The Stranger Inside

by Amanda Cassidy

You're behind bars, framed for a crime you didn't commit.Midwife Ciara Duffy goes to sleep and wakes in the small hours to find her husband beside her stabbed through the heart. Soon she is arrested and charged with his murder.

You get one chance to run.Ciara knows she is innocent. She has no one to rely on. Meanwhile, her young daughter is gravely ill. Ciara has to fight by any means necessary.

Do you take it?The day comes when getting out might be possible. But Ciara's choices are hope justice prevails and she gets to her daughter in time. Or become a fugitive on the hunt for a killer.

A compulsive thriller that grips and never lets go from the Irish Times bestseller. Perfect for fans of Andrea Mara, Catherine Ryan Howard and Lisa Jewell.

Praise for Amanda Cassidy

'Sublime storytelling' ANDREA MARA

'Grips and won't let go' CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD

'Will keep you hooked to the twisty last page' SAM BLAKE

'Propulsive plotting, beautiful prose the perfect read' LIZZY BARBER

What readers are saying about The Stranger Inside 'A brilliant book with cliffhangers at every turn' Reader review

'A fast-paced, gripping read full of uncertainty and suspense' Reader review

'WOW this novel has left me stunned. My jaw is still on the floor! The perfect one-sitting read' Reader review

'I couldn't read this quick enough! Action-packed and heart-racing. One of the best, most fast-paced books I have read in a while' Reader review

'A must-read I was engrossed from start to finish. It had many jaw-dropping twists prepare to be on the edge of your seat until the very end as I was!' Reader review

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2025

About the author

Amanda Cassidy is a freelance journalist, commissioning editor and former Sky News reporter represented by Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency in London.

Shortlisted for the Irish Journalist of the Year Awards, and more recently the Headline Media writing awards, her features have clocked up over seven million readers.

She’s a frequent contributor to national radio, print and television and holds a BA in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin.

When she’s not on a plane, you’ll find her in her cottage in Dublin where she lives with her husband and three young children.

Breaking is Amanda’s first novel.

Reviews

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book and it really sucks you in, there were a few twist that I expected and some that I didn’t. Overall a really solid thriller! My only big issue with this book is that there’s a lot of editing errors, possibly because it’s the first edition. Nothing major but enough to notice

[Vito · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of The Stranger Inside is instantly gripping: Ciara Duffy, a midwife and mother, experiences every parent’s nightmare when she watches an intruder enter her home via a monitoring app, only to return and find no trace of them. Hours later, she wakes to discover her husband has been murdered in their bed. Soon after, she's arrested and charged with his murder. Ciara knows she's innocent and she may even know why her family was targeted. With no one left to trust, she’s forced to fight for the truth.

While the book hooks you early with its chilling setup, The Stranger Inside unfortunately ends up feeling like a flash in the pan. The story quickly loses momentum as Ciara continues to explain—and over-explain—her situation. Her constant insistence on her innocence becomes repetitive to the point of frustration. At times, I found myself skipping ahead just to get past the relentless internal monologue (we get it, you didn’t kill your husband).

What begins as a tense domestic thriller gradually overstays its welcome. The core mystery is solid, but the pacing and narrative choices dilute its impact. With a more restrained voice and tighter editing, The Stranger Inside could have delivered on its early promise. As it stands, it’s a suspenseful premise that doesn’t quite hold together to the end. Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC.

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for this captivating eARC.

The Stranger Inside by Amanda Cassidy is a psychological thriller /murder mystery with relatable characters.

The plot - in short
When a woman is wrongly arrested for her husband's murder, the police aren't as interested in uncovering the truth as they are in inventing an explanation that "makes sense" to them and ticks the necessary boxes on their paperwork.

Unfortunately, this means only person the protagonist can depend on when it comes for her fight to discover the truth, is herself. The problem? She is behind bars, but where there is a will, there is a way.

The Stranger Inside is a fast moving mystery in which the protagonist regularly makes some shocking choices (and she has a skeleton in her closet too).

A solid, enjoyable read!

[Sarah Dobing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clara leaves her daughter and a neighbour alone while she nips to the shops for a few minutes, on the nanny cam she sees something disturbing. Terrified she rushes home, but there’s no one there. She wakes up in the middle of the night, with her husband dead next to her and suddenly her life has been turned upside down. Surely she didn’t kill her husband?
The first chapter draws you in and ends on a cliffhanger. You’re desperate to find out what happens. The story hints to past mistakes and you want to know how they fit in.
I literally said wow as the story was going on, ended up not being what I thought but I was completely floored