The Couple Next Door: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – International Edition, April 24, 2018

Bought this book for my girlfriend for Christmas. She absolutely loved it, it was based on murder/psychological thriller. Fast easy read, exciting reading, kept her in suspense to the very end she enjoyed it very much.

Is it true that you never quite know what's going on behind closed doors?For Anne and Marco Conti, the fact that they do their best to put their best foot forward is not as obvious as one would think. They've always appeared so perfect to outsiders : a seemingly flawless couple; beautiful and wealthy, successful in business and in family. No one would ever suspect the trouble that lay behind the doors of their expensive brownstone. On the inside of the Conti home, a different story is playing out altogether. There are cracks in the porcelain; there are irreparable runs in the fabric that has been meticulously woven together to complete the Conti household.Since giving birth to their baby girl, Anne has struggled with her identity. She's struggled with postpartum depression. She's struggled with her weight and feeling desirable to her husband. It certainly doesn't help that next door lives a neighbor who is not only dripping with seductive curves and a general air of sex, but that the woman makes constant eyes at Anne's husband. After years working with affluent collectors and purveyors of fine art, Anne is now bombarded with the constant needs of her new child; the years of having endless hours to spend perfecting her hair and makeup or carefully honing her body with a personal trainer are over, the time now spent cleaning spit-up off of her dirty and oversized t-shirt or thrusting a nipple attached to an engorged breast into her screaming infant's mouth. Cora isn't an easy baby, in fact she's the opposite of the sweet and cuddly angelic little figure Anne had in her mind during her pregnancy. She'd dreamed of days curled up in bed with her baby laying peacefully beside her, of afternoons spent pushing silky curls back from her daughter's face as she gurgled happily. But the reality is that Cora does nothing but cry, and Anne feels like a veritable failure as a result.So when a night away presents itself, Anne is intrigued. Marco insists they go next door to get away, to have a little time with other adults and have a few drinks. Anne is at first thrilled to disengage herself from the thickly formed vines of motherhood and spend a few hours in shoes that she used to walk in, to perhaps regain a bit of her old self. But when the babysitter cancels at the last minute and they cannot find another, Anne retreats into herself, becoming anxious to leave their daughter and questioning a night out. Why would she want to go next door, anyway? Seeing her neighbor Cynthia is only going to make her feel more self-conscious about her appearance; it will only solidify the festering feelings of unease in her own skin, will only remind her of the excess weight hugging her middle like a too tight hug. Anne doesn't want to leave Cora. Something in her gut is telling her no. She's uncomfortable with Marco's suggestion : that they take the baby upstairs, lay her down for bed, and spirit themselves next door as quietly as they can, the baby monitor in tow. He promises her that they will check on baby Cora every half an hour, and since they are next door after all, what could possibly happen?What happens is the unthinkable. When the couple returns home after midnight - only thirty minutes since the last check on their sleeping child - the door to their posh New York City brownstone in the well-maintained and quietly wealthy neighborhood stands ajar. Rushing upstairs, Anne and Marco find their baby girl missing, the crib standing vacant with the ugly truth.Cora is gone. Vanished, without a trace. The detective on the scene is seasoned and cautious. Detective Rasbach can tell right off the bat that something isn't quite adding up here. The emotional distance between the couple is palpable. The stressed relationship with Anne's parents is full of tension so thick it could be cut with a butcher knife. As the weeks go by, the detective will begin to peel back the many layers of the Conti family, laying bare their insecurities and their deepest secrets and forcing them to look at each other in ways they'd never imagined. Anne will discover the things her husband is keeping to himself, and Marco will unearth shocking discoveries about a wife he thought he knew. . . . but . . . where is the baby? Where is Cora? The Couple Next Door, the newest book by Shari Lapena, is full of twists and turns that will leave the reader dizzy and frenzied. As the plot unfolds from page to page, suspense and suspicion will mount and attack upon the senses, all leading up to the unexpected reveal. 4 out of 5 stars is given to this thrilling novel, and I recommend it to readers who enjoy fast-paced plots the like of Gillian Flynn and Megan Miranda. This quick read will leave you breathless and keep you guessing; the pivoting of the storyline coming as fast as you can turn the page.

For more reviews, check out Clues and Reviews[...]The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena was the smash hit of the summer. I kept seeing the book review for this domestic thriller everywhere! The back of the book had praise from one of my favourite authors, Tess Gerritsen; she had said this book had her “turning pages like a madwoman”. After reading that, it sealed the deal. I knew I had to give this one a read. Since I have really been into these types of novels as of lately, I didn’t even bother read the synopsis of this one before I purchased it. I was going into this one blind.... The novel opens with Anne and Marco coming home from a dinner party. Their babysitter had canceled last minute and they were only next-door, they figured it would be okay to leave their sixth-month-old baby (Cora) in her crib, especially if they checked on her frequently. When they arrive back home, the baby is gone. Vanished. Who took Cora?The novel ended up being completely different from what I was expecting. For starters, I expected this novel to be about a couple, which lived next door to our main characters. Maybe these couples were serial killers? I don’t really know what I was thinking. But really, the couple next door was completely minimal in the plot.So obviously, as stated above, I had no idea that this novel would be about child abduction; I was actually pleasantly surprised about that fact. It kind of makes this novel stand out from the normal domestic thrillers. We get the abduction and then the police investigation into the abduction; it kind of combined what I love domestic thrillers and police procedurals.However, that was just about the only highlight, for me, in this book.I was actually quite surprised by how slow moving this one was. I expected it, based on the hype, to be extremely intense. This was not the case- it was actually quite mild. More like a slow hike instead of the roller-coaster ride I was waiting for.I also found the narration to be a little bit strange. It didn’t really follow any specific pattern; it moves between several different first-person narrative perspectives. Sometimes we hear from Anne (the mourning mother), sometimes we hear from Marco (the husband) and sometimes we hear from the suspicious detective. Even though I am normally a big advocate for multi-perspective narration, I found that in this novel, it switched without any rhyme or reason.I did appreciate the twist in the middle of this novel; that shocked me. However, the ending of the novel was just okay for me. If you are a ride-or-die fan of the domestic thriller genre, then you’ll appreciate this one for its subtle twists. You’ll also enjoy this read if you like a slower paced novel. However, if you are looking for something that will blow your mind, this novel probably won’t be it.

This is a great book - a real page turner. The twists come as fast as you can turn the pages. And the ending…!!!!!

I was hooked on this book from the start. My mind kept going on circle, trying to figure out what the plot was and who was guilty. In the end, I was very wrong.

This book kept me engaged from the beginning!!! I thought I had the end figured out… NOPE 🤯🤯 Very good!!!

Easy read. Not someone who reads a lot but trying to do it more often…finished in 5 days. It was repetitive that’s the only CON but it was a dramatic twister for sure.

Nice book great characters well written I enjoyed it very much. Ending was very good. I was suggest this book to anyone.

A good read from start to finish

Gripping and compelling. Had me hooked from the beginning. Guessing to the end I would highly recommend this to lovers of psychological thrillers

very good read. Un-put-downable.

The couple next door is a story that will keep you riveted to itself. You won't feel like stopping. It is an unceasing thrill that you will look forward to. The story is well spun and the events are properly segued. The characters are animated and well placed throughout the story. The shocks come to you as they please. The story is unpredictable. There are no plot-holes. Just, go for it!

The story just goes from one surprise to another. Brilliantly written book which I couldn’t put down. Maybe one twist too many at the very end but the rest of the book is gripping.