I imagine that if Dickens were to write a story of the human cost and societal upheaval of WWII, it would be much like this. David Baldacci's, Strangers in Time, focuses on the orphans, the evacuees, the bombed-out families, and the small kindnesses that persist amid rubble of war.

Charlie is an orphaned young teen who is trying his best to care for his Gran, This sometimes means straying from the virtuous path, but that is only due to necessity. His path crosses with Molly. a young teen herself, who has returned to her well off London home after being sent by her to the countryside in hopes of keeping her safe. While she presents as a confident girl, inside she has her own secrets and fears.
Finally, there is Ignatius, a shut off widower now tending the bookshop his late wife so dearly loved. At first withdrawn, he gradually forms an unexpected bond with these two young people. In ordinary times, these three lives would likely never have crossed. But war weaves together all types of souls into a tapestry never before imagined. This is the story of just one of those tapestries.

The audio actors' performances are top notch. They add a wonderful and engaging texture to the story.

This is not just another WWII story of troop movements and battles lost and won. This is big story on the smallest level. One which I thoroughly enjoyed,

My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

David Baldacci is probably best known for his action/thriller books, and I've read some of those and enjoyed them. But I've found that I actually enjoy his standalone books that aren't thrillers just as much, if not more. I really liked The Christmas Train, and Wish You Well is one of my all-time favorite novels. Strangers in Time is a another good example of those standalones, and I really liked this one as well. Set in London during WWII, it's the story of three people, two teens and an older man, who've all been displaced by the war in one way or another. Somehow they manage to find and help each other try to get through the war years. In the process we learn about their backgrounds and how their pasts have shaped their present. It's full of well-drawn characters and Baldacci establishes a wonderful feeling of a time and place that (of course) isn't always so wonderful. The audiobook is narrated beautifully by a cast of several narrators. I highly recommend this one.
My thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

David Baldacci's Strangers in Time caught my attention because the title seemed to point to time travel, a favorite genre of mine. I wasn't correct in that leap of faith, but I wasn't disappointed either. I had only one DB book under my belt and I'm trying to fix that - and I'm glad to be on this path, so this became DB book 2 for moi.

The time is during WWII, blitz era. The strangers are Charlie, Molly and an elderly gent named Ignatius. I won't be letting any cats outta this bag, other than a robust encouragement for readers' eyes on this latest offering of the author, especially if resilient youths, honorable but lonely elders who collaborate in efforts of survival result in piqued interest. Baldacci's writing appeals to me, even handed and objective (too weighted with gender is a deal-breaker for me).

This story explores ideas of class (ours and theirs) as we choose those with whom we 'should' associate, community v isolation, especially as we grow to define our circles of support (aka families). These three brave characters show who we depend on in crisis as well as who we remove ourselves from to protect them from our harmful selves, the trauma of warfare, and how far from square we may go before we are willing to change our minds and turn that undermining whisper within to a more compassionate voice. Better together, than apart, eh?

*A sincere thank you to David Baldacci, Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #StrangersinTime #NetGalley

Strangers in Time weaves the stories of three very different people from very different backgrounds during 1944 in London: Charlie, an orphan from the East End of London who is scrappy and does what is needed to survive yet has a conflict with his moral code; Mollie, a Chelsea teen from a wealthy background; and Oliver, a widower who owns a bookstore. Their intersecting lives provides the backdrop of a story of survival and serendipity during a war that has taken so much.

Strangers In Time by David Baldacci is a beautiful and timeless story of chance encounters and charming characters with strength, determination and heroism.

I was caught off guard the minute I started this WWII historical fiction! I was not expecting to fall in love with the way Baldacci spun together such a lovely menagerie of characters - the kind from the wrong side of the tracks, the underdogs, those with the kindest souls imaginable. With death and destruction everywhere, this book simply cannot have a tone that is anything other than dark, but Charlie, Molly and Ignatius create light and colour during a very bleak time.

I didn't like how this story wrapped up, the ending coming far too abruptly! Events surrounding Molly's dad came out of nowhere and created such a strange turn. The death of a beloved character really threw me and I'm simply not sure it was necessary to break my heart in this way! Additionally, I longed for a recap from Charlie's perspective, although we do learn who he grew into.

The more I think about this ending, the more one thing truly doesn't add up: I cannot see Molly turning into who she did! I don't believe she would have wanted to get married (and this level-headed, whip-smart girl would not have married who she did). Nothing during her nearly sixteen years of life alluded to a desire to have children; her history, upbringing and drive to become a doctor would outweigh any inkling she may have had to procreate.

This audiobook has a full cast, creating a masterfully immersive experience that indeed felt like getting dropped into this story at ground level. I appreciated that the Author's Note is read by Baldacci, adding background information behind the creation of this story.

With all that said (and feeling the need to clarify), this story gets four stars, with the audiobook literally getting all the stars! This book will forever have part of my heart!

Thank you NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, Libro.fm, and Hachette Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

I enjoyed this audio a great deal, and was sorry to see it end. I was involved in the three main characters and their adventures throughout the audio. The narrators were very engaging. I learned more about the German Bombardment of London during World War two.
This book was very different than David Baldacci's usual style of writing. I enjoy all of his books. This was one of my favorites.
Thank you Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to listen to this audio.

Great stand alone story from one of America’s best selling authors. What a great tale. Listening to the audio version was like going on a mystical journey.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

(3.75 stars)
David Baldacci has another standalone novel (great for people who don’t like to get invested in series). This one takes place in 1944 London, in the midst of World War Two. It featured three main characters: Charlie, an almost-14-year-old from the bombed-out East End, living with his grandmother in very dire conditions; Molly, a 15-year-old whose well-to-do family sent her out of London five years earlier, but who has now returned to find London and her family very much changed; and Ignatius Oliver, a widower who runs a bookshop. Through various circumstances, they meet and over the course of the book become like family, amid the horrors of wartime bombing.

I don’t read a lot of World War Two books these days, but since it was David Baldacci, I gave it a whirl, and I’m glad I did. I enjoyed all three main characters and empathized with what they had and were going through. I thought the ending was wrapped up a bit too nicely, but that’s a minor quibble.

I had access to both the print/ebook version and the audio version, and when that happens, I normally bounce back and forth between the two, depending on circumstances. However, in this instance, the audiobook was so wonderful that I basically listened to the entire book. There’s a full-cast consisting of Stewart Crank, Alexandra Boulton, John Lee, Nicola F. Delgado, Matthew Lloyd Davies, and Joe Pitts. I have no idea who voiced which characters, but they all combined to bring the story to life beautifully. Baldacci reads an interesting Author’s Note at the end of the audiobook, which is something I always enjoy. Because of the quality of the audiobook, I rated this a bit higher than I might have otherwise.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book and to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

This one was just ok for me. I would say 3.75. I have not read a lot of this author’s books. But I did like the story and the writing it was more the presentation of the audiobook. I was not a huge fan of how the narrator portrayed the lines. So then I got distracted for the rest of the book. In time, I would like to read this as a book since I do love historical fiction.

I voluntarily listened to the audiobook provided by NetGalley.

This was really different from what I normally read and I loved it! The voices where amazing and worth listening too

A story of secrets, betrayals, and unlikely friendships. It’s emotional and that keeps spinning-and keeps you guessing-right until the startling finish.

I went through the full gamut of emotions with this story.

Molly, Charlie & Ignatius endured such a massive amount of loss and hardship. More than anything this book represents the very real difficulties that so many went through during WWII - death of loved ones, starvation, loss of homes and general insecurity that felt endless.

I was entirely in the clutches of Baldacci's writing and wanted so badly for our characters to make it out, unscathed was too much to hope for of course. But in the midst of so much anguish they found each other, supported one another and created a family dynamic that was unbreakable. The human spirit and need for connection during tough times was really the fourth main character here.

Baldacci now has a new fan. But I will say one tiny criticism - we don't call them "ranches" here in Aus sir, they're farms or cattle stations ;)

Massive fan of the narration, duet style really added to the atmosphere and I applaud Stewart Crank, Alexandra Boulton, John Lee, Nicola F. Delgado, Matthew Lloyd Davies and Joe Pitts on a job well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this engrossing ALC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Strangers in Time is a refreshing change of pace for David Baldacci—and an absolute triumph. Best known for his pulse-pounding thrillers, Baldacci trades high-tech espionage for wartime Europe, and the result is a deeply human, emotionally rich novel that’s hard to put down.

Set during World War II, this story isn’t just about battles and strategy. It’s about people—flawed, brave, complicated people—thrown into impossible circumstances. Baldacci’s gift for plotting is still here, but this time he leans hard into character. The relationships feel real, the dialogue is sharp, and the stakes are personal in all the right ways.

He doesn’t just recreate the era—he brings it to life with skill and subtlety. The historical detail is vivid, but never heavy-handed. What stands out most is the humanity. The characters are complex and relatable, shaped by war, loss, and hope. His research into mental illness is especially strong, adding layers that feel honest and necessary, not just dramatic.

For fans of WWII fiction, this is a must-read. And for longtime Baldacci readers, it’s proof that even after dozens of books, he’s still full of surprises. I loved it. Oh, and the audio narration is fabulous.

** Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio for comps of the eBook and audiobook. The opinions are my own.

Thank you for the ARC of this book! The audiobook was wonderful with all of the characters having their own voices. I enjoyed that the story was told from multiple perspective and that it wasn’t your typical WW2 fiction. Parts of the book were predictable, but it was a wonderful read.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story. In part it felt non-fiction and really brought the war period to life. The narration was wonderfully done and whilst it was a long listen with a slow moving plot it was really interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to this audiobook.

The book/audiobook was well written and well narrated. It is a historical fiction and does not have nearly the amount of action i have come to expect from David Baldacci. I much prefer his other titles but if you like historical fiction this may be for you, it was just not what I enjoy spending my time enjoying most. I felt there where points in the book that were slow and I had to step away and come back to it later to pick it back up when I was in the write mood to listen to this type of book.

A unique WWII story told in only the way Baldacci can tell it. It is not your typical read from him, yet it still holds on to the emotions and feeling that we have all come to love from Baldacci. He has a way of bringing you into the lives of his characters and makes them so real. Strangers in Time follows the lives of children dealing with the realities of life in the middle of a war. It’s not the “poor woe is me” type of novel. These children have the grit needed for survival. I highly recommend the audiobook version. The narrators brought the characters to life.

Thank You for an opportunity to listen to this book.

I like Baldacci’s formula books because I enjoy the adrenaline rush, but this one was a bit different—set during the Second World War and slightly outside his usual tropes. It wasn’t bad, just not one of the best World War 2 fiction books I’ve read. Not your typical Baldacci, but not bad either.

War is a heavy and complicated subject, and this audiobook resonated deeply with me, especially because war has taken so much from my own family. From the very beginning, the story pulled me in—not just because of its powerful themes, but because of the way the author masterfully weaves history and mystery together. I had no idea it was a historical mystery when I started listening, and discovering that layer added an entirely new level of intrigue and suspense.

The writing itself is beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions and a tone that perfectly balances the sorrow and resilience that comes with such difficult times. It’s not an easy story to follow emotionally, but the depth and honesty in the narrative made it impossible to put down—or in my case, stop listening to. Every chapter revealed more pieces of the puzzle, keeping me engaged and eager to learn what would happen next.

What truly elevated the experience was the audiobook narration. The narrator brought every character to life with remarkable skill, capturing their unique voices and emotions in a way that felt authentic and deeply moving. From the quiet moments of reflection to the intense scenes of conflict, the performance added layers of meaning and made the story feel incredibly real.

This audiobook wasn’t just entertainment; it was a powerful reminder of the sacrifices and losses endured during war, and how those stories continue to shape families and histories. I’m profoundly grateful for this experience and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates storytelling that combines emotional depth, historical insight, and gripping mystery.