Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Couple At No. 9

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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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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readrienne's review against another edition

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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

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bee87's review against another edition

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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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aabubuyog's review against another edition

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mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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iblamewizards's review against another edition

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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.

Content Warnings

dogearedbooks's review against another edition

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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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