The Couple Next Door: A Novel

I enjoyed it very much; at first I thought it was going to be predictable, but it kept winding its way into new territory and surprising me with the plot twists. Love it.

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.

After reading this synopsis, I was super excited to read this book. I've been in a suspense/thriller phase in my reading, and this seemed like it would be a good one. Immediately after starting, I was hooked and couldn't put it down. Anne and Marco, the normal couple from next door leave their months old baby daughter while they attend a dinner next door. But it's ok, because they have the baby monitor and and check on her every half hour. Until they get home and discover she's missing. As the detective starts questioning the couple and Anne's family, it is revealed that Anne has a surprising history, Marco was never welcomed into the family and his business is in ruins, and Anne's family also has a bit of history they want to keep hidden. While this book is very plot driven, you do end up feeling sorry for the characters, even when they have clearly done many things wrong. The plot is fast paced, and I, for one, wanted to keep reading. I couldn't read fast enough. The only down-side is that everything that happens is somewhat predictable. While Lapena keeps your attention, and it is suspenseful, she gives away just enough info so that you know what is going to happen, which I think very much takes away from the surprise. I kind of hated the ending, because of everything the characters went through to get to where they are and then THIS happened. As soon as the chapter started, I knew that what happened would actually happen. The way Lapena ended the book, I could see there being a sequel. Let me know if you agree. This is why I only gave the book 3 stars instead of 4 or 5, because there weren't really any flooring surprises and the ending was too predictable. However, because I couldn't put the book down, I did give it 3.

Amazing mystery! I bought this book over a year ago, and I just somehow missed reading it! And recently, I saw the title in a list of must-read-mysteries, and I'm glad that I found this marvelous thriller among my overlooked books. This one was truly a unique and tantalizing treat! I think that the title misleads the reader a bit--like a bit of a red herring. And I am all for that. In fact, this book really fools and surprises the reader quite often, but you won't anticipate any of those twists and turns. This is just a very cleverly done story! I don't want to go into the plot - there are so many reviews giving plot summaries, and I don't need to add another. And I certainly don't want to risk giving out any "spoilers" by accident. Instead, I will say that the writing was excellent, the pacing was perfect, and the plot was surprising and (as I said before) filled with amazing twists-and-turns. So please don't set this one aside by thinking it is "obvious" or "similar to other disappearing baby stories." You will soon find out how different and unique this one really is! Bravo to the author! Yes - I am glad I pulled this one down from the cloud, and I am GLAD I didn't miss it! FIVE STARS PLus for "The Couple Next Door."

So this was a fast read and I enjoyed it. Thought the ending was clever and fitting. But also far-fetched. I also found it very predictable--predicted most of the twists and I don't usually. But still enjoyed it and am going to read more. Off to download Everyone here is lying--think that is the name, was recommended as one of her best.

Love how this twisted and turned into something unexpected. I think I found a new author to follow and read all her work. Great read, I highly recommend!

Personally I thought the story was so interesting. I couldn't let go of the book. The details were well written too.

Un livre qui tient le suspens jusqu'au bout et qui captive jusqu'au dénouement. A conseiller à tous ceux qui aiment les thrillers

Book started with good pace, but as the story progresses it went down hill. I read it till the end only to find out if baby was okay or not. Predictable ending.

O enredo te prende completamente! Não sou nativa do inglês, mas consegui entender perfeitamente o que estava sendo falado em 98% do livro. Muito bom! Quero ler os outros do mesmo autor.

Muy buena novela thriller, con personajes realistas, relacionables, y la historia con tantas sorpresas que nunca sabes qué viene después.