It began as a simple renovation--well, as simple as renovations go. There are always problems with renos, but this one was extraordinary. Two bodies were found buried in the backyard. Saffron and her boyfriend Tom had recently moved into the house that was originally owned by her grandmother. Saffron was pregnant and they were to raise their child in this house. When it became apparent the bodies had been there for decades, the investigation became complex. Who were these people and what happened?
THE COUPLE AT NUMBER 9 by Claire Douglas is told by various voices and in dual timelines, set in 1980 and 2018. Readers are given a window into the lives of the characters and just when we think we understand who they were and what might have happened, twists and turns are thrown into the narrative. Clues and evidence are methodically revealed, often raising even more questions.
Claire Douglas has crafted a multilayered and intense story. It is suspenseful, provocative and a totally engrossing page-turner. I couldn't put this book down. Highly recommended.
When pregnant Saffron Cutler moves into 9 Skelton Place with boyfriend Tom and sets about renovations, the last thing she expects is builders uncovering human remains. The remains of two bodies, in fact.
Forensics indicate the bodies have been buried at least thirty years. Saffy has nothing to worry about—until the police launch a murder inquiry and ask to speak to the cottage’s former owner. Her grandmother, Rose.
Rose is in a nursing home and Alzheimer’s means her memory is increasingly confused. She can’t help the police, but its’ clear she remembers something.
As Rose’s fragmented memories resurface, and the police dig ever deeper, Saffy fears she and the cottage are being watched.
What happened thirty years ago? Why did no one miss the victims? What part did her grandmother play? And is Saffy now in danger?
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