Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Couple At No. 9 by Claire Douglas

8 reviews

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

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

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

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!

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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

amybookss's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Gaslighting, and Death

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Child death, and Stalking

Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Medical trauma

bookswithhan's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Toxic relationship