I could not review as could not get to do on my mob I have read book plot good a gripping read I like her writting style so easy to read  I not sure why I can not listen to book

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Audio U.K. for this early release audiobook. Loved this story from start to finish. Great narration. I didn’t realise at the start that it was based in Bristol where the author lives. Lovely to actually read a book where the place is factually accurate to the location, which makes it all seem much more realistic. I have already purchased more of C L Taylor’s books and I think I’ve found a new favourite author.

Loved 3 storyline and how they all connected at the end. Characters were good and strong and there were some unexpected twist and turns but what for made this audiobook what it is, was a narrator. Absolutely brilliant. I'm fairly new to the audiobook world but so far, this was the best narration I came across.

Great novel that kept me hooked. Liked the way the different strands fed into each other. Narrator easy to listen to.

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. 

The Audio version was narrated really well and at a good pace making it easy to listen too.

Gripping story and comes together so well at the end! I could not stop listening to this, I was hooked from the start. Loved this and the narrator so much, I found 2 other C.L Taylor audiobooks from the library. Amazing author.

I have enjoyed past books by C. L. Taylor, but haven't read any for a while so was really pleased to be given the chance to review this audio book. I liked the narrator and the different voices used. The story kept you gripped, each chapter was just the right length and switched between each character. The story flowed up to the big finale.
Another 5 stars from me. Loved it.

My Thoughts: I read this book back in April & my thoughts haven’t changed, BUT listening to it in an audio format added a whole new atmosphere to it & I found myself gripped in a totally different way, I would definitely recommend it if you’re into audio books!

But because I can’t put my feelings into words any better than I did before I have posted my previous review below..

I’ve read a couple of C.L. Taylor’s books before and absolutely loved them, and this one was no exception, the story was told from 3 different perspectives which left me a little worried at first, would I be able to keep up? would the differences confuse me? – I should’ve had more faith in the authors skill, it was so easy to follow and the end of every chapter left me excited to get to their next chapter.

Ursula has a problem with taking things that aren’t hers and sticking her nose into places where it’s not wanted, but through doing that she could change the life of more than one person for the better so is it always a bad thing?

Gareth is a security guard who lives with his mum, she has dementia and needs caters in to help her during the day. Gareth’s life changes when his mum starts receiving postcards from her husband who has been presumed dead for many years, but then Gareth thinks he sees him on one of the cameras at work, has he been lied to his whole life? is he dad still alive?

Alice has been pushed by her daughter to start online dating, through which she meets Simon at first she’s smitten, but then things start happening which make her doubt his intentions and his honesty, what is he really after? Is he hiding something?

I honestly could not put this book down, I just had to know how their lives were going to pan out and what was going to happen to bring them all together!

If you love a thriller that keeps you guessing and makes you doubt yourself several times along the way, then I highly recommend this one, I promise you won’t be disappointed

3.5 stars
Overall, I enjoyed listening to this book. It was a little disjointed and although all the threads came together in the end, it happened too far into the story. Too much of a build up with rather disappointing resolution, which seemed unrealistic to me. The narration was very good and I enjoyed the Q and A with the author and narrator at the end.

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.

Strangers follows the story of 3 different characters, Ursula, Alice & Gareth. All have a different story to tell and are in very different situations but ultimately have all lost someone close to them. Ursula is struggling with the loss of a loved one, Gareth is losing his mum to dementia & Alice is recently divorced and is trying to get back into dating.

I enjoyed that throughout the book you couldn’t predict how the 3 characters would come together at the end, there was subtle hints to how they could be linked but when the twist did happen at the end it was unpredictable.

I loved the narrator and I think this made the story for me as really bought it to life.  I also particularly liked how the twist brought the main characters together at the end of the book and they formed an unlikely friendship

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.