Book Summary
Claire Douglas – The Couple at No.9
Book Details
Title: The Couple at No.9
Author: Claire Douglas
Pages: 409
Publisher: Lijsters
Publication Date: 2021
Genre: Thriller and Mystery Novel
Original Language: English
Topics: Murder Mystery, Cold Crime, Present versus Past, Family.
Notes have been included: These are not part of the text in the book. They are extra insights
intended to help you understand the story. They will always appear in green font.
Short Summary of the Book:
Saffron, called Saffy as a name of endearment, and her boyfriend Tom Perkins' excitement
about renovating their home takes a dark turn when builders unearth two bodies buried in
the backyard. Immediately, Saffron calls the authorities. Officers and Forensic scientists find
out that the bodies are a male and a female, dating back at least thirty years. Not long after,
the tests show that the female died of blunt force trauma to the head. This is now a murder
investigation. The police focus on the previous owner, Saffron's grandmother, Rose, who
battles Alzheimer's at a care home. Despite Rose's fading memory, there's a sense that she
holds crucial information. Either she lived there and witnessed something, or she at least
knows what happened. Saffron fears that her grandmother will be accused of murder. As
Rose's fragmented memories surface, Saffron becomes uneasy, feeling watched in the
cottage. She calls her mother, Lorna, in Spain, who instantly offers to come and help sort
things out. Thankful for the support, Saffron and Tom welcome her to the cottage.
As it turns out, it is Lorna who starts to piece some things together. She realizes that the
cottage is familiar, as is the Village Beggars Nook. All of it feels like a distant memory that
she cannot hold onto. They do the math and realize that Lorna would have been three years
old when she lived there with Rose. Little by little they uncover more pieces of the puzzle.
At the time of the murders, not only was Rose living in the cottage with three-year-old Lorna,
but they had a lodger too. First, she is identified as Daphne Hartall. Later, it turns out that
Daphne had stolen this identity, and her name was Sheila Watts. But that’s not the end of it.
Rose keeps mentioning names. How is Jean, Susan and even Victor involved?
Lorna is shocked to find that Rose may have lied about her father. She had always insisted
that her father was named William, and that he died well before she was born. But this Victor
that she keeps mentioning, sounds more and more like a possible candidate. Not only that,
but he also wanted to hurt Rose’s baby. Had he wanted to hurt Lorna before she was born?
Is that why Rose had fled to Beggars Nook? Is that why she kept him a secret? Who was the
male victim in the backyard? But perhaps more pressing, who was the female victim?
Time is running out for Saffron and Lorna to find out, before the police do.
Long Summary of the Book:
Important to know: The story happens largely in Beggars Nook, a charming village in the
Cotswolds. The Cotswolds is a region in central-west England. The rural landscape contains
stone-built villages, towns, and stately homes and gardens featuring the local stone. Most of
the book centers around the cottage called Skelton Place. A cottage is a modest, often cozy
house, typically in a rural or semi-rural location.
Dedication from the author:
For Elizabeth Lane, Rhonda Douglas and June Kennedy
1
, The book is divided into PART ONE, PART TWO, PART THREE and PART FOUR
PART ONE
Note: The story is told from different people’s perspectives. In this case it can be from the
perspective of Saffron, Lorna, Rose or Theo. They tell it mostly in the I-form!
April 2018 – Saffron
Saffron Cutler, also called Saffy, is pulling some weeds out of the borders of the driveway at
her cottage, Skelton Place. Her grandmother’s dog, called Snowy, is keeping her company.
Throughout the day, Saffron had been hearing the incessant thrum of the builder’s digger
and she compared it to a headache that wouldn’t leave. Saffron and her boyfriend, Tom, had
received the cottage as a gift and they had recently moved in. They started redecorating and
had decided to extend a part of the kitchen into the backyard. Hence, the builders. They had
been digging for hours, but suddenly, the noise stopped and one of the young builders came
to the front yard to find Saffron. “Sorry to disturb you, but we found something.”
Saffron drops her gardening gloves and follows the builder, named Jonty, into the backyard.
There she finds the other two builders, Karl and Darren, gathered around the hole they had
been digging. Darren told Saffron they had found remains. Saffron asked if it was an animal.
The builders exchanged a look at Saffron’s question. Karl stepped up. “It looks like a hand.”
Saffron stepped back in horror. “So, you’re saying… they’re human?”
“I think so,” said Darren. “You’d better call the police.”
Note: Right from the start, the author establishes the fact that Saffron is a nervous person.
She and her boyfriend, Tom, are twenty-four years old and only graduated three years prior
from university. When Jonty comes to fetch Saffron, she is instantly alarmed, thinking there
was an accident and that she would have to call the emergency services. The reason she
does not instantly think the builders found human remains is because it isn’t uncommon for
people to dig into their yards in England and find historical artefacts. In fact, the Cotswolds is
known as an area where ancient fossils have been found.
By the time that Tom arrives, two hours later, the whole backyard has been transformed into
a crime scene investigation. White tent, yellow tape and all. Saffron has been pacing in the
kitchen. They’d only moved into the cottage last February, away from their flat in Croydon.
They had sat with an architect planning to extend the kitchen into the back. Never had she
imagined it would lead to countless police officers and men in forensic suits in her backyard.
Tom rushes in and hugs her. “Are you ok? What a shock! The baby…”
“It’s all fine. We’re fine,” says Saffron, palms on her stomach protectively.
The pregnancy had been unplanned, and Saffron was still coming to grips with the fact that
they would soon be parents. She was in her first trimester and a little bump only started to
show now. She was very nervous about it all, as was Tom.
An officer by the name Amanda Price comes towards them at the back door of the kitchen.
“Can I just confirm you are the owners of this property? Tom Perkins and Saffron Cutler?”
Technically, the cottage is from Saffron’s mother, but she doesn’t want to complicate things.
“Yes,” says Tom. “This is our cottage.”
The female officer tells them that the investigation may still take some time and asks if they
have somewhere else to stay for the time being. Neither Tom nor Saffron knows people in
the village yet. They have nowhere to stay. The officer suggests that they find a hotel or an
inn to stay in until Sunday. She assures them that their expenses will be compensated by
the police. Tom asks her when the builders can resume their work. The officer admits that it
is not her call to make. They will hear from the SOCO, a Scenes of Crime Officer.
Note: Tom Perkins, Saffron’s boyfriend, is a good-natured person. He has a calming
influence on Saffron, though he does worry at times. And he is a good buffer between
Saffron and her mother Lorna. He grounds them all.
2
Claire Douglas – The Couple at No.9
Book Details
Title: The Couple at No.9
Author: Claire Douglas
Pages: 409
Publisher: Lijsters
Publication Date: 2021
Genre: Thriller and Mystery Novel
Original Language: English
Topics: Murder Mystery, Cold Crime, Present versus Past, Family.
Notes have been included: These are not part of the text in the book. They are extra insights
intended to help you understand the story. They will always appear in green font.
Short Summary of the Book:
Saffron, called Saffy as a name of endearment, and her boyfriend Tom Perkins' excitement
about renovating their home takes a dark turn when builders unearth two bodies buried in
the backyard. Immediately, Saffron calls the authorities. Officers and Forensic scientists find
out that the bodies are a male and a female, dating back at least thirty years. Not long after,
the tests show that the female died of blunt force trauma to the head. This is now a murder
investigation. The police focus on the previous owner, Saffron's grandmother, Rose, who
battles Alzheimer's at a care home. Despite Rose's fading memory, there's a sense that she
holds crucial information. Either she lived there and witnessed something, or she at least
knows what happened. Saffron fears that her grandmother will be accused of murder. As
Rose's fragmented memories surface, Saffron becomes uneasy, feeling watched in the
cottage. She calls her mother, Lorna, in Spain, who instantly offers to come and help sort
things out. Thankful for the support, Saffron and Tom welcome her to the cottage.
As it turns out, it is Lorna who starts to piece some things together. She realizes that the
cottage is familiar, as is the Village Beggars Nook. All of it feels like a distant memory that
she cannot hold onto. They do the math and realize that Lorna would have been three years
old when she lived there with Rose. Little by little they uncover more pieces of the puzzle.
At the time of the murders, not only was Rose living in the cottage with three-year-old Lorna,
but they had a lodger too. First, she is identified as Daphne Hartall. Later, it turns out that
Daphne had stolen this identity, and her name was Sheila Watts. But that’s not the end of it.
Rose keeps mentioning names. How is Jean, Susan and even Victor involved?
Lorna is shocked to find that Rose may have lied about her father. She had always insisted
that her father was named William, and that he died well before she was born. But this Victor
that she keeps mentioning, sounds more and more like a possible candidate. Not only that,
but he also wanted to hurt Rose’s baby. Had he wanted to hurt Lorna before she was born?
Is that why Rose had fled to Beggars Nook? Is that why she kept him a secret? Who was the
male victim in the backyard? But perhaps more pressing, who was the female victim?
Time is running out for Saffron and Lorna to find out, before the police do.
Long Summary of the Book:
Important to know: The story happens largely in Beggars Nook, a charming village in the
Cotswolds. The Cotswolds is a region in central-west England. The rural landscape contains
stone-built villages, towns, and stately homes and gardens featuring the local stone. Most of
the book centers around the cottage called Skelton Place. A cottage is a modest, often cozy
house, typically in a rural or semi-rural location.
Dedication from the author:
For Elizabeth Lane, Rhonda Douglas and June Kennedy
1
, The book is divided into PART ONE, PART TWO, PART THREE and PART FOUR
PART ONE
Note: The story is told from different people’s perspectives. In this case it can be from the
perspective of Saffron, Lorna, Rose or Theo. They tell it mostly in the I-form!
April 2018 – Saffron
Saffron Cutler, also called Saffy, is pulling some weeds out of the borders of the driveway at
her cottage, Skelton Place. Her grandmother’s dog, called Snowy, is keeping her company.
Throughout the day, Saffron had been hearing the incessant thrum of the builder’s digger
and she compared it to a headache that wouldn’t leave. Saffron and her boyfriend, Tom, had
received the cottage as a gift and they had recently moved in. They started redecorating and
had decided to extend a part of the kitchen into the backyard. Hence, the builders. They had
been digging for hours, but suddenly, the noise stopped and one of the young builders came
to the front yard to find Saffron. “Sorry to disturb you, but we found something.”
Saffron drops her gardening gloves and follows the builder, named Jonty, into the backyard.
There she finds the other two builders, Karl and Darren, gathered around the hole they had
been digging. Darren told Saffron they had found remains. Saffron asked if it was an animal.
The builders exchanged a look at Saffron’s question. Karl stepped up. “It looks like a hand.”
Saffron stepped back in horror. “So, you’re saying… they’re human?”
“I think so,” said Darren. “You’d better call the police.”
Note: Right from the start, the author establishes the fact that Saffron is a nervous person.
She and her boyfriend, Tom, are twenty-four years old and only graduated three years prior
from university. When Jonty comes to fetch Saffron, she is instantly alarmed, thinking there
was an accident and that she would have to call the emergency services. The reason she
does not instantly think the builders found human remains is because it isn’t uncommon for
people to dig into their yards in England and find historical artefacts. In fact, the Cotswolds is
known as an area where ancient fossils have been found.
By the time that Tom arrives, two hours later, the whole backyard has been transformed into
a crime scene investigation. White tent, yellow tape and all. Saffron has been pacing in the
kitchen. They’d only moved into the cottage last February, away from their flat in Croydon.
They had sat with an architect planning to extend the kitchen into the back. Never had she
imagined it would lead to countless police officers and men in forensic suits in her backyard.
Tom rushes in and hugs her. “Are you ok? What a shock! The baby…”
“It’s all fine. We’re fine,” says Saffron, palms on her stomach protectively.
The pregnancy had been unplanned, and Saffron was still coming to grips with the fact that
they would soon be parents. She was in her first trimester and a little bump only started to
show now. She was very nervous about it all, as was Tom.
An officer by the name Amanda Price comes towards them at the back door of the kitchen.
“Can I just confirm you are the owners of this property? Tom Perkins and Saffron Cutler?”
Technically, the cottage is from Saffron’s mother, but she doesn’t want to complicate things.
“Yes,” says Tom. “This is our cottage.”
The female officer tells them that the investigation may still take some time and asks if they
have somewhere else to stay for the time being. Neither Tom nor Saffron knows people in
the village yet. They have nowhere to stay. The officer suggests that they find a hotel or an
inn to stay in until Sunday. She assures them that their expenses will be compensated by
the police. Tom asks her when the builders can resume their work. The officer admits that it
is not her call to make. They will hear from the SOCO, a Scenes of Crime Officer.
Note: Tom Perkins, Saffron’s boyfriend, is a good-natured person. He has a calming
influence on Saffron, though he does worry at times. And he is a good buffer between
Saffron and her mother Lorna. He grounds them all.
2
