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The Couple Next Door: A Novel
Unavailable
The Couple Next Door: A Novel
Unavailable
The Couple Next Door: A Novel
Audiobook8 hours

The Couple Next Door: A Novel

Written by Shari Lapena

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

It all started at a dinner party. . .

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors-a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . .

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all-a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night, when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately lands on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years. 

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family--a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 23, 2016
ISBN9780735288799
Unavailable
The Couple Next Door: A Novel
Author

Shari Lapena

Shari Lapena was a lawyer and English teacher before turning to writing fiction. Her work has been shortlisted for the CBC Literary Awards and in 2004 she won the Great Toronto Literary Project. Things Go Flying was shortlisted for the 2009 Sunburst Award. She has been featured in The Dalhousie Review, The Globe and Mail and is an alumnus of the Humber School for Writers. She makes her home in Toronto. Please visit sharilapena.com, or follow Shari on Twitter at @sharilapena.

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Reviews for The Couple Next Door

Rating: 3.8124999772099444 out of 5 stars
4/5

1,448 ratings152 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent book. Quick easy read
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    “The parents’ desperate expressions indicate that they would like to believe that it isn’t their fault after all, for leaving their baby alone” (original quote, page 23)

    Content:
    Anne and her husband Marco are invited to dinner by their neighbors next door. When the babysitter cancels, they leave their six months old daughter sleeping in her crib at home, checking every thirty minutes if she is fine. When they come home at around one-thirty, the front door is open and the crib empty!

    Theme and Genre:
    This psychological thriller is about parenting, postnatal depression and kidnapping. Which makes this story special is the fact, that it does not only focus on the criminal acts and research, but on the different characters of the persons involved. It shows how one single decision can change a life forever in a way that could not have been foreseen.

    Plot and writing:
    The gripping story is much more than a typical whodunit. The plot develops and shows the reader the idea and motivation of one of the persons involved, but then continues with disturbing and surprising twists, which does not allow the reader to put the book down again before the last page.

    Conclusion:
    A gripping, disturbingly realistic plot, which captivates the reader with its unforeseeable twists.

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The Couple Next Door is about a young couple, Anne and Marco Conti, who have dinner at their neighbor's house but fatefully decide to leave their newborn baby at home. Although they check on the baby every half hour, when they get home for the night the baby is gone. Anne is hysterical but Marco, having concocted a plan to have the baby abducted and then safely returned once his wealthy father in law pays the ransom. There are twists along the way as the plot unfolds.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I feel like people will compare this to Gone Girl, because every suspense novel or psychological thriller is being compared to it. I personally didn’t like Gone Girl too much, but I loved this book. There is the aspect of not knowing who is telling the truth, no clue about who you should trust, so you’re really thrust into the story of a couple’s young baby being kidnapped.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I literally just read this in one sitting. I sat down to read, and I was hooked. I had to know what was going to happen next. All the characters initially seem like nice people, but as the crisis unfolds, it becomes clear that everyone has secrets they are trying to keep. I was a little surprised by how horrible some people turned out to be.

    I really enjoyed the writing style. It was easy to read and fast paced. There was never a slow moment in the book.

    I received a free ARC through the First to Read program from Penguin Books.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was very close to being a really excellent suspense novel. Great setups and twists and turns, but, I feel she set up certain things, and flat-out *told* several things that could have been built up and been much more surprising. It was an enjoyable read, probably more of a 3.7 than a 4-star story, but good nonetheless.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have been putting this off as I was not sure if I would like it as I am not a fan of investigative mysteries. A good friend also recommended it, so I decided to finally give it a chance. This hooked me from chapter one. I flew through it and did not want to put it down.I like how this keeps you guessing at every turn. Was is the Mother? The Father? The neighbor? The Grandparents? Someone else? This will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting to know who took the baby and if the baby is still alive? I do think some things that happened where pretty predictable, and other things I did not see coming. Ummm….that ending!! There has to be more!Overall, I really loved this and highly recommend the audiobook.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a fast paced and crazy thriller with a lot of twists and turns. I thought I had it figured out partway through, but the ending had multiple layers and a total “WTF?!” Wrench it in it on the very last page.Anne and Marco Conti are young parents with a pretty new baby girl, Cora. They make a mistake and attend a dinner party in the house attached to theirs, leaving baby Cora asleep next door. Cora goes missing - and the Conti’s marriage falls wide open in the search for their baby. Anne and Marco have been keeping big secrets from each other, and things are about to get messy.This is a pretty slim novel and a relatively quick read! It will keep you on your toes for sure.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A true summer read. A child is kidnapped. Why? Who is the kidnapper? The author takes you around in circles trying to solve the crime. A mixed bag of kidnapping, sex and lies.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    i feel that this started off so well, Marco and Anne are sympathetic characters at the beginning. It's a semi realistic situation. But in the middle it starts to go downhill real fast and the end just floored me. I swore.

    The book was loaned to me by a friend and she warned me that she had disliked the end a bit but....no just no. it rather ruins one's whole opinion of the book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A couple’s baby goes missing when they are at a dinner party next door. Psychological thriller with a cast of less than perfect characters, each of whom may have their motives, gradually revealed as the stress & tension mount. Impressive entertaining debut novel that had me guessing as the suspects multiplied.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I'm in shock. After reading this novel, I honestly have to wonder how this novel received such raving reviews. While it began with an interesting premise, it quickly became illogical and ridiculous. The twists and turns that the author added to make the story "interesting" made absolutely no sense, and were there simply to add some shock factor to the plot. If the author has to explain every character's reasoning and behaviour at every step, then you know that the conclusions that are being made are not logical and don't really work. The characters themselves are very one-dimensional and have no real personality. It's like they were given a label so now they have to act like absolute robots with no real conscious thoughts or actions. The random side characters that were introduced was confusing and their connection to the overall story was weak. All I know is, I was completely unsatisfied by the explanations behind the kidnapping and the motivation for all of the characters to behave in the way that they did. I know the author wanted to depict the depravity that greed brings out in humans, but it was almost comical how crazy they all acted just for some cash. If you like reading thrillers just for the sake of gasping at twists and turn, then check this novel out because it will definitely take you down some unexpected avenues. But if you expect your novel to make some sense and have at least the minimum amount of logic to it, then don't even bother reading this story. It makes no sense. And the ending sucked.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This is not very well written
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR is like an Agatha Christie novel. That is, it has lots and lots of twists as one character after another is suspect, first this guy, then that guy, then that guy, then back to one of those guys, then on to another guy, etc. And more and more of the mystery is solved until the surprising reveal. Except THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR doesn't end the story there. A bit of what-comes-next follows and a not-so-surprising but, I think, funny end.It's not a bad book. But it's not so good that I'll be reading more of Shari Lapena. That's because, like the Agatha Christie novel's I've read, THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR is long on mystery but short on story. If you are an Agatha Christie fan, you may rate this higher than I do.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Kept me reading til the end, but I saw the twist coming.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was INTENSE. There's not much to say really. Just a very good intense read that really draws you in, makes you constantly guess, feel like you are involved deeply in the book, and keeps you invested until the end. Ever read a book that makes you wonder "what would I do in this situation?" Well, this is one of those. Amazingly written, and well thought out with the perfect ending.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Although this book catches your attention in the first chapter and holds it through the twists and turns of the narrative, the ending was overwhelming disappointing. Spoiler Alert: It only served to perpetuate the myth that people with a mental illness are dangerous. It seemed to me that the author didn't quite know how to wrap things up so she invented a highly fictionalized scenario for the sole purpose of stunning the reader. It was gratuitous and false.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Holy hell what a fast paced crazy ride. I couldn't put this book down. I just had to keep reading it. I did not see any of those crazy plot twists coming.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book went places I was not expecting, at all, and that's a very good thing. Granted, there are things I could complain about - like, the neighbors being set up as important characters, only to serve as little more than a slightly overly-convenient device. But, still, even there, it's handled smoothly and does indeed aid significantly in moving the plot along and adding to the dynamics there. In other words, while there may be some convenient shortcuts and coincidences here, there isn't any useless fluff. This is a well-crafted thriller, with a storyline that simultaneously makes sense while still being unpredictable. That's a very rare thing. Overall, this was WELL worth the read, and I'm glad that I decided to do so.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was INTENSE. There's not much to say really. Just a very good intense read that really draws you in, makes you constantly guess, feel like you are involved deeply in the book, and keeps you invested until the end. Ever read a book that makes you wonder "what would I do in this situation?" Well, this is one of those. Amazingly written, and well thought out with the perfect ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Clever plot about a couple whose baby disappears whilst they are having dinner with their adjoining neighbours and listening in on a baby monitor. Several red herrings before the villain is revealed and loose ends tied up.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed The Couple Next Door. From the moment I opened the book until the minute I closed it, I was captivated by the story. There were a a few instances along the way that I thought were overdone or over the top, but overall I greatly enjoyed the book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Anne & Marco Conti are a happy couple. They have a new baby, Cora, and seem to be a very happy couple. They are attending a dinner party next door, with Cynthia & Graham Stillwell. They don't have Cora with them, as Cynthia had insisted that it was "adults only". Unfortunately, Anne & Marco have left the baby alone in the house, as the babysitter had called and cancelled. Anne & Marco are going over to the house every half hour to check on Cora. When Anne goes to check on the baby at 12:30 pm, the baby is not in her crib.The police are called and we are then taken through the next days on a rollercoaster of guilt and backstabbing, etc. This is a great thrill ride with all of the suspects involved in the kidnapping of Cora. Very interesting, never boring, infinitely changing your feelings about every character in the novel
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a very contemporary, believable tale. It could well have been on the nightly news. A couple goes to their next door neighbors one evening for a night out. At home, they leave their baby alone with a baby monitor. When they return, the baby is gone. Kidnapped? Lies, deceit, selfishness everywhere. What happened to the baby? Right now, in my city, there is the trial and sentencing of a young father who left his baby in the back seat of his vehicle, all day, while he was in his office. When he leaves for the day, the baby has died from the heat in the car. See what I mean? This story is very believable and a lightning read. My thanks to the author and the Penguin First to Read program for a complimentary copy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really good mystery read. I had a pretty good idea who the kidnapper was but it was still very enjoyable to read it come together. There is a good twist but it does have a pretty sad ending in my opinion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Enjoyed listening to this book. I did see the end ahead of time but still liked it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A real "who done it". Action packed with twists from start to very last page. Anne and Marco have a 6 month old baby Cora who disappears and appears to be kidnapped while they are right next door having dinner with their neighbors. I read this in less than 24 hrs as there was no break in the action and I just had to keep reading. !!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Remember the McCanns who left their daughter Madeleine alone while they had supper nearby? Anne and Marco Conti do the same thing: when the baby sitter cancels at the last minute they leave six-month-old Cora alone and dine with the neighbours.Like Madeleine, Cora is stolen; the police suspect the parents and more and more revelations point to them. A ransom is demanded and paid, but the baby is not returned and police fear the worst. The Couple Next Door is excellent, especially for a debut, with good, tight writing and a thrilling twister of a plot.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.Anne and Marco left their infant daughter, Cora, at home alone while they went next door for a dinner party--and Cora disappeared. Now, as the police investigate, Anne and Marco are forced to wonder how much they truly know about each other, and who they can trust.It's a tense, suspenseful set up, and I really tend to enjoy books that explore the secrets people keep. The twists had potential as well.Unfortunately, I didn't really like this book. For a book with such a suspenseful start, it really drags. The story gets really repetitive and goes over the same material again and again.The ending was far too pat as well, and almost nullified the impact of the previous twists. The last twist, while a good one, felt thrown in in an attempt to keep the ending from feeling too tied up in a bow.I almost didn't finish this book more than once, but kept going because it had gotten so much hype. Unfortunately, at least for me, this book didn't live up to that hype at all.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I speed-read the last quarter of the book just to get it over with, and I didn't even miss anything. For the same reason I hate daytime soap operas, I disliked this book for its secretive egotisical characters. So much drama can be avoided through confrontation and honesty. The present tense narration and unimaginative writing didn't help. It wasn't shocking, much of it became apparent as the pattern of "bigger and worse" was revealed. Not a psycho thriller, so Girl on the Train can look elsewhere. Pass unless you like sensational and soapy.