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Strangers She Knows

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Strangers She Knows by Christina Dodd is the third and final book in the Cape Charade series. Ms. Dodd has perfected the art of writing a gripping suspense novel and yet providing a little humor throughout the story to relieve the tension.

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Kellen is struggling to recover from a bullet to the brain. A murderer with a grudge against Kellen has escaped from prison putting Kellen and her family in danger. The family retreats to a remote island only to find danger has followed them.

I had trouble getting into this book and I found the way the descriptions of the characters were presented distracting. Once I got into it I wanted to find out how the story ended. There was plenty of suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. I am giving the book 3 1/2 stars rounded up to four because of the previously mentioned factors. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

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Stranger She Knows kept me on my edge of my seat from the get go. I loved how Christina Dodd kept the anticipation coming thru out the book. Was a great read.

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Stevie‘s review of Strangers She Knows (Cape Charade, Book 3) by Christina Dodd
Contemporary Domestic Thriller published by HQN Books 17 Sep 19

I’ve been following this series avidly, and not really wanting it to end, hence my delay in getting around to reading the final book. The previous instalment had a bit of a paranormal feel to it, with our heroine in a coma, but for this novel-length showdown with her nemesis, she’s properly back in the world of the living, even if there’s some way to go before she’s fully recovered. One thing I like about this series is the fact that the author doesn’t shy away from the long-term and permanent effects from the serious head injuries Kellen has suffered at various points in her life. Sadly, I can’t say the same about the way this book treats mental health issues.


While we’ve encountered delusional villains in the series before, the antagonist of the series’ main story arc has always struck me as nasty rather than in any way detached from reality. Now, in this last book, following Mara Philippi’s escape from prison, she is referred to repeatedly as being mentally unstable, sometimes in reference to actions that were previously described as being signs of her ruthlessness. As Mara’s past is revealed in the course of the story, it becomes apparent that some of her traits are a result of her childhood. However, I don’t see this as being a mental health issue in the way that the characters seem to. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, which is a real shame, given my feelings about the rest of the series.

That gripe aside, I wasn’t entirely happy with the contrivance that placed the main characters alone on an island aside from a small (and rapidly diminishing) bunch of misfit employees, whom we’d not met before. I also figured out the main plot twists very early on, and then spent the rest of the book being cross at the supposedly intelligent and alert main characters for not figuring out any of it for themselves.

All in all, not the way I wanted this previously excellent series to conclude. There were some positive points to it: Kellen’s adaptation to her life-changing injuries and her gradual recovery from some of her limitations was portrayed in a very believable and relatable way, and Rae is still an engaging child. Her development as she grows up from book to book has been fun to watch. I also liked the side story that we learned alongside the characters as they delved into the history of the island they found themselves on.

I’m now very much in two minds as to whether I want to read anything else by this author.

Grade: D

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This book was good. It kept me in edge if the seat. I have to tell you, many authors such as Jude Deveraux change their genre over time. Christina Dodd is one of them too. I absolutely adore her older stuff, her historical romance books. In few past years she changed her genera to suspense and somehow that took out of magic in her books. This is because I am romantic at heart. Now her books are still enjoyable and well written, but different. I wish she did both genres....

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Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for release of this review copy!

WOW... This book had everything I love in a book. Mystery, plot twist, thriller aspects, crazy character building that was done so amazingly! Christina Dodd did a wonderful job telling this story. The writing was so easy to follow and I loved that she done a great job telling us this story and had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next! WELL DONE!!!

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I'm a tad bit flabbergasted. Did Dodd even write this book?! It's nothing like its predecessors. Those were keep you up all night flipping pages, this one's a remedy for insomniacs.

Strangers She Knows is long and boring. There's no action until the last 10-15% of the book. So much daily life detail: boating, riding bikes, working on the truck; an added story about a person from the past, (not their past, a random person who lived in the house they are in). No joke, sleep inducing material. And Rae, what in the hell did Dodd do to her character?! I get kids can be snots but this girl took the cake. Gone is the sweet girl from the past two books who loved the hell out of her mom. It is bad.

Also, the holes in the plot line are crazy. So many unanswered questions and lack of flushed out details. No resolutions. Areas where there is so much potential and the execution falls flat. This book is a train wreck.

I wouldn't recommend this one. Save your money. If you need to know the end, borrow it from your library; otherwise, make up a happily ever after at the end of What Doesn't Kill Her, you'll be more satisfied that way.

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Well developed characters and a fast paced plot certainly make this a page turner. Book three in the series, Strangers She Knows promises to be a captivating read for readers of suspense.

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This was a great edge of your seat book! This book kept me captivated the whole time! I could not put it down!

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Kellen finds out that a killer from her past is out to get her which puts her and the family in danger. To keep safe the family jet to a secluded island while the killer tries to hunt them down.

Well that's all I could say without giving too much away, keep in mind readers that there is two other books to this series so if you haven't read those I suggest you go back and check out the previous books because they really are fantastic. I really enjoyed myself devouring this book. I loved the suspense of wondering when the killer would make and appearance and how. Then there the matter of finding out how the found Kellen and family. I'd highly recommend any readers to check out this trilogy I loved each and everyone.

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Unfortunately. I was unable to finish this book and have to put it on my DNR list.
I was unable to connect with the character and therefore unable to get invested in this story.
I hope in the future I might try to revisit this series.

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Well, this was a “sit on the edge of your seat” book from start to finish. Can you imagine being frightened all of the time? Hoping that your loved ones will be safe. This is how Kellen lived a lot of her years and she had good reason to be looking over her shoulder.
It seemed I could see the characters in this story. The good ones as well as the bad ones. When I say that, to me it means their personalities make them so real, I can picture them. Maybe I’m making up my own picture, but the author sure did a good job of giving me the tools to do so. There was so much action in this book. I personally think it is very hard to write action as if it were a movie scene. But I could see the action here just like I could see Christina Dodd’s characters.
Guess this says something about good descriptive writing and well-defined characters doesn’t it?
Guess it means I think you’ll like the book:)
Christina Dodd has several books published, at least 2 or 3 are series. I couldn’t find anything but good reviews for her books.

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This, the third and final book of the Cape Charade series, works well as a standalone book as there is enough information for you to understand some of what has gone before. That being said I'm sure that reading the first two, would've given me more insight into the characters, their relationships and the circumstances leading up to the events in this book.

Max, Kellen and Rae Di Luca flee to a remote island to avoid being caught and killed by Mara Phillipi, a psychopath from a previous book, who has escaped from prison. They take with them a cook and their dog, Luna. The only other inhabitants on the almost deserted island are a husband and wife team of caretakers, and a friendly 'ghost'.

With no way of communication with the outside world, apart from the radio in the helicopter they arrived in, it takes a while for the family to settle into their more relaxed way of life. They pass the time by exploring the island on bikes, and by reading the journal of one of the islands previous residents.

Mara finds them, wrecks the helicopter and drugs Rae, who Max has to take off the island in a small boat during a storm, leaving Kellen on the island to deal with the killer. The final showdown between the two women is tense and terrifying, with Kellen being at a disadvantage as she's still recovering from brain surgery.

The book is a thrill ride, packed with action, suspense, and mystery. I've added the first two books of the series to my to-read list.

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The third full length novel in the Cape Charade series and it keeps getting better. Of course we were all intrigued by the woman with a bullet in her head and no memory. Although now, she has a family with a wonderfully quirky daughter. Kellen is teaching her how to be a strong person and in books where kids are often just background, Rae is not. She is part of the story. It was interesting to go to another locale for the plot. Just when you think you are safe, watch out!
I also really enjoyed the secondary story line with Ruby's journal-what a great twist.
Thanks for a suspenseful read with a satisfying conclusion. Another book to recommend.

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The only reason I have stuck with this series is because I wanted to know how it would all turn out. Overall I found this installment kind of boring compared to the previous two books. The peripheral characters weren't well fleshed out, so I didn't get the sense of drama that the author was attempting to achieve. Basically it was Kellen, Max, and Rae stuck on an island with some non-essential characters and a dog whose paws needed lots of attention, waiting for Mara to figure out where they were so they could have it out with her. Rae is an angsty pre-teen, they find an old journal that keeps them entertained a bit, Max puts together an old truck. There. That's the plot, I'll save you the time. No new revelations, the only thing that elevated it a slight bit for me was the little bit of surprise in the ending action, but even that was super easy to figure out if you thought about it even a little.

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This is book three in the Cape Charade series. I have not read the prior two books. I say this book can be read as a stand alone novel; despite the fact that I did feel my relationship with Kellen might have suffered a bit from not having read the prior novels. The reason that I do say it can be read as a stand alone as there was nothing really from the prior novels that distracted from the events in this book.

The story started out good. I was very intrigued. My feelings keep up this way for a few chapters. Than, my vibe for the book went from excited to "just ok" and stayed that way for a good portion of the book. The latter third of the last part of the book is where it picked up and wrapped everything up. There was so much going on in this latter part of the story. If the rest of the story had the same intensity I would have been in a better place with my feelings towards this book. Yet, this will not be the last time I read a Christina Dodd book.

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I think I might have enjoyed this book more if I'd realized it was the third book in a trilogy. When NetGalley granted my request to read this, that's when I realized I had not. But I'm also not sure I would have made it to the third book because I didn't love the writing. I don't always have to read high=brow stuff; I read a lot of suspense, but I just didn't fall in love with the writing or characters.

Thanks to NetGally for allowing me to review this novel.

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

Unfortunately, this one is a DNF for me. I just couldn’t get into the writing style/voice. I’d also read that if wasn’t necessary to be familiar with the series to enjoy Strangers She Knows, but the mixture of constant flashback fill-ins combined with random details from previous books that weren’t very well explained made it difficult for me to stick with the story.

I’m sure those who are fans of the series and the author will appreciate this book much more than I have.

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Strangers She Knows, by Christina Dodd, is apparently the final chapter in her Cape Charade series. I recommend that future readers read the series in order as it follows the main character Kellen Adams through a series of hair raising adventures. I haven't read the in-between novella's, so I might be a hypocrite in telling other readers to do so. However, the story will make more sense to you if you have read the others. In this episode, Kellen Adams is healing after brain surgery but things quickly escalate when Kellen's former best friend/nemesis escapes from Federal prison.

Kellen, her husband Max DiLuca, and their daughter 10 year old Rae, end up on a world wide hop, skip and jump until they land on a small island off the coast of California. The old mansion on the island has an unhappy history as we learn through a diary from a character named Ruby and the isolation and atmosphere seems to have a disturbing affect on the mental health of the current caretakers of the island who seem to hate the DiLuca's. Then, the unimaginable happens, Mara Philippi an escaped serial killer who promised to take everything away from Kellen the way she feels Kellen took everything away from her, arrives.

In this story, Kellen has three serious issues to deal with. (1) Mara who showed up at her wedding looking for a confrontation. But, Mara doesn't really understand why Kellen isn't up to her expectations after brain surgery. (2) Having a bullet from the brain is not an easy procedure and the physical therapy that is involved may be overwhelming to anyone else but Kellen who has survived some brutal situations over the course of this story and her years in the military. (3) Rae has become a handful. She had to grow up fast not knowing if her own mother would recognize her, or even love her. But, they've had their own adventures in this series.

Overall, this may not be the strongest book in the series. The pacing in the first half is a snail pace as we have to be reminded of previous events, and watch as Kellen struggles to regain her strength and the use of her hand which includes piano lessons. It is fair to say that there is a large gap between this book and the previous one that is apparently covered in Hidden Truths. I think the author truly spent too much time with Ruby and her background on Isla Paraiso. I think it's good that this may be the final book in the series as the ending apparently shows that Kellen and family are prepared to move on to other things, literally. I hate to reign crap down on Rae's shoulders, but she is like nails on a chalkboard at time. Of course, this is a typical reaction to a youngster who lives on the internet, and must be connected to the internet and her friends 24/7.

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Strangers She Knows
(Cape Charade #3)
by Christina Dodd


Kindle Edition
Published September 10th 2019 by Crooked Lane Books



Goodreads synopsis:
I have three deadly problems:
1. I've seriously offended a maniacal killer.
2. I just had a bullet removed from my brain.
3. My new daughter is growing up too fast--and she's in the line of fire.

Living on an obscure, technology-free island off California means safety from the murderer who hunts Kellen Adams and her new family.... Or does it? Family time becomes terror-time, and at last, alone, Kellen faces a killer playing a cruel game. Only one can survive, and Kellen knows who must win...and who must die.

***

4 Stars

This is the third book in the Cape Charade series by Christina Dodd.

When I picked this up I didn’t realize it was part of a series so I was unfamiliar with the cast or any of the backstory. You definitely need to read book one first for this to make any kind of sense. This is not a standalone book.

There are a couple of character groupings I had to get my mind around before I figured out what was going on. One group was the family, the next was the killer and her storyline and the third was like a diary featuring a women who previously owned the house in which the family lived.

I was pretty confused until about a third of the way in. I was having my kindle read it to me via the text to speech device and these groupings I previously mentioned got all muddled in my brain before I had finally recognized everyone in the cast. This is not really a book to be listened to on audio, especially not in 2x speed like I normally listen.

The plot is pretty interesting. And I think this might come across better if it were a movie or tv show. There are a lot of dynamic moments that didn’t have the impact they could have because the visual sense is being left out as we read. If you are good at seeing the scene in your minds eye, this will be so much more suspenseful. I feel like my reading at 2x speed lessened the impact as well. This is book that needs to scare you and I just wasn’t giving it the opportunity to do that based on how I read.

Basic premise is that a lady and her family go to an island. A killer has followed them. Their daughter is a little too eager and a little too bored and ends up coming across the killer. There is a great twist at the end which I totally didn’t see coming and was happy to have explained the significance of the diary entries.

I have picked up the previous two books in this series just to catch up on the backstory. I suggest you do the same. This book will have so much more impact if you do.

Highly recommended for suspense and thriller fans.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

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