Five Strangers

An exciting thriller that shows just how unreliable memories can be. A Valentine’s Day’s murder as seen in the eyes of many unreliable witnesses!

#FiveStrangers #NetGalley
Addictive and Interesting.
Jen Hunter witnesses a horrific murder-suicide on Hampstead Heath one February alongside four strangers, she is compelled to find out what really happened that day. They all saw Daniel kill his girlfriend, Vicky – but can they trust their own memories?
Jen’s best friend, Bex, is worried about her. She knows Jen hasn’t always been the most stable of women. She knows about the lies. She knows why Jen lost her job at the paper.
There is more than what it seems.
I loved it. Characters were dark. I couldn't rely on any one.
Narration of the story is flawless.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advanced copy of this psychological thriller.

I loved this. Manipulative and toxic friendship with murder on the side. You never really know who people are.

Brilliant
Loved the plot
The characters were very well written and the twist made me fall back in love with reading

I have absolutely loved reading Five Strangers and found myself racing through the pages to find out what would happen next!

This story is told from the alternating first person perspectives of Jen and Bex. When Jen, a former journalist, is one of five strangers to witness a horrific murder-suicide on Hampstead Heath in London on Valentine’s Day, she is compelled to investigate what really happened that day. They all saw Daniel kill his girlfriend Vicky, and then himself, but can they really trust what they saw?

Bex is Jen’s best friend and she is really worried about her. Bex knows Jen hasn’t always been the most stable of women, and she knows about the lies and the reason why Jen lost her job at the paper. However, when it becomes clear that there is more to what happened on Hampstead Heath that day, Jen knows she needs to find out the truth, no matter what the cost!

The alternating narratives and short chapters combined to make this a really gripping read and I loved how there were so many hidden secrets which were slowly revealed across the course of the story. I constantly found myself saying ‘just one more chapter’! The tension that was created and the heart racing feeling I had as I was reading was just brilliant too! It is very atmospheric and I know if I ever visit Hampstead Heath when I am next in London and stand at that viewing point, I will think of this book.

I also really liked how I was constantly re-evaluating and questioning everyone and everything as I was reading, just like Jen! Whilst it turns out I was right about my early suspicions of a certain character, nothing could have prepared me for just what I would learn about them!

This is such a fantastic book with an ingeniously woven plot, and a brilliant ending too! I just couldn’t put it down and would recommend this to everyone!

I really really enjoyed Five Strangers. Told from 2 different perspectives of Jen and Bex. Chapters were short and i found to the point, not too much unnecessary information or dialogue which I find sometimes can be the case with other books. The book was filled with twists and turns, I could never trust anybody always finding myself thinking all of them were lying about something. With the chapters being so short and the amazing twists I was hooked. Read it in one sitting. Loved it!!

Huge fan of this author and this is another absolutely great read. I have nothing negative I can say about this book. It has been a great read filled with interesting characters and a unique plot.

Cleverly Constructed, Well Plotted....
Cleverly constructed and well plotted mystery - one dreadful occurrence, five witnesses but what did they actually see? Quick alternating narrative and snappy chapters add to mounting tension throughout as the reader discovers each version of events. A satisfying read.

4,5 ⭐️

When I first read the synopsis of Five strangers on NetGalley I thought "mmm, I want to read this, it's totally up my alley". Then I learnt that the author is Andrew Wilson written under a pen name and thought "mmm, I NEED to read this!". He has written some books I've thoroughly enjoyed in the past (I love his Agatha Christie series) so I knew I was in for a treat.

Five strangers is an absolutely gripping story. It takes off with one of the most powerful first scenes I've read lately when journalist Jen Hunter and four other people witness a murder/suicide. When she starts questioning what she saw, Jen enters into an obsessive spiral that will threaten her own sanity.

The premise was fantastic. How is it possible for the killer not to be guilty when they all saw him commit the murder? The dual POVs worked really well, making me doubt everyone. Is Jen saying all the truth? Is she an unreliable narrator? I found her a bit too gullible at times and could not understand how she took everything she was told at face value.

Once things started to unravel the reading turned into a rollercoaster. Although the culprit was not a surprise it was so much fun learning about their backstory at the same time all the puzzle pieces fell into place.

I didn't see the ending coming at all! Although it did not leave any loose ends I think it required too many coincidences for all those things to happen.

Really enjoyable read with interesting characters and a very well constructed plot that will make it nearly impossible for you to stop reading until you've reached the last page.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were interesting and well written and there was plenty going on. It was not for the feint hearted as the descriptions of violence were pretty full on, but necessary for the story. It kept me guessing and trying to work out how it was all going to pan out and I thought it was a cracking read.