This is the third book that I've read by Michele Campbell and it is the strongest. She has a great knack for coming up with a compelling premise that usually deals with varying perspectives on the same event. In this novel, we have the opposing perspectives of Caroline, the wealthy owner of a newly built beach house who ends up having a fling with Aiden, a local petty criminal whose father used to own the property where her house now stands. When a crime is committed, the question is, of course, who-done-it..

The novel starts out strong and it kept my attention until about two thirds in, but the tension dissipated once a lot of the narrative switched over to the investigators rather than Caroline and Aiden. I guessed the ending way before I wanted to.

That said, folks looking for a quick beach read will find it entertaining.

Loved it! A great domestic thriller. Very well written and when I wasn't reading, I was trying to figure things out.
Themes of wealth, murder, betrayal, obsession. Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the advance copy.

This book has all of the elements I look for in a good psychological thriller: a scandalous affair, a tense family situation, an unreliable protagonist, creepy weather, and a juicy twist! I devoured this book and did not want it to end.

Unreliable narrators galore in this new novel by Michele Campbell. Campbell does a great job of telling the story in alternating perspectives. You think you know what's happening, but as the story goes on... you don't know who is telling the truth.

I liked it, but didn't love it. Great concept, but the book drags on too long. And, the writing is a little clunky at times.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book.
Expected publication 7/23/19.

Thank you to NetGalley, Michele Campbell and St. Martin's Press for this wonderful ARC.

Michele Campbell is becoming one of my favorite authors. I loved her first two books, and I absolutely love this one. The story is told by two different people, with two different perspectives of things. Just when you start to think one person is lying, you find out that you were 100% wrong the entire time (or was that just me??). That ending was a shocker for sure!

Loved it!

Thank you NetGalley for this GREAT read, it was so good!

The twists and turns keep you guessing until the end.

Campbell created these characters perfectly. Who to believe, what happens next!?!?!

Highly recommend this book and author!

I am sick of the recent trend (crutch) of the unreliable narrator, and A Stranger on the Beach took it to new extremes. The book alternates between two narrators, Caroline, a wealthy woman with a beach house, and Aiden, a handsome stranger that she sees out on the beach. Two all too familiar caricatures that never develop any deeper. The reader knows immediately that he/she is being lied to by one or both, and I was spot on with my guess of which. I found Caroline unsympathetic from the beginning, and I didn't feel much of anything for Aiden who never came across as a real person to me. His character development by Campbell actually had me thinking he might have some sort of mental disability, he was that strange and unbelievable.

I give this one a 2.5/3 star rating because it had good bones as a thriller and was eminently readable. Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a fast paced book with lots of twists and turns! One moment I thought I had it all figured out only to find out what I thought was right wasn’t. Didn’t see that ending coming either!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell. I was interested in the premise of the story, in which wealthy Caroline has marital problems and meets a local bad boy named Aidan. I'm almost always intrigued by a story of the wealthy in which things fall apart. I didn't make it very far in the book and it just wasn't what I expected. I often have difficulty suspending disbelief, even when I read fiction. It was very difficult for me to do that in order to believe that Caroline's husband would take off with another woman, clean out their bank accounts and she would rapidly fall into bed with Aidan - who is nothing but trouble. I must be honest in saying I didn't finish the book, because it was more lurid than I thought it would be. I'm not a prude by any standards, but this book crossed the line early on for me. Possibly a book for a reader who is able to get past the situations in which Caroline puts herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

What a grand thriller this was!! I didn't see where it was going until it was right there in print. It started so innocently, seeing a stranger on the beach.....it is a public beach after all.

When Caroline's life seems to implode around her she is drawn to this handsome stranger. He works at the local bar, he works the catering gig for the lavish party where Caroline and her husband have a loud, nasty fight that everyone hears.

As she is set to lose everything - her money, house, daughter, lifestyle, she takes comfort from Aiden but is this real or is someone being set up? When Caroline's husband goes missing she then finds herself charged with his murder.

A quick page turning read!

Campbell strikes again! Another twisted, tale she’s weaved for her fans. The Stranger on the Beach is yet another page-turner that leaves you guessing. It is told from alternating perspectives from Caroline to Aidan, which was a bit confusing to me at the beginning. Fast paced and thrilling, once I got into it I couldn't put it down !

A decent mystery/thriller ... BUT ... while the story is told in alternating points of view about a shared experience, we later learn that one of the narratives is completely false and made up by the author in an apparent attempt to keep the reader in the dark. The story makes sense by the time it's ended, but I feel the finished product is tainted by a lazy and dishonest approach to story writing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I received this book as a pre-publication galley with the understanding that I would read it and provide an unbiased review.

Michelle Campbell's "A Stranger on the Beach" is one of the latest in the hot genre of suspense. Unfortunately, this book is clunky and not as suspenseful as touted. The main characters, Caroline and Aiden, are not likable or complex. Weighing in at 352 pages, it felt like the story was dragged out unnecessarily and left much to be desired. Overall, a 3-star read for me.

Michele Campbell has definitely sealed a spot on my MUST READ book list! I thoroughly enjoyed 2017's "It's Always the Husband," breezed through 2018's "She Was the Quiet One," but 2019's Stranger on the Beach solidified my love for Ms. Campbell's novels. I had a reasonably good feeling that it was going to be amazing, so I waited to dive in until I knew I had the opportunity to be able and just devour the novel, and she DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

If you're looking for a by the seat of your pants, gripping physiological thriller, this is the novel for you. As we've seen in and grown to love in her previous books, they are well written the character development is on point. Stranger on the Beach encompasses everything you want in a fast-paced, suspense-filled gem. Just when I hoped I'd figured out what was happening, she switched it up on me which is something I appreciate in a thriller.

I'm screaming from the rooftops this is a MUST READ for 2019! Add it to your TBR list now, and I assure you, you won't be sorry. I huge thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Pre-Order your copy today or mark your calendars to pick up your copy from your local bookstore on 07/23/19.

Campbell strikes again! Another twisted, tale she’s weaved for her thrill loving fans.

The Stranger on the Beach is yet another page-turner that leaves you guessing! Towards the end, I predicted the ending even with that; I dub it a good read.

Do I dare say it? Yes I’m going there, this book is actually the perfect beach read- just remember stranger=danger. You’ve been warned. 4.5 stars

What's not to love? A beach, a mysterious handsome stranger, a wealthy family, and a murder. Can you solve the case of who did it? I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was an easy read, but very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGallery for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

What a twisted tale! Every time I thought that I had figured it out another curve ball! A Stranger on the Beach grabbed my attention from the opening pages, but having said this, I did not really like any of the characters, I.e. I wasn’t cheering for anyone. The plot is good, but gets a little wiggly with the Russian mob scenario, (don’t jump the shark!) I did finish the novel and give it a solid 3 stars.

I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it. It has a great story line, excellent main characters and it is a real page turner. I read this book in one sitting and the hours just flew by!

This book has everything that I love in a story: a picture-perfect couple, complex backstories, a beautiful beach setting, glitz, glamour, mystery, and situations that remind us that nothing is what it seems. It defines what psychological thriller means.

The story is told by Caroline and Aidan and they have totally different perspectives on the same situations. It's so inconsistent that I questioned their sanity. I have never read a book where the two character perspectives are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Everything was dissimilar. What Caroline and Aidan think, feel, see, say, and do reflects completely differing stories which makes them both unreliable narrators. It is refreshing and unique, and I loved it.

My feelings swayed back and forth as Caroline and Aidan narrate the story. I didn't know who to believe. What really happened? Who is being manipulated? I questioned everything, even my own judgement. I had no clue what was really going on. I gave up trying and just went along for the ride. The narration switches away from Caroline and Aidan for the last 20% of the book, and that's when the truth started to reveal itself.

This book is about perspective, manipulation, infidelity, greed, lies, betrayal, revenge, class, marriage, regrets, money, temptation, and family. The differing perspectives just blew me away and gave me so many tidbits to think about. Michele Campbell is an excellent writer that weaves fascinating, magnetic, layered characters around a complex plot that keep readers riveted.

I loved It's Always the Husband and She Was The Quiet One but this book is by far my favorite of the three. This is definitely a standout book for me, and it lingered in my mind for a long time. This story is perfect to read on the beach while sipping a cool drink and listening to the ocean.

This book started off good but lost the plot several chapters in. The characters weren’t as developed as I would have liked, especially Caroline. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!