The Stranger in Our Bed

by Samantha Lee Howe

‘A dark, sexy thriller where no one is who they seem. I devoured it! You will too!' Sunday Times bestseller Sarah Pinborough

You think you love him. But can you trust him?

‘Dark, twisty and enthralling’ Paul Finch

‘Wow I loved this book, every word on every page, a brilliant page turner! *****’ Goodreads reviewer

A gripping debut psychological thriller about the dark secrets in a perfect marriage. For fans of Shari Lapena.

I ended my marriage for a man who didn’t exist…
 
I have everything money can buy. I’m a good wife, but sometimes I feel trapped. And when I start an affair with a stranger called Ewan, my life changes in ways I can’t begin to understand.
 
Because Ewan breaks apart my marriage piece by piece and then he just disappears. He uses a fake name and leaves no trace behind; it’s like he doesn’t even exist.
 
Someone did this to me and now they’re waiting for me to unravel, watching my every move. I can’t trust anyone, not even myself – not even the people I love.

Readers love The Stranger in Our Bed

‘Dark, twisty and enthralling. A commanding new voice in suspense writing’ Paul Finch, bestselling author Shadows

‘Samantha Lee Howe cleverly wrongfoots the reader and does so again and again. A fascinating study in lies, evasions and deceptions’ Abbie Frost, bestselling author of The Guesthouse

‘Samantha Lee Howe does a great job of painting a picture of a woman who no longer knows who to trust or what is real; sinister and thought provoking’ Jackie Kabler, bestselling author of Am I Guilty?

‘A brilliantly twisty thriller … you never really know quite what is true and who to trust. A fantastic read that kept me glued until the heart-stopping end’ Stephen Edger, bestselling author of Till Death Do Us Part

‘A must read. This book is just brilliant, the best I have read!’ Goodreads reviewer

‘What a spine-tingling thriller! 5 stars!’ Goodreads reviewer

‘Wow I loved this book, every word on every page, a brilliant page turner!’ Goodreads reviewer

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2020

About the author

MULTI-AWARD WINNING SCREENWRITER AND
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR.


Samantha Lee Howe began her professional writing career in 2007 and has been working as a freelance writer for small, medium and large publishers ever since. She is a multi-award winning screenwriter and a USA Today! Bestselling author.

Samantha’s breakaway debut psychological thriller, 'The Stranger In Our Bed', was released in February 2020 with HarperCollins imprint, One More Chapter. The book rapidly became a USA TODAY bestseller.

In June 2020, Samantha signed a three-book deal with One More Chapter for her explosive spy thriller trilogy, 'The House of Killers' (Book 1), 'Kill Or Die' (Book 2) and 'Kill A Spy' (Book 3) were all released in 2021. Pitched as 'Killing Eve' meets Jason Bourne this is a nerve shredding, enemies to lovers tale that is simmering with obsession and espionage.

In August 2020, Samantha signed a deal with production company Buffalo Dragon for the option and screenplay for 'The Stranger in Our Bed'. The feature film went into production in November 2020 and premiered on Showtime in the USA on 1 July 2022. The film has been sold to USA, Canada, China, and various countries in Europe and was released on British TV channels on 5th September 2022.
To date, Samantha has written 27 novels, 4 novellas, 4 collections, over 60 short stories, an audio drama, a 'Doctor Who' spin-off (White Witch of Devil’s End) that went to DVD, as well as the screenplay for 'The Stranger in our Bed'.

'The Stranger In Our Bed' film was nominated and then won BEST THRILLER for the NATIONAL FILM AWARDS which was announced at the prestigious televised awards on 3rd July 2023. Since then, Samantha has won several more Film Festival Awards which include: Jio De Janiero World Film Festival: BEST WRITER. Milan Filmmaker Awards: BEST SCRIPT. And Paris Lady Movie Maker Awards: BEST SCRIPT WRITER and BEST FEMALE FEATURE FILM WRITER, Austin International Arts Festival: BEST SCRIPT IN A FEATURE FILM and Hollywood Best Indie Film Awards: BEST THRILLER SCREENPLAY.

As well as writing thrillers and crimes, Samantha’s extensive backlist includes horror, fantasy and SF novels.

A former high school English and Drama teacher, Samantha has a BA (Hons) in English and Writing for Performance, an MA in Creative Writing and a PGCE in English.

An ardent supporter of charities, Samantha is Patron of advocacy charity POhWER and Survivor Ambassador for domestic abuse charity IDAS (Independent Domestic Abuse Services) which is based in Yorkshire.

She also supports Anna Kennedy Online as sponsor, judge and presenter for the AUTISM HERO AWARDS and also AUTISM’S GOT TALENT.

Samantha lives in South Yorkshire with her husband, Historian, Writer and publisher, David J Howe and their cat Skye. She is the proud mother of a lovely daughter called Linzi.

Samantha’s next novel, 'The Soul Thief', a supernatural horror thriller will be released by One More Chapter in Winter 2024.

For further information please visit www.samanthaleehowe.co.uk

Follow Samantha on social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/samanthaleeh...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthalee...
Threads: samanthaleehowe
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthaleehowe

Reviews

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCERPT: The rain fell in big fat droplets and poured down into my eyes. My hair was plastered to my head - blonde turned into dirty wet streaks that clung to my cheeks. I'd been here before, another time, another moment of betrayal and sadness. Deja vu. Fear sank down into the pit of my stomach. I was drowning in the endless possibilities of 'future'. What about my daughter? So small, so helpless, so alone.

Oh God! Melody. She was in the house.....

ABOUT THIS BOOK: I ended my marriage for a man who didn’t exist…

I have everything money can buy. I’m a good wife, but sometimes I feel trapped. And when I start an affair with a stranger called Ewan, my life changes in ways I can’t begin to understand.

Because Ewan breaks apart my marriage piece by piece and then he just disappears. He uses a fake name and leaves no trace behind; it’s like he doesn’t even exist.

Someone did this to me and now they’re waiting for me to unravel, watching my every move. I can’t trust anyone, not even myself – not even the people I love.

MY THOUGHTS: I loved The Stranger in Our Bed by Samantha Lee Howe. A new author to me, this is her debut psychological thriller, although she has several novels in other genre published under the pen name, Sam Stone. She is a seasoned writer, and it shows.

Told entirely from the point of view of Charlotte, and in one consecutive time-line, this is a joy to read. It is twisty - I never knew quite who was manipulating who - quietly sinister, gripping and enthralling. I love the air of menace that pervades everything. Reading this is like being in one of those halls of mirrors where everything is slightly distorted, no matter where you look, and if you did see a true reflection, you probably wouldn't believe it.

4.5 breathless stars

#TheStrangerInOurBed #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Samantha Lee Howe began her professional writing career in 2007 and has been working as a freelance writer for small, medium and large publishers, predominately writing horror and fantasy under the pen name Sam Stone. This body of work includes 13 novels 5 novellas, 3 collections, over 40 short stories, an audio drama and a Doctor Who spin-off drama that went to DVD.

Samantha's breakaway debut psychological thriller, THE STRANGER IN OUR BED, is due for release on 14th February 2020 with Harper Collins imprint, One More Chapter.

A former high school English and Drama teacher, Samantha has a BA (Hons) in English and Writing for Performance, an MA in Creative Writing and a PGCE in English.

Samantha lives in Lincolnshire with her husband David and their two cats Leeloo and Skye. She is the proud mother of a lovely daughter called Linzi.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter (very apt for this book), for providing a digital ARC of The Stranger in Our Bed by Samantha Lee Howe for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started A Stranger In Our Bed last night and finished it this afternoon. What an absolute roller coaster it was, and it is based on a true story. You would not wish what Charlotte goes through on your worst enemy, that poor woman!!

To the outsider, Charlotte and Tom had the perfect life. Tom runs his family company while. Charlotte spends her days lunching and arranging charity events. But she is not happy. Tom and his mother control everything that she does and she has no freedom. And then she meets Ewan, a man who truly makes her happy and feel loved. After months of sneaking around she finally tells Tom that she is leaving him. And then Ewan disappears. Begrudgingly she goes back to Tom but keeps looking for Ewan. She discovers things about her husband that she never dreamed possible. Is she safe? Is Ewan still alive?

A great, fast paced story. Thanks to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and in no way biased

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based on a true story. Charlotte thought she had married the an of her dreams. Ut she soon felt trapped by her husband and mother-in-law. She has an affair with a man called Ewan. Charlotte is ready to leave her husband but Ewan has disappeared without trace.

This is quite a dark read. The more you read the darker it gets. It's also very addictive. It's one twisted roller coaster ride you won't want to get off until the last page has been turned. This is such a well written debut novel. This is one family domestic you definitely want to read. I will be ,looking out for more from this author in future.

I would like to thank Netgalley, HarperCollins, One Chapter and the author Samantha Lee Howe for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nazanin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Told in single POV, 1st person, it can be read as a standalone. This is my first read by this author and unfortunately it wasn’t as good as I expected to be! I didn’t like the characters especially Charlotte. She wouldn’t stand up for herself and she made wrong decisions one mistake after another. The story was a bit far-fetched. All in all, it was an OK read and hope you enjoy it more than me!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great title and cover that grabs the reader and I imagine will stand out in a busy genre market place

Charlotte and Tom, shop at Harrods, have a chauffeur driven limo, Country estate and London pad and literally everything they could wish for..except happiness, well on Charlotte’s side, she feels hemmed in and has 2 chance meetings with Ewan...they have an all consuming affair and decided to be together, forever, the time and dare are set, Charlotte gets to the designated place
And waits, in vain
The only person meeting her there is Tom
Ewan ghosts her, vanishes completely, or does he?
Then, in simple story telling language the book charts Tom and Charlotte’s ‘reunion’ and drive to find that married ‘bliss’, again, that they never really had in the first place, this time however Tom’s true evil side comes out, revealing many things ( including a fascination with his Mother ) and Charlotte realises just how much trouble she really is in

As said a very easy writing style that
easily draw the reader in and keeps you focused as the story takes turn after nasty turn

Possibly one of the scariest ‘she woke up and realised what he was doing’ scenes read lately and a good if maybe predictable ending mean most who are drawn in by the cover and title will enjoy this book

There are scenes of marital violence both physical and mental that I felt did not go ‘above and beyond’ what the author had to show to describe the character of Tom and what he was doing

8/10
4 Stars

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a page turner. The fact that this thriller is based on a true story blows my mind! You can never go wrong with domestic thrillers, I can say. The book was intense and suspenseful. I liked it how it got darker and darker as the story progresses. I think the only reason I’m giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because there were moments felt questionable to me; moments that got me “why would you even do that after everything?” Other than that, this a good thriller that can hopefully keep you up all night just like it did to me. Finally, much much better than my last read!!

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliantly dark piece of domestic noir and for me unpredictable which I always long for these days.

Charlotte seemingly has it all, a perfect life and marriage, yet she feels hemmed in and unseen. This leads to an affair and possibly true love but then her lover disappears as if he never existed...

This tale is as twisty as you could hope for from a psychological thriller, it also has the benefit of having very engaging characters that elicit an emotional response, be that positive or negative - as well as a cleverly obfuscated plot that makes it hard to unravel until all is revealed.

The themes explored here are relevant and thought provoking, sitting nicely in the background of the ongoing drama so by the time the end comes you are looking back for all the insights - I read this in one sitting, utterly caught up in Charlotte's dilemma and forever changing my mind on who was friend and who was foe.

Clever and involving. Recommended.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I went to bed early last night to start reading THE STRANGER IN OUR BED...and stayed up until 3.30am to finish it! It's the first time I can actually remember reading a book in one complete sitting! Initially, I had planned to read till around midnight...but nope, by then I was completely hooked and nothing would stop me till I completed it. It was an absolute rollercoaster from start to finish.

Charlotte met Tom when they were both studying corporate law at Oxford and upon graduating the couple married in a lavish wedding at the family manor in Surrey. Tom moved into the family company, Carlisle Corp, while Charlotte's own law degree was left on the shelf, spending her days lunching and organising charity events.

Charlotte thought she had married the man of her dreams but twelve years later she is left feeling unhappy and unfulfilled. Tom and his mother control everything she does down to the tiniest detail and she has little freedom. But why? She has everything she could ever need, they shop at Harrod's, they have a huge London apartment, a country estate in Surrey and a chauffeur driven limo - what else could she possibly wish for? Except happiness.

And then she meets Ewan.

Two chance meetings with him lead to coffee...then dinner...and then an all consuming affair. With Ewan, Charlotte can be herself. He makes her happy and with him she feels loved. She falls desperately in love with him and after months of sneaking around, tells Tom that she is leaving him. But when she arrives at their arranged meeting place the following morning, Ewan is not there. She waits for hours in the rain and he fails to show. She calls him but his number has been disconnected. She goes to the flat they used to meet at, but only a woman answers the door claiming that she is the only one living there. She returns to their meeting place and waits...but Ewan never shows.

And then a black limo draws up alongside her. Tom.

Despite her infidelity, Tom takes Charlotte back and together they work on rekindling their marriage. For the first several weeks, Charlotte is devastated to be duped by Ewan even moreso after Tom shows her a Facebook page outlining "Catfishing" where other women have been duped by similar men into leaving their husbands and the lives behind only to be left realising that none of it was real. How could she be so stupid? Ewan had really played her. She had believed him. She had loved him. And now he had vanished...as if he had never existed.

Then Charlotte falls pregnant and baby Melody is born...and everything finally seems to be falling into place. But after a passing remark by their nanny Tina about how much Melody resembles Charlotte, Tom is furious and demands a paternity test. He may have taken her back, but his anger was evident. And there was something about Tom that unsettled her.

Charlotte finds an unlikely ally in her mother-in-law who, while championing their reunion, confides that she would never let anything happen to her. What does Isadora know? She always claimed that everything she did was for Tom. So is she hiding something else?

And then Charlotte discovers an email from Ewan on her husband's laptop and a file in his desk drawer on the two of them. What does this mean? Just how much does Tom know about Ewan? Or more to the point, how much does she know about Tom?

Based on a true story, THE STRANGER IN OUR BED is a dark and twisted domestic thriller about one of the most toxic relationships I have ever read. And a scary example of gaslighting that you would hope it will never happen to you. It is well crafted and brilliantly told and while I did predict most of it, I didn't see that final reveal coming until the very end. However, it was an incredibly satisfying end to one of the best domestic thrillers I have come across.

A tale so twisted it is disturbing, THE STRANGER IN OUR BED is an addictive fast paced thriller that would make Hitchcock proud. Even down to the gothic manor of the Carlisle country estate in Surrey. And the more you read, the darker it gets.

An outstanding debut thriller from Samantha Lee Howe that is by far one of the best domestic thrillers I have come across.

I would like to thank #SamanthaLeeHowe, #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheStrangerInOurBedin exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a true story, this was a gripping psychological thriller that I just could not put down. It kept me on the edge of my seat right to the very end.

More please, Ms Howe. This is the reason I so enjoy reading. Just loved it.

[Mellisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. I loved this book! I loved the constant twists, never knowing who was lying, who was the 'good' guy.

Charlotte, at first, is a character quite hard to like but wow does she change! Tom is another character which the whole way through I didn't know if he was honest and innocent or a complete sociopath and amazing liar.

I just wanted to read more, I was gutted it ended.

[Katie T · Rating 1 out of 5]

SO F'ING STUPID

[Fiction Addition Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to believe this is a debut psychological thriller for Samantha Lee Howe but it is!

How would you feel when you marry the man of your dreams to find out your living a lie and don’t want to be married anymore. Maybe you have an affair with a gorgeous man called Ewan and fall desperately in love with him to discover one day after you’ve plucked up the courage to disclose this to your husband and leave him that Ewan has disappointed off the face of the earth!

Charlotte seems to have it all until it all goes horribly wrong.
Maybe the dysfunctional relationship Charlotte has with her Mother in law Isadora, and husband Tom is all karma for what she did?
An interesting story line that held my attention initially, but the last third of the book for me was a let down. The story was dark and held suspense but then became a little too far fetched and everything became a little repetitive. It’s difficult to be too critical as some parts of the book were really fantastic. Overall a good read.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha Lee Howe has written a sterling novel in this début psychological thriller.

Charlotte and Tom appear to have a pretty perfect life. Tom runs the family business while Charlotte spends her days arranging charity events. But she is far from content. Manipulative, wealthy Tom and his controlling mother have a say in everything she does and she has no freedom. Suddenly, Ewan Daniels catapults into Charlotte's life with whom she has an affair, and that develops into a serious relationship. She has a man who truly makes her feel happy and loved. After months of disloyalty and sneaky behaviour, she finally tells Tom that she is leaving him, only Ewan appears to have completely vanished. Reluctantly, Charlotte reconciles with Tom but carries on searching for Ewan.

Charlotte's discoveries are not what she expected and this helps to make The Stranger in Our Bed such a magnificent read. It is certainly up there with the best of thrillers about toxic relationships that I've read. The characters are well fleshed out (you'll despise some of them) and the story is brilliantly told.

The Stranger in Our Bed is one to read if dark and twisted domestic noir is your thing.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from One More Chapter via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, my! That must be one of the most toxic relationships I've read lately, and that's what make "The stranger in our bed" such a dark and twisted domestic noir. Charlotte's character gave me mixed feelings. At the beginning I felt so sorry for her, seeing how her husband and mother-in-law treated her, but after she goes back to her husband I started to feel frustrated cause I couldn't understand some of her decisions. The story takes several twists and turns, making you doubt everything and everyone, leading to a surprising finale.

Fantastic example of domestic suspense that will make you keep turning the pages. My only regret is that this is the author's debut novel, so there's no more of her books to delve straight into.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody hell, what a roller coaster ride this book took you on! So many times I thought I'd figured out what was going on, only to doubt myself when I read a little further in. Just goes to show that you never really know someone like you think you do! Was it the husband, the mother in law, the affair or was it simply all in her mind....that's for me to know & you to find out. Happy reading 🤓

[Kerryrosalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great fast paced thriller! I haven’t seen anyone talking about this one and I had it on my shelf for ages but glad I picked it up! I read it in 2 sittings as I needed to know what was going to happen next

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be a very suspenseful book once everything got going. Charlotte believes everything is good with her marriage with Tom. Slowly a man named Ewan comes into her life and after a while, she is waiting for a divorce from Tom. The issue is when she goes to meet Ewan, he is a no show she is heartbroken and wonders what happened to him.
This begins toms slowly taking over his wife’s life, she does not know it until it is too late. As tom begins taking over her life she continues to think about Ewan and where and what happened to him. The beginning of the story also has his mother being involved as well and she is a major player in this story.
When you get into the meat of this story you are taken for a ride and you begin to wonder where the author is going to take you. This mystery takes you for a ride and just when you think you have something figured out it changes and that is what makes this book so good. When you get to the ending you are still surprised. A very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Ahtims · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this during a longish car trip. Perhaps because there wasn't anything else to do, my full concentration was upon this tale , enabling me to go into the story and be there ..and perhaps that has led to more enjoyment. As any other psychological thriller , it is slightly far fetched , nevertheless one can imagine such people existing in reality . Story of a marriage and its various undercurrents .

[Diane Merritt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was liking the beginning of this. Didn't love the characters though and the ending seemed rushed like it just ended.

[Chanel Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oohh this author is definitely one I'm gonna be looking for! I devoured this book!
While I did find myself losing sympathy for the main character by the end, I certainly wouldn't wish what she went through on my worst enemy!
She put up with a lot more then I would of done in her shoes!
Regardless of my personal feelings about her decisions, she was still a character that I did root for, and she was written so well. In fact every single character was excellently written. I loved that, although there were clear villains/heroes of the story, they all had their own reason for acting like they did. Very realistic and believable!
The story had plenty of twists and turns, and it had my full attention throughout.
Overall, a dark, intensely twisted domestic read that is most definitely worth a read!
Really looking forward to reading more from this author!

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as a arc e book for my i pad from Net Galley. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

[Leanna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

To an outsider, Charlotte and Tom have a seemingly happy marriage. They are wealthy, Tom runs a successful company, and Charlotte is always out to lunches or running charity events. But on the inside, Charlotte is screaming for another life that isn't run by her husband and mother-in-law. So when she begins an affair, and the handsome, love-struck Ewan suddenly asks her to leave her husband and move in with him, she agrees.

But is Ewan really who he says he is? When the day that they are supposed to run off together comes, Ewan has disappeared..

"I ended my marriage for a man who didn’t exist…"

Told completely from Charlotte's POV, this is a fast-paced, and dark and deeply disturbing read! Based on a true story, telling the lives (and lies) and husband, wife, and mother-in-law, it is engrossing and hard to put down! The timeline was a bit rushed, but I enjoyed it! A gripping tale of domestic suspense and I will be looking for more from this author!

Thanks to # Netgalley, HarperCollins, One Chapter and Samantha Lee Howe for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! #TheStrangerInOurBed

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it but am so tired since I couldn’t put it down and go to bed!

[Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisty! Exciting! Addictive! Thrilling! Suspenseful! Keeps you guessing! Everything you could want in a psychological thriller!

#TheStrangerInOurBed #NetGalley

[Louise Mullins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book is written in first person it does not adhere to the show don't tell adage and so while I enjoyed the first half of this title my interest began to wane when I realised I was always one step ahead of the character. Because I was being told every thought and feeling and suspicion the protagonist had, and as a reader I was being fed every piece of new information before she commented on it throughout rather than being shown what might have happened and being given some leeway to figure things out myself. And for this reason the tension just wasn't there. As a psychotherapist I found the clinical psychologists ability to discuss her clients confidential conversations with the other amusing. Even with written formal consent no therapist is allowed to discuss prior conversations with ones partner nor advise them to do anything to make the other happy, even if they are paid to. Such unethical practice would result in immediate suspension and removal of licence to practice (US) or professional membership with the BPS and HCPC (UK). And no clinical psychologist in the world can prescribe medication. Only a qualified doctor or psychiatrist can. By this point, as you can imagine, I almost gave up form the sheer ridiculousness of the implausible plot but I persevered because I wanted to learn how it panned out. I was pleasantly surprised that the body in the woods was not an ex of the husband's because I'd thought long before the author mentioned Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier that the book was veering that way, and there were definite hints of The Perfect Wife by Clare Boyd in the protagonists constant refusal to leave with her daughter when she'd been given evidence upon evidence of her husband's instability and I genuinely believed that despite her apparent law degree and the intelligence her mother in law said she had that she was just very thick, had no common sense, and was a bit of a sado-masochist. Despite all these flaws I kept reading. I just think the stilted way it was written made it difficult to do so and I kept having to put the book down and pick it back up again. It's exhausting to read a book that's full of meaningless description about everything the protagonist thinks, feels, her idea, random unrelated thoughts, too constricting being in her head all day, and frustrating when she doesn't even act on her own beliefs. I'd like to read more from this author but please trust us to read between the lines. We don't need to be told everything.

[Paul Grubb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review contains very light spoilers.

This one says it's based on a true story, but I came away from it wondering which part of it (if any) was the allegedly true part. I struggled with believing the motivations of almost all of the characters. The three main characters, in particular, were perplexing and not very credible. Things seemed to happen swiftly and with no clear motivation, even when those motivations were later spelled out in (at times, excessive) detail. I wrestled, too, with how I felt about the narrator, who didn't seem especially heroic and was too focused on organizing her life around a man, even when the ones around her seemed completely untrustworthy. Rather than identifying (and executing) plans to pull away from those dubious men, she allowed herself to remain in horrible situations until she was rescued by someone else - and often in a jarringly unexpected way (not in a "well-earned twist" sort of way).

Apart from that, there were some mechanical issues with the writing. One chapter, in particular, began with a specific callback reference to something that was supposed to have been mentioned in the previous sentence or two but wasn't. That was extremely distracting, as were the many cliched turns of phrase that kept getting repeated throughout (fun game: count how many times "the colour drains from [her] face."!).

That being said, I *was* interested in learning what was actually going on, and my interest in finding out kept the pages turning pretty swiftly. In the end, though, I'd have to say I was generally underwhelmed with the collective whole of this story when I'd finished.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
added 0.5 for the way it is written, easy read and enjoyable manner of writing.

This book is supposed to be a thriller, but in fact there is very little of a thriller, it is rather a domestic drama. Hence there is too much of the main character's whining and complaining.

Char is nice otherwise, but she does not really know what she wants. She was left an orphan at 16, somehow got brilliant education and made her first step to start a career but her marriage took over. She is married to Corp CEO and every wish is attended. In exchange, nearly everything is decided for Char by her husband, Tom, or his mother, Isadora.

Char feels she has no say, she is lonely and Ewan turns up just in time for an extra marital affair as a way to escape monotonous life for Char.

Is a fling and a bit of excitement are worth it all? Is this something that going to change Char's views on life?

I sort of felt sorry for Char but i could not really connect with her. She married Tom, that was her choice, he provided her the life he promised. Put aside his nature and his actions later on, but Char chose him herself.
The part of "poor me, rich wife who can't choose a dress for charity ball" was rather petty.
Again, it felt too much domestic drama, not much of a thriller.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of thrillers lately but none have spellbound me as much as "The Stranger in our bed". Indeed I was reminded of Dauphne du Maurier's Rebecca. I did suspect the husband from the beginning and was sure the Mother-in-law was also quilty. I thought of her as a jealous mother who would sell her soul to the devil for her "precious" son. A huge compliment to the Author who first of all gave me such a good scary reading time, made me feel so many emotional moments during reading and being baffled how wrong I had been about certain characters. I hugely recommend Samantha Lee Howe's book to everyone who loves Mystery books. I am looking with great anticipation forward to her next book.

[Emma 😈 Clancy-Slack- Da silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so invested in this book i swear my thoughts were being screamed out loud . What an emotional rollercoaster that i felt i was such big a part of.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

WoW!!!! The Stranger in Our Bed by Samantha Lee Howe was just a brilliant read. I was hooked from the very first few pages and I just didn't want to put it down. I loved it, it was full of twists and turns and I found it a good page turner throughout! Samantha's new book is a gripping debut psychological thriller about the dark secrets in a perfect marriage.

Charlotte is married to Tom.....Their marriage is perfect, Tom runs his family company while. Charlotte spends her days lunching and arranging charity events. How perfect can it all seem to an outsider?
Charlotte has everything money can buy and is a good wife to Tom. However, deep down sometimes she feels trapped! Charlotte is not happy especially as Tom and his darling mother control's everything that she does and she has no freedom to do anything without them finding out!!!!

Charlotte starts a friendship with a total stranger called Ewan. It was all innocent at first but things began to happen between both of them and an affair starts between them.

They become closer and he makes her very happy and she is falling for him. Charlotte is starting to wish she was with him not married to Tom and his Mother!!!

Months pass.........Charlotte is just about to tell Tom she is leaving him! and Ewan then just disappears. When she tries to contact him she soon discovers things were not as they seem! Ewan has used a fake name and leaves no trace behind; it’s like he doesn’t even exist - he was just a Ghost!

But, Who was he?

Phew, What a book!!!! Page turn!!!! Charlotte goes back with Tom and tries to put everything that happened between her an Ewan! But, she want to find him and ask Why!!!?!!!!

The more she searches the more she finds out things about her Husband Tom and his mother!

Omg is she safe from them?

Where is Ewan? Is he dead?

Someone can't disappear without a trace? CAN THEY??

Blimey......What a book! I did not want it to finish and when it did! it had a brilliant 10/10 ending

I highly Recommend this book!!! Big Fat 5 stars from me!!!

Big Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and in no way biased