new beginnings, buried secrets

Annie Clark liked being alone. She wasn’t one of those women who was always wanting to get married. She was fine with being single. She preferred it. And then on a morning commute, she saw Mark. Annie didn’t know his name, but as they caught the same train every morning, she couldn’t help but notice him every day. And then, just as Annie was getting up her courage to talk to him, he disappeared.

Many months later, Annie spotted him again. She had been at her grief group, a support group for those who had lost someone they loved. For Annie, it was her sister. For Mark, it was his wife. She said she was leaving him, taking the weekend for herself before resolving things in their relationship. But she never came back. She didn’t use her phone or her credit cards. Mark is convinced that something bad happened to her. But he has no proof. All he knows is that he has to move forward. Starting with a way to manage his grief. However, he never gets in the building. Instead, he meets Annie in the parking lot.

While Annie feels like she’s in love immediately, Mark struggles. It’s clear he’s attracted to her, but he’s still dealing with complicated feelings around his wife’s disappearance. Annie is patient with him, and eventually it pays off. Mark decides to put his whole heart into the relationship and they decide to get married.

Annie, who didn’t expect to ever have a wedding, plans out a perfect day for them. And everything goes just as it should, until Annie notices the stranger. There is a stranger at her wedding, a man, and no one seems to know who he is. Annie isn’t sure how to feel about that, but she did just get to marry the love of her life. Annie and Mark leave for their honeymoon, to start their life together.

And everything changes.

Annie is looking forward to a relaxing time on the honeymoon, but Mark hardly talks to her. Annie can’t figure out what’s going on with him, but she worries that it has something to do with that stranger from the wedding. Annie tries to think of what she can do to get her marriage back on track. But when they get back from the honeymoon, the stranger shows up at their house.

What does he want? What will it take to make him go away? Just what does Annie have to do to make her marriage work?

A Stranger at the Wedding is a slow burn domestic thriller all about the secrets we carry and the lengths we go to for the people we love. Author A. E. Gauntlett has crafted a tingly story filled with layers of secrets and an unreliable narrator. I listened to the audio book, narrated beautifully by Sophie Rundle, from Peaky Blinders. She brings Annie to life, her struggles and desires, her secrets and her truths.

I listened to this in one weekend, racing to find out what was going on with the stranger and getting completely caught up in this story. I thought Annie was a compelling character, but I did wish I could have known more about Mark’s experience. It felt a little like his secrets were never revealed, and I would have loved to know more about what was going on in his head and heart. But I still enjoyed this book, from the beginning to end. If you like a chilling slow burn thriller, then it’s time to meet The Stranger at the Wedding.

I won a copy of The Stranger at the Wedding from a Goodreads giveaway, and I got an early copy of the audio book from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.