“Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends meet in New York City when they receive life-changing news: Chad’s late uncle has left them his luxury apartment at the historic Windermere in glamorous Murray Hill. With its prewar elegance and impeccably uniformed doorman, the building is the epitome of old New York charm. One would almost never suspect the dark history lurking behind its perfectly maintained facade.

At first, the building and its eclectic tenants couldn’t feel more welcoming. But as the Lowans settle into their new home, Rosie starts to suspect that there’s more to the Windermere than meets the eye. Why is the doorman ever-present? Why are there cameras everywhere? And why have so many gruesome crimes occurred there throughout the years? When one of the neighbours turns up dead, Rosie must get to the truth about the Windermere before she, too, falls under its dangerous spell.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger. The New Couple in 5B was published by Park Row Books on 27th February 2025 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of The New Couple in 5B but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to join the blog tour and for sending me a digital copy of the book.

I am ashamed to say The New Couple in 5B is the first book I have read by acclaimed author, Lisa Unger. I know. I’m letting the side down! I do have a couple of this author’s earlier books on the TBR including the irresistibly titled Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. I just haven’t managed to squeeze it into my reading schedule as yet. Same as 99% of all my other non-ARC, gifted or purchased books! However, having read the thoroughly compelling The New Couple in 5B that will definitely change.

Rosie Lowan is a writer based in bustling NYC. Her debut, a true crime exposé, was a hit but since then she’s struggled to come up with a concept good enough to take to her editor. Her husband, Chad, is an actor still waiting on his big break. In amongst the stress of their everyday lives, they’ve also been trying to start a family, but it’s just not happening. When Chad’s uncle dies and leaves them his sprawling apartment in a well-to-do, historic building, they can’t believe their luck. They move to The Windermere, hoping it’s the start of something big. A bright new future for them in both their careers and in their personal lives. But The Windermere, with its ever-present, all-seeing doorman and its myriad of cameras, has secrets of its own. Many have died at The Windermere since its inception, including the architect who designed and built the structure at the start of the Great Depression. Rosie doesn’t feel as settled or as comfortable as her husband in their new home. There’s something about the place that just feels…off? Then, when one of their neighbours plummets to his death, Rosie suddenly realises that The Windermere may not be the blessing the Lowan’s first thought. It could, in fact, be the death of them…

The New Couple in 5B is a very well-written, engrossing mystery with a delicious supernatural edge to proceedings. Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is! Rosie and Chad, having spent time caring for Chad’s terminally ill uncle, are already familiar with the eclectic residents of The Windermere before they move in. They’ve become quite close to Ella and Charles who live next door in 5A. But then things start to go wrong for the Lowans. Strange things start to happen. Rosie is trapped in the basement and sees something she herself can’t quite believe. Abi, the doorman, is always on duty, no matter what time of day or night. He never leaves his post. And the deaths. There have been so many terrible deaths in the building over the years. Determined to uncover the true history of the building and bring light to the darkness within its walls, Rosie starts to investigate. But perhaps The Windermere isn’t quite ready to give up all of its secrets just yet…

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The New Couple in 5B is a twisty, compelling read with a cast of interesting characters. This is one of those books where you tell yourself you’ll read just one more chapter, but that quickly turns into half of the book! I was bursting to find out what was going on at The Windermere. Just exactly what was Rosie dealing with here? She’d seen things she probably shouldn’t have. She’d had conversations with people that made her see the building in a different light. And along the way, a whole host of terrible things had happened. What was behind it all? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find that out. But let’s just say, I had an inkling about one aspect of the reveal but the other big twist, it took me completely by surprise. I did not see that coming! The setting is as much a character as the lead protagonist is. The story is well-paced throughout, and the added supernatural elements cast doubt over absolutely everything. All in all, The New Couple in 5B is a chilling, unnerving and suspense-laden tale. Creepy, claustrophobic and highly atmospheric. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author soon. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The New Couple in 5B. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger was published in the UK by Park Row Books on 27th February 2025 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of twenty-two novels, including CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO 10. With books published in thirty-three languages and millions of copies sold worldwide, she is regarded as a master of suspense.

Unger’s critically acclaimed novels have been featured on “Best Book” lists from the Today show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, People, Amazon, Goodreads, L.A. Times, The Boston Globe, Sun Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times, and many others. She has been nominated for, or won, numerous awards including the Strand Critics, Audie, Hammett, Macavity, ITW Thriller, and Goodreads Choice. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations in the same year, an honor held by only a few authors including Agatha Christie. Her short fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Mystery and Suspense, and her non-fiction has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. Lisa is the current co-President of the International Thriller Writers organization. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her family.