REviews

#1 UK Sunday Times Bestseller • New York Times Bestseller
#1 Canadian Bestseller • 2016 WHSmith “Book of the Year” (UK)
A Richard & Judy Book Club Pick • #1 Adult Fiction Title in the UK for 2017
One of The Globe and Mail’s 100 Best Books of 2016 • Specsavers Gold Bestseller Award
Nielsen Platinum Bestseller Award • 2016 Goodreads Choice Finalist
Reedsy’s list of The 50 Best Suspense Books of All Time • Four million copies sold worldwide

 “So full of twists, yet so utterly believable. Loved it.”
—Richard Osman, #1 bestselling  author of The Thursday Murder Club

“Shari Lapena delivered a bone-chiller for the ages with The Couple Next Door. With a premise rotating around an infant that disappears while the parents are right next door, the story plugs easily into latent parental tension.”
—The Saturday Evening Post

“Perhaps the best of this year’s batch of psychological noir… terrifying pretty much from start to finish.”
—Metro

“Told in a realistic and un-hysterical way, the twists and turns are all the more shocking — the best white-knuckle ride of the year.”
—Daily Mail

“It’s hard not to read to the end… the twists waiting there are gratifyingly clever.”
—USA Today

“A gripping, twisting story in which you’re never quite sure of anyone’s motives until they’re shockingly exposed… you’ll find yourself racing through this debut in a couple of sittings.”
—Crime Scene Magazine

“…Many never-saw-them-coming twists and questionable characters who will keep you on the edge of your seat… a compulsive read. The last line is absolutely killer.”
—Good Housekeeping (US)

“The twists come as fast [as] you can turn the pages.”
—People

“…Tight, effective storytelling…”
—The Guardian

“A deliciously addictive whodunit”
—The Globe and Mail

“…A plot that doesn’t stop surprising until literally the very last page.”
—Metro (Toronto)

“[A] well-sculpted domestic thriller . . . highly suspenseful . . . Twists are subtly revealed with aplomb, taking the story to increasingly unpredictable levels. Lapena delves deep to show how the stress of Cora’s disappearance affects the story’s characters, from the Contis to Anne’s parents to even the detectives.”
—Oline H. Cogdill, Associated Press

“The author excels at recreating the words and thoughts of a helicopter mom whose spouse and friends seem hell bent on keeping her from following her own better instincts . . . one of the book’s strengths . . . is the exquisitely torturous tension the Contis feel as they wait for news of Cora.”
—NPR.org

“…Every turn brought a twist that propelled the story into a new direction.”
—Bookreporter

“…Clever writing and clues draw the reader into the investigation. And we defy you to guess the ending! We’re queing to read this!”
—My Weekly

“2016’s most talked-about new thriller.”
—Stylist

“… A treat of a thriller that careers along at breakneck pace.”
—Good Housekeeping (UK)

“The new ‘Girl on the Train’.”
—iNews

“… A brilliantly executed, twist-packed thriller… one to race through.”
—The Sunday Mirror

“The tension is high and remains to the last, stunning page.”
—The Times

“… Entirely compelling… you will not see the twists coming.”
—The Daily Mail

“A gripping page-turner.”
—Bella

“The tension crackles like an electric storm throughout this brutally efficient thriller. Lapena’s propulsive prose elevates this domestic thriller above most of the rest.”
—Metro (UK)

“Dizzying hairpin twists and turns.”
—Sainsbury’s Magazine

“Full of twists and turns, secrets and lies…This book is perfect as a quick read.”
—The Herald

“Brisk prose style and character development are almost beside the point in Lapena’s suspense-fiction debut; this is a plot-driven page-turner, and even the most character-focused readers will find it hard to put down.”
—Booklist

“This book is so full of twists and turns that my head was swiveling…If you like a book that keeps you guessing until the very end you won’t be disappointed.”
—LibraryReads (#2 pick for August)

“[A] suspenseful, heart-wrenching debut… After numerous twists and turns, Lapena delivers one final, deftly crafted surprise.”
—Publishers Weekly

“I thought the read-it-in-one-sitting thing was a cliché. Not any more.”
—Linwood Barclay, #1 bestselling author of No Time for Goodbye

“Meticulously crafted and razor-sharp.  The Couple Next Door lingers long after you turn the final page.”
—Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fool Me Once

“I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the storyline.  The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!”
—Sue Grafton, New York Times bestselling author of X

“Shari Lapena has written a stunning debut thriller.  Turn on the night lights and lock all your doors and windows.  The Couple Next Door grabs you with each twist and shocks you with every betrayal.”
—Linda Fairstein, New York Times bestselling author of Killer Look

“Real men read women writers–because of books like this. Trust me.”
—Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Me

“Brilliant! This utterly riveting psychological thriller hurtles along at breakneck speed, never giving you the opportunity to catch your breath. Twisty, turny, and unputdownable.”
—C. L. Taylor, bestselling author of The Lie

“A twisty, utterly riveting tale that will send readers on a wild rollercoaster ride of emotions. Shocking revelations kept me turning the pages like a madwoman.”
—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Playing with Fire

“Provocative and shocking.  One crime, an entire neighborhood of suspects, secrets and lies.  How well do we ever know those around us?  The Couple Next Door will keep you glued to the pages in search of the answer.  Even then, you’ll never guess the truth…until it’s too late.”
—Lisa Gardner, the New York Times bestselling author of Find Her

“Gripped me from the very beginning to the very end!”
—Becky Masterman, author of Rage Against The Dying

“Gripping, pacy, with characters that keep you guessing and second guessing. Loved it.”
—Tammy Cohen, author of When She Was Bad

“Expertly paced and finely crafted, The Couple Next Door is a gripping thriller of the highest order. I couldn’t put it down.”
—A. J. Banner, bestselling author of The Good Neighbor