I have been on an Elly Griffiths tear recently, reading my way through the excellent Ruth Galloway mystery series, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Stranger Diaries from NetGalley.
The Stranger Diaries is a standalone book, not part of either of Griffiths’ series, and it is wonderful. It is a gothic mystery, and a ghost story that is interesting and suspenseful with lots of very fun literary references. It is extremely rare that I am ever frightened reading a book, but I have to admit there were times I had to keep a light on at night while I was reading it. There is also a story within the story (a la The Magpie Murders) which I am a huge sucker for.
At the center of the book is Clare, an English teacher who specializes in the work of R.M. Holland, a 19th century writer of ghost stories (sadly… both author and stories are fictional), at a school in England where Holland once lived. When Clare’s friend and colleague is murdered and a note is left next to her with the phrase ‘hell is empty’ (from both The Tempest and the fictional Holland’s work), we are plunged into a mystery told from three differing perspectives; Clare’s, her daughter Georgia’s and the lead detective, Harbinder’s.
This book is so much fun, the writing is wonderful, and a little creepy and suspenseful and thrilling without feeling like a formulaic woman in peril story. This mystery is pure enjoyment. I know it’s being billed as a standalone story but I’m very much hoping there will be more. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, I highly recommend.

Clare Cassidy is an English teacher, at Talgrath High, who specializes in teaching about the (fictional) Gothic writer, R.M Holland, author of the famous short story titled, “The Stranger” and a former resident of the school.

It has been rumored that his wife, Alice, had either fallen down, or was pushed down, a staircase, and that her ghost will sometimes be seen at the school....just before another death occurs...

R.M. Holland may or may not, have also had a daughter, Mariana, and Clare is hoping to write a biography of the author, solving these mysteries…but before she can, she will have to solve a mystery of her own.

Her friend, and colleague, Ella has been found murdered, with a note, quoting a famous line from “The Stranger” left near the body...and, she won’t be the only casualty in this “whodunnit “, as the crimes continue to mimic the creepy story that she teaches in her adult creative writing classes.

“Hell is empty”

And, now, a note has been found in Clare’s personal diary, which says “Hallo Clare. You don’t Know Me”. Is Clare the next target?

Told from the alternating perspectives of Clare, her daughter Georgie, and DS Harbinder Kaur, in THIRTEEN parts, the current crimes are investigated, with entries from Claire’s diaries, and chapters from the short story “The Stranger”, sprinkled throughout.

My favorite character was Claire and Georgie’s dog, Herbert, who attends doggy day care, while Clare is teaching classes and although Clare teaches that in gothic literature, animals are often expendable, with authors killing them to create tension, I can assure nervous readers that Herbert will survive, so get cozy under a blanket with a cup of tea, or a glass of wine and enjoy solving this one. I got it right, but it did not detract from my enjoyment at all.

Recommended if you like suspense, that is not gory, with a bit of a “ghost story” thrown in.

Available March, 5th 2019!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing and Elly Griffiths for the ARC provided in exchange for a candid review!

One of the most repeated pieces of anecdata I hear in higher education is that English majors are highly employable in all sorts of fields. I’m sure most of us end up as teachers, librarians, editors, and writers. But, after reading The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths, I’m wondering if English majors might not also make very good detectives. We’re taught to read between the lines of what people are telling us and to recognize that everything is a narrative with an agenda behind it. Plus, it’s sure handy to be able to spot the source of literary quotes left by a multiple murderer.

The Stranger Diaries is narrated by three women who are all keeping secrets from each other and who all, more or less, distrust one another. Clare Cassidy is our first narrator. She teaches English at a comprehensive school in Sussex that also happens to be housed in the same building as a Victorian author (fictional) she loves. Then, after Clare’s friend is brutally murdered, Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur takes over. Kaur doesn’t care much for Clare—not only does Clare strike Kaur as a bit self-centered but Kaur also knows (and so do we) that Clare is hiding useful information. In spite of her initial dislike of Clare, Kaur is a very good detective who remembers her English literature and, more importantly, how to stay suspicious when people tell their stories. Our third narrator is Clare’s daughter, Georgia. Georgia, like all teenagers everywhere, believes that she knows enough about the world that she has to shelter her mother from her burgeoning coven and unsuitably older boyfriend.

The three take turns telling an increasingly complicated—and very well-plotted—mystery. There are plenty of plausible suspects. There are red herrings that may or may not be red herrings, each ratcheting up the tension another notch. Best of all (at least for me and bookish readers) there are metafictional elements and quotes from The Tempest and The Woman in White to enjoy. Plus, Griffiths includes passages from the Victorian writer’s best known story, “The Stranger,” to make things even more spooky.

I really enjoyed The Stranger Diaries. I didn’t mind bouncing around from prickly narrator to prickly narrator. I loved using my English major skills to work out what all of them were doing and thinking as they all followed different agendas and different breadcrumbs of clues: it’s a lot of fun to be the only person with perspective. I would definitely recommend The Stranger Diaries to readers who like literary mysteries with complicated-but-ultimately-logical conclusions.

P.S.: The dog lives.

@DNF at 20%

I wish I could give a full feedback, but I just didn't feel any positive feeling towards the main character, Clare, and I really struggle to continue. Thank you so much for the publisher to give me a chance to read the ARC and I'm sorry that I can't give proper review.

A modern day gothic mystery, this standalone by the author of the Ruth Galloway series, kept me guessing until the very hand. The story is told alternately by Clare, English teacher and diarist, her teenage daughter, Georgia, and DS Harbinder Kaur. Murder seems to be surrounding Clare at first, until the link is found between her diary entries and those who die. Highly recommended.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

It’s a bit unusual to have a police procedural with ghosts, but beyond that it’s pretty much standard fare. Nothing exceptional here

Ellie Griffiths has created a fantastic, modern Gothic tale. Clare teaches at a school which was once the home of renowned horror writer RM Holland. A series of murders occurs which appear to mirror those in Holland’s masterpiece ‘The Stranger’. But why has Clare been dragged into this nightmare and why is the English department a den of intrigue. Does Clare’s daughter, Georgia know more than she’s letting on – why, for instance, is she performing occult ceremonies with fellow students. Ceremonies which carry the blessing of oddball, new age creative writing teacher Miss Hughes.
This is a fascinating story with nods to Wilkie Collins and MR James, I fully recommend it and if Ms Griffiths ever decides to release a book of short Gothic tales, I for one would buy it.

Loved! I really loved the gothic sort of scene set and the twists! The way the author has weaves this story around is a work of art and thrilling! I can’t wait to read her next book in October!!!

This is the first book I've ready by Elly Griffiths and it won't be the last. The Stranger Diaries is an exciting book about Clare Cassidy, a high school English teacher, whose life is flipped upside down when one of her closest friends is found dead. To make matters worse, a noted is found by her body with a quote from R. M. Holland's "The Stranger," a story taught in Clare's English class every year. As the story unfolds, the killer appears to get closer and closer to Clare. But, who are they? And what do they want?

I really enjoyed this book and read it really quickly. I was captivated by the writing style of Elly Griffiths and the format of the storytelling. It had a gothic quality that was lovely, similar to a book I read recently called Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb to which I also gave a positive review.

The Stranger Diaries has all the potential and makings of a 5 star read. It had excitement and tension. The multiple perspective-style writing was done extremely well. It had a ghost story quality that would be perfect for a late October read. And the writing was just plain, old good! Unfortunately, in the author's quest to create a lineup of suspects and throw the reader off the murderer's trail, there were a bunch of story lines created that didn't all get closure in the end. I felt like there were a lot of loose ends left untied which is the reason I gave it 4 stars instead.

All in all, it's a good story with a ton of positive qualities. The only place it fell short for me was creating too many subplots in an attempt to throw the reader off the scent and later leaving the reader wondering how those subplots were related/were relevant/ultimately turned out.

-I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Elly Griffiths, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to review.-

How creepy to think someone or something is watching you, leaving you written messages and killing people around you. Now add in the house/museum of a mysterious dead author, a school teaming with suppressed faculty strife and a row of houses by a deserted old factory. The author has complied a great list of ingredients for a modern gothic soufflé’. In my opinion she pulls it off beautifully – my compliments to the chef.

Clare Cassidy is a high school teacher and an expert on the writer R.M. Holland, a gothic writer who is known for his short story, The Stranger. R.M. Holland once lived in the school where she teaches, and his study is still there, just as he left it. Clare is writing a biography about Holland. His wife is thought to have fallen to her death, and is thought to haunt the school.. There is a mysterious daughter, Mariana, of whom very little is known. Then Clare’s friend and colleague, Ella Elphick, is murdered and next to her body is a note with a quote from ‘The Stranger’ – Hell is Empty.

I have never read any of Ellie Griffiths other books, so I had no expectations when it came to this book but I was very pleasantly surprised. I LOVED it. It’s a mixture of police procedural and gothic mystery/ghost story. The story is told by three different voices – Clare herself, her teenage daughter Georgie and DS Harbinder Kaur – interspersed with excerpts from ‘The Stranger’. The storyline is clever and well written.

The characters in the book are all great. I didn’t particularly like Harbinder, a gay 30 something police officer still living with her parents, at first but as I continued reading she grew on me and became my favourite character (apart from Herbert!). As we got to know her I realized she was a dedicated officer, with an acerbic wit. Although this is a standalone book, I think DS Kaur deserves her own series!

The story is very atmospheric, helped by the descriptions of the old part of the school with it’s long winding staircases, heavy wooden doors, and heavy curtains, and also by the location of Clare’s house in the shadow of a disused cement works, and also by the often repeated quote ‘Hell is empty’.

There’s a great cast of possible suspects. In fact the only one who wasn’t really in the running to be the murderer was Herbert, the dog, who is described as a white Hairy McLary, which helped me to picture him exactly! I didn’t guess correctly, so well done Ms Griffiths. I will now be reading your back catalogue.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for providing a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

This book is a mystery, told by three different characters. A good book, all characters were interesting. Ending was a complete suprise. Thanks for my Advanced copies. Although this is the first book I have read by Elly Griffiths, I plan on searching for some of her previous novels.

DNF @ 27%

This book had an interesting setup- divorced mother with childhood trauma moves into a murderous author’s mansion. I really, really tried to like this; gothic fiction is my favorite genre, after all.
I ended up hating the main character, Clare. She was insufferable with all her whining about her daughter not getting into the universities she wanted. She was the cliché evil gothic matriarch, only the author tried to force the reader to sympathize with her. I hated the protagonist so much I hoped the murderer would cut to the chase, hurry up and murder her so I wouldn’t have to suffer through any more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

When English teacher Clare discovers her best friend and fellow teacher, has been murdered she is devastated. The police begin to question her about her fellow teachers but she is determined to protect her friends reputation. While she is researching the accounts of a gothic author, who actually lived at the college years before his death, she begins to experience weird happenings. Are they connected to the dead author or the dead teacher?
A suspenseful story that will keep you guessing until the end. I enjoyed the story that also goes along with the gothic author. This book is a real treat.

4 Stars.

I’m a fan of Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway mysteries, and couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into this one. I was not disappointed. It’s a treat! The Stranger Diaries is a perfect concoction of interesting characters, suspense, and thrills with a bit of spookiness thrown in.

When teacher Clare Cassidy’s friend and work colleague, Ella Elphick is found brutally murdered in her home, Clare is badly shaken and their school is plunged into mourning.

Who would have wanted to harm Ella? She was popular with the staff and students alike, and seemed to have no enemies. Of course people always keep secrets, but did one of Ella’s get her killed?

Clare’s school was once the home of author R.M. Holland, a Victorian writer who produced The Stranger, a famous Gothic mystery and who’s wife died in the house under mysterious circumstances. It is said that the school is haunted by her ghost and that seeing her is a sign a death is imminent. Somewhat obsessed with The Stranger, Clare hopes to write a book about Holland and solve the mystery of his wife’s death and the disappearance of his daughter Mariana.

When Clare discovers a note referencing The Stranger, written in another hand, in her private diary, she becomes worried for the safety of her teenage daughter Georgie and herself. It doesn’t help her nerves any to know that the detective on Ella’s case, DS Harbinder Kaur seems to think she had something to do with the murder.

Things quickly go from bad to worse because the killer isn’t finished yet, with Clare or her school.

This mystery is pure enjoyment from beginning to end. I can’t wait for the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of the book.

Thanks to Elly Griffiths, Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy of this novel.

A modern English-gothic mystery, complicated and atmospheric, with ghost stories and literally allusions aplenty, Stranger Diaries is a thrilling mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong! I wasn’t quite convinced with the ending but overall I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more from this author.

The Stranger Diaries is a wonderful standalone mystery/suspense/thriller from Elly Griffiths, author of the Ruth Galloway and Magic Men detective series. While the author's name attracted me to this book, I found myself frequently forgetting that its author is one and the same as that of my favorite Ruth Galloway series; the setting and tone of this suspenseful novel is entirely different from the other two. Setting at times plays as important a role, but unlike the others, The Stranger Diaries is a literary mystery, a story within a story, all centered around the late, reclusive Gothic writer R.M. Holland.

The reader is treated to bits of Holland's thriller, The Stranger, throughout the larger tale: Holland's home now serves as a school, Talgarth High -- where his former study has been kept just as it was at the time of his death. The school is purportedly haunted by his murdered wife. When Talgarth High teacher Clare Cassidy's colleague Ella is also murdered, Clare (who's writing a biography of R.M. Holland), grieves her loss, pouring out her feelings in her diary. Clare becomes a suspect in Ella's death ... and a potential victim herself, when mysterious writing begins to appear in the diary. DS Harbinder Kaur has her hands full, sorting out which of the many characters (from among Clare's academic circle and her teenage daughter Georgia's social circle) might be responsible for Ella's death and further incidents... With multiple narrators, the reader begins to wonder, as the story progresses, exactly who are the unreliable one(s). Even Herbert, Clare's beloved dog, doesn't escape the reader's scrutiny, due to some similarities which may (or may not) be coincidental.

Some additional development or background might be desirable in Clare Cassidy, the main character -- at times it seems like her daughter, Georgia, and DS Kaur, receive more attention along those lines than Clare. But perhaps that slight air of mystery is necessary in order to cast doubt -- no one is really morally/ethically perfect in this tale, which greatly adds to the thrill. You've heard of stories that reach out and grab you? Beware of reading this one at night ... or, do read it at night for the maximum experience!

The Stranger Diaries is billed as a standalone, but I wouldn't mind being deliciously spooked by more Clare Cassidy tales. Five stars for Elly Griffiths' literary mystery and its plot twists (I'd love to say more about those but I hope that, in my holding back some details, others will be able to share this just-spooky-enough experience)!
Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Clare Cassidy, divorcee with 15 year old daughter Georgia, had moved from London to West Sussex, having accepted a position teaching English at Talgarth High School. Clare and Georgia now reside in an isolated house near an abandoned factory. Clare maintains a diary reflecting her innermost thoughts. Additionally, she shares her feelings with rescue dog, Herbert. After all, a dog will not judge his owner! Clare is thrilled that author R.M. Holland, the writer of a gothic ghost story called "The Stranger", formerly resided at the Annex of Talgarth HS.

Talgarth was comprised of a New Building where most student life took place and an Old Building (once called Holland House). The attic was R.M.Holland's study until 1902. Clare, as resident Holland expert, had a key allowing her access to the attic. She planned to write the first ever biography of the reclusive author of "The Stranger". Perhaps she could investigate the death of Holland's wife, Alice. Was Holland House haunted by "a woman in a white nightdress floating down the stairs?... If you see her, is a death imminent?" It started with the death of Ella Ephick, Clare Cassidy's friend and colleague. A troubling note beside the body contained a quote from "The Stranger"..."Hell is empty". DS Harbinder Kaur,a Talgarth graduate, and DS Neil Winston are brought in to investigate. Harbinder is convinced that the murder is not random. She visits Talgarth HS ... "I just want to imagine Ella here".

The impact of Ella's murder and the events following are seen through the eyes and perspective of three distinct characters: Clare, daughter Georgie, and Harbinder. Clare and Georgie's lives are additionally compromised when Clare finds several strange handwritten entries in her personal diary. Could the killer have left his/her calling card?

"The Stranger Diaries" by Elly Griffiths was a suspenseful literary novel like no other I have read. I enjoyed the literary references and the book within a book. Harbinder was my favorite protagonist. Perhaps she seemed crusty and distant but she had "heart". Dog lovers will be thoroughly entertained by the loving relationship between Herbert and his "humans". This stand-alone novel from Elly Griffiths is a gothic, police procedural I highly recommend.

Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Stranger Diaries".

Elly Griffiths does it again, creating new tensions and situations that bring our cast together and culminates in a shifting of our main characters. Who's getting uncomfortably close to Ruth? Will Nelson's family accept Kate? How is it that Erik's son Lief is so suspicious? Once again things escalate then conclude with a changing of the pieces on the board. Can't wait for the next installment!

This was such a good book! Definitely kept me turning pages. I was most impressed that the author not only wrote a novel but the short story as well! It’s been a while since I’ve read and gothic mysteries, but the one thing that kind of drove me crazy, early on anyway, we’re all of the asides or explanations of why a character was saying or thinking something.

I’ll tell you one thing, I didn’t see it coming!