Strange things are happening in Clare Cassidy’s life. A teacher of English to British teenagers and of creative writing to adults, Clare knows a good story when she hears one. And she’s been a fan of one particular story, R. M. Holland’s “The Stranger,” for a long time. In fact, she followed him to Talgarth High. Although Holland’s long been dead, the school was previously his home, and his office is still intact. Clare wanted to write a book about him and the mystery surrounding the death of his wife and the possible disappearance of a daughter.

But when Clare’s friend and fellow teacher is killed, some of the oddities of Holland’s story are a little to close to home. And then Clare finds that someone else has written to her in her diary. Is it possible that Clare or her teenaged daughter Georgia are in danger, or could Clare have engineered this to take the blame off herself?

Sargeant Harbinder Kaur is no stranger to Talgarth High and R. M. Holland. As a teenager, she went to to the high school. Now she’s a sergeant in the police force and trying to figure out if Clare is a killer or a potential victim, and to find the answers before others have to die.

Elly Grifiths is known for her mystery novels, and The Stranger Diaries is definitely that. But it’s so much more. Told through the voices of several different characters, this thriller is half murder mystery, half creepy ghost story. With excerpts from Holland’s story mixed in, The Stranger Diaries becomes a spine-tingling, teeth-gnashing, white knuckle story that would be perfect for a stormy night at home alone.

For The Stranger Diaries, I got the audiobook, and hearing the tale in the voices of four distinct narrators added so much pleasure and depth to my reading experience. I loved it!

Honestly, I loved everything about this book. I loved the characters. I loved the pacing. And I especially loved the use of the story story “The Stranger” to heighten the tension. Don’t miss this one!

Galleys for The Stranger Diaries were provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through NetGalley, with many thanks, but I bought the audiobook myself through Audible.