The Couple at Number 9 - Claire Douglas

The Couple at Number 9 is Claire Douglas's new suspense tale - and it's one you'll want to add to your 'must listen' list. 

Saffron and her boyfriend Tom are expecting their first child. Saffron's grandmother Rose has gifted a house to them as she is now in a care home. The couple decide to make a few renovations to the house. But the builders find something quite unexpected - two bodies under the back patio. The police want to question Rose of course, but she has Alzheimer's. What will she be able to add to the investigation? Saffy also thinks there's someone watching the house. Is it someone from Rose's past? The killer? 

I really like the multiple points of view used in the The Couple at Number 9. The timeline also goes from past to present. The pacing of the book is slower, which actually worked well for this book. There are clues scattered between the two that had me thinking I easily knew who was the culprit was - and why they did it. I'm happy to say that I was proven wrong! Douglas throws in a twist that you won't see coming at all. Well done! 

Relationships of all kinds are explored and are the backbone of the plot. The characters are well developed with quite a bit of detail. I liked Saffy as the lead player. She grows over the course of the book.

I chose to listen to The Couple at Number 9. The reader was Kenton Thomas. She's got a lovely British accent that is easy on the ears, clearly enunciated and a good speaking pace. Thomas does a wonderful job interpreting and presenting Douglas's story. She easily captures the emotions and situations in the book. Thomas provides different, believable voices for each characters, making it easy to know who is speaking. And like I've mentioned before - I become more drawn into a book when I listen. That was definitely the case with The Couple at Number 9. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt.