I had heard some good buzz about this book, so I requested it for review. The premise is intriguing: a group of people witness a murder/suicide in a London Park, but did they really see what they thought they saw? One of the main witnesses, Jen Hunter, is a journalist who has recently been fired (for reasons we find out much later) and she writes an article about her experiences and sets off to interview the other witnesses, as well as to find out more about the deceased couple.

The writing for this book is incredibly tedious. I didn't like Jen or her BFF Bex at all. They were both pretty unreliable as narrators, which can be fine, but in this case I knew they were both hiding things and their histrionics were offputting. I'm never a fan of the characters knowing something that the reader does not, and the cause of Jen's firing was withheld from the reader for too long, with the characters alluding to what happened without coming right out and saying it.

As the narrative continued and Jen delves deeper into her armchair investigating and her overdramatic paranoia, everything just spiraled into something I couldn't and didn't want to believe. There were a couple of plot points that turned into "twists" that I figured out from the very beginning, especially as I got to know the characters and their deviousness. I didn't care about or like any of the characters, so it was difficult for me to root for their success.

It could have been a good story, but it just didn't work for me. If you are able to suspend disbelief and go for it, you might connect with it more than I did.

I think that this was a pretty good start to spooky season. I liked that I was kinda in the dark all the way to the end. The chapters were short so I was always saying “oh just one more chapter”. I will say that I did want more from the ending though. Overall an okay book.

3.75 stars

Happy publication day to Five Strangers! This was a fun read, and the plot kept me interested from the start until the very end, but the writing itself could have been stronger. I love the suspense and twists that come from a good unreliable narrator; although one such character is revealed fairly early on (and was evident even before that point), the story did still keep me guessing about some things right until the conclusion. The last couple of chapters felt a bit rushed; to be fair, though, that might just be me wanting more of the story. I enjoyed this book and am glad I was able to finish it just in time for its release.

Also, as an FYI for readers who want to know, this book could include a content warning for a scene of (fairly graphic) violence toward animals (and some pretty vivid descriptions of violence toward people, although that’s probably obvious given the overall plot).

This is a twisty turn of a story that gives the reader a horrific starting scene and takes off from there. The main character, Jen Hunter, is a journalist who has had her share of trouble but witnessing a gruesome murder/suicide has sent her over the edge.

Jen questions what she saw that day which leads to a unique yet totally crazy premise! While it may have been a bit unrealistic, it was wholly entertaining and I had a hard time putting this book down!

My thanks to Scarlet for this gifted DRC

This book has it all: crime, friendship, betrayal, intimacy, mystery and suspense. It is told from the perspective of two different women who happen to be best friends. Immediately we are thrown into a crime unfolding which is a big attention grabber. Our main character is Jen Hunter who although is beautiful, we quickly learn is imperfect, one aspect that I greatly appreciated. (Who wants to read a book where the main character is perfect and boring and completely unrelatable? Nobody.) The story unfolds a little at a time, as do the characters, and all the pieces come together so brilliantly. A few of my hunches proved to be correct but yet there were still so many individual aspects that I could not figure out until they were revealed at the end. There was even a major shocker thrown into the mix that I never saw coming! Yes, a definite must read!

3.5 ⭐️‘s

When five strangers witness a horrific crime, they all see the same thing. Later, Jen receives a text message that all might not be what it seems, Jen delves in to find out if she missed something. Unfortunately, Jen hasn’t always had a stellar past and recently, when caught lying, she lost her writing job. Spurred on by a friend to write about it to get over it, Jen decides it’s exactly what she should do. Her college friend, Bex, is not quite so sure it’s best for Jen, but she’s always dropped everything for Jen. Told in the alternating voices of Jen and Bex, the reader quickly ascertains that all is not quite right ... but who exactly is the unreliable narrator? This book started out to be quite the page turner, but as it progressed there were just too many coincidences to make it believable, although it was still a fun read.

E.V Adamson is the pseudonym of British writer Andrew Wilson, the bestseller author of four novels which feature Agatha Christie as a detective early in her career as a writer of popular detective fiction. I read the first two and thoroughly enjoyed them. So when I heard he was writing a psychological thriller under a different name, I was excited to get a hold of a copy from NetGalley. Already published in the UK, Five Strangers comes out in the U.S. on 19 October. It’s a book I highly recommend, coming on the heels of such female-led psychological thrillers like The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl. In fact, Five Strangers relies quite heavily–and effectively, in my opinion–on the kind of POV writing that made Paula Hawkins’ and Gillian Flynn’s novels so successful: the unreliable narrator.

Jen Hunter is on Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath, waiting for her friend Rebecca (Bex) to arrive for a coffee date. It’s Valentine’s Day and couples are being all smoochy and loved up. Jen is not long out of a five-year relationship with Laurence. To say it ended badly is an understatement. To add to her woes, Jen was once the celebrated author of a popular series of confessional journalistic pieces in a major newspaper, until her boss discovered that she lied about how her parents died in an earlier piece. She was fired on the spot, and now Jen has no job, no Laurence, and nothing to look forward to in life. But at least she has Bex, right?

Things take a horrific and tragic turn on the Hill when Jen and four other people witness a man, Daniel, argue with his girlfriend, Vicky. He breaks a bottle of champagne and shoves it in the poor woman’s face. If that wasn’t violent enough, he then produces a knife and slashes her throat, leaving Vicky to bleed out on the ground. One of the witness, Jamie, attempts to save the girl and is injured in the process. But before the police arrive, Daniel slashes his own throat and dies before another witness, Ayesha, a doctor just out of medical training, can save him. Another witness, Steven, a Black teenager, runs off before he can give a statement to the police. The last witness is Julia Jones, the local Labour MP, is horrified but there’s nothing she can do to save the situation. Bex arrives just in time to help Jen, knowing that her friend is already in a fragile state of mind.

The one other mystery is the jogger who saw what happened but continued their run without lending assistance. The police urge for him or her to come forward. Jen’s journalistic instincts take hold. Urged by Bex and another close friend, her housemate Penelope, Jen wants to find out why Daniel killed Vicky and then himself, and also discover the identity of the unhelpful jogger. She starts getting tweets from a mysterious Twitter account that suggests that all is not what it appears to be. Bex knows that the more Jen delves into the murder suicide, the greater the chance that her friend will spiral into a breakdown she might not come out of.

Five Strangers is told from both Jen and Bex’s point of view, in alternating chapters. In ways similar to Gone Girl, we get both sides of the story–until the midway twist puts a completely different spin on everything we’ve read until then. Even the witnesses have secrets they’d prefer not to see the light of day. Jen interviews each of them in turn, and discovers allies and foes around every corner. But who is telling the truth? And who among them is hiding the deepest secret of all? I read this book at a feverish pace because I was desperate to find out.

Adamson/Wilson has written a compelling tale of murder, deceit, and the ultimate betrayal. It’s not the first book I’ve read this year in which childhood trauma and fears of abandonment have been behind the characters’ heinous actions, but it’s probably the best and hardest-hitting. While at times I struggled to find sympathy with Jen and Bex, I think the author wanted it that way. There is no black and white when it comes to Jen, Bex, Laurence, and the four witnesses, just many shades of grey.

“𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒖𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒘.”

What a pleasant surprise this thriller was! A true cat and mouse game filled with gaslighting and a shocking opening that keeps the pace the whole way through!

Jen Hunter is down on her luck, having lost her national column in the newspaper, her boyfriend, and her sense of purpose in life. While enjoying Hamstead Heath on Valentine’s Day, she, along with five others, witness a lovers’ quarrel turned murder-suicide. Unable to shake the memory, a mysterious message from a Twitter follower has Jen asking herself: is there more to what she and the others saw? With the watchful eye of her best friend Bex, Jen dives in deeper into an investigation that soon reveals that this was more than just a lovers’ quarrel, but will Jen be able to handle the stress?

This first chapter is one of the best openings of a book I have read in a while; it’s shocking and immediately gets you invested in the story, much like the five strangers are now invested in the tragic event. I loved the duel perspectives between Bex and Jen; as a reader you love to hate both of them for different reasons at various points throughout the book. Hearing from Jen and Bex, along with lots of mini revelations and short chapters, made for a quick and bingeable read. I wasn’t sure how much more there could be to what appeared to be a cut-and-dry murder, but E.V. Adamson does a great job at pulling back all the deep layers, one by one. Sometimes things are a little far-fetched and coincidental, but the ending dropped a reveal that I definitely didn’t see coming.

I loved this story of obsession, trauma, and love-gone-wrong. Looking forward to more E.V. Adamson stories in the future! Thanks to Scarlet New York and NetGalley for the ARC!

The premise of Five Strangers was so intriguing! I was definitely hooked from the first few chapters, where we read in gruesome detail about Daniel’s murder of his girlfriend Vicky and then himself. And then I realized this was an obsession thriller, and I was even more into it!

I enjoyed the characters and how we steadily learned more about them as Jen began her investigation. Jen seemed like a little bit of a basket case and some of her decisions were questionable, but I warmed to her as the story progressed. I thought Bex’s character was very well written, and every character’s secrets were revealed at the perfect pace.

The ending/twist certainly required some suspension of belief, but there’s not much I can say without spoilers. Overall, this book is very well-paced and well written. It’s certainly one to add to your list for spooky season!

This book was so captivating and kept me turning the pages. I loved how there was a hint of unreliability of the mc, it made it very enjoyable and not too overdone. I did guess the twist about halfway in, but the complexity of it still made me shocked as it unfolded. One small twist after another made me fly through the second half of the book!

In FIVE STRANGERS, a group of bystanders witness a murder-suicide in a park in London, but the situation is not quite as it seems. One of the witnesses, a disgraced journalist, pursues the truth.

This story starts strong with a brutal and shocking opening scene, and it keeps good pace to the end. The writing is strong, and the characters are fleshed out. However, the plot is nonsensical. The makings of a good thriller are here, but the threads of the plot seem to hinge coincidence and luck, both good and bad.

Hi Readers!
Call me old school, but this was the first book I've read that's not a physical book.
I honestly, was very skeptical, but this book was so good that I didn't even notice the format.

Synopsis:
5 Strangers witness a horrific event together that ties them to each other forever.
The event occurred.
The even was horrible.
They all saw it.
But did they really see what they think they saw?

Features of Book:
1) Told in dual perspectives
2) Fast moving plot - literally, the action starts right from the first chapter
3) Plot twists, Plot twists, Plot twists
4) An array of different characters
5) Psychological suspense

I thought the story of this novel was really good. It had me guessing something new with every chapter.
I thought there was a lot of extra descriptive words (such as naming every street name) that I noticed and didn't particularly care for (as it really didn't seem important to me even after finishing the book).
But it definitely was a real page turner.
The final plot twist in the ending I thought was a little unbelievable, but overall I really enjoyed reading this novel.
If you are a fan of whodunnit and psychological thrillers then I highly suggest giving this one a try!

Happy Reading,
-Just A Girl And Her Couch

Love this book! Fron the first pages, I was drawn in. I loved the character development and immediately felt like I was on a roller coaster in the best way possible. The twists and turns were surprising and I thought I had it figured out a few times, but I was wrong! The author placed red herrings throughout the story in a sneaky way. I cannot say enough about it. Highly recommend this book!

Whoa, this book! It’s an absolute MUST READ! Five Strangers by E.V. Adamson features a group of witnesses to a crime, but who is telling the truth, and who knows what happened?

Five strangers witness a brutal murder in broad daylight — but can they truly believe what they saw?

With its grassy hills and breathtaking city views, London’s Hampstead Heath is the perfect place to spend an afternoon with friends and loved ones—and on an unseasonably warm Valentine’s Day, the lawns are especially full. So when an aggressive lovers’ quarrel breaks out, there’s an audience of park goers nearby to hear the shouts traded back and forth, and to watch as the violence escalates suddenly to murder, then suicide.

For the five strangers who observed the gruesome act, the memory of the gore is unshakable. But one of them—disgraced journalist Jen Hunter—is compelled to question the truth of what she thought she saw. Are the facts of the case plain as day, or were they obscured, in the moment, by the glaring sunlight?

As she mounts an obsessive investigation for a seemingly-impossible alternative, the lives of the other witnesses begin to unravel, each in its own particular way. Soon one thing becomes clear: the crime they witnessed was more terrible, more twisted, and more far-reaching than they ever could have imagined.

Don’t miss this novel! Out on October 19!

3.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley for this early reader. I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the first half. I liked the definitive ending. Had some good twists and a unique storyline. The two main characters were so deeply unlikable that it was hard to rate higher than a 3.5

The beginning of this was so compelling and intense, but I did not love where the story ended up going. This was bingeable for sure, and I think most people will enjoy it. I will definitely read from this author again, but this story just did not end up doing it for me.

Such a slow read for me. The beginning started off interesting then went downhill and boring from then on. Found this book hard to finish and the characters didn't draw me into their lives.
Sorry but just wasn't for me, my personal opinion only.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I was super excited for this book! The idea of it was good, but the execution just wasn’t what I had hoped for. The main character was super frustrating going back and forth in her decision making, the dialogue was odd to me at times and I feel like there were too many characters that we had to focus.

Five strangers, Valentine’s Day, spending an afternoon in London’s Hampstead Heath taking in the unseasonably warm day. Innocent enough, until one of the couples starts arguing which turns into a murder-suicide. The five strangers all watched in horror as the violence takes place, unable to move or even think about what to do. One of the witnesses is Jen Hunter, a former journalist who tries to spark her career by writing about what she, and the others saw. She becomes obsessed with the investigation, and someone becomes obsessed with her. She starts receiving odd messages, causing her to question everything she believed to be true. Is what she witnessed, true? Or is there something deeper and more twisted than she could have ever imagined?

The book is narrated by Jan, and her best friend Bex. They are friends since university, Always there for each other, especially Bex where Jen is concerned, she is always there to help pick up Jen when she falls apart. Especially after Jen’s five year courtship to Laurence falls apart. Bex wasn’t a fan of Laurence, and it seems she had a good reason. Neither narrator is very reliable, they are both really unlivable characters.

This started out as a really good story, there was so much action and anticipation, but it is short lived. After only a few chapters, it becomes boring, and with such unlikeable characters, I honestly had to force myself to finish reading it just to see how it all played out. I gave it 2 stars, although the ending was a bit predictable, the beginning had a lot of missed potential.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Scarlet Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Actual review 2.5ish stars? The first half of this book dragged for me and I nearly gave up on it. It finally started to pick up towards the end but overall this wasn't the story for me.