This book was intense, emotional, and totally addictive. It’s one of those stories where you think you know what’s going on… and then the rug gets pulled out from under you. The way it explores trauma, identity, and the secrets people carry? So well done.

The writing was sharp, the atmosphere eerie, and the twists? Chef’s kiss. If you like psychological thrillers that dig deep into the messy parts of human nature, this one’s for you.

Dark, smart, and haunting in the best way. Couldn’t put it down.

Midwife Ciara Duffy goes to sleep and wakes in the small hours to find her husband beside her stabbed through the heart. Soon she is arrested and charged with his murder. You get one chance to run. Ciara knows she is innocent. She has no one to rely on. Meanwhile, her young daughter is gravely ill. Ciara has to fight by any means necessary. Do you take it?! Great read! This book had suspense, murder, mystery, intrigue, and a few shocking twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for this pre-release copy.

Right from the outset, you can tell this story is fast-paced with lots of twists. There are so many ingredients in the pot (possibly a few too many?). Such emotion. As a mother myself, the thought of not being able to be there for your child is just the worst, so when Ciara is locked up, you really feel that raw emotion. The story gripped me, but I found the ending a bit too far-fetched. An enjoyable read none the less.

This was a great fast paced suspense thriller, full of secrets! I highly recommend this book to my fellow thriller readers.

I couldn't read this fast enough!
Action packed and heart racing.
How much can one woman cope with and makes you question what you would do?
One of the best, fast paced books i have read in a while.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
Big five stars from me.

Ciara, a midwife, daughter of a retired high ranking Garda, married to Morgan, and mother to Sally, slips out to the shop to grab dinner while her husband is away on business leaving her daughter & friend home alone for 10mins.
Ciara thinks she sees someone on the home monitor app and scrambles back…. After that night, nothing is ever the same again. A Garda investigation, a murder, the wrong person identified as a suspect, a previous crime from a previous life. Everything is happening and everything is relevant. A brilliant book with cliffhangers at every turn. Highly recommended. Thanks to the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I LOVED THIS BOOK! This book definitely should be on everyone’s must-read list and it stayed with me long after I read it!

It was fantastic in EVERY way! I literally had NO WAY of working out what was going to happen until the end I was holding my breath as I just couldn’t stop reading until the end – I had to know!

This book was filled with twists and turns and I was engrossed from start to finish. It had many jaw-dropping twists- prepare to be on the edge of your seat until the very end as I was!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!

Review of ‘The Stranger Inside’ by Amanda Cassidy, due to be published on 7 August 2025 by Canelo.

Ciara pops out leaving a camera trained on her daughter, and is shocked to see a shadowy figure appear on the screen. She quickly returns home, but nothing is out of place, there is no intruder, her daughter didn’t see anything and there is no recording of what she saw.

That night, after going to the bathroom, Ciara returns to find the dead body of her husband lying in the bed. The finger of suspicion is firmly pointed at her, she swears she didn’t kill him, but nobody believes her.

Ciara faces a race against time to prove her innocence, finding out shocking secrets that have been buried, culminating in an epic showdown to the truth.

A fast paced, gripping read full of uncertainty and suspense, recommended read.

The Stranger Inside tells the story of Ciara, who's wrongfully accused of her husband's murder. Her nine year-old daughter Sally is ill and Ciara must make a choice: either face the legal system or take matters into her hands. Can Ciara solve her husband's murder before the police find her?

WOW this novel has left me stunned. My jaw is still on the floor! I was sucked into the story from the beginning. I loved Ciara, she's such a strong woman who represents every mother out there who would do anything for their children. She KNOWS she is speaking her truth and she is going to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to her husband -even if it involves running away from the law!

This was super fast-faced, the perfect one-sitting read. Cancel everything, lock yourself up in a room and don't let anyone interrupt because this is the kind of book that you will want to read just one more page!!

A solid 5-star.