A modern Gothic detective story. A Victorian writer spins a Hallowe'en yarn, interlinked is a series of murders in the school where the writer lived and died.

Elly Griffith's fans will recognise a friend in the police detective Harbinder whose presence holds the book together. I was less taken with the Victorian element but then hats off to Griffiths for trying something new. The story was told by a variety of narrators; the police, the mother and the teenage girl. This successfully gave differing views and opinions on the circumstances surrounding the murders.

A good read!

I enjoyed The Stranger Diaries right up until the end, unable to guess who was leaving comments in Clare Cassidy's diary but I was disappointed by who the perpetrator turned out to be. Nevertheless this novel is a page turner with some excellent characters: Clare is an English teacher researching a Gothic novelist who once lived in the building that houses the school she teaches in; Harbinder Kaur is the policewoman in charge of finding out who murdered Clare's best friend and the subsequent murder of the head of the English department; Katie, Clare's teenage daughter, all have their voice heard in the story.

A riveting read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the opportunity to review The Stranger Diaries.

3.5 stars


I haven't read an Elly Griffiths book I didn't like... she has a very easy way with her words that make her books very easy to read.
This one,going for the story inside the story idea,and that story being a gothic ghost one,was much creepier than the usual.
Present day seemed a bit chaotic in comparison.
It went from a lot of strictly,to death,blood,assault,possible abduction and several suspects.
The whole thing was very enjoyable... But definite icing on the

A wonderful stand alone story from this accomplished and highly entertaining author. Elly Griffiths has written a gripping ghost story that's both atmospheric and totally modern, with her trademark dash of humour as well. Perfect Halloween reading.

This book is a great combination of gothic horror, police procedural and a journey through literature. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing until near the end. I enjoyed the various characters, but it was the settings that really glowed for me, very vibrant and alive. I particularly loved the quotes and nods to other books, everything from Adrian Mole to Wilkie Collins.

The style of the novel is brilliant, three very different narrators with a gothic story woven through it. This is what I enjoyed most and makes for a memorable novel instead of just another mystery. This was my first experience of Elly Griffiths but it won't be my last.

A thoroughly enjoyable modern take on a Gothic novel. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed it immensely. Clare teaches English and is also writing a book about a relatively obscure writer whose popular short horror story forms a backdrop to the narrative, which is in the form of three first person accounts (Clare tells us that things come in threes in Gothic fiction). Clare herself begins, then the policewoman, Harbinder, who is investigating a murder at the school where Clare is a teacher and then Clare's daughter Georgia. There is also a faithful dog - Herbert- also a trope of Gothic fiction.
But this is more than a modern pastiche. It's a compelling mystery with well-drawn characters and good plotting (I didn't guess the murderer's identity). Well done Elly Griffiths and thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy.

I read this on the strength of Elly Griffiths' name as I love her Ruth Galloway series: this book is entertaining enough but doesn't show off Griffiths' strengths i.e. her ability to create quirky characters like Ruth, Harry, Cathbart etc., and there are only occasional gestures towards her trademark comedy/satire bon mots - in fact, the only time Clare raises interest is when she articulates something Ruth would say.

The story itself is a modern Gothic-y serial killer with one of those dubious and unconvincing motives that fiction so loves. The whole thing could have been solved very quickly if only the police had used a bit of common sense over the diary (can't say more without spoilers). That said, the female DS adds some energy to the book though I'm not sure I'd be up for more of her if Griffiths turns this into a series.

The so called 'spookiness' is a red herring - and JK Rowling made a better plot out of the diary trope with Tom Riddle than is the case here. Even the invented short story of The Stranger just sort of fizzles out... This is enjoyable enough as a piece of throwaway entertainment, but Griffiths is a better writer than this.