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I haven't read Shari Lapena's previous novel, the hugely successful "The Couple Next Door", so I was looking forward to reading a book by a new author to me and a one that comes highly recommended within my online book circles.
True art lies in the art of clever clueing, leading the reader along the road to the truth, with many aha moments along the way… you’ll be gripped by this tense thriller.” Still* flat as a pancake..., and the train never came. It’s a closed train station. It’s never coming.I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the story line. The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!” The library ebook was available: As I started reading - I kept saying “I’ve read this before”... IT WAS SO FAMILIAR
When the police arrive at his door, Tom believes that they are responding to his 911 call, but in fact they are there to inform him that his wife has been in an accident. His wife is badly injured and does not remember what occurred leading up to her accident or why she was in that area (the bad section of town that a nice housewife should not be found in) of town.It’s rare that I forget about a book that I read.... but what’s interesting is my rating hasn’t changed! I feel the same now as when I wrote my original review. I received a copy of this book from Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. not sure it was suppose to be funny or not - but I loved that a book did that to me ....pure fun entertainment—- Lapena keeps the well-developed twists churning, with each a surprise notch in this ever-evolving plot, and she continues this skillful storytelling until the stunning twist at the end. . . memorable.” –Associated Press
Shari expertly traps you, confounds you and leaves you gasping at the end. More, please...' FIONA BARTON A Stranger in the House is an intriguing, easy and fast-paced suspenseful psychological thriller that had us both purely entertained by this fun and easy story. This will be my last PT for a while. I do enjoy this sub-genre, but the originality is beginning to fade, and the plots are starting to all run together. Time to shuffle around the TBR a little, I think.
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The central performance (there are a few other actors credited on the film, but to say anything about them would be venturing into spoiler territory) is strong and vanity-free. We watch as Richard, the character, sits and reads through YouTube comments, most of which are spam (his reaction to someone claiming to make a ton of money sitting at home will be familiar to anybody who’s waded into the comments section before). Around the same time Karen wakes up in a hospital after being involved in a car accident that has left her partially amnesiac, what's worse is that she can't remember what happened immediately before the accident. A] well-sculpted domestic thriller . . . highly suspenseful . . . Twists are subtly revealed with aplomb, taking the story to increasingly unpredictable levels.” A Stranger in the House is a book with very few characters. Tom, Karen and Brigid from next door. And of course the detective, whose name I have already forgotten because for me, he felt like a very forgettable character. There wasn’t a single personality trait to the man that made him stand out from any other run-of-the-mill detective, except that he did not seem to be particularly good at his job. I was surprised to discover that this was the same detective from The Couple Next Door, the author’s debut novel, which I had enjoyed. Anyway, the problem with a very small cast is that unless they are engaging and captivating, the reader soon loses interest. I thought my life was pretty boring, but compared to this little troupe my social life is a downright circus! There are no friends, no family, no work colleagues. And to be totally honest, I hated all three characters. So now we have a problem, because I really didn’t care what happens to any of them, especially Brigid, who seemed so stereotypical that I was wondering at times if the author was writing tongue-in-cheek to throw some wild curveball right at the end. But sadly, no. Lane : "I had the knife. It was on the bed... about that long. And she rolled against it. And it cut right here. There weren't nuthin' to do."
As per my norm when it comes to this genre ("Gone Girl" and "Girl on the Train" being examples), I didn't really enjoy any of the characters or find them likeable. This isn't a bad thing when it comes to this genre! I find with this genre that if I remain passive to all of the characters due to dislike of their characteristics/personalities, it makes it harder for me to be able to predict who is the criminal/murderer. The one thing that I will say though, which I won't name names to avoid spoilers, is that I HATED one character. From the beginning. That character had all of the qualities to make me want to throw the book (I didn't, don't worry). If you have read this book and are able to guess who it is from my level of being vague, PLEASE tell me that I wasn't the only person who was repulsed by this character! It was July 11, 2007. The Gerharts and the Ewalts were out for dinner when Chet popped the question: Would Darlene and Todd like to join them on a Caribbean cruise? The fun would set sail in October, the busiest time of year for Todd, the dedicated football coach. Darlene didn't care. Hoda Kotb: When you have a crime that seems this personal you're looking for those closest to her. And what were you finding when you were talking to her friends?
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Karen finds support from her best friend and neighbor, who keeps a very close eye on Tom and Karen…. Although, by the time I got this one from the library, I’d grown weary of the repetitiveness, I have to say I enjoyed the quirky atmosphere, and the dash of dark humor thrown into the mix, which was refreshing. Lauren Berger: I remember sitting in the-- the viewing and looking around the room and thinking to myself, could that person really be here who-- who did this to her? You know, who-- who on earth would want to hurt her?
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