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The Stranger at the Door

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‘I should have seen she was lying,’ Harvey snaps. ‘I let a complete stranger into our lives. Into our home. What was I thinking? If she’s laid a finger on Gwyneth, I’ll kill her.’

Let her in at your peril…


Harvey’s wife Gwyneth lies in a coma, the victim of a hit-and-run, which the police suspect was no accident.

With their investigation stalling, a stranger claiming to be Gwyneth’s mother appears at the hospital – a frail old lady grateful to be reunited with her daughter after twenty years.

At first she seems harmless enough - but looks can be deceptive.

Something about her story doesn't add up and as her lies begin to unravel, a chilling truth stares Harvey in the face.

The stranger at the door might not be who she claims to be.

With time against him, Harvey must uncover her true identity and what she really wants before she destroys everything - and he and Gwyneth both pay the ultimate price of letting her into their lives...

349 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2024

442 people are currently reading
2965 people want to read

About the author

A.J. Wills

16 books417 followers

***Book bloggers join my ARC team and never miss getting your hands on a review copy of my latest books. You can sign up here: bit.ly/bloggersalert ***

AJ Wills writes standalone psychological thrillers with twisty plots.

He’s a former journalist who wrote in his spare time, before and after work for ten years, until he was finally able to fulfil his lifelong dream of becoming a fulltime author in May 2021.

He’s never looked back and now runs a small independent publishing company, Cherry Tree Publishing with his wife, AJ McDine, also a thriller writer.

He said: “I've always loved thrillers, but psychological thrillers hold a special interest for me because they're about the scary, insane, disturbing things that happen to ordinary people - and we can all relate to them on some level.”

He lives in Kent in the south east of England.

You can download AJ Wills’s psychological thriller, His Lost Wife, for free by visiting bit.ly/hislostwife

You can find out more about him on his website: ajwillsauthor.com, his Facebook page AuthorAJWills or on his Instagram account ajwills_author

Of course, you can always contact him directly at adrian@ajwillsauthor.com, where he loves to answer messages from genuine readers.

And don't forget to follow him on BookBub for his new releases: bit.ly/BookBubAJWills

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5 stars
573 (39%)
4 stars
478 (32%)
3 stars
276 (18%)
2 stars
100 (6%)
1 star
34 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
Profile Image for Holly  B .
950 reviews2,894 followers
November 20, 2024
I'll give the author another chance, but this one was OTT silly and I'm not sure why I kept reading until the end!

I have 2 other titles on my TBR, so hopefully they will work for me.

I may be an outlier, there are so many five star reviews for this one! 🤷‍♀️ I was just annoyed by the characters actions and stupidity. The twists were definitely eye rollers and beyond OTT. 🙄

P.S. If you have a mother-in-law you've never met and is uninvited that comes a knocking, best to turn her away! 😂 Duh......
481 reviews8 followers
October 19, 2024
Physiological thriller full of twists. This had me reading late into the night totally obsessed who knocked her over and who is this mysterious women really. So many questions and so much tension full of emotion and underlying is everything as it seems. I loved the way the truth was finally revealed and wondered how I'd missed ot. Such clever writing. You made me hate and pity Freda as well as being angry at Harvey. Thank you for this hard to put down story that had me totally gripped from page 1. Look forward to the next.
Thanks to netgallery and publisher and author fir this highly recommended 5 star read .
Profile Image for Lee.
1,040 reviews124 followers
October 7, 2024
Another terrific book by A J Willis, this author always presents us with such great storis that you keep you reading well into the night.

Gwyneth is Harvey’s wife and runs an antique store and one day after closing and walking home she becomes the victim of a hit and run accident that has now left her in a coma. She met Harvey after losing her first husband and went to him for counselling. Soon, a large police investigation is set up to find out why this happened to Gwyneth

Harvey is struggling to come to terms with what has happened. He is at the hospital every day, talking to her constantly trying to break through her subconscious. He is a very caring man, he sits by her bed moisturising her hands and playing music, he feels very much alone at this point.
Then enters a woman who claims to be Gwyneth’s mother, Freya. Gwyneth has not seen her mother for many years so this was not what Harvey was expecting. She is very domineering and seems to want to take over, but she is not what she seems and is there with her own agenda.

If you are looking for a very entertaining read this book is for you. Well written and a great ending twist that leaves you very satisfied. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for Jayne.
1,033 reviews675 followers
April 9, 2025


This author goes hot/cold with me.

BRRRR......

This one left me cold.

Waaaay too OTT.

I listened to the audiobook expertly narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies and Ruth Redman.

One star, rounded up.
57 reviews1 follower
September 21, 2024
What have I just read? Absolutely amazing book which tells the story of Gwyneth who lives with her second husband Harvey who was initially her counsellor there to help her with the grieving of her first husband Lionel. Gwyneth with her first husband dealt in antiques and as such had accrued quite a fortune. Unfortunately Gwyneth walking home from her antique business in the village is a victim of a hit and run and as such this has become a large investigation carried out by the police, they arent happy that it’s an accident. The story unfolds with Gwyneth in a coma with a brain injury and various broken bones in Intensive care, Harvey looks in on his wife every day trying to speak to her brings in music to help her, ever the loving husband. Until a woman appears who says that she’s Gwyneths mother. A clash of personalities transpire and it’s all a downward spiral and the twist at the end is I think one of the best by this author who to my mind is one of the best authors I have read. 5 stars from me.
Profile Image for Donna Mallery.
958 reviews90 followers
September 22, 2024
This was a fast paced whirlwind of a ride! There are almost two storylines going on here! There’s that “Stranger at the Door”, and the mystery of who mowed down that poor woman while she was walking home from work! Even after all of the twists are worked out, I appreciate that the author added a couple of chapters to wrap everything up nicely! I always enjoy Will’s books and was thrilled to get an advance copy from the author. That is always an honor and a privilege! His books are always engaging, and if you haven’t, check out all of his books!
Profile Image for Mark Allen.
61 reviews
November 15, 2024
Don't understand why some have rated this so highly. The characters are painstakingly idiotic and unlikable, you can predict the ending after about 10 pages, and the plot is littered with huge gaps. I can't see any element of this that makes it a 'psychological thriller'.

I thought the "breathtaking twist" as is phrased on the cover might save this, but I've finished this now and am wondering where this breathtaking twist actually was. The ending was extremely anticlimactic.

I just didn't get this book at all.
Profile Image for Vanessa.
27 reviews2 followers
October 30, 2024
First, I would like to start off by saying thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for this ARC. This is my first book from A.J. Willis, after having several books from this author on my TBR shelf for months.

Gwyneth is a widow who remarried to Harvey about two years prior to the timeline that this takes place in. Gwyneth's late husband, Lionel, was a collector of antiques, and Gwyneth took over his antique store after his passing and runs the store on Wednesdays. Gwyneth prefers to take the two mile walk to and from town when it isn't raining and one day after closing up her shop, while walking home, she is struck by a vehicle and gets rushed to the hospital where she is in a coma.

The police arrive at Gwyneth and Harvey's home to inform Harvey of the accident and transport Harvey to the hospital to see his wife who is stable, but the hospital is unsure of what her condition will be until she wakes up from her coma and the swelling in her brain subsides. The police immediately begin investigating this incident due to the nature of the hit and run.

Harvey is struggling to cope with this shocking news and uncertain outcome after only two years of marriage to Gwyneth. Will she wake up in a week? A month? Several months? Will she still have her memory? Will Harvey become her caregiver and her husband if she doesn't make a full recovery? The outcome is unknown. Harvey doesn't know very much about Gwyneth's upbringing and family and only knows that she has been estranged from her mother for 30+ years.

One morning, when Harvey arrives at the hospital to visit his wife and help with minor tasks (ensuring her hands and lips are moisturized), he finds that there is a woman at Gwyneth's bedside who has a striking resemblance to his wife, but is much older. She introduces herself as Freya, Gwyneth's mother, and while speaking with Harvey, she mentions that she was going to stay in her car and just wanted to be there for Gwyneth after so many years apart.

Freya is taking over Gwyneth's care and pushing Harvey onto the sidelines. When she moves in with Harvey she becomes a total nightmare to deal with, stating the bed in the guest bedroom is unsuitable, leaving a mess all over the house, she dyes her hair blonde to match Gwyneth and starts wearing Gwyneth's clothing. Harvey can't take much more and tries to offer to pay for an Airbnb closer to the hospital, but Freya talks him into letting her stay time and time again.

Due to Freya's odd behavior, Harvey digs into her past and is shocked to discover the truth of who this stranger in his house is.

This book was full of twists and turns and kept my attention from start to finish. I was on the edge of my seat trying to piece together who Freya is, and when it was finally revealed, I was speechless. The twists didn't stop there, though. They just kept coming with Harvey, and with Gwyneth and the ending was completely unexpected! I would definitely recommend this book.
Profile Image for Jackie.
1,327 reviews
April 14, 2025
Every book I’ve read by A. J. Wills had been a tense, psychological thriller that has kept me engaged throughout. The Stranger At The Door was no different. This twisted story followed Harvey and his wife, Gwyneth, who lied in a coma after a hit and run. Harvey spent every waking hour at her bedside praying for her quick recovery until his daily routine at the hospital was disrupted by a stranger who claimed to be Gwyneth's long-lost mother, Freya. His quest to learn more about this woman ensued.

I enjoyed everything about this story including the characters, the narrative, and the complexity of the plot. All the suspenseful elements were present and made for a fast paced, tense, edge of your seat mystery thriller. You know it’s a gripping story when you are sad when it comes to an end. Despite predicting one piece of this mystery, there were a few other twists that I did not foresee and therefore made this twisted story an even more compelling read. If you love all consuming mystery thrillers, you can’t go wrong with any of A. J. Wills books. You will most likely be utterly entertained by them. (Audio)
532 reviews2 followers
October 2, 2024
WOW I really enjoyed The Stranger at the Door (Kindle Edition) by A. J. Wills. An amazing psychological whodunnit thriller. Release date 15th October 2024.

Harvey's wife, Gwyneth is in hospital lying in a coma after a horrific hit and run. Harvey is the doting husband who visits his wife, moisturises her lips and hands and talks to her hoping that soon she will come out of her coma.

The Police are nowhere near finding the driver and then out of the blue Gwyneth's domineering Mother Freya arrives after twenty years and Harvey's life is not going to go the way he wants it to. This is the first time he has met Gwyneth's Mother as she has been estranged from Gwyneth.

Freya is like a stranger to both Harvey and Gwyneth and unbeknown to Harvey Freya has an ulterior motive in the mix.

There are secrets between Freya and his wife Gwyneth which they have never revealed to him. Then Pandora's box has been opened and there is more to Freya an elderly frail woman whom all the nursing staff adore.

There are plenty of suspects in this whodunnit psychological thriller and the grand finale blew me away.
Profile Image for Jenny Coyne.
860 reviews40 followers
October 10, 2024
Rounding up from 4.5 stars

This psychological thriller kept my attention from page one. From the beginning, my thoughts were swirling in my head. Whose body is in the basement? Who is narrating that first chapter? Then I started developing suspects because it was too much to assume the "accident" was an accident. Next I started coming up with theories of who Freya is and what are her motives. In the end I figured a few things out earlier than I would have liked but overall this book had me hooked and I read it cover to cover in one day!

I have yet to be disappointed in a book written by AJ Wills and I look forward to the next release!

Thank you to Netgalley and AJ Wills. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Release date 10/15/24
Profile Image for Stormi Ellis.
339 reviews9 followers
October 12, 2024
The Stranger At The Door
By: A.J. Wills

4 Stars

This story was what I would call a grabber. It grabs and keeps hold of you till the very end. Harvey is under suspicion when his wife is involved in a hit in run and ends up in the hospital. While dealing with his wife and the cops, a new person shows up. She claims to be his wifes mother? But who is she really?

This book was a crazy but well written story. It had me hooked from the start. It was psychological with mystery and thrills throughout. It leaves you wanting more, but not wanting it to end. It was descriptive, had well thought out characters, and was action-packed. By the end, I was shocked and really enjoyed such a well-rounded read. I would love to read more books by this author.


*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review
Profile Image for Emma.
224 reviews7 followers
September 23, 2024
A J Wills has once again proven himself to be a master of his craft with this latest book, ‘The Stranger at the Door’. Through engaging writing, great pacing, and suspenseful twists, he has crafted a narrative that captivated and entertained.

The intrigue built as each chapter unfolded, and I found myself eagerly anticipating what will happen next. The element of suspense was masterfully woven into the story and kept me guessing throughout.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, A J Wills pulled the rug out from under me, delivering a surprising twist!

For anyone seeking a thrilling literary experience, this book is an essential addition to your reading list.

Thank you A J Wills for an early copy of your fantastic book and for allowing me to be part of your ARC team.
408 reviews12 followers
October 7, 2024
This was great! I loved the premise of the unwelcome house guest - it was a stressful read but in the best way. Harvey and Freya were both such awful characters, it was really fun to read. Near the beginning, when Harvey was excited about being able to eat a full english breakfast whilst his wife was in a coma had me laughing out loud. From this point, it seemed a competition between Harvey and Freya for who could raise my blood pressure the most!

My only negative would be that for me, the prologue gives too much of the ending away. I think I personally would have enjoyed the story more and felt more tension if I hadn't read it.

Overall I would absolutely recommend this book as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Profile Image for Christina Faris (books_by_the_bottle).
877 reviews29 followers
January 1, 2025
I loved the premise of this story when I read about it, and as always with AJ’s books, I knew it would be good. But what a wild ride!! The pacing was perfect and held my attention throughout. I had my suspicions early on in the story but the twist really got me good! Wills’ writing style is quite captivating, and I found myself not wanting this book to be over (even though I wanted to keep reading it!)

“The Stranger at the Door” is out now!! Thank you so much to AJ Wills for the early copy ❤️

This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)
Profile Image for Bexx.
129 reviews6 followers
October 4, 2024
I really enjoyed this fast paced novel from A.J. Wills. When Gwen becomes the victim in a hit and run, her husband Harvey thinks it wasn’t an accident. Then Gwyneth’s long lost mother-sister arrives out of the blue. Who is this woman? I loved that there were two mini stories intertwined in one novel. It really added to the elements of mystery as there were so many more twists leading to the ending. I did wish there was more backstory into Gwyneth and Freya’s childhood and what caused the incident in their childhood when Freya attacked her. I felt like it was such an explosive reaction that should have been caused by more than just favouritism. Overall, a really great read. I’m definitely going to be adding more novels from this author on my TBR shelf!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Laura Smith.
515 reviews20 followers
September 28, 2024
A stranger at the door is a brilliant book. I loved it. These are the sort of books that are my favourite. The prologue had me hooked straight away and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. I didn't want it to end.
My first time reading this author and I'll definitely be reading more of there work.
Profile Image for lindsey.
42 reviews32 followers
December 8, 2024
I really enjoyed the beginning, but slowly lost interest as it progressed. The plot was a little too unbelievable and after the initial first few chapters, I felt the plot was losing momentum. The characters all felt very flat and honestly, the dialogue was not the greatest. I might give this author another chance. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this ARC.
Profile Image for VDKeck.
547 reviews68 followers
October 4, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. Great story that kept me up during the night because I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a story about Gwyneth, a wealthy victim of a hit and run that leaves her in a coma. It’s about her husband who faces an uncertain future as he waits to see if his wife will recover and if the police will catch the driver. I recommend you read it.
Profile Image for Dawn Byers.
749 reviews20 followers
October 3, 2024
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
A hit and run leaves Gwyneth in a coma fighting for her life. When a woman knocks on their door claiming to be her mother he breaks down and lets her stay in their home. Was this a mistake- she’s messy, stealing, etc - but how can he get rid of her? And why can’t the police find out who hit his wife? Questions he wants answers to. This book is a roller coaster ride to the finish!
Profile Image for Vicky Chapman.
292 reviews14 followers
October 9, 2024
Fast paced chapters and a storyline that had me hooked from the get go. I thought this one was a fun and entertaining read.
Huge thanks to the author for having me as part of his arc team.
28 reviews
December 7, 2024
The book kept me hooked from the beginning. I finished the book in a little more than 24 hours.
2 reviews
December 10, 2025
Another good book by A J Wills. A bit OTT in some parts but a good read and couldn’t put it down near the end of the book. Would recommend
Profile Image for Claire.
484 reviews7 followers
October 6, 2024
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This author always writes page turners! In this novel, who knocked down Gwyneth and who really is Freya? I guessed the first towards the end, but not the second! The chapters from Gwyneth's perspective from her coma added another layer to the story.

My favourite quote:

"The only colours that catch Harvey's eye are the red flashing numbers and buttons on the machines, glowing amber, green and blue, and a scarlet blanket draped over the sheets on Gwyneth's bed."

Looking forward to the author's next one already!

511 reviews12 followers
October 15, 2024
This is one of those books that captures you from the very start and is hard to put down for a second.
It has strong characters and a gripping on the edge of your seat storyline and plot.
There are plenty of revelations and twists leading to a surprising twisty ending.
As I read, it kept me guessing, and my suspicions were right, but no way did I get the whys or wherefores.
I would definitely recommend this book, but be prepared for an edge of your seat psychological thriller you can't put down.

My thanks to the author for the advanced copy. This is my honest and unbiased review of this book.
Profile Image for Tasha Rowan.
11 reviews
February 2, 2025
This book only had half of my attention the whole way through. It took me a while to get into it. Eventually I really was intrigued and excited to see how it was going to pan out, but once I realised I was disappointed and the rest of the book felt like a slog. I only finished it in case there was a surprise twist at the end, but I think the whole thing was quite predictable!
15 reviews
October 20, 2024
Where was this breathtaking twist? Did we read the same book? It was predictable if you ask me.
Profile Image for Kyreadsthrillers.
226 reviews26 followers
October 18, 2024
✨Spoiler Free Review✨

Title- The stranger at the door by
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Aj Wills is such a great author, I started reading his books this year and his book the phantom child is what really got me hooked on his writing. This new book did not disappoint one bit. The narrative was captivating and was entertaining through out. The plot twist where 😮‍💨🤯👏🏽

This one comes out October 15th ‼️‼️‼️

Synopsis-

Harvey’s wife Gwyneth lies in a coma, the victim of a hit-and-run, which the police suspect was no accident.

With their investigation stalling, a stranger claiming to be Gwyneth’s mother appears at the hospital – a frail old lady grateful to be reunited with her daughter after twenty years.

At first she seems harmless enough - but looks can be deceptive.

Something about her story doesn't add up and as her lies begin to unravel, a chilling truth stares Harvey in the face.

The stranger at the door might not be who she claims to be.

With time against him, Harvey must uncover her true identity and what she really wants before she destroys everything - and he and Gwyneth both pay the ultimate price of letting her into their lives...

QOTD- predictive text
The stranger at the door…….
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