“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. 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.” Twists are subtly revealed with aplomb, taking the story to increasingly unpredictable levels. “…A plot that doesn’t stop surprising until literally the very last page.” “The twists come as fast you can turn the pages.” “…Many never-saw-them-coming twists and questionable characters who will keep you on the edge of your seat… a compulsive read.

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

“Perhaps the best of this year’s batch of psychological noir… terrifying pretty much from start to finish.” With a premise rotating around an infant that disappears while the parents are right next door, the story plugs easily into latent parental tension.” “Shari Lapena delivered a bone-chiller for the ages with The Couple Next Door. Richard Osman, #1 bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club “So full of twists, yet so utterly believable. Reedsy’s list of The 50 Best Suspense Books of All Time One of The Globe and Mail’s 100 Best Books of 2016

#1 Adult Fiction Title in the UK for 2017.

The couple next door online