Review: The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Posted November 7, 2019 by Stephanie in Uncategorized / 12 Comments

Title: The Couple Next Door
Author: Shari Lapena
Publication: April 20th 2017 by Corgi

Genre: Thriller
Purchase it on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Play | Kobo
Rating: 3/5


You never know what’s happening on the other side of the wall.

Your neighbour told you that she didn’t want your six-month-old daughter at the dinner party. Nothing personal, she just couldn’t stand her crying.

Your husband said it would be fine. After all, you only live next door. You’ll have the baby monitor and you’ll take it in turns to go back every half hour.

Your daughter was sleeping when you checked on her last. But now, as you race up the stairs in your deathly quiet house, your worst fears are realized. She’s gone.

You’ve never had to call the police before. But now they’re in your home, and who knows what they’ll find there.

What would you be capable of, when pushed past your limit?

It took me a couple of chapters to really get into The Couple Next Door but it wasn’t long before I was thoroughly hooked. I don’t generally read a lot of thrillers like this one so I thought it was a nice change of pace as well compared to my usual reads. I’ve seen plenty of movies that were a little similar though, so I’m hoping this will be turned into a movie someday. I would totally watch it!


To keep it short, the story is about a couple who leaves their six month old baby home alone, because their babysitter canceled to attend a dinner party next door with their neighbors. They thought it would be fine because they were taking a baby monitor with them and checked on the baby every half hour. But then they get home and the baby isn’t in her crib anymore. 


Basically the suspense started right away and I was so invested in the story because I really wanted to know if the baby was alive or who abducted her. I can say that it didn’t take until the very last end to find out who was responsible for the baby being gone in the first place. And I gotta say I didn’t see it coming but also, there was a lot more to the story than just that. 


For the most part I thought this book was going to be a solid four star read but towards the end the story started going downhill a lot for me. It started getting a bit chaotic and confusing. I also thought some of the characters were acting a bit over the top. And the ending was just a little bit weird to me. Not bad weird, though… I guess I just still don’t really know what to think of it all.


Overall, The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena was pretty unputdownable. I managed to read the book in only two days which is damn fast for me. I would definitely recommend it even though I had my doubts over the last few chapters. It was still a good thriller to me.  



About the author:

Shari Lapena is the internationally bestselling author of The Couple Next Door, A Stranger in the House, and An Unwanted Guest. She was a lawyer and an English teacher before turning her hand to fiction.
She lives in Toronto.
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12 responses to “Review: The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

  1. Ash

    This sounds like a story that actually happened in another country. I don't care if I'm next door I could not leave my baby alone. Losing another one is my biggest fear.
    As awesome as it sounds, and it does sound great, I feel like it would give me a panic attack to think about losing a child lol.

    Also the cover looks like how it is here today, rainy and gloomy. I love it!

    Ash @ JennReneeRead

  2. I have seen the cover of this one around and sometimes it is nice to read a little outside of our usual comfort zone. I am glad you liked the thriller and that it was so suspenseful. A shame about it going down a bit at the end though :/

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