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    The Stranger Diaries
    The Stranger Diaries
    The Stranger Diaries
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Stranger Diaries

    Written by Elly Griffiths

    Narrated by Andrew Wincott, Esther Wane, Sarah Feathers and Anjana Vasan

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Death lies between the lines when the events of a dark story start coming true in this haunting modern gothic mystery, perfect for fans of Magpie Murders and The Lake House.

    Clare Cassidy is no stranger to murder. A high school English teacher specializing in the gothic writer R. M. Holland, she teaches a course on him every year. But when Clare’s colleague and close friend is found dead, with a line from R. M. Holland’s most famous story, The Stranger, left by her body, Clare is horrified to see her own life collide with the story lines of her favorite literature.

    To make matters worse, the police suspect that the killer is someone Clare knows.

    Unsure whom to trust, she turns to her closest confidant, her diary, the only outlet she has for her darkest suspicions and fears about the case. Then one day she notices something odd. Writing that isn’t hers, left on the page of an old diary: Hallo Clare. You don’t know me.

    Clare becomes more certain than ever: The Stranger has come to terrifying life.

    But can the ending be rewritten in time?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 5, 2019
    ISBN9781980026488
    The Stranger Diaries
    Author

    Elly Griffiths

    Elly Griffiths is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton mystery series, as well as the standalone novels The Stranger Diaries, winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel; The Postscript Murders; and Bleeding Heart Yard. She is the recipient of the CWA Dagger in the Library Award and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She lives in Brighton, England.

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    Reviews for The Stranger Diaries

    4/5

    536 ratings57 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      A fantastic modern mystery paired with the creepy tone of a Gothic thriller

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I had a lot of trouble understanding the narration of the book. I had to go get the book out of the library and read and then I could understand what was being said. I don't suggest this audiobook
    • 4/5
      Interesting story but I wish the author told us more about Holland.
    • 5/5
      “The companion animal is an important
      trope in the ghost story genre because an animal can sense things that are beyond human comprehension.”

      The Stranger Diaries

      I just so happened to finish reading this book alongside my companion animal! She’s not a great reading buddy as she thinks one hand should constantly be petting her (in spite of the fact that I need one hand for coffee and one for the book). And she certainly didn’t help me solve the who-done-it mystery! I was kept guessing up to the end.

      Clare (an English teacher) and her daughter Georgie along with a local detective narrate this book. Murders, mystery, and musing take place. I loved the creative writing and English class ties along with the short story sprinkled throughout.

      ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    • 5/5
      Such a fun read, or rather listen to. Delightful little lady that is definitely up to something.
    • 4/5
      I Didn’t guess the mystery. Enjoyed listening to this.
    • 4/5
      I love Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series. I love Gothic mysteries. So this was a no-brainer for me, I knew I wanted to read it as soon as I read the description. I wasn't disappointed. The creepy Gothic atmosphere was there. The mystery was there, and I didn't figure it out before it was revealed. Interesting characters, red herrings, creepy goings-on - it all kept me interested and guessing and I very much enjoyed it.

      My thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy for an unbiased review.
    • 3/5
      Pretty good, great characters. Not great at building tensions. The whole book has the feel of the first act of most other murder novels.
    • 5/5
      I love the Ruth Galloway series by this author so that is what lead me to try more of her writing. This is a lot of fun, not at all like her other series. The narration in this audio book is wonderful the way it switches to different characters and uses sound effects.

      I also came to adore Detective Harbinder Kauer! So, excited to read book #2 with this character!
    • 3/5
      Interesting story but slow going. Fairly predictable, I had it figured out very early on. I like stories with multiple narrators, but I felt that there was too much of the story repeated almost verbatim when the narrator switched.
    • 5/5
      Great audiobook. I'd recommend to anyone who likes classic literature or murder mystery's. It's a great combination with interesting different narrators. Bravo Elly!
    • 4/5
      Not sure where I picked this one up, but enjoyed the unfolding of the mystery and the telling of the tale. Not sure, but I suspect the lead detective will appear in future books. 2022 read.
    • 4/5
      This is a proper modern gothic murder mystery, with a 19th century ghost story woven in. Someone is surreptitiously making notes in Clare Cassidy's diaries, while members of her department at the high school where she teaches English are turning up dead, in a manner suggestive of the ghost story she often uses in class to illustrate creative writing techniques. Multiple narrators help to keep one guessing as to who is reliable and who isn't. Lots of literary allusions here, most of them spelled out, but a few left to the reader to suss out. Couldn't have enjoyed this one more.Reviewed in April, 2022
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed the book Great fast paced thriller. Lots of twists and turns. Kept me guessing all through the book.
    • 4/5
      Talgarth High, the school where Clare teaches, is not particularly prestigious. The one thing it's known for is that the old building and the grounds used to be the estate of author R.M. Holland, whose short story "The Stranger" is a prime example of the Victorian horror genre. Clare, an English teacher, knows the story well, and in fact, she is writing a biography of the enigmatic author. However, events take a turn for the macabre when people with a connection to Clare start being found murdered in ways eerily similar to those in the story.I enjoyed this book, with its literary allusions and school setting. I was kept guessing the whole way through, though the murderer was one of my top three suspects. I was particularly impressed by the intentional way the author used multiple narrators to reveal different facets of the story. There's not too much gore (which is as I prefer it), and the suspense builds throughout the book. Recommended.
    • 5/5
      I’ve read this book twice, once for my own enjoyment and once for a book club, which was equally enjoyable! It’s a real mystery lover’s mystery and I can see why it won the Edgar. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      Creepy tale set primarily at a school, with undertones from the Gothic era. Clare Cassidy is a beautiful English teacher with a teenage daughter, Georgia. She is divorced from her husband Simon, and he is remarried with 2 young children. Clare is writing a book about a mysterious author who wrote The Stranger. When her best friend, Ella, another English teacher at the school is murdered, Clare is devastated. She writes of her feelings in her diary, and sees similarities to the mysterious author who once lived at the school. As more people close to Clare become harmed, she is both considered a suspect and a potential victim. DS Harbinder Kaur is assigned to investigate. (1st in series)Cleverly weaving the present and the past, this is a ghost story that will have you guessing!
    • 4/5
      This story builds in momentum as you read it. I never saw the ending coming. And afterall, isn't that what we look for in a story that keeps us on the edge of our seat?
    • 3/5
      The precursor to [The Postscript Murders], although I don't know how connected they are. Another odd mystery, although there is indeed a murderer. The motif of beautiful women in danger, mixed with horror stories, is a little off-putting, I think.
    • 4/5
      A good read! Probably says something that I stormed through it in a couple of days -- 8/10 hours "eyes to page" reading time, at most! I thought her pacing was particularly skilful -- alternating between the POVs of Clare, DI Kour and Clare's daughter Georgia, was a good way of keeping readers on their toes, and providing a fresh, unsettling perspective on both the creepy events at Talgarth High School, and the characters.

      This is my first novel by Elly Griffiths, but I'm looking forward to more.
    • 4/5
      This doesn't quite come off as a modern gothic tale, but it's an interesting enough story with people who seem more real than most modern mysteries I've encountered.
    • 4/5
      The Stranger Diaries is the first in a series featuring Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur, and concerns the murder of an English teacher at a secondary school. The story opens in the voice of Clare Cassidy, a close friend and colleague of the victim. Clare is researching the life and work of a fictional author whose best-known work is a creepy gothic short story. The short story is told in parts between chapters of the novel, and it seems the murderer may be imitating parts of the story. The narration rotates between Clare, her daughter Georgia, and Harbinder. I loved seeing the same events from multiple perspectives, and the format encouraged me to look for connections in an attempt to identify the murderer. Harbinder’s chapters also touched on some of her personal history and circumstances, setting her up as a recurring character in future novels. I’m definitely adding this to my series list.
    • 4/5
      Elly Griffiths demonstrates her dexterity again, combining a well crafted contemporary whodunit with a homage to traditional Gothic horror stories.Glamorous English teacher Clare Cassidy has been working on a book about R M Holland , a Victorian writer of ghost stories, best known for his short tale, The Stranger. Clare had always been interested in Holland’s work, but is particularly driven now as the school she teaches at is situated in Holland’s old house by the Sussex coast. As the novel opens, she learns that her closest friend has just been murdered in her own flat, apparently by an intruder. There are, however, a few odd aspects about the crime, and the police are convinced that the assailant was known to the victim.The investigation is led by Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur, who defies the crime fiction stereotypes, being both Sikh and lesbian, who at thirty-five still lives at home with her parents. She is a powerful and very empathetic character. Griffiths develops the plot with great assurance, moving between three different narrative – one in the form of Harbinder’s thought, while the others take the form of diary entries from Clare and her daughter Georgia, a pupil at the school. I don’t want to say much m ore for fear of compromising some of the dexterous plot twists, but this is a highly entertaining novel, very different from Elly Griffiths’s series featuring Ruth Galloway, but just as rewarding for the reader.
    • 4/5
      Now THIS is a Gothic novel as compared to the last one I read, which was a complete load of clichés! Creepy and spooky atmosphere! Claire Cassidy, an English literature teacher, lives one, with 2 murders [whodunnit and why]. Who and why are they writing in her diary? I was absolutely enthralled from the very first sentence all through till the reveal. Told by various characters, alternating, either to propel the story forward or to tell of the same events from their particular point of view, "Rashomon"-like. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Clare Gallagher teaches English in a private school, and is writing a book about a Gothic writer named R. M. Holland, who used to live in the school's oldrst building. People close to Clare begin dying in ways that Holland wrote about, and on the scene comes a no-nonsense detective who suspects everyone. Clare has kept a diary for her whole life, and when she turns to it for comfort, she starts to find an unfamiliar handwriting there. Has Holland's famous story, The Stranger, come to life? Will Clare and the detective solve it first? Who can be trusted? This Edgar-winning novel introduced a new writer to me, and is a whodunit not to be missed!
    • 4/5
      Engaging mystery with characters that I'm glad to see will become part of a series. Even guessing whodunit didn't spoil reading the story.
    • 4/5
      Single mom and daughter encounter murder, romance and ghostly, almost paranormal situations. It was Griffiths' good characterisations that carried the day, but I can't say I cared for the way the policewoman (Harbinder Kaur) was portrayed. The plot was occasionally implausible to an annoying degree (all Clare's personal diaries suddenly being demanded by the police?), too convoluted for its own good, and the dénouement was rather a rushed, illogical affair. My favourite character was actually Bryony Hughes. There was something reminiscent of Cathbad (in the Ruth Galloway novels) about Bryony. I believe the Hughes' character was more suited as a greater participant in the Stranger Dairies narrative. As it was, her role felt flat-lined although it seemed pivotal in the plot.
    • 4/5
      Clare Cassidy, a secondary school English teacher, keeps a diary and is an expert on a Victorian writer famous for a short horror story who lived at the school where she teaches. Another teacher is murdered and Clare finds that someone is reading her diary and has added comments in the same handwriting as a note left with the victim. As further murderous activity piles up the police are unsure if Clare’s close circle of family and friends are potential victims or include the murderer.Griffiths is an experienced and high quality crime fiction author, famous for the Ruth Galloway and Stephens and Mephisto series. In this outing into a more suspenseful and gothic horror-like genre she maintains that quality. The plot twists are fresh and keep us off-balance and there are some genuinely scary moments amidst the overall unease about what is actually happening. The final reveal is both startling and satisfying.The characters are finely drawn and believable and even the walk-on parts have a three-dimensional shape to them, making the whole enterprise that much more real. For me, the character that holds the whole piece together is Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur. As well as plenty of copper nous she has an interesting and slightly vulnerable personal side that allows us to warm to her after a rocky start. I would like to see more of her in future books. Perhaps another star of a series?
    • 3/5
      This is really good for the majority of the book, it just tails of as it approaches the ending. Told in the first person by 3 different women, it tells of a series of murders. The proimary setting is a chool, which used to be the home of an author. This author's most famous works is a sjort story set at Halloween and the initial murders bear an uncanny resemblence to the murders that occur within the short story. The tale is further complicated by the author's wife apparently fell from the upper story and is seen as a ghost that predicts furhter deaths. The first person tale moves between Claire, (teaches English at the school and is writing a book about the author, as well as uses his short story in her creative writing classes), her daughter Georgia (15, adolescent, has an unsuitable boyfriend) and Harbinder (detective, used to go to the school concerned). This works well as a device in the early stages, with extensive passages by each person, giving them time to find their voice and appear as dsctinct people. However as the book progresses, the time in each book shortens, and at this stage it becomes a bit disjointed. It seems to almost work against the ratchetting up of the tension by moveing the scene from one to the other and each change seems to release the tension. The surmise of the conneciton between the book and the murders works well for the first part, but gradually the link becomes broken and so it seems like an artifice that didn;t really serve a purpose. I liked the setting, as it was located in places I knew, and so the landscape worked for me. It was a good read, but not one that left me flinching when the lights went out.
    • 3/5
      The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths presents a better mystery with two mysteries within the novel and three narrators: a mother, Clare, her daughter, Georgia, and the police inspector, DS Harbinder Kaur. Griffiths utilizes quotations from Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest, plus passages from The Stranger by RM Holland. Griffiths displays the full story of The Stranger at the end of the book. As new people are murdered, the hunt for the killer accelerates. What is the motive? Envy? Love? Diaries by Clare and Georgia relate feelings and frustrations that could lead to murder. One of the memorable quotations from The Tempest appears at all the murder scenes, “hell is empty, and all the devils are here”. So many clues and such inspiring quotations.