I have read and enjoyed all CL Taylor's book so was delighted to be able to read her latest. Another cracker of a story, full of fantastic characters and twists.

Three strangers, Two secrets, One terrifying evening

Strangers is a psychological thriller featuring three main characters; Ursula, Gareth, and Alice, who have never met before, but circumstances force them to come together one night. None of their lives are connected – but when their lives unexpectedly collide, they have to stick together for the sake of their own lives.

Strangers follow the lives of 3 unconnected strangers. So, the book is effectively following three storylines that don’t intersect till the end. The stories of Alice, Ursula and Gareth are told in a manner that gets you interested in them individually. There are several twists and turns in each story which will keep you hooked till the end. The story itself was fast-paced and the alternating storylines made it exciting. The main punch is reserved for the end of the book when it is revealed how and why the three characters connect.

The characters are well written and mostly likable. Each character has a glaring flaw which makes them authentic. The individual stories of the three characters are interesting as you get hooked on to their journeys as they face their own set of troubles. Taylor manages to add layers to the characters, even minor ones which make you emotionally invested in their lives till the end of the story.

I was interested to see how the three lives would intersect, but when they did intersect, it just felt far-fetched and random, like just for the sake of it. Somehow it felt rushed and lacking in logic. The other subplot of the serial killer didn’t really go anywhere and felt unnecessary in the end.

Overall, Strangers was a fascinating and fast-paced story with some great characters. It combines the stories of three strangers well and thrillers fans will enjoy it.

Many thanks to the publishers Avon Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening. Love that tag line! Which totally sold it to me. After this book sitting on my pile for way too long I decided to purchase the audio version.
Which is narrated by Clare Corbett and only 9 hours and 30 mins long. Which I think is short for an audio compared to ones that are over 12 hours long.
Clare has done a brilliant job of bringing this story and characters to life. Her voice really suited the characters. I actually felt like I was back at school having the story read to me. I couldn't get enough of it. The more I listened to the more I wanted to know.
I love all of C.LTaylor books. She always brings us something different but always gripping and full of suspense. I love the fact that this story is set at a shopping centre making it very unique. There are plenty of movies out there that have done this. But for me this is the first time that I have read or should I say listened to a story like this.
Each chapter alternates between the three main characters. And I have to admit that I had no idea where this story was going after being sucked in from the start. This book will keep you guessing until the end that's for sure. It is one extremely addictive read that I highly recommend

Strangers was a superb novel. Set in Bristol, the story is told from the viewpoints of the three main characters. Each of them have their own lives and worries and carry on oblivious of each other. Strangers, for the most part, is three separate stories. They only come together towards the very end. However, once they do collide you can look back and realise that there were clues all the way through, as characters appeared and disappeared throughout the chapters. Often when reading books like this told from multiple points with differing stories I find myself skipping over one to get back to whichever I find more interesting. However that wasn’t the case here at all, all three of the characters kept me gripped by their lives.

The story is very much character driven. We all know that actions have consequences and that those consequences will change how a person acts. This is apparent as the stories unfold. The ways that people act become more understandable when you know the why. Ursula for example is a shoplifter, to start with you think she doesn’t deserve sympathy, yet the more you learn about her the more sympathy you start to feel.

I felt this was a cleverly written book, that managed to take three pretty mundane lives and throw them into a situation where they become utterly compelling. They all had secrets that are gradually revealed and I found that every time a new piece of information appeared it changed my thoughts as to what was going to happen.

Brilliant as always.

A cast of excellently chosen characters, all with traits to suit.

Plot line is fast paced and compelling and speeds along with each chapter telling a part of each characters story as to who, what and why they were there at that point in time

Loved it, CL Taylors just gets better and better.

What a cleverly plotted book. Lots of stories running side by side until they come together in a nail biting conclusion!

Ursula is a delivery driver with a habit of stealing, sometimes without even realising she is doing it. Her partner died and she misses him terribly. She is living with friends until they realise she has stolen from them then they kick her out. Homeless and almost penniless she finds a cheap room advertised and moves in with Ed.

Ed is a strange little man with lots of rules, a locked bedroom and basement Ursula is not allowed to see. What is that smell coming from the basement?

Alice is manager of a clothes shop in the local shopping centre and after a disastrous date with Michael she starts seeing Simon but Simon has secrets.

Gareth is a security guard at the shopping centre, living with his mum who has dementia and secretly having feelings for his next door neighbour, Kate.

And amongst all their stories there are men going missing at the harbour, and the talk is that there is a murderer on the loose.

This was a totally addictive read I devoured in 2 days. I just couldn’t put it down!

Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for a free review copy of this book.

This is as clever and enthralling as you would expect from the fantastic C.L.Taylor.

Three strangers, whose lives brush against each other in minor ways are experiencing tough times. One has just become homeless and friendless, another has been receiving unsettling post and the last seems to be stalked. As their stories unfold they are gradually pulled together until these three strangers rely on each other totally....if they can't it could be the end for one or all of them....

A fantastic opening let's you know straight away you're in for a fab read. The characters are well rounded and the plot as twisty and turny as you would expect. Rather inappropriately the last chapter made me laugh ou loud. It was so out of the blue. I haven't been surprised like that for awhile. Great stuff.

This was an average read for me. I didn't find anything special or unique about the set up. It was bobbing away as a 2* read up until the end which I actually really enjoyed and managed to save the book. I think if you don't read a lot of mystery/thrillers, you'd really love this book but to me it was a little predictable.

I'm a huge fan of prologues that dunk you in the deep end, giving you just enough information to pique your interest, only to pull you back out and propel you back to a time before the events of the prologue unfold. I love knowing what's going to happen, and trying to find out how it happens, and why. Strangers opens with Ursula, Gareth and Alice stood around a dead body. I didn't guess the how or the why in this book; I didn't see it coming at all. This left me grabbing the book at any available opportunity, desperate to find out what happens.

I really enjoy this type of story, where you know the characters will cross paths at some point but you just don't know when or how. Strangers is comprised of three separate stories narrated by three different characters, whose stories interweave. It's a brilliant example of how to write strong characters; at heart, this is a character-driven story with strong themes of loneliness. These characters are good people, but they're all a little bit lost.

C. L. Taylor has the innate ability to draw you in from page one, guiding you steadily in one direction before switching things up, sending you hurtling in the opposite direction. Her plot twists are unguessable, and Strangers is no exception. Cleverly-written with fantastic pace and short, snappy chapters, this kept me turning the pages long into the night, until the shocking end.

Dripping with mystery and intrigue, this is one thriller you won't want to miss.

I really enjoyed this, as i always do with C. L. Taylors books. Always (and also in this case) a great story line with believable characters. It got me hooked,

I really enjoyed this book!
After a very intriguing prologue, the story then follows three very different but equally interesting strangers. I was desperately trying to work out how on earth their lives we're going to be linked as we are introduced to each of them and their stories unfold. I could never have guessed how they were linked in the end, and I am actually glad I didn't, because when it does all start to come together, I was totally gripped by that point and couldn't read fast enough!
Brilliant, unique characters and an excellently plotted story make this a very entertaining read.

I find this author to be hit or miss for me, I'm afraid.... I realize I'm in the minority here and will keep plugging through their releases so as to not miss a hit. Thanks for the opportunity to review this!

I'm a big fan of CL Taylor so it's no surprise that I'd jump at the chance to read Strangers.

The story follows three strangers and you have to piece together how things progress . You just can't stop reading about their lives and Strangers is a book that you can't put down. Cliched, but on so true! I will admit that this novel isn't one of my favourites from the author but it's still brilliant.

I'm always cautious of thrillers/psychology thrillers so go in with half-closed eyes. However, Strangers has the right level of elements for.enjoyment and is exciting!

This was my first CL Taylor novel, and I was not disappointed. While it took me a while to get sucked into the story, once I did I was flipping the pages to find out what happened next.
The characters were not necessarily likable, which I am usually drawn to those types of stories. Of course, Gillian Flynn made that popular with her blockbuster hit, GONE GIRL.
While this novel is twisty, it seems to fall a little flat in the genre. A good read, but nothing new or riveting.

To me this is my least favourite of her books. Bot that it wasn't a good book but after Sleep I just have a higher standard for this author.

Strangers by CL Taylor
I give this book 3.75 stars.
Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.
Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.
None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.
 Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.
I found this an easy read from an author who l really like.it kept me guessing as l read along and was well paced and well written. Definitely one to put on your....to be read list!
Thank you to Netgalley for my chance to read this.

C. L. Taylor’s books have long been among my favourites, so I was naturally excited to read her newest one. The synopsis was mysterious, and gave very little away, other than the fact that it is a story from multiple viewpoints, something which I really love in a book.

Once again the style of the writing keeps you reading without wanting to put the book down for even a single second, it kept me up into the early hours of the morning (admittedly my 6 week old son also helped with that).

Multiple viewpoints made it even more interesting as you were eager to get back to whomever you had just left, as chapters often ended on a cliffhanger which I adored. Despite the desperation to get back to them, I only found myself then getting caught up in the next person’s storyline, which of course made this book as compulsive as it was, ensuring I was never bored, and finished it in what seemed like no time at all.

Each character was individual, you got to know them and their personalities, faults and all. They have very tenuous connections, but none that you can really imagine sunny up to get into the situation you see in the first couple of pages.

Ursula was my favourite by far. Probably the most outwardly flawed, but you couldn’t help but sympathise with her as you could see she was genuinely a nice person, who was clearly suffering inside. Also her wing situation was dire to say the least.
Gareth was lovely. Clearly a bit downtrodden with the cards life had handed him, and I really felt for him. Alice was headstrong and quite confident, and I admired how she went for what she wanted, but she wasn’t too harsh, and often Showed a more tender and insecure side to her.

This book is simply addictive. I’m always excited to read C. L. Taylor’s books, and genuinely can’t recommend them enough. The reveals are always satisfying, and im counting down the days until our next treat from this author.

I was so excited when I was approved for this book. Unfortunately, it didn't intrigue me at all. Unfortunately, I had to DNF it, which was disappointing.
Thank you Netgalley for the free eArc in exchange for an honest review.

What a read this was! Told from three different perspectives, this was a real rollercoaster of a book.
Alice, runs a shop in the Meads shopping centre, Gareth is a security guard at the shopping centre and Ursula is a shoplifter, often taking items from Alice’s shop. So all had something in common but the stories are about their own lives.
Alice arranges to meet Michael for a date, but it doesn’t go well as he arrives drink and goes on to assault her. Simon comes to her rescue, and they start to meet more regularly - but he’s acting very strangely and is very vague about who he is, where he works or anything about himself at all. Alice also starts to receive social media messages and more sinister threats warning her away from Simon, but he dismissed them as a jealous ex.
Meanwhile, Gareth is working and also caring for his mother who has dementia. He worries about leaving her at home, as the disease progresses, but knows his neighbour Kath will keep an eye on her. Gareth’s Dad disappeared when he was younger and when he thinks he spots him on the shopping centre’s CCTV, he follows him, leaving his post. A colleague he doesn’t get on with -Liam -spots him and threatens to tell their boss unless he pays him £500. Gareth needs his job to look after his mother, so decides to come clean to their boss, but Liam doesn’t show for the meeting and is listed missing. The police think Gareth May have something to do with it. Whilst dealing with all of this, Gareth’s Mum has disappeared from their house.
Ursula started shoplifting after the brutal death of her boyfriend, a death she feels responsible for, She lost her teaching job and now relies on her courier job to make ends meet. Her stealing gets out of control and her housemates ask her to leave - she ends up house sharing with Ed, an odd man with very peculiar and particular habits. Ursuala meets Nicki on her courier round, a frightened Mum who never opens the door and only takes parcels in via the window. Ursula worries for Nicki’s safety and calls the police, sparking a complaint and the loss of her job.
The three stories finally intertwine in the shopping centre with a dramatic incident which changes all their lives.
This was really cleverly written and at the end of each chapter, I couldn’t wait to read more about that character, so ended up racing through the book!

I have liked C L Taylor’s other books but unfortunately didn’t enjoy this one as much. I found Strangers very slow to get going and coupled with unlikeable characters meant that it was a struggle to finish