Imperfect Strangers

by Stuart Woods

Sandy Kinsolving is on a flight from London to New York, not knowing what awaits him. His father in law, also his boss, has had a massive stroke, and Sandy has no way of knowing if the old man’s promises of a partnership in the family business have made it into his will. He does know that if his wife, Joan, has anything to say about it, he’ll be out on the street.

At this vulnerable moment in his life he strikes up a conversation with the friendly stranger seated next to him on the airplane. They have a couple of drinks and watch the movie, which fatefully turns out to be Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train . After the film has ended, and after a few more drinks the two men discover that they both have wives who are making their lives difficult, and they impulsively decide to see if they can iron some wrinkles out of the film’s plot.

By the time Sandy Kinsolving’s plane has landed in New York, his life has changed irrevocably, although he does not yet know it. Awaiting him are wealthy, security and the freedom to pursue his lifelong ambitions. But lurking in the shadows of his life are a brutal murder he cannot prevent and a madman who stalks his every waking moment.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Stuart Woods was an American novelist best known for Chiefs and his long-running Stone Barrington series. A Georgia native, he initially pursued a career in advertising before relocating to England and Ireland, where he developed a passion for sailing. His love for the sport led him to write his first published work, Blue Water, Green Skipper, about his experiences in a transatlantic yacht race.
His debut novel, Chiefs, was inspired by a family story about his grandfather, a police chief. The book, a gripping crime saga spanning several decades, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was later adapted into a television miniseries. It launched Woods' career as a novelist, leading to a prolific output of thrillers.
Woods' most famous creation, Stone Barrington, is a former NYPD detective turned high-profile lawyer who navigates elite circles while solving crimes. The series became a bestseller and remained a staple of his career, often featuring crossover characters from his other books, such as CIA operative Holly Barker and defense lawyer Ed Eagle.
Beyond writing, Woods was an experienced pilot and yachtsman. He maintained homes in Florida, Maine, and New Mexico, where he lived with his wife and their Labrador, Fred. His literary career spanned decades, with dozens of bestsellers to his name.

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new twist on an old classic, "Strangers on a Train". The premise and the characters were all really good for me up until the end where it petered out a bit, pun intended as the bad guy is named Peter. Lackluster and predictable ending aside, I still quite enjoyed the story. I found it to be much better than the first Woods book I read, so it will be interesting to see what the future ones hold. My friend's dad is a huge fan and passes all his books along to me when he's through so I have about a paper box full of Stuart Woods alone.

[Beth Brekke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out strong then lost a little momentum. Not sure if it was just me and a preoccupied mind or the book but I struggled to stay with the story. Once I did, I enjoyed the remainder. I was surprised with the amount of "editing misses" by a popular publisher but that's a minor point. Based in part on the plot of Strangers on a Train, it was at times creepy and suspenseful although I found a lot of the suspense scenes boring. Not sure the ending was realistic but the whole premise is a good reminder to be careful what you wish for and how you go about making wishes come true.

[Carol Waters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two strangers meet on a plane, drink too much, and agree to kill each other's wives. Woods freely admits he stole from Hitchcock, but it was a poor copy. The characters are actually caricatures, shallow, undeveloped, and unlikeable. There was nobody in this mess that was remotely developed as a character, the writing was flat, and the ending predictable.

[Toms_fiction.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I won't over exaggerate because I had a few small problems. The story started off quick and cool. Then, the momentum kind of slowed down after the first 100 or so pages. However, a huge plot twist picked it back up and Stuart ran with it. It's one of those timeless thrillers with a wonderful twist and that is why I absolutely love Stuart Woods.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imperfect Strangers is a spin on the classic Strangers on a Train. Always enjoy Stuart Woods although this is not one of his Stone Barrington series. His characters feel like comfortable shoes even though one would like to shake some sense into th me. I do like how Stuart Woods' male characters have such good relations with their sons. Enjoy the adventures of Sandy and Cara as they maneuver to stay alive.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts with two men on a flight, watching the in-flight movie, Alfred Hitchcock’s, “Strangers on a Train”. As the two men watch the movie and talk about their lives, they realize they each have a similar problem, and that perhaps, the plot of the movie may contain a solution for both. Can they make it work? The book has many twists and turns that kept me guessing! It was an entertaining book with an unusual plot and I enjoyed it!

[Rhonda B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good mystery is always thrilling and this story definitely kept the page turning to the end. Highly recommend!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much better than I expected!!

[LJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

IMPERFECT STRANGERS - Okay
Woods, Stuart - Standalone

On a flight home from London to New York, Sandy Kingsolving strikes up a conversation with a stranger who will change his life forever. Proposing to perfect Hitchcock's plan from Strangers on a Train and thereby solve Sandy's marital problems, the stranger offers him a glistening new future as well as an unstoppable nightmare.

There was some good suspense but I couldn't get involved with the main character.

[Coleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a Woods fan, I found this book from his past at a book sale, and bought it! Excellent story. Better than the Stone Barrington series (which this book is not one of) and has a more in-depth plot. I enjoyed the book from start to finish and read it in record time.

I passed the book to another reader who was anxious to read it.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started out with a lot of promise. It seemed to sputter at the end. The premise was an outstanding one. Two unhappily married men agree to kill each others spouses. One of the two is a bit unbalanced. The tension just didn't sustain itself the entire book.

[Conrad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not think I will be reading any more of Mr. Woods work. The way he works the plot formula does not create enough interest nor tension for me.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, but seemed so fake in so many areas...just really lacked any kind of feeling. Wasn't really a feeling of suspense.

[John P · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book opens with a bit of unnecessary explicit sexual imagery at which point I almost gave up on reading the novel. Not that I am a prude but I don't care for the apparent strategy of titillation to 'hook' a certain type of reader or to appeal to baser elements in the human psyche in lieu of good writing, storytelling, and use of language.

However, I continued to Chapter two (the chapters are wonderfully short - a definite plus, IMHO) and was pleasantly surprised to be very interested in the potential plot. I don't think it is giving away too much to say that this work is essentially Hitchcock's 'Strangers on a Train' re-imagined.

In the end, I enjoyed this book. It is an easy to read fast-paced thriller. The main trouble with the plot is that it uses a device which is at once obvious and guessable (which I did) and at the same time wildly improbable - so much so that one has no choice but to simply accept it and move on.

All the main characters are well drawn and speak realistic dialog. I have a feeling the author was hoping for a movie deal out of it - many scenes, especially the ending, are quite theatrical. Perhaps this explains the opening scenario as well.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

1997 Grand Prix de Littérature Policière. This 1995 thriller by author Stuart Woods is his penultimate stand-alone novel. The following year he would publish #2 in the Stone Barrington series (which in 2020 numbers in the mid-50s) and not look back. This novel presages some of the lifestyles of the rich and sexual of his later work.

He's flying from London to New York because his father-in-law, who's bankrolled his lucrative wine-selling business, has just had a stroke. Sandy and his wife are far from close, and he's concerned that his father-in-law's death will have unpleasant financial consequences. His seatmate, Peter Martindale, also a well-dressed man of means, is a gallery owner based in San Francisco. It seems that he and his wife are also on the outs, and he, too, stands to lose his livelihood. The two men drink scotch and watch Strangers on a Train. They have the sort of heart-to-heart strangers indulge in, and Peter proposes that they murder each other's wives.

[Ken Karcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written tale likened to the classic Strangers On A Train, it even garners a mention by the main characters. Two men, with troubled marriages, meet while traveling and decide that each other is the perfect solution to their woes. As in the original, this deteriorates into a struggle to survive and is wonderfully brought into modern life by the author. If you're a fan of the movie, or a fan of Woods, you'll enjoy this book. I read it entirely over the course of one leisurely evening and simply loved it. I enjoy the fact that the author doesn't fall into the trap of making characters stupid, or police officers into bumbling fools like so many others do. He writes smartly and crafts a complex plot, tight action scenes with stressful suspense. Woods could teach a masterclass on fiction writing, but I hope he continues to spend his time putting out excellent novels like this.

[Monica Vidal · Rating 2 out of 5]

*audiobook*

It started very promising but became a train wreck from the middle to the end. I got interested because of the "strangers in a train" plot, but it didn't carry the same punch as the movie or as "the kind worth killing" (which is another book that explores the same theme).

I thought Sandie was an entitled asshole, who got away waaaaay too easily. And Peter had all the greatness of a bad villain. I didn't like how it ended and how , even though Sandie agreed with their pact, the author tried to made him into a victim. Fuck no. He took zero responsibility for what he did.

Did not appreciate it. Plus, I didn't like the narrator. He didn't make accents to the British characters, so I couldn't tell who was American and who was British.

[Jovdb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think, for me, this failed because I can’t imagine giving in to blackmail. When Sandy is blackmailed by the private eye in Britain, when he shows the envelope of money (containing £500) there is no way the blackmailer would mistake that for £10,000 in small bills.

And, while the premise, strangers on a plane discuss the movie Strangers on a Train, and think about how they can implement this in their real life situations, is good, it certainly isn’t Hitchcock!

I think the characters were inherently flawed. Sandy suddenly changes from being a womanizer to getting married in short order. Please! And Cara, just coming out of a terrible marriage, just jumps straight in again. Again, please.

Sorry, this just didn’t make sense to me.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, lots of caveating to do here. Read this about 29 years ago so nostalgia is the first caveat. I wanted a layup and a Stuart Woods that didn’t center around one of his bland recurring characters so the bullseye got small. The next caveat is that I desperately wanted something fast and easy even if it was a little stupid. This book is more fleet than smart and riddled with dues ex machinas up the yin yang. It’s also got to win an award for Least Fucks Given about the victim of a murder. The husband and son get over it faster than most people get over being cut off in traffic. Fuck Joan I guess. So, why four stars? It was quick and took my mind off The Bad News. So, I may be an easy lay for stuff like this the next 50 months. So fucking be it.

[Megan Lister · Rating 2 out of 5]

Suspend your disbelief big time if you read this one.

Your mom’s just been killed? Oh well, I really don’t feel too bad about it, barely miss her at all. No big.

Just happen to run into and start a romantic relationship with the lady you’re supposed to kill? It happens.

Just happen to be in the middle of a totally unrelated assassination attempt and end up in the papers when you’re trying to hide out? Who hasn’t?

You want your new girlfriend to move in before even knowing her a week? It was good enough for Princess Anna.

This guy is not great at writing women and has never heard of “show, don’t tell.”

[Pamela Aikman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid writing from the author. Consider this a quick easy read with an enjoyable story. Characters that are interesting. Love this paragraph - consider it some of the best work of the book.....Female character says to main character...."She glanced at her watch. "thank you, no. I've had a long day, as you have, and I could use some rest." She stood up. "Do you mind of I go now?" Main character replies, "Yes, but I can live with it."

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up to read during the pandemic because I wanted to get totally engrossed in something.Was a good read. Held my attention. I was a little disappointed in the ending. I think the author could have made the ending a little more complicated. Even the relationship between Sandy and Cara was too easy.

[John Grunwald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperfect Strangers

This was like watching a tennis match. The two main characters start a plan to each one killing someone. Then one tries to back out of the contract. Then the plot really takes off, one goes through with the plan and the second party attempts to find ways to prevent his part of the agreement from happening. Guess what happened? Read the book.

[Mary Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read Stuart Woods's obit in NYT and read that he had won an Edgar Award for this book. I looked it up and when I saw the Strangers on a Train connection, I was hooked. During the first part of the book, I felt like I could actually be reading one of Highsmith's books. I read it on my phone and really went through it pretty fast. I recommend it for a quick fun read.

[Karen Langolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was not bad, but the characters were dislikable from the beginning.
Kept losing interest in the protagonist throughout the book, and started to favor the villain.
Like several other reviews posted.This book would be very interesting at certain times and then drag on for awhile before picking back up.
I have read a ton of Stuart Woods books, and I likely won't read this one again.

[Amanda Ho · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a very fast read. Not that I actually figured out the exact percentage, but it felt like 70% dialog! I’m not complaining exactly, but I’d you like reads where you get either a lot of set up or descriptions, this isn’t it for you! Because it was mostly dialog it was a very fast read, I think I finished this book in less than 3 hours.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great suspense story that springs off two strangers on a plane watching “Strangers on a Train” that agree to kill each other’s wives. Some of the coincidences are far fetched but if you can suspend your disbelief, you will enjoy the level of suspense built.

[John M. Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comfortable read.

It took me a while to finish this book. It was interesting in its own way, but enjoyable. I lived near San Francisco and can relate to some of the places they talked about. Hope you enjoy it.

[Charles Stoddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Stuart Woods book I've read not starring Stone Barrington. What a joy! I didn't miss Stone. I enjoyed "Perfect Strangers" and look forward to reading other non-Barrington books by Stuart Woods. This was a great read that was hard to put down!

[Deborah Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imperfect Strangers is a play on a classic movie. Sandy and Peters’ lives become intertwined on a plane which sets the plot. Throughout one character attempts to take moral high road while the other tries to undermine him. I enjoyed this early Stuart Woods novel.