The Stranger Inside by Laura Bendict will leave your head spinning as you try to connect all of the dots in this twisty thriller. Kimber has been gone for a long weekend at a retreat. When she arrives home she discovers that her locks have been changed and someone appears to have taken over living in her house. The police don't seem to be too interested so Kimber begins investigating herself to discover exactly who this stranger is and why he has chosen her as his target. Read and enjoy!

What do you do if you come home from a long weekend away to find your locks changed and someone living in your house? Would your answer change if he told you he knows what you did oh those so many years ago? This is what Kimber is facing decades after her sister died in an accident. Is that what is seemed to be? Was Kimber involved and does this guy know about it? Does he have proof? Will he tell the police? And what does he want from her? If only the answer was so similar. Part of me, a big part, thinks she should have told everything she knew to the police. After all, you can't be blackmailed by someone if it isn't a secret. But what fun would that be? Instead she watches as her life starts to fall apart and her circle of friends is destroyed. Is it related or coincidental? Well, I'll tell you that it adds up to an interesting read with some good surprises.

Me: Oh, I"ll just read the first chapter to see what it's about
*an hour later*: at 22% in the book
Me: Well, shoot.

Sooooo yeah, I didn't know what to expect with this book, and then next thing I know I'm compulsively reading it over the next few days.

The story kicks off from page one, when Kimber arrives home after a weekend retreat at a lake to find her key doesn't work in the lock anymore. There's a man inside her house and he won't answer the door, or come out. She calls the cops, who think she's having a mental break or episode because the man inside claims she's rented her house to him for the next six months. He has a signed lease. Kimber does the only thing she can think of: she calls her ex Gabriel, who is an lawyer, even though when she broke up with him last year, he went off the rails and tried to kill himself. Gabriel, Kimber's ex-husband and his new partner, and her friend Diana try to help Kimber sort out why this con man is in her house, and why he seems to be stalking her across town...

The linear narrative is interspersed with chapters told from the POV of Kimber's sister Michelle, who died from a terrible fall 20 years ago. Kimber as our POV protagonist in the present is contrasted with how Michelle viewed her bratty tweet sister in the past... and as the story drives forward, every character, but especially Kimber, is painted in shades of grey. Everyone has secrets, no family is perfect... and Kimber certainly isn't, either.

Kimber is a really interesting protagonist in that she's kind of a terrible person? And yet, the stupid things she did still felt achingly human, and I found her to be a compelling protagonist to follow. I appreciated that she wasn't milquetoast, and none of the twists and turns were black & white. Every character was specific and felt real, and felt particularly Southern--I felt a real sense of place throughout the book, which takes place in St. Louis, MO. Georgia has a similar contrast between the McMansions of suburbia and the eclectic city bits, so I was able to connect to it on that level, too.

Part of what made the book compulsively readable was the complicated personal dynamics. I cared about Diana and her family, and then it was just an absolute gut punch to get all the additional details, re: Kimber's backstory with them, and then where the story goes. I cared about Gabriel and was curious about their relationship--Kimber's conflicted feelings about still being attracted to him but feeling overwhelmed felt so real. I loved Kimber's relationship with her ex and his new husband. I was SO FRUSTRATED by the work plotline because as a reader I knew Kimber shouldn't be ignoring all those phone calls! The tension was delicious.

And then the book did one of my favorite things, which I had to stop to appreciate here because so few thrillers do it well: it did the big reveal, and the big confrontation... and then it kept going and had a proper denouement and ending. TOO FEW THRILLERS DO THIS WELL, seriously. It made for a completely satisfying reading experience, with the ending unfolding over multiple chapters and pages, with all the loose plot threads and questions tied up satisfactorily.

The only TINY note for potential readers: the book is in third person, which at times I found jarring. Meaning, every once and a while I would be so deeply immersed in the POV (it's a pretty close third), but then Kimber would be referred to in third person and I'd go "oh, yeah, this is in third person, odd!" For some readers this may not click well. (I actually adore third person generally, but most thrillers I've read are in first person.)

I'd not heard of the author until I requested this from NetGalley (thank you to Mulholland Books for providing the copy for review!), but now I'm going to have to look up her other books. This was such a good reading experience, and I would read this author again for sure!

Wow the opening scene of this book definitely had me knowing that this was going to be a great thriller! Michelle Hannon is lying on the ground after what you presume is a fall, and she’s dying after hitting her head on a rock. Fast forward to twenty years later and Kimber is returning home after spending some time at a cabin and relaxing. She goes to put her keys into the door to unlock it and her locks have been changed! Soon she realizes a man is living in her home and she doesn’t know who he is. The man informs her he is renting her home for the next six months. Kimber calls the police and the man shows them a signed rental agreement that supposedly Kimber has signed and even her nosy elderly neighbor Jenny backs up his story. The police inform her there isn’t anything they can do and she needs to take him to court! Soon she realizes maybe she does have a connection to the man in her home when he whispers to her “I was there. I saw what you did”. Kimber knows what he’s talking talking about and now realizes it isn’t her home he wants. She must find out what it is he wants and who he is and get him out of her home before he takes everything she has worked so hard for. This book jumps from the past with what let Michelle at the bottom of the ravine and present with Kimber investigating the man that has taken her home. There are so many unexpected twists that this book held my attention. Kimber was a flawed character and just enough villain that I actually enjoyed her! I give this book four stars!

Wowsa! I read this several weeks ago and somehow forgot to post my review. This book and its characters stayed with me for days after I finished it. They're all horrible and equally suspicious, including the main character Kimber, but the author really kept me wanting to find out who had taken over her home and why. Lots of fun twists and turns, some of which are pretty nutty. Sadly, I've been reading lots of duds lately but this stands out as something I definitely would recommend. Thanks to Netgalley and Mulholland for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

HOLY COW! This book is definitely a 5 plus star book! So creepy, but yet so good! You can’t help but point the finger at everyone and try and figure it out, but likely not going to happen. Cannot imagine coming home to someone living in my house, ruining my life, and knowing that they could do even more damage. Definitely gave me lots of chills and a spinning brain!
Will be using in a challenge and highly recommending to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub!

I was hoping I would love this book, but unfortunately I didn't. The story kept my attention throughout however, there wasn't a single character I liked and for me that made all the difference.

This book was an easy read and definitely different then a lot of thrillers that have been coming out. The writing was very good and made the characters come to life. I will have a full review of this on my blog after release date.

Oooofffff! This is terrifying! Imagine coming home and someone is in your house and have changed the locks.....and the neighbour us saying you’ve told them it’s fine. Read this ASAP as it’s amazing!!
5/5 on goodreads

DNF @60% mark

The premise was interesting, but the writing was not so much. The characterisation was not up to my taste and I cannot stressed how I hate Kimber and she's supposed to be the main character, the one I had to care about. There were a lot of secondaries that did not work out, considering Kimber had so many friends. The pace was too slow it did not work for me.

Others might love it, but I don't.

4 twisty stars. I liked this one a lot - I thought it was very original. It kept me glued to my seat and I definitely did not know how it'd all play out. I would recommend this to thriller fans. It's quickly paced, easy to read, and very entertaining.

At the start of The Stranger Inside, Kimber comes home from a long weekend away to find her key won’t open the door. As she’s trying to make it work and looking in the windows - she can see signs that someone else is in her house. She calls the police and when they arrive, a neighbor comes out as well. The neighbor says - you know who he is, you rented him your house for 6 months, I saw you give him the keys and help him carry in his stuff! Kimber knows she did no such thing and has no idea why the neighbor would think that.

As Kimber works to unravel what’s going on and learn why there’s a man in her house - she finds herself questioning everyone in her life and who she should trust.

This was a premise that I was totally here for - unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. You know that feeling when you’re watching a scary movie and you keep yelling at the characters - don’t go up there! Get out of the house! Why are you doing that?? I had many of those moments in this book. Kimber - what are you thinking??

I couldn’t relate to Kimber at all. I also felt like there were too many things happening at once. I wasn’t particularly surprised by most of the reveals and the intense moments felt less intense since I wasn’t invested in the main character.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

One of the rare books that I recently read that I struggled with a bit. The story failed to grip me and keep me hooked on. I didn't want to classify this book as a DNF so I tried till the very end but unfortunately it didn't work out for me. Still, a big thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

*** 4 Stars ***
Expected Publication: February 5th, 2019

This read is CRAZY.. like pure INSANITY. Kimber comes home from a relaxing weekend away to find that the locks on her home have been changed. Not only can she not gain access to her home, but there is a man living inside who has paperwork "proving" that she rented the home out to him. All her belongings are inside, everything she owns and suddenly has zero access to them. So that right there was enough to just really piss me off. (I've actually heard of things like this happening to people so it made it that more upsetting to me)
I can't imagine what I would do if someone did this to me! Who does this guy think he is? Why would he do this? Of course there is more to this story... and it is so insane that it's almost too much to deal with, which is why I didn't rate this 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, it had my full attention and I couldn't stop trying to figure out what was happening to Kimber and who this a-hole was. Another reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that I never fully connected with Kimber. I wasn't rooting for her, I didn't find her really likeable. Having said that, this is definitely a read I recommend to all; a very solid thriller that was well written.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Laura Benedict for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Kimber Hannon returned home from a brief trip, only to discover someone changed the locks while she was away from home... and they have taken up residence in her house. The man shows the police "proof" he has a short lease for the house, only to whisper a chilling message that leaves Kimber afraid and uncertain of whom she can trust. Nevertheless, she is determined to find out who he is—and what he really wants—before he completely destroys her life. She needs to do so carefully, however, lest he reveal a dark secret from Kimber's past.

Most people feel that their home is a safe refuge, so I am always intrigued with books that explore the idea of that safety being ripped away for baffling reasons. The thought of coming home only to find a stranger living in your house, having access to everything you own and hold dear, is frightening to consider.

The staging of the story was cleverly done, slowly revealing tidbits of information that ultimately leads to the intruder's true identity and purpose, while also giving tantalizing glimpses into Kimber's past regarding the tragic death of her older sister Michelle.

Kimber Hannon is definitely an unlikable character, neither trustworthy or kind to most of the people in her life. And yet... I couldn't help but feel sorry for what she was going through, and could easily understand how violated she felt.

I expected a stunning resolution to the story, but I was still surprised when the truth came out. It had me pausing to recall earlier moments in the story, seeing various events in a completely different light. There were a few extremely subtle moments that revealed the plot against Kimber was far more complex that I initially thought it to be.

Benedict's writing was excellent throughout, and even though this is the first time I've read one of her books, it most definitely won't be the last.

Overall, this was a great book, and I highly recommend it!

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Mulholland Books via Netgalley.

I felt like this became a little predictable towards the middle of the story but there were still several things that caught me off guard. Imagine coming home from a long weekend trip to find someone else living in your home with a forged lease then being arrested for assaulting him when the police refuse to make him leave. However, the last thing he says before she's taken away is "I know what you did." Who is this man and what does he know? As Kimber digs deeper into the situation trying to find out what he actually wants she has to take a hard look at herself and things that happened in her past: specifically when her older sister died years ago. When she has to rely on her friends, both current and former to uncover the truth, she has no idea the destruction she may cause for many others.

Imagine for just one moment: You return home from a weekend getaway only to discover that all the locks on your house have been changed, a strange man holding a signed lease is living inside among your belongings, and all of the existing laws favor the “renter.” What would you do? That is just the beginning of the dilemma faced by Kimber Hannon, the protagonist of The Stranger Inside, Laura Benedict’s excellent new stand-alone tale of psychological and domestic suspense.

Just as Kimber is about to get the police involved, this stranger leans in to whisper: “I was there. I saw what you did.” This subtle form of blackmail throws Kimber into a tailspin with nowhere to turn. Is it possible he is telling the truth? With the exposure of her long-buried secret at risk, Kimber decides she will have to handle this situation without the assistance of the police. Even though none of them know the truth either, Kimber amasses a “team” to help get her though this crazy situation. Several exes, her best friend, her boss and co-workers, and her less-than-supportive mother and stepfather all offer aid and advice of various sorts, but ultimately Kimber is going to need to rely on herself to ferret out the truth.

The more she uncovers, the more Kimber begins to understand that all of this leads back to that monumental day from her past: the day her sister died and her father vanished.

Laura Benedict pulls no punches in the way she manages to manipulate the reader. This is a writer unafraid to use all the tools in her arsenal. Throughout the novel, many techniques are used to obfuscate and complicate the narrative. First there is the fact that Kimber obviously knows things the reader is unaware of. But there are moments when the reader learns things that Kimber has not yet discovered. Benedict also nonchalantly drops major revelations into the text unexpectedly, causing the reader to reel back and say “wait…what?…omg.” Flashbacks to Kimber’s youth paint a broader picture, but many of those brush strokes color modern events in new, unexpected ways. And lastly, everywhere Kimber turns there are people working with their own agendas, independent of what is best for Kimber.

As the linchpin of the whole proceeding, Kimber Hannon needs to be a character readers care about. However, Laura Benedict has no interest in crafting a flawless heroine. Kimber has made mistakes, Kimber continues to make poor decisions, and Kimber seems incapable of getting out of her own way – not just in relation to this “stranger living in her home” situation, but in all of her life choices. And yet (or maybe because of that), it is impossible for readers not to bond with Kimber. The desire to see her reach new levels of self-understanding is powerful. People are not without failings and it is how we handle these blemishes that ultimately determines who we are.

The Stranger Inside reads at breakneck speed; perfect for a thrilling distraction from the everyday. Each character is fully-formed and relatable in their own way. Even the house itself grows in importance as the plot develops. Fans of Laura Benedict will find themselves stunned by the new depths to her writing this stand-alone unleashes; those coming to her work fresh will almost certainly be instant fans for life.

I really wanted to love this one after reading the description. A homeowner comes home to find a squatter has changed her locks and moved in. What a great premise, but it wasn't executed well enough to pull it all off.

Kimber Hannon is the homeowner and she was an unlikeable character although I could emphasize with her feeling of helplessness when her home was taken by this stranger. He also hints at "having something on her".

I struggled with this one (the pace and the side stories) and guessed the twists early on. I do think some readers will enjoy some of the more suspenseful parts, but I was overall a bit underwhelmed.

Thank you NetGalley, Laura Benedict and Mulholland books for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Kimber’s life is suddenly out of control when she comes home from a nice break at the lake to find that the locks on her own home have been changed and there is a stranger inside living there. He even has the paperwork to prove that he belongs there and it isn’t until she gets closer that he whispers, “I saw what you did”. She has no idea how this man knows her, but she does know what he is referring to and knows he isn’t there for her home. She must find out what it is that he wants and get him out of her life before she loses everything she has worked so hard for.

This book wasn’t at all what I expected it to be and that’s okay because I enjoyed it nonetheless. I loved how the book starts off with Michelle at the bottom of the ravine and leaves you wondering what is happening in this story. I liked that you have no idea how this man as wiggled himself into her life and what it is that he is looking for. I loved Kimber even though she is very flawed and a villain in a few different peoples eyes. I liked the jumping back and forth between the past and the present to slowly figure out what this stranger meant by his earlier comments. There were so many unexpected twists in this book that made it quite enjoyable for me. I also enjoyed the short chapters because it allowed me to cruise right through the novel! I found this novel a bit different than others that I have read this year and I really appreciated that.

Out February 5th!

DNF - will not be part on my 2019 reading challenge.

The MC, Kimber, is going to require that a reader packs A LOT of patience and it is significantly more patience than I have. She is beyond an awful human being and I just can't muster the energy to continue reading about her. Such a shame! NEXT!