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Wow… this book had me hooked from the very first page! I was instantly drawn into Ciara’s story and couldn’t stop reading. The tension is unreal—you can almost feel her panic and desperation as everything falls apart around her. I honestly couldn’t put it down and ended up reading way past midnight because I had to know what would happen next!

The twists are brilliant and totally unexpected, and I loved how real and relatable Ciara felt. You’re right there with her, feeling every moment of fear, hope, and determination. It’s dark, emotional, and completely addictive.

If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers with strong characters and a story that keeps you guessing to the very end, this one is a must-read. Definitely one of myfavourite thrillers of the year!

The Stranger Inside is a good read with a gripping premise and moments that genuinely keep you turning the pages. The characters feel real and relatable, as is usual for Cassidy’s work, which is something I really love. The narrative has genuinely suspenseful moments, which I’ve been missing in some recent thriller writing trends. However, it doesn’t fully commit to being the kind of fast-paced, fact-driven thriller it sometimes seems to aim for. There are moments where it feels inconsistent, which pulled me out of the story a little.
Still, it’s an enjoyable book and worth reading if you like suspense with a slightly reflective pace.

An intruiging read to begin with as the main character attempts to discover why she finds herself in her situation.

However, for me personally it lost its way when the past and the present reasons become similar.

The Stranger Inside by Amanda Cassidy is a tense and fast-moving thriller that throws its protagonist, Ciara Duffy, into an impossible situation. One night she wakes to find her husband murdered beside her, and before she can process what’s happening, she’s accused, arrested, and left to fight for her freedom while her young daughter battles a life-threatening illness. With her world collapsing, Ciara is forced to make impossible choices: trust the system or risk everything to uncover the truth herself.

Cassidy does a strong job of building suspense and capturing the desperation of a mother fighting against the odds. The pacing is brisk, and the premise alone is enough to hook readers from the start. However, at times the narrative feels uneven, the tension can be undercut by slower sections, and some plot turns require a bit of suspension of disbelief. While the twists are engaging, a few feel predictable, which lessens their impact.

Still, this is a gripping story that blends courtroom drama, prison survival, and a race-against-time mystery. Readers who enjoy thrillers centered on family loyalty and resilience will find plenty here to keep them turning the pages, even if it doesn’t fully reach its potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me on edge from the start, and I couldn’t shake the anxious feeling of what’s going to happen next? Every time I thought I had things figured out, another twist came in and left me stunned. It’s been a long time since a thriller kept me this hooked.

Reading Ciara’s journey felt so intense. I found myself imagining what I would do if I were in her place, trapped in an impossible situation, accused of something unthinkable, while also carrying the weight of a daughter who needs her more than ever. It made the story hit that much harder.

What I admired most was Ciara’s strength. Even when the odds seemed impossible, she never stopped fighting. There were moments where I felt my own heart race with hers, hoping she’d find a way through.

The writing kept me completely immersed, balancing heartbreak, suspense, and hope all at once. Some twists left me wide-eyed, others had me questioning everything, but together they made the story unforgettable.

Thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for this captivating eARC.

The Stranger Inside by Amanda Cassidy is a psychological thriller /murder mystery with relatable characters.

The plot - in short
When a woman is wrongly arrested for her husband's murder, the police aren't as interested in uncovering the truth as they are in inventing an explanation that "makes sense" to them and ticks the necessary boxes on their paperwork.

Unfortunately, this means only person the protagonist can depend on when it comes for her fight to discover the truth, is herself. The problem? She is behind bars, but where there is a will, there is a way.

The Stranger Inside is a fast moving mystery in which the protagonist regularly makes some shocking choices , and she has a skeleton in her closet too.

A solid, enjoyable read!

Cassidy’s writing is tense and atmospheric, pulling you into a web of secrets where no one is quite who they seem. It’s chilling, emotional, and thought-provoking and perfect for fans of psychological thrillers that keep you second-guessing.

What a brilliant read by Amanda Cassidy.
I was immediately hooked from the very first chapter. There was so many twists and turns and I was left gobsmacked (you’ll know which part I’m talking about haha).
This is the first book I’ve read by Amanda, her style of writing is so easy to follow and the chapters flowed beautifully too.
Thank you for the early access. Wishing Amanda all the best for publication day

The Stranger Inside
Intense crime thriller with shocking twists!
Ciara, a midwife, is jailed for a crime she didn’t commit and a gravely ill daughter at home. She will do whatever it takes to prove her innocence and get her daughter the help she needs.
I could not put it down!! A must-read! 5 stars

I always enjoy Amanda Cassidy's thrillers - this one did not disappoint!

Clara wakes up in the middle of the night to find her husband stabbed. Clara is soon arrested for his murder. Clara knows she is innocent and will do anything to prove it. When she gets the chance to run from prison, she takes it. Living on the run, Clara is desperate to find evidence to convict the real killer. Time is not on her side, especially with her young daughter sick in the hospital.

As always, I really enjoyed Amanda Cassidy's writing style. The book flows really well and the writing creates a chilling and moody environment. Character development was excellent. I really felt for the main character, Clara. It was difficult to read what she was going through, especially with having a sick daughter. The plot is fast paced and filled with tension. While parts may be a bit far-fetched, it is still a really enjoyable read that will make you want to keep flipping the pages.

Thank you Canelo and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.w

When midwife Ciara Duffy wakes to find her husband brutally murdered, she becomes the prime suspect. With her gravely ill daughter's life hanging in the balance, Ciara must make an unthinkable choice... trust a justice system that has already failed her, or run to protect the only family she has left. As the walls start to close in, Ciara races to uncover the truth before it's too late.

The Stranger Inside starts off fast-paced and is an emotionally intense thriller. The blend of psychological tension with a mother's raw desperation weaves together to form a story full of twists, moral dilemmas, and suspense. My main critique that the pacing is uneven. The book starts out fast and gripping, pulling you in and keeping you glued to the pages. Then the middle slows way down. Also, some parts do stretch believability at times but the strong emotional element really makes for a great read. If you are able to just sit back and not overthink things too much, I think that this thriller would be a good fit!

Thank you to NetGalley, Amanda Cassidy, and Canelo Crime for this ARC! Publication date is August 7th 2025.

I loved this book. Amanda Cassidy is a great story teller. The story of Ciara was chilling at times, sad and also showed what you can do with the power of what you can achieve through the power of love for another human being - in this case a child. Beautifully written making it a real page turner with many twists and turns right to the very end. I loved this book.

This was a good read and I did find it gripping at times. Some of the twists were quite good and I didn’t see them coming. The reason for the lower rating is purely because I feel like this book got quite slow at times and I felt like I had to force myself to get through this one.

The Stranger Inside by Amanda Cassidy was a gripping and compelling read!
Thoroughly enjoyed this mystery as it's well written, gripping, and the storytelling is excellent.
Cassidy keeps the tension high with a fantastic story and plenty of twists.
I couldn’t read this book fast enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC in exchange for a review !

This book is about a woman who leaves her daughter, her daughter’s friend who came over for a sleepover, alone to quickly go to the shops nearby..There’s a nanny cam, so they’ll be safe, or so she thinks.. because on her way back she spots a man’s shadow behind her daughter through the nanny cam!..this leads to an even greater tragedy later that night..she wakes up to find her husband’s dead body by her side, with a knife pierced into his heart. She didn’t kill her husband, or did she?
This book was a rideeee..the twists were twisting and I loved it!..Give the author a medal for writing suspense because it was Suspense-FULL. The way the author fuelled the fire at those parts, I was screaming at my kindle.
Only downside was that I expected a little bit more at the end, probably because of how many twists there were, my expectations kept getting higher. But overall, I will definitely recommend this author!

'The Stranger Inside' by Amanda Cassidy is a captivating psychological thriller.
The opening chapter starts with a tense situation. Ciara goes to the shop and leaves her daughter Stella and her friend home alone for a few minutes. Returning to the house she thinks she saw someone in the house but a search revealed noting suspicious. Then in the middle of the night she awakes and finds her husband murderd beside her in the bed. This is the beginning of a complex chain of events where Ciara needs to prove her innocence. In unexpected twists and turns and many tense situations the story continues.
Even though Ciara is not very likeable Amanda Cassidy understands how to bring the reader inside the protagonists head and so creates suspense throughout the book. This is a great pageturner that keeps you engaged.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC.

This book started so strong - a tense, gripping opening with a brilliant premise: a woman wakes to find her husband murdered beside her and is arrested for the crime, leaving behind her gravely ill daughter. Her options are bleak - wait in prison and hope justice prevails in time to get her daughter the life saving treatment she needs, or escape from prison and become a fugitive on the hunt for her husband’s killer. High stakes, emotionally fraught, and totally compelling. The first couple of chapters had me genuinely holding my breath!

The ending? Fast-paced and addictive, even if it did edge into the ridiculous. I raced through it anyway.

But the middle section really let it down for me. One far-fetched situation after another made it feel more unbelievable than suspenseful, and the big twist was a let-down - cliché rather than clever. You can suspend disbelief to a point, but this one pushed it too far. I felt like I was reading the storyline from an American soap.

That said, it’s very readable and would work well as a quick palate cleanser between heavier books. Just don’t go in expecting realism or originality.

If you’re the kind of reader who doesn’t overthink things and enjoys a story for what it is, then this could be a highly rated thriller for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for my copy. The Stranger Inside is out on 7th August!

The Stranger Inside by Amanda Cassidy is a highly recommended crime thriller. Set disbelief aside and enjoy this lightning-fast paced thriller.

Midwife Ciara Duffy needs to make a quick trip to the store. It is pouring rain, her husband Morgan is out of town, and Sally, her 9-year-old daughter, has a friend there for a sleep over. Rather than getting the girls all dressed to go out in the rain she sets up the video monitor to watch them, knowing it will be a very quick trip. Then, when she is leaving the store, she sees a stranger behind the girls. She rushes home, checks the whole house, but finds no sign that anyone was there, other than a broken pot in the bathroom.

The evening goes on, with Ciara still on edge. She gets the girls to bed, makes sure everything is locked up, and finally goes to sleep. Then, in the middle of the night she hears a noise, she gets up to check, finds nothing, gets back in bed and realizes someone is in the bed. Ciara turns on the lights and sees it is her husband, dead, with a knife in his chest. Ciara is arrested and charged with murder. Ciara knows she is innocent, but she also has a secret. Soon it becomes clear that she needs to escape to uncover the truth herself.

This is a very entertaining, compelling thriller. As mentioned, you need to set disbelief aside as well as accept incredible coincidences, and and just go where the plot takes you. The chapters are short which keeps the pace fast. The action is non-stop so the pages will fly by as one twist after another occurs, followed by one new clue after another. When things go wrong here, it just continues and the tension rises. Once you start reading it will be hard to put it down.

Ciara is a tenacious, intelligent character whose emotions are running high, and for good reason, throughout the novel. Her big secret is revealed through her memories as the narrative unfolds, but her secret isn't the only one. The Stranger Inside is a great choice for those who enjoy action-packed, fast-paced thrillers. Thanks to Canelo for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Amanda Cassidy’s The Stranger Inside doesn’t hold back , it dives headfirst into psychological thriller territory with big ambitions and plenty of twists. The story juggles multiple threads, keeping you guessing (and mostly succeeding). The writing pulls you in, and the pace keeps things moving nicely. That said, it does occasionally trip over its own cleverness , a bit like a plotline trying to outsmart itself.

In my view, the author has tried to weave in too many plotlines, some of which stretch plausibility to its limits. A few twists feel more far-fetched than shocking, and at times, logic takes a back seat to drama. That said, the book remains an enjoyable read , gripping enough to hold attention, even if it occasionally asks for a generous suspension of disbelief.

There are also a few noticeable typos that could use a final polish before publication, which slightly detracts from the overall experience.

Despite its flaws, The Stranger Inside delivers a satisfying dose of intrigue and suspense. If you’re willing to embrace the chaos, there’s plenty to enjoy.

The acing is relentless, wrapping claustrophobia, grief, and survival into a story that doesn’t pause for breath.