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readrienne's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Dementia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage and Infertility
iblamewizards's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Couple at No. 9 was a fiendishly good read. It was fast-paced, and thrilling, with a great cast of characters.
The premise is simple enough; a young couple moves into a cottage and discovers bodies in the yard. As the investigation commences, it unearths many family secrets along the way.
The characters in The Couple at No. 9 were wonderfully developed, and the different POVs worked really well. Switching POV can be a hard thing to get right, but Claire Douglas nailed it. Information was revealed by the right character at just the right time to keep the pacing up, and the mystery was obscured just long enough that it didn't feel like it was a twist given for the sake of it.
While The Couple at No. 9 gives the impression of having plot twists, nothing in the book happens that you can't see coming from a mile away. Usually, I'd say this detracts from a novel, but in this case, it helped the story keep up a page-turning pace. Being able to put the mystery together and have it resolve as expected actually made me more invested in the characters, as I wanted to see how that mystery would be resolved. And it had just the right amount of family drama without it getting too overwhelming.
I devoured this novel in two nights, so I definitely enjoyed it. It was a great, fun read. The kind of book that works as a perfect palette cleanser, and reminds you that reading can be enjoyable.
The premise is simple enough; a young couple moves into a cottage and discovers bodies in the yard. As the investigation commences, it unearths many family secrets along the way.
The characters in The Couple at No. 9 were wonderfully developed, and the different POVs worked really well. Switching POV can be a hard thing to get right, but Claire Douglas nailed it. Information was revealed by the right character at just the right time to keep the pacing up, and the mystery was obscured just long enough that it didn't feel like it was a twist given for the sake of it.
While The Couple at No. 9 gives the impression of having plot twists, nothing in the book happens that you can't see coming from a mile away. Usually, I'd say this detracts from a novel, but in this case, it helped the story keep up a page-turning pace. Being able to put the mystery together and have it resolve as expected actually made me more invested in the characters, as I wanted to see how that mystery would be resolved. And it had just the right amount of family drama without it getting too overwhelming.
I devoured this novel in two nights, so I definitely enjoyed it. It was a great, fun read. The kind of book that works as a perfect palette cleanser, and reminds you that reading can be enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Murder
gemin1reader's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
5.0
This book made me gasp out loud at least twice while I was reading it - such a great twisty mystery.
My one small complaint is that there are a shit ton of names to follow - thankfully I read on kindle so had to search character names a few times just to check. But that didn’t really take away my enjoyment of reading it, and I raced to the end.
My one small complaint is that there are a shit ton of names to follow - thankfully I read on kindle so had to search character names a few times just to check. But that didn’t really take away my enjoyment of reading it, and I raced to the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Medical content, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault
amandasbookreview's review against another edition
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Dementia, Homophobia, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
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