Three random people are introduced to the reader and it is inevitable that their fates will combine at some point down the road. But quite how is, of course, at the heart of the mystery. Three such different people too!

Gareth lives with his dementing mother and works as a security guard at the local shopping centre. He cares for her as best he can and is perplexed when his mother starts receiving postcards, purportedly from his father, who disappeared many years ago whilst on a walking holiday.

Ursula is a parcel delivery driver, with the stress of earning 70p for every parcel delivered. She feels she was responsible for the death of her boyfriend and since his untimely passing, she has soothed her troubled mind by shop-lifting and stealing from all kinds of people. It is an urge she struggles to control. She is banned from Mirage, a dress shop in the shopping centre, for shop lifting. The shop is run by the third character, Alice who has split from the father of her daughter and is actively looking for someone new in her life. After a misjudged meet-up in a local bar, where she has an unfortunate encounter, Simon comes to her rescue and he certainly catches her eye. But he is evasive and she can't quite pin him down. He is clearly hiding a secret.

In the background it appears that men are falling into the river and dying. Could there be a serial killer on the loose to add to everyone's woes?

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator - with whom the author chats at the end about narration - has quite a few voices (often with a Bristolian accent) to juggle. I listened to the equivalent of c.350 pages on my Coronavirus walks and I found the story engaging. Alice, as a character, was at times simpering and needed a good shake. Ursula's heart was in the right place but really needed some help on several fronts and Gareth plodded along, struggling to cope with his domestic situation. The ending was a little over-enthusiastic and melodramatic for my taste and perhaps overall there were just too many threads - which of course prove to be a mêlée of red herrings for the most part!

This book was utterly wow for me. It’s one of those thrillers which you never want to end, but at the same time you absolutely have to know what’s going to happen. Listening on audiobook I felt added an extra dimension, increasing the tension with carefully timed pauses and inflection and character voices tinged with emotion. Clare Corbett is the perfect narrator and I loved the way she voiced different characters, in particular Ursula and Edward. Edward’s voice felt particularly dark and foreboding. She brought out their warmth, anxiety, fear and compassion. I particularly loved the hashtag twitter discussions about the Bristol Bay murderer using different voices for each twitter handle. I found the additional discussion (after the story ended ) between the author and narrator fascinating as they discuss the art of narration, accents and character voices. I was totally drawn into the story of 3 very different people living in Bristol, all embracing different challenges - divorce, dementia, bereavement, all struggling. I felt desperately sad for the lonely, misunderstood Ursula and worried for her when she moved into a new house share with a very odd man. I loved the way the book switched between each story, building the tension, leaving that thread hanging until it came around again. The story throws out so many questions and twists away from you as soon as you feel close to an answer. I’ve given this 5 stars because for me it was an absolutely fabulous read, I was totally absorbed by this story and felt almost lost finishing it. With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Audio for a digital copy - I’m so glad I didn’t miss this one.

This was a fab audiobook. Alice, Gareth and Ursula were great characters, with lots going on in their lives. I liked Alice and Gareth but I must admit it took a while to warm to Ursula, probably because I could identify more with their situations than Ursula’s.
I loved how the author weaved together the story of these three unconnected people, and wondered how on earth they were gong to become involved.
I had so many questions going around my head whilst listening to this. Who was Alice’s stalker? Who was sending Gareth the postcards? Why did Ursula do the things she did?
I had my suspicions about the postcards and the stalker, but was totally wrong! One of my theories about a character was partly right, but not spot on. Oh yes and I loved the surprise ending, it had me chuckling out loud to myself. It really was the perfect ending! I’m sorry for being so vague, but I can’t reveal too much as I’d definitely spoil this fab story for you.
Clare Corbett’s narration was perfect! I loved the way she brought each character to life, and particularly enjoyed her Bristol accents.
At the end of the audiobook was a wonderful interview between the author and narrator. I loved hearing about Clare Corbett’s experience as a narrator and some of the secrets of her profession.
I definitely recommend this if you enjoy brilliantly narrated, character driven audiobooks!

Strangers is the story of three lonely and alone people, Gareth, Alice and Ursula. It starts with these three strangers standing over a dead body, the tale then begins with flashbacks to each of their lives and how they have ended up here.

But, how are the disappearances of young men in the Bristol area linked to these three strangers?

This is a truly compelling tale beautifully narrated by Clare Corbett who brings each character to life, she captures the atmosphere so well you really get caught up in the story. With its clever, twisty plot to keep you guessing this is an exciting and tension packed read.

Thank you to The publishers and NetGalley for a copy of the Strangers audiobook.

Simply wonderful. This multi layered story had a lot going on, 3 main characters and whole bunch of others meant that it could have been hard to follow- however C.L Taylor’s writing is so good there was never any chance of being lost or confused. I loved the way the different stories and points of view intertwined and expecially loved the concluding chapters of this book.
The narration of the audiobook was perfectly done, I was never in any doubt to which character was talking and the narrators delivery really added to the drama and suspense in the later chapters

In this book there are three main characters all dealing with some form of loss and leading quite complicated lives. You go through the story trying to figure out how they are all going to become connected. I must admit I did find the one main character (Alice) very irritating, but loved Ursula. I thought it was a fast paced thriller with a good gripping ending. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had of read it in hard copy more so than the audiobook version, and feel this has effected my rating.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publishers for the chance to listen to and review this book

I’ve just finished listening to Strangers, and all I can say is ‘Wow’. I thoroughly enjoyed it, racing through trying to work out what was going to happen. The prologue tells us that a man lies dead in a store, so we know upfront where we’re heading. But a hellavu lot happens between then and the mind-blowing ending and I relished trying to work out how all the strangers we meet end up in the same store with the dead man.
C.L. Taylor takes us on a giddy ride as she introduces us to the main characters, all of whom leap off the page. There’s nice store manager, Alice, who I really liked to begin with but who then began to irritate me with her foolhardy behaviour vis a vis Simon, the man she likes. Why doesn’t she listen to her daughter and stop messaging him! I wanted to slap her. Simon himself is a bit of a mystery. Is he all he seems to be? Or is he lying? And what is the furtive secret he’s keeping?
Then there’s complex Ursula, with her tragic past. She’s warm-hearted but dysfunctional and manages to lose her home and her courier job in short succession. Ursula is difficult to forget with her seeming contradictions and her foolhardy courage. And just what is it with her creepy new flat mate, Edward, with all his rules and regulations?
Lovely 40-something security guard, Gareth, still lives at home, caring for his mum and too insecure to tell his neighbour that he likes her.
Even the minor characters are unforgettable. We only meet Michael, Alice’s online dating site date, very briefly but who could forget him?
Strangers kept me thoroughly entertained throughout. Apart from her fabulous, full-blown characters, C.L. Taylor throws a whole heap of red herrings into this story. Just who is the harbourside murderer, for example? Is there even such a person, or did the dead men simply fall drunkenly into the river? The Twitter feed around this mixes things up and adds interest. And just to make sure she keeps you enthralled, the author also throws in dementia, bullying, kleptomania and domestic abuse. Yet not once did this story become messy or overblown. Instead, all the pieces come together beautifully resulting in a great story with the wow factor.

Wow! Absolutely gripping.
There are a few creepy characters who were the cause of some very tense and suspenseful scenes. Totally brilliant.
I loved the main characters, Gareth, Ursula and Alice. They were all living very ordinary and relatable lives but got mixed up in extraordinary situations.
The twists and turns kept everything very exciting and led to a very satisfying conclusion.
The narration is fabulous. The narrator did an incredible job of performing all the different voices which made it really easy to visualise the story as I listened.

Alice is being stalked.
Ursula has concerns about her weird new house mate.
And Gareth thinks he’s been getting postcards off his long presumed dead dad.
Strangers is a story of three independent people, trying to take each day as it comes.
Alice, living alone with her grown up daughter after her ex-husband cheated on her and left, is trying her hand at online dating. Ursula has a bad habit of pocketing things which aren’t hers, leading her best friend to kick her out of her house. And Gareth is a security guard, and when he’s not at work, he’s caring for his elderly mum with dementia. Somehow, their very separate lives are going to collide in a way that no one could ever have expected. With someone ending up dead, it’s up to these three to rely on each other in a way they’re all not used to doing.

This is a very strong opening to a novel, starting standing over a dead body, so many questions, so much at risk. We then take a step back in time, Alice is going on a date, Ursula is being forced to find somewhere else to live, Gareth is watching an incident unfold on the CCTV at work.

As the title implies, these three main characters are strangers. And so it’s three quite separate storylines that we follow for most of the book. There are small connections of course: Gareth is a security guard in the shopping centre where Alice’s fashion boutique is located, the same fashion boutique that Ursula likes to steal from. But it’s not much.

Although I understand the premise of the novel, that these three people are of course strangers, it just felt like there was too much of the novel spent on their own personal storylines, and it took just a bit too long to get to some answers about how they are after all connected. It definitely kept me guessing though, and I was nowhere near correct with any of my guesses!

Despite this, C.L. Taylor really knows how to make you keep coming back! She balances the end of chapter cliffhangers perfectly with how long she’s going to make you wait for the answer. It was also very cleverly done, everything is connected, and there were so many times some clue was answered and I was able to think back to something previous and go ‘!!!!! that was a massive hint!!’. After so many books, it’s obvious C.L. Taylor has honed her craft and this book demonstrates that delightfully.

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audiobook through NetGalley’s Shelf app, and I really enjoyed it! The narrator, Clare Corbett, was a delight to listen to, and made sure that each character’s voice was distinctive and recognizable, despite there being quite a few female, Bristol accents to navigate.

I really enjoyed this book, as I have with all of C.L. Taylor’s other books that’s written, and I’m always excited to get my hands on her newest release. I definitely think I’m going to listen to more thrillers in audiobook format from now on – it adds more suspense and stops my eyes jumping about the page, reading ahead and spoiling it for myself!

This book was so much fun to read, it has so many red herrings in there, that you think that you know exactly where it is going, and then it switches you in a completely different direction.

The story begins at the end of the book, where we are introduced to our 3 main protagonists, Ursula, Gareth and Alice. They are all standing over a dead body.

The book then flips you back to a week before the incident, and to 3 complete strangers,all experiencing a bit of a crappy hand at life, they are all 3 dealing with some sort of loss, whether that be life, marriage etc.

Mixed in between all of this, we also have the perspective, of other strangers on Twitter trying to solve other *suspected* murders, it was really interesting to see this mingled in with the book, it reminded me a little of the Don’t F* With Cats documentary.

All in all, I really enjoyed the book, it is the 2nd book I have read by this author, and it will not be my last.

🎧🎧
Narration was by the awesome Clare Corbett, who did an amazing job, her accents were fab, I have listened to quite a few books narrated by her, and she always gives a stellar performance, her voices are great, and I was never confused about a character at any time.

You get sucked right in to this story - from the gripping first chapter you can't help but want to know how it got to that point. The narration was brilliant. A definite must for anyone who wants to uncover a mystery and enjoys a more sophisticated narrative when it comes to a thriller. Although I enjoyed the book I did feel at times it was filled with unnecessary narrative moments, including diving into her twitter account.

I loved the narration of this audiobook. The characters felt so genuine and I was gripped from start to finish.
I found the plot slightly confusing at times, though I think this was down to it being an audiobook, where I usually read physical copies.
On first listening to the book, I was under the impression that it was a thriller however as it progressed I found it was much more a story of lives intertwining, while the killer plot was lay beneath. However, this didn't impact on the book whatsoever, in fact it made me enjoy it all the more.

I realised part way into this audiobook that I had already read the ARC earlier in the year.
I continued to listen purely because the narration was THAT good! The narrator was wonderful, accents were done superbly and with enough distinction that it was easy to identify which character was talking.
The plot is great, I got fairly anxious as the plot developed wanting to know what would happen, and it was cleverly constructed, with little clues along the way. Highly recommended!

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 really enjoyed this audiobook and the narrator really helped to bring the characters to life and made the story very easy to follow.

This wasn't really a thriller. It seems like it should have been. It had men disappearing by the river. It had a stalker. It had a creepy roommate. But it was really the story of the three characters who come close to each other but don't really have their lives intertwine until the end.

Alice manages a clothing store. Her husband left her and she is trying to date. The first date we see does not go well. She does meet Simon that night, though, and she becomes far too attached to him far too quickly. He is just not exactly who he says he is.

Ursula steals things. It gets her into trouble. She is known to shoplift at Alice's store. She loses her home and friends over it. She has her reasons, though. She hasn't always stolen. Only since the love of her life died.

Gareth is a security guard at the shopping center that houses Alice's store. Ursula goes there when she feels the need to take something. Gareth isn't living the life he wants. He wants to help his mother. He wants to get closer to his neighbor. He wants to feel he is doing something important.

All of these character cross paths and see each other through out, but their stories are told separately from each point of view until they are brought together at the very end.

I never lost interest in these characters. I was never impatient to see them come together. I was willing to wait and see how it worked itself all together. I did appreciate how the narrator kept you run the story by differentiating the characters enough to not have you wondering who we were with now.

This was an interesting listen. Loved getting to know the different characters and there backgrounds and alongside that there separate lives and all that was going on within them. It was narrated by Claire Corbett and on first listen I knew the voice was familiar and it was like being greeted by an old friend. She really adds something to a storyline. It was an interesting plot but when it all came together it wasn’t the greatest outcome I’ve ever read but still a good enough listen up to that point.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Audio UK for the opportunity to listen to this ARC and review that is due to be published on the 2nd of April.

I really enjoyed this audiobook and the narrator was fabulous. I loved the separate stories of Gareth, Alice and Ursula and how these characters came together in the end to fight against the stalker. The stories of their pasts and their traumas were very interesting and I enjoyed the psychology in the book. I found that after the first quarter of the book, the plot got more intense and I was then eager to read on to find out who the "baddie" was and what would happen.

I look forward to reading more of this author's books.

Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Wow! Wow! What a book - completely character driven and what great characters they are. There is nothing to fault with C.L. Taylor's wonderful language and descriptive characterisation. I loved Gareth and Alice and Ursula. When they were hurt, I was hurt, when they were happy, I was happy. I was caught up in their individual lives and just couldn't stop listening. Clare Corbett is such a superb narrator - her Bristol accents were awesome. It must have been difficult, all those women with similar accents, Ursula, Alice, Lynn all had to sound different - and she did it. Bravo Ms Corbett. I was comforted when the book sadly came to an end with a surprise bonus interview where the talented C.L. Taylor spoke with the talented Clare Corbett about narrating audio books. I hadn't known that was coming and it was just another gift in a book that had already delivered more than any listener has any right to expect. Definitely one for you to buy and listen to immediately - you can thank me later.

Three Strangers, three stories that come together to meet in an explosive ending.

I am new to both the author and narrator. The narrator is fantastic, she is clear, easy to understand and is fantastic at differentiating the different characters without any annoying accents or voices.

Throughout the book the writing is gripping. It leads you to think you know where the story is heading but then it twists and turns into something totally different from what you expect.