Release: August 19, 2025
Author: Minka Kent
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Rating: 3.5 ★ 

After a rocky past, Camille and her husband Will move to a gated community in Phoenix, hoping to rebuild their lives in peace. But their new neighborhood isn’t as serene as it seems. Camille finds herself caught up in the strange dynamics of her neighbors—especially overly eager Sozi, who seems a little too interested in Camille’s life, and the troubled couple Mara and Oscar, whose secrets run deep.
As Camille becomes more fixated on the drama surrounding her, the cracks in her own life begin to show—especially when someone from her past suddenly resurfaces. Then, a shocking discovery: a dead body in her garage.
What was supposed to be a fresh start quickly spirals into something far more sinister. In this tightly wound suburban thriller, Camille learns that behind every perfect-looking home, dark secrets are lurking—and sometimes, they’re deadly.

Minka Kent delivers another gripping domestic thriller in Circle of Strangers, the follow-up to Imaginary Strangers. Right from the first page, this book had me hooked—Camille finds a dead body in her garage, and instead of calling the police, she calmly cooks dinner and puts her kids to bed. That moment perfectly sets the tone for a story full of shady neighbors, buried secrets, and morally gray characters.
Camille is one of those characters you love to hate. Flawed, calculating, and unapologetically self-serving, she somehow still draws you in. The new neighborhood she's landed in is packed with people who are just as unhinged—no one here is innocent, and that’s half the fun. It gave off strong Desperate Housewives vibes, but with a darker twist.
While the story kicks off with a bang, it does slow down a bit as it flashes back to the events leading up to the discovery in the garage. Still, the tension steadily builds back up, and the final quarter of the book is where things really take off again. Even if you guess some of the twists, there’s likely to be at least one that catches you off guard. And yes—there’s a cliffhanger that totally worked on me. I’m already counting down the days for book three.
If you’re into fast-paced, bingeable thrillers with dysfunctional characters and high drama, this one’s a must-read. It’s messy, twisted, and a lot of fun.

Favorite Quote:
"loneliness is a quiet thing. It doesn't shout. It's more like an ache you can't seem to shake."

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

This book was intense right from the very first chapter. I never would’ve guessed the ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 4.5/5!!!!! (rounded down)

Circle of Strangers is a suspenseful and twisty domestic thriller that left me ping-ponging the entire time between who to trust and what was real! I will say, once I realized this was a second book in Kent’s Dangerous Strangers series, I immediately listened to the audio of the first book, Imaginary Strangers, to get some background- not necessary to enjoy Circle of Strangers, but so happy I did because I LOVED!

Camille and Will Prescot have moved to a quiet gated community to start fresh in a new town after the horror that met them in Phoenix. Only, their new neighbors quickly have Camille questioning her own marriage and who to trust around her. She starts to obsess over the imperfections of everyone else’s lives, which reveal the cracks in her own.

This book had me from dead body in the garage on page one! From there, Kent peels back the layers of Camille’s new seemingly perfect neighborhood and its inhabitants, only to reveal a web of neighborhood gossip, disturbing secrets, gaslighting, a disappearance, and going to the greatest lengths imaginable to protect your own secrets. And for Camille, that means facing who she actually is and the woman who made her this way. Circle of Strangers ended on a cliffhanger, so I will be very excitedly awaiting the third book in the Dangerous Strangers series!

Holy twist! This second book in the Dangerous Strangers series picks up where Imaginary Strangers left off.

The Prescott family starts a new life in a new neighborhood. Camille believes this is just what she needs; her need to protect her family gets a bit of reprieve, or so she thinks.

This story reminds me of a more evil version of Desperate Housewives, the secrets, the drama and the mind twists are going to keep you glued to the pages.

Be sure to read this story slowly, a lot of clues and hints are throughout the pages to help you figure out the real mystery of the cul-de-sac, and when you get some of the answers, you are going to be absolutely shook! I know I was. I am praying to all the writing spirits that this is not the last book in this series; the ending is going to leave you begging for more! I tip my hat to you, Ms. Kent, for this fabulous thriller!

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I have started it several times and finally just had to lay it aside. I am a fan of Minka Kent but this story just wasn't keeping me interested. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC.

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!