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The Stranger Inside: A twisty thriller you won't be able to put down
'Absorbing, addictive and downright chilling' Alison Gaylin.
F ans of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR will love this gripping thriller.
There's a stranger in your house. And he knows your biggest secret.
When Kimber Hannon returns home from a work trip, she's ready to kick back and relax on the sofa. But on reaching the front door, she is shocked to discover that her key no longer works and there's a man in the bedroom window.
Kimber calls the police, but the intruder tells them he's renting the house. Her neighbour corroborates his story and it is Kimber who is forced to leave. But before she does, the stranger whispers 'I was there. I saw what you did.'
These words reveal a connection to Kimber's distant past, and dark secrets she'd long ago left buried. Her trespasser isn't after anything as simple as her money or her home. He wants to move into her carefully orchestrated life - and destroy it.
**************
Praise for The Stranger Inside
'Laura Benedict turns her unique voice in suspense to this elegant scary mystery, where nothing is as it seems and one woman's truth is shattered by the hidden secrets of her past.' J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of Lie to Me
'Compelling characters, lush settings, complex emotions-all in a clever plot and spiced with a hint of darkness . . . But a warning: once you pick it up, you will yield your life to the power of a great storyteller' Carolyn Haines, bestselling author of The House of Memory
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2019
175 people are currently reading
5299 people want to read
About the author
Laura Benedict
35 books422 followersLaura Benedict is the Edgar- and ITW Thriller Award- nominated author of eight novels of suspense, including The Stranger Inside). Her Bliss House gothic trilogy includes The Abandoned Heart, Charlotte’s Story (Booklist starred review), and Bliss House. Her short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and in numerous anthologies like Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads, The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers, and St. Louis Noir. A native of Cincinnati, she lives in Southern Illinois with her family. Visit her at www.laurabenedict.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 539 reviews
January 5, 2019
3.5 Stars.
Be Afraid, Be Very, Very Afraid.. of the “Stranger Inside!”
When Kimber gets home from her weekend at Lake of the Ozarks she discovers something terrifying - her locks have been changed - not just that but someone else has moved into her house! Insane right?! Her neighbor states that she saw Kimber sign over her home to Lance Wilson and yet Kimber has never met the man! Worse yet the police side with him. Can you say NIGHTMARE?
Thereafter, Kimber does the only thing she can. She calls her attorney .. who happens to be her ex! Kimber, of course, is irate about what has happened, and worse, yet, she is without a home.
Just who is the stranger living in Kimber’s home and what is he after?
What a tangled web, Laura Benedict weaved! This is a creepy, suspenseful novel you must dive right into! It is multi-layered and includes past and present timelines which meld together quite well. If you are looking for a tension filled mystery, that will keep you wound up for hours, this is definitely it.
Admittedly, my favorite part of this story is that it takes place in St. Louis, Missouri (where I lived for 6 years from 1998-2004), and based on the authors note, it appears as though Ms. Benedict set this story around that time frame thus certain landmarks and towns were described exactly as I remembered them, which was fantastic. Thank you to the author for taking me back in time!
This was a buddy read with Kaceey! Our first read together of 2019!
Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Laura Benedict for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads and NetGalley on 1.5.19.
Be Afraid, Be Very, Very Afraid.. of the “Stranger Inside!”
When Kimber gets home from her weekend at Lake of the Ozarks she discovers something terrifying - her locks have been changed - not just that but someone else has moved into her house! Insane right?! Her neighbor states that she saw Kimber sign over her home to Lance Wilson and yet Kimber has never met the man! Worse yet the police side with him. Can you say NIGHTMARE?
Thereafter, Kimber does the only thing she can. She calls her attorney .. who happens to be her ex! Kimber, of course, is irate about what has happened, and worse, yet, she is without a home.
Just who is the stranger living in Kimber’s home and what is he after?
What a tangled web, Laura Benedict weaved! This is a creepy, suspenseful novel you must dive right into! It is multi-layered and includes past and present timelines which meld together quite well. If you are looking for a tension filled mystery, that will keep you wound up for hours, this is definitely it.
Admittedly, my favorite part of this story is that it takes place in St. Louis, Missouri (where I lived for 6 years from 1998-2004), and based on the authors note, it appears as though Ms. Benedict set this story around that time frame thus certain landmarks and towns were described exactly as I remembered them, which was fantastic. Thank you to the author for taking me back in time!
This was a buddy read with Kaceey! Our first read together of 2019!
Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Laura Benedict for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads and NetGalley on 1.5.19.
January 23, 2019
I really wanted to love this one after reading the description. A homeowner comes home to find a squatter has changed her locks and moved in. What a great premise, but it wasn't executed well enough to pull it all off.
Kimber Hannon is the homeowner and she was an unlikeable character although I could emphasize with her feeling of helplessness when her home was taken by this stranger. He also hints at "having something on her".
I struggled with this one (the pace and the side stories) and guessed the twists early on. I do think some readers will enjoy some of the more suspenseful parts, but I was overall a bit underwhelmed.
Thanks to NG / publisher for my review copy. This one is out Feb 5,2019
Kimber Hannon is the homeowner and she was an unlikeable character although I could emphasize with her feeling of helplessness when her home was taken by this stranger. He also hints at "having something on her".
I struggled with this one (the pace and the side stories) and guessed the twists early on. I do think some readers will enjoy some of the more suspenseful parts, but I was overall a bit underwhelmed.
Thanks to NG / publisher for my review copy. This one is out Feb 5,2019
February 1, 2019
3 stars.
Kimber Hannon comes home from a weekend getaway to find her front door key doesn’t work. Circling her home, she discovers there is a man inside and he appears to have settled into living there. What is going on? Shocked and scared, Kimber calls the police who determine that this stranger has a signed lease permitting him to live in the house for the next six months. Worst part is that Kimber’s own signature is on the lease. Kimber has not met this man before, or has she? Does this stranger have a connection to Kimber’s past?
This story grabbed me right away as the premise was peculiar and terrifying. My mind was whirling with potential scenarios and I was curious to see how it would all pan out for Kimber. The author, Laura Benedict, does a great job building suspense and suspicion around several characters, which kept me on my toes and guessing.
As the novel progressed, the pace slowed and Kimber’s personality began to wear on me. She wasn’t a likeable person and as the situation evolved, it became hard (if not, impossible) to sympathize with her. Overall, I enjoyed the novel, but wish I would have had more of a connection to the characters and less of a dramatic resolution.
This was a Traveling Sister read.
Thank you to Little, Brown And Company for providing me with a physical ARC to read and review!
Expected date of publication: February 5, 2019.
Kimber Hannon comes home from a weekend getaway to find her front door key doesn’t work. Circling her home, she discovers there is a man inside and he appears to have settled into living there. What is going on? Shocked and scared, Kimber calls the police who determine that this stranger has a signed lease permitting him to live in the house for the next six months. Worst part is that Kimber’s own signature is on the lease. Kimber has not met this man before, or has she? Does this stranger have a connection to Kimber’s past?
This story grabbed me right away as the premise was peculiar and terrifying. My mind was whirling with potential scenarios and I was curious to see how it would all pan out for Kimber. The author, Laura Benedict, does a great job building suspense and suspicion around several characters, which kept me on my toes and guessing.
As the novel progressed, the pace slowed and Kimber’s personality began to wear on me. She wasn’t a likeable person and as the situation evolved, it became hard (if not, impossible) to sympathize with her. Overall, I enjoyed the novel, but wish I would have had more of a connection to the characters and less of a dramatic resolution.
This was a Traveling Sister read.
Thank you to Little, Brown And Company for providing me with a physical ARC to read and review!
Expected date of publication: February 5, 2019.
Read
January 22, 2019DNF - no rating and will not be part on my 2019 reading challenge.
The MC, Kimber, is going to require that a reader packs A LOT of patience and it is significantly more patience than I have. She is beyond an awful human being and I just can't muster the energy to continue reading about her. Such a shame! NEXT!
The MC, Kimber, is going to require that a reader packs A LOT of patience and it is significantly more patience than I have. She is beyond an awful human being and I just can't muster the energy to continue reading about her. Such a shame! NEXT!
January 30, 2019
3.5*
This is the third book I’ve read recently with a similar premise; returning home to find someone else living in your house. What a terrifying thought! Can you even imagine? I feel chills just thinking about it!
After a trip abroad Kimber comes home and discovers her key no longer open the door. Odd...but when she sees a man inside her home her life begins to unravel. This man, this stranger, insists he has a signed lease and has no intention of leaving!
Will Kimber ever get her home back? What exactly does this man want from her? Just her home? Or is that just the beginning?
I loved the blurb when I first read it! I was anticipating an amazing read. While I enjoyed it, I wanted just a bit more (Ha! Don't I always!?). With so much potential, I’m hoping someone will take this premise and just blow me away with where they take it.
A buddy read with Susanne!❄️
Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Laura Benedict for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third book I’ve read recently with a similar premise; returning home to find someone else living in your house. What a terrifying thought! Can you even imagine? I feel chills just thinking about it!
After a trip abroad Kimber comes home and discovers her key no longer open the door. Odd...but when she sees a man inside her home her life begins to unravel. This man, this stranger, insists he has a signed lease and has no intention of leaving!
Will Kimber ever get her home back? What exactly does this man want from her? Just her home? Or is that just the beginning?
I loved the blurb when I first read it! I was anticipating an amazing read. While I enjoyed it, I wanted just a bit more (Ha! Don't I always!?). With so much potential, I’m hoping someone will take this premise and just blow me away with where they take it.
A buddy read with Susanne!❄️
Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Laura Benedict for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2019
I received a free e-copy of The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict from NetGalley for my honest review.
Kimber Hannon comes home from vacation to find her locks have been changed and someone is living inside her house. She calls the police but he has paperwork to prove he is on the lease. But, Kimber never put him on the lease and never invited him in. Then he tells her that he knows something about her, and he wants everyone else to know it too. He says, "I was there. I saw what you did:."
What does this man know about Kimber? Does he really know Kimber's secrets that she left in her past, so many years ago. This man isn't wanting just a place to stay though, he wants to destroy Kimber's life and everything she knows. This is a suspense novel and it has twists and turns in it but it was very predictable at the same time.
Kimber Hannon comes home from vacation to find her locks have been changed and someone is living inside her house. She calls the police but he has paperwork to prove he is on the lease. But, Kimber never put him on the lease and never invited him in. Then he tells her that he knows something about her, and he wants everyone else to know it too. He says, "I was there. I saw what you did:."
What does this man know about Kimber? Does he really know Kimber's secrets that she left in her past, so many years ago. This man isn't wanting just a place to stay though, he wants to destroy Kimber's life and everything she knows. This is a suspense novel and it has twists and turns in it but it was very predictable at the same time.
February 5, 2019
Ohhh this was creepy! You come home from a long weekend and put your key in the door. Wait, why is it not working? Maybe I have the wrong key, nope that is not it. What the hell is going on? As your panic builds you think okay well I have an extra key. Then you look up at your window and see a figure in the window. Who is in your house and why?!
Holy crap! As Kimber is calling the police and reporting a stranger in her home I am thinking surely this will be taken care of. Unfortunately for Kimber, it is not that simple. For people that think no way this could never happen, it can. I actually knew of someone this happened to. I know of someone that moved overseas and they planned on renting their home out. Except a scam artist beat them to it. He changed the locks, drew up a lease and rented it out to an innocent couple. So this can happen and does. Except this story is so much more! Is Lance just an innocent victim? Or is he in fact the scam artist?
Someone seems to know some details of Kimber's past that she has been trying to keep hidden. Could her life be turned upside yet again? Why is this all happening at once? On top of that she is dealing with thinking of someone in her home using her personal items, sleeping her bed. This sent creepy chills down my spine.
As this sinister plot evolves we learn more about Kimber and her past. Oh Kimber how could you? I found myself detesting Kimber as she revealed more and more of herself. Her ex Gabriel tries to help her through this hard time and I wanted them to get back together so badly! Do they or is that not in the cards? My lips are sealed, you will have to find out how Kimber fares in this whole nightmare for yourself!
I read this as a group read with my Traveling Sisters, please pop over and check out what they had to say!
Thank you to Laura Benedict, Muholland Books and Netgalley for this ARC.
Holy crap! As Kimber is calling the police and reporting a stranger in her home I am thinking surely this will be taken care of. Unfortunately for Kimber, it is not that simple. For people that think no way this could never happen, it can. I actually knew of someone this happened to. I know of someone that moved overseas and they planned on renting their home out. Except a scam artist beat them to it. He changed the locks, drew up a lease and rented it out to an innocent couple. So this can happen and does. Except this story is so much more! Is Lance just an innocent victim? Or is he in fact the scam artist?
Someone seems to know some details of Kimber's past that she has been trying to keep hidden. Could her life be turned upside yet again? Why is this all happening at once? On top of that she is dealing with thinking of someone in her home using her personal items, sleeping her bed. This sent creepy chills down my spine.
As this sinister plot evolves we learn more about Kimber and her past. Oh Kimber how could you? I found myself detesting Kimber as she revealed more and more of herself. Her ex Gabriel tries to help her through this hard time and I wanted them to get back together so badly! Do they or is that not in the cards? My lips are sealed, you will have to find out how Kimber fares in this whole nightmare for yourself!
I read this as a group read with my Traveling Sisters, please pop over and check out what they had to say!
Thank you to Laura Benedict, Muholland Books and Netgalley for this ARC.
January 23, 2019
Kimber Hannon believes she has complete control over her life is shattered the night she comes home from her trip to discover her key no longer opens her front door. Now, there is a stranger living in her house. When she confronts the man, he whispers "I was there, I saw what you did!"
This story is told from two different timelines, both having different points of view. It's full of twists and has a decent set pace. Kimber is not a likeable character and I found it hard to find any sympathy for her. The thing I struggled with most was the flashbacks which were written in Kimber's sister Michelle's voice. Kimber has lots of secrets, far too many secrets and lies have been told. I found this to be a bit off putting. I think this is the first book that I have actually rooted for the bad guy.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Laura Benedict for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story is told from two different timelines, both having different points of view. It's full of twists and has a decent set pace. Kimber is not a likeable character and I found it hard to find any sympathy for her. The thing I struggled with most was the flashbacks which were written in Kimber's sister Michelle's voice. Kimber has lots of secrets, far too many secrets and lies have been told. I found this to be a bit off putting. I think this is the first book that I have actually rooted for the bad guy.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Laura Benedict for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2019
A chilling start ;Michelle Hannon is lying on the ground after falling down a hillside and hitting her head on limestone and is dying.
Kimber returns home from a weekend away to discover her keys do not fit her front door, and that there is a stranger living in her house,saying he has rented it for 6 months. When the police arrive he does have a signed rental agreement and even her elderly neighbour Jenny backs up his side of the story.
We discover Kimber has a secret when the story goes back to her childhood. In this instance the saying “what goes around comes around” is very true. Kimber is a hard person to like!!
A psychological thriller that has plenty of twists and secrets.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Review
Kimber returns home from a weekend away to discover her keys do not fit her front door, and that there is a stranger living in her house,saying he has rented it for 6 months. When the police arrive he does have a signed rental agreement and even her elderly neighbour Jenny backs up his side of the story.
We discover Kimber has a secret when the story goes back to her childhood. In this instance the saying “what goes around comes around” is very true. Kimber is a hard person to like!!
A psychological thriller that has plenty of twists and secrets.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Review
January 14, 2019
The Stranger Inside has a pretty enticing premise: Kimber Hannon returns home from a week away only to find herself locked out of her house. When she notices someone inside she calls the police, who get him to open the door; he produces the paperwork complete with Kimber's forged signature and insists that he's renting the house for six months. Overcome with frustration, Kimber rushes inside her house, only to have the man grab her and whisper in her ear 'I saw what you did.'
So that was a great opening, but it's all downhill from there, I'm afraid. Which was more of a mess, the plot or the characters? Let's start with the latter: Kimber has to win some kind of award for being the most insufferable protagonist in literary history. I truly do not believe that a protagonist needs to be 'likable,' but they sure as hell need to be interesting or sympathetic or something to hook the reader, especially in a thriller. I could not have cared less about Kimber: she's selfish, remorseless, and emotionally immature, and why should I care that it all stems from a troubled adolescence when none of it is satisfactorily examined. At one point she befriends the wife of a man she had an affair with just because she thinks it would be funny to get back at him, without a second thought about the wife's feelings, and we're supposed to sympathize with her when she starts to realize this woman is actually a person? I really did not get the impression that Kimber was deliberately constructed to be a compelling antiheroine; I think she was supposed to be a flawed person who still deserved our sympathy, after everything. It didn't work.
The plot itself was all kinds of ridiculous, with varying degrees of success; at times it was ridiculous and fun but at other times it was just ridiculous and boring. There were just too many convenient plot devices and moments that demanded suspension of disbelief. The pace at which information was revealed was haphazard at best, and it was a shame, because even the moments that should have been shocking were neutered by weak storytelling.
Now I'm going to end this review by going into spoiler territory, which I don't often do, so that just goes to show how much the ending pissed me off.
Thank you to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
So that was a great opening, but it's all downhill from there, I'm afraid. Which was more of a mess, the plot or the characters? Let's start with the latter: Kimber has to win some kind of award for being the most insufferable protagonist in literary history. I truly do not believe that a protagonist needs to be 'likable,' but they sure as hell need to be interesting or sympathetic or something to hook the reader, especially in a thriller. I could not have cared less about Kimber: she's selfish, remorseless, and emotionally immature, and why should I care that it all stems from a troubled adolescence when none of it is satisfactorily examined. At one point she befriends the wife of a man she had an affair with just because she thinks it would be funny to get back at him, without a second thought about the wife's feelings, and we're supposed to sympathize with her when she starts to realize this woman is actually a person? I really did not get the impression that Kimber was deliberately constructed to be a compelling antiheroine; I think she was supposed to be a flawed person who still deserved our sympathy, after everything. It didn't work.
The plot itself was all kinds of ridiculous, with varying degrees of success; at times it was ridiculous and fun but at other times it was just ridiculous and boring. There were just too many convenient plot devices and moments that demanded suspension of disbelief. The pace at which information was revealed was haphazard at best, and it was a shame, because even the moments that should have been shocking were neutered by weak storytelling.
Now I'm going to end this review by going into spoiler territory, which I don't often do, so that just goes to show how much the ending pissed me off.
Thank you to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2018
The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict is a psychological thriller. Kimber returns home from a weekend away to find that all the locks in her house have been changed and a stranger is living there. He claims that he is renting the house when Kimber calls the police. She is unable to get to any of her clothes and personal possessions until the authorities can sort out this problem. Kimber is not a nice person and will do anything to get what she wants and the stranger knows something about her past that can destroy her life.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 7, 2019
Maybe I'm overly picky when it comes to thrillers, but The Stranger Inside unfortunately had a few things that are deal-breakers for me when it comes to this genre, principal among them being a supremely unlikable protagonist. Unlikable protagonists aren't an issue for me in all fiction, but in a thriller, I need to be rooting for the main character for the story to have any emotional thrust. I could not root for Kimber. If Kimber was on fire and I had a glass of water, I'd drink it. (Okay, maybe that's a bit much, but I was unable to find any empathy for this woman while reading.)
Kimber is habitually dishonest and selfish. A lot of this seems to come from her traumatic past, but I can only give a character so much leeway for that, and Kimber pushes the limit. She's emotionally distant in relationships, but don't worry, she has a foolproof plan for dealing with that: she just sleeps with married men! No strings! This was bad enough, but I can look past it in a fictional character to an extent. Kimber takes it to another level, though, when she decides to befriend the wife of one of her former flings, purely because she think it'll be funny to unnerve him. The wife's feelings don't seem to cross her mind for a minute.
At this point I'm just like...
The second deal-breaker for me was the ridiculously convoluted plot. Some thriller writers seem to think that they can create an engaging story by the sheer quantity of twists. Quality, not quantity, please. Yes, if you throw in enough twists, at some point every reader is going to say, "Well, I didn't see that coming." The Stranger Inside is almost guaranteed to surprise you at least once, but this is in part because the twists are ridiculous. Obviously, I can't go into detail here without veering into spoilers, and maybe your experience will be different, but I wasn't buying some of these plot points.
Clearly, this novel didn't work for me, but the creep factor behind the basic concept is super intriguing, there are loads of characters to suspect, and I do think there's an audience for this book. This might be a good choice for fans of The Night Olivia Fell, When the Lights Go Out, and The Wife Between Us.
You can read all of my reviews on my blog, Jenna Bookish!
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Kimber is habitually dishonest and selfish. A lot of this seems to come from her traumatic past, but I can only give a character so much leeway for that, and Kimber pushes the limit. She's emotionally distant in relationships, but don't worry, she has a foolproof plan for dealing with that: she just sleeps with married men! No strings! This was bad enough, but I can look past it in a fictional character to an extent. Kimber takes it to another level, though, when she decides to befriend the wife of one of her former flings, purely because she think it'll be funny to unnerve him. The wife's feelings don't seem to cross her mind for a minute.
At this point I'm just like...
The second deal-breaker for me was the ridiculously convoluted plot. Some thriller writers seem to think that they can create an engaging story by the sheer quantity of twists. Quality, not quantity, please. Yes, if you throw in enough twists, at some point every reader is going to say, "Well, I didn't see that coming." The Stranger Inside is almost guaranteed to surprise you at least once, but this is in part because the twists are ridiculous. Obviously, I can't go into detail here without veering into spoilers, and maybe your experience will be different, but I wasn't buying some of these plot points.
Clearly, this novel didn't work for me, but the creep factor behind the basic concept is super intriguing, there are loads of characters to suspect, and I do think there's an audience for this book. This might be a good choice for fans of The Night Olivia Fell, When the Lights Go Out, and The Wife Between Us.
You can read all of my reviews on my blog, Jenna Bookish!
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January 12, 2019
The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict was a great read. This was the first book by this author for me and I will be looking out for her other books. This story had so many twists and tried to steer the reader in so many ways. The main character was not the nicest of people but in this case I think it helped the story. It is a book that you need to keep reading, you just have to know how it ends.
Kimber returns home from a long weekend away to discover that her keys do not work in her front door. She tries everything and then she sees somebody inside. She calls the police and is shocked to find that the man in her home has a signed lease and has every right to be there. Who is this man and how did he get into her house? Hen he whispers in her ear " I was there, I know what you did", she realises that somehow this has something to do with her dark past that she's has tried so hard to bury. But now she needs to work out who he is and what he wants before he destroys her life. Told in 2 timelines between the past and present, we learn all the secrets and lies.
Thanks to Mullholland Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
Kimber returns home from a long weekend away to discover that her keys do not work in her front door. She tries everything and then she sees somebody inside. She calls the police and is shocked to find that the man in her home has a signed lease and has every right to be there. Who is this man and how did he get into her house? Hen he whispers in her ear " I was there, I know what you did", she realises that somehow this has something to do with her dark past that she's has tried so hard to bury. But now she needs to work out who he is and what he wants before he destroys her life. Told in 2 timelines between the past and present, we learn all the secrets and lies.
Thanks to Mullholland Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
February 8, 2019
Suspenseful, chilling, & alarming!
THE STRANGER INSIDE by LAURA BENEDICT was an interesting and enjoyable psychological thriller that had quite the unimaginable, nightmarish and scary premise. I have no idea what I would do if I came home to some unknown person living in my home. I’m sure that I would totally freak out and be a little bit nervy and rattled just like Kimber our main character was here in this story.
This book immediately grabbed my attention and where I might have been a little bit annoyed with some of the narrative in the beginning and with the way our main character was portrayed here it didn’t last for long and didn’t distract me at all from the story. I thought Kimber’s character was a tad bit unlikeable but it just made the characters and the story that more compelling for me to read. I thought Kimber’s unlikeable character definitely moved the story forward and made for an entertaining read whether if I liked her or not. I definitely felt for Kimber and was panicking right along with her.
LAURA BENEDICT delivers an intriguing, well-written and safe thriller here with just a smidgen of darkness to it. There are plenty of twists and turns with some surprises along the way to keep the reader guessing. I enjoyed how the story was told in the past and present timeline allowing me to learn and puzzle together who “The Stranger Inside” was along with all the secrets and lies.
This was a Traveling Sisters read.
Expected Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Striking, suspenseful, freaky, eye-catching and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: Appealing, suspenseful, intriguing and absolutely love how the title plays so fittingly and terrifyingly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, engaging, captivating, and fluid.
Plot: Terrifying, sinister, suspenseful, gripping, fast-paced, clever, absorbing, enjoyable and extremely entertaining. I found this storyline to be quite the scary mystery!
Ending: An unexpected and neatly explained ending that I was extremely satisfied with.
Overall: A great read that had me entertained and immersed in this tale from start to finish! Would definitely recommend!
Thank you so much to HBG Canada and Laura Benedict for gifting me a physical ARC to read and review. I enjoyed the reading experience!
Review can also be found on our blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
THE STRANGER INSIDE by LAURA BENEDICT was an interesting and enjoyable psychological thriller that had quite the unimaginable, nightmarish and scary premise. I have no idea what I would do if I came home to some unknown person living in my home. I’m sure that I would totally freak out and be a little bit nervy and rattled just like Kimber our main character was here in this story.
This book immediately grabbed my attention and where I might have been a little bit annoyed with some of the narrative in the beginning and with the way our main character was portrayed here it didn’t last for long and didn’t distract me at all from the story. I thought Kimber’s character was a tad bit unlikeable but it just made the characters and the story that more compelling for me to read. I thought Kimber’s unlikeable character definitely moved the story forward and made for an entertaining read whether if I liked her or not. I definitely felt for Kimber and was panicking right along with her.
LAURA BENEDICT delivers an intriguing, well-written and safe thriller here with just a smidgen of darkness to it. There are plenty of twists and turns with some surprises along the way to keep the reader guessing. I enjoyed how the story was told in the past and present timeline allowing me to learn and puzzle together who “The Stranger Inside” was along with all the secrets and lies.
This was a Traveling Sisters read.
Expected Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Striking, suspenseful, freaky, eye-catching and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: Appealing, suspenseful, intriguing and absolutely love how the title plays so fittingly and terrifyingly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, engaging, captivating, and fluid.
Plot: Terrifying, sinister, suspenseful, gripping, fast-paced, clever, absorbing, enjoyable and extremely entertaining. I found this storyline to be quite the scary mystery!
Ending: An unexpected and neatly explained ending that I was extremely satisfied with.
Overall: A great read that had me entertained and immersed in this tale from start to finish! Would definitely recommend!
Thank you so much to HBG Canada and Laura Benedict for gifting me a physical ARC to read and review. I enjoyed the reading experience!
Review can also be found on our blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
June 4, 2019
The Stranger Inside has a weird and highly unlikely premise but I am not an attorney or a police officer so who am I to say, maybe this shit really happens? Here’s the scene: Kimber comes home from a retreat and discovers she cannot get into her own damn home. Someone has changed the locks and the squatter claims he has a lease that Kimber signed and basically makes her appear like she’s lost all of her marbles, then he whispers something sinister in her ear. The police won’t help her and her elderly neighbor friend claims that she saw her let the guy in so she is pretty much screwed. She leaves and goes to stay with her only other friend and calls up her ex (an attorney she dumped) to help her out of this oddly unrealistic bind. Gabriel AKA the Ex Who Still Loves Her For Some Bizarre Reason eagerly agrees even though their break-up was rough on him. A murder may or may not happen.
Kimber plots and does her own investigating and attempts to get back into her home all the while learning more about the man inside her house. The man who is probably wearing her underwear at this point (ahhh). Her digging leads to the eventual discovery of many secrets but it takes a while to get there. First there are reveals about Kimber’s guilty past, told in flashbacks in a separate timeline, her shady relationships (shady on her end because she is an AWFUL and terrible person) and a bunch of other things that I’m not going to reveal.
I basically threw my brain out the window and went with the flow after that wild setup. I’d advise you to do the same here. The twists and turns defy all logic and the emotional entanglements are a tad over the top but it’s never, ever a boring read. I have to give it that.
Most of my notes about this story are about Kimber and are not something I’d like to expose the rest of you to. Kimber is one of the most unlikable main characters I have read in a good long while. You can’t get on her side because she is such an AWFUL person in both timelines. The more I learned about her, the less I liked about her. Her only redeeming quality to me was her kindness to a sad little dog, everything else about her was selfish and just full of ugh. But I can’t lie, I found her horribleness fascinating. What made her this way? I had to know and I had to keep reading!
In the end I was left feeling a wee bit disappointed with some of the revelations but the telling of the story was compelling and it grabbed me even if I wanted Kimber to sit on a porcupine for the rest of her life when I turned the last page.
Kimber plots and does her own investigating and attempts to get back into her home all the while learning more about the man inside her house. The man who is probably wearing her underwear at this point (ahhh). Her digging leads to the eventual discovery of many secrets but it takes a while to get there. First there are reveals about Kimber’s guilty past, told in flashbacks in a separate timeline, her shady relationships (shady on her end because she is an AWFUL and terrible person) and a bunch of other things that I’m not going to reveal.
I basically threw my brain out the window and went with the flow after that wild setup. I’d advise you to do the same here. The twists and turns defy all logic and the emotional entanglements are a tad over the top but it’s never, ever a boring read. I have to give it that.
Most of my notes about this story are about Kimber and are not something I’d like to expose the rest of you to. Kimber is one of the most unlikable main characters I have read in a good long while. You can’t get on her side because she is such an AWFUL person in both timelines. The more I learned about her, the less I liked about her. Her only redeeming quality to me was her kindness to a sad little dog, everything else about her was selfish and just full of ugh. But I can’t lie, I found her horribleness fascinating. What made her this way? I had to know and I had to keep reading!
In the end I was left feeling a wee bit disappointed with some of the revelations but the telling of the story was compelling and it grabbed me even if I wanted Kimber to sit on a porcupine for the rest of her life when I turned the last page.
April 19, 2019
The Stranger Inside is a unique read and my first novel by author Laura Benedict.
Finally with her life back on track Kimber Hannon comes home from a trip to find her key no longer opens her front door. There is a stranger living in her house. A stranger who has paperwork claiming he has every right to be there. When Kimber confronts him he whispers "I was there. I saw what you did".
Written in different timelines, from past to present, the many twists and turns make this a very suspenseful and enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Finally with her life back on track Kimber Hannon comes home from a trip to find her key no longer opens her front door. There is a stranger living in her house. A stranger who has paperwork claiming he has every right to be there. When Kimber confronts him he whispers "I was there. I saw what you did".
Written in different timelines, from past to present, the many twists and turns make this a very suspenseful and enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
January 27, 2019
Kimber arrives home from a work course and cant get in her house, the locks are changed and there is a man living there, her nosey neighbour remembers her showing him around!, the Police are called.....he has the correct lease for the property and Kimber has signed it!
A great start to a tale of secrets ( of course ), lies, mistrust and pasts that were not as they seemed
But first Kimber....Kimber, Kimber! Such a complex at odds with herself character, at time unlikeable yet realistic, she really does herself no favours in life yet I found myself veering into her corner and being indignant on her behalf......I loved the parts in the book where she struggled in her mind over her rational response to something and her irrational response, she also did this with some conversations and was very cleverly written as its something we all do ( Isent it?)
Kimber has had affairs, now besties with the wife of one of them and is still friends with her ex hubby who left her for a guy, then theres her latest ex who tried to kill himself when she left him, he too reappears, a very eclectic and interesting posse of characters!!!!
The story itself carries on from the initial exciting start and the pace doesn’t really stop as the book takes you from the present to the past and back again and you slowly unearth the reason for ‘The Stranger Inside’, the ending has all the expected unexpectedness and although ends abruptly it is all neatly explained
I went from despair to chucking about Kimber and I liked that she went from ferocious to vulnerable in half a paragraph
An interesting, viable thriller
8/10 4 Stars
March 12, 2019
Dnf at 59%. Told myself if I've gotten this far I might as well finish but there are so many other audiobooks on my queue waiting to be enjoyed!! This might entirely be on me but I just found myself not getting pulled in by this one. Lots of sexual content, or at least more than I thought there would be, but other than that I didn't really see much developing over halfway in so decided to put this one down for now. Might come back and read the physical copy at some point. Some books just are not meant for audio format, IMO.
May 12, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of
The Stranger Inside.
Wow, this was an insufferable read, mostly because I couldn't stand Kimber.
* Minor spoilers ahead *
Here comes another story (I think this is the third or forth book I've read with this premise) in which the protagonist comes home to find a stranger living in her home.
Does she know him? How?
As she investigates this stranger, she realizes he is connected to her deceased father, who left after the death of her elder sister, Michelle, a death Kimber harbors a devastating secret about.
It's all Lifetime downhill from here on and the convoluted plot just snowballs like the explosions in a Michael Bay movie.
There's adultering, felons, a mentally ill ex-bf, a plot stemming from Kimber's idiot father and his wandering peen.
Told in two timelines; the past is in Michelle's voice, Kimber's older sister, as she investigates their father and the secrets he's been hiding, and the present, as Kimber deals with the stranger living in her home.
Most of the characters are unlikable or easy to ignore but Kimber is heinously detestable; she is selfish, cruel and an adulterer herself.
In many ways, as she notes, she is very similar to her father.
I take personal exception to the scene when Kimber is told about her father, Ike's secret family, the person relaying this information excuses her father's behavior by calling it 'restless.'
This really pissed me off! Seriously? Restless?
Dude, Ike was a bigamist, adultering, lying scumbag.
We already have people making excuses for their predatory and reprehensible behavior in real life; now fake characters are doing it, too! Come on!
Even though Kimber eventually owns up to her self destructive behavior, I never sympathized or empathized with her. She is a terrible person, both as a woman, a daughter and a sister.
I didn't care about her, her job, her family, her relationships, the ridiculously overwrought story about revenge, a jealous sib and money and the truth behind Michelle's death. Sheeeeesh.
Why not just pick a theme or two and run with it?
There was so much drama here, I felt like I was watching an episode of Jerry Springer.
I did like Mr. Tuttle, the dog. No surprise since animals are better than people.
Wow, this was an insufferable read, mostly because I couldn't stand Kimber.
* Minor spoilers ahead *
Here comes another story (I think this is the third or forth book I've read with this premise) in which the protagonist comes home to find a stranger living in her home.
Does she know him? How?
As she investigates this stranger, she realizes he is connected to her deceased father, who left after the death of her elder sister, Michelle, a death Kimber harbors a devastating secret about.
It's all Lifetime downhill from here on and the convoluted plot just snowballs like the explosions in a Michael Bay movie.
There's adultering, felons, a mentally ill ex-bf, a plot stemming from Kimber's idiot father and his wandering peen.
Told in two timelines; the past is in Michelle's voice, Kimber's older sister, as she investigates their father and the secrets he's been hiding, and the present, as Kimber deals with the stranger living in her home.
Most of the characters are unlikable or easy to ignore but Kimber is heinously detestable; she is selfish, cruel and an adulterer herself.
In many ways, as she notes, she is very similar to her father.
I take personal exception to the scene when Kimber is told about her father, Ike's secret family, the person relaying this information excuses her father's behavior by calling it 'restless.'
This really pissed me off! Seriously? Restless?
Dude, Ike was a bigamist, adultering, lying scumbag.
We already have people making excuses for their predatory and reprehensible behavior in real life; now fake characters are doing it, too! Come on!
Even though Kimber eventually owns up to her self destructive behavior, I never sympathized or empathized with her. She is a terrible person, both as a woman, a daughter and a sister.
I didn't care about her, her job, her family, her relationships, the ridiculously overwrought story about revenge, a jealous sib and money and the truth behind Michelle's death. Sheeeeesh.
Why not just pick a theme or two and run with it?
There was so much drama here, I felt like I was watching an episode of Jerry Springer.
I did like Mr. Tuttle, the dog. No surprise since animals are better than people.
November 15, 2022
The main character, Kimber, gets home from a weekend getaway to find a man she doesn't know living in her house. As the story evolves, readers learn about Kimber's past, secrets, and "interesting" personality (some reviewers mention that she is unlikeable) and figure out who the mystery man is.
The opening chapters are pretty good, but then the plot line becomes all over the place and the pace dwindles away. I did finish book because I was curious about the ending, although unfortunately there was nothing surprising or thrilling.
The opening chapters are pretty good, but then the plot line becomes all over the place and the pace dwindles away. I did finish book because I was curious about the ending, although unfortunately there was nothing surprising or thrilling.
May 27, 2024
I Loved THE STRANGER INSIDE 5 Stars ++ Laura Benedict hooks you from page one to the last word. Top Books of 2019 List.
February 10, 2019
⭐⭐⭐ ½
Kimber returns home from a vacation only to discover that her keys do not work in her front door. She tries everything and just as she is about to call the cops she sees somebody inside. She is shocked to find that the man in her home has a signed lease which has her signature and has every right to be there. Who is this man and what does he want from her ?
The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict is a psychological thriller with some twists and turns.The book is written in different timelines from present to past with unlikable characters but in this case it helps the story .Overall an enjoyable read
I would like to thank Mullholland Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Kimber returns home from a vacation only to discover that her keys do not work in her front door. She tries everything and just as she is about to call the cops she sees somebody inside. She is shocked to find that the man in her home has a signed lease which has her signature and has every right to be there. Who is this man and what does he want from her ?
The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict is a psychological thriller with some twists and turns.The book is written in different timelines from present to past with unlikable characters but in this case it helps the story .Overall an enjoyable read
I would like to thank Mullholland Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
March 7, 2019
A solid story which lacked a little punch.
Kimber Hannon returns home from a weekend retreat, only to find a stranger living inside her house. The door locks have been changed, the strangers bike is packed in her driveway, and peaking through the windows, Kimber sees this intruder has made himself at home; empty pizza boxes on her coffee table, clothes strewn around the house.
Adding complication to the confusion, her nosy neighbor, Jenny, thinks everything is perfectly normal. Why wouldn't this guy be living in Kimber's house? After all, Kimber signed a lease over to him. Didn't she?
The Stranger Inside got off to a great start. Loads of intrigue, seeds of doubt solidly sewn, and a mystery man who seems an innocent bystander. This premise was enough to sustain a large portion of the book and the mystery certainly kept me guessing as to what the hell was going on with Kimber and this guy inside her house.
Unfortunately there was too much filler content. The story meanders through a decent portion of the book as Kimber bounces from friend to friend seeking help until the eventual twist occurs and the story gets back on track.
My rating: 3/5 stars. A good read which could've been much better had the pace picked up a little.
Kimber Hannon returns home from a weekend retreat, only to find a stranger living inside her house. The door locks have been changed, the strangers bike is packed in her driveway, and peaking through the windows, Kimber sees this intruder has made himself at home; empty pizza boxes on her coffee table, clothes strewn around the house.
Adding complication to the confusion, her nosy neighbor, Jenny, thinks everything is perfectly normal. Why wouldn't this guy be living in Kimber's house? After all, Kimber signed a lease over to him. Didn't she?
The Stranger Inside got off to a great start. Loads of intrigue, seeds of doubt solidly sewn, and a mystery man who seems an innocent bystander. This premise was enough to sustain a large portion of the book and the mystery certainly kept me guessing as to what the hell was going on with Kimber and this guy inside her house.
Unfortunately there was too much filler content. The story meanders through a decent portion of the book as Kimber bounces from friend to friend seeking help until the eventual twist occurs and the story gets back on track.
My rating: 3/5 stars. A good read which could've been much better had the pace picked up a little.
January 6, 2019
This book was just ok. I didn’t love it and I felt it moved S-L-O-W but was ok. I struggled at times to keep going but maybe it was just me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this book in return for my honest review.
January 24, 2019
*** 4 Stars ***
Expected Publication: February 5th, 2019
This read is CRAZY.. like pure INSANITY. Kimber comes home from a relaxing weekend away to find that the locks on her home have been changed. Not only can she not gain access to her home, but there is a man living inside who has paperwork "proving" that she rented the home out to him. All her belongings are inside, everything she owns and suddenly has zero access to them. So that right there was enough to just really piss me off. (I've actually heard of things like this happening to people so it made it that more upsetting to me)
I can't imagine what I would do if someone did this to me! Who does this guy think he is? Why would he do this? Of course there is more to this story... and it is so insane that it's almost too much to deal with, which is why I didn't rate this 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, it had my full attention and I couldn't stop trying to figure out what was happening to Kimber and who this a-hole was. Another reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that I never fully connected with Kimber. I wasn't rooting for her, I didn't find her really likeable. Having said that, this is definitely a read I recommend to all; a very solid thriller that was well written.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Laura Benedict for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Expected Publication: February 5th, 2019
This read is CRAZY.. like pure INSANITY. Kimber comes home from a relaxing weekend away to find that the locks on her home have been changed. Not only can she not gain access to her home, but there is a man living inside who has paperwork "proving" that she rented the home out to him. All her belongings are inside, everything she owns and suddenly has zero access to them. So that right there was enough to just really piss me off. (I've actually heard of things like this happening to people so it made it that more upsetting to me)
I can't imagine what I would do if someone did this to me! Who does this guy think he is? Why would he do this? Of course there is more to this story... and it is so insane that it's almost too much to deal with, which is why I didn't rate this 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, it had my full attention and I couldn't stop trying to figure out what was happening to Kimber and who this a-hole was. Another reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that I never fully connected with Kimber. I wasn't rooting for her, I didn't find her really likeable. Having said that, this is definitely a read I recommend to all; a very solid thriller that was well written.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Laura Benedict for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
February 11, 2019The Stranger Inside is a psychological suspense story. Kimber returns home after a few days away and finds some guy living in her house. Worse, the police side with the guy who stole her house! Kimber is sympathetic at this point. As the story unfolds, it becomes very clear that Kimber is a bad person. She has done some seriously terrible things. At this point, it feels like karma for Kimber. The stranger in her house knows about things she has done and is after her. Why specifically is he after her? Will she get her house back? It's a kind of bizarre beyond suspension of disbelief story. It's entertaining and engaging with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. The main character is so vapid and deceitful. Read at your own risk. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2019
An excellent thriller full of surprises until the very last page. Read it!
January 28, 2019
Wow the opening scene of this book definitely had me knowing that this was going to be a great thriller! Michelle Hannon is lying on the ground after what you presume is a fall, and she’s dying after hitting her head on a rock. Fast forward to twenty years later and Kimber is returning home after spending some time at a cabin and relaxing. She goes to put her keys into the door to unlock it and her locks have been changed! Soon she realizes a man is living in her home and she doesn’t know who he is. The man informs her he is renting her home for the next six months. Kimber calls the police and the man shows them a signed rental agreement that supposedly Kimber has signed and even her nosy elderly neighbor Jenny backs up his story. The police inform her there isn’t anything they can do and she needs to take him to court! Soon she realizes maybe she does have a connection to the man in her home when he whispers to her “I was there. I saw what you did”. Kimber knows what he’s talking talking about and now realizes it isn’t her home he wants. She must find out what it is he wants and who he is and get him out of her home before he takes everything she has worked so hard for. This book jumps from the past with what let Michelle at the bottom of the ravine and present with Kimber investigating the man that has taken her home. There are so many unexpected twists that this book held my attention. Kimber was a flawed character and just enough villain that I actually enjoyed her! I give this book four stars!
September 3, 2019
My first Laura Benedict book so I was excited to read The Stranger Inside as the tag line grabbed me from the start " What if you came home to find a stranger living inside your house?"
Exciting premise that's a great start, A good well rounded story that drives the plot forward we have that, Well written a book that's sets the mood is also here, well rounded likable characters Err oh dear and this is where the book falls apart for me.
Kimber the lead protagonist is such a vile cow and unlikable that I felt absolutely no connection or sympathy for her that I couldn't summon the energy to root for her in situation she finds herself in and that is a major flaw with the book and unfortunately all the said good work that had gone before just fell away which is a real shame.
The book starts so strong that I couldn't put it down but as Kimbers back story starts to unfold I found myself not caring and wanted to stop reading which is as far as I'm concerned not the purpose of reading.
This could have been so much more a real shame.
Not worth your time or hard earned cash pick up at jumble sale if you must.
Exciting premise that's a great start, A good well rounded story that drives the plot forward we have that, Well written a book that's sets the mood is also here, well rounded likable characters Err oh dear and this is where the book falls apart for me.
Kimber the lead protagonist is such a vile cow and unlikable that I felt absolutely no connection or sympathy for her that I couldn't summon the energy to root for her in situation she finds herself in and that is a major flaw with the book and unfortunately all the said good work that had gone before just fell away which is a real shame.
The book starts so strong that I couldn't put it down but as Kimbers back story starts to unfold I found myself not caring and wanted to stop reading which is as far as I'm concerned not the purpose of reading.
This could have been so much more a real shame.
Not worth your time or hard earned cash pick up at jumble sale if you must.
February 25, 2019
3.5 ☆ Main character Kimber arrives home from vacation to find her door locks are changed and someone living in her home. Yikes! How terrifying and creepy is that? I couldn’t imagine what I would do if in her shoes!
Kimber is SO unlikeable and flawed I felt very put-off by her, and at other times throughout her story terrified for her. She’s hiding a secret that could put her behind bars BUT she’s not the only one that knows what IT is.
“The Stranger” that’s occupying her home knows it too.. making him not only a wack job but dangerous to boot (and to anyone close to her.) I was hooked—between Kimber’s unbelievable families past that’s uncovered (can I just say WOW) and the current suspense surrounding the mysterious stranger. This book was one I found hard to put down until finished.
Kimber is SO unlikeable and flawed I felt very put-off by her, and at other times throughout her story terrified for her. She’s hiding a secret that could put her behind bars BUT she’s not the only one that knows what IT is.
“The Stranger” that’s occupying her home knows it too.. making him not only a wack job but dangerous to boot (and to anyone close to her.) I was hooked—between Kimber’s unbelievable families past that’s uncovered (can I just say WOW) and the current suspense surrounding the mysterious stranger. This book was one I found hard to put down until finished.
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