The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas is the most recent psychological thriller by this best-selling author and is the latest Crawcrook Book Club read.
What’s the story about?
In this novel we find ourselves in Bristol with forty-something Lena who is struggling with big changes. Her marriage has floundered. Her teenage son will soon fly the nest. And she then overhears snippets of a conversation which suggests her new neighbours are up to no good.
Unable to resist, Lena starts prod and poke around in Marielle and Henry Morgan’s lives and is drawn into a complicated and dangerous world.
After loving The Couple at No 9, I eagerly settled down to enjoy The New Neighbours and I read it in one day. By the end I was tearing through the pages to discover the outcome as the tension built and built. I can’t say too much in this review as it will give away the plot. But what I will say is Lena is forced to face the ghosts of her past.
What was the Book Club Verdict?
There are plenty of twists and turns (although we did guess many of them) but the ending did feel rushed. And without giving any spoilers the family dynamics between Lena, her husband and their son including conversations they don’t have were felt to be a bit of a reality stretch. The main protagonist Lena was also rather annoying at times.
Many book club members have read multiple Claire Douglas novels. The consensus was The New Neighbours holds the bronze medal position. The Couple at Number 9 and The Wrong Sister vie for gold and silver.
Overall, there’s no doubt about it that Douglas knows how to write a great page turner. So, if you’re after a story that will grip you till the end The New Neighbours could be one for you.