What a fantastic read. The Couple at No.9 is a mystery you will battle to walk away from. This book proved to be a brilliant escape from reality. The reconnection between mother and daughter and Saffy’s loyalty and love for her grandmother makes this a heartwarming read that leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling when you reach the final page.

After reading this book I am ready to pack my bags and move to Beggars Nook – Skelton Place and this little village is exactly the type of place I would love to live.

This was my first encounter with Claire Douglas, I have not read any books by her before. Clearly, I have been missing out. I love the way she tells this story, including various character’s point of view and shifting between the past and the present she unravels a complicated tale in a beautifully easy to follow manner. I loved the setting, and the characters are warm and relatable despite the harsh topic. I am looking forward to adding more of her books to my TBR.

Saffron and Tom receive a cottage as a gift from Saffron’s mother and with their first baby on the way, they are grateful and eager to turn it into the perfect family home. Life could not be better.

Then the builder’s dig up the back garden and discover the remains of two bodies. When the police start investigating, it is discovered that the unidentified bodies were buried while Rose, Saffron’s grandmother lived in the house. Rose suffers from dementia, and she cannot shed any light. However, as the police and Lorna, Saffron’s mother starts putting the puzzle pieces together a sad reality is unearthed and Saffy appears to be in danger.

Who is buried in Skelton Place’s garden? More importantly, who buried them?

The characters in this book crawled into my heart and I fell in love with all of them. Well, maybe not Victor. The bond between Rose and Saffy left me sad since I lost my own grandparent when I was too young to appreciate them.

While flipping the pages you see the relationship between Saffy and Lorna strengthening as this mother and daughter reconnects amidst all the unfolding drama of the past. This added a heart-warming touch to this rather sad mystery.

No doubt about it, I love this book. I loved the scenery and found myself longing to live in this cottage and the quint village it was located in. I loved the characters and their relationships and the secrets of the past as they were uncovered bit by bit. I could not drag myself out of this imaginary world.

Mystery fans prepare to read late into the night as you reach for this book. It has a compelling storyline that will keep you glued to your seat as you turn the pages.

This book was a recommendation from Penguin Random House South Africa, thank you – I loved every minute I spend reading this and cannot recommend this book highly enough. It’s a heart-warming, sad mystery that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy at the end.