I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book even though I did not finish this book.

The first book I’ve read by Jackie Walsh but will follow up with some of the others. Intriguing storyline with a twist I didn’t see coming.

Rebeca Wall has been working two dead end jobs just to pay for her apartment and dealing with her mother’s Alzheimer’s which has gotten to the point that she has to be in around the clock care. On a visit with her mother, Becca’s mother tells her that she is not her daughter, that she was taken. Becca is shaken and is wondering if she really was someone else’s child or if this is part of the Alzheimer’s.

When Becca gets home she thinks someone has been in her house. It’s not obvious, just minor things that seem to be out of place. Then the police ask her about a missing woman, Katie Collins. Becca has only hear of that name from the television but when Katie’s body is found along with a note with Becca’s name on it the police take more of an interest in Becca.

This was an interesting read. I was instantly curious about Becca and the possibility of her being someone else’s child. But then the whole investigation into Katie’s death really had me curious. I was on the edge of my seat and turning pages as fast as possible to see what was going to happen next. I was kept guessing about the killer right to the end, which I just loved.

I do have to say that I didn’t really like Becca. She made some really stupid choices and although the mystery had me engaged I didn’t really care what happened to her. Now having said that, this is a great story and the first one of Jackie Walsh’s that I have read. I will definitely be checking out her other books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

Wow, what a ride.

Familiar Strangers is an intense psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

One of the best I have read!

Nothing is as it seems in this book. Becca has to deal with her mother's illness, but then her mother lets a bomb drop that changes Becca's life upside down. This makes for a thrilling read that keeps the reader glued until the end. Recommended.

Keeps you guessing right from the start! I'm really looking forward to reading more from the author based on this.

Good psychological thriller with a great twist
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

‘I took you, Becca. You’re not my daughter.’

That one sentence can ruin your whole world, a world you believe to be true…. for your whole life…. but is it true? Or is the illness that Becca’s Mother is suffering from affecting her momory, playing tricks on her mind? Or is she speaking the truth?!

Poor Becca, as if she hasn’t got enough on her plat without her Mother saying those 8 tiny words, 8 tiny words that throw her life into chaos. I really felt for Becca, a mother in a care home, a Dad that doesn’t seem to be able to cope with the whole situation and a brother that I took an instant dislike to.

So much is going on and then everything collides, Im surprised she held it all together as long as she did!

I enjoyed how the author integrated all the characters into the story, and how she slowly pulled all the threads together. I was turning those pages deep into the night, the chapters are short so one chapter ended up leading to 7 before I put it down.

Its edgy, dark in places and has you thinking the whole way through. I had everyone down as a suspect and I so didn’t see the end coming!

I look forward to seeing what this author brings us next.

This debut novel was a gripping read with interesting characters and a suspenseful storyline. Kept me guessing what was going to happen right up to the very end when everything came together. Would recommend this book and will look out for future books by this same author. Solid 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

For a debut novel. I thought this was a brilliant read. A well written story full of suspense. Great page turner that I highly recommend. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

This book catch me right away. I was very glad I got a chance to read this book! I did not guess the ending. I loved all the suspense and I loved the ending I did not see coming. This was a great book! "This book was given to me for free at my request NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review."

This is an excellent debut novel, gripping from the start and it wasn't until the end of the book that all the ends were tied up. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone

WOW! This is a GOOD book! Jackie Walsh brought the characters to life and gave them a fascinating back story. She kept the story moving quickly while still giving us enough mystery that we had to keep reading to see what happens next. This is what a good...no great...mystery is all about.
Becca's mother drops a bombshell on her. But her mother has Alzheimer, so was she just rambling or was she confessing? Becca can't ask her family questions, after all if she is not who she thinks she is, wouldn't they have been keeping the secret too? Who is this woman that the police are looking for? So much mystery so well written, you just have to keep reading to see where the story goes.

Familiar Strangers
By Jackie Walsh

4 stars

Wonderfully written mystery that leaves the reader wanting more.

The story line flows well and engages the reader as clues are slowly leaked out. With twists and turns that do not reveal the killer until the last pages.

Nancy Wall confesses that Becca is not her child, Becca's world falls apart. Becca tells herself that the words are just a cruel symptom of Nancy’s illness; after all, she has her birth certificate, and pictures of herself as a newborn along with her Mom, Dad and older brother, Danny.

Becca tries to forget, to get on with on her life – until the day the police question her about the whereabouts of a missing woman, Katie Collins. Katie has disappeared without a trace, telling her husband that she is leaving to find Rebecca Wall. But Becca doesn’t know Katie, so it’s a case of mistaken identity – isn’t it?

A great read that will keep you guessing.

This title has been reviewed by This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review.

#FamiliarStrangers #NetGalley

Well first of all the storyline grabbed me hook , line and sinker. So many twists and turns . This book also has you thinking emotionally. I was totally connected to the characters and it had me wanting more. Look forward to reading more of Jackies books.

This was a strangely familiar book. I feel like it reads like others I have read at the beginning but then it becomes something different. I called part of this story early on but I still ended up guessing the wrong person in the end though so that alone made me enjoy it even more. Easily 3.5 to 4 stars

A good read with an intriguing storyline. The plot was well thought out with lots of red herrings to mislead you along the way. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Wow fabulous debut thriller from Jackie Walsh had me gripped from the start.
Great characters and a storyline full of exciting twists and turns, tension, mystery and a shocking twist at the end that I never saw coming.
Highly recommended and look forward to next book.

'I took you, Becca. You’re not my daughter.'

Becca's mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimers and every day Becca loses another part of her loving and caring mother who would always go out of her way for her one and only daughter. But one day, Nancy Wall speaks those shocking words which chill Becca to her very core. Suddenly, the world she thought she knew begins to fall apart.

Ah this book was fantastic. I thought I knew exactly where it was going but then it threw yet more at me. I love fast paced books and I've found myself reading slow burns recently so this was a brilliant and refreshing change - a well needed mix up!

Fans of The Girl on the Train, The Wife Between Us and T.M Logan will be LOVE this book. I whole hardheartedly recommend it. Do it. Read it.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

Overall, this was a pretty good quick read.

Becca, the narrator, is a bit lost in life. She is not making ends meet which is not surprising since work seems to be an option for her. She doesn’t seem to have any friends other than Jeff, who lives in the same building. Romance? None to speak of other than a really poor choice for a hookup. Still she grew on me...

The premise is a good one and it was executed pretty well. There aren’t too many key players so the mystery seems pretty cut and dry. It’s not really though, and the reveal keeps you waiting to the bitter end. Satisfying? Not bad, but I was hoping for a bit more crazy and dark (reflection on me🙄).

The writing is good, the characters are well layered and the pace was decent. I looked at the author profile and it supplies nothing but I’m guessing she’s from the UK? At the 3/4 mark in this book some of the slang and phrasing definitely read like it. It didn’t detract and if you don’t read much from English authors you might not even notice it... Pretty entertaining, I would read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Hera Books for a copy in exchange for a review.