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The Stranger Diaries

a completely addictive murder mystery

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The Stranger Diaries

By: Elly Griffiths
Narrated by: Andrew Wincott, Anjana Vasan, Esther Wane, Sarah Feathers
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About this listen

 THE TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR

THE RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK

'Utterly bewitching ... a pitch-perfect modern Gothic' AJ FINN, author of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW

'Compelling, intelligent and increasingly mesmerising' PETER JAMES

'At once a homage to the Gothic thriller, and a re-imagining, it is goose-bump spooky, smart, and haunting, in every sense. I loved this book! And you will too' LOUISE PENNY

A dark story has been brought to terrifying life. Can the ending be rewritten in time?

Clare Cassidy is no stranger to tales of murder. As a literature teacher specialising in the Gothic writer R.M. Holland, she teaches a short course on them every year. Then Clare's life and work collide tragically when one of her colleagues is found dead, a line from an R.M. Holland story by her body. The investigating police detective is convinced the writer's works somehow hold the key to the case.

Not knowing who to trust, and afraid that the killer is someone she knows, Clare confides her darkest suspicions and fears about the case to her journal. Then one day she notices some other writing in the diary. Writing that isn't hers...©2018 Elly Griffiths Detective Gothic Horror Mystery Psychological Supernatural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Paranormal Fiction Crime Exciting Murder

Critic Reviews

Great on character and suspense (Val McDermid)
Utterly bewitching. This atmospheric, intricate thriller, a pitch-perfect modern Gothic, chilled my blood and warmed my heart. As unforgettable as it is original (AJ Finn, author of The Woman in the Window)
Elly Griffiths writes with a sharp, smart eye and great elegance. This novel is compelling, intelligent and increasingly mesmerising (Peter James)
My heart is still pounding after finishing Elly Griffiths' The Stranger Diaries. As with her other books, this is fiercely intelligent, warm, human and at times, funny. The Stranger Diaries picks up where the great Gothic thrillers of the past leave off. At once a homage to that great literary form, and a re-imagining, it is goose-bump spooky, smart, and haunting, in every sense. I loved this book! And you will too (Louise Penny)
This clever and entertaining novel has much to say about female rivalry, mothers and daughters, and the creation of fiction itself
The perfect page-turner for foggy, wintry evenings
A deviously plotted modern-day tale that's rooted in a flesh-creeping Victorian past. Elly Griffiths' clever and original murder mystery plays deliciously on the nerves and kept me guessing until the end (Lesley Thomson, author of The Detective's Daughter series)
All stars
Most relevant
i see from reviews that Elly Griffiths' books/characters can polarise people. i didn't warm to Ruth Galloway -- mainly because I didn't like the reader and all the posh characters, especially Cathblad.
By contrast, i love this one because it centres on a much more down to earth DS -- Harbinder Kaur, who is not your stereotypical posh girl. i also enjoy listening to Anjana Vasan.
Meanwhile, the story has all the elements of a good mystery and some of the fun of cosy crime.
Really enjoyable -- looking forward to more!

Love it, love Harbinder -- best Elly Griffiths

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I'm a fan of the Ruth Galloway series but I really enjoyed the different direction that this book took. The literary & gothic elements were effective and enjoyable. The varied PoV was refreshing and engaging.

A great read

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I liked the Ruth Galloway books, although the endless Ruth/Nelson situation got a bit tedious towards the end, so thought I would enjoy this book by the same author. That was a mistake.

The characters were for the most part unappealing. I really didn’t like the female police officer and would have been very anxious as a victim of crime if she’d been investigating my case. She and her partner bumbled along and really got almost nowhere. The voice of the narrator who read her part was irritating and her pronunciation was poor.

Georgie was a pain, and her mother not much better. The dog was the only truly likeable character.

The resolution to the mystery was so unlikely as to be almost laughable.

The Stranger story within a story was melodramatic and a bit silly.

I might have to give up on Elly Griffiths.

Disappointing

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very disappointed as I loved the Ruth Galloway series Couldn't get into the characters or the story and I didnt like the narration

Disappointing

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I loved this book and could not stop listening to it. The story and the characters are spellbinding and (no spoilers) I had no idea who the culprit was until it was revealed. Lots of red herrings to keep you wondering.

THE STRANGER DIARIES

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