Alternating between Belinda and Mabel POV, we are treated to multiple timelines throughout their lives. I kept waiting for their stories to merge and at times found myself struggling to stay focussed as some parts did drag at times. The last 25% of the book was exciting and had me invested however I do think maybe the author tried to pack too much into this book.

🤍Book review 🤍

The Stranger in Room Six
by Jane Corry

The story follows Belinda, recently released from prison, and Mabel, a 98 year old old woman with a complicated past tied to World War II.
The alternating chapters between present day and the 1940s were really well done , I found both storylines equally engaging.
There are lots of twists and secrets slowly revealed, and I liked how the connection between Belinda and Mabel developed over time. The setting of the care home added an extra layer of emotion, especially as both women are dealing with guilt, loss, and hidden truths.
The writing was emotional and suspenseful, and some parts were heartbreaking, but the strength of the characters really stood out. The mystery of who’s in room six added great tension, and the ending surprised me because i haven’t really predicted that twist.
If you enjoy historical fiction with a twisty plot and emotional depth, this is a great read.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

I haven’t given a five star review in some time but this was thoroughly deserved.
Dual time aspect books don’t always do it for me but the way this entwined past and present day was perfect. I was equally invested in both of the times the story was set in and the way they fused together in the present day. The historical aspect was fascinating and, as with other great writing, was based on a lot of truth and secret histories so this made my pages turn very fast indeed. I feel I learned a lot about WWII and British sub groups and the taboos of Nazi sympathisers and from a very human aspect through connected characters that I was very engaged with. The personal stories and trauma were exquisitely written and very poignant with quite a few tear jerking moments as were the acutely observed experiences of being in modern day prisons. Honestly this book has it all, hidden past secrets, teenage pregnancy, tragedy and plenty of intrigue. Do read it, if you get a chance, you won’t be disappointed. The ending totally threw my world upside down, I won’t lie, but I know the storyline will stay with me for a long time to come.

oh wow. did i read this or breathe it in. because i flew through. i couldn't stop and would stop. it was a historical thriller but no. it was a character driven but plot driven beauty. it was a mixed bag of brilliance. and completely unique to me.
Jane Corry is fantastic. she has her genre down to standards i cannot even begin to marvel at. i look out for her books and im wonder at how she does it every single time with a new and exciting read. if you haven't read her books you need to. and it needs to be your next book.... and then the others.
Mabel and Belinda took me in to their stories. and i couldn't quite get a grip on either. i was umming and arring over just what was going on. i wanted to be clever and see where it was all drawing together. but boy was it exciting to have it Jane's way, all in good time.
it flows so brilliantly even with the different stories and point of views.
there were so many emotions in there too. not just the thriller element. Jane took us deeper. she took us to wanting to understand not just wanting to see where the plot was heading.
i wont fan girl this book more because i will give away too much.

I finished this book in one day, how truly suspenseful and thrilling read this was! Historical fiction elements mixed with mystery is one of the best genres there is, and this book just hits the nail.

Two women and their stories. One during world war 2 and another during modern days. One, lost her parents and everything else and found a herself within Nazi sympathisers and also in love with another enemy. Another pays the price of someone else’s wrong doing, by mistakenly killing someone close to her and ending up in jail. Fate brings the two together in an aged care where they tell each other their life stories. But these stories are heavy with secrets from the past, which is came out, may cost them both heavily.

This is a story of two kindred spirits, who were wrongly mistreated by fate. This is a story of two strong women who kept fighting their whole lives to just keep their lives together. The story will keep you hooked the entire time. The secrets will shock you and the strength of the women will bring tears in your eyes. Would highly recommend everyone to grab a copy of this!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin UK for giving me a chance to read this ARC!!!

My thanks to Penguin General UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Stranger in Room Six’ written by Jane Corry in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

After learning that her husband was having an affair, Belinda accidently pushed Gerald who hit his head on a pavement and died, and as she was seen by several people passing by she was arrested and convicted of his murder. Fifteen years later she works at the Sunnyside Home for the Young at Heart where she cares for the owner and longest resident, Mabel, who’s in her late nineties. Mabel has lived at the Home for most of her life and as the two women share their secrets someone in room six is watching them.

‘The Stranger In Room Six’ is a well-constructed thriller set in two timelines, during World War Two and the present time. The main characters are Belinda who’s now released from prison and works at the Sunnyside Home for the Young at Heart and 98-year-old Mabel who she works for and knows the secrets of the house. The descriptions of the characters were very good and the storyline interesting and although it didn’t hold my attention as much as I’d hoped for I’ve still found it entertaining and look forward to reading the author's next novel.

As always from this author, a total page turner. This had me up until the early hours wanting to know the answers.

‘The Stranger In Room Six’ is a dual POV, telling the story of Belinda, an ex convict, and Mabel, an OAP. When Belinda becomes a carer for Mabel at Sunnyside, they find themselves telling each other their life stories; what darkness are they hiding from the light? And who is the stranger in room 6 that’s watching everything?

I have to start by saying this is the fastest 400 plus page book ever! I absolutely flew through it because I was so immersed in the story. It was a historical thriller in my eyes, and I loved Mabel’s POV when she went back to speaking about the Second World War.

The way the author makes the characters recount their pasts is incredible, and I throughly enjoyed their stories coming together and the differences between them. It had enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, without going into full on thriller territory. One of my favourite reads this year.

I really enjoyed this book. Jane Corry knows how to write a good tale! Told over dual timelines, Mabel during WWII and Belinda who had been jailed for killing her husband, the women meet up after Belinda's release and Mabel is very elderly.
I especially enjoyed Mabel's story, what a traumatic life she had! I loved how the women's stories intertwined and we learn more about their lives. Very enjoyable read.

This book was not what I expected; I thought it was a thriller/mystery which it sort of was but it also had a historical element to it. The start was really promising but then it just kind of petered out. It became predictable and nothing was really a surprise and I felt like the author was going through the motions but failed to tie up all the loose ends. An ok read but not one I would rave about.

Another five star read by Jane Corry - I
loved the stranger in room six.
I absolutely love Jane Corry's writing style and how her books draw you in from the very first page and this was no different.
The book is written in a dual timeline between
World War Two and the present day adding a really interesting historical element which is always a bonus for me
Belinda finds her husband is having and affair and is subsequently sent to prison for his murder.
After fifteen years she is released and hopes for a new start working at Sunnyside care home.
She finds herself caring for Mabel, the oldest resident and forms a close friendship with her.
Mabel has resided at the care home since her family were called during the blitz and like Belinda has her fair share of secrets which haunt her to the present day.
They find themselves unburdening each other but who else is listening?
I loved this book, like all Jane Corry books I've read I couldn't put it down. The friendship was between Belinda and Mabel was really moving.
The stranger in room six is the perfect combination of mystery, page turning thriller and heartbreak.

I highly recommend this book along with all Jane Corrys novels.

This book was not what I was expecting at all and I really enjoyed it! It focuses on two women, Belinda who is a carer at a care home and Mabel who is one of the residents.

The story goes between past and present as you discover what secrets the two women are hiding and how they both ended up at Sunnyside.

It’s a chunky book but I flew through it, I don’t want to give any more about the plot away as I was really surprised (in a good way!)

The Stranger in Room Six has gone straight to the top of my 'best reads of 2025' list. I just could not put it down; I read it in the morning, the evening and in the middle of the night.

The story centres around Belinda, a carer, and Mabel, a resident at the Sunnyside Home for the Young at Heart. Belinda has spent 15 years in prison for the alleged murder of her husband, losing contact with one of her daughters in the process. At the care home, Belinda meets Mabel, who has had an equally colourful life. As the pair swap stories in a series of flashbacks, the past comes back to haunt them both in the present.

The characterization of Mabel and Belinda is just brilliant, and you become completely invested in their outcomes. I wish I could go back and read it for the first time again!

The Stranger In Room Six is a book I liked in places and didn’t like so much in others.
The book is based around two women. One is a mother that does something in the flash of the moment which changes her life forever and the other is an old lady in a care home that has had a colourful life and at the age of ninety eight loves that this new carer she begins to like and trusts can share stories about their pasts and even secrets.
This book was ok for me, the writing was a little slow but then too much could happen on one page. The alternate chapters helped to develop the characters of the two women and the past and now chapters helped with the storyline but I feel like Belinda’s story could have been dropped as the older woman, Mabel, had a lot of life to reveal starting in the Second World War to present day. The characters were decent for the two main women but I feel the other characters which there were a lot of were fairly under developed and could have added so much more to the storyline. It was an ok read and I was probably expecting more.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin General UK, Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

The Stranger in Room Six knows Belinda's secret. She's spent fifteen years in jail after accidentally killing her husband and hasn't told her new employer Sunnyside Home for the Young at Heart. Mabel, the owner, is the oldest resident and also has a secret of her own. As their friendship blossoms, so does danger. Can they trust each other?

This book is told in six different parts, spanning 116 chapters from the POV of Belinda, Mabel, and the stranger in room six. Admittedly, the table of contents was daunting, but it was a very easy and fast read.

Something I didn't love about this novel the obvious lack of knowledge about how the UK law system works. There were lots of small details and then OF COURSE the author had to mention the main character was asked to pay a "six-figure sum" for her bail. That's not a bail, that's a bail BOND which is specific to US Courts. My contructive criticism would be to remove that from the book as it casts doubt on any research done by the author, considering the gist of the story centres around historical facts.

This novel has everything: a cheating husband, mystery, politics, jail time, family drama, a love story... lots of good character development and a fantastic twist at the end!

A real page turner that I couldn’t put down. There was so much depth to it and I enjoyed the historical aspect as well.

Friendship and secrets are at the heart of this thoroughly readable book told in 3 timelines by two distinct and very different characters thrown into the fray due to their circumstances. Sprinkled into the mix is a link to world War 2,history and how to survive in distressing circumstances

A book with multiple time lines.
Belinda is in an unhappy marriage with two teenage daughters when she finds out her husband is having an affair, after confronting him she pushes him resulting in his death and was sent to prison for fifteen years.
on leaving prison Belinda starts work in a retirement home where she meets Mabel who owns the house after moving in with her aunt after her family had died during the war and was left the house.
Belinda and Mabel befriend each other and tell each other their secrets.
A great story with great characters just couldn't put it down.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review.

An absolutely wonderful read which was a real page turner. I loved following the story of Belinda and Mabel and how their friendship grew as time went on. Very touching and certainly gave food for thought. I loved it.

I really liked this one, reading the stories of Mabel and Belinda and how their characters intertwine. Always humbling to read about WW2 and the way everyone managed/coped and even thrived in the environment. Had to keep turning the pages!