The Couple Next Door: A Novel

Written by Shari Lapena

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Not a Happy Family

“The twists come as fast [as] you can turn the pages.” —People

“I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the storyline.  The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!” —Sue Grafton

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Aug 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9780735288799

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.

Reviews for The Couple Next Door

[cbell4770 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent story! A real page turner until the end. Great narration.

[terrikenney84 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So good! Lots of twists and turns!!! Finished this in 2 days!

[philippe1965-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had high expectation for this book based on best-sellers lists and readers' reviews. The language and writing are easy which makes it a mage turner. I was disappointed until about halfway into the book: the story was stalling and facts were repeated over-and-over. I was more pleased but the second half of the book where the pace picked up. I did enjoy the last turns and twists making it a good read after all. But I would hesitate to read another book from this author.

[maret5g · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A six-month-old baby sleeps in his crib while his parents go to dinner next door. The parents check on the baby every half hour. When they return home late at night, the crib is empty. An investigation ensues, full of twists and turns. It's hard to guess who's behind it all. It's an unpredictable ending, which I love in thrillers.

I finally read Shari Lapena's book. The action picks up immediately, which is exactly what I love. With all the twists and turns and clues about who might have kidnapped poor little Cora, the story really captivated me.

I loved this audiobook and will definitely read more books by this author.

[paulahart-60603 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Normally I won't review a book I haven't finished. Just because it isn't my cup of tea doesn't necessarily mean it is a bad book. However, this is a bad book. The writing is sophomoric; it could easily have been written by a college freshman. The story wasn't terrible but I stopped reading at page 67 because the story wasn't enough to make up for the writing.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anne and Marco Conti, a couple in their early 30s like their next-door neighbors Cynthia and Graham Stillwell, have an uneasy friendship. Anne and Cynthia grew apart after Anne had her baby Cora six months before, and in addition, Cynthia overtly flirts with Marco every chance she gets. Nevertheless, Anne agrees that she and Marco will go over to their house for Graham’s birthday, a gathering “for adults only.” They did have a babysitter, but she had an emergency and cancelled at the last minute. Anne and Marco figured they could go anyway, if they took the baby monitor, and with one of them running back every half hour to check on Cora.

It all seemed to work fine until they went home at 1:30 and found the front door ajar and Cora gone.

Frantic, they called the police, and then fell apart in different ways as the police continued to be stymied over the abduction.

Up to this time, the reader is slowly ascending the steep climb on a roller coaster, and then the curves start coming faster and faster as everyone’s secrets come out, with one surprise after another.

Evaluation: I read this book in one sitting, because I couldn’t put it down. It’s not that it is “great literature; “rather, it is just what it promises to be: an entertaining, high-voltage, page-turning thriller, with unanticipated twists from all directions. If you need a book to keep you busy on an airplane, this one would be perfect!

[soup_house · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

it started off well, promising with some serious twists and turns....then it got repetitive and you could see the next twist coming from a mile away. With 30 pages left we weren't thinking "who-dun-it", we were thinking "are we done yet?"

[rochellejones · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Docked it for poor writing. Eesh.
Story was decent. But the writing just tanked it for me.

[Stephanie.Books · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had read several reviews of this book, most of them negative, but the truth is that I liked it a lot. A couple is invited to their neighbors' house for dinner but are told that they do not want children, so they decide to leave their 6-month-old daughter alone with a monitor and since they are next door, nothing will happen. They take turns checking on her every half hour. And, well, the predictable happens, the baby disappears. The story is quite quick to read and keeps you in suspense the whole time. There are several characters, and all of them hide something; there's the mom with postpartum depression, the dad with his company in bankruptcy, the grandfather who doesn't like his son-in-law, the neighbor who can't stand children, etc. I had my suspicions, but halfway through the book, there is a revelation that makes me suspect someone else ? In conclusion, it's good for passing the time and enjoying it, just like that ? (Translated from Spanish)

[indygo88 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Married couple Anne and Marco have plans to attend a dinner party at the home of their next door neighbors. Their babysitter cancels at the last minute, but they decide to attend the party anyway, leaving their infant daughter home alone, sleeping in her crib, while they take the baby monitor with them and personally check on her every half hour. But when it's Anne's turn to check on the baby and she comes home to an empty crib and an empty house, one of her worst nightmares seems to have come true.

Well this one is certainly a wild ride. Lots of plot twists that border on the ridiculous, yet it's like a train wreck and you can't stop reading. Is it realistic? On the whole, probably not, but it's a compulsive and entertaining read that you can fly through. For that reason, I'd recommend it.

[Toni Hernandez · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is the story of a couple who leave their 6-month-old baby at home to attend a dinner at their neighbor's house. They monitor the baby with a baby monitor and check on them every 30 minutes, but shortly after midnight, the baby is kidnapped, and from then on, chaos ensues. I don't want to say more. Some books require poetic and flowery prose, but this is not the case, and the truth is it doesn't need it at all. There's no need to flaunt your language skills when you have people on the edge of their seats at all times with a shocking ending. The mystery is thrilling and full of action, drama, betrayals, and immature, deceptive characters. It’s a book that is read too quickly to think about it critically. It doesn’t have very well-developed characters or an innovative plot, but what this book has is that until you put it down, it keeps calling to you from the nightstand saying, “Let’s find little Cora.” It’s addictive. (Translated from Spanish)

[waldhaus1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Many clever twists and turns. Definitely requires a suspension of disbelief. A baby is kidnapped. While her parents are in the home next door - on the other side of a common wall.
At first there is nothing from the kidnapper, then ransom is requested - but that goes awry. The babies father and grandfather despise on another. That hate becomes a pivotal point in the climax,

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Couple Next Door
3 Stars

A parent's worst nightmare - Anne and Marco Conti return home from dinner with their neighbors to discover the front door open and their baby missing. Detective Rasbach is suspicious of the young couple from the start as so many aspects of their story don't line up with the facts. Is this a case of post-partum depression gone wrong? Perhaps a kidnap for hire? Or does someone have a more sinister motive?

The kidnapping plot, which is a clear allusion to the abduction of Madeline McCann, starts out well, and the alternating POVs of the parents, the neighbor, and the cop keep the reader guessing until the halfway mark. At this point, there are a couple of twists that a) require a healthy suspension of disbelief, and b) make it difficult to care about the primary protagonists.

It is almost impossible to accept that Marco is as stupid and gullible as he is presented. The man is well-educated and successful, yet he readily agrees to a nonsensical plan suggested by a complete stranger he met in a bar?. Anne's characterization is also exceedingly strange. Not only is she a hand-wringing, sobbing mess (understandable given the situation), but she also suffers from post-partum depression and has dissociative identity disorder - given all of this, it's amazing the woman is compos mentis at all!

The eventual explanation is ridiculously obvious, and the villain's motivation is an annoying cliché - domineering stepfather has an affair with a slutty woman and needs money to leave his wealthy wife - really?

The only remotely sympathetic character is the detective - the poor man has his hands full dealing with these people.

Kirsten Potter's narration is excellent, and it is actually her performance that kept me engaged enough to finish the book.

[MartaMdM · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A thriller that hooked me a lot, I chose it because of a supposed block and it turned out to be a great decision. I had previously read the author with her last day, but I liked this one more. A couple with a baby, one night they go to dinner at their neighbors' house, and their baby disappears. The mother has postpartum depression; she is a very interesting character because of her personality. And I’m sorry, but I suffered for Marco, I know what’s going on, but I couldn’t help but love him because he loves his wife and daughter, the ending was very good. I cried with the ending but out of emotion ? My favorite character was Marco because I identified a lot with him, (I don’t see what happened well, but I understand the pressure and that he thought about it differently). Very good thriller. Tension and a final punchline ?. (Translated from Spanish)

[Archman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love being surprised, and this thriller by Shari Lapena has achieved that.

From the very beginning, the distinctive features of this work are clear: there are no filler chapters, the story progresses in each of them, and above all, there are no good or bad characters; everyone has secrets and a hidden side.

Even though by the middle of the book the kidnapper is already known, the events continue to unfold until the last page.

Honestly, I started reading it as a light read, and in the end, I finished it in less than a week. (Translated from Spanish)

[Lectora Nocturna · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Addictive and full of drama. Things keep happening throughout the entire book and secrets come to light. If I'm not mistaken, there are 3 marriages tormented by Erica, a very attractive and greedy woman. This woman blackmails them with revealing secrets they don't want to be exposed for a few million. An infidelity, a supposed murder, and a child. It's constant drama, highly recommended. The epilogue let me down a bit because it leaves you uncertain about who is guilty of that final event. (Translated from Spanish)

[joeyee-4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was more of a mystery than thriller.

[Natasha11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read it in English and it was very easy to follow, I really liked the plot and the ending which is quite unsettling. However, I didn't see many phrases to note or moments that make you go "oh my god!!!!" But it's definitely worth it. (Translated from Spanish)

[GustavoIGG · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A very light and very forgettable read. Despite hooking me with the story, which is told in a super agile way, it leaves a lot to be desired. Terrible ending; I imagine the author thinking that with this plot twist she would surprise everyone, but honestly, as soon as I read it, I felt like abandoning it, and the only reason I didn't was that I had 50 pages left. Simple characters, devoid of charisma; honestly, I don't think I will give the author another chance with one of her novels. (Translated from Spanish)

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This psychological thriller had a great plot idea, but it is extremely poorly written. The prose is wooden and simplistic, and the characterizations are tissue thin. There are no details of the sort that bring the story to life and flesh out the characters, where they are and what they are doing.

Anne and Marco live in an expensive well-furnished townhouse with their new baby Cora, partly supported by Anne's wealthy parents. One evening they were invited to dinner at their next door neighbors' Cynthia and Graham. When their babysitter cancelled at the last minute, they decide to go anyway, taking the baby monitor with them, as well as going next door every half hour to check on the baby, from whom they are separated by only a wall. All seems to go well, until they return home in the early hours to find the front door ajar and baby Cora gone. There follows one clue after the other, one suspect after the other in what could have been an enthralling narrative. Instead, the book reads as though it were written by a kid in elementary school, like a Dick and Jane primer. And then, the end comes right out of left field, with very little to prepare even the most attentive reader.

So, not one I recommend.

1 star

[juju2cat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well the pace of the book was there but I have never "met" so many messed up characters in a book before! Only the Grandma was apparently normal. As stated, there was a lot of twisted action but I had no love for anyone here.

[rosands-494665 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. So exciting from start to finish. So many twists. One of the best books I have read.

[MaGax55 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's an intriguing book with many plot twists; however, some are predictable and I didn't love the ending. (Translated from Spanish)

[atreic · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was indeed a page turning thriller, I wanted to know what had happened to the poor kidnapped baby.

But oh, it was a bunch of unlikable people! It was gripping to watch the layers come off and their lies exposed, but it really was a book for exaggerating normal human foibles into characters it was safe to hate. The sad depressed new mum is actually a psychotic murderer. The husband worried his business is rocky would actually have his own child kidnapped to get money. The father in law who looks down on you a bit really would ruin your life and plot to send you to gaol. The sexy next door neighbour who flirts a bit too much with your husband sleeps around to titillate her husband and is a heartless blackmailer who films people having sex without their consent. Yet even when it all got increasingly far fetched I kept going!

[randall6hansen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not quite the page-turner with a twist on every page, but definitely an enjoyable mystery -- written with multiple perspectives from various characters, including the police detective, the wife, and the husband. Involves the sad case of a young couple whose infant gets snatched from her crib while the couple is next door at a neighbor's dinner party. The second half of the book is much more exciting -- and a few unexpected twists and turns.

[Sara Lee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A novel that evokes weekend TV movies and afternoon soap operas. A drama in which all the characters are interconnected. Entertaining, nothing more. (Translated from Spanish)

[Gabriel Ojeda · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A story that I had been looking forward to for a couple of years. Highly recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

[Dmataro · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good book to dare for a while. (Translated from Spanish)

[candyh_64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A thrilling page turner for sure. Many unexpected twists and turns. If you like thrillers, this is a must read.

[linaswriting · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't know what it is about Shari Lapena, but she manages to keep me glued until I finish the book. It's not my favorite by the author, but I think she is very creative when it comes to creating characters.
Anne and Marco are first-time parents of a 6-month-old baby, and the book begins on the day the couple decides to have dinner at the house next door, leaving the baby alone at home with the condition that they will check on her every half hour, taking turns. However, when they return home, the girl is missing.
From the two books I've read by the author, I can identify a certain pattern in her characters, which is that none of them is entirely good, which I find quite realistic. No one is entirely good and innocent.
The final plot twist was something that left me shocked; I didn't see it coming and it made me end up biting my nails, gross but anyway. ?
⚠ The couple next door deals with themes of kidnapping and mental illness. ⚠ (Translated from Spanish)