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The Stranger Behind You
In the tradition of Daphne du Maurier, Michelle Richmond, and Shari Lapena, comes the newest mystery thriller from Edgar Award–winning, bestselling author Carol Goodman—a twisty, chilling story set in a former Magdalen Laundry in Manhattan that explores today’s #MeToo complexities.
It’s taken Joan Lurie three years to write her article exposing a famous newspaper tycoon as a sexual predator. On the eve of its publication, she celebrates at a party thrown in her honor and is riding high…only to be brutally attacked as she is returning home late that night. Traumatized and suffering the effects of a concussion, she moves to a highly secure new apartment building in northern Manhattan called the Refuge. Safely sequestered away, she tries to begin writing a book that expands her much-lauded exposé.
At the Refuge, Joan encounters a frail 96-year-old woman who has been living in the building since the 1940s when it was a Magdalen Laundry and Refuge for Fallen Women. When Lillian first arrived, she was hiding out from the infamous Murder, Inc mobsters. As Lillian relates her story about the long-ago incriminating incident she witnessed that forced her into hiding, Joan recalls certain details of her own investigation.
The more Joan learns about Lillian and the fabled story of the Refuge, the more she realizes they may be linked to the book she is writing—and to her attacker that fateful night. As Joan starts to connect the clues and unravel decades worth of history, she must stay one step ahead of those who are desperate to make sure Joan never uncovers the final truth.
It’s taken Joan Lurie three years to write her article exposing a famous newspaper tycoon as a sexual predator. On the eve of its publication, she celebrates at a party thrown in her honor and is riding high…only to be brutally attacked as she is returning home late that night. Traumatized and suffering the effects of a concussion, she moves to a highly secure new apartment building in northern Manhattan called the Refuge. Safely sequestered away, she tries to begin writing a book that expands her much-lauded exposé.
At the Refuge, Joan encounters a frail 96-year-old woman who has been living in the building since the 1940s when it was a Magdalen Laundry and Refuge for Fallen Women. When Lillian first arrived, she was hiding out from the infamous Murder, Inc mobsters. As Lillian relates her story about the long-ago incriminating incident she witnessed that forced her into hiding, Joan recalls certain details of her own investigation.
The more Joan learns about Lillian and the fabled story of the Refuge, the more she realizes they may be linked to the book she is writing—and to her attacker that fateful night. As Joan starts to connect the clues and unravel decades worth of history, she must stay one step ahead of those who are desperate to make sure Joan never uncovers the final truth.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 6, 2021
265 people are currently reading
12446 people want to read
About the author
Carol Goodman
35 books2,898 followersCarol Goodman is the author of The Lake of Dead Languages, The Seduction of Water, which won the Hammett Prize, The Widow's House, which won the Mary Higgins Clark Award and The Night Visitors, which won the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is also the co-author, with her husband Lee Slonimsky, of the Watchtower fantasy trilogy. Her work has appeared in such journals as The Greensboro Review, Literal Latte, The Midwest Quarterly, and Other Voices. After graduation from Vassar College, where she majored in Latin, she taught Latin for several years in Austin, Texas. She then received an M.F.A. in fiction from the New School University. Goodman currently teaches literature and writing at The New School and SUNY New Paltz and lives with her family in the Hudson Valley.
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July 6, 2021
The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman
Joan Lurie is the author of a article exposing a famous newspaper tycoon as a sexual predator. She has so much more information that didn't make the article that she plans to write a book to expose even more that she knows. When she is attacked and possibly raped, she is more determined than ever to not be silenced. But the attack leaves her with severe vision, balance, and memory problems and terrified of being attacked again.
It's obvious that Joan needs medical attention immediately but she refuses to seek help. Instead she plugs along, doing research on foot and by computer, handicapped by the symptoms of her head injury. Little does she know that she has more than one enemy, including Melissa, the wife of the newspaper tycoon, who blames Joan for all the problems that befall her family after the expose. An interesting distraction to the bad things going on in Joan's life is her 96 year old neighbor who has her own long story of abuse by men. Could what happened to this woman 80 years ago have some connection to what is happening now?
I felt like the story got bogged down by too many improbable things. It's hard to get past the fact that Joan never seeks help for her severe vision and neurological problems which hamper all areas of her life. On the other hand, angry Melissa is able to accomplish unlikely things due to luck and abilities that are hard to believe. Then there is Lillian, who seems more than a little odd and who takes up so much of the book with her long drawn out story. I know others liked this story much more than I did but it was too much of a stretch for me, in so many ways.
publication: July 6, 2021
Thank you to Scene of the Crime, William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for this ARC.
Joan Lurie is the author of a article exposing a famous newspaper tycoon as a sexual predator. She has so much more information that didn't make the article that she plans to write a book to expose even more that she knows. When she is attacked and possibly raped, she is more determined than ever to not be silenced. But the attack leaves her with severe vision, balance, and memory problems and terrified of being attacked again.
It's obvious that Joan needs medical attention immediately but she refuses to seek help. Instead she plugs along, doing research on foot and by computer, handicapped by the symptoms of her head injury. Little does she know that she has more than one enemy, including Melissa, the wife of the newspaper tycoon, who blames Joan for all the problems that befall her family after the expose. An interesting distraction to the bad things going on in Joan's life is her 96 year old neighbor who has her own long story of abuse by men. Could what happened to this woman 80 years ago have some connection to what is happening now?
I felt like the story got bogged down by too many improbable things. It's hard to get past the fact that Joan never seeks help for her severe vision and neurological problems which hamper all areas of her life. On the other hand, angry Melissa is able to accomplish unlikely things due to luck and abilities that are hard to believe. Then there is Lillian, who seems more than a little odd and who takes up so much of the book with her long drawn out story. I know others liked this story much more than I did but it was too much of a stretch for me, in so many ways.
publication: July 6, 2021
Thank you to Scene of the Crime, William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for this ARC.
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July 17, 2021DNF @ 50%. Way too many implausible aspects for me to handle.
July 6, 2021
3 Laundry Stars
Joan looks like a fashion writer, but for the last three years she has been secretly writing an expose about a powerful man in the newspaper world. The article has just been published and she’s been offered a book deal to tell more of the story.
There’s a lot going on in this one! Joan is physically attacked and retreats to an apartment that she thinks is safe to write her book, aptly called The Refuge. She’s injured by the attack, and this compromises her ability to read and think clearly. Joan (and this reader) weren’t quite sure what was real and what was in her head.
She is befriended by a neighbor who shares her own stories of trauma and Joan learns about the history of the building she now lives in. It used to be a Magdalen Laundry and girls were sent there when they got in trouble.
There’s also another viewpoint presented, the wife of the newspaper tycoon that Joan has written about and she’s not happy about the article at all!
This was a quick read, but I think the author took on too much with this one and the story got too complicated and was not believable at times.
It did make for an excellent buddy read with Marilyn and we had a lot to discuss!
Thank you to NetGalley and Scene of the Crime/William Morrow for the early copy to read. Now available.
Joan looks like a fashion writer, but for the last three years she has been secretly writing an expose about a powerful man in the newspaper world. The article has just been published and she’s been offered a book deal to tell more of the story.
There’s a lot going on in this one! Joan is physically attacked and retreats to an apartment that she thinks is safe to write her book, aptly called The Refuge. She’s injured by the attack, and this compromises her ability to read and think clearly. Joan (and this reader) weren’t quite sure what was real and what was in her head.
She is befriended by a neighbor who shares her own stories of trauma and Joan learns about the history of the building she now lives in. It used to be a Magdalen Laundry and girls were sent there when they got in trouble.
There’s also another viewpoint presented, the wife of the newspaper tycoon that Joan has written about and she’s not happy about the article at all!
This was a quick read, but I think the author took on too much with this one and the story got too complicated and was not believable at times.
It did make for an excellent buddy read with Marilyn and we had a lot to discuss!
Thank you to NetGalley and Scene of the Crime/William Morrow for the early copy to read. Now available.
June 4, 2021
I really had a problem with this book. The plot was all over the place and at times implausible. I couldn't figure out what direction the book was going: a #MeToo story, a historical mystery, the impact of infidelity, a stalker thriller or something else entirely. I put it down more than once to let my brain catch up to the story line.
Told from the POV of Joan, a style writer and sometimes investigative reporter, and Melissa the wife of a powerful publishing magnet, the story opens with Joan's article exposing Melissa's husband for sexually exploiting several women. Then there's Melissa's reaction to the incontrovertible facts: she decides to take revenge on Joan for exposing her husband's insupportable actions! After her husband takes his own life, Melissa discovers he has been borrowing against their investments to the point that she is reduced to selling her mansion and possessions. Instead of trying to find out why her husband ruined their finances, she decides to take revenge on Joan for ruining her lifestyle. While apartment hunting, she just happens to find out there is an apartment open in Joan's building and, having gained access to Joan's apartment (don't ask how, it's too much of a long shot to be plausible), just also happens to have a device capable of copying Joan's computer hard drive. That's just the beginning of some of the many actions I found hard to digest.
I think this could have been a good, suspenseful book had the author not taken so many different directions and had too many instances where the reader had to suspend belief. Early on, Joan suffers a concussion and despite the frightening symptoms, chooses not to go to a hospital. I just couldn't get over that. There was one story line involving a 40-year-old mystery that was interesting. Unfortunately, I figured out early on that the source of the story was somewhat suspect. All in all, a promising book that could have been so much better.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is July 6, 2021.
Told from the POV of Joan, a style writer and sometimes investigative reporter, and Melissa the wife of a powerful publishing magnet, the story opens with Joan's article exposing Melissa's husband for sexually exploiting several women. Then there's Melissa's reaction to the incontrovertible facts: she decides to take revenge on Joan for exposing her husband's insupportable actions! After her husband takes his own life, Melissa discovers he has been borrowing against their investments to the point that she is reduced to selling her mansion and possessions. Instead of trying to find out why her husband ruined their finances, she decides to take revenge on Joan for ruining her lifestyle. While apartment hunting, she just happens to find out there is an apartment open in Joan's building and, having gained access to Joan's apartment (don't ask how, it's too much of a long shot to be plausible), just also happens to have a device capable of copying Joan's computer hard drive. That's just the beginning of some of the many actions I found hard to digest.
I think this could have been a good, suspenseful book had the author not taken so many different directions and had too many instances where the reader had to suspend belief. Early on, Joan suffers a concussion and despite the frightening symptoms, chooses not to go to a hospital. I just couldn't get over that. There was one story line involving a 40-year-old mystery that was interesting. Unfortunately, I figured out early on that the source of the story was somewhat suspect. All in all, a promising book that could have been so much better.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is July 6, 2021.
April 17, 2022
This book was so good!! After I finished, I cried out loud about 10 minutes.
It's started with basic mystery & suspense with 3 story lines. Joan's situation, Melissa's situation and Joan's new friend Lillian's story.
Last fifty pages, story has gone beyond mystery. That blew my mind!!
Ohhhh, I didn't expect the end.
After finished this book, my heart felt so warm, peaceful, greatful and happiness.
I want to say huge "THANK YOU" to Goodreads for the giveaway Kindle .
It's started with basic mystery & suspense with 3 story lines. Joan's situation, Melissa's situation and Joan's new friend Lillian's story.
Last fifty pages, story has gone beyond mystery. That blew my mind!!
Ohhhh, I didn't expect the end.
After finished this book, my heart felt so warm, peaceful, greatful and happiness.
I want to say huge "THANK YOU" to Goodreads for the giveaway Kindle .
April 30, 2021
Content warnings: Home invasion, discussion of suicide attempt, death by suicide, self-harm, racism (There may be more that I'm unfortunately forgetting now.)
It doesn't seem fair that we're marked by our worst moments. Shouldn't we get to choose what defines us?
Where to begin with this one? This book honestly was hot mess for me, despite the premise sounding so interesting imo. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver, and I spent a good part of it rolling my eyes and making notes about all the things that are wrong with it. It was hard to get into, as well - it just didn't pull me in the way other thrillers do. But also there were a lot of issues within it, as well.
To begin, one of the main characters, Joan, is viciously attacked on the night of her publication party for the article exposing a huge sexual predator. When she's attacked, she hits her head hard enough on her floor to be knocked unconscious. She awakes the next morning. Does she seek out medical help of any kind? No. In addition to the head trauma, she doesn't know if she's been sexually assaulted. Keep in mind she has just written a huge piece on this very subject so she knows how victims feel. But rather than go to the hospital or even a doc-in-the-box, she decides she doesn't want to seek medical help, because she "doesn't want her attack to overshadow the story." She also mentions not wanting her detractors to be able to say she deserved it. So her solution is to ignore the symptoms of a concussion, and later on, to take a pregnancy test. I don't think I need to explain why everything about that is wrong.
Now on to the other incidences that made me hate this book.
Because of the nature of Joan's story, we see many references to the #MeToo movement, including the sexual predator's wife, Melissa, talking about it going too far. However, for Joan's age and her fight against sexual assault, we still weirdly see her refer to sex workers as prostitutes. Someone in her position, and writing to expose a sexual predator, should know the correct terminology.
In addition to talking about the #MeToo movement going too far, Melissa also likes to talk about the "harmless flirtations" that happened in offices back in the day, and they were no big deal. To be clear, she isn't that old - she's 48. She believes women need to learn how to protect themselves without losing the "fun" of those in-office flirtations. Again, I shouldn't have to explain why this is problematic. She also at one point says she hopes that the assault her husband is accused of is just "a little harmless ass pinching, as gross as that is."
Melissa clearly has mental health issues and should be seeing a therapist. She blames Joan's story for upending her life so much that she ends up buying the apartment directly below Joan's in an effort to torment her as revenge. Part of that entails getting into Joan's apartment so she can make her think she's going crazy. At one point, in order to steal keys, Melissa literally fakes swooning/fainting in a cringey, laughable way with one of the doormen. When he catches her, she slips the keys out of his pocket and asks him to fetch her bottled water. Yeah, that happened. Even worse, in another instance, she legitimately smashes her own thumb with a hammer so she can summon a doorman for "help" and then steal his keys from his coat.
Joan is still suffering from her head injury. She cannot read for more than about 15 minutes at a time, so she has a smart assistant gadget read to her. She's paranoid, but also can't recognize the clear signs that something suspicious is going on.
Based on the synopsis, Lillian is meant to play a large role in the story. She doesn't show up until more than 1/3 of the way through the book. And when she does, she's telling her story, which Joan seems to doubt, and also uses the line "poor girl turned prostitute." Again, considering the story that has skyrocketed her to fame and fortune, this is unbelievably insulting and unrealistic.
There are stupid instances of double standards, and not with men vs women and their sexual lives. Melissa wants to meet with Simon, an old friend from college, and purposely dresses in such a way that she hopes to remind him he used to think she looked like Audrey Hepburn. However, when she sees Joan dressing a particular way, she criticizes her for trying to look like Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca.
There are a ridiculous amount of name drops in the book. Nevermind the fact that the crime syndicate and the members mentioned are real, we also have to be reminded that Melissa uses services like Fresh Direct, GrubHub, and Daily Harvest (also despite the fact that she's apparently "broke" now). Harney & Sons is also mentioned because of its tea room in the city. It doesn't read as recognizable and familiar, it reads as a rich person so out of touch with the world she needs to remind the reader she's rich.
We repeatedly have to hear about how Joan's mother inherited her own mother's fears and anxieties about the city. It happens so often that you might feel an urge to scream "yes, we get it, they were anxiety-ridden!"
There are multiple instances of racism. Melissa is probably the WASPiest WASP who ever WASPed. At one point, she mentions that the realtor's "talk of gentrification and up-and-coming were code for ghetto." She then goes on to say she's not a racist, she loves Marta (her Spanish maid) and she has "several - well two - Black friends". She also says, when she finds the that the girl is Latina, and "maybe I'll trot out my Spanish later." Later in that same conversation, Melissa is responsible for this gem: "'You're a Dreamer!' I say, excited to meet one."
However, it's not just her. Joan also mentions paths in the city being made by "Indians", and I think someone as young as she's meant to be should probably know that Native American, Indigenous Peoples, or First Nations are the preferred terms to be used today.
Melissa is just generally insensitive and out of touch. One chapter opens with her talking about the "morning news ranting" about a hurricane and proceeds to tell the reader how "Sandy, which was the worst storm New York ever had, wasn't really as bad as everyone made it out to be." She then explains that yeah, they were without power and internet for a couple of days, but it was "kind of fun" because they camped out with the kids, and toasted marshmallows over the fireplace and ate by candlelight.
There's a lot of fog in this book. So much fog. I feel like if there were a word cloud based on this book, "fog" would be one of the largest ones. It's just ridiculous, honestly. At some point it stops creating atmosphere and just becomes cliche.
Melissa spends the entirety of the book in denial about her husband being a sexual predator. She installs spyware on Joan's computer in an effort to suss out details so she can track down the real story and write her own book and ruin Joan's life because Joan ruined hers. But, .
I was completely shocked that Joan refused to get medical treatment, even after months of living with symptoms like headaches, inability to read for long periods of time, and putting up notes but couldn't remember doing.
Also towards the end of the book, we find out the villain is able to get into Joan's apartment because he stole her spare set of keys the night before. A set of keys that, as far as I can remember, weren't previously mentioned at all. And Melissa, for her part in the craziness - repeatedly breaking in, deleting important files of Joan's, tormenting her in multiple ways, spying on her computer - doesn't get in trouble at all. In true rich person fashion, she never even has to admit to what she's done - the book leaves off with Joan not knowing the truth. She may suspect Melissa has been in her apartment before, but Melissa certainly doesn't have a heart-to-heart with her about it; also, fairly certain Melissa doesn't attend any therapy. Instead, she just basically changes overnight and becomes a good person - taking care of Joan and being more involved with her adult children and helping out the Latina Dreamer. She also gets a job, so I guess she's not worried about writing her own tell-all anymore, though she will be interviewed for Joan's book. It doesn't really matter though - I couldn't feel sympathy for either Joan or Melissa, as neither one was very likable in general. By the end of the book, I just wanted the story to be over and I really didn't care how it ended.
Honestly, this book just felt like there was too much going on with no good reason for it. Almost as if the author had a couple of ideas, but couldn't get a full book out of either of them, so she tried to weave them together to make a parallel story and tossed in for good measure, because why not? It was incredibly disappointing, all the way around. So, no, it isn't fair that we're marked by our worst moments - but this book feels like one and has certainly made me wary of reading anything else by this author.
It doesn't seem fair that we're marked by our worst moments. Shouldn't we get to choose what defines us?
Where to begin with this one? This book honestly was hot mess for me, despite the premise sounding so interesting imo. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver, and I spent a good part of it rolling my eyes and making notes about all the things that are wrong with it. It was hard to get into, as well - it just didn't pull me in the way other thrillers do. But also there were a lot of issues within it, as well.
To begin, one of the main characters, Joan, is viciously attacked on the night of her publication party for the article exposing a huge sexual predator. When she's attacked, she hits her head hard enough on her floor to be knocked unconscious. She awakes the next morning. Does she seek out medical help of any kind? No. In addition to the head trauma, she doesn't know if she's been sexually assaulted. Keep in mind she has just written a huge piece on this very subject so she knows how victims feel. But rather than go to the hospital or even a doc-in-the-box, she decides she doesn't want to seek medical help, because she "doesn't want her attack to overshadow the story." She also mentions not wanting her detractors to be able to say she deserved it. So her solution is to ignore the symptoms of a concussion, and later on, to take a pregnancy test. I don't think I need to explain why everything about that is wrong.
Now on to the other incidences that made me hate this book.
Because of the nature of Joan's story, we see many references to the #MeToo movement, including the sexual predator's wife, Melissa, talking about it going too far. However, for Joan's age and her fight against sexual assault, we still weirdly see her refer to sex workers as prostitutes. Someone in her position, and writing to expose a sexual predator, should know the correct terminology.
In addition to talking about the #MeToo movement going too far, Melissa also likes to talk about the "harmless flirtations" that happened in offices back in the day, and they were no big deal. To be clear, she isn't that old - she's 48. She believes women need to learn how to protect themselves without losing the "fun" of those in-office flirtations. Again, I shouldn't have to explain why this is problematic. She also at one point says she hopes that the assault her husband is accused of is just "a little harmless ass pinching, as gross as that is."
Melissa clearly has mental health issues and should be seeing a therapist. She blames Joan's story for upending her life so much that she ends up buying the apartment directly below Joan's in an effort to torment her as revenge. Part of that entails getting into Joan's apartment so she can make her think she's going crazy. At one point, in order to steal keys, Melissa literally fakes swooning/fainting in a cringey, laughable way with one of the doormen. When he catches her, she slips the keys out of his pocket and asks him to fetch her bottled water. Yeah, that happened. Even worse, in another instance, she legitimately smashes her own thumb with a hammer so she can summon a doorman for "help" and then steal his keys from his coat.
Joan is still suffering from her head injury. She cannot read for more than about 15 minutes at a time, so she has a smart assistant gadget read to her. She's paranoid, but also can't recognize the clear signs that something suspicious is going on.
Based on the synopsis, Lillian is meant to play a large role in the story. She doesn't show up until more than 1/3 of the way through the book. And when she does, she's telling her story, which Joan seems to doubt, and also uses the line "poor girl turned prostitute." Again, considering the story that has skyrocketed her to fame and fortune, this is unbelievably insulting and unrealistic.
There are stupid instances of double standards, and not with men vs women and their sexual lives. Melissa wants to meet with Simon, an old friend from college, and purposely dresses in such a way that she hopes to remind him he used to think she looked like Audrey Hepburn. However, when she sees Joan dressing a particular way, she criticizes her for trying to look like Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca.
There are a ridiculous amount of name drops in the book. Nevermind the fact that the crime syndicate and the members mentioned are real, we also have to be reminded that Melissa uses services like Fresh Direct, GrubHub, and Daily Harvest (also despite the fact that she's apparently "broke" now). Harney & Sons is also mentioned because of its tea room in the city. It doesn't read as recognizable and familiar, it reads as a rich person so out of touch with the world she needs to remind the reader she's rich.
We repeatedly have to hear about how Joan's mother inherited her own mother's fears and anxieties about the city. It happens so often that you might feel an urge to scream "yes, we get it, they were anxiety-ridden!"
There are multiple instances of racism. Melissa is probably the WASPiest WASP who ever WASPed. At one point, she mentions that the realtor's "talk of gentrification and up-and-coming were code for ghetto." She then goes on to say she's not a racist, she loves Marta (her Spanish maid) and she has "several - well two - Black friends". She also says, when she finds the that the girl is Latina, and "maybe I'll trot out my Spanish later." Later in that same conversation, Melissa is responsible for this gem: "'You're a Dreamer!' I say, excited to meet one."
However, it's not just her. Joan also mentions paths in the city being made by "Indians", and I think someone as young as she's meant to be should probably know that Native American, Indigenous Peoples, or First Nations are the preferred terms to be used today.
Melissa is just generally insensitive and out of touch. One chapter opens with her talking about the "morning news ranting" about a hurricane and proceeds to tell the reader how "Sandy, which was the worst storm New York ever had, wasn't really as bad as everyone made it out to be." She then explains that yeah, they were without power and internet for a couple of days, but it was "kind of fun" because they camped out with the kids, and toasted marshmallows over the fireplace and ate by candlelight.
There's a lot of fog in this book. So much fog. I feel like if there were a word cloud based on this book, "fog" would be one of the largest ones. It's just ridiculous, honestly. At some point it stops creating atmosphere and just becomes cliche.
Melissa spends the entirety of the book in denial about her husband being a sexual predator. She installs spyware on Joan's computer in an effort to suss out details so she can track down the real story and write her own book and ruin Joan's life because Joan ruined hers. But, .
I was completely shocked that Joan refused to get medical treatment, even after months of living with symptoms like headaches, inability to read for long periods of time, and putting up notes but couldn't remember doing.
Also towards the end of the book, we find out the villain is able to get into Joan's apartment because he stole her spare set of keys the night before. A set of keys that, as far as I can remember, weren't previously mentioned at all. And Melissa, for her part in the craziness - repeatedly breaking in, deleting important files of Joan's, tormenting her in multiple ways, spying on her computer - doesn't get in trouble at all. In true rich person fashion, she never even has to admit to what she's done - the book leaves off with Joan not knowing the truth. She may suspect Melissa has been in her apartment before, but Melissa certainly doesn't have a heart-to-heart with her about it; also, fairly certain Melissa doesn't attend any therapy. Instead, she just basically changes overnight and becomes a good person - taking care of Joan and being more involved with her adult children and helping out the Latina Dreamer. She also gets a job, so I guess she's not worried about writing her own tell-all anymore, though she will be interviewed for Joan's book. It doesn't really matter though - I couldn't feel sympathy for either Joan or Melissa, as neither one was very likable in general. By the end of the book, I just wanted the story to be over and I really didn't care how it ended.
Honestly, this book just felt like there was too much going on with no good reason for it. Almost as if the author had a couple of ideas, but couldn't get a full book out of either of them, so she tried to weave them together to make a parallel story and tossed in for good measure, because why not? It was incredibly disappointing, all the way around. So, no, it isn't fair that we're marked by our worst moments - but this book feels like one and has certainly made me wary of reading anything else by this author.
July 6, 2021
Carol Goodman’s THE STRANGER BEHIND YOU is at once a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, a powerful meditation on the deep bonds and power of female friendship, and a colorful glimpse of New York City old and new. In a twisting, mesmerizing story that is as beautiful written as it is utterly propulsive, Goodman weaves a dream that blends the past and the present, takes us deep into the hearts and souls of her characters, and keeps us breathlessly turning the pages right to the shocking and poignant end. I absolutely loved this layered and moving novel!
December 19, 2022
Joan Lurie has dedicated the last three years of her life to writing about and exposing a famous newspaper tycoon as a sexual predator. He has children and a wife and the fallout of her reveals will impact them all. She also fears she will come under fire from angry readers dedicated to protecting him. But justice must be served and the innocent women he has molested and abused will have their statements put in print and their truths bared for the world to read about.
This author never fails to pen a compelling mystery but this one might have been the most heart-wrenching and hard-hitting, with the subject matter it tackled. Fear dominated the lives of the women who featured inside these pages and Goodman ensured her readers truly felt and understood their individual ordeals. This was a heavy and traumatic read, which explored the #metoo movement,. There were some implausible inclusions that I wished had been axed to make this an ever sharper and more insightful read.
This author never fails to pen a compelling mystery but this one might have been the most heart-wrenching and hard-hitting, with the subject matter it tackled. Fear dominated the lives of the women who featured inside these pages and Goodman ensured her readers truly felt and understood their individual ordeals. This was a heavy and traumatic read, which explored the #metoo movement,. There were some implausible inclusions that I wished had been axed to make this an ever sharper and more insightful read.
July 4, 2021
An atmospheric and twisty thriller
Reporter Joan Lurie becomes famous when her story in Manhatta exposes Globe owner Caspar Osgood as a sexual harasser. But as she returns home the night of the publication, she's attacked in her apartment. Terrified and feeling ill from a severe blow to the head, she moves to a super secure building in Manhattan, called the Refuge, to write a book that further details what she's discovered about Casper. At the Refuge, she meets her elderly neighbor, Lillian, who has lived there since it was the Magdalen Laundry and Refuge for Fallen Women in the 1940s. She becomes sucked into Lillian's stories, which often remind Joan of her own life. Meanwhile, Caspar's wife Melissa must deal with the aftermath of learning her husband is sexual predator. Soon, these women's lives will intertwine: in potentially dangerous ways.
"I'm here because four weeks ago someone tried to kill me."
This was an often confusing but incredibly intriguing book that combines the #MeToo movement with a story about wayward girls. You're never quite sure what's going on, as Joan can be an unreliable narrator (head injury + fear, anyone?), leaving one feeling very off balance for the entire book. There's a story within a story here, as Joan goes after Caspar and his transgressions, combined with Lillian's story and her past.
"What kind of person is more concerned about their hard drive than their body?"
I loved the 1940s piece, learning about Lily, the Magdalen laundry, and the Refuge when it was a home for girls. It's fascinating even while being quite sad. Joan could be a very frustrating character (just go to the doctor for your head injury and stop drinking already), but you cannot fault her reporting skills. Caspar's wife Melissa adds a certain depth to the tale, as she wrestles with what her husband has done. Telling the story from Joan and Melissa's point of view really expands what we learn. This is also an atmospheric read, with the Refuge becoming its own character, especially as we learn about its history from the 1940s on. Goodman is always excellent at setting the scene.
While I sometimes found this book frustrating, it was also a page-turner, with compelling characters and an interesting story with some great twists. 4 stars.
I received a copy of this book from William Morrow and Netgalley via the Scene of the Crime program in return for an unbiased review.
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Reporter Joan Lurie becomes famous when her story in Manhatta exposes Globe owner Caspar Osgood as a sexual harasser. But as she returns home the night of the publication, she's attacked in her apartment. Terrified and feeling ill from a severe blow to the head, she moves to a super secure building in Manhattan, called the Refuge, to write a book that further details what she's discovered about Casper. At the Refuge, she meets her elderly neighbor, Lillian, who has lived there since it was the Magdalen Laundry and Refuge for Fallen Women in the 1940s. She becomes sucked into Lillian's stories, which often remind Joan of her own life. Meanwhile, Caspar's wife Melissa must deal with the aftermath of learning her husband is sexual predator. Soon, these women's lives will intertwine: in potentially dangerous ways.
"I'm here because four weeks ago someone tried to kill me."
This was an often confusing but incredibly intriguing book that combines the #MeToo movement with a story about wayward girls. You're never quite sure what's going on, as Joan can be an unreliable narrator (head injury + fear, anyone?), leaving one feeling very off balance for the entire book. There's a story within a story here, as Joan goes after Caspar and his transgressions, combined with Lillian's story and her past.
"What kind of person is more concerned about their hard drive than their body?"
I loved the 1940s piece, learning about Lily, the Magdalen laundry, and the Refuge when it was a home for girls. It's fascinating even while being quite sad. Joan could be a very frustrating character (just go to the doctor for your head injury and stop drinking already), but you cannot fault her reporting skills. Caspar's wife Melissa adds a certain depth to the tale, as she wrestles with what her husband has done. Telling the story from Joan and Melissa's point of view really expands what we learn. This is also an atmospheric read, with the Refuge becoming its own character, especially as we learn about its history from the 1940s on. Goodman is always excellent at setting the scene.
While I sometimes found this book frustrating, it was also a page-turner, with compelling characters and an interesting story with some great twists. 4 stars.
I received a copy of this book from William Morrow and Netgalley via the Scene of the Crime program in return for an unbiased review.
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July 6, 2021
Joan Lurie was struggling to get ahead as a journalist. She gets her big break when she is hired by Manahatta to write for their Style section as she develops a #MeToo story on Caspar Osgood, owner of competitor, The Globe. When the article finally runs, it is a huge news story. The Stranger Behind You starts as an interesting commentary on sexual abuse in the workplace but becomes much more. The night of the story’s release, Joan is attacked and suffers a head injury. Fearing news of the assault will take the focus off her story, she doesn’t call the police or seek medical attention. Big mistake. She soon moves into an interesting old building in the Inwood section of Manhattan called the Refuge, which promises to offer excellent security but almost immediately, she senses she is being followed and is in danger.
This gothic-style mystery/thriller gets even more interesting when Joan meets her elderly neighbor Lillian, who has lived in the building since it was a Magdalen Laundry. (Magdalen Laundries started in Ireland. They were places “fallen women” were sent and were essentially treated like prisoners. A good subject to google.) Lillian has a fascinating history which includes getting involved with Murder, Inc., a notorious organized crime group, which ruled the city from 1929 to 1941.
Carol Goodman has written a very compelling book that sucked me in from the start and never let me go. There are several aspects of the story that strain credulity and might have you shaking your head (like Joan not seeking help for her head injury) but sometimes it’s best to accept what’s written and simply enjoy the ride. I did.
Many thanks to Edelweiss+ and William Morrow / Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this heart-pounding book in advance of its July 6 publication.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
This gothic-style mystery/thriller gets even more interesting when Joan meets her elderly neighbor Lillian, who has lived in the building since it was a Magdalen Laundry. (Magdalen Laundries started in Ireland. They were places “fallen women” were sent and were essentially treated like prisoners. A good subject to google.) Lillian has a fascinating history which includes getting involved with Murder, Inc., a notorious organized crime group, which ruled the city from 1929 to 1941.
Carol Goodman has written a very compelling book that sucked me in from the start and never let me go. There are several aspects of the story that strain credulity and might have you shaking your head (like Joan not seeking help for her head injury) but sometimes it’s best to accept what’s written and simply enjoy the ride. I did.
Many thanks to Edelweiss+ and William Morrow / Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this heart-pounding book in advance of its July 6 publication.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
July 10, 2021
I have read many of Carol Goodman’s novels over the years and this book has some of her trademarks: a New York state setting; a young professional woman encountering unexpected, and apparently malignant, forces as she pursues her career; untrustworthy people; and building suspense. In The Stranger Behind You, Goodman adds a dual narrative thread to the story which adds information over time but also increases the complexity of this very detailed novel.
Joan Lurie, writer for a NYC magazine, has written an expose on the sexual harassment/assault history of Cass Osgood, head of NY Globe newspaper. She has spent three years investigating, interviewing, following leads and trails and now is offered a book deal. But someone appears to want Joan to stop.
I found the final third of the book very suspenseful, exciting reading. The lead-up varied for a variety of reasons, perhaps primarily because there was simply so much going on, so many points of view, too much information. While I did ultimately recall what I needed during the denouement, there was a lot there. Not to mention the number of coincidences.
I do enjoy Goodman’s writing and will continue to read her novels. Rating 3.5* rounded to 3.
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Joan Lurie, writer for a NYC magazine, has written an expose on the sexual harassment/assault history of Cass Osgood, head of NY Globe newspaper. She has spent three years investigating, interviewing, following leads and trails and now is offered a book deal. But someone appears to want Joan to stop.
I found the final third of the book very suspenseful, exciting reading. The lead-up varied for a variety of reasons, perhaps primarily because there was simply so much going on, so many points of view, too much information. While I did ultimately recall what I needed during the denouement, there was a lot there. Not to mention the number of coincidences.
I do enjoy Goodman’s writing and will continue to read her novels. Rating 3.5* rounded to 3.
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
March 22, 2021
The Stranger Behind You starts with Joan, a young reporter, looking at a Manhattan apartment and quizzing the realtor about all the safety features. Is the doorman on duty 24/7? Exactly where are the security cameras located? Are there double locks on all the doors? Joan is afraid of something, or someone and looking for a place to hideout while she writes a book based on her recent expose article about a powerful newspaper publisher who had been forcing himself on young women for years. Joan rents an apartment on the top floor of the Refuge, an old building once used as a home for unwed mothers and other fallen women. Those women were kept as virtual prisoners, locked in by nuns, and forced to labor over huge steaming vats in a Magdalen laundry in the basement.
The building, a Gothic tower on a cliff above a rocky riverside, is a constant presence, looming over Joan's life as the place she clings to for safety becomes the most dangerous place she could be. Suspense grows as the reader sees the danger, but Joan does not.
A second story line develops when Joan meets an elderly neighbor and begins listening to her stories about the Refuge in the 1940s and a young girl who was forced to hide there. The two stories converge in a most unexpected and totally satisfying way. Great ending!
August 8, 2021
In the prologue, journalist Joan Lurie is looking at a very secure apartment with a 24 hour doorman, fiber optic alarm and security cameras. Joan wrote an expose on a wealthy businessman who was a sexual predator to the women who worked for him. A month ago, someone tried to kill Joan and she was left with a possible concussion or worse. Why doesn't she seek medical help? Doesn't make good sense.
Melissa Osgood is the widow of the man Joan exposed. He committed suicide. She's out for revenge.
Lillian Day is the occupant of the only other apartment on Joan's floor. She's lived there for 71 years, even before it became an apartment building. Yes, that building has a checkered past.
I love the old Gothic mansion on the cover. It gave off a creepy vibe. The book was easy to read. It slowed down a bit in the middle but it picked up. You have to remember that you are reading fiction for entertainment because the story is not too plausible in places. I had to wonder about Joan's reliability from the start due to that knock on her head. But there were good twists to the story, which I always like in a book.
Melissa Osgood is the widow of the man Joan exposed. He committed suicide. She's out for revenge.
Lillian Day is the occupant of the only other apartment on Joan's floor. She's lived there for 71 years, even before it became an apartment building. Yes, that building has a checkered past.
I love the old Gothic mansion on the cover. It gave off a creepy vibe. The book was easy to read. It slowed down a bit in the middle but it picked up. You have to remember that you are reading fiction for entertainment because the story is not too plausible in places. I had to wonder about Joan's reliability from the start due to that knock on her head. But there were good twists to the story, which I always like in a book.
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July 23, 2021Full review to come soon!
March 22, 2021
The Stranger Behind You is a fast-reading, suspenseful novel with plenty of twists and unexpected turns. After investigative reporter Joan Lurie exposes prominent Cass Osgood as a sexual predator, she is struck on the head and suffers from blackouts. She moves to The Refuge, once a place run by nuns for "wayward girls." Bent on revenge for creating what she considers false stories invented by a attention-seeking reporter, Melissa Osgood, the predator's wife, moves into the apartment below Joan's. What follows is an exciting cat-and-mouse hunt that is far more complicated than either Melissa or Joan can imagine. It also delves into a story of love, loss and betrayal that took place in The Refuge almost one hundred years earlier. Good to the very last page.
July 23, 2021
It pains me to say this isn’t a good book. I have loved and devoured Ms. Goodman’s other books and am perplexed that the author of The Ghost Orchid and The Sonnet Lover could have written this chaotic and predictable story. As other reviews have noted, the endless branding references to GrubHub and Daily Harvest are grating and will eventually date this book. I found the obvious references to what I assume are the author’s dislike of Republicans and our nation’s immigration laws awkwardly shoehorned into a story without enriching it. In my opinion, a story about #metoo would have been better served without the happy, gift wrapped ending we can see coming from a mile away. After all, in real life, do those stories ever have anything resembling a happy ending?
Give this one a pass and read The Drowning Tree instead.
Give this one a pass and read The Drowning Tree instead.
July 28, 2021
FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON AUGUST 28.
We meet Joan who has just had an article published that was three years in the making and that exposed Caspar Osgood.
The joy of being published was marred by her being attacked when she arrived home.
We meet two other women with secrets along with a building with secrets.
The book is slow at first, but once you learn of what these three women are doing and what is in their past, the book picks up.
THE STRANGER BEHIND YOU was different from Ms. Goodman's other books, but well written as always.
It has a great wrap-up ending so don’t give up too soon as I almost did. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
We meet Joan who has just had an article published that was three years in the making and that exposed Caspar Osgood.
The joy of being published was marred by her being attacked when she arrived home.
We meet two other women with secrets along with a building with secrets.
The book is slow at first, but once you learn of what these three women are doing and what is in their past, the book picks up.
THE STRANGER BEHIND YOU was different from Ms. Goodman's other books, but well written as always.
It has a great wrap-up ending so don’t give up too soon as I almost did. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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August 14, 2021Domestic Thrillers
Publication Date: July 6, 2021
You never know who is watching
This story stars intriguing, reminded me a little of Lock Every Door, e.g. old building with a dark past, security cameras, doorman at the door keeping watch. But sadly when the chapters started to alternate between Joan's story (a young journalist who revealed that powerful businessman Casper "Cass"Osgood is a sexual predator) and Melissa's story (wife of Casper Osgood), the story began to go downhill. I tried bu somehow I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. Also this story didn't keep me hooked the way other thrillers do. I was more eager to put book down than read on and find out what will happen next. I started to skip (especially Melissa's chapters) to get to the end and be over with it.
Publication Date: July 6, 2021
You never know who is watching
This story stars intriguing, reminded me a little of Lock Every Door, e.g. old building with a dark past, security cameras, doorman at the door keeping watch. But sadly when the chapters started to alternate between Joan's story (a young journalist who revealed that powerful businessman Casper "Cass"Osgood is a sexual predator) and Melissa's story (wife of Casper Osgood), the story began to go downhill. I tried bu somehow I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. Also this story didn't keep me hooked the way other thrillers do. I was more eager to put book down than read on and find out what will happen next. I started to skip (especially Melissa's chapters) to get to the end and be over with it.
May 5, 2022
3.5 rounded down
Initially was hooked, timely topic. Somewhere along the line, I lost interest, not really sure why. Not a good transition between present and past. Last chapters and ending wrapped things up nicely but I wasn't surprised by any of it.
Won in a giveaway.
Initially was hooked, timely topic. Somewhere along the line, I lost interest, not really sure why. Not a good transition between present and past. Last chapters and ending wrapped things up nicely but I wasn't surprised by any of it.
Won in a giveaway.
September 12, 2023
I was honestly not expecting to like this as much as I did. I was prepared to give 4 stars most of the way through. But the end gave me goosebumps! I enjoyed all of the characters. The underlying plot about a sweet lady named Lillian really added to the story. It’s not as much of a thriller as I had anticipated, but definitely mysterious and wonderful.
August 5, 2021
I have loved so many of Carol Goodman's books over the years and I was excited to read this one. The 3 star rating is a generous rating for me. I can't bring myself to rate lower but I couldn't connect with the characters. This is missing the magic of her earlier books. This one just did not resonate with me. :(
September 13, 2021
Carol Goodman is an author after my Gothic heart. I haven’t read any of her other books before this one, but when this one came up for review I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it because it had this decidedly Gothic feel. Not to mention a lot of fans have called her the modern day Daphne du Maurier. I love books with a Gothic feel, especially murder mysteries so I was super excited to read this one.
Goodman has written other novels that by all accounts are atmospheric and moody so I was really looking forward to this one. I also loved that it had a modern component with the #MeToo plot line. I think a lot of readers will find relevance in the plot as the #MeToo movement has been a big news headline in recent years so that was one of the things that really excited me about this book.
The only thing I was a little skeptical about was the history piece. After reading the summary it sounded like it had a lot going on—-a mystery, a #MeToo aspect, and a historical part but I wasn’t sure if it had a modern plot or not so that was a little confusing, but I was excited to see how the Gothic atmosphere was deployed in this one and ultimately that’s what drove my desire to read this one.
This one landed in the middle for me. On one hand, I liked the atmosphere and it had a great Gothic feel. I loved how Goodman describes everything and the narrator is unreliable which I love. While reading the book I felt really off balance and questioning Joan as a narrator throughout the novel which was wonderful. I loved how well written the mystery was and how great the descriptions were but there was also something a little confusing that went beyond the general hallmarks of the unreliable narrator.
I think what put me off to this one at times was the story within a story and A LOT going on in the plot. I don’t necessarily think it’s a ‘bad thing’ that there was a lot going on, but I think that readers need to pay attention to the plot. This isn’t a book you can breeze through and expect to grasp everything. There were also times when I felt like I needed time to catch up to the story because things were coming fast plus there were a lot of twists in this one—-so let’s just say it kept me on my toes and at times exhausted me which is why I ended up going with 3 stars for this one.
The characters in this one were very complex and I think readers will enjoy dissecting their characters and motives throughout the story and the historic mystery part of this one was interesting especially for someone who enjoys historical fiction like me. I did like that part but overall I felt like the larger narrative was a little too busy and could have been paired down a bit to make for a more straight forward read. While I might not have loved this one in the way that I had hoped, I did love the Gothic elements and atmosphere of the book and that alone makes me want to read more books by Goodman!
See my full review here
Goodman has written other novels that by all accounts are atmospheric and moody so I was really looking forward to this one. I also loved that it had a modern component with the #MeToo plot line. I think a lot of readers will find relevance in the plot as the #MeToo movement has been a big news headline in recent years so that was one of the things that really excited me about this book.
The only thing I was a little skeptical about was the history piece. After reading the summary it sounded like it had a lot going on—-a mystery, a #MeToo aspect, and a historical part but I wasn’t sure if it had a modern plot or not so that was a little confusing, but I was excited to see how the Gothic atmosphere was deployed in this one and ultimately that’s what drove my desire to read this one.
This one landed in the middle for me. On one hand, I liked the atmosphere and it had a great Gothic feel. I loved how Goodman describes everything and the narrator is unreliable which I love. While reading the book I felt really off balance and questioning Joan as a narrator throughout the novel which was wonderful. I loved how well written the mystery was and how great the descriptions were but there was also something a little confusing that went beyond the general hallmarks of the unreliable narrator.
I think what put me off to this one at times was the story within a story and A LOT going on in the plot. I don’t necessarily think it’s a ‘bad thing’ that there was a lot going on, but I think that readers need to pay attention to the plot. This isn’t a book you can breeze through and expect to grasp everything. There were also times when I felt like I needed time to catch up to the story because things were coming fast plus there were a lot of twists in this one—-so let’s just say it kept me on my toes and at times exhausted me which is why I ended up going with 3 stars for this one.
The characters in this one were very complex and I think readers will enjoy dissecting their characters and motives throughout the story and the historic mystery part of this one was interesting especially for someone who enjoys historical fiction like me. I did like that part but overall I felt like the larger narrative was a little too busy and could have been paired down a bit to make for a more straight forward read. While I might not have loved this one in the way that I had hoped, I did love the Gothic elements and atmosphere of the book and that alone makes me want to read more books by Goodman!
See my full review here
May 30, 2021
Solid 3.5
I have read a few of Carol Goodman's novels. She is always a fast, entertaining read. This book is no different.
This book veered somewhat from her Gothic thriller, although not altogether. It was a bit more "current" than her norm and took place mostly in Manhattan rather than upstate NY. From the surface it seemed as if it would be a MeToo novel but there was so much more.
The story was told in 2 opposing POVs - the journalist who broke the story of well-known newspaper owner as a sexual predator and the wife of the well-known newspaper owner. It was interesting to get both of their versions of the same story. There was also a parallel plot that takes place in the past, the 1940's.
The Stranger Behind You had strong themes of self worth and how it relates to truth, trust and love. The thing that held me back from giving it a true 4 was that there was just too much going on and the ending was convoluted. As is many times the case, the reader needs to suspend reality sometimes to enjoy a novel for the pure entertainment. This book stretched that a bit.
In any case, this book would be great for book clubs and an easy recommend.
I want to thank William Morrow and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the advance digital edition in exchange for an honest opinion.
I have read a few of Carol Goodman's novels. She is always a fast, entertaining read. This book is no different.
This book veered somewhat from her Gothic thriller, although not altogether. It was a bit more "current" than her norm and took place mostly in Manhattan rather than upstate NY. From the surface it seemed as if it would be a MeToo novel but there was so much more.
The story was told in 2 opposing POVs - the journalist who broke the story of well-known newspaper owner as a sexual predator and the wife of the well-known newspaper owner. It was interesting to get both of their versions of the same story. There was also a parallel plot that takes place in the past, the 1940's.
The Stranger Behind You had strong themes of self worth and how it relates to truth, trust and love. The thing that held me back from giving it a true 4 was that there was just too much going on and the ending was convoluted. As is many times the case, the reader needs to suspend reality sometimes to enjoy a novel for the pure entertainment. This book stretched that a bit.
In any case, this book would be great for book clubs and an easy recommend.
I want to thank William Morrow and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the advance digital edition in exchange for an honest opinion.
January 13, 2025
3.5 stars rounded down.
Carol Goodman is usually a favorite author but this story didn’t quite grab me as well as some of her other books. The storyline is a bit convoluted but comes together nicely in the end.
There are done plot points that were annoying though. Joan suffers a head injury during a physical attack in her apartment but doesn’t seek any medical treatment even though she has ongoing physical problems afterwards. Although this becomes a major plot impetus later in the story, until the story reaches this denouement Joan’s refusal to get medical treatment just seems stupid and irresponsible.
Melissa, although understandably angry about the article that Joan wrote, goes way beyond what any reasonable person would do to get revenge on Joan, making her a very unreliable narrator given her self justification and misinterpretation of events. She is one of the most self absorbed and entitled characters I have ever read and very unlikable.
The story plods along in a somewhat confusing manner until about the 60% point, where the pace finally picks up and the story comes together. I almost DNF’d the book but since I have always enjoyed this author’s books I persevered and am glad I did. Although not one of her best books, it still is good.
Probably the most interesting part of the book is the author’s notes, which give some background information on her life and where she got the inspiration for this story.
Maybe not a recommend but still a worthwhile read.
Carol Goodman is usually a favorite author but this story didn’t quite grab me as well as some of her other books. The storyline is a bit convoluted but comes together nicely in the end.
There are done plot points that were annoying though. Joan suffers a head injury during a physical attack in her apartment but doesn’t seek any medical treatment even though she has ongoing physical problems afterwards. Although this becomes a major plot impetus later in the story, until the story reaches this denouement Joan’s refusal to get medical treatment just seems stupid and irresponsible.
Melissa, although understandably angry about the article that Joan wrote, goes way beyond what any reasonable person would do to get revenge on Joan, making her a very unreliable narrator given her self justification and misinterpretation of events. She is one of the most self absorbed and entitled characters I have ever read and very unlikable.
The story plods along in a somewhat confusing manner until about the 60% point, where the pace finally picks up and the story comes together. I almost DNF’d the book but since I have always enjoyed this author’s books I persevered and am glad I did. Although not one of her best books, it still is good.
Probably the most interesting part of the book is the author’s notes, which give some background information on her life and where she got the inspiration for this story.
Maybe not a recommend but still a worthwhile read.
September 19, 2021
How have I never read a book by this author before? I could not put this book down. It had everything mystery, historical fiction and so much more.
Joan Lurie a reporter has just written and had her article published, an article that exposes Casper Osgood from the Globe another magazine as a sexual harasser. The night of her big reveal she’s attacked in her apartment, left on the floor she wakes up with a lump on her head and feeling disoriented from the chloroform. Looking to feel safe she moves to a more secure apartment called The Refuge. She gets offered a book deal to further discuss Casper and her findings. At the Refuge she meets her elderly neighbor Lillian. Lillian has lived there when the building was Magdalen Laundry and Refuge for Fallen Women in the 1940s. Soon Lillian begins to tell Joan about her life and how she ended up at the building that’s now an apartment complex. Her story is filled with mobsters and working under cover and soon how she was betrayed. Joan is blown away. Meanwhile we meet Melissa Caspar's wife whose now dealing with the aftermath of learning her husband is sexual predator. We are soon taken down the path where all three of these woman’s life begin to intertwine and the mystery is just beginning! I truly enjoyed this book it was so different than other mysteries! Five stars! FYI this book does cover the #metoo movement, rape, sexual harassment and death.
Joan Lurie a reporter has just written and had her article published, an article that exposes Casper Osgood from the Globe another magazine as a sexual harasser. The night of her big reveal she’s attacked in her apartment, left on the floor she wakes up with a lump on her head and feeling disoriented from the chloroform. Looking to feel safe she moves to a more secure apartment called The Refuge. She gets offered a book deal to further discuss Casper and her findings. At the Refuge she meets her elderly neighbor Lillian. Lillian has lived there when the building was Magdalen Laundry and Refuge for Fallen Women in the 1940s. Soon Lillian begins to tell Joan about her life and how she ended up at the building that’s now an apartment complex. Her story is filled with mobsters and working under cover and soon how she was betrayed. Joan is blown away. Meanwhile we meet Melissa Caspar's wife whose now dealing with the aftermath of learning her husband is sexual predator. We are soon taken down the path where all three of these woman’s life begin to intertwine and the mystery is just beginning! I truly enjoyed this book it was so different than other mysteries! Five stars! FYI this book does cover the #metoo movement, rape, sexual harassment and death.
January 12, 2022
I adore Carol Goodman's books and this one did not disappoint and kept me up way later than I had planned! Melissa is married when her husband is found dead in the family pool. She discovers Joan has written a scathing article accusing him of horrible crimes against women. So she decides to do some digging of her own, but what she uncovers is shocking as well. This is a perfect read for fans of the #MeToo movement and its repercussions, as well as friendships, secrets, ambition, and atonement. I absolutely loved it!
July 31, 2021
I considered DNF'ing this multiple times but I hate not finishing a book and so I trudged through. I've hidden this review because I need to rant about the book and will be spoiling it.
The sad thing is I think the main stories could have done well on their own, like the main story of Joan vs. The Osgoods and then the story of Joan and Lilian. Putting them together made the story jump around a lot in tone and narrative and they didn't work well together.
There was just too much going on and like other reviewers have pointed out, the suspension of disbelief for this story to be plausible is too much to handle. You're telling me Melissa is just that amazing at guessing people's passwords and suddenly a pro at hacking into people's computers and spoofing email addresses and finding the right person on Facebook? No, I'm sorry, I just don't buy it. Melissa is the luckiest person on the planet with how she's able to carry some of her stalkerish missions out, such as fishing out keys undetected. I do know that there are women out there who will blame the other person when things about their partners come to life, but as soon as Melissa realized he'd left her with no money you'd think she'd change her tune from hating Joan and direct her misplaced anger to the right source. Also, is it ever revealed who Barbara is? Wally? Simon? Who knows! All I know is that Melissa has a future as a detective or a criminal with her skills in finding people, breaking in undetected, picking pockets, and getting into other people's computers with her unbelievable password-guessing abilities.
Then there's Joan. I so wanted to like Joan. I was excited at first as it seemed we had a level-headed protagonist on our hands but nope, she's attacked and suffering severe consequences and she doesn't go to the hospital?? I cannot get past that as it was so idiotic. Can authors stop making our female protagonists either lushes who aren't believed or characters that are Too Stupid To Live? After having issues for weeks and not going to the hospital, Joan fell right into the TSTL category and it was hard to care about what happened to her. This book really reminded me of "The Woman in the Window," which I also hated as that main character was awful.
Simon's villain monologue at the end did give me a good laugh just because it was so over-the-top and cartoonish. His reveal wasn't unexpected but felt very paint-by-the-numbers. Plus, would it have been that hard to get a male character that wasn't a total creep or villain? I think Frank is the only one but he's been dead for 70 years.
If Lilian's part were its own story I would have really liked to read that. It was a bit unbelievable at the end when we find out Lilian is a ghost and Rose is Joan's grandmother. How convenient for Lilian that her best friend's granddaughter moved into the place she's haunting. We had no insight that the ending would reveal her grandmother was Rose and felt like a twist just for the twist's sake. Again, it seemed like too many genres smushed together without properly laying the foundation. The ending was wrapped up too nicely with Melissa doing a complete 180 just after listening to a recording and becoming good friends with Joan. It was really weird.
I also noticed a few errors in the book, like missing quotation marks so it was hard to tell if something was actually being said or just someone's internal monologue. The writing wasn't bad but I did notice that there are a lot, and I mean a lot, of details that don't add anything to the story. I don't care that Melissa is getting her food from GrubHub or always using Waze. There was a lot of product name dropping that really jumped out at me and took me out of the story.
The book had promise but the execution was a hot mess that I forced myself to finish without actually enjoying it. Had it either been a #MeToo story that didn't have the history elements or had it been a journalist is uncovering a story via a ghost, it could have been a good read. It's trying to do too much and be woke and jump across genres that it ends up failing.
The sad thing is I think the main stories could have done well on their own, like the main story of Joan vs. The Osgoods and then the story of Joan and Lilian. Putting them together made the story jump around a lot in tone and narrative and they didn't work well together.
There was just too much going on and like other reviewers have pointed out, the suspension of disbelief for this story to be plausible is too much to handle. You're telling me Melissa is just that amazing at guessing people's passwords and suddenly a pro at hacking into people's computers and spoofing email addresses and finding the right person on Facebook? No, I'm sorry, I just don't buy it. Melissa is the luckiest person on the planet with how she's able to carry some of her stalkerish missions out, such as fishing out keys undetected. I do know that there are women out there who will blame the other person when things about their partners come to life, but as soon as Melissa realized he'd left her with no money you'd think she'd change her tune from hating Joan and direct her misplaced anger to the right source. Also, is it ever revealed who Barbara is? Wally? Simon? Who knows! All I know is that Melissa has a future as a detective or a criminal with her skills in finding people, breaking in undetected, picking pockets, and getting into other people's computers with her unbelievable password-guessing abilities.
Then there's Joan. I so wanted to like Joan. I was excited at first as it seemed we had a level-headed protagonist on our hands but nope, she's attacked and suffering severe consequences and she doesn't go to the hospital?? I cannot get past that as it was so idiotic. Can authors stop making our female protagonists either lushes who aren't believed or characters that are Too Stupid To Live? After having issues for weeks and not going to the hospital, Joan fell right into the TSTL category and it was hard to care about what happened to her. This book really reminded me of "The Woman in the Window," which I also hated as that main character was awful.
Simon's villain monologue at the end did give me a good laugh just because it was so over-the-top and cartoonish. His reveal wasn't unexpected but felt very paint-by-the-numbers. Plus, would it have been that hard to get a male character that wasn't a total creep or villain? I think Frank is the only one but he's been dead for 70 years.
If Lilian's part were its own story I would have really liked to read that. It was a bit unbelievable at the end when we find out Lilian is a ghost and Rose is Joan's grandmother. How convenient for Lilian that her best friend's granddaughter moved into the place she's haunting. We had no insight that the ending would reveal her grandmother was Rose and felt like a twist just for the twist's sake. Again, it seemed like too many genres smushed together without properly laying the foundation. The ending was wrapped up too nicely with Melissa doing a complete 180 just after listening to a recording and becoming good friends with Joan. It was really weird.
I also noticed a few errors in the book, like missing quotation marks so it was hard to tell if something was actually being said or just someone's internal monologue. The writing wasn't bad but I did notice that there are a lot, and I mean a lot, of details that don't add anything to the story. I don't care that Melissa is getting her food from GrubHub or always using Waze. There was a lot of product name dropping that really jumped out at me and took me out of the story.
The book had promise but the execution was a hot mess that I forced myself to finish without actually enjoying it. Had it either been a #MeToo story that didn't have the history elements or had it been a journalist is uncovering a story via a ghost, it could have been a good read. It's trying to do too much and be woke and jump across genres that it ends up failing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2022
SPOILERS
STORY 1 Star
NARRATION 4 Stars
Joan, a journalist, is attacked on the night her exposé on the sexual harassment by a powerful publisher Cass goes to print. Melissa, that publisher’s wife loses everything after his suicide. She’s determined to take Joan down for ruining her life.
I don’t think Carol Goodman pulled off what she intended in THE STRANGER BEHIND YOU. I *think* she wanted to show Melissa as an example of women who believe the men and are in denial of their husband’s behavior. Melissa was such a loathsome, one dimensional character, a stereotype of privilege and ignorance. Joan was a train wreck, not seeking medical care after her attack, drinking to excess, she learned nothing from the survivors she interviewed. She had a serious head injury, even if she didn’t want to report the attack. Goodman also threw in a ghost, because…I have no idea, it detracted from the story.
The attacker turns out to be Joan’s supportive boss Simon, which I didn’t guess because…it made no sense. Supposedly Simon wanted to save Cass, a friend from college turned publishing rival. Does Goodman hate journalists? Does she think women are weak? When the sexual predator isn’t the worst person in the book, you’ve got a problem.
STORY 1 Star
NARRATION 4 Stars
Joan, a journalist, is attacked on the night her exposé on the sexual harassment by a powerful publisher Cass goes to print. Melissa, that publisher’s wife loses everything after his suicide. She’s determined to take Joan down for ruining her life.
I don’t think Carol Goodman pulled off what she intended in THE STRANGER BEHIND YOU. I *think* she wanted to show Melissa as an example of women who believe the men and are in denial of their husband’s behavior. Melissa was such a loathsome, one dimensional character, a stereotype of privilege and ignorance. Joan was a train wreck, not seeking medical care after her attack, drinking to excess, she learned nothing from the survivors she interviewed. She had a serious head injury, even if she didn’t want to report the attack. Goodman also threw in a ghost, because…I have no idea, it detracted from the story.
The attacker turns out to be Joan’s supportive boss Simon, which I didn’t guess because…it made no sense. Supposedly Simon wanted to save Cass, a friend from college turned publishing rival. Does Goodman hate journalists? Does she think women are weak? When the sexual predator isn’t the worst person in the book, you’ve got a problem.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2021
I'm a big Goodman fan, so I get excited whenever she publishes a new book. I was a little surprised by the premise of THE STRANGER BEHIND YOU, though, since it seemed to be a bit of a departure for her. Although the novel is set in modern-day New York City (instead of Goodman's usual rural upstate settings), a lot of the story takes place in the Refuge, an apartment building with an unusual history, so it still manages to have the haunting Gothic feel that defines Goodman's stories. That unsettling vibe is my favorite thing about them. And there's lots of it in this psychological thriller. Although I saw a few of its plot surprises coming, the book tells a twisty tale that kept me guessing. Overall, The STRANGER BEHIND YOU is an absorbing, engrossing tale that pulled me in and didn't let me go. I enjoyed it, as I have all of Goodman's books. It's not my favorite of hers, but I still liked it all in all.
I would give this book 3 1/2 stars if I could; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
I would give this book 3 1/2 stars if I could; since I can't, I'm rounding up.
January 17, 2021
So good. Told from two POV--the grieving widow and the reporter who took her husband down. While the primary story was really good, the backstory of the Magdalen laundries was fascinating! I stopped reading a couple of times to look up more information about this awful time in our history. Lots of adventure and action. Surprise ending that really was a surprise. Definitely recommended.
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