When Lena tries to be helpful and assist her son with his homework, she accidentally overhears a conversation not meant for her to hear!

What follows are lots of twists and turns as we find out the significance of this conversation. Just who are they talking about??

As the story continues we meet various different characters and learn how their lives are entangled. The story builds up its mysteries and suspense, makes you think one thing but then realise you are thinking in the wrong direction!

A great read which will keep you guessing until the end.
Well written with good character development throughout the book. The ending slotted in perfectly.

I really enjoyed this book. Lena is coming to terms with the break up of her marriage to Charlie and the prospect of her only son going off to university. When a retired couple, the Morgans, move in next door, they appear to be nice, friendly people. However, Lena overhears a conversation when she's in the garden and is convinced that they are planning a crime, which sounds to her like kidnapping. This is a real page turner with lots of twists which will keep you guessing right to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

"The New Neighbours" is a great psychological thriller with plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing as to what is really going on.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Lena accidentally overhears a conversation between her new next-door neighbours, which makes her think they are not what they seem.

Not ready to let it go she starts looking into it, and the darker things get. And what does it have to do with her past? This story intertwines with her son nearing being ready to fly the nest, and being estranged from her husband. Will they solve the mysteries before one of them is in real danger.

Fans of Claire Douglas will enjoy this one. Is anyone what they seem?

I was so disappointed with this, I usually love a Claire Douglas book but this fell flat for me. This was slow to start and it never really got off the ground until the last 10-15%. You never really got to know many of the characters, I know you don’t normally in a thriller but they all just seemed so basic. A lot more could have been done with this story and it could have been more suspenseful. I did want to know what was going on with the neighbours but it took so long to get there and the ending was rushed through. Sadly, it just wasn’t for me.

I do enjoy reading Claire Douglas and her latest novel didn't disappoint. Main character is Lena who lives with her so Rufus. After she hears a conversation between her new neighbours which sounds ominous she starts to check out their background. Full of twists and definitely a good read.

This thriller tells the story of Lena who lives with her son Rufus and new neighbours move in next door. Lena starts to suspect that the new neighbours are not as nice as they seem when she overhears a snippet of conversation while helping her son record sounds for his collage project.
This book is told from multiple points of view (something I really like) and it all comes together in the end. I felt that although Lena was relatable she was also annoying in some ways and I didn’t see the point in Drew’s character.
Having said that, this book is a quick easy read and it’s my first by this author and won’t be my last. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy!I’m

Lena, while helping her son, Rufus with a school project, accidentally overhears her seemingly perfect neighbours, the Morgans, and becomes convinced they're plotting something sinister. Despite everyone dismissing her concerns, Lena's gut feeling, fueled by her own hidden past, compels her to investigate.
This book is a masterclass in suspense. From the very first page, the pace is relentless, drawing you into Lena's growing paranoia. Claire Douglas skillfully plants the seeds of doubt and suspicion, weaving a complex narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
What makes this thriller truly stand out is its ability to constantly subvert expectations. Just when you think you've figured out the puzzle, a twist emerges, sending you down a completely different path. The interweaving storylines and the gradual reveal of Lena's past add layers of depth and complexity to the narrative.
Claire's writing is captivating and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the story. Even though I managed to guess a few elements of the ending, the final chapters delivered surprises that left me thoroughly satisfied. The conclusion is particularly clever, adding a final, unexpected flourish to the already thrilling ride.
This is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. Claire has once again delivered a gripping and unpredictable story that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you're looking for a book that will keep you up late into the night, this is it. Highly recommended!

I love a Claire Douglas thriller and was so happy to get an eArc from Netgalley and the publisher.

Recently separated, Lena is helping her teenage son with his college project when she overhears their new neighbours talking about committing a crime. Has she got them wrong? Is Lena’s own mental state causing her to imagine things?

This is a great fast-paced read; there are several twists which I had fun guessing and liked the way they unravelled. I found the ending both a little unsatisfying and rushed but overall I really enjoyed this and I look forward to Claire’s next book.

This is told from a multi POV with apparently multiple different story and timelines. The stories gradually slot together as the book progresses. On the face of it there’s a normal suburban street with normal people until an overheard conversation changes everything. There’s a lot of plot twists, some realistic and some very much less so. The main character fulfils the thriller stereotype - don’t go into the house/attic etc bad things will happen! There’s also a lack of development for the minor characters. It’s not my favourite from this author but still worth a try.

The New Neighbours is a compelling, tense read which I would say sits closer to the thriller/horror genre than to regular crime fiction.

When Lena, helping her son record some sound for his college project, accidentally picks up part of an intriguing conversation between her new neighbours, she embarks on an amateur investigation. Henry and Marielle Morgan, an older, well to do couple who have just moved in next door to Lena, present themselves as a respectable couple who dote on their baby grandson, yet the conversation overheard by Lena suggests they may be planning something criminal.

This is a story of twists and turns, with Lena making all the mistakes typical of horror movie heroines; she creeps around in the Morgans' house at night without telling anyone where she's gone, and she ignores the pleas of everyone from her ex-husband Charlie to her best friend Jo to be careful and leave well alone. She finds some truly sinister and horrifying signs along the way that suggest real danger, but continues undeterred.

There are some genuinely scary moments in The New Neighbours and it's an addictive, pacey read. This is an escapist book and is best enjoyed as such; thankfully, as we used to hear on Crimewatch, events such as those found in The New Neighbours are rare.

Lena is in the garden one summers evening trying to help her son record nature sounds for his college work when she picks up part of a conversation happening between her newly moved in neighbours.
Lena is convinced they are up to something illegal so starts to conduct her own investigation to find out what it could be.
This was one of those books you just couldn’t put down. After each chapter I wanted to carry on reading.
The book is written in POV from a few of the different characters.
The story has plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.
I enjoyed it very much!

I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley & Penguin Random House for this ARC.

This is one of those books that when you first start reading you just know you’re not going to be able to put it down and for me a sure fire winner!
The story is told from a number of different points of view and really kept me on my toes trying to work out what was going on. What I really liked about this read was the characters I thought they were so well written and each had a part to play in the story and what was happening and I think Claire Douglas shows her great writing skills with that. So for me this was a really fabulous read that I thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to reading more from Claire in the future.
My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The perils of eavesdropping step right off the page as Lena tries to work out if she, her family or a stranger are in danger from the new neighbours! Seemingly benign and friendly, Lena cannot get past her mistrust of Henry and as the story unfolds the twists and turns make it impossible for the reader to trust anyone!

Lena is out in the garden one evening, trying to record night-time sounds for her son's music project, when she picks up a heated discussion being had by her neighbours. Lena is convinced they're up to something illegal... and makes it her mission to find out. What could go wrong?!
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Some of the scenes were TENSE! Like, my heart was racing far too quickly! Claire is so good at creating creepy, tense and chilling moments in her stories and this book was no exception.

I liked the son and the best friend’s characters as well. They were the sensible ones in the story!

I really, REALLY wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it didn’t quite do it for me.

Why? I felt like it was slow to start and we were given too much information. There were also times throughout the book when it felt sluggish.

I found some of the characters quite annoying, especially the main character Lena.

And finally, I felt the storyline was too far-fetched. I just couldn't connect with it like I have with some of Claire’s other books.

This book is still worth the read if you like crime and mysteries. I’ve seen loads of 5-star reviews already and Claire definitely knows how to write a 5-star book, so you might find it’s the perfect read for you!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Claire for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I am a big fan of Claire’s work and I wish her all the best with the launch of The New Neighbours.

Bits are brilliant and bits aren’t! It was so full of suspense in the beginning , a slow build up, suggestions and hints of what was to come. Then it all happened so quickly, too quickly. A resolution that didn’t quite fit!
I enjoyed it but it was almost too simple(not that I’ve ever managed to write a book) and. my criticism may be unfair?
One to read but not as suspenseful as maybe it could have been.

This book is just lush! It's one of those where you can't resist saying ' just one more chapter' and then Hey Presto you're half way through the whole book. I just couldn't put it down. The tension and pace were perfect. Lena is a character you can't help but shout at to mind her own business because you know no good can come from her nosiness! Every page seems to throw up a new twist or a red herring to trip you up. Claire Douglas has done it again and I hope she has the success she deserves with this book. 5* from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

I was having a bit of a reading slump before this, picking books up but struggling to get through them, none of them were holding my attention. And so I turned to this, knowing full well that it would be exactly what I needed.

This one is very much more of a psychological thriller than a crime one, in my opinion. Are you hearing things, can you trust what you're hearing, who can you trust, is anyone telling the truth? It also looks at family matters, separations, divorces, empty nests, being alone.

You hear the POV of a few characters but Lena is our main one. She's a bit lost, stressed, hurting, and paranoid, but she cares and just wants things to be right, which is why she gets so involved in her suspicions. Then Henry and Marielle, the next door neighbours, are the perfect creations. I won't give them away, but Claire has pitched them so well. They're not angels but nor are they pantomime villains.

Where this book excels is in its layered storytelling. We have the main story going on with Lena and her neighbours, but there's also sub stories going on - missing people, divorces, issues at work. And at first you don't really see how they all fit, but slowly, slowly they get there and you realise how obvious it is, and I think that's very good. To weave multiple narratives together to come to a satisfying conclusion is impressive.

I was a bit on the fence at times. It seems the whole book is based on the main character of Lena thinking something is going on with the neighbours. And all this stems from one broken overheard conversation that doesn't really tell her anything, but then she overthinks it and it grows and grows, until she's obsessed with it. Which to begin with I felt was a bit of a stretch. But by the end, I understood why she did that and it all makes perfect sense, so I'd advise you let go of that question you might have in your mind about it.

Like all good thrillers, I spent my time trying to work it out, guessing bits here and there. One theory of mine was right, another was half right, but then the rest was a real surprise. And given the amount of thrillers I read, I'm always amazed that I can never guess the outcome and it frustrates me.

Claire is always an auto-read for me and this book proves why she will continue to be so. You'd think that after writing so many thrillers that she'd run out of ideas or talent, but it's still there. It's fast paced and I read it in a matter of hours, like I do all her books.

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

Claire Douglas is one of my go to authors . Lena finds herself with new neighbours. Are they who they seem to? Lena overhears a conversation picked up by Audio equipment. Will Lena put herself in danger to uncover ?

A fast paced page turner that will keep you hooked and guessing.

Woah twists I didn’t see coming and Claire does it once again.