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Strangers
Book by DeJay
247 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2012
About the author
DeJay
8 books15 followersI am working hard at being retired, spending time with my lovely lady of 35 years and discovered a passion for writing in my free time.
I've been lucky enough to publish a number of short stories and now my novel, Redemption has been re-published through Lesbian Fiction Press. My second novel, Strangers will also be available by September 2013 via Lesbian Fiction Press as well. I'm busy working on my third, Sisters which should be out by May 2014.
Other than that, my wife assures me we are the most boring people she knows. Thanks for stopping by.
I've been lucky enough to publish a number of short stories and now my novel, Redemption has been re-published through Lesbian Fiction Press. My second novel, Strangers will also be available by September 2013 via Lesbian Fiction Press as well. I'm busy working on my third, Sisters which should be out by May 2014.
Other than that, my wife assures me we are the most boring people she knows. Thanks for stopping by.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 27, 2017
More than what I thought it would be
So I really thought this book was going to be about family...Murphy finds out she has two nieces that she needs to care for and has to figure out how. But then it turned into this kinda religious crazy cold case murder mystery and I don't know if I liked it or was thrown off by it. It was kinda like G Benson's "All the Precious Moments" meets Gerri Hill's "In the Name of the Father." Regardless, it's a rollercoaster ride and I overall enjoyed it.
So I really thought this book was going to be about family...Murphy finds out she has two nieces that she needs to care for and has to figure out how. But then it turned into this kinda religious crazy cold case murder mystery and I don't know if I liked it or was thrown off by it. It was kinda like G Benson's "All the Precious Moments" meets Gerri Hill's "In the Name of the Father." Regardless, it's a rollercoaster ride and I overall enjoyed it.
August 9, 2019
What... a whole lotta triggers in this beautiful little doozy. Brilliant work by the author for getting into the nitty gritty, unseen and often unknown parts of homelessness, abuse and the ugliness of not supporting gay children.
Bloody brilliant.
Bloody brilliant.
March 2, 2012
Justina Murphy, (Murphy) had a miserable childhood with regular beatings from her mother. At the tender age of thirteen, she was betrayed by her best friend and outed. Her mother beat her within an inch of her life and threw her out onto the streets to fend for herself.
Somehow Murphy survived life on the streets and got her life into a semblance of order. Now thirty years later, she owns her own car wash business that is getting more profitable as each year passes.
Victoria Wainwright, (Vicki) works for the DCS, Department of Child Services. Murphy and Vicki meet when Vicki has to try to persuade Murphy to take in and care for two strangers. The two young girls are her nieces, Jesse and Brianna. Murphy’s deceased sister Bernadette’s daughters. Murphy had no idea they even existed after being estranged from her family for so long.
Murphy at first declines to help them. How can she stretch her sparse earnings three ways? Every extra cent she has is put back into the business. Murphy is used to solitude. How can she allow two strangers to disrupt her orderly existence? As it is, Murphy is living her life on the edge, struggling with secrets and a past she just can’t let go of. What will Murphy do?
Jesse is the eldest and had promised her mother to take care of her younger sister, Brianna. Bernadette explained that Murphy would need help and understanding if they were to have any chance of being a family together. Murphy hadn’t a clue what normal family life could be like. Jesse is also conflicted and confused by her feelings for another girl. She knows her aunt Murphy is a lesbian, but she also knows this is totally unacceptable in the catholic school both girls attend.
Inevitably when the two girls and Murphy live together, there are problems. Will Murphy be able to cope, or will she just give in?
During the course of solving some of these problems, the past comes back to hit Murphy full force. But it also gives up the answers to a thirty year old suicide, that Murphy has nursed close to her chest all these years.
Meanwhile in amongst all the family problems, Murphy finds herself attracted to Vicki. But Vicki is hiding a terrible secret. One which will not allow her to even consider pursuing a relationship with anyone. Ever. Will Vicki trust Murphy enough to reveal all to her?
When I read Dejay’s first book, Redemption, I didn’t think her writing or story telling could get any better. I was wrong. Redemption is a truly excellent book, but I think Strangers has the a slight edge over it. If asked why, I would say I preferred the storyline in Strangers. But this of course, is just my opinion. Both are wonderful books.
Dejay strikes me as an author who goes where other authors fear to tread. She doesn’t mind writing about controversial issues. This book, like her first, contains subject matter that not everyone will be comfortable with. But, please don’t let this put you off of buying this wonderfully well written book. Everything is written in a tasteful and sympathetic way. Sympathetic to the subject matter and the reader. There are no nasty graphic details in this book. Just fact, written with empathy and woven in to a beautiful story.
The characters are all well formed and easy to get to know, so that it is easy to feel part of the story. Each character is essential to progressing the story along.
From the first page I was hooked in to the story. I found myself rushing to find out what happened next. I had to slow myself down. This is one of those books I simply didn’t want to end. The whole book was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Full of twists and turns along the way. Leaving the reader breathless and wanting more. The element of mystery had me on the edge of my seat. The past and the present are all cleverly written so that the reader knows exactly where they are.
The book also made me think about the issues homeless people face. The animosity they come across and their fight for survival.
Dejay is a wonderful writer, she must have done extensive research for this book. It’s obvious that she cares about what she writes. Dejay is on my list of ‘must buy the books of authors’. This book is a definite re-read.
Somehow Murphy survived life on the streets and got her life into a semblance of order. Now thirty years later, she owns her own car wash business that is getting more profitable as each year passes.
Victoria Wainwright, (Vicki) works for the DCS, Department of Child Services. Murphy and Vicki meet when Vicki has to try to persuade Murphy to take in and care for two strangers. The two young girls are her nieces, Jesse and Brianna. Murphy’s deceased sister Bernadette’s daughters. Murphy had no idea they even existed after being estranged from her family for so long.
Murphy at first declines to help them. How can she stretch her sparse earnings three ways? Every extra cent she has is put back into the business. Murphy is used to solitude. How can she allow two strangers to disrupt her orderly existence? As it is, Murphy is living her life on the edge, struggling with secrets and a past she just can’t let go of. What will Murphy do?
Jesse is the eldest and had promised her mother to take care of her younger sister, Brianna. Bernadette explained that Murphy would need help and understanding if they were to have any chance of being a family together. Murphy hadn’t a clue what normal family life could be like. Jesse is also conflicted and confused by her feelings for another girl. She knows her aunt Murphy is a lesbian, but she also knows this is totally unacceptable in the catholic school both girls attend.
Inevitably when the two girls and Murphy live together, there are problems. Will Murphy be able to cope, or will she just give in?
During the course of solving some of these problems, the past comes back to hit Murphy full force. But it also gives up the answers to a thirty year old suicide, that Murphy has nursed close to her chest all these years.
Meanwhile in amongst all the family problems, Murphy finds herself attracted to Vicki. But Vicki is hiding a terrible secret. One which will not allow her to even consider pursuing a relationship with anyone. Ever. Will Vicki trust Murphy enough to reveal all to her?
When I read Dejay’s first book, Redemption, I didn’t think her writing or story telling could get any better. I was wrong. Redemption is a truly excellent book, but I think Strangers has the a slight edge over it. If asked why, I would say I preferred the storyline in Strangers. But this of course, is just my opinion. Both are wonderful books.
Dejay strikes me as an author who goes where other authors fear to tread. She doesn’t mind writing about controversial issues. This book, like her first, contains subject matter that not everyone will be comfortable with. But, please don’t let this put you off of buying this wonderfully well written book. Everything is written in a tasteful and sympathetic way. Sympathetic to the subject matter and the reader. There are no nasty graphic details in this book. Just fact, written with empathy and woven in to a beautiful story.
The characters are all well formed and easy to get to know, so that it is easy to feel part of the story. Each character is essential to progressing the story along.
From the first page I was hooked in to the story. I found myself rushing to find out what happened next. I had to slow myself down. This is one of those books I simply didn’t want to end. The whole book was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Full of twists and turns along the way. Leaving the reader breathless and wanting more. The element of mystery had me on the edge of my seat. The past and the present are all cleverly written so that the reader knows exactly where they are.
The book also made me think about the issues homeless people face. The animosity they come across and their fight for survival.
Dejay is a wonderful writer, she must have done extensive research for this book. It’s obvious that she cares about what she writes. Dejay is on my list of ‘must buy the books of authors’. This book is a definite re-read.
March 1, 2012
This is De Jay’s second book and I’m going to say it was even better than the 1st one.
The primary focus of the story is the developing relationship between Murphy and her two nieces who have been left in her custody after the death of their Mom. Within the development of that relationship the reader sees how being homeless and physical abuse shaped Murphy’s personality and how she interacts with the people around her. Murphy’s character is written in a way that makes her seem 3 dimensional. Yes, she has scars from her past but she actively works to overcome her issues and not be conquered by them; which include the death of her 1st girlfriend “Anna” almost 30 years prior. The mystery surrounding the death of Murphy’s first girlfriend is woven into the plot in a manner that keeps the reader wondering if Anna really committed suicide and if not, wondering who was ultimately responsible.
Again, this is a well written, intriguing story that I could not put down. A great read.
The primary focus of the story is the developing relationship between Murphy and her two nieces who have been left in her custody after the death of their Mom. Within the development of that relationship the reader sees how being homeless and physical abuse shaped Murphy’s personality and how she interacts with the people around her. Murphy’s character is written in a way that makes her seem 3 dimensional. Yes, she has scars from her past but she actively works to overcome her issues and not be conquered by them; which include the death of her 1st girlfriend “Anna” almost 30 years prior. The mystery surrounding the death of Murphy’s first girlfriend is woven into the plot in a manner that keeps the reader wondering if Anna really committed suicide and if not, wondering who was ultimately responsible.
Again, this is a well written, intriguing story that I could not put down. A great read.
April 3, 2012
The primary focus of the story is the developing relationship between Murphy and her two nieces who have been left in her custody after the death of their Mom. Within the development of that relationship the reader sees how being homeless and physical abuse shaped Murphy's personality and how she interacts with the people around her. Murphy's character is written in a way that makes her seem 3 dimensional. Yes, she has scars from her past but she actively works to overcome her issues and not be conquered by them; which include the death of her 1st girlfriend "Anna" almost 30 years prior. The mystery surrounding the death of Murphy's first girlfriend is woven into the plot in a manner that keeps the reader wondering if Anna really committed suicide and if not, wondering who was ultimately responsible.
Again, this is a well written, intriguing story that I could not put down. A great read.
Again, this is a well written, intriguing story that I could not put down. A great read.
March 18, 2012
Disclosure: I was a beta reader for this book (so I'll accept responsibility for the typos that slipped through!). I liked the story enough to read it again once published so it must be good. Dejay's characters get under your skin and the life challenges they go through are easy to identify with. This is not cookie-cutter lesfic. Some of it is tough to read: homelessness, child abuse. There's also a lot of good humor in here. Imagine suddenly being in charge of two children. You can feel the angst Murphy goes through in adjusting. The kids are touching, amusing (Brianna is a stitch), and very realistic. There's a decent mystery in here, though I don't think of this as a genre mystery. There's also a decent love story, but not a generic Romance. Everyone has things they are hiding and running away from. Don't let this languish on your to-read list!
December 5, 2013
Too much drama for my taste in one little story. The character Murphy is quite interesting (and this was the only reason why I finished the book). The rest of the characters, well, they are different. Sister Angela's hate is totally exaggerated and you somehow know how the story will end. She is not able to take criticism or to accept any other opinion than her own. I didn't like her character and its development at all. If you like drama, this is definietely your book!
August 24, 2012
This is such an engaging story, the issues that come up in the telling of the story are dealt with compassion and understanding. The characters are full and rich. Another outstanding book from DeJay, who just gets better and better with each book.
March 18, 2012
Bought this book because I really enjoyed her first book. This one I liked even better. It was so good I read it in one sitting.
Want to Read
March 27, 2012MUST *gasp* read!!!! :D
June 29, 2025
This book was enlightening and eye-opening and taught me a lot. But it also made me [ I will finish later ]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2020
I finished this story feeling sad for all the past trauma Murphy had to endure, but also happy to see her find love, a family and a supportive community. You'll admire how Murphy has carved a living for herself, is open to advice/help, gives back to the community and provides for those less fortunate. Her selflessness also brings justice to a victim of a crime which took place in her youth.
The book is long but well worth the read. The author writes deftly, her characters are engaging and the plot well paced. Scenes with triggers (see below) were not gratuitous.
TW: homophobia, attempted rape, incest, child abuse, body image issues
The book is long but well worth the read. The author writes deftly, her characters are engaging and the plot well paced. Scenes with triggers (see below) were not gratuitous.
TW: homophobia, attempted rape, incest, child abuse, body image issues
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews