Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Couple At No. 9 by Claire Douglas

14 reviews

heycloehere's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
WOW I did NOT expect that plot twist like what the heck. This book is brilliant. It hooked me from the very FIRST sentence and each chapter added something to the story so I never felt bored. As I mentioned I was not expecting that ending and now that I've finished it I feel sick to my stomach(in a good way). Highly highly recommend :) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Stalking, Violence, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Death, and Chronic illness

Minor: Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Child abuse

echolliot's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Stalking

Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Physical abuse

Includes the 'Bury Your Gays' trope as a main plot twist

julienicole1106's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Grief, Alcohol, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Death, Dementia, Stalking, and Blood

rarasreads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This was my first go at reading a novel by this author and it may be my last. While the premise initially drew me in, reading this was not actually as enjoyable. 

For starters, I found the writing fairly banal and lacking depth. Secondly, nearly 30 different characters, names, or nicknames were introduced! This was likely done to throw readers off or to provide red herrings but it was far too many for my liking. Three of the characters represented the police force and they were shown to be less resourceful than the FMC, Saffy or her mom, Lorna/Lolly. 

The story itself dragged on for much longer than necessary without creating much of the gripping suspense that I typically look for in thrillers. Most of the plot twists were very predictable about 30% into the book, although I appreciated one major reveal. 

Overall, this may be a good book for thriller novices but it certainly is not amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault

killmoore_'s review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I truly loved this book.

After having read myself into a rut with domestic thrillers and crime novels, I hesitantly checked Couple at No. 9 put at my local library and tore through it in every spare moment I had. 

I figured out the big twist about half way through, but looking back, I almost believe that any inquisitive reader is meant to. It did not by any means ruin the big reveal - if anything, it added a layer of heartbreak as you unravel the truth along with our MC. 

If family secrets, deception, and mysterious dead bodies (along with the quirky British charm we all know and love) is your jam, I highly recommend picking this one up. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Suicide, Infertility, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Dementia, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Blood, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, and Stalking

Minor: Sexual content, Infertility, Child death, and Physical abuse

bee87's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Murder, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Outing

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

m_d00lz's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, Death, Pregnancy, Dementia, Domestic abuse, and Rape

dogearedbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault

katsam's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Domestic abuse, and Murder