Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - The Couple At No. 9

Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

The Couple At No. 9 by Claire Douglas

5 reviews

echolliot's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this book - it had an intriguing plotline. I liked how it was switching between perspectives and timelines hearing from the grandmother in the past and the granddaughter in the present. It was a really interesting story, the plot twists were great, some I figured out and some I didn’t, but, regardless it was still really enjoyable.

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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The narrators were excellent However, I think this book is overhyped. It’s way too predictable. And at least 50 pages too long. I liked all the POVs, somewhat but they gave too much away to me. With all the hype I expected more. When I finished this book my first thoughts were, well duh. The final “twist” wasn’t even that surprising, did I see it coming no, but it went with that character’s prior actions so it wasn’t that shocking.

I read a lot of mystery thrillers and this was a little below average. It disappointed me with its predictability. I did find the characters interesting at least which gave it some more interest than otherwise.

The writing felt more like the author was being paid by the word than it was necessary. And the pace was WAY too slow. It drew out the story too much.

I did like the unusual amount of representation in the book. You had both POCs and queer characters which aren’t usually included in mystery thrillers.

The character development was pretty good, especially for the present-time characters. Though less so in the past-time characters.

My favorite character is probably Saffy. She was certainly the most likable and quite relatable to me as well. Not from the bad mother perspective but from others.

Saffy’s parents definitely fit the Amicable Exes trope, though it makes sense due to their age when they had her. The ending is also a big Babies Ever After trope. Other tropes seen are Bonding over Missing Parents, Brother–Sister Team, Doting Grandparent, and more I’m sure!

I didn’t like that none of the characters other than Rose at the beginning had any non-romantic/familial relationships, aka no one had any friends! Which was very odd. It felt like it was lazy writing.

I think those that don’t read many mystery thrillers might like this book. Or if you enjoy longer mystery thrillers. If you read a lot of them and have gotten good at spotting what might happen then don’t bother with this book.

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dorsetreader's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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amandasbookreview's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I, too, live at #9 and after reading The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas, I am not entirely sure that is a good thing. –Thankfully, I don’t have a backyard that could have possible human remains, because that is what happens to Saffron Cutler and her boyfriend, Tom as they are renovating their cottage at 9 Skelton Place. Two bodies are found in the process and the police determine they were buried there in the 1970s or 1980s, while Saffron didn’t live here then, her grandmother, Rose, sure did. Unfortunately, answers don’t come easily from her grandmother because she is in a care home with dementia. Saffron and her mother, Lorna can’t help but investigate Rose’s past but they aren’t remotely prepared for the answers they discover.

At first glance, this seems like a typical thriller…bodies are found and terrible secrets will be uncovered. NO. NOOOOOPE. The plot thickens with every chapter. Honestly, I forgot about the bodies because I needed to know what the hell Rose was up to! Some readers might be a little put off by the timeline jumps, and multiple points of view, but trust me, it is so worth it! This thriller is so complex but it is a slow burn, so don’t expect it to move quickly.

There are many factors that drive this plot but I try to write my reviews without spoilers, but let me just say that murder and betrayal are barely scratching the surface of this book. I did really enjoy the complexities of Lorna and Saffron’s mother-daughter relationship. They are very different people but it is amazing how this story drives them together. I also loved Theo and Jen’s relationship. They both have their difficulties but they communicate with each other and are a great example of a nontoxic relationship, as most thrillers have the most toxic relationships. Overall, I wasn’t sure at first but I ended up loving this book!

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