Cover Image: Familiar Strangers

Familiar Strangers

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Member Reviews

Wow. What a great, twisty book. Kept me guessing (and a few times yelling at my kindle) until the very end. It’s a who-dunit, wrapped in an adventure, with a mystery.

Thanks for the ARC to NetGalley.

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Becca and Danny's mum has dementia. Danny is busy with his heavily pregnant wife Joanna so the visiting tends to fall to Becca and her dad these days. It's on one her solitary visits that Becca's mum Nancy turns to her and, looking deep into her eyes, tells her that she's not her mum; she took her. The moment passes quickly and despite Becca pressing her mum for further details she knows that she won't get any more information out of her. Becca leaves, shocked and upset, craving answers. Is what Nancy said true? If so, who else knows? What about Danny? And her dad?

When Becca gets home she finds out from the news channels that a woman has gone missing; her name is Katie Collins and looking at the news reports the woman looks uncannily like Becca. Then the police call, asking Becca questions about Katie. She truthfully tells them that she has no idea who Katie is or why Katie is allegedly looking for Becca.
Life is currently going down the pan for Becca - she's had an unfortunate liaison with her boss, who is now making threats if she tells anyone about their night together. Her brother is acting strange and her dad's neighbours Bert and Edith are struggling to cope with Edith's terminal diagnosis. Becca feels pulled in so many directions emotionally and the bombshell her mum has dropped couldn't have come at a worse time. What can she do to find out the truth - she can't ask her dad, the police seem to know something Becca doesn't so she can't say anything in case it incriminates her and anyone else she trusts enough to ask has more than enough on their plate already. Following her gut instincts Becca starts putting the evidence together herself to try to work things out, only to then discover that Katie Collins is dead, the victim of a violent death in a local park. Just when she thought her situation couldn't get any worse the police are questioning her again, this time it's a murder investigation.
The story comes together well in the last quarter of the book with answers to all the questions the reader has been mulling over from the start. The emotional turmoil Becca goes through from the moment her mum was admitted to Oakridge care facility are explored - the guilt of not being able to care for her at home, then the betrayal she feels with her mum's announcement, the confusion as to who she really is. And then the worry of being considered as part of a murder case all take their toll on Becca.
I enjoyed reading about the challenges facing the various characters, especially those other than the main character. Neighbour Bert in particular has an interesting role in the story and I would have liked Stephen Black to have had a stronger influence on proceedings - I felt he could have had a much bigger part in the story. There were opportunities to develop a few of the characters further which is why I wouldn't give this book the full 5 stars that I feel it could have achieved.

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Thank you to Hera Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A psychological thriller that piles on the suspense, but with an intensely unlikeable heroine. That fact alone doesn't make the book bad - not at all - but the narration was all over the place, and the plot had some fairly big holes. Overall, a quick read, although I did have problems caring enough about the story to finish it.

Goodreads review here (direct link didn't work): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2783894794

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A bit of a snooze for me unfortunately. I read the book, but nothing really kept me engaged. Maybe I’ve read too many similar books. Sorry, a fail for me.

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took you, Becca. You’re not my daughter.'

Since Becca Wall’s mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, every day Becca loses a little more of the doting, caring mother that would do anything for her only daughter. But when one day Nancy Wall confesses that Becca is not her child, Becca's world falls apart.

Becca tells herself that the words are just a cruel symptom of Nancy’s illness; after all, she has her birth certificate, and pictures of herself as a newborn along with her Mom, Dad and older brother, Danny. Becca tries to forget, to get on with on her life – until the day the police question her about the whereabouts of a missing woman, Katie Collins.

Katie has disappeared without a trace, telling her husband that she is leaving to find Rebecca Wall. But Becca doesn’t know Katie, so it’s a case of mistaken identity – isn’t it?

Then Katie Collins’ body is discovered in a park near Becca’s home, and the lies that Becca has believed all her life come tumbling down. Soon, it's clear that someone knows the truth – and that they’ll stop at nothing to keep their secrets…

Familiar Strangers was pretty good. I just get so tired of every book compared to Girl on a Train. I did not even like Girl on a Train. Makes me shy away from any book compared to it.

It was a good book from a debut writer. I just had a hard time getting thru it. It was different and sad. Better than most New writers.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

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This is like my worst nightmare come to life. This book took me on such a wild ride. I thought that the author did an amazing job writing this story. Becca woke up one morning and everything for her changed after a visit to her sick mothers. Truth's and lies never stay buried and when they are uncovered what is revealed can change lives. Thank you NetGalley.

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This is one of the best debut novels I have ever read. It has so many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I read so many books that I can usually figure out what the t is going to be but I wasn't even close this time which made the story so much more interesting for me. I can't wait to read this authors next book. After reading this one I am a fan!

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this incredible book.

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Another new author for my reading list! Definitely a gripping read from start to finish and really well written.

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Becca visits her mother in hospital. A mother who is now in the throws of dementia despite only being in her mid fifties and struggling even to do the simplest of tasks. In a moment of lucidity she tells Becca “you are not my daughter- I stole you” something she repeats. On getting home Becca is convinced that someone has been in her apartment however nothing is missing just a few things are different as to how she left them. A woman is on the news as being missing. When Becca is visited by the cops they ask her if she knows or has been contacted by Katie Collins, the woman on the news. Becca has no knowledge of her other than seeing her pictures on the TV. She apparently left a note for Becca to contact her. Why on earth would she be contacting her? I loved this and devoured it to the end. One of those I wanted to find out what happened but at the same time didn’t want it to end as I enjoyed it so much. Jackie is a new author to me but I shall certainly be on the lookout for more from her. A stunning piece of writing with the tension and drama you expect from a top psychological thriller. Very highly recommended.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

(links as part of blog tour)

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Wow, uncharacteristically I am very nearly speechless. I've just finished this novel and my head is still processing the events that unfolded within.

There are so many significant plot points and characters involved that you really are kept on the edge of your seat, right up until the very end.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading "Familiar Strangers" and I look forward to any future novels written by Jackie Walsh. Her writing style is so captivating, which makes it so much easier to get lost within the pages as the story is told.

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Familiar Strangers is a unique, gripping and intense story by new to me author Jackie Walsh. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of her work.

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I've tried picking this up a few times over the last few days and then I quickly find something else to distract myself with...I've been doing housework rather than read this which should tell you how enjoyable it is. The blurb sounded promising and I really wanted to like this but 38% of the way through I've given up. It's not put together enough to be published, the characters are unliveable and I don't want to waste any more time forcing myself to read it.

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This story had a completely unique storyline that is unlike any others I have read. And I have read a lot of books in this genre. It was intense and gripping and very well written. At times sad and over all hugely enjoyable. Recommend

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Zero stars to this nonsensical mess of a story. Characters flip flopping all over the place, and a plot that will leave you gasping (with laughter) because nothing makes any sense. Extremely poor writing, and absolutely nothing going for the plot, Probably hands down the worst book I have ever read,

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Enjoyable and a fun read!

The story caught my eye from the moment I read the blurb, and I just knew I wanted to read this book. I was not let down and can recommend this to everyone!

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Familiar Strangers by Jackie Walsh is an exciting debut by a promising new author. This one pulled me in immediately, and then held on tight. Wow!

"I took you Becca. You're not my daughter." These are the chilling words that Rebecca Wall hears spoken by her mother, Nancy, who is suffering from early onset Alzheimer's. Could there be truth to these words, spoken in a moment of lucidity, or are they simply the confused ramblings of a woman in the final stages of a degenerative disease? Becca is not sure what to make of her mother's confession until she is questioned by police about a mysterious woman who has been reported missing, allegedly while searching for Becca. Could the two events be connected? Becca's life begins to unravel as she questions both the family, and the very identity, that she has always taken as a certainty.

This is a thrilling read that kept me guessing right up until the final reveal. Compulsively addictive, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to untangle the mystery that surrounds the long hidden secrets of the Wall family. This is an author that I will be keeping an eye out for in future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for this ARC.

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