First Sentence: 'If you'll permit me,' said the Stranger, 'I'd like to tell you a story.'

Clare Cassidy not only teaches a course on the late Gothic writer R.M. Holland, but has the keys to his study at Cambridge wherein she finds the body of a colleague with a note containing a line from Holland's work, "The Stranger." Clare usually finds solace writing in her diary. Finding an entry written by an unknown hand puts Clare in the middle of the investigation.

The beginning of a story within the story, a possibly haunted school, a death, and a diary. These things set one off into a well-done, atmospheric and captivating book filled with literary references, quotations, and the occasional injection of wry humor—"I can't find St. Jude's and the sat-nav gives up, muttering 'turn around where possible' to itself."—along with lines which may make one smile—"It can be a dangerous thing, reading too much.'—and the occasional small truth—"Nothing in the world is hidden forever."

Well-drawn, dimensional characters make all the difference, as does conflict. Griffiths creates a relationship which begins with the lesson--one should never make a promise one might not be able to keep and that one should never lie to the police--and allows it to develop in a natural, logical manner.

Having multiple points of view can be awkward or effective. Here, it is the latter with the story being told by Clare, her daughter Georgie, and DS Kaur (Harbinder), as well as excerpts from Clare's diary, both written by Clare and the anonymous stranger. The different voices permit us to know more about the characters than even each character knows about the others. However, the interjections of Holland's story can be a bit confusing.

What works particularly well is Griffiths' ability to make one feel the emotions of the characters, particularly Clare. And there are a lot of characters, many of whom become suspects. While the plot can keep one guessing, some may identify the killer before the end reveal.

"The Stranger Diaries" has good Gothic overtones with well-done suspense and an excellent epilogue. It is nice when an author steps out and does something new.

THE STRANGER DIARIES (Susp-Clare Cassidy/DS Harbinder Kaur-England-Contemp) - Good
Griffiths, Elly (aka Domenica de Rosa) - Standalone
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt – March 2019

I LOVED this new stand alone book by Elly Griffiths. It had everything I want in a book – interesting quirky characters, witty writing and enough creepy atmosphere to make she shiver. And I usually struggle with books written from more than one POV but all three voices were strong and the different perspectives really worked for me. I truly did not want it to end and am a little sad there will not be more. 5 stars!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

5 Gothic Stars

Clare is an English teacher at Talgarth High School which was the home of an author named R.M. Holland. R.M. Holland's wife, Alice died and she roams and haunts the school. Clare was a fan of his book, The Stranger. She specializes in the gothic writer, R.M. Holland. She teaches a course in it every year. She decides to write a biography about him. Then one of Clare's colleague's Ella, who is a very close friend of hers dies and is murdered. There is also a note left by her body which is a line from R.M. Holland's novel, The Stranger which says, "Hell is Empty.

Clare lives with her teenage daughter, Georgia and her dog, Herbert. Someone is leaving creepy notes in her diary. "Gallo Clare, You don't know me." Clare is in the center of the crime and the mystery seems to revolve around her. Ella isn 't the only one who is murdered and everyone is a suspect. The Police suspects the killer is someone that Clare knows.

I am a big fan of The Ruth Galloway series and was so happy when I got the copy of this book. I loved this book more than I thought I would. I especially loved this one because I love a thrilling gothic novel after a reading slump. I just loved the gothic atmosphere and it was so creepy. It was fantastic. It's a book within a book. Gothic novels are always my favorite genre.

I was so surprised who the killer was and I never suspected the killer. I didn't think the killer has a strong motive. It just wasn't good enough. I thought the plot was great and loved everything else about this book. There were so many things that I loved about this book.

I just loved the characters. I loved Clare and her teenage daughter, Georgia who was very mature for her age. I loved the dog Herbert and thought he was adorable. My favorite character was Byrony Hughes. I thought her character was done so well.
i loved DS Harbinder Kaur.

This was a Traveling Sister Read and it was a fun discussion.

I want to thank, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Elly Griffiths for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. (less)

Elly Griffiths is well known for her Ruth Galloway series. The Stranger Diaries is a stand-alone and my first book by Elly Griffiths. I read it in our Traveling Sisters reading group.

A gothic murder mystery with a modern twist, a whodunnit, and a ghost story.

The Stranger Diaries has a unique and interesting format to the story that we all loved. The story is told from different overlapping POVs, and timelines, passages from a book, a story within the story method and diary entries from one of the main characters.

We all were intrigued right from the start with this entertaining and fun story that takes place on the grounds of a school where a famous author R.M. Holland once lived. We loved the gothic tone and setting to the story and were drawn in the murder mystery and ghost story right from the start. There were some things here in this story that just didn’t work for me and a few of us just didn’t buy into. This lead to some discussion within the group and it was interesting to see how everyone reacted to these things.

The ending also left us with a few things to discuss. Some of us were shocked by whodunnit and of course even though I was questioning a few things I didn’t figure out who it was. You would think after so many thrillers my detective skills would be better. But no! The ending wrapped up quite quickly and a bit neat and we were questioning a few things about that. Leaving a few of us not buying into it and the rest not really bothered by it because of the well down gothic elements to the story. I highly recommend this one for group reads. There is plenty to talk about!

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for my copy to read and review.

You can find more thoughts from The Traveling Sisters on our blog

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Clare Cassidy is an English teacher at Talgarth High. She's also writing a book on Gothic writer R.M. Holland, known for his famous ghost story, "The Stranger." Clare is horrified when she's told that her close friend in the English department, Ella, has been murdered. Even worse, it seems like Ella's death has linkages to Clare and "The Stranger"--with a line from the story left at the crime scene. Clare turns to her diary, her one safe place. Then one day she finds writing in her diary that isn't hers. Is a murderer writing directly to Clare? And is she next on the list?

Oh I love Elly Griffiths so much, and I was incredibly excited to win this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. It was so good! It's told in various points of view, including Clare's and that of Harbinder, an incredibly awesome Sikh lesbian Detective Constable. I mean... so cool. Harbinder attended Talgarth High in the past, so her former schooling memories are aligned with the current case.

The book gets off to an engaging start from the beginning. It's creepy and interesting from page one and never stops. We get pieces of R.M. Holland's story "The Stranger" interwoven in our story, too, and have to figure out how it aligns to the tale unfolding before our eyes. In fact, the book is very literary, which is really fun, especially if you're a book nerd like me. Lots of little Easter eggs thrown in, almost: bits of Shakespeare and more throughout.

Griffiths is just so darn good at writing her characters. Clare and Harbinder are both so uniquely "them" and different from each other from the get-go. I was completely engrossed in the story and caught up in their lives, even Clare's and honestly, she can be a little self-absorbed at times. It's hard not to appear that way when you're reading excerpts from someone's journals. Clare has a daughter, too, and we also learn about others in the English department who worked with Clare. Truly, the British education system is its own mystery to me, though I'm slowly learning about it through many English novels!

This novel is an excellent mystery and incorporates creepy Gothic undertones. I couldn't help but get a little spooked when Clare was discovering writing that wasn't hers in her journal. Even better, it's just so good and well-written! It kept me guessing the entire time, and putting all the pieces together down the finish line was fun. I literally had no idea who had done it--it was incredibly well-done!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The characters are great, the plot is befuddling and exciting--it's a wonderful mystery! Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.

4.5 stars rounded up for this clever thriller. I found it very entertaining and hard to put down. The main characters are unreliable and you don’t know quite who to trust. One thing I really liked is that it is a book with in a book.

The setting is in an old house that is a school but once was the home of a well known horror writer. He wrote a short story that got a lot of attention. The main character Clare, is researching the author and she also teaches at the school. Another teacher, Ella, is murdered at her home and the police have reason to suspect there are ties to the the short story by the horror writer. You will be thinking this too.

Murder at a haunted, creepy, prestigious school... oh yea, that is in here too; is right up top on my list of books I like to read. We get 3 unreliable narratives. Clare, one of the detectives, and Clare ‘s daughter, Georgia.

The book does get 5 stars from me in creep factor and I listened to the audio sample which would make a great listen from what I can tell. The opening is chilling as the short story is read aloud.

Many thanks to the publisher, Houston Mifflin Harcourt via NetGalley for a digital copy to review. I enjoyed this read with others in the Traveling Sisters group. A lively discussion enhanced it for me. I highly recommend this to those that enjoy a good mystery and haunting.

This stand alone is my first Elly Griffiths. A fun, quick read. This novel combines some of my favorite mystery tropes: action at a school (this one is a day school, not a boarding school, but still), and a modern story interwoven with another, older tale. Wonderfully gothic and I loved the detective as well.

An atmospheric mystery with slightly creepy undertones or hints at horror without ever entering the horror genre. Enjoyable characters and a good twist.

Well written contemporary thriller with gothic and ghostly overtones.

Atmospheric and creepy the current vogue of multiple narrative perspectives does become a touch wearing after a time. As a mixture of styles, and viewpoints, it works far better than it should, but I have to admit to a preference for Elly Griffiths other work.

Nonetheless it is a good read if this genre is to your liking.

Clare is an English teacher living with her 15 year old daughter Georgia. In the beginning Clare's good friend and colleague is killed. The killer has written a note quoting a local horror author, whose life Clare is researching. Soon Clare discovers that someone has read her diaries and written in them.
The story is told through three pov's. Clare, Georgia and DS Harbinder Kaur. Of those three Harbinder was my favorite. I liked her determination in solving the case. She was a down to earth person you could always count on. Clare is described beautiful and privileged. Georgia is a teenager with secrets.
The story kept me guessing. I could not spot the killer until the very last moment. And that is always a good sign. The atmosphere was very spooky at times.
I have read a couple of Ruth Galloway-books from this same author. The tone in this book is somewhat different, but in a good way. A really good read.
Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a copy of this book.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. It is a really well written thriller with perfect structure and prose.

The book starts of with the beginning of a short story and the murder of the protagonist’s friend. Our main character, Clare, is a divorced English teacher who lives with her daughter. She writes in a diary every day, and she’s writing a book about the life of a writer, Holland. Things get strange when she discovers that else someone is writing quotes from Holland’s story in her personal diary.

I loved the structure of the book. There are parts of the short story by Holland every few chapters, and there are three povs. The POV of the police officer was particularly well written, but I think all three POVs were crucial and fleshed out well. The life of Holland’s life, and the short story referred to in every few chapters adds an air of mystery to the book, and provides a perfect background to the story.

Even though I’ve been reading quite a few thrillers/murder mysteries recently, this book still didn’t let me get bored, I couldn’t guess the end and it was perfect parts mysterious and logical. Highly recommended.

What if you found a secret message in your diary, only you hadn't written it?

This is one of many creepy moments in The Stranger Diaries, the first standalone novel from British novelist Elly Griffiths, who is better known for her long-running Ruth Galloway mystery series.

English teacher Clare Cassidy runs a creative writing class in a spooky old building at Talgarth High. She is also writing a biography of Victorian author R.M. Holland, who used to reside in the very same building and whose study has been left eerily untouched since his death. Clare learns her colleague and friend, Ella Elphick has been murdered, and is disturbed to hear there was a note found with Ella's body with a quote from The Stranger, a short ghost story written by Holland - and one that Clare teaches in her class. When Clare finds a message from a stranger in her private diary, astute detective Harbinder Kaur realises the handwriting matches the note found next to Ella and believes the killer has a connection with Clare.

The story is told from the points of view of Clare, DS Kaur and Georgia, Clare's fifteen-year-old daughter who, unbeknownst to her mother, is part of a secret group who write online journals. These alternating viewpoints provide an often amusing insight into what Clare and DS Kaur really think of each other and, quite humorously, how wise-beyond-her-years Georgia is playing her mother by telling her what she thinks she wants to hear. There's also a story within the story - the novel opens with the first pages of The Stranger, setting a mysterious and ominous tone from the outset, continuing in sections throughout the novel before being repeated in full at the conclusion to great dramatic effect.

Clare, Harbinder and Georgia are nuanced, authentic characters with voices that come to life on the page. DS Kaur is particularly readable; still living at home with her parents at thirty-five and spending her spare time scrolling through Facebook and playing Panda Pop. Elly Griffiths (who also teaches creative writing) cleverly uses the opportunity of having a writer main character to reference tropes of the gothic mystery, for example, things happen in threes, and animals often play a significant role because they can sense danger (but are also expendable). Take note, Clare has a beloved pet dog named Herbert.

The mystery of 'whodunit' should be a surprise to most readers. There's plenty of curious suspects, including married head of department, Rick Lewis, who has a habit of developing crushes on members of his staff; tanned and handsome head teacher, Tony Sweetman; and Patrick O'Leary, a sporty student with a crush on Ella. There are also lots of 'ooh' moments, one involving the mystery of Holland's wife, Alice, who haunts the old building at the school (and who may have been murdered by Holland), and a second murder I didn't see coming despite some crafty foreshadowing.

The Stranger Diaries is a savvy modern take on the traditional gothic mystery and is particularly enjoyable to read because of its engaging and believable characters, incredibly witty voice, and suspenseful plot, with a touch of otherworldly spookiness. I'd love to see DS Kaur in another mystery.

This is my first Elly Griffiths novel and I'll be checking out more of her novels in the future. The story is told from three POVs although there is also a short story contained within the novel that gives us a fourth narrator for those parts of the book. The short story is The Stranger, written by the fictional Gothic writer R. M. Holland, who one of the main characters, Clare, specializes in teaching in her high school English classes. Clare's 15 year old daughter Georgia attends the same high school and provides another POV for the novel. The third POV comes from DS Harbinder Kaur, one of the detectives investigating the murder at the school.

The murder of Clare's best friend, Ella, another English teacher at the school, seems to have evidence that alludes to the short story, The Stranger. In fact, the school houses the building where Holland lived almost a century ago, where his wife died mysteriously by being pushed or thrown down the stairs to Holland's attic office. Then Clare notices that someone has added writing to her private diaries, making everything seem even more sinister.

There is an eerie feel to the book, as more and more things happen that allude to Holland and his writings, which is fun in a modern day novel. I enjoyed reading from the POV of all three characters, the snobbish, beautiful Clare, the too mature for her age, Georgia, and the hard nosed, sarcastic and witty DS Kaur. Reading the events of the story from three different perspectives often changed the who and how of the story for me and even though I briefly picked the right person for the murderer, I was led astray by new events and seeing the events from a different view point. . And then there was the short story within this novel that added to the mysterious and gothic feel of the book.

When I first began reading the book it seemed to be a slow start that didn't really grab my interest. But once the other POVs entered the story, I was hooked. And then there is Herbert, Clare and Georgia's little mutt dog that goes to doggie day care and has the cutest personality. Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is totally my type of book and I'm a lover of Elly Griffiths novels to begin with.

The setting was perfect, the characters well-developed and well-written. It's a wonderfully spooky ghost story/thriller set on a college campus in England, with murder mysteries both fictional and real, to be solved. I loved that there was diversity and likeable and dislikeable characters. I had a difficult time putting it down. The ending was especially great!!

I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Excellent writing! I was drawn in from the first page - so happy to find a novel I really enjoyed reading, istead of reading just to get to the end of it.
I thought the book within a book was a unique touch.
I've always loved a good gothic Victorian novel - this one was well done because it didn't go overboard and be come totally unbelievable.
I felt I knew all the characters and the settings were well explained.
I especially liked Clare from the begining and her daughter Georgie turned out to be a well rounded, interesting character instead of a moody angst ridden self centered teen.
Harbinder's snarkiness was a good contrast to Clare and the other teacher's proper attitudes.
And the spooky atmosphere really added to the narrative instead of distracting from it.
I already bought another book from this author and can't wait to start it!

"The Stranger Diaries," a stand-alone mystery by Elly Griffiths, is set in the English countryside. Clare Cassidy, a divorced English teacher, lives in West Sussex with her fifteen-year-old daughter, Georgie, and their cherished dog, Herbert. When one of Clare's colleagues is found stabbed to death, the staff and students at Talgarth Comprehensive School are stunned. Who would want to harm this popular educator? Adding to the atmosphere of gloom is a subplot involving the long-deceased R. M. Holland. He was a Gothic writer who wrote a horror story, "The Stranger,” excerpts of which appear in italicized passages throughout the book. The perpetrator of the current crimes (yes, the killer strikes again) appears to be imitating aspects of Holland's chilling tale.

One of the book's most interesting characters is DS Harbinder Kaur, a tough and astute homicide detective who is unrelenting in her search for the culprit. This feisty and independent woman chooses to live at home with her Indian parents, who have no idea that their daughter is gay. Kaur and her partner, DS Neil Winston, interview staff and students who were acquainted with the victims, but even after the investigators unearth tantalizing bits of evidence, they are slow to figure out who targeted these particular victims and why.

Griffiths shifts between Clare, Georgie, and DS Kaur, who take turns commenting on events as they unfold. In addition, there are plentiful red herrings that point to various men, women, and teens as possible suspects. The author amuses us with comic and satirical dialogue, and charms us with tender scenes that demonstrate the strong bond between Clare, Georgie, and their spoiled pooch. "The Stranger Diaries" is a treat for enthusiasts of classic plays, poems, and works of fiction, who will enjoy the literary allusions that are sprinkled throughout the narrative. The implausible solution to the puzzle comes out of left field and is not particularly satisfying. Still, this novel is an engrossing and entertaining blend of humor, romance, madness, and a touch of the supernatural.

Claire Cassidy teaches high school English and she specializes in the works of R.M Holland. His short story The Stranger leads off our book with a tease and ends with a full blown boom. I could see where people would be fascinated in it. Claire's co-worker and friend is killed in the beginning and the story takes us into their secrets, their lives, and the investigation. This brings in a very hard detective who was very hard to like for a very long time. (That changed) It also leads to more murder and attempted murder.

I admit that I wanted to read ahead a few times because the story dragged a little bit for me but I didn't. I am glad that I didn't. I had no idea who the killer was and was quite surprised. The writing is good and creepy, very atmospheric. The ghost story with The Stranger was a really nice touch.

This would be a good book to read on Halloween.

Thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a copy of this book.

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
Who’s writing in Clare’s private diary? Figure that out and you’ll have the killer according to investigator DS Kaur.

This easy to read thriller will have you guessing who the killer is throughout the story. You’ll guess one character, and then another. Who had the motive? The access? It could be anyone. Did R.M. Holland’s book The Stranger have any influence on the killer? Could it be a teacher from Talgarth High?

In this entertaining “whodunit” you’ll find yourself with any excuse to sit down and get back to reading. Join in the fun, as Elly Griffiths’ characters are relatable and real, the present day English setting is perfect and the mystery will get solved.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #HoughtonMifflinHarcort for an advanced copy of this book for my review.

There are so many things to love about The Stranger Diaries, I don’t really know where to begin! The story within a story technique worked beautifully here. The short story, The Stranger, was properly creepy and rather intriguing by itself, but the unraveling of that mystery alongside the present one strengthened the gothic theme I love so much. Throughout the entire reading, the feeling of foreboding was undeniable, that delicious sense of gloom and doom pushing me towards the next page.

But wait, there’s more! This being my first book by Elly Griffiths (gasp! I know!), I didn’t quite know what to expect, and found myself rather blown away. So often, I find getting through the first chapter or so of a book a bit rough, but not so here. From the onset, I was able to glide right in, finding myself immersed in the story without realizing it had happened. That right there is the sign of an excellent read if you ask me!

The only thing that makes it slightly less than perfect? I figured out the whodunnit rather quickly and couldn’t be convinced or distracted from that conclusion no matter what the misdirects. However, this book was such an absolute pleasure to read, that I hardly care.

If you like gothic, if you like mystery, if you like good books, this book is for you! Read it. You won’t be sorry.

Mysterious messages in an unknown hand. A ghost haunting the dark halls of an old school building. A long-dead gothic author who penned a chilling short story. And murder. This book has all the dark shadows of a great gothic murder mystery, with modern suspense thriller nuances thrown in to give it a more updated feel. I binge read this book -- once I got started, I couldn't stop reading!

Clare Cassidy teaches in a British high school. A famous gothic writer, R. M. Holland, used to live in the old building on campus. His former office on the upper floor has been preserved. Holland's desk, notes, photographs....everything is still there. Clare spends her days teaching and her evenings working on a book about Holland. Things take a dark turn when a teacher at the school is murdered and strange clues are left for Clare.

I enjoyed the gothic feel of this book. The short story The Stranger by Holland is told in snippets, woven in with the modern day murder investigation. The full short story is only revealed at the very end of the book. The combination of Clare's obsession with the dead author and the violent events unfolding in her life set the tone for the story.

I love it when a mystery novel keeps me guessing until the very end. Every time I thought I knew the killer's identity, this story took a sharp turn and went in another direction. The story is told from the point of view of Clare, her daughter Georgia, and a female detective investigating the case. I don't usually enjoy stories that switch POV....most of the time it just makes the story confused and muddled. But, in this case, the different POVs worked perfectly. Griffiths masterfully builds suspense by revealing the story a little bit at a time through the three main female characters. Each sees the situation from a different angle....and it all comes crashing together at the very end.

My favorite character? Herbert the dog, of course. :)

This is the first book by Elly Griffiths that I've read. Griffiths also writes the Ruth Galloway series and the Stephens and Mephisto Mysteries. This book is a standalone story, separate from her other mysteries. I'm definitely going to be reading more by this author. I loved the story, the pacing and the creative, gothic feel of The Stranger Diaries. Any book that keeps me reading for an entire day because I just can't step away from the story earns full stars from me! Gothic chill and modern suspense masterfully combined -- loved it!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**