If you're looking for your next auto-buy author when it comes to twisty domestic suspense, A.R. Torre is it! "A Familiar Stranger" is now my third Torre novel, and I officially can't get enough of her unpredictable, read-it-in-one-sitting novels.
Lillian Smith, our ordinary leading lady, lives a predictable and rather lackluster life as wife to Mike, mother to Jacob, and obituary writer for the prestigious LA Times. Enter David Laurent, the enticing stranger who may just change not only Lillian's life, but the course of everything else around her as well.
Without giving too much away, as I find that Torre's novels are best devoured mostly-blind and in as few sittings as possible, this book is well-written, fast-paced, and out-of-the-box with its twists and characters. Even as the story unfolds, it stays plausible and intentional; Torre is not one (at least in my reading experience) to throw in dramatic dialogue or an unconvincing plot twist for shock or entertainment value.
My reading month has consisted of more thrillers than anything else, and yet "A Familiar Stranger" still veered off in a direction I didn't expect at all. A must-read for fans of Torre's earlier work, and anyone looking for a domestic thriller to breeze through!
Rating: 4 stars
Publication Details: Out 9/27/2022, Thomas & Mercer
Huge thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing my review copy!
