The Couple at No 9

I've been looking forward to reading The Couple at No. 9 for a while now. I've read books by Claire Douglas before and so I knew I was in for a good read. I wasn't disappointed by this fast-paced and twisty tale.

Saffron and Tom move into 9 Skelton Place, a cottage owned by Saffron's grandmother, Rose, in a small and quite rural village called Beggar's Nook. The reader is thrust into the action from page 1 as builders working in the garden uncover the remains of two bodies. Saffron is convinced her grandmother must know nothing about them but Rose is now in a care home and has Alzheimer's and so getting answers from her about the past is going to prove difficult.

What makes this family drama into a psychological thriller is the feeling show more that somebody wants to know more about what Saffron and her mother, Lorna, are now starting to uncover. It makes for quite a tense read. It's a dual timeline story with Rose's story in the past filling in the blanks that Saffron and Lorna are having to work hard to fill in the present day storyline. There's a big shock moment, something I didn't see coming at all, and lots of other unexpected developments along the way.

I particularly liked the village setting which played a large part in both timelines and I also enjoyed the amateur investigations of Saffron, Lorna and another character called Theo. I thought the characterisations were excellent, with some lovely people, some baddies and some unknowns! The story is well-plotted and it kept me interested and I really liked the fact that it was a thriller with an emotional, family-orientated aspect as this made it easy for me to really engage with what was going on.

I enjoyed The Couple at No. 9 very much indeed. It's the very definition of a page-turner. show less

I loved Kenton Thomas's voice, at times it reminded me of Tosin Cole and I was not going to complain. :) Kenton did a great job of distinguishing the different characters voices and I will definitely look for books narrated by Kenton Thomas in the future.

The book itself had a lot of twists and turns and I liked how the relevant information was provided to the reader. I was able to guess who the killer was but finding out the why behind it was still entertaining.

Saffy and Tom inherit a cottage in a small village, Beggars Nook. Renovations on the cottage are halted as two human remains are found. The cottage belonged to Saffy's grandmother Rose so does she know who the bodies are.

This is another hyped book that I decided to give a go. Another twisty, unputdownable thriller which is a must read ! Yes well we will see.

I did enjoy the book and there was enough to keep me interested. However for me this is another thrillerland book. Yes it had its twist but I did guess quite quickly as the story progressed and found the twist predictable.

The story is told from different pov and does go back and forth from the now to the past. A very easy read which I read in two sittings. The story is interesting show more and I didn't get bored.

I have read books by the author before and have yet to read one that wowed me however I probably would read more in the future. show less

The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

Saffron (Saffy) Cutler and her boyfriend Tom are thrilled to inherit a home at 9 Skelton Place and start renovations immediately. When the builders uncover human remains, the police are called in and the investigation reveals that there are two bodies buried in their back garden. It seems that they have been buried there for at least thirty years. The investigation turns to Saffy's grandmother Rose Grey who owns the cottage and lived there during the time period that the bodies were likely buried. The problem is that Rose has been diagnosed with dementia and lives in a nursing facility.

What seems to be a horrifying discovery, but one that is removed show more from the current residents picks up the pace when it seems that not everyone who knows what happened thirty years ago is content to stand by and do nothing. And then Rose, whose memory seems to come and go, is being questioned by the police. She remembers something, but what exactly is unclear.

The plot unfolds through multiple points-of-view and in multiple timelines. The tension builds up as more information and background is revealed in both timelines. The interest is in how the stories from the past and present are going to explain the bodies and in the identity of the person who is trying to stop any information from being released.

Several interesting characters are presented and depicted as realistic individuals in the plot through their individual points-of-view. There are plenty of secrets among the characters and some of them pertain to the murders. This helps keep interest high and increases the tension in solving the mystery and discovering the identity of the killer.

I was totally engrossed until the narrative took a convenient turn and then a twist occurred that felt a bit too contrived. The pacing does seem a little slow at times, but it still held my attention and I kept reading. Basically this is an enjoyable, compelling psychological thriller. The multiple points-of-view work well in The Couple at Number 9 and keep the tension going right to the end.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/07/the-couple-at-number-9.html show less

When builders excavating for an addition to the cottage at Number 9 Skelton Place discover two bodies buried at least 30 years earlier Saffy is convinced that her grandmother, the previous owner of the house will know nothing about them. But it becomes obvious that Rose, now in a nursing home, and suffering from Alzheimer's, does know something.

The narrative is told by several voices, among them Rose herself.

The reader is told at the beginning of each chapter who the narrator is, but their voices are also strong and clear. The reader is invited to piece together what happened a little over 30 years earlier when Rose first came to the village with her daughter Lolly and took a lodger.

Saffy, the current owner of the cottage, is Lolly's show more daughter and has inherited the cottage from her grandmother Rose. She is determined to prove that Rose has nothing to do with the bodies.

An excellent read. show less

Best for:
Mystery fans who enjoy jumping back and forth across time.

In a nutshell:
Saffy and her husband Tom live in a bungalow gifted to her by her grandmother Rose. While making some renovations, two sets of remains are found buried in the garden.

Worth quoting:
N/A

Why I chose it:
I read one of Douglas’s previous books earlier this year and found it to be interesting and well written.

Review:
Ah, I love a book where we hear from different perspectives and jump around in time. As this is a mystery, I’ll share the set-up and characters, and provide a little bit of information on what made me like the books.

Perspective Chapters from:
Saffy: In her early 20s, who lives in the house her grandmother Rose gifted to her via her daughter show more Lorna.

Lorna: Saffy’s mother, who had her at age 16 and who now lives in Spain.

Rose: Saffy’s grandmother and Lorna’s mother, who is in a care home and now has Alzheimer’s.

Theo: A chef in his 30s who doesn’t understand why his father is so interested in news of the discovery of human remains in a town far away

There are also others who play a big role in the book, including Theo’s father, a woman named Daphne, and Saffy’s husband Tom, but they don’t tell things from their perspectives.

The characters in this one - especially the women - are well developed. Theo doesn’t have as much space in the book, but we do get a sense of who he is and his relationship with his father.

I appreciate how the author plays with the idea of memory - what we see, what we know. What two different people might remember, and what happens when our memories become mixed up with other things, or start to fade altogether.

I think this book is different enough from the previous one that I’ll probably check out more of her work when I’m looking for something to read while I have a bunch of chores to do.

What’s next for this book:
Recommend to folks who might enjoy it. show less

Thank you Harper Collins and Net Galley for this thoroughly enjoyable book. Tom and Saffron live at No 9 Skelton Place. They are doing an expansion on the back of their house and two bodies are dug up. Saff’s grandma, Rose, owns the house and actually lived there when the bodies were put in the garden. Saff calls her mother Lorna home from Spain and the investigation begins. Most things are completely believable in this book but Saffron is 24 years old, married and expecting her first child. She cannot be jumping at shadows. The publish date for this is Summer 2022 and it will be a great book for you to pack in your beach bag and enjoy!