Mika Kent is quickly becoming an auto read author for me. She hits a home run every time, this is my third book by her and I've enjoyed them all and couldn't put them down. I read Imaginary Strangers prior to reading Circle of Strangers and if you haven't read the first book first, I highly suggest you do, it flows so much better by reading them in order. This book is like next level darker version of Desperate Housewives and is totally twisted. I probably have whiplash from the sharp turns it took me on. I did not see the ending coming at all and I am crossing my fingers and toes there is a third book to this series because I NEED MORE!!!

Circle of Strangers
Minka Kent

After reading the first in this series [Imaginary Strangers] I had to jump immediately into the next, and boy this did not disappoint! Will & Camille have started fresh in a new town complete with a whole new neighborhood dynamic and it starts off with a bang! This one is a delicious game of cat and mouse, and frankly I never knew who was coming or going. Little games like these are catnip to me and I never tire of trying to figure out where Minka’s twisted little mind will go. I’m def diving right into the next as this one leaves on a massive cliff hangar! #CircleofStrangers #arcreader #arcreviewer #thrillerbooks #arcreviewer #netgally #netgalleyreviewer #bookstagram

This book hooked me with its chilling look at the secrets people bury behind closed doors. The way the author peels back the layers of this seemingly peaceful neighborhood reveals how dangerous the quietest places can be. I was captivated by Camille’s growing unease and how the story explores the fragile line between safety and menace. The writing is sharp and atmospheric, weaving suspense with moments of deep psychological insight. I loved how the tension builds slowly, making every interaction crackle with suspicion. The characters feel real and flawed, especially Camille, whose past haunts her and shapes her cautious view of the world. Overall, I truly enjoyed the clever, slow-burning suspense and the emotional depth beneath the thrills.

This was a good sequel to the first book. A quick read and entertaining. I like this author and would recommend this book to others.

I loved “Circle of Strangers” and could not put this book down. The twists kept me on my toes and I was so shocked at the ending. I really hope there will be a third book in this series to see what Camille and Will do next.

Circle of Strangers is the 2nd book in this series, and it finds Camille and Will having moved to a gated community in Arizona, leaving behind the mayhem in San Diego, as they seek a fresh start. But Camille is getting weird vibes from her new neighbors, and when she finds a dead body in her garage, she doesn’t know who she can trust, including her husband Will. This is truly an edge of your seat thriller, with short chapters heightening the suspense at every turn. In fact, before I knew it, I looked up and I was 70% done with the book, as the story moves along at a quick pace. There’s a lot of misdirection here, and the book goes where you least expect. Really enjoyed this one. Can be read as a standalone, although you can read the first book to add some context to this story (and you won’t be disappointed in that one either,). Five stars. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 rounded down.

This had an interesting premise, but was not really well executed. I just found most of the plot unrealistic. We start off on a high point and it takes quite a bit of time for things to pick back up as well.

I found that Camille gave information to people much too easily. Her whole thing is that she’s smart and manipulative, but I kept wondering why she would willingly play her cards so easily. Felt a little unbelievable at times.

The end was surprising in a sense, but I felt I saw it coming. I wasn’t wow’d by it. The epilogue did get me in a way, some of it.

I don’t think this was really for me. Domestic thrillers are very hit or miss for me and this was a little more of a miss for me. I will try this author again in the future because I do think the writing is there, this just might not have been the one for me.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

When I saw that the second book in the Dangerous Strangers Thrillers series was on NetGalley, I was so excited because I had just finished Imaginary Strangers and COULD NOT put the first book down. I loved the characters in Circle of Strangers; they all had flaws, which I love as a reader, and a lot of things kept me on my toes. Each character was interesting, and I wanted to know more about them. My only tiff with the book was the pace, which was really slow at times, and I was expecting a faster-paced book like the first book in the series. Nonethless, I loved the book overall and can't wait to read book #3!

Great addition to series Dangerous Strangers Thrillers although strong enough to stand on it's own. Minka is a solid author and can't wait to read more!

Minka Kent is back with her latest story about bizarre things that happen in apparrently normal settings.

This time, her protagonist has moved to a gated community to escape from the monsters of her past. But as she discovers, monsters don't always display their evil so obviously.

And turns out that there are plenty of things to be worried about in this new home of hers, not least the strange behaviour of her neighbours on both sides and the secrets that her husband may be keeping from her...

This was an intriguing read, and it gets 3.5 stars.

Great book. Lots of twists. Now I need a part 2 to wrap it all up. Too many things left hanging. I enjoy Minka Kent's writing.

Circle of Strangers by Minka Kent
Camille is a diagnosed sociopath. She’s also married to a well to do doctor, Will and they have 2 young children together. She has a picture perfect life and she’ll do anything to keep it that way. Camille (aka Gabrielle) was raised by horrible mother who traumatized her childhood. She has spent a lifetime running from her and those memories. But suddenly her perfect life isn’t what she thinks it is and she’s about to have to run away again.
I really didn’t want to like Camille. I found her pushy and over the top even though it’s easy to see how her childhood shaped her. But about three fourths thru the book my outlook on her completely changed. Then I was rooting for her! I look forward to the next book in this series. I need more answers!

After reading the first book in this series, I wasn't sure if this one would keep the momentum going and I'm happy to report it does! The twist threw me for a loop and while I suspected part of it, I was completely surprised by the other piece. I can't wait for book 3 in this series to find out what happens and how the author chooses to resolve this storyline. I suspect the ending will be nothing like what I predict and I love when an author can surprise me with a thriller. This novel was compelling, mysterious and a fast paced thrill ride.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

-Follow-up to Imaginary Strangers and just as thrilling!

Narrated by a sociopath with new neighborhood drama (book 1 is mostly family drama) this series is fast paced and exciting. I couldn’t put it down and the ending shocked me! (Which isn’t easy to do!) I highly recommend for mystery/thriller lovers. Read book 1 then check this out when it’s released in August!
Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

I read this gripping suspense novel by Minka Kent in just one day, I couldn’t put it down. Camille and Will Prescott’s move to a quiet Phoenix suburb quickly spirals into a tense unraveling of secrets, with nosy neighbors, dark pasts, and a shocking discovery in the garage. As Camille becomes entangled in the mysteries around her, the tension builds to a chilling climax. The ending left me hanging, desperate for more, and now I’m seriously hoping for a third installment in the Dangerous Strangers thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley!

Woowie this was a good one! I genuinely couldn’t believe the ending I didn’t see that coming. It was so dark and twisted in all the best ways!

Circle of Strangers by Minka Kent is book 2 of the Strangers series. Oh wow, what did I just read???? This book is full of so many twists that my head is still spinning! The cliffhanger at the end is crazy!!! The first book in this series is just as good! I can’t wait until book 3!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thank you to Minka Kent and Amazon Publishing for the ARC!

“Instead, I feel like I’ve lost my footing, like I’ve just opened a door I can’t close - I have no idea what’s waiting for me on the other side…”

After the events of the previous book, Camille and Will are looking for a fresh start. Now living in Phoenix, Will has a new job and Camille keeps herself busy getting to know the neighbors. It becomes a bit of an obsession for her, and it seems a few of those neighbors are just as interested in her and her husband. Meanwhile, she keeps receiving letters from someone in her past, which really rattle her. Camille is an intriguing character - as a diagnosed sociopath, she is just not capable of feeling/understanding the same way as other people, and she fascinates me in how hard she works to be a loving mother.

Definitely read the prior book in the series, “Imaginary Strangers”, because it lays the background for this book. This one is just as bingeable, and I legit couldn’t put it down! I found myself reading til 1 am some nights, which was worth it (even if it made for some tired mornings!) This book opens with quite a shock, and I spent most of the book trying to figure out what was going on with that situation (trying not to give any spoilers). Though I was able to predict one part (in fact, I all but screamed when my prediction was right!), the rest of it I never saw coming! I can only hope more “strangers” are ahead for this family!

“Circle of Strangers” releases August 19, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

This was a great thriller! Along with the short chapters it gives a great fast paced story into Camille's life. I really thought I knew where things were going, and sometimes I did. Yet a lot of the twists I don't think I was able to predict. Which makes a perfectly balanced plot to me. The psychological warfare is definitely there and adds great flavour to the conversations. Because of the amount of dialogue in the book it also reads very enjoyable.

I'll be looking forward for any follow-ups on this one!

This book is #4 for me by Minka Kent and I have loved everything she has written. This is about a neighborhood filled with dysfunctional families, couples, secrets, lies, you name it … this neighborhood has it. I was glued from the first page and was anxious to see how it ended. Holy cow, I did not see that ending coming!!! Will there be a 3rd book in this series? Time will tell!!! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.