2024-03-31
5* A tale of obsessive love
This addictive thriller opens at Annie and Mark's wedding. There's a mystery regarding what happened to Mark's first wife and a detective investigating her disappearance arrives at the wedding reception - he's an uninvited guest and the stranger in the book title. Before leaving he talks to Mark, whatever was said had a serious impact, resulting in Mark becoming withdrawn and distant.
I found the beginning slow, but once Annie and Mark's pasts are revealed, I was hooked. Not a book suitable for merely a few minutes of reading. This needs plenty of time to fully absorb the complexities of the plot and attention is definitely required due to several timelines. Even with the author giving clues and hints I was taken by surprise at the ending.
eARC generously supplied by Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.