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The Kindness of Strangers
Win a free print copy of this book!
12 days and 18:15:17
5 copies available
U.S. only
A wildly entertaining debut and homage to the classic murder mystery set in post-WWII London where a stranger’s arrival at a boarding house sets a deadly chain of events in motion—perfect for fans of Kate Atkinson, Agatha Christie, and Richard Osman.
London, 1953. Jimmy Sullivan lies dying on the drawing room floor while his housemates look on, their lives about to change forever.
One foggy night in the dead of February, a young man arrives unannounced at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. Self-styled Bohemian Mrs. Honor Wilson—who runs a minor literary journal and lodgings from this timeworn Victorian house—introduces him to her “dear house guests”: Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the debutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says—yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone’s misgivings, she lets the stranger move into the attic.
As they each try to disprove Jimmy’s dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household’s delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge.
In a house built on lies, the truth will get you killed.
London, 1953. Jimmy Sullivan lies dying on the drawing room floor while his housemates look on, their lives about to change forever.
One foggy night in the dead of February, a young man arrives unannounced at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. Self-styled Bohemian Mrs. Honor Wilson—who runs a minor literary journal and lodgings from this timeworn Victorian house—introduces him to her “dear house guests”: Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the debutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says—yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone’s misgivings, she lets the stranger move into the attic.
As they each try to disprove Jimmy’s dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household’s delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge.
In a house built on lies, the truth will get you killed.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
Emma Garman
1 book37 followersEmma Garman is a writer living in the seaside city of Brighton, UK. Her journalism has appeared in Literary Review, History News Network, Lapham’s Quarterly, and The Daily Beast, and she wrote “Feminize Your Canon,” a column for The Paris Review about brilliant and undersung women authors. Emma's debut novel, The Kindness of Strangers, is forthcoming in spring 2026 from Summit Books/Simon & Schuster in the US and Virago Press in the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
November 22, 2025
✰ 2.75 stars ✰
A literal visual representation of me above, after I finished reading. Pacing the room, with a fist to my mouth, as I tried to digest, okay, take an analytical approach to what it was I just read. I'm not confused about the outcome, nor am I conflicted, I'm just at this weird place, where I can see what the author wished to convey, but I'm not sure if I entirely agree with it.
So does that make it a bad read? No, but I think a warning about the extent to which needs to be taken into account, because I was not only caught off-guard, it gave me the creepy-crawly feeling that maybe that is hindering my overall judgment of it. And for readers who might be more sensitive to such topics, I am suggesting to please somehow forewarn readers of what to expect. It's not the only subject of concern, for me, that was the most triggering.
But as a rational reader, now that I'm a little more spirited as I collect my thoughts and the morning shock has worn off, okay, I'm still questioning what the overall message was. Is nature stronger than nurture? once a sinner always a sinner? do the ends justify the means, if you depict someone wholly undeserving of sympathy, when they are so full of faults. Does crime beget the end game? Are all men inherently wicked?
“Some truths slashed a rent in one’s existence when spoken out loud, a rent that could never be repaired.”
In a way it is thought-provoking, but also unnerving. I would have loved a lot more mystery, but I'm starting to feel that my definition of what a mystery should be is very different from others. If the mystery is building up the character backgrounds, save for one reveal, which was a surprise, I was unable to garner much remorse or sympathy for them, for how strangely they were portrayed.
And in post-WWII England, maybe that was the vibe, which also, never came to fruition for how much the settling remains trapped in the Victorian era. Was that a downside to it- no, but why then have it set in the 50s? it could have easily been in another time period and the actions, feelings, justifications would have been more fitting - well, aside from one character's backstory, which would then have been altered otherwise.
For someone called Honor, she really did not have much of that. It was hard to entirely like any of the characters; it's not even that they were all hiding much and even their —vindictive, pained, extraordinarily resolute— reasoning was not convincing. In the likes of the mystery writers this has been compared to - full disclosure - I have not read any of their works, only familiar with their adaptations.
“People couldn’t help who they were, could they?”
So, maybe this is how it's done. The tortured and tormented and broken have their reasons for behaving as they do and whether or not they get away with it, is up to the reader to decide. But at least, convince me with a valid reason to do so, one where their own modus operandi should not be spearheaded by quick rash judgments. It just proved to me I would probably be better off without The Kindness of Strangers, for how uncaring I felt.
Part One was very heavy on info dumping of characters, that I felt like I should whip out a notebook to jot down their backstories, along with the subtle drops of hints that hinted of subterfuge dealings and depth to Jimmy being a suspicious character. It's not enough that the prologue itself is the moment the story is leading towards, a novel told in reverse, that the time jumps interspersed throughout were not my cuppa.
I really wanted to be more positive, but I don't think I liked the direction it took. It's not about right or wrong, it's the way it was treated that perhaps I'm not in favor of. The epilogue, too, was very -- not mundane, but stale and lacked heart, almost sterile; which, considering what they have gone through, was it entirely fair? I don't know. I didn't feel it was fair, honestly, and I still don't know why I wasn't satisfied. So puzzling....
*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
“A lie can become the truth, you know, so long as you’re willing to convince yourself, first and foremost.”
A literal visual representation of me above, after I finished reading. Pacing the room, with a fist to my mouth, as I tried to digest, okay, take an analytical approach to what it was I just read. I'm not confused about the outcome, nor am I conflicted, I'm just at this weird place, where I can see what the author wished to convey, but I'm not sure if I entirely agree with it.
So does that make it a bad read? No, but I think a warning about the extent to which needs to be taken into account, because I was not only caught off-guard, it gave me the creepy-crawly feeling that maybe that is hindering my overall judgment of it. And for readers who might be more sensitive to such topics, I am suggesting to please somehow forewarn readers of what to expect. It's not the only subject of concern, for me, that was the most triggering.
But as a rational reader, now that I'm a little more spirited as I collect my thoughts and the morning shock has worn off, okay, I'm still questioning what the overall message was. Is nature stronger than nurture? once a sinner always a sinner? do the ends justify the means, if you depict someone wholly undeserving of sympathy, when they are so full of faults. Does crime beget the end game? Are all men inherently wicked?
“Some truths slashed a rent in one’s existence when spoken out loud, a rent that could never be repaired.”
In a way it is thought-provoking, but also unnerving. I would have loved a lot more mystery, but I'm starting to feel that my definition of what a mystery should be is very different from others. If the mystery is building up the character backgrounds, save for one reveal, which was a surprise, I was unable to garner much remorse or sympathy for them, for how strangely they were portrayed.
And in post-WWII England, maybe that was the vibe, which also, never came to fruition for how much the settling remains trapped in the Victorian era. Was that a downside to it- no, but why then have it set in the 50s? it could have easily been in another time period and the actions, feelings, justifications would have been more fitting - well, aside from one character's backstory, which would then have been altered otherwise.
For someone called Honor, she really did not have much of that. It was hard to entirely like any of the characters; it's not even that they were all hiding much and even their —vindictive, pained, extraordinarily resolute— reasoning was not convincing. In the likes of the mystery writers this has been compared to - full disclosure - I have not read any of their works, only familiar with their adaptations.
“People couldn’t help who they were, could they?”
So, maybe this is how it's done. The tortured and tormented and broken have their reasons for behaving as they do and whether or not they get away with it, is up to the reader to decide. But at least, convince me with a valid reason to do so, one where their own modus operandi should not be spearheaded by quick rash judgments. It just proved to me I would probably be better off without The Kindness of Strangers, for how uncaring I felt.
Part One was very heavy on info dumping of characters, that I felt like I should whip out a notebook to jot down their backstories, along with the subtle drops of hints that hinted of subterfuge dealings and depth to Jimmy being a suspicious character. It's not enough that the prologue itself is the moment the story is leading towards, a novel told in reverse, that the time jumps interspersed throughout were not my cuppa.
I really wanted to be more positive, but I don't think I liked the direction it took. It's not about right or wrong, it's the way it was treated that perhaps I'm not in favor of. The epilogue, too, was very -- not mundane, but stale and lacked heart, almost sterile; which, considering what they have gone through, was it entirely fair? I don't know. I didn't feel it was fair, honestly, and I still don't know why I wasn't satisfied. So puzzling....
*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2026
The Kindness of Strangers turned out to be just the book I was looking for: a period mystery, set in the early 1950s when England is still struggling to recover from the war; a story of identity at a time when many are reinventing themselves; and a story of a disparate group of men and women who live in a rooming house but are also sort of friends too. What will the addition of one new person to the mix lead to?
About all I will definitely say is that it leads to a very good book! The story is told from multiple points of view which works very well here. For a debut novelist, Emma Garman shows much skill. I’ve seen comparisons made to Christie, but for my two cents, these are incomplete. Garman’s characters feel more complex as does the plotting. Definitely recommended for mystery lovers.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.
About all I will definitely say is that it leads to a very good book! The story is told from multiple points of view which works very well here. For a debut novelist, Emma Garman shows much skill. I’ve seen comparisons made to Christie, but for my two cents, these are incomplete. Garman’s characters feel more complex as does the plotting. Definitely recommended for mystery lovers.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.
May 3, 2026
Exactly what I needed. An easy but thought-provoking well-written novel. Incredibly well-crafted with convincing characters and an interesting structure. I look forward to reading more novels by this author. (Great audio book.).
May 24, 2026
In the beginning was the corpse. Everyone is gathered round; what to do? Then a step back to start the story. 1953 post-war Britain, rationing is just ending. Everything revolves around the motley inhabitants of a rooming house in Chelsea, who form an odd, dysfunctional family. All of them have well-kept secrets, sometimes even from themselves. Then the past comes to call. And skeletons start tumbling from closets.
A well-written mystery with plenty of red herrings and interesting characters.
A well-written mystery with plenty of red herrings and interesting characters.
December 18, 2025
This is a delightful debut novel set in England after the World Wars and features a diverse cast of characters. Ms Garman has fully developed each character and crafted a twisty set of connections that become clear as you get into the book. The tying up at the end felt a little rushed to me but I was glad to have read it, nonetheless. Very satisfying read.
Thanks to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster (SummitBooks), and the author for this ARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster (SummitBooks), and the author for this ARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.
May 3, 2026
I was really excited going into this one; the premise sounded like it had all the makings of a gripping, twisty mystery. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work for me.
My biggest issue was the pacing and structure. The story jumps between a lot of characters and POVs, and it’s constantly moving back and forth between timelines and backstories. Instead of building tension, it made the story feel slow and stuck, like we weren’t really moving forward in any meaningful way.
The large cast also made it hard to connect with anyone. I don’t need characters to be perfect (in fact, I prefer messy and flawed) but I do need at least one person I can understand or latch onto. Here, I struggled to even fully grasp most of these characters and their motivations, which made it hard to care about what might happen to them.
The writing style also felt very detached and matter-of-fact. That may have been intentional given the 1950s setting, but for me it created a distance that made it hard to get emotionally invested in the story.
Overall, I loved the idea behind this book and really wanted to enjoy it, but it just didn’t come together for me. It might work better for readers who enjoy multi-POV stories and a more understated writing style, but I personally needed more focus and emotional connection.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Summit Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
My biggest issue was the pacing and structure. The story jumps between a lot of characters and POVs, and it’s constantly moving back and forth between timelines and backstories. Instead of building tension, it made the story feel slow and stuck, like we weren’t really moving forward in any meaningful way.
The large cast also made it hard to connect with anyone. I don’t need characters to be perfect (in fact, I prefer messy and flawed) but I do need at least one person I can understand or latch onto. Here, I struggled to even fully grasp most of these characters and their motivations, which made it hard to care about what might happen to them.
The writing style also felt very detached and matter-of-fact. That may have been intentional given the 1950s setting, but for me it created a distance that made it hard to get emotionally invested in the story.
Overall, I loved the idea behind this book and really wanted to enjoy it, but it just didn’t come together for me. It might work better for readers who enjoy multi-POV stories and a more understated writing style, but I personally needed more focus and emotional connection.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Summit Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 22, 2026
The Kindness of Strangers is a very unique psychological thriller. The story, filled with dark secrets and perfectly imperfect characters takes the reader on an incredible journey as this group of boarders must somehow keep secrets and protect each other all while each of their lives seems to be falling apart. But when the skeletons in the closet begin to appear, no one is safe.
One night a man knocks on the door of Honor Wilson's home which is also a boarding house. She pales when she sees Jimmy Sullivan standing there. Why? But she informs the other boarders he will be moving into the house.
The boarders, Robbie, a writer, separated from his wife, Saul, an older man who is a poet whose wife and daughter were killed, Mina, a seventeen-year-old who works very hard and wants to somehow become someone, and George, who comes from wealthy parents and is a female model among other things. They have lived side by side but hardly knew each other very well.
Until Jimmy Sullivan seems to insert himself into all their lives. And then they must act.
This story is juicy and filled with twists and turns and surprises no one could ever imagine. And when the police become involved that will be the glue the boarders will need to keep them together forever.
The Kindness of Strangers has heart-palpitating scenes, horrible revelations, but through it all a group of strangers become family in the only way they are able to protect each other and survive.
Thank you #NetGalley #S&S/SummitBooks #EmmaGarman #TheKindnessofStrangers for the advanced copy.
One night a man knocks on the door of Honor Wilson's home which is also a boarding house. She pales when she sees Jimmy Sullivan standing there. Why? But she informs the other boarders he will be moving into the house.
The boarders, Robbie, a writer, separated from his wife, Saul, an older man who is a poet whose wife and daughter were killed, Mina, a seventeen-year-old who works very hard and wants to somehow become someone, and George, who comes from wealthy parents and is a female model among other things. They have lived side by side but hardly knew each other very well.
Until Jimmy Sullivan seems to insert himself into all their lives. And then they must act.
This story is juicy and filled with twists and turns and surprises no one could ever imagine. And when the police become involved that will be the glue the boarders will need to keep them together forever.
The Kindness of Strangers has heart-palpitating scenes, horrible revelations, but through it all a group of strangers become family in the only way they are able to protect each other and survive.
Thank you #NetGalley #S&S/SummitBooks #EmmaGarman #TheKindnessofStrangers for the advanced copy.
May 26, 2026
This is unbelievable for a debut novel. All the stars.
May 12, 2026
What a brilliant debut novel! Difficult to review without giving too much away, but I'll just say that it's meticulously set in the early 1950s, the immediate aftermath of WWII (the author must have done so much research to get every detail just right!), and that it involves a household of misfits living in London, each of whom harbours a secret. There's the elegant but eccentric landlady, Honor, who publishes a monthly literary journal; her gentle, nerdy assistant editor Rob; former debutante George, aka the Honourable Georgina Mountford-Owen, cheerfully slumming it and currently in a bit of a pickle; young, unworldly Mina, who works as an usherette but is taking etiquette classes in a desperate attempt to 'better herself'; and kindly, fatherly Jewish Romanian refugee Saul, whose wife and daughter perished in a labour camp.
It would be hard to imagine a more disparate group of people, each desperate to keep their own past secret from the others - but they are drawn together by a common suspicion regarding the charming but cocky young stranger, Jimmy, whom Honor introduces as 'an old family friend' and whom she seems to have no choice but to install in one of the attic bedrooms.
The housemates' interactions with Jimmy and with one another, interspaced with flashbacks into each character's past, build up a web of underlying connections that leaves the reader in no doubt of an explosive and illuminating climax - and the ending doesn't disappoint! A great read!
It would be hard to imagine a more disparate group of people, each desperate to keep their own past secret from the others - but they are drawn together by a common suspicion regarding the charming but cocky young stranger, Jimmy, whom Honor introduces as 'an old family friend' and whom she seems to have no choice but to install in one of the attic bedrooms.
The housemates' interactions with Jimmy and with one another, interspaced with flashbacks into each character's past, build up a web of underlying connections that leaves the reader in no doubt of an explosive and illuminating climax - and the ending doesn't disappoint! A great read!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“An Intelligent ‘Shabby-Genteel Noir’ Debut!”
Emma Garman's thought-provoking debut, THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS, is a "masterful subversion" of the Golden Age mystery. If you want the structural precision of Agatha Christie (whodunit) but the sharp, modern bite of Joyce Carol Oates (literary), this is your next literary obsession."
"Don't let the tea and 1953 decor fool you—this is a literary noir with teeth."
"Agatha Christie Wit Meets Ripley-esque Deception."
Set against the smog and pageantry of 1953 London, The Kindness of Strangers is a sharp-witted, 'literary chocolate-bomb' of a mystery. It’s Agatha Christie meets The Talented Mr. Ripley—a story where a Chelsea boarding house becomes a high-stakes stage for a group of grifters, refugees, and social climbers all performing their way toward the Queen’s Coronation. When a murder shatters the facade, the novel reveals its true heart: a dark exploration of how far people will go to reinvent themselves in the ruins of war.
"A House Built on Lies: Reinvention in Post-War London."
The Verdict: 5/5 stars🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 A "chocolate-coated cherry bomb!" It rewards deep readers who value thematic grit and authentic period friction over standard "popcorn thriller" tropes.
Overall Vibe:
~Primary Mood: Sinister, acid-etched, vivid, atmospheric
~Narrative Tone: Witty, sharp, clever, self-aware
~Aesthetic: Foggy, decaying, bohemian, mid-century
~Reader Experience: Addictive, "pure escapism," unsettlingly twisty
Why You Should Read:
It is "pure escapism" for fans of "ingeniously plotted" mysteries who also crave a deep, literary dive into the "less attractive side of post-war Britain." It’s perfect for readers who love a "twisty" narrative that rewards close attention to detail.
My thoughts/Standout Features:
~The novel skillfully captures a "1950s classic" feel but executes it with a "surprisingly modern sensibility". Compared to a "literary house of mirrors," where the atmosphere is thick with deception, and nothing is quite as it seems.
~A "psychological autopsy" of post-war identity. It’s less about who did it and more about the social rot that made the act inevitable.
~Literary Noir: Garman trades the cozy tropes of a typical 50s mystery for an acid-etched study of post-war trauma. It’s noir in its purest sense—where the fog isn't just a weather pattern, but a symbol of the characters' blurred ethics." Garman uses the "fringe of the literary world" (Honor’s journal) as a meta-commentary on the characters' own fading relevance.
~Past vs. Present: Garman treats the past not just as memory, but as blackmail. The "kindness" offered in the boarding house is often a bribe to keep the past from leaking into the present. The "Present" is the stage, but the "Past" is the director, pulling the strings from the wings. The boarding house is a social purgatory.
~Structural Standout: Pacing of the revelations. Instead of a standard "clue-drop," Garman uses a psychological slow-burn where the tension comes from the erosion of the characters' facades.
~A masterclass in 1950s social friction and literary grit:
~The Edge: The darker elements are the moral centerpiece that some reviewers missed.
~The Vibe: "Agatha Christie's structure with noir’s cold heart."
~Garman’s "wonderfully dry wit" and "sharp-tongued" prose. The novel manages to be "vivid and entertaining" while simultaneously being an "unsettling" psychological study of "human nature at its most desperate."
~Prose over the Puzzle: The author cares as much about a "sharp-edged sentence" as she does about the clues.
~Emotional Impact vs. Plot Twist: Garman skillfully delivers a resolution that is less about 'justice' and more about the brutal reality of what it takes to survive when your past finally catches up to you.
~History as a Character: The novel feels historically textured rather than "historical wallpaper." For a 50s-born reader (like me), I appreciate the nuance of the shabby-genteel decay—the specific way a once-grand Victorian house in Chelsea felt when Britain was still on the "austerity" side of the war.
"My Literary Noir Selection of the Month."
My take: While other reader reviewers are looking for the "whodunnit" payoff, I wanted to point out the exceptional literary craftsmanship of a debut author who understands that the most interesting part of a mystery is the damage the characters are hiding.
~While the "cozy mystery" fans might be surprised by the grit, more seasoned readers of literary noir will appreciate the historical honesty and editorial precision Garman brings to the 1953 setting. A book like The Kindness of Strangers is a relief because it treats the mystery as a vehicle for character-driven literary noir rather than just a series of cheap shocks.
~A "masterful subversion" of the Golden Age mystery. The author skillfully uses the framework I grew up with (Christie) but injects the literary grit that those 1950s drawing-room mysteries often ignored.
Recs:
Read this if you want the "pure escapism" of an Agatha Christie mystery paired with the "elegant, sharp" prose of a high-end literary thriller like Joyce Carol Oates. It’s the ultimate "one-more-chapter" book for a rainy weekend. If you enjoyed the "sinister" mood and "dry wit" of this novel, you might also like the works of Kate Atkinson or the "tricksy" plotting of Richard Osman.
Audiobook
The audiobook is narrated by Olivia Dowd, whose "refined, versatile" voice is a perfect match for the "genteel-but-gritty" 1953 London setting.
Final Verdict:
"A stylish, acid-tongued whodunnit that peels back the genteel wallpaper of 1950s London to find a 'found family' of liars and a secret worth killing for. It perfectly captures that 1950s Chelsea atmosphere where everyone is wearing a slightly frayed but expensive-looking coat to hide their desperation.
Note: Since I was a publisher for my entire career, covers matter. The UK cover (from Virago Press) features a bright teal armchair and a curled-up cat, which leans heavily into the "cozy mystery" or "up-lit" aesthetic. In contrast, the US cover (from S&S Summit Books) shows a dark, looming brick building with isolated figures in the windows, much better reflecting the shabby-genteel noir and "Ripley-esque" tension. I believe this is why it is targeting the wrong reader for a book of this caliber.
For this reason, is why I spent more time on this review to showcase the depth. Additional Bonus Highlights on my blog with character teasers.
Special thanks to S&S/Summit Books and Netgalley for the introduction of this talented author and for graciously sharing an advanced reading copy. The kind of author/book I want to feature on my #LitLiftMiniAuthorChats!
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
May Literary Noir Best Debut
Pub Date: May 12 2026
May Newsletter
May 2026 Must-Read Books
Emma Garman's thought-provoking debut, THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS, is a "masterful subversion" of the Golden Age mystery. If you want the structural precision of Agatha Christie (whodunit) but the sharp, modern bite of Joyce Carol Oates (literary), this is your next literary obsession."
"Don't let the tea and 1953 decor fool you—this is a literary noir with teeth."
History: The shabby-genteel aesthetic in 1950s London was a direct byproduct of World War II, characterized by a desperate attempt to maintain middle-class dignity and "proper" appearances despite crumbling infrastructure and severe economic austerity.
Housing and Boarding Houses: The Blitz destroyed over 200,000 homes, forcing many—including the former upper-middle class—into cramped, soot-stained Victorian houses converted into multi-family dwellings or boarding houses. These settings, central to the shabby-genteel literary tradition, became hotspots for forced intimacy and shared secrets.
"Agatha Christie Wit Meets Ripley-esque Deception."
Set against the smog and pageantry of 1953 London, The Kindness of Strangers is a sharp-witted, 'literary chocolate-bomb' of a mystery. It’s Agatha Christie meets The Talented Mr. Ripley—a story where a Chelsea boarding house becomes a high-stakes stage for a group of grifters, refugees, and social climbers all performing their way toward the Queen’s Coronation. When a murder shatters the facade, the novel reveals its true heart: a dark exploration of how far people will go to reinvent themselves in the ruins of war.
"A House Built on Lies: Reinvention in Post-War London."
Intro: Set in the "dead of February" 1953, the novel begins with the "unannounced" arrival and subsequent death of a mysterious stranger, Jimmy Sullivan. His intrusion into a quiet Chelsea household acts as a catalyst for a "diabolically clever" investigation into the hidden lives of its residents.
Genre & Vibe: A "Shabby-Genteel Noir." It’s a masterclass in liminality, set at the precise hinge-point between the trauma of WWII and the forced optimism of the 1953 Coronation.
"The Danger of Hospitality: When the Wrong Stranger Knocks."
Setting: A "timeworn Victorian house" at 42 Tregunter Road, Chelsea. Garman vividly depicts the 1953 London atmosphere—shrouded in fog and anticipation of the Queen's Coronation—in which the physical "shabby-genteel" decay of the city (a once-grand neighborhood) mirrors the moral ambiguity of its inhabitants.
The "House" Metaphor: 42 Tregunter Road is a "Palimpsest." The characters are desperately trying to write their new "Elizabethan" lives over their wartime "inks," but the old secrets are bleeding through.
The Literary Core: This is a deconstruction of the Golden Age mystery. It uses the "Agatha Christie" closed-room framework but replaces the "cozy" tropes with the acid-etched realism of a literary study.
The Social "Noir" Element: The abortion subplot and the legal precariousness of the lodgers are not "grim distractions"—they are the moral architecture of the book. They expose the hypocrisy of the era's "kindness," showcasing that hospitality in this house is actually a transactional silence.
Character Archetypes: Honor Wilson: The "Puppet Master" landlady who curates her lodgers based on their potential for blackmail and shared secrecy.
The Found Family: Not a support system, but a social cage. They are bound by mutual desperation rather than affection.
Title Significance: The "kindness" of the title is a political and social transaction. The "kindness" isn't altruistic; it's collusion. They aren't helping each other; they are keeping each other's secrets to ensure their own survival. That's the "noir" truth at the center.
Legal Attitudes: "Detective Inspector Comyns serves as a chilling reminder that in 1953, the law was often less interested in justice and more obsessed with policing the 'moral failures' and hidden pasts of the marginalized."
The Author's Craft: Garman cleverly uses economical characterization and sensory triggers (fog, tobacco, Old Spice) to build a "vividly decaying" world without resorting to the "nostalgia trap." With the ability to establish a "shabby-genteel" world without info-dumping. The author skillfully uses shifting, "unreliable" perspectives to create a "literary house of mirrors" where no one’s history is quite what it seems.
Takeaway: The "kindness" of strangers is often a transactional mask for self-preservation. In a "house built on lies," the truth is not a virtue but a weapon used to maintain one's own precarious safety.
The Verdict: 5/5 stars🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 A "chocolate-coated cherry bomb!" It rewards deep readers who value thematic grit and authentic period friction over standard "popcorn thriller" tropes.
Overall Vibe:
~Primary Mood: Sinister, acid-etched, vivid, atmospheric
~Narrative Tone: Witty, sharp, clever, self-aware
~Aesthetic: Foggy, decaying, bohemian, mid-century
~Reader Experience: Addictive, "pure escapism," unsettlingly twisty
Why You Should Read:
It is "pure escapism" for fans of "ingeniously plotted" mysteries who also crave a deep, literary dive into the "less attractive side of post-war Britain." It’s perfect for readers who love a "twisty" narrative that rewards close attention to detail.
My thoughts/Standout Features:
~The novel skillfully captures a "1950s classic" feel but executes it with a "surprisingly modern sensibility". Compared to a "literary house of mirrors," where the atmosphere is thick with deception, and nothing is quite as it seems.
~A "psychological autopsy" of post-war identity. It’s less about who did it and more about the social rot that made the act inevitable.
~Literary Noir: Garman trades the cozy tropes of a typical 50s mystery for an acid-etched study of post-war trauma. It’s noir in its purest sense—where the fog isn't just a weather pattern, but a symbol of the characters' blurred ethics." Garman uses the "fringe of the literary world" (Honor’s journal) as a meta-commentary on the characters' own fading relevance.
~Past vs. Present: Garman treats the past not just as memory, but as blackmail. The "kindness" offered in the boarding house is often a bribe to keep the past from leaking into the present. The "Present" is the stage, but the "Past" is the director, pulling the strings from the wings. The boarding house is a social purgatory.
~Structural Standout: Pacing of the revelations. Instead of a standard "clue-drop," Garman uses a psychological slow-burn where the tension comes from the erosion of the characters' facades.
~A masterclass in 1950s social friction and literary grit:
~The Edge: The darker elements are the moral centerpiece that some reviewers missed.
~The Vibe: "Agatha Christie's structure with noir’s cold heart."
~Garman’s "wonderfully dry wit" and "sharp-tongued" prose. The novel manages to be "vivid and entertaining" while simultaneously being an "unsettling" psychological study of "human nature at its most desperate."
~Prose over the Puzzle: The author cares as much about a "sharp-edged sentence" as she does about the clues.
~Emotional Impact vs. Plot Twist: Garman skillfully delivers a resolution that is less about 'justice' and more about the brutal reality of what it takes to survive when your past finally catches up to you.
~History as a Character: The novel feels historically textured rather than "historical wallpaper." For a 50s-born reader (like me), I appreciate the nuance of the shabby-genteel decay—the specific way a once-grand Victorian house in Chelsea felt when Britain was still on the "austerity" side of the war.
"My Literary Noir Selection of the Month."
My take: While other reader reviewers are looking for the "whodunnit" payoff, I wanted to point out the exceptional literary craftsmanship of a debut author who understands that the most interesting part of a mystery is the damage the characters are hiding.
~While the "cozy mystery" fans might be surprised by the grit, more seasoned readers of literary noir will appreciate the historical honesty and editorial precision Garman brings to the 1953 setting. A book like The Kindness of Strangers is a relief because it treats the mystery as a vehicle for character-driven literary noir rather than just a series of cheap shocks.
~A "masterful subversion" of the Golden Age mystery. The author skillfully uses the framework I grew up with (Christie) but injects the literary grit that those 1950s drawing-room mysteries often ignored.
Recs:
Read this if you want the "pure escapism" of an Agatha Christie mystery paired with the "elegant, sharp" prose of a high-end literary thriller like Joyce Carol Oates. It’s the ultimate "one-more-chapter" book for a rainy weekend. If you enjoyed the "sinister" mood and "dry wit" of this novel, you might also like the works of Kate Atkinson or the "tricksy" plotting of Richard Osman.
Audiobook
The audiobook is narrated by Olivia Dowd, whose "refined, versatile" voice is a perfect match for the "genteel-but-gritty" 1953 London setting.
Final Verdict:
"A stylish, acid-tongued whodunnit that peels back the genteel wallpaper of 1950s London to find a 'found family' of liars and a secret worth killing for. It perfectly captures that 1950s Chelsea atmosphere where everyone is wearing a slightly frayed but expensive-looking coat to hide their desperation.
Note: Since I was a publisher for my entire career, covers matter. The UK cover (from Virago Press) features a bright teal armchair and a curled-up cat, which leans heavily into the "cozy mystery" or "up-lit" aesthetic. In contrast, the US cover (from S&S Summit Books) shows a dark, looming brick building with isolated figures in the windows, much better reflecting the shabby-genteel noir and "Ripley-esque" tension. I believe this is why it is targeting the wrong reader for a book of this caliber.
For this reason, is why I spent more time on this review to showcase the depth. Additional Bonus Highlights on my blog with character teasers.
Special thanks to S&S/Summit Books and Netgalley for the introduction of this talented author and for graciously sharing an advanced reading copy. The kind of author/book I want to feature on my #LitLiftMiniAuthorChats!
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
May Literary Noir Best Debut
Pub Date: May 12 2026
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May 2026 Must-Read Books
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This reminded me of a classic whodunit! Set in the 1950s London, a odd group of characters living as housemates, and a mystery murder. This had a lot of twists, I felt like some of it was unnecessary, but the ending worked for me! A great debut. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster!
February 22, 2026
It was such an interesting story to read! I liked the connections all the characters had and how this murder mystery played out. I really liked George’s character. She felt relatable but also a pawn in the story. Honor is quite the landlord to this boarding home. I enjoyed the story!
4/5 stars for murder, family ties, and alibis!
**Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
4/5 stars for murder, family ties, and alibis!
**Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
May 27, 2026
A solid 3.5 stars. This debut started slowly and it was unclear where it was headed. After meandering for a bit, it finally came more into focus and turned out to be a good, twisty mystery.
Honor inherited a house from her late husband and started renting rooms out after WWII. Residents include Saul, a holocaust survivor who lost his wife and young daughter in the war, Georgina, an artist's model, Mina, a young woman who works at the movie theater, and Robbie who is estranged from his wife and helps Honor publish a monthly literary magazine. In 1953, Honor's past catches up with her when Jimmy shows up and wants a room. Jimmy starts a homosexual relationship with Robbie and collects secrets on the residents, including the fact that Georgie just had an illegal abortion, that he then uses to blackmail them. Flashforward a few weeks and Jimmy is dead and the residents are all trying to decide what to do with his body. Slowly, too slowly for my taste, we learn the full story. Jimmy's real name is Jack and he is Honor's younger brother. Honor used to be called Elsie and she was married to Tommy when Jack was a child. Elsie was friends with Naomi who lived nearby and was trying to raise enough money to get her cousin Saul and his family out of Germany. Unfortunately Elsie told Tommy and together he and Jack robbed Naomi and ended up killing her husband. They both got arrested and sent to prison and Tommy was sentenced to death while Jack got a lighter sentence since he was a minor. Elsie took the opportunity to take the money and reinvent herself. She changed her name, got a job as a secretary at a publisher, had an affair with her much older boss and then married him. She met Saul after he was able to escape after the war and rented him a room. The next twist was that Honor thought that Georgie was Jack's half-sister because Georgie's father raped Honor when she worked in a hotel as a girl and she became pregnant. So Jack was not really Honor's brother but her son. But then Georgie talked to her mother and found out that she had an affair so the man that Georgie grew up with wasn't her father at all so she had no relation to Jack. Jack got out of jail for snitching on another inmate and tracked Honor down and blackmailed her into giving him money and letting him move in. It turns out that Tommy's sentence was reduced to life in prison so he is still alive making Honor a bigamist and threatening the inheritance that she got from her husband. Saul and Honor were on and off-again romantic partners so he knew the truth about Jack and went to track down the family of the man that Jack snitched on. They were very interested to find him and make it so that he'd be unable to testify. And the residents don't want to tell the police when Jack ends up dead because they are worried that they will start sniffing around and find out the truth about all of them, Honor's bigamy, George's abortion, Robbie's homosexuality, so they bury his body and abandon his car to make it look like he committed suicide. But then, in a twist, they use Robbie's handgun from the war that had Jack's fingerprints on it, to kill Georgie's father/Honor's rapist, making it look like Jack was the killer. The police never figure out what happened to Jack and all of the residents go on to have happy lives. In a final twist Honor tracks down Saul's daughter who survived the war and the two are reunited. A good book that had a hard time finding its way at the beginning but had a satisfying ending.
Honor inherited a house from her late husband and started renting rooms out after WWII. Residents include Saul, a holocaust survivor who lost his wife and young daughter in the war, Georgina, an artist's model, Mina, a young woman who works at the movie theater, and Robbie who is estranged from his wife and helps Honor publish a monthly literary magazine. In 1953, Honor's past catches up with her when Jimmy shows up and wants a room. Jimmy starts a homosexual relationship with Robbie and collects secrets on the residents, including the fact that Georgie just had an illegal abortion, that he then uses to blackmail them. Flashforward a few weeks and Jimmy is dead and the residents are all trying to decide what to do with his body. Slowly, too slowly for my taste, we learn the full story. Jimmy's real name is Jack and he is Honor's younger brother. Honor used to be called Elsie and she was married to Tommy when Jack was a child. Elsie was friends with Naomi who lived nearby and was trying to raise enough money to get her cousin Saul and his family out of Germany. Unfortunately Elsie told Tommy and together he and Jack robbed Naomi and ended up killing her husband. They both got arrested and sent to prison and Tommy was sentenced to death while Jack got a lighter sentence since he was a minor. Elsie took the opportunity to take the money and reinvent herself. She changed her name, got a job as a secretary at a publisher, had an affair with her much older boss and then married him. She met Saul after he was able to escape after the war and rented him a room. The next twist was that Honor thought that Georgie was Jack's half-sister because Georgie's father raped Honor when she worked in a hotel as a girl and she became pregnant. So Jack was not really Honor's brother but her son. But then Georgie talked to her mother and found out that she had an affair so the man that Georgie grew up with wasn't her father at all so she had no relation to Jack. Jack got out of jail for snitching on another inmate and tracked Honor down and blackmailed her into giving him money and letting him move in. It turns out that Tommy's sentence was reduced to life in prison so he is still alive making Honor a bigamist and threatening the inheritance that she got from her husband. Saul and Honor were on and off-again romantic partners so he knew the truth about Jack and went to track down the family of the man that Jack snitched on. They were very interested to find him and make it so that he'd be unable to testify. And the residents don't want to tell the police when Jack ends up dead because they are worried that they will start sniffing around and find out the truth about all of them, Honor's bigamy, George's abortion, Robbie's homosexuality, so they bury his body and abandon his car to make it look like he committed suicide. But then, in a twist, they use Robbie's handgun from the war that had Jack's fingerprints on it, to kill Georgie's father/Honor's rapist, making it look like Jack was the killer. The police never figure out what happened to Jack and all of the residents go on to have happy lives. In a final twist Honor tracks down Saul's daughter who survived the war and the two are reunited. A good book that had a hard time finding its way at the beginning but had a satisfying ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of its contents, and I have to say there were so many wonderful things about The Kindness of Strangers. The debut novel by Emma Garman. Set in 1950’s London, a real who done it kind of mystery that takes you through all the personalities and back stories of the tenants who are house mates at 42 Tregunter Rd. and how the relationships between them evolve and enter twine. The book was a rather slow start for me as much as it grabs your attention and you want to see how it all comes together.
I personally had the most struggle with the Era heavy narrative. Now don’t get me wrong the Era forward dialogue was key and very well written! Made me smile and laugh and painted a picture in your minds eye so very well but when the narration remained in the 50’s era and even later with words being referenced from the 1800’s that most people have never heard before or could pronounce let alone apply to the atmosphere of the situation. I was then forced to use my handy dandy Kindle to define these words and their sometimes far fetched use.
To me this presentation posed more as a road block than an accelerator for the reader. Slowing the understanding and flow and intern exhausting the mind and leaving you craving a simpler dialect to more easily paint a picture for the reader. In stead I felt the need to take breaks more often and the story itself was good enough that if the foreground were easier to navigate and understand this would have earned another star from me.
Otherwise this mystery had great surprises and twists and I loved how it all came together with such beautiful completion at the end for all characters! It was a well thought out storyline and I truly enjoyed the characters. I just would have liked a smother delivery outside of the dialogue. All in all excellent debut novel and bravo to Emma for a job well done!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to be apart of this books early review! I am truly grateful!!
#SimonBooks
I personally had the most struggle with the Era heavy narrative. Now don’t get me wrong the Era forward dialogue was key and very well written! Made me smile and laugh and painted a picture in your minds eye so very well but when the narration remained in the 50’s era and even later with words being referenced from the 1800’s that most people have never heard before or could pronounce let alone apply to the atmosphere of the situation. I was then forced to use my handy dandy Kindle to define these words and their sometimes far fetched use.
To me this presentation posed more as a road block than an accelerator for the reader. Slowing the understanding and flow and intern exhausting the mind and leaving you craving a simpler dialect to more easily paint a picture for the reader. In stead I felt the need to take breaks more often and the story itself was good enough that if the foreground were easier to navigate and understand this would have earned another star from me.
Otherwise this mystery had great surprises and twists and I loved how it all came together with such beautiful completion at the end for all characters! It was a well thought out storyline and I truly enjoyed the characters. I just would have liked a smother delivery outside of the dialogue. All in all excellent debut novel and bravo to Emma for a job well done!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to be apart of this books early review! I am truly grateful!!
#SimonBooks
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Set in 1953 London, The Kindness of Strangers drops readers into the deeply peculiar world of 42 Tregunter Road, where a group of lodgers orbits around the charismatic and unconventional Honor Wilson. From the very beginning, there’s a disturbing tension looming over the house, especially once an unwelcome newcomer ends up dead on the drawing room floor. The setup immediately hooked me. A post-war boarding house filled with morally grey characters, secrets, resentments, and shifting loyalties? That’s absolutely my kind of premise.
Emma Garman does an excellent job creating atmosphere. The boarding house feels vivid and claustrophobic in that perfect classic whodunnit way, where everyone seems to know more than they’re saying. I also appreciated how complex and complicated the housemates' relationships became as the story developed. Nobody here is entirely innocent, and that ambiguity adds an interesting psychological twist to the mystery.
That said, this ultimately wasn’t entirely my cup of tea. The pacing is quite slow, and while I don’t mind a slower mystery, this one occasionally drifted a little too far into extended commentary and side observations that pulled me out of the tension rather than building it. The large cast and shifting perspectives also made it harder for me to feel deeply connected to any one character.
I also found a few moments of period-specific commentary jarring in a way that didn’t feel especially purposeful. There were brief instances of casual othering language that stood out distinctly against the rest of the narrative. While fleeting, those moments felt distracting rather than illuminating for character development.
Still, I can absolutely see this working well for readers who love classic-style literary mysteries with rich atmosphere, morally messy characters, and a more deliberate pace. There’s a thoughtful complexity to the story, and the ending does tie everything together in a satisfying way. For a debut novel, there’s a lot of promise here, especially in the mood and setting, which regularly felt like roaming through a foggy London street while everyone around you quietly hides a knife behind their back.
Emma Garman does an excellent job creating atmosphere. The boarding house feels vivid and claustrophobic in that perfect classic whodunnit way, where everyone seems to know more than they’re saying. I also appreciated how complex and complicated the housemates' relationships became as the story developed. Nobody here is entirely innocent, and that ambiguity adds an interesting psychological twist to the mystery.
That said, this ultimately wasn’t entirely my cup of tea. The pacing is quite slow, and while I don’t mind a slower mystery, this one occasionally drifted a little too far into extended commentary and side observations that pulled me out of the tension rather than building it. The large cast and shifting perspectives also made it harder for me to feel deeply connected to any one character.
I also found a few moments of period-specific commentary jarring in a way that didn’t feel especially purposeful. There were brief instances of casual othering language that stood out distinctly against the rest of the narrative. While fleeting, those moments felt distracting rather than illuminating for character development.
Still, I can absolutely see this working well for readers who love classic-style literary mysteries with rich atmosphere, morally messy characters, and a more deliberate pace. There’s a thoughtful complexity to the story, and the ending does tie everything together in a satisfying way. For a debut novel, there’s a lot of promise here, especially in the mood and setting, which regularly felt like roaming through a foggy London street while everyone around you quietly hides a knife behind their back.
May 18, 2026
📜Quick Summary: A group of housemates stand around the body of Jimmy Sullivan, as he bleeds out onto their carpet. These housemates live in Ms. Honor Wilson’s home, a literary journal owner and owner of a Victorian home. But how did the housemates get to this point, where murdering a roommate deemed itself necessary? Everyone’s keeping secrets, but who’s telling the truth?
❣️Initial Feels:I’m a little confused, but I’m going to keep going…
👀Trigger Warnings:
Abortion
📖Read if you want:
Post war London setting boarding house
Mystery with a deep cast of many characters
🩷What I enjoyed:
Premise of the novel, great idea
Great debut in terms of ideas; I will be interested to see what she comes up with next!
💔What didn’t work:
There were so many characters introduced in the beginning that I felt overloaded with information. It took me awhile to get invested in any of the characters, since I wasn’t sure who I should be focused on
The back and forth between time lines was not as seamless as I feel she wanted it to be portrayed.
🌟Overall Rating: 3.25 stars
💡Final Sentiments: This one is so hard for me to review; on one hand, I was so intrigued with the plot that I stayed invested. The last 40% made up for it. But then when I was finished, I was baffled at how I would even classify this novel. Yes, it’s a mystery, there’s murder, and suspense. But it also seemed like a large part of this novel was character growth and it was oddly done. The pacing just was off and when I would pick the book back up, I had to rewind a bit to recalibrate myself. SO much potential, but needed a little more silkening. I wasn’t sure about the delivery with the epilogue either; felt detached and cold.
🔉Special thanks to Emma Garman, Simon and Schuster | S&S/Summit Books, and NetGalley for this arc of The Kindness of Strangers!
📘Grab yourself a copy on May 12, 2026!
All opinions and thoughts are solely my own.
❣️Initial Feels:I’m a little confused, but I’m going to keep going…
👀Trigger Warnings:
Abortion
📖Read if you want:
Post war London setting boarding house
Mystery with a deep cast of many characters
🩷What I enjoyed:
Premise of the novel, great idea
Great debut in terms of ideas; I will be interested to see what she comes up with next!
💔What didn’t work:
There were so many characters introduced in the beginning that I felt overloaded with information. It took me awhile to get invested in any of the characters, since I wasn’t sure who I should be focused on
The back and forth between time lines was not as seamless as I feel she wanted it to be portrayed.
🌟Overall Rating: 3.25 stars
💡Final Sentiments: This one is so hard for me to review; on one hand, I was so intrigued with the plot that I stayed invested. The last 40% made up for it. But then when I was finished, I was baffled at how I would even classify this novel. Yes, it’s a mystery, there’s murder, and suspense. But it also seemed like a large part of this novel was character growth and it was oddly done. The pacing just was off and when I would pick the book back up, I had to rewind a bit to recalibrate myself. SO much potential, but needed a little more silkening. I wasn’t sure about the delivery with the epilogue either; felt detached and cold.
🔉Special thanks to Emma Garman, Simon and Schuster | S&S/Summit Books, and NetGalley for this arc of The Kindness of Strangers!
📘Grab yourself a copy on May 12, 2026!
All opinions and thoughts are solely my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
With first time published authors, I try to be a little more lenient than when I’m reading a long-standing author. And when you read this, understand that I am doing just that.
I was bored the whole time reading this. I know for some, this may hit the spot, so my opinion is just how it hits me and may not be how you feel after reading the book. The concept of the book was interesting. I was excited to dive into this novel. I just couldn’t get into it. Understand that I had just finished a first-time fiction writer that wrote a period piece mystery and was glued to every page. This one just didn’t hit.
The story drags. Not in the way of Agatha Christie establishing characters before a mystery actually happens at the halfway point, even though that may have been the goal. It just felt like they kept repeating the same things repeatedly (see what I did there). The complications between the characters felt forced, not natural.
My other complaint is one that I hesitate to share because it may come across as having an agenda. This novel felt like the author wanted to take a stand on social issues and showing them in light of 1953 was their best way. Fiction has been used to teach morals since about the beginning of time. There is no issue in that. But when it is done with a hammer, it is not effective. I think back to John Grisham’s “The Chamber”. He gave an emotional novel that sided with capital punishment only to make you question it in the end. THAT is how you use fiction with social and moral issues. Make the reader think. This is a writing lesson that this author should learn. It would allow you to write about the mystery more rather than taking a hammer and hammering your point over and over and over again.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
I was bored the whole time reading this. I know for some, this may hit the spot, so my opinion is just how it hits me and may not be how you feel after reading the book. The concept of the book was interesting. I was excited to dive into this novel. I just couldn’t get into it. Understand that I had just finished a first-time fiction writer that wrote a period piece mystery and was glued to every page. This one just didn’t hit.
The story drags. Not in the way of Agatha Christie establishing characters before a mystery actually happens at the halfway point, even though that may have been the goal. It just felt like they kept repeating the same things repeatedly (see what I did there). The complications between the characters felt forced, not natural.
My other complaint is one that I hesitate to share because it may come across as having an agenda. This novel felt like the author wanted to take a stand on social issues and showing them in light of 1953 was their best way. Fiction has been used to teach morals since about the beginning of time. There is no issue in that. But when it is done with a hammer, it is not effective. I think back to John Grisham’s “The Chamber”. He gave an emotional novel that sided with capital punishment only to make you question it in the end. THAT is how you use fiction with social and moral issues. Make the reader think. This is a writing lesson that this author should learn. It would allow you to write about the mystery more rather than taking a hammer and hammering your point over and over and over again.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
As much as I enjoy returning to authors I know and love, there is something very special about reading a fabulous debut ... and this is the most fabulous debut.
THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS is set in a boarding house in 1950s London, where a collection of (hugely entertaining) lodgers appear to have acquired a rather inconvenient dead body in their sitting room, and so we go back in time to discover just what happened ... and why. This is a literary who-dunnit, and perhaps a literary who-isit, as no one at 42 Tregunter Road is exactly who they seem ...
The Kindness of Strangers is a glorious murder mystery, from a time when people drove motorcars and wore wristwatches, and actually spoke to each other in pubs, rather than endlessly scrolling on their phones. According to the press release, it is a 'romp', and I absolutely agree ... BUT Emma Garman so very cleverly weaves in the less attractive side of post-war Britain, the outdated laws, the outdated attitudes, and she does it so expertly, it doesn't detract from the joy of the story, but offers a quiet reminder that these carefree, optimistic times weren't carefree and optimistic for everyone. To weave this into the writing, without ever detracting from the enjoyment of the story is utterly brilliant, and it made this novel so beautifully nuanced and genuinely thought provoking.
I loved every single character in this story (with a special mention for George) and they all burst into life immediately, thanks to Emma's wonderful writing and her mind-blowingly brilliant attention to detail. It was also *superbly* plotted, and there are so many twists and turns, I guarantee you won't work it all out until the very end. Pure escapism, utterly joyful, but with a really important underlying message, should you accept the author's invitation to think a little more deeply.
THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS is set in a boarding house in 1950s London, where a collection of (hugely entertaining) lodgers appear to have acquired a rather inconvenient dead body in their sitting room, and so we go back in time to discover just what happened ... and why. This is a literary who-dunnit, and perhaps a literary who-isit, as no one at 42 Tregunter Road is exactly who they seem ...
The Kindness of Strangers is a glorious murder mystery, from a time when people drove motorcars and wore wristwatches, and actually spoke to each other in pubs, rather than endlessly scrolling on their phones. According to the press release, it is a 'romp', and I absolutely agree ... BUT Emma Garman so very cleverly weaves in the less attractive side of post-war Britain, the outdated laws, the outdated attitudes, and she does it so expertly, it doesn't detract from the joy of the story, but offers a quiet reminder that these carefree, optimistic times weren't carefree and optimistic for everyone. To weave this into the writing, without ever detracting from the enjoyment of the story is utterly brilliant, and it made this novel so beautifully nuanced and genuinely thought provoking.
I loved every single character in this story (with a special mention for George) and they all burst into life immediately, thanks to Emma's wonderful writing and her mind-blowingly brilliant attention to detail. It was also *superbly* plotted, and there are so many twists and turns, I guarantee you won't work it all out until the very end. Pure escapism, utterly joyful, but with a really important underlying message, should you accept the author's invitation to think a little more deeply.
May 25, 2026
His arrival disrupts the lives of a rooming house's residents
In London during the early 1950's the Bohemian Mrs Honor Wilson makes her living both by publishing a (minor) literary journal and taking in lodgers, all of whom are connected with the arts in some way. Robbie is a struggling writer, George the former debutante turned (pregnant) artist's model, Saul the Jewish refugee poet, and Mina the teenager who works at a cinema. Honor's "dear guests" are forced to deal with the arrival of Jimmy Sullivan, whom Honor introduces as a family friend and allows to move into the attic of the house despite the others' feeling that something isn't right with him. Jimmy's presence brings to the fore all manner of tensions and jealousies, leading to a death that the remaining residents must cover up for everyone's sake. The chaos in the years after the war makes it easy to reinvent oneself...how much of the house on Chelsea's Tregunter Road is made up of lies?
In this entertaining debut novel author Emma Garman puts a modern spin on golden age mystery novels. The characters who compose the "found family" under Honor Wilson's roof are flawed, each in their own way, but distinctly drawn. The period setting is vividly painted, from the fog that hovers to the remnants of rationing and the social upheaval that are part of daily life. As the story evolves and secrets are revealed the reader experiences plenty of plot twists and quintessential British humor along the way. I enjoyed the characters and, while the tale's pacing slowed at times, I found it overall an enjoyable read, an escapist adventure likely to appeal to fans of Richard Osman, Sarah Waters and Kate Atkinson. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Summit Books for allowing me access to the novel in exchange for my honest review.
In London during the early 1950's the Bohemian Mrs Honor Wilson makes her living both by publishing a (minor) literary journal and taking in lodgers, all of whom are connected with the arts in some way. Robbie is a struggling writer, George the former debutante turned (pregnant) artist's model, Saul the Jewish refugee poet, and Mina the teenager who works at a cinema. Honor's "dear guests" are forced to deal with the arrival of Jimmy Sullivan, whom Honor introduces as a family friend and allows to move into the attic of the house despite the others' feeling that something isn't right with him. Jimmy's presence brings to the fore all manner of tensions and jealousies, leading to a death that the remaining residents must cover up for everyone's sake. The chaos in the years after the war makes it easy to reinvent oneself...how much of the house on Chelsea's Tregunter Road is made up of lies?
In this entertaining debut novel author Emma Garman puts a modern spin on golden age mystery novels. The characters who compose the "found family" under Honor Wilson's roof are flawed, each in their own way, but distinctly drawn. The period setting is vividly painted, from the fog that hovers to the remnants of rationing and the social upheaval that are part of daily life. As the story evolves and secrets are revealed the reader experiences plenty of plot twists and quintessential British humor along the way. I enjoyed the characters and, while the tale's pacing slowed at times, I found it overall an enjoyable read, an escapist adventure likely to appeal to fans of Richard Osman, Sarah Waters and Kate Atkinson. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Summit Books for allowing me access to the novel in exchange for my honest review.
May 12, 2026
***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review
The story takes place in London, 1953, and begins with a group of people standing over a body trying to decide whether or not he is dead. From there, the story goes back a few weeks, to when a stranger arrived at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. The home belongs to Mrs. Honor Wilson, and is filled to the rafters with boarders - Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the debutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. The stranger, Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says—yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone’s misgivings, she lets the stranger move into the attic. As they each try to disprove Jimmy’s dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household’s delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge.
I have mixed feelings about this book. At times I thoroughly enjoyed it, and other times, I felt it was overly complicated, and there were too many names and aliases to keep up with. In a way, it reminded me of Agatha Christie's A Murder Is Announced, where Miss Marple discovered multiple people living under false identities, and trying to figure out who everyone really was. It did redeem itself at the end, with a twist that I was not expecting, and that was the perfect ending to the story. I also loved the epilogue, where it told where everyone ended up after the story ends. Overall a solid 4 out of 5.
The story takes place in London, 1953, and begins with a group of people standing over a body trying to decide whether or not he is dead. From there, the story goes back a few weeks, to when a stranger arrived at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. The home belongs to Mrs. Honor Wilson, and is filled to the rafters with boarders - Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the debutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. The stranger, Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says—yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone’s misgivings, she lets the stranger move into the attic. As they each try to disprove Jimmy’s dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household’s delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge.
I have mixed feelings about this book. At times I thoroughly enjoyed it, and other times, I felt it was overly complicated, and there were too many names and aliases to keep up with. In a way, it reminded me of Agatha Christie's A Murder Is Announced, where Miss Marple discovered multiple people living under false identities, and trying to figure out who everyone really was. It did redeem itself at the end, with a twist that I was not expecting, and that was the perfect ending to the story. I also loved the epilogue, where it told where everyone ended up after the story ends. Overall a solid 4 out of 5.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Set in post World War II London, this novel begins in a boarding house drawing room where a man lies bleeding out on the floor while his housemates stand over him in shock. Jimmy shows up on the doorstep of the boarding house one night claiming to be a family friend of the owner, Honor Wilson. The reader is then introduced to the other housemates: Robbie, the writer who assists Honor in putting out a literary publication; George, the wayward debutante; Mina, the teenager; and Saul the Jewish refugee. All of them are immediately suspicious of their new houseguest and the story he is spinning of his association with Honor. As they investigate, secrets and lies are exposed.
I was initially intrigued by the description of this novel, thinking it was in the twisty mystery thriller genre. I got mired down in all of the characters' backstories, and the switching of POV's mid chapter sometimes gave me whiplash. I felt like it was very slow moving for my taste and it took me a while to wade through. There was a twist toward the end that I enjoyed. Overall, I just don't think this one was for me, but I can see how it would appeal to other people. I did like the post war gritty feel of it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.
I was initially intrigued by the description of this novel, thinking it was in the twisty mystery thriller genre. I got mired down in all of the characters' backstories, and the switching of POV's mid chapter sometimes gave me whiplash. I felt like it was very slow moving for my taste and it took me a while to wade through. There was a twist toward the end that I enjoyed. Overall, I just don't think this one was for me, but I can see how it would appeal to other people. I did like the post war gritty feel of it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.
May 13, 2026
A dead body on page one and I still couldn’t guess how we got there.
Five housemates, one mysterious stranger, and a 1950s London boarding house where everyone has a secret.
The Kindness of Strangers by Emma Garman is going on my list of books to recommend when someone says they want something like an Agatha Christie. This is slow burning, character driven, atmospheric, and absolutely packed with secrets. It pulled me right in.
The setting is London, 1953 and the city is still pulling itself out of the war. Honor Wilson runs a boarding house, and she’s picky about who gets a room. We’ve got George, the society girl trying to escape her debutante life. Mina, the small-village girl who came to London to be more than she was. Robbie, the would-be writer haunted by the war. And Saul, the refugee who lost his entire family in the Holocaust.
Then Jimmy Sullivan turns up at the door one foggy night and Honor lets him stay even though she clearly doesn’t want to. Everyone can feel something is off about him, but no one can put their finger on what. Mina and Saul end up teaming up like an unlikely detective duo to figure out who he actually is, and that’s where the book really gets its hooks in you.
Olivia Dowd’s narration is wonderful. She gave every character their own distinct voice and I never once got lost in the house full of people.
If you like Christie’s group-of-strangers-with-secrets setup or the cozy-with-edge feel of The Thursday Murder Club, grab this one.
Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted listen!
Five housemates, one mysterious stranger, and a 1950s London boarding house where everyone has a secret.
The Kindness of Strangers by Emma Garman is going on my list of books to recommend when someone says they want something like an Agatha Christie. This is slow burning, character driven, atmospheric, and absolutely packed with secrets. It pulled me right in.
The setting is London, 1953 and the city is still pulling itself out of the war. Honor Wilson runs a boarding house, and she’s picky about who gets a room. We’ve got George, the society girl trying to escape her debutante life. Mina, the small-village girl who came to London to be more than she was. Robbie, the would-be writer haunted by the war. And Saul, the refugee who lost his entire family in the Holocaust.
Then Jimmy Sullivan turns up at the door one foggy night and Honor lets him stay even though she clearly doesn’t want to. Everyone can feel something is off about him, but no one can put their finger on what. Mina and Saul end up teaming up like an unlikely detective duo to figure out who he actually is, and that’s where the book really gets its hooks in you.
Olivia Dowd’s narration is wonderful. She gave every character their own distinct voice and I never once got lost in the house full of people.
If you like Christie’s group-of-strangers-with-secrets setup or the cozy-with-edge feel of The Thursday Murder Club, grab this one.
Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted listen!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A solid nod to classic Golden Age whodunnits, The Kindness of Strangers was a richly layered historical mystery that I truly couldn’t put down. With twisty plotting, convincing characters, and dry, witty humor, the Agatha Christie-esque feel was mixed with just a dash of The Talented Mr. Ripley. You see, there was quite the dubious character in this dynamite cast of motley individuals. Deploying dirty schemes and cunning manipulations, the dark secrets were unmasked one by one in this slow burn of a read. After all, everyone in this debut novel was hiding something from the others, which led to a storyline that was as thought-provoking and compelling as it was addictive in a just-one-more-chapter kind of way.
The only thing that I have to add about this book is how at its heart it was really literary noir. Exploring the post-WWII trauma of 1950s Britain, the morally gray characters and palpable sense of desperation made for quite the atmospheric, contemplative read that erased any idea of a this being cozy like Ms. Christie’s novels. Dark, gritty, and filled with ethical ambiguity, the rising tension, sinister mood, and tricksy plotting delivered a definite win for this reader. So if you’re a fan of Joyce Carol Oates, The Briar Club, or Kate Atkinson, grab this one now. After all, it was a clever combo of all three of the above as the slow simmering came to a boil. Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
One foggy night in the dead of February, a young man arrives unannounced at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. Self-styled Bohemian Mrs. Honor Wilson—who runs a minor literary journal and lodgings from this timeworn Victorian house—introduces him to her “dear house guests”: Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the debutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says—yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone’s misgivings, she lets the stranger move into the attic.
As they each try to disprove Jimmy’s dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household’s delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge.
In a house built on lies, the truth will get you killed.
Thank you Emma Garman and Summit Books for my complimentary copy. All options are my own.
PUB DATE: May 12, 2026
Content warning: murder, toxic relationships, violence, blood, pregnancy, grief, abortion
The only thing that I have to add about this book is how at its heart it was really literary noir. Exploring the post-WWII trauma of 1950s Britain, the morally gray characters and palpable sense of desperation made for quite the atmospheric, contemplative read that erased any idea of a this being cozy like Ms. Christie’s novels. Dark, gritty, and filled with ethical ambiguity, the rising tension, sinister mood, and tricksy plotting delivered a definite win for this reader. So if you’re a fan of Joyce Carol Oates, The Briar Club, or Kate Atkinson, grab this one now. After all, it was a clever combo of all three of the above as the slow simmering came to a boil. Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
One foggy night in the dead of February, a young man arrives unannounced at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. Self-styled Bohemian Mrs. Honor Wilson—who runs a minor literary journal and lodgings from this timeworn Victorian house—introduces him to her “dear house guests”: Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the debutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says—yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone’s misgivings, she lets the stranger move into the attic.
As they each try to disprove Jimmy’s dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household’s delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge.
In a house built on lies, the truth will get you killed.
Thank you Emma Garman and Summit Books for my complimentary copy. All options are my own.
PUB DATE: May 12, 2026
Content warning: murder, toxic relationships, violence, blood, pregnancy, grief, abortion
May 5, 2026
**★★★☆☆ (3/5 stars)**
The Kindness of Strangers by Emma Garman is an ambitious debut that blends classic murder mystery elements with a richly detailed post-war London setting. The premise a group of secretive lodgers in a 1950s boarding house tied together by a suspicious death is immediately intriguing and full of potential.
The novel shines in its atmosphere and complexity. Garman creates a vivid sense of time and place, and the tangled relationships between characters keep the mystery engaging. The plot is layered with twists, hidden identities, and moral ambiguity, which adds depth and keeps readers guessing.
However, the book doesn’t always deliver smoothly on its ideas. The large cast and shifting perspectives can make it difficult to stay fully invested, and the pacing often feels uneven slow in parts where tension should build, and rushed when revelations occur. Some characters are interesting in concept but not explored deeply enough to make their emotional arcs fully satisfying.
Overall, *The Kindness of Strangers* is a solid but imperfect mystery. It’s worth reading for its clever premise and atmospheric writing, but it may not fully satisfy readers looking for a tightly paced, character-driven thriller.
The Kindness of Strangers by Emma Garman is an ambitious debut that blends classic murder mystery elements with a richly detailed post-war London setting. The premise a group of secretive lodgers in a 1950s boarding house tied together by a suspicious death is immediately intriguing and full of potential.
The novel shines in its atmosphere and complexity. Garman creates a vivid sense of time and place, and the tangled relationships between characters keep the mystery engaging. The plot is layered with twists, hidden identities, and moral ambiguity, which adds depth and keeps readers guessing.
However, the book doesn’t always deliver smoothly on its ideas. The large cast and shifting perspectives can make it difficult to stay fully invested, and the pacing often feels uneven slow in parts where tension should build, and rushed when revelations occur. Some characters are interesting in concept but not explored deeply enough to make their emotional arcs fully satisfying.
Overall, *The Kindness of Strangers* is a solid but imperfect mystery. It’s worth reading for its clever premise and atmospheric writing, but it may not fully satisfy readers looking for a tightly paced, character-driven thriller.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Kindness of Strangers
By Emma Garman
This is a rather clever murder mystery. It takes place after then end of World War II. The cast of characters resides in a boarding house and they are quite a mixed bag. The landlady is one Honor Wilson, though she has gone by various identities in the past. Her houseguests are: Georgina (George), much in need of funds for an illegal abortion; Robbie, a "strait arrow", separated from his wife and working with Honor on her literary journal; Mina, an underage girl trying to succeed I the big city; and Saul, a Jewish refugee from eastern Europe whose wife and daughter were lost during the war.
Into the mix appears one Jimmy Sullivan, claiming to be an old friend of Honor's. Jimmy sets the whole house on edge and brings out everyone's secrets and suspicions. When Honor announces he is moving in, the game begins. Who is this person really?
Needless to say, he is the murder victim. This is not giving the game away, because the murder takes place in the prologue.
The story brings out the back story of each of the characters and keeps the plot interesting.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.
By Emma Garman
This is a rather clever murder mystery. It takes place after then end of World War II. The cast of characters resides in a boarding house and they are quite a mixed bag. The landlady is one Honor Wilson, though she has gone by various identities in the past. Her houseguests are: Georgina (George), much in need of funds for an illegal abortion; Robbie, a "strait arrow", separated from his wife and working with Honor on her literary journal; Mina, an underage girl trying to succeed I the big city; and Saul, a Jewish refugee from eastern Europe whose wife and daughter were lost during the war.
Into the mix appears one Jimmy Sullivan, claiming to be an old friend of Honor's. Jimmy sets the whole house on edge and brings out everyone's secrets and suspicions. When Honor announces he is moving in, the game begins. Who is this person really?
Needless to say, he is the murder victim. This is not giving the game away, because the murder takes place in the prologue.
The story brings out the back story of each of the characters and keeps the plot interesting.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The title is meant ironically. That’s not a spoiler alert, as we learn it in the prologue. Everyone living in the boarding house at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea, London, has secrets, but apparently none more than the widowed owner Honor Wilson and the newest lodger, Jimmy Sullivan. The novel, set in 1953, begins with Sullivan slowly dying on the boarding house’s drawing room floor, but quickly cuts away. How did this come to pass only five weeks after Sullivan’s arrival from — where exactly? Told by a series of unreliable narrators, this novel will beguile readers from its startling beginning to its shocking ending.
Despite the blurb’s comparison of The Kindness of Strangers to Agatha Christie and Richard Osman, Emma Garman’s debut novel more closely resembles something by Paula Hawkins or Lucy Foley. And that would be no bad thing; however, I think author Emma Garman has crafted a better, twistier, more shocking novel than either. Yes, I said what I said. This is definitely an author to watch. Highly, highly recommended.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and S&S/Summit Books.
Despite the blurb’s comparison of The Kindness of Strangers to Agatha Christie and Richard Osman, Emma Garman’s debut novel more closely resembles something by Paula Hawkins or Lucy Foley. And that would be no bad thing; however, I think author Emma Garman has crafted a better, twistier, more shocking novel than either. Yes, I said what I said. This is definitely an author to watch. Highly, highly recommended.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and S&S/Summit Books.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Emma Garman’s debut novel, The Kindness of Strangers, arrives with promise, especially for readers who enjoy mysteries and are curious to discover a new voice in the genre. The premise intrigued me, and I was eager to see how the story would unfold.
This is an intriguing story, with a cast of interesting characters. I found the beginning to be somewhat slow, as I was waiting to get into the heart of the mystery.
Even so, I want to acknowledge the ambition behind this debut. Garman clearly has a strong command of language and a desire to craft atmosphere and detail. For readers who appreciate richly layered prose and don’t mind a slower pace, this book may resonate more deeply than it did for me.
While my personal experience was mixed, I believe in supporting new authors and recognize the potential here. I’m giving The Kindness of Strangers four stars, with the hope that Emma Garman continues in her storytelling in future works.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
This is an intriguing story, with a cast of interesting characters. I found the beginning to be somewhat slow, as I was waiting to get into the heart of the mystery.
Even so, I want to acknowledge the ambition behind this debut. Garman clearly has a strong command of language and a desire to craft atmosphere and detail. For readers who appreciate richly layered prose and don’t mind a slower pace, this book may resonate more deeply than it did for me.
While my personal experience was mixed, I believe in supporting new authors and recognize the potential here. I’m giving The Kindness of Strangers four stars, with the hope that Emma Garman continues in her storytelling in future works.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Set in London in 1953, this story follows the occupants of 42 Tregunter Road. After her husband's passing, Honor Wilson's home became a lodging for a very particular set of individuals. When the story begins, an unwelcome houseguest finds himself lying on the drawing room floor, while we're left to wonder how the others were involved in his untimely end.
This classic whodunnit littered with morally grey characters wasn't my cup of tea. If you're looking for a mystery that wraps everything up in a neat little bow and are okay with slower pacing, then this might be for you.
The pacing wasn't a major issue for me, but a few instances of extraneous character commentary caught me off guard. One example is when a white woman offhandedly and negatively compares her own skin color to someone of a different race. Instead of adding a layer of nuance to woman's character, this othering language felt jarring and irrelevant to the plot. These moments were fleeting, but they stood out as strange and distracting.
This classic whodunnit littered with morally grey characters wasn't my cup of tea. If you're looking for a mystery that wraps everything up in a neat little bow and are okay with slower pacing, then this might be for you.
The pacing wasn't a major issue for me, but a few instances of extraneous character commentary caught me off guard. One example is when a white woman offhandedly and negatively compares her own skin color to someone of a different race. Instead of adding a layer of nuance to woman's character, this othering language felt jarring and irrelevant to the plot. These moments were fleeting, but they stood out as strange and distracting.
May 12, 2026
The Kindness of Strangers (thank you #gifted @summitbooks @simonaudio ) is a clever murder mystery set in a 1950s London boarding house. From the beginning, we know someone is dead. But we don't know who did it.
Told with a dry wit, we peek into the lives of seven eclectic characters: the six tenants at Mrs. Wilson's boarding house, plus a police detective. From a debutante to a WW2 refugee, each have their own reasons for being at this house, and many have a possible motive for murder.
I paired the print and audio, narrated by Olivia Dowd. She does an excellent job giving each character a distinct accent and voice, but I think print is the better option for this one. There are multiple perspectives within each chapter, and it can be hard to catch the changes on audio. Quite a bit of the mystery needs to be solved through inferences, and I needed to reread my copy at the end to double check what happened.
While the story begins in a charming way, it ends up being much darker at the end. You might want to check trigger warnings. 3.5 stars
Told with a dry wit, we peek into the lives of seven eclectic characters: the six tenants at Mrs. Wilson's boarding house, plus a police detective. From a debutante to a WW2 refugee, each have their own reasons for being at this house, and many have a possible motive for murder.
I paired the print and audio, narrated by Olivia Dowd. She does an excellent job giving each character a distinct accent and voice, but I think print is the better option for this one. There are multiple perspectives within each chapter, and it can be hard to catch the changes on audio. Quite a bit of the mystery needs to be solved through inferences, and I needed to reread my copy at the end to double check what happened.
While the story begins in a charming way, it ends up being much darker at the end. You might want to check trigger warnings. 3.5 stars
May 19, 2026
It's unusual for a debut author to spend so much time and effort on introducing the backstory of multiple characters and the surrounding scenes in which they live and work. The buildup adds another layer of interest as readers follow the story where the journey has led us to a dead body and a long list of suspects.
Emma Garman quickly introduces us to Mrs Honor Wilson, who operates a boarding house in 1953 London. Mrs Wilson then introduces us to her newest boarder, Jimmy Sullivan. Jimmy joins the current boarders, a group of four who have nothing in common with Jimmy or each other. As we meet the cast of characters, Garman gives a detailed look at the house, which is a character in this book. Still with me? The scene is set, cue the lights......
With such a diverse cast, the POV changes often, just as it would if you were watching a television mini-series. As the secrets are revealed, the story pulls you closer, and the tension starts growing. It really is hard to believe this is Garman's first novel. It will be hard to beat it.
Emma Garman quickly introduces us to Mrs Honor Wilson, who operates a boarding house in 1953 London. Mrs Wilson then introduces us to her newest boarder, Jimmy Sullivan. Jimmy joins the current boarders, a group of four who have nothing in common with Jimmy or each other. As we meet the cast of characters, Garman gives a detailed look at the house, which is a character in this book. Still with me? The scene is set, cue the lights......
With such a diverse cast, the POV changes often, just as it would if you were watching a television mini-series. As the secrets are revealed, the story pulls you closer, and the tension starts growing. It really is hard to believe this is Garman's first novel. It will be hard to beat it.
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