#TheCoupleAtNumber9

The Couple at Number 9 is Claire Douglas’ best work yet!!

This captivating thriller is the story of two generations: Rose and her daughter Lolly, and Lorna and her daughter Saffy. When Rose went to a care home due to her dementia, her daughter Lorna (aka Lolly) and granddaughter Saffy found out that she owns a cottage in the countryside that she has leased out for years. Saffy decides to move there with her boyfriend to start their family. While they are renovating, 2 bodies are uncovered. Piecing together what happened isn’t easy, as there were multiple tenants, and the timeline of the deaths as well as the identities of the deceased aren’t initially clear. As the police investigate, they have many questions for Rose, but she struggles to answer them with any clarity through the fog of dementia. Lorna Ajax Saffy tentatively mount their own investigation. After following up on a potential lead, Lorna is attacked on her way home.  At this point, Lorna and Saffy realize that somebody besides Gran Rose has a vested interest in covering up the circumstances around the double homicide. Who was buried in the garden? Who else would want to keep these murders and the circumstances around them hidden? 

The Couple at Number 9 is written from 4 viewpoints; primarily, from the viewpoints of Saffy, Lorna, and Rose. Theo is the fourth viewpoint, and initially I didn’t see how he fit in. However, Claire Douglas gives a few clues and I began to have my suspicious before the connection in the storylines is revealed. Each character is very much their own personality, and I appreciated how the character of Lorna developed throughout the book and how her relationship with her daughter improved. The unfortunate circumstances brought them closer together. 

Thank you to Harper Publishing and Claire Douglas for the early copy! Coming to a bookstore near you in August - preorder using the link below!

The Couple at Number 9 - Claire Douglas