Actual Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up for GR)

We're always told to never trust a stranger but when you're trapped in the middle of nowhere during a terrible snowstorm, sometimes you have no choice. With roads shutting down and cell towers out, Walker comes across Tibby standing in the middle of the road, freezing. Offering her a ride to keep her safe from the elements, they decide to travel together, which could either be their saving grace or worst mistake. When they’re forced to take an unexpected detour and seek refuge in a roadside motel, the storm quickly becomes the least of their worries. Each stranger holds a secret, but which stranger can be trusted?

Immediately, I loved Tibby from the beginning. She is exactly who I would be if I was in that situation myself. Modglin plays on that feminine fear of being alone in the dark and having a stranger come across us and not allow us to just leave. However, on the other side - Walker is such a sweet and caring fellow with a little bit of a dark side.

KMod is never a disappointment when it comes to the twists and turns, this time giving us so many options for an end and always keeping you on the edge of your seat. I recommend the audio of this book, which has multiple narrators, giving the best atmospheric read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Kiersten Modglin for an advanced copy of the audiobook. The Stranger is available now in eBook and 16th April, 2024 in audiobook form.

This was another great audio book from Modglin. There was one super creepy voice. This was a creepy and intense story but it was a good one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook ARC opportunity!

Wow, this book could be a movie! I have read several of Kiersten’s books and while I see some of the reviews call this one different- I absolutely loved it. The 3 voice actors really brought the story alive with great emotion, and the production was fantastic. The background, I found, was more polished and theatrical than other audio books (and I read many!)

I can’t say too much about the story without giving anything away, but I will say the story starts with Tibby, who dares to take a ride on a cold winters night from a stranger named Walker. We soon learn there is a murderer in this small town in which they are trapped. We meet other characters along the way who we think can either be helping Tibby, or could be the murderers themselves.

I felt very satisfied with the ending and was definitely surprised!

Driving through a snowstorm, Walker sees someone walking on the side of the road. He stops to help this woman out. After a lot of back and forth, Tibby finally decides to get in the car to warm up and not be on the side of the road any longer. As the snow piles up and a detour takes them off the highway, they find a motel to spend the night in until things clear up. With a few guest plus the owner being at the motel, they feel a little better. But when questionable things start to happen and a news report about two missing teens comes on…they start to get nervous about their current situation.

I enjoyed this book! There was multiple POVs and dual timelines. There were also a few great twists! I did NOT see them coming either! It seemed like one thing was going to happen and then the opposite did. I was not expecting the ending but thought it was well done. The beginning was LONG and not much happens until 65-70% of the book but it was still a good read. The ending was great!

Thank you to @netgalley, @kierstenmodglinauthor and Dreamscape Media for this audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second Kiersten Modglin book. I really enjoyed the first book of hers that I read so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me.

The premise of the story intrigued me and it started off really well. The story grabbed my attention and the wheels were turning in my brain trying to make the connections and figure out what would happen. But the ending felt rushed. Maybe it’s just because it’s a shorter story and I would have liked for it to be a bit longer.

Overall, it was an interesting story though and a very quick read. And I do think the narrators did a great job.

Thanks NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook.

Since this book was a short read, my review may be a short one, too! Kiersten does a fantastic job giving us ambiance and a setup for a scary happening with the backdrop of a snowstorm. I love that. She also gives us two characters who are strangers to each other, but the male stranger is smitten with the female stranger as they navigate the storm together. It felt like the female was about seeking safety, and the male was falling head over heels. Along the way, murders start to take place, and now we fear for these two strangers; however, when the killer's identity is revealed, it is anticlimactic and confusing because it feels very random. I know random people kill, but for as short as this story was, this random killer just seemed thrown in. All along, I was thinking one of the strangers was the killer.

as with all other KMod books, this was an easy breezy read. she really is a go-to thriller author for me. i listened to this book in just a few hours. this was not my favorite from her, but also not my least favorite. i thought it was average. i wasn't super attached to the characters, and maybe i had zoned out, but i feel like the audience didn't get answers about everything. the ending wasn't completely predictable, but it also felt rushed. we also have a bit of a villain monologue situation, which is one of my least favorite things ever.

this book has three different POVs. they are distinct, especially because there are three different narrators. Tibby's narrator was great (i know her from other books i've listened to), i didn't love Walker's narrator but he wasn't bad, and there is a third unknown POV. there is voice distortion used for this POV which is fun and interesting since you can't tell if it's a man or woman. i would recommend listening to the audio for this one.

i'm disappointed that i didn't love this more! although KMod's recent books have been 2-3 stars for me, i will continue to pick her books up.

thank you to Dreamscape Media, Kiersten Modglin, and Netgalley for an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4/5⭐️
Tropes : Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

Short and sweet!

This book follows Tibby and Walker who happen to meet by chance on a snowy night and decide to travel together for the rest of their trip which turns out to be rather eventful as the book progresses where they are constantly suspecting each other and take major leaps of faith.

This was a fast paced psychological thriller, the perfect pick to get out of a reading slump. The plot, the characters were all well done. It sets the mood right with a snow storm, closed roads, a shady motel and some strangers stranded together. The author has used classic misdirection in the book and how! The mind games were delightful and the ending was very satisfying as well.

The only thing I felt was not up-to-par was that the motive seemed a bit bland and lacked the shock value.
Otherwise, very well done and it had my attention throughout. It kept me shuttling between suspects yet the plot twists caught me unaware. This was exactly the kind of pick-me-up I needed right now.

About the audiobook, the Narrators Saskia Maarleveld, Traci Odom and John Pirhalla did absolute justice to the vibe and feel of the set-up of the book. Very well modulated and performed, it added to my reading experience.

I received an ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Stranger by Kiersten Modglin. The narrators were amazing and the story kept me hooked till last. Loved the chemistry between Walter and Tibby. Highly recommend!

I really liked this audiobook! It was short, dark and entertaining. I made a review post for it on my Bookstagram that I have linked down below.

Tibby is walking along the road in a snow storm. She is picked up by a stranger. Both are hiding secrets. Who can be trusted?

The first book that mentions small towns in Illinois. Once again, I was totally caught off guard by the conclusion of this book. I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to Kiersten Modglin, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review of The Stranger by Kiersten Modglin

I am like a kid on Christmas morning whenever I get notification of a new Kiersten Modglin book is coming out. I always drop and go straight for the new one. I absolutely loved the main characters and the setting. I always thought I had it figured out, but of course I had nothing figured out because that’s Kiersten Modglin for you. This was fast, creepy, with a touch of romance. What more could you ask for? It’s out now so go crap your copy right away. It’s perfect winter setting and you don’t want to sit on this one. I FLEW through the audio.

Synopsis:

Never trust a stranger…
But, late at night and trapped in the middle of nowhere during a terrible snowstorm, Tibby and Walker have no choice.

With roads shutting down and cell towers out, running into each other and deciding to travel together could either be their saving grace or worst mistake. When they’re forced to take an unexpected detour and seek refuge in a roadside motel, the storm quickly becomes the least of their worries.

A disturbing discovery in the motel, the questionable actions of the mysterious owner and fellow guests, and a news report about a missing couple in the area set the scene for a terrifying night, but the worst is yet to come.

Each stranger holds a secret…but which one should be trusted?

4.5⭐️ Kiersten Modglin has done it again! First off, I listened to this as an audiobook and it was narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, Traci Odom and John Pirhalla. They did a believable job and I recommend listening to this one. KM wrote a crazy, scary good serial killer novel! She’s good at creepy suspense that just builds and builds so I can’t put it down. This was just over 4 hours and it was well written. I really enjoyed it and liked the ending.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via NetGalley.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️✨
•
Oof this one hurts. I just recently finished up The Stranger and it was just not the level of KMod I am used to.
•
The Stranger is told in multiple POVs through Tibby, Walker and “him”. The premise is cool, two strangers in the middle of a storm being hunted of sorts? Very cool. The execution was just not there for me, which is not usually the case with KMod. This one felt super choppy and rushed, to the point I really thought that the ALC was missing chapters, but no it’s not.
•
The characters didn’t feel as fleshed out as they normally do in previous works that I’ve read. Just untrusting people because they have their own secrets to keep hidden. Also, every instant had to happen so specifically for this to even have worked out the way that it did. Though, in pure KMod fashion she was able to completely create that chilling and eerie atmosphere that will have your hairs standing up on the back of your neck. She sure knows how to make a book thrilling. I just wish the execution was better and it was less choppy.
•
I listened to this one via audiobook and it had a full cast which is my absolute favorite. Saskia Maarleveld, Traci Odom and John Pirhalla were phenomenal. They were so great for each character. I highly recommend the audio if you’re thinking of picking this up.
•
I am definitely in the minority here in my review, but we have to keep it honest around here. This one just did not work for me. I still love her, cant wait to read more of her work. Will always recommend her. So if this sounds like something you’re interested in - give it a shot! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Kiersten Modglin and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thriller isn’t my first grab off the shelf, but the last book I read by Kiersten Modglin I really liked so when this one popped up on @NetGalley I quickly requested it. I ws excited to jump into something different but this one kind of fell short for me.

We follow two main characters, Tibby and Walker, absolute strangers who are thrust together by a snow storm. After a series of obstacles, they are led to a roadside motel with no working phones, no cell service and very little in the way of necessities. We are given a third mystery POV of someone who is killing people as they tridge through the same storm. There are little hints that if could be Tibby, but then shifts that it could also have been Walker. Shit really hits the fan when Tibby finds the motel manager dead in thier motel bathroom and chaos ensues as they try to find help and flee.

I defintely didn’t predict who the killer was so I enjoyed that part of it and then last bit of the book was exciting as things came to light. It jsut felt a little rushed. I would have loved a little more development of both Tibby and Walker. Tibby was super shifty and her backstory was wonky. Walker was a smidge socially off to me and knowing more about him would have been cool. The ending felt abrupt. Like all of a sudden it was jsut over and I was left wanting more answers.

Thank you @NetGalley for this advanced listeners copy, I will listen to anything Saskia Maarleveld narrates without fail.

Thank you Dreamscape media and Kiersten Modglin for the audiobook ARC of this book!

This book well and truly had me on the edge of my seat. The suspense was intense with this and the author tricked me multiple times into thinking that I knew what was going on.

It was creepy and the setting was something from a bad dream!

Modglin's ability to create a 100% addictive plot, untrustworthy characters and trick me multiple times is out of this world.

Highly recommend this winner! Read it as soon as it comes out - you won't be disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC.

This was a miss for me unfortunately. I liked the plot until the twist came and then it felt a little silly. It was entertaining enough to keep my attention and I enjoyed all the narrators.

Not my favorite by this author but I’ll continue to read her books.

First, I absolutely love and appreciate all audiobooks that are under 5 hours with a great story! This audio was harder for me to listen through though. The female narrator was great, but the male narrator absolutely did not fit the character. Each time his chapter came up, I would hope it was short :(

I can always count on Kiersten for an entertaining read. This was a quick listen and I really enjoyed it. The cast of narrators did a great job too. Thanks for the opportunity to read early.

I really enjoyed this fast paced story.
Kiersten Modglin is the queen of quick and to the point thrillers.
The narrators were unreliable, and you
Didn’t know how to believe or who the killer was.
There was 3 narrators walker, tibby and the killer.
Trust. Such a strong word. This book truly is a cautionary tale of how we can be easily deceived by kindness and false concern.
Cannot wait to read Kiersten’s thriller!