I have read all Ruth Galloway series and was interested to see if I would enjoy this standalone as much. I enjoyed it from start to finish. It was a story within a story which was both Gothic and modern. A pleasureable mix. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I liked reading The Stranger Diaries. It started off with a ghost story and then went on to be a murder mystery book.

The book has three narrators-Clare, DS Kaur or Harbinder and Clare's daughter Georgie. I liked the author's writing style -very atmospheric, vivid. However, I felt the addition of the RM Holland's story, in the end, to be unnecessary.

I look forward to reading more of the author's works.

Thanks to NetGalley,the publisher,and the author for providing me with an eARC.

This book is a mixture of a ghost story and a murder mystery. Clare an English teacher her daughter Georgie and DS Harbinder Kaur are the main characters with the ghost story written by RM Holland running through the book in the background. The book starts with the start of the ghost story and then leads you intothe murder of Clare's friend and colleague Ella.
This book is a stand alone book and not quite what I expected but still an enjoyable read.

This novel is a departure from Elly Griffiths' usual style. It's a chilling murder mystery but in the style of a gothic novel with multiple narrators. The characters of the narrators are distinct enough not to cause confusion and I found the plot compelling and at times quite haunting. A real page turner that is well worth reading.

#TheStrangerDiaries #NetGalley I love Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels so I was excited to read this stand alone book by the same author. However, for me, it wasn't in the same league. The storyline was exciting in parts as a serial killer appeared to be on the loose but I guessed early on who the murderer was and therefore it lost some of its pull for me. I found one of the main characters , Clare, quite irritating although DS Harbinder Kaur was quite the opposite and it would be great to see a series with her as the lead detective! Finally I found the addition of the whole text of 'The Stranger' at the end of the book was quite unnecessary, and for some strange reason I found myself extremely annoyed by the constant spelling of 'hallo' with an 'a'!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy. Im a huge fan of the Ruth Galloway novels and although this was a well written book,it didnt really appeal to me. It had the mystery and the humour that we expect from her books but wasnt really my cup of tea. I wish the author all the best .

Overall I liked this book!

I have read a few books in the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths and I was interested to read this standalone novel. The main character is an English and creative writing teacher called Claire who is researching the life of a horror author. A friend and colleague is murdered and Claire's diary seems to hold some clues.

The whole book felt like a very modern take on a gothic style and I really liked the touches of gothic detail. There is also a short story by the fictional author that runs through the book which I absolutely loved.

The murderer was quite obvious from early in the book and I would have preferred a few plot twists. There are also quite a lot of literary quotes and a creative writing theme that I didn't really enjoy. The story is told from 3 different viewpoints - Claire, her daughter and a policewoman. I thought the relationship that developed with the policewoman was a bit odd and cheesy, and I also found the ending cheesy.

Despite this, I thought the subplot about the horror author, the story within the story and the gothic details were interesting and enjoyable enough to make up for most of my dislikes and I would recommend this book.

I've read a number of Elly Griffiths crime novels and was pleased to have the chance to read this one and reviee for NetGalley.
This story about a teacher whose life becomes embroiled in what appears to be a reflection of a short story written in the school in which she works, borders on the supernatural at times but is well bedded in the here and now.
A colleague and close friend of Claire's is killed, her daughter Georgie is drawn into the web with her visits to a slightly of the wall teacher at a nearby college raising concerns. The main police involvement is a Sikh detective Harbinder Kaur who gives us insights into her own culture and the difficulties of balancing that and her police career.
All through the book the narration moves between these the characters and each one gives their own perspective to what is going on. The death of another colleague throws doubt into the minds of the main characters and has suspicion diverted.
The ending was unexpected and the whole book well crafted. The slightly gothic theme to this book is different to one I would normally choose, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it. I hope we meet Harbinder Kaur again in more books from this author.

Prior to this book, I had never come across this author. I have to admit I was unsure what to make of this book as it, not my usual choice/genres. It is very much a Halloween/Gothic type book about ghosts.
The story is told by 3 different narrators. Although it is of gothic in style it is very modern. Plus there is some added humour in it too.
Honestly, it wasn't really my type of book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Publishers for the opportunity to read The Strangers Diary in exchange for my honest unbiased review

I have been a fan of Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway series for years so was delighted to get an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review. As the blurb says, this is a modern take on Gothic fiction. I'm not a huge fan of the gothic finding it a little 'overblown' for my liking but I did enjoy this novel very much. I especially liked finding out about the form and tropes of Gothic fiction through Clare's musings on the subject.

Clare Cassidy is a teacher at an 'improving' school. She is divorced with a teenage daughter and a labradoodle called Herbert. In her spare time she researches a Gothic writer who formerly taught at the school. She is relatively happy with her lot in life, but then strange things start to happen following the murder of her friend and colleague. Most eerily she finds messages in her diary and worse still more murders happen and seem to be following the pattern of those in a short story by the gothic writer. The story is told through the points of view of Clare, her daughter Georgie and Harbinder, the DS who is investigating the murders. I really loved the character of Harbinder and her little witty asides. She was great fun. I also found it very enjoyable to read about the same scene from the POV of the different characters. I'm hoping that we will see more of Harbinder and that she'll get a series of her own. Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A modern Gothic detective story. A Victorian writer spins a Hallowe'en yarn, interlinked is a series of murders in the school where the writer lived and died.

Elly Griffith's fans will recognise a friend in the police detective Harbinder whose presence holds the book together. I was less taken with the Victorian element but then hats off to Griffiths for trying something new. The story was told by a variety of narrators; the police, the mother and the teenage girl. This successfully gave differing views and opinions on the circumstances surrounding the murders.

A good read!

I enjoyed The Stranger Diaries right up until the end, unable to guess who was leaving comments in Clare Cassidy's diary but I was disappointed by who the perpetrator turned out to be. Nevertheless this novel is a page turner with some excellent characters: Clare is an English teacher researching a Gothic novelist who once lived in the building that houses the school she teaches in; Harbinder Kaur is the policewoman in charge of finding out who murdered Clare's best friend and the subsequent murder of the head of the English department; Katie, Clare's teenage daughter, all have their voice heard in the story.

A riveting read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the opportunity to review The Stranger Diaries.

3.5 stars


I haven't read an Elly Griffiths book I didn't like... she has a very easy way with her words that make her books very easy to read.
This one,going for the story inside the story idea,and that story being a gothic ghost one,was much creepier than the usual.
Present day seemed a bit chaotic in comparison.
It went from a lot of strictly,to death,blood,assault,possible abduction and several suspects.
The whole thing was very enjoyable... But definite icing on the

A wonderful stand alone story from this accomplished and highly entertaining author. Elly Griffiths has written a gripping ghost story that's both atmospheric and totally modern, with her trademark dash of humour as well. Perfect Halloween reading.

This book is a great combination of gothic horror, police procedural and a journey through literature. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing until near the end. I enjoyed the various characters, but it was the settings that really glowed for me, very vibrant and alive. I particularly loved the quotes and nods to other books, everything from Adrian Mole to Wilkie Collins.

The style of the novel is brilliant, three very different narrators with a gothic story woven through it. This is what I enjoyed most and makes for a memorable novel instead of just another mystery. This was my first experience of Elly Griffiths but it won't be my last.

A thoroughly enjoyable modern take on a Gothic novel. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed it immensely. Clare teaches English and is also writing a book about a relatively obscure writer whose popular short horror story forms a backdrop to the narrative, which is in the form of three first person accounts (Clare tells us that things come in threes in Gothic fiction). Clare herself begins, then the policewoman, Harbinder, who is investigating a murder at the school where Clare is a teacher and then Clare's daughter Georgia. There is also a faithful dog - Herbert- also a trope of Gothic fiction.
But this is more than a modern pastiche. It's a compelling mystery with well-drawn characters and good plotting (I didn't guess the murderer's identity). Well done Elly Griffiths and thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy.

I read this on the strength of Elly Griffiths' name as I love her Ruth Galloway series: this book is entertaining enough but doesn't show off Griffiths' strengths i.e. her ability to create quirky characters like Ruth, Harry, Cathbart etc., and there are only occasional gestures towards her trademark comedy/satire bon mots - in fact, the only time Clare raises interest is when she articulates something Ruth would say.

The story itself is a modern Gothic-y serial killer with one of those dubious and unconvincing motives that fiction so loves. The whole thing could have been solved very quickly if only the police had used a bit of common sense over the diary (can't say more without spoilers). That said, the female DS adds some energy to the book though I'm not sure I'd be up for more of her if Griffiths turns this into a series.

The so called 'spookiness' is a red herring - and JK Rowling made a better plot out of the diary trope with Tom Riddle than is the case here. Even the invented short story of The Stranger just sort of fizzles out... This is enjoyable enough as a piece of throwaway entertainment, but Griffiths is a better writer than this.