bureau but that doesn’t give much money if she lives alone. She had partially trained as a midwife many years ago but gave up when she realised colleagues were behaving unprofessionally. That is about to come to haunt her. One day she sees a new couple moving in next door and overhears a conversation between them that makes her feel something is wrong. From there the story unfolds. It is a n intricate and well developed story making the reader know how it is going to end. I recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

This was my first Claire Douglas book and it did not disappoint! I really enjoyed the different POVs and timelines throughout the story and felt everything came together quite well at the end. I did find Lena a bit jarring at times which slightly took me out of the story but I still enjoyed my reading experience.

A great suspenseful page turner. I did find myself shouting at Lena for some of the decisions she made!
Claire Douglas built the tension well and kept me guessing to the end. Lena’s family thread running alongside what the neighbours were up to worked well and have some extra surprises.

Worth a read!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the copy to review!

I’ll start by saying that I enjoyed this book in that it was fast paced and gripping throughout. However, there were a few inconsistencies that left me hanging at the end. Drew seemed to be a big character in much of the story, right up until….he wasn’t! He just dropped out of the story never to be heard of again which just seemed odd. It was apparent that there was something wary about Kit, I wasn’t surprised he turned out to be the lost son, but found it almost laughable that he ran off with the next door neighbour, his birth mum, but was happy enough to have killed his dad. At some point in the first 1/3, someone is watching Lena and says something along the lines of ‘she is hers and always will be’, no idea who it was. I’ve also just noticed on Goodreads that the blurb refers to Lena and her teenage daughter - I figured Rufus was her son…! Although, in my head, I kept thinking Rufus was the dog! Overall, it was good, but a fair amount of niggles need ironed out.

Claire Douglas books are the true definition of a page turner and this captivating thriller was no exception.

I felt that I was living the story along side the main character, Lena and felt like I was working out the mystery at the same time as she was.

I loved how Claire Douglas keeps the reader guessing until the very end and the fact that I kept constantly flirting between one theory to another. I’ll definitely be buying this on the release date.

I love all of Claire Douglas' books and this is no exception. It's fast paced and tense with the twists slowly unraveling. I honestly didn't see any of it coming and I loved it. The ending did feel rushed though - it could've done with a couple more chapters to wrap it up properly.

Another good read. Exciting and easy to follow. Great storyline. Interesting characters and well put together Well done.

Okay, so, I read that new book by the lady who writes those twisty stories. I usually like her stuff, you know, the people in her books feel real and the stories keep you guessing. But this one? It was a bit of a mess.

It felt like too much stuff happened by accident, like, way too much. And that first recording everyone was so freaked out by? I didn't get it. It didn't scare me. Plus, they mentioned that movie "Rear Window" right away, and I thought, "Cool, this is gonna be really creepy and mess with my head!" But it wasn't really.

I still like the writer, though. I'll read her next book.

Ive read a lot of Claire Douglas' books and a new one is always a cause for celebration! I enjoy her writing and characterisation and the twisty stories.. However, for me, this wasn't one of her best as I found the plot very convoluted and too reliant on coincidence. I think maybe I didnt find the first recorded conversation as sinister as the characters did, and "Rear Window" having been referenced so early on I thought there may have been more psychological tension.
Still looking forward to the next one though!
Thank you to netgalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book.

Loved it. Claire Douglas is becoming one of my favourite authors and an immediate read. If I was being picky, I would’ve liked a few more twists, I felt it was predictable at the end but alas!

Claire Douglas is just amazing! The suspense in this book is at its highest from start to finish. So many twists and turns in the plot I could not put it down.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

‘You know your neighbours are plotting a crime but no one believes you . . .’

Lena and her son Rufus live together after Lena splits from her husband. When they get new neighbours they are pleased that they seem a nice older couple . When Lena accidentally overhears a conversation between them she suspects something isn’t right.

I really enjoyed this story and always find Claire Douglas books suspenseful.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.