The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

I certainly didn't see that coming!
I have mentioned before that I love a good mystery.  One thing that I dislike about some mysteries is knowing the outcome of the "whodunnit" before I have read half the book.  Not so with this book!  There are so many twists and turns that I had no idea who the culprit might be.

Anne and Marco are at a dinner party with their next door neighbors and friends, Cynthia and Graham.  Cynthia doesn't like children, so Anne and Marco have to hire a babysitter to care for Cora, their six month old daughter while the couples have dinner together.

At the last moment, the babysitter cannot work that evening, so the couple has to make a difficult decision.  They know that Cynthia doesn't like children, so they decide to leave the baby in their home alone.  Since the dinner party is right next door, and their home is a duplex, they know that they can check on their daughter often.

Anne and Marco decide to check on Cora every half hour while they are attending the dinner party.  They will take turns, and they will time it so Anne can nurse Cora when she needs. The couple checks on the baby every half hour. Both Anne and Marco have been drinking quite a lot, and realize their judgement has been affected.  It's getting late, and Anne wants to go home.  Marco is happy hanging out with the neighbors. Anne knows that Cora hasn't been checked since 12:30 and it is now going on 1:30.  Marco senses that she needs to go home, so the couple says their goodbyes and walks next door to their home.

Suddenly Anne realizes that the front door is open.  She knows she shut it when she checked Cora at midnight.  Marco checked Cora at 12:30, but she maintains that he used the back door as an entrance and exit.  The couple rushes upstairs and find that their daughter is not in her crib, nor is she anywhere in their home.  She has disappeared.

The police are called, and thus starts the twists and turns of a very complicated case.  This book will suck you in and not let you go.  I really had several suspects - and the ending!  Wow!