What do you think?
Rate this book
The Strangers We Know
Imagine seeing your loving husband on a dating app. Now imagine that’s the best thing that happens to you all week …When Charlie sees a man who is the spitting image of her husband Oliver on a dating app, her heart stops. Her first desperate instinct is to tell herself she must be mistaken – after all, she only caught a glimpse from a distance as her friends laughingly swiped through the men on offer. But no matter how much she tries to push her fears aside, she can’t let it go. Because she took that photo. On their honeymoon. Suddenly other signs of betrayal start to add up and so Charlie does the only thing she can think of to defend her position – she signs up to the app to catch Oliver in the act.But Charlie soon discovers that infidelity is the least of her problems. Nothing is as it seems and nobody is who she thinks they are ...The eagerly awaited addictive new thriller from the bestselling author of The Sunday Girl .Praise for The Strangers We Know :‘Written with pace, intrigue and a series of disorientating twists that keeps you guessing to the end’ Sydney Morning Herald‘A relatable heroine, a riveting mystery, and plot twists that will make you gasp. I loved it.’ Robyn Harding, bestselling author of The Party‘I raced through this book and loved the sharp, sassy suspense story of a marriage on the edge.’ Sara Foster, bestselling author of The Hidden Hours and You Don’t Know Me ‘ The Strangers We Know is simply phenomenal. Pip Drysdale is a brilliant storyteller. She has a long career ahead of her, and I will be eagerly awaiting every new book she releases.’ Better Reading Book of the Week ‘Reels you in from the first chapter … Set aside a weekend because you won’t be able to put it down after you start reading.’ Courier Mail ‘Another gripping psychological thriller from the home-grown author of The Sunday Girl .’ Who magazine ‘Twisty-turny domestic noir.’ New Idea Book of The Month 'This addictive page turner enthralls from cover to cover … exposes a relationship marked by love, lies, betrayal, tragedy and deception. An author we need to watch.’ Mrs. B’s Book Reviews ‘The next Liane Moriarty.’ StellarPraise for The Sunday‘The Girls Club of psychological thrillers has a worthy new member’ Herald Sun
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2019
337 people are currently reading
7381 people want to read
About the author
Pip Drysdale
5 books810 followersPip Drysdale is the bestselling author of five novels. She grew up in Africa, Canada, and Australia, became an adult in New York and London, and lives on a steady diet of coffee, dreams, and literature. She is now also writing under the pen name Pip Knight—her debut 'Aubrey Wants To Die' is out in March 2026. Connect with Pip at PipDrysdale.com or on Instagram, TikTok (and rarely, Facebook) @PipDrysdale.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 759 reviews
December 4, 2019
What would you do if you found out that your husband was cheating on you? What would you do if you found your whole life was a lie? Charlie's world collapses when quite by accident she finds her husbands profile on a dating site. When she confronts him he laughs it off, but things aren't adding up. She finds more signs of extra marital affairs, and then everything implodes, and she turns to her girlfriends for help.
As she digs into Oliver's life she is stunned to find that he, and others around her are hiding secrets, big secrets, and she isn't the only one being betrayed.
In 'The Strangers We Know' Pip Drysdale has a more than worthy follow up to 'The Sunday Girl'. It sucks you in at the start and spits you out at the end. Though I did have my suspicions who was behind it all, and I was right, this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, which I read quickly in a day. I recommend this book to all lovers of psychological fiction.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As she digs into Oliver's life she is stunned to find that he, and others around her are hiding secrets, big secrets, and she isn't the only one being betrayed.
In 'The Strangers We Know' Pip Drysdale has a more than worthy follow up to 'The Sunday Girl'. It sucks you in at the start and spits you out at the end. Though I did have my suspicions who was behind it all, and I was right, this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, which I read quickly in a day. I recommend this book to all lovers of psychological fiction.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2019
This is a very twisty thriller indeed!
Charlie Carter thinks she has the perfect marriage to Oliver, a handsome, considerate man, so different to her previous partner Josh. But when she spots his photo on her friend's dating app she starts to have her doubts that he's not who she thought he was. And then she is implicated in a murder and must use all her smarts to work out what has been going on before the police catch up with her.
This is very compelling reading, because like Charlie, you just need to know what Oliver was up to and who can be trusted, but Pip Drysdale with keep us guessing to the end. Heart-racingly good! 4.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for a digital ARC to read.
Charlie Carter thinks she has the perfect marriage to Oliver, a handsome, considerate man, so different to her previous partner Josh. But when she spots his photo on her friend's dating app she starts to have her doubts that he's not who she thought he was. And then she is implicated in a murder and must use all her smarts to work out what has been going on before the police catch up with her.
This is very compelling reading, because like Charlie, you just need to know what Oliver was up to and who can be trusted, but Pip Drysdale with keep us guessing to the end. Heart-racingly good! 4.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for a digital ARC to read.
August 30, 2023
⭐⭐⭐.5/5 - I like that it made me think, but it was a wee bit anticlimactic.
As the book blurb states, this book is about a woman who discovers her husband has a secret life. I think any book like this will automatically interest me because I find people-watching fascinating? And the deep dark ugly stuff is the most fascinating.
**(I'm a true believer that it's hard to really know anyone... i.e. the teacher of the year arrested for bad things on his phone... the kindly neighbor you see on the news has been abducting and murd3ring women for 20 years...people hide the darkest parts of themselves. A bit morbid but my radar is finely tuned, and at this point, I am the friend that can pick out in a group who's cheating on their spouse.. who's got some kind of addiction etc.
But it makes you think.. what would I do in this situation? What would you do if you found out your spouse was hiding major stuff from you? Would you fly off the handle or be chill about it?
We think we know what we'd do, but do we really?
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
As the book blurb states, this book is about a woman who discovers her husband has a secret life. I think any book like this will automatically interest me because I find people-watching fascinating? And the deep dark ugly stuff is the most fascinating.
**(I'm a true believer that it's hard to really know anyone... i.e. the teacher of the year arrested for bad things on his phone... the kindly neighbor you see on the news has been abducting and murd3ring women for 20 years...people hide the darkest parts of themselves. A bit morbid but my radar is finely tuned, and at this point, I am the friend that can pick out in a group who's cheating on their spouse.. who's got some kind of addiction etc.
But it makes you think.. what would I do in this situation? What would you do if you found out your spouse was hiding major stuff from you? Would you fly off the handle or be chill about it?
We think we know what we'd do, but do we really?
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
November 26, 2019
Pip Drysdale - you have done it again! When I read The Sunday Girl last year I was instantly a fan and could not wait to get my hands on copy of The Strangers We Know. And again I stayed up way past my bedtime to read this book. And it was absolutely worth all the lost sleep as I could not get enough. This book is headed straight to the top of the bestsellers chart - it is brilliant! I will be recommending The Strangers We Know to anybody that will listen to me!!
Imagine seeing a photo that you took of your own husband on your honeymoon on a dating app! This is what happens to Charlie when she is out with the girls on night in London. She keeps telling herself that she is imagining it, but at the same time she can't forget about it. The more she thinks about it, the more signs she finds that Oliver to betraying her. Up until this point she believe that they had the most perfect of lives. So Charlie does what any woman would do - she joins the app in an attempt to catch him in the act.
Little does she know that this is start of her entire life crumbling, and not knowing who to trust or believe. Her picture perfect life is over and she now has to find out who her husband really is. Charlie is thrown into a world that she did not even know existed and has to separate fact from fiction. There are so many twists and red herrings that you will not know how it is all going to end.
The story is told from Charlies point of view, in both the past and the present. We learn more about her life with Oliver and her past as the chapters go on. Pip Drysdale is very clever at not giving anything away too soon and making you think you know exactly what is happening before giving you whiplash when it twists again.
A very big thank you to Simon and Schuster and Better Reading for my advanced copy of this fantastic book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
Imagine seeing a photo that you took of your own husband on your honeymoon on a dating app! This is what happens to Charlie when she is out with the girls on night in London. She keeps telling herself that she is imagining it, but at the same time she can't forget about it. The more she thinks about it, the more signs she finds that Oliver to betraying her. Up until this point she believe that they had the most perfect of lives. So Charlie does what any woman would do - she joins the app in an attempt to catch him in the act.
Little does she know that this is start of her entire life crumbling, and not knowing who to trust or believe. Her picture perfect life is over and she now has to find out who her husband really is. Charlie is thrown into a world that she did not even know existed and has to separate fact from fiction. There are so many twists and red herrings that you will not know how it is all going to end.
The story is told from Charlies point of view, in both the past and the present. We learn more about her life with Oliver and her past as the chapters go on. Pip Drysdale is very clever at not giving anything away too soon and making you think you know exactly what is happening before giving you whiplash when it twists again.
A very big thank you to Simon and Schuster and Better Reading for my advanced copy of this fantastic book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
February 9, 2020
Q: Who the hell had I married? (c)
Q: Fuck you, I trusted you – well, sort of. (c)
How do you get over life? You just don't.
The bad:
Q:
He was the closest thing to magic I’d ever seen: it was as if he’d stepped straight out of a rom com. Like the cast of Friends might be trailing close behind. (c) Frankly? Sounds like the perfect setting to some cross between a horror-show and a boring-fest instead of romantic meeting. 'Friends'? Whoever watches that crap?
Q:
And from the way he looked at me, it felt like maybe, just maybe, the pendulum was finally swinging back my way. (c) Ugh. Poe's pendulum?
Q:
Tess was my oldest friend. We’d met in the loos... (c) Ow.
Q:
... even when he wasn’t actually in my bed, I could feel him there with me. And that would calm me. It gave me strength. As though my love for him formed a secondary spine. (c) Co-dependency? Personal boundaries with relationship-sized holes?
Q:
we were only together because he’d cheated on Alyssa.
Was it my turn now?No. No. No. (c)
The ugh:
Q:
Mine meant that when I walked into a room, I immediately scanned it for potential weapons and exit points. Salt and pepper shakers (or anything solid that fitted in a hand) could be used to at least buy me some time. Lamps were a strong choice, although they were usually plugged into the wall and that could cause problems with swing. Right now, I’d probably use the glass in my hand or the little metal vase of flowers in the centre of the table. It had a sharp, geometric edge that would at least stun an assailant. So yes, I could refuse to think about it. Refuse to talk about it. But there it was: living in my actions. (c)
Q:
... she was too tired and fractured by then to truly fight. (c)
Q:
Weren’t jealousy and a controlling nature the hallmark signs of a toxic relationship? Wasn’t a preoccupation with image the calling card of a narcissist? (c)
The good:
Q:
I needed something good to happen, something to make me believe in life again. (c)
Q:
No, we like to believe we’re in control of our lives; that if we buy insurance, think positive thoughts and pay our bills, we’ll be safe. Everything will be okay. But the truth is: sometimes it’s not okay. Sometimes all it takes is one plot twist to realise nobody is who you think they are and everything you know to be true is actually false. (c)
Q:
... the truth about relationships – that nobody runs through an airport for you and even when you’re an ‘us’ you can feel marrow-achingly alone. (c)
Q:
There was always the sense that somehow, even though I’d chosen it, I was in the middle of the wrong life. That I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere because this was not how it was meant to turn out. It was meant to be bigger, brighter, more luminous. But I wasn’t sure which way to turn to find the ‘right’ life. (c)
Q:
‘Love’ with him meant I was seen, I was safe. (c)
Q:
... we all have a wound so deep the air can’t get to it, a wound that explains everything. It’s there, whether we’re aware of it or not. (c)
Q:
I couldn’t change my interior monologue, my fears, nor my wounds, and so instead I changed what I showed people. I created an illusion and I wore it like armour.
See: none of us are who we appear to be.
Not even me. (c)
Q:
You see, that’s the problem with trust issues: eventually you find you can’t trust yourself either. (c)
Q:
I like data. Lots of it. That’s how I feel safe. (c)
Q:
Even at the most passionate of moments he was always holding my hand or stroking my hair. Those were the sorts of things that made it so hard to believe he might stray: he loved me. (c)
Q:
Most people seem to just give up in their early thirties, trading their dreams for a house they can’t afford in a commuter town they hate, the sparkle slowly fading from their eyes until all that remains is a cadaver running through the routine aspects of living for another fifty years or so. That can make it hard to relate. (c)
Q:
He worshipped the idea of old money. Of ease. Of belonging to that certain set of people. (c)
Q:
You see, that’s what’s so tricky about real life. Warnings don’t come in the form of a menacing soundtrack or ominous lighting; they come shrouded in things like a search history. (c)
Q:
‘You must be starving’. Then back to the waitress: ‘I said gluten-free, right?’ That was her way of saying ‘Were you listening?’ (c)
Q:
I’d seen firsthand how everyone has a side of them you can’t predict, a side you don’t know is there until it’s too late. And I was only just meeting Oliver’s.
Q:
And so, as I lay there, not saying the things I needed to say most, I was filled with the kind of loneliness you can only feel when you’re not alone.
Q:
... I was left alone, listening to the cheerful man on the telly tell me to leave things simmering on a low heat, like that wasn’t the state of my entire life ...
Q:
Gone was shock. Gone was denial. I was now well and truly into ‘rage’.
Q:
I was complicated. Messy.Sometimes I suspected I might actually be crazy: but then maybe everyone else would seem crazy too if their inner dialogue was audible.
Q:
She didn’t understand why acting was so important to me: that it was the one place I could be totally raw and emotionally truthful, and have it applauded as opposed to shunned. (c)
Q:
... once you learn someone has such a big secret, you begin to wonder what else you might have missed.
You begin to wonder if you know them at all. (c)
Q:
I reasoned that we were married, what was his was mine, so I was really breaking into my own computer, right? Besides, I was hardly the first wife to break into her husband’s files. What were they going to do – lock us all up?
Q:
...she was as fantastic at faking ‘nice’ as I was at faking ‘fine’.
Q:
There were so many moving parts to my life I hadn’t been aware of before now. (c)
Q:
You see, that’s the thing with people: they always surprise you eventually. (c)
Q:
What the hell was I going to do? What would Amy in Gone Girl do? Or that blonde woman in Killing Eve? That’s who I needed to be right now, a little less me, a little more sociopath. (c)
Q:
We like to believe we’re in control of our lives; that if we buy insurance, think positive thoughts and pay our bills, we’ll be safe. Everything will be okay. But the truth is that sometimes it’s not okay. Sometimes all it takes is one plot twist to realise nobody is who you think they are and everything you know to be true is actually false.
But here’s what I didn’t say, what I myself am proof of: sometimes the converse is also true. If we hold on long enough, hard enough, and refuse to give up, every now and then those plot twists … well, they go the other way too. (c)
Q:
... this just might give me a sense of purpose, a reason to have gone through everything I have. A way to bring someone else hope that no matter how bad things get, or how fucked up they feel inside, things can always get better. (c)
Q: Fuck you, I trusted you – well, sort of. (c)
How do you get over life? You just don't.
The bad:
Q:
He was the closest thing to magic I’d ever seen: it was as if he’d stepped straight out of a rom com. Like the cast of Friends might be trailing close behind. (c) Frankly? Sounds like the perfect setting to some cross between a horror-show and a boring-fest instead of romantic meeting. 'Friends'? Whoever watches that crap?
Q:
And from the way he looked at me, it felt like maybe, just maybe, the pendulum was finally swinging back my way. (c) Ugh. Poe's pendulum?
Q:
Tess was my oldest friend. We’d met in the loos... (c) Ow.
Q:
... even when he wasn’t actually in my bed, I could feel him there with me. And that would calm me. It gave me strength. As though my love for him formed a secondary spine. (c) Co-dependency? Personal boundaries with relationship-sized holes?
Q:
we were only together because he’d cheated on Alyssa.
Was it my turn now?No. No. No. (c)
The ugh:
Q:
Mine meant that when I walked into a room, I immediately scanned it for potential weapons and exit points. Salt and pepper shakers (or anything solid that fitted in a hand) could be used to at least buy me some time. Lamps were a strong choice, although they were usually plugged into the wall and that could cause problems with swing. Right now, I’d probably use the glass in my hand or the little metal vase of flowers in the centre of the table. It had a sharp, geometric edge that would at least stun an assailant. So yes, I could refuse to think about it. Refuse to talk about it. But there it was: living in my actions. (c)
Q:
... she was too tired and fractured by then to truly fight. (c)
Q:
Weren’t jealousy and a controlling nature the hallmark signs of a toxic relationship? Wasn’t a preoccupation with image the calling card of a narcissist? (c)
The good:
Q:
I needed something good to happen, something to make me believe in life again. (c)
Q:
No, we like to believe we’re in control of our lives; that if we buy insurance, think positive thoughts and pay our bills, we’ll be safe. Everything will be okay. But the truth is: sometimes it’s not okay. Sometimes all it takes is one plot twist to realise nobody is who you think they are and everything you know to be true is actually false. (c)
Q:
... the truth about relationships – that nobody runs through an airport for you and even when you’re an ‘us’ you can feel marrow-achingly alone. (c)
Q:
There was always the sense that somehow, even though I’d chosen it, I was in the middle of the wrong life. That I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere because this was not how it was meant to turn out. It was meant to be bigger, brighter, more luminous. But I wasn’t sure which way to turn to find the ‘right’ life. (c)
Q:
‘Love’ with him meant I was seen, I was safe. (c)
Q:
... we all have a wound so deep the air can’t get to it, a wound that explains everything. It’s there, whether we’re aware of it or not. (c)
Q:
I couldn’t change my interior monologue, my fears, nor my wounds, and so instead I changed what I showed people. I created an illusion and I wore it like armour.
See: none of us are who we appear to be.
Not even me. (c)
Q:
You see, that’s the problem with trust issues: eventually you find you can’t trust yourself either. (c)
Q:
I like data. Lots of it. That’s how I feel safe. (c)
Q:
Even at the most passionate of moments he was always holding my hand or stroking my hair. Those were the sorts of things that made it so hard to believe he might stray: he loved me. (c)
Q:
Most people seem to just give up in their early thirties, trading their dreams for a house they can’t afford in a commuter town they hate, the sparkle slowly fading from their eyes until all that remains is a cadaver running through the routine aspects of living for another fifty years or so. That can make it hard to relate. (c)
Q:
He worshipped the idea of old money. Of ease. Of belonging to that certain set of people. (c)
Q:
You see, that’s what’s so tricky about real life. Warnings don’t come in the form of a menacing soundtrack or ominous lighting; they come shrouded in things like a search history. (c)
Q:
‘You must be starving’. Then back to the waitress: ‘I said gluten-free, right?’ That was her way of saying ‘Were you listening?’ (c)
Q:
I’d seen firsthand how everyone has a side of them you can’t predict, a side you don’t know is there until it’s too late. And I was only just meeting Oliver’s.
Q:
And so, as I lay there, not saying the things I needed to say most, I was filled with the kind of loneliness you can only feel when you’re not alone.
Q:
... I was left alone, listening to the cheerful man on the telly tell me to leave things simmering on a low heat, like that wasn’t the state of my entire life ...
Q:
Gone was shock. Gone was denial. I was now well and truly into ‘rage’.
Q:
I was complicated. Messy.Sometimes I suspected I might actually be crazy: but then maybe everyone else would seem crazy too if their inner dialogue was audible.
Q:
She didn’t understand why acting was so important to me: that it was the one place I could be totally raw and emotionally truthful, and have it applauded as opposed to shunned. (c)
Q:
... once you learn someone has such a big secret, you begin to wonder what else you might have missed.
You begin to wonder if you know them at all. (c)
Q:
I reasoned that we were married, what was his was mine, so I was really breaking into my own computer, right? Besides, I was hardly the first wife to break into her husband’s files. What were they going to do – lock us all up?
Q:
...she was as fantastic at faking ‘nice’ as I was at faking ‘fine’.
Q:
There were so many moving parts to my life I hadn’t been aware of before now. (c)
Q:
You see, that’s the thing with people: they always surprise you eventually. (c)
Q:
What the hell was I going to do? What would Amy in Gone Girl do? Or that blonde woman in Killing Eve? That’s who I needed to be right now, a little less me, a little more sociopath. (c)
Q:
We like to believe we’re in control of our lives; that if we buy insurance, think positive thoughts and pay our bills, we’ll be safe. Everything will be okay. But the truth is that sometimes it’s not okay. Sometimes all it takes is one plot twist to realise nobody is who you think they are and everything you know to be true is actually false.
But here’s what I didn’t say, what I myself am proof of: sometimes the converse is also true. If we hold on long enough, hard enough, and refuse to give up, every now and then those plot twists … well, they go the other way too. (c)
Q:
... this just might give me a sense of purpose, a reason to have gone through everything I have. A way to bring someone else hope that no matter how bad things get, or how fucked up they feel inside, things can always get better. (c)
September 29, 2019
So, I may or may not be biased...
December 18, 2019
Charlie Carter thought she had a good, happy and loving marriage to her husband, Oliver that was until she saw him on a dating app. At first Charlie is in disbelief and thinks she’s made a mistake and maybe it’s someone who looks like him. But when Charlie looks closely at the picture she quickly realises it’s no mistake because it’s a photo that she took of him.
Charlie confronts Oliver about being on the dating app and he denies it. Charlie can’t let it go and decides to do a bit of detective work herself, but perhaps she should’ve left things alone because all is not as it seems as Charlie quickly finds out.
Aussie author Pip Drysdale has once again written another book that keeps her readers up late turning the pages looking for answers. Intriguing thriller with a psychological twist that I couldn’t put down. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for my ARC copy to read and review.
Charlie confronts Oliver about being on the dating app and he denies it. Charlie can’t let it go and decides to do a bit of detective work herself, but perhaps she should’ve left things alone because all is not as it seems as Charlie quickly finds out.
Aussie author Pip Drysdale has once again written another book that keeps her readers up late turning the pages looking for answers. Intriguing thriller with a psychological twist that I couldn’t put down. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for my ARC copy to read and review.
January 10, 2020
"But the truth is: sometimes it's not okay. Sometimes all it takes is one plot twist to realise nobody is who you think they are and everything you know to be true is actually false."
I liked the idea of The Strangers We Know, but I was not a fan of the execution. The synopsis sounded interesting, and I liked the book in the beginning, but it did not last.
This book tried way too hard to be twisty, and it ended up being predictable and silly. I wish the story would have been more straightforward instead of making such an effort to have plot twists for the sake of having plot twists.
After a while, the writing felt very cheesy, and I kept rolling my eyes at the main character's inner monologue. For example, every time she was anxious, the author wrote "ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom" to show that the main character's heart was pounding. This was constant throughout the entire book. There were other sound effects written in like "tap.", and it said "beat" when characters would pause. Readers are not stupid, and don't need to have everything spelled out for them.
The main character would also break the fourth wall, and tell the reader to pay attention because something was going to be important later. Again, it's annoying to feel like you need your hand held through what ended up being a very simple plot.
Although I had issues, I was interested in seeing what was going to happen because I figured it wouldn't be as predictable as I thought it might be. I was wrong. I had picked up another book by this author when I got this one, but I'm not sure that I'll be reading it after my experience with this one.
CW - rape (off-page and completely unnecessary to the story), cheating, abuse
I liked the idea of The Strangers We Know, but I was not a fan of the execution. The synopsis sounded interesting, and I liked the book in the beginning, but it did not last.
This book tried way too hard to be twisty, and it ended up being predictable and silly. I wish the story would have been more straightforward instead of making such an effort to have plot twists for the sake of having plot twists.
After a while, the writing felt very cheesy, and I kept rolling my eyes at the main character's inner monologue. For example, every time she was anxious, the author wrote "ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom" to show that the main character's heart was pounding. This was constant throughout the entire book. There were other sound effects written in like "tap.", and it said "beat" when characters would pause. Readers are not stupid, and don't need to have everything spelled out for them.
The main character would also break the fourth wall, and tell the reader to pay attention because something was going to be important later. Again, it's annoying to feel like you need your hand held through what ended up being a very simple plot.
Although I had issues, I was interested in seeing what was going to happen because I figured it wouldn't be as predictable as I thought it might be. I was wrong. I had picked up another book by this author when I got this one, but I'm not sure that I'll be reading it after my experience with this one.
CW - rape (off-page and completely unnecessary to the story), cheating, abuse
December 10, 2020
The Strangers We Know
Oh happy days - finally a good book again! I really enjoyed Pip Drysdale’s debut The Sunday Girl and this was equally good, maybe even better. And joy of joys, I have her next one The Paris Affair to read soon 😊.
So Charlie (Charlene) is an aspiring actress whose day job is in an upmarket boutique. She has trust issues, you learn why as the book progresses, but nevertheless she fell hard and fast for Oliver Buchanan and they married after 8 months. Oliver is gorgeous and charming and nice and earns a bomb in some sort of investment work that Charlie knows nothing about. No worries, they are in loved up bliss, although Oliver needs to travel a bit for work. One night Charlie is out with her best friend Tess (and maybe some others) and they are kidding around with a dating app and Charlie suddenly thinks she sees Oliver on the screen but -oops Tess has scrolled past. It’s too late.
Later, while Oliver is away, Charlie is pondering this again. She can’t leave it alone - trust issues remember? Long story short she sets up a fake profile and goes on the app and sure enough, there is Oliver! She gets into his computer and finds it is even worse than she thought and Charlie is wondering if she even knew Oliver at all. But this is not a simple case of a husband playing away - in this story nothing is as it seems.
Still to come - somebody dies, somebody deceives and somebody blackmails and, and, and. It is a twisted tale of deceit and tragedy, quite stabby really. A very enjoyable story indeed 4.5 stars
Oh happy days - finally a good book again! I really enjoyed Pip Drysdale’s debut The Sunday Girl and this was equally good, maybe even better. And joy of joys, I have her next one The Paris Affair to read soon 😊.
So Charlie (Charlene) is an aspiring actress whose day job is in an upmarket boutique. She has trust issues, you learn why as the book progresses, but nevertheless she fell hard and fast for Oliver Buchanan and they married after 8 months. Oliver is gorgeous and charming and nice and earns a bomb in some sort of investment work that Charlie knows nothing about. No worries, they are in loved up bliss, although Oliver needs to travel a bit for work. One night Charlie is out with her best friend Tess (and maybe some others) and they are kidding around with a dating app and Charlie suddenly thinks she sees Oliver on the screen but -oops Tess has scrolled past. It’s too late.
Later, while Oliver is away, Charlie is pondering this again. She can’t leave it alone - trust issues remember? Long story short she sets up a fake profile and goes on the app and sure enough, there is Oliver! She gets into his computer and finds it is even worse than she thought and Charlie is wondering if she even knew Oliver at all. But this is not a simple case of a husband playing away - in this story nothing is as it seems.
Still to come - somebody dies, somebody deceives and somebody blackmails and, and, and. It is a twisted tale of deceit and tragedy, quite stabby really. A very enjoyable story indeed 4.5 stars
August 30, 2020
What would you do if you found out that your husband was cheating on you? what would you do if you found out your whole like was a lie?
Charlie Carter thought she was married to the perfect man but she found out her husband Oliver's picture on a dating app, of course she was horrified, the man she married was cheating on her.
As her world implodes she gets the help of her girlfriends to find out the truth!! Before Oliver married Charlie he was with Alyssa a very unstable relationship occurred she even tried to kill herself Charlie was gobsmacked to say the least Oliver's infidelities are making Charlie so insecure & afraid of what can of worms there might lay ahead.
MY THOUGHTS
This was my first read by Pip Drysdale & i thoroughly enjoyed the tension that was set throughout this book so many questions left unanswered & the characters & pacing was just right the prose kept me invested right up to the end. This Author is one to watch out for her writing style suits me & was easy to follow, this should enjoyable for those who like a twisty read.
Charlie Carter thought she was married to the perfect man but she found out her husband Oliver's picture on a dating app, of course she was horrified, the man she married was cheating on her.
As her world implodes she gets the help of her girlfriends to find out the truth!! Before Oliver married Charlie he was with Alyssa a very unstable relationship occurred she even tried to kill herself Charlie was gobsmacked to say the least Oliver's infidelities are making Charlie so insecure & afraid of what can of worms there might lay ahead.
MY THOUGHTS
This was my first read by Pip Drysdale & i thoroughly enjoyed the tension that was set throughout this book so many questions left unanswered & the characters & pacing was just right the prose kept me invested right up to the end. This Author is one to watch out for her writing style suits me & was easy to follow, this should enjoyable for those who like a twisty read.
November 5, 2019
The Strangers We Know is the second novel by Australian/African raised writer, actor and musician, Pip Drysdale. Eighteen months into her (deliriously happy) marriage to gorgeous high-powered businessman, Oliver Buchanan, actress Charlie Carter catches sight of his image as her friend swipes left on her dating app. Charlie could swear it’s a photo of him on their honeymoon, one she took. But there’s a reason Charlie hesitates to confront him directly about it, and her more general question prompts a firm denial. And yet….
These doubts and some other niggles send her to the app to confirm her suspicions. She has to find out for sure, doesn’t she? Never could she have predicted that, within days, she’d be in a holding cell at Charing Cross Police Station. And without plot spoilers, it’s difficult to say more.
In keeping with her protagonist’s career, the format Drysdale adopts for this tale is like the summary of TV series, starting with a Pilot and moving on to subsequent Episodes. Maintaining this theme, Charlie goes to movie plots and Google for information, draws inspiration from movie and TV characters and, when uncertain, plays it out in her head like a movie scene take to help her decide what to do. But: actress, yes; dumb, definitely not.
Pip Drysdale’s second novel is cleverly plotted, with a few red herrings and some brilliant twists to keep even the most astute reader guessing right up to the last chapter. It will have you asking: Do we really know those closest to us? How far can we trust them? And just how vulnerable do all those benign-seeming social media apps make us? A dazzling thriller.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Simon & Schuster Australia.
These doubts and some other niggles send her to the app to confirm her suspicions. She has to find out for sure, doesn’t she? Never could she have predicted that, within days, she’d be in a holding cell at Charing Cross Police Station. And without plot spoilers, it’s difficult to say more.
In keeping with her protagonist’s career, the format Drysdale adopts for this tale is like the summary of TV series, starting with a Pilot and moving on to subsequent Episodes. Maintaining this theme, Charlie goes to movie plots and Google for information, draws inspiration from movie and TV characters and, when uncertain, plays it out in her head like a movie scene take to help her decide what to do. But: actress, yes; dumb, definitely not.
Pip Drysdale’s second novel is cleverly plotted, with a few red herrings and some brilliant twists to keep even the most astute reader guessing right up to the last chapter. It will have you asking: Do we really know those closest to us? How far can we trust them? And just how vulnerable do all those benign-seeming social media apps make us? A dazzling thriller.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Simon & Schuster Australia.
February 5, 2020
I just devoured this twisty thriller. Charlie has discovered her husband is cheating when she inadvertently sees his photo on her friends dating app. Her perfect life starts to spiral downhill after her insecurities, old hurts and paranoia set in. Does she really know the man she has married?
Charlie signs up to the dating app, under a false name, and when she gets a message from Oliver she is shocked to the core by what she reads.
When everything seems lost and Charlie doesn’t know who to turn to she seeks out new friend, Brooke, who she met at her yoga class. She hasn’t been that honest with Brooke but Brooke has secrets of her own.
Even though some of the twists were predictable this didn’t take anything away from this tension-filled and well plotted mystery.
Narrated in the first person by Charlie, she is a relatable character and I could understand her trust issues and paranoia. The chapters are told in episodes, like a TV series which is fitting as Charlie is a low grade actress. She views life as if it were a movie script. The good guy should always win in the end. Shouldn’t he?
The Strangers We Know is twisty and tension filled, with a plot that is sure to hold your attention, making this a book that is impossible to put down.
*I received an uncorrected proof copy from the publisher.
Charlie signs up to the dating app, under a false name, and when she gets a message from Oliver she is shocked to the core by what she reads.
When everything seems lost and Charlie doesn’t know who to turn to she seeks out new friend, Brooke, who she met at her yoga class. She hasn’t been that honest with Brooke but Brooke has secrets of her own.
Even though some of the twists were predictable this didn’t take anything away from this tension-filled and well plotted mystery.
Narrated in the first person by Charlie, she is a relatable character and I could understand her trust issues and paranoia. The chapters are told in episodes, like a TV series which is fitting as Charlie is a low grade actress. She views life as if it were a movie script. The good guy should always win in the end. Shouldn’t he?
The Strangers We Know is twisty and tension filled, with a plot that is sure to hold your attention, making this a book that is impossible to put down.
*I received an uncorrected proof copy from the publisher.
January 10, 2020
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
The Strangers We Know by Pip Drysdale. (2019).
Charlie's heart stops when she sees on a dating app a man who is the spitting image of her husband Oliver. Surely she must be mistaken, she only got a glimpse...but she can't let it go because she's the one who took that particular photo, on their honeymoon. Suddenly other signs of betrayal start to add up and so Charlie decides to sign up to the app to catch Oliver in the act. But Charlie soon discovers that infidelity is the least of her problems. Nothing is as it seems and nobody is who she thinks they are...
This is a seriously enjoyable and entertaining read. I finished it over about three and a half hours because it was super easy to read and also very engaging. It seems pretty damn obvious that Oliver is cheating on Charlie but at the same time there is all these hints that something else is going on and so it leaves you wondering what the explanation could possibly be...
Charlie herself is a great lead; she is likeable and you definitely feel for her - at the same time she clearly suffers from anxiety about her relationship which leads to some impulse decisions that while read a bit questionable, are probably quite realistic haha.
This is a fast-paced thriller that no doubt will have you racing though the pages just so you can finally find out what exactly is going on. Fans of psychological thrillers and suspense novels will find this book a real treat!
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
The Strangers We Know by Pip Drysdale. (2019).
Charlie's heart stops when she sees on a dating app a man who is the spitting image of her husband Oliver. Surely she must be mistaken, she only got a glimpse...but she can't let it go because she's the one who took that particular photo, on their honeymoon. Suddenly other signs of betrayal start to add up and so Charlie decides to sign up to the app to catch Oliver in the act. But Charlie soon discovers that infidelity is the least of her problems. Nothing is as it seems and nobody is who she thinks they are...
This is a seriously enjoyable and entertaining read. I finished it over about three and a half hours because it was super easy to read and also very engaging. It seems pretty damn obvious that Oliver is cheating on Charlie but at the same time there is all these hints that something else is going on and so it leaves you wondering what the explanation could possibly be...
Charlie herself is a great lead; she is likeable and you definitely feel for her - at the same time she clearly suffers from anxiety about her relationship which leads to some impulse decisions that while read a bit questionable, are probably quite realistic haha.
This is a fast-paced thriller that no doubt will have you racing though the pages just so you can finally find out what exactly is going on. Fans of psychological thrillers and suspense novels will find this book a real treat!
November 6, 2019
Just who can you trust? A twisty modern day thriller!
Charlie notices her husband’s photo on a dating app her friends are swiping through, in fact she even took that photo on their honeymoon! She’s in shock and thinks she must be mistaken as she has the perfect marriage, hasn’t she? Her suspicions are now aroused and as she casts her mind back things start beginning to add up.
Charlie shamelessly decides to sign up to the dating app herself as a blonde she’s invented named Annabella with a few random photos she’s downloaded off the web of an attractive woman. She intends to catch him out but she discovers it’s so much worse than she could possibly imagine and she is overcome with confusion. When she confronts her husband Oliver, her life changes forever!
Charlie flees the house leaving Oliver and becomes involved in a tangled web of deceit, a police investigation and murder.
Wow the deeper you get into this story the more the plot thickens! A fast paced modern thriller where nothing is what it appears to be. An entertaining read!
Many thanks to Netgalley, Better Reading & Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
Charlie notices her husband’s photo on a dating app her friends are swiping through, in fact she even took that photo on their honeymoon! She’s in shock and thinks she must be mistaken as she has the perfect marriage, hasn’t she? Her suspicions are now aroused and as she casts her mind back things start beginning to add up.
Charlie shamelessly decides to sign up to the dating app herself as a blonde she’s invented named Annabella with a few random photos she’s downloaded off the web of an attractive woman. She intends to catch him out but she discovers it’s so much worse than she could possibly imagine and she is overcome with confusion. When she confronts her husband Oliver, her life changes forever!
Charlie flees the house leaving Oliver and becomes involved in a tangled web of deceit, a police investigation and murder.
Wow the deeper you get into this story the more the plot thickens! A fast paced modern thriller where nothing is what it appears to be. An entertaining read!
Many thanks to Netgalley, Better Reading & Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
March 19, 2023
Okay babe we get it, your husband smells like ylang-ylang.
December 31, 2019
Your enjoyment of this thriller will depend on how much you can tolerate what an absolute numbskull the protagonist is. The book basically wouldn't exist if it weren't for Charlie Buchanan making the most stupid, bone-headed moves at every single opportunity. It was exhausting.
The book begins with Charlie spotting a profile on her friend's Tinder app that looks exactly like Charlie's husband, Oliver. Indeed, it's a photo she took of him herself. The first big hurdle you need to get over to believe that the events in this book could happen is that Charlie simply asks her husband if he's cheating, accepts his denial with a shrug of the shoulders, and moves on. No mention of Tinder. You would think, wouldn't you, that the question to your husband might be, "Hey, funny thing, I saw a profile on my friend's Tinder that was using a photo of you. We should check that out." After all, Charlie is presented as being very social media savvy, and knows what catfishing is. They could have found the fake profile together, and the whole thing would have unraveled from there.
Of course, we wouldn't have a book. But it was very, very hard for me to get past, and the first indication that Charlie was going to have a firm grip on the idiot ball in order to keep the plot moving.
Not being satisfied with hubby's answer, and still not bringing up Tinder, she starts getting freaked out by an account she doesn't recognise following her on Instagram. (HUH?) He must be cheating, right? (Um, no.) So she sets up a fake account on Tinder herself, appropriating another person's photos, in the hopes of matching with Oliver's account on there and catching him out.
And NEVER ONCE does she consider the possibility that Oliver's account is fake. NOT ONCE. Despite, you know, CREATING A F***ING FAKE PROFILE HERSELF!!!! I mean, come on! REALLY??!!?? I must emphasise here that Charlie is presented as someone who knows her way around social media really well. I just couldn't get my head around Charlie never once raising a fake account as a possibility. That was the second hurdle for me to get past, and it was a biggie. Once again, she could have thought about who knew enough about Oliver and had access to photos of him to create the account in the first place, and it would have all unraveled from there.
But, once again, if that happened, we wouldn't have a book. Do you see what I mean? Events only play out the way they do because our protagonist Charlie is a complete and utter moron.
She continues on this fashion, but I won't go into detail, because my review would be as long as the book, and would involve a ton of spoilers. In short, she's doing all sorts of things that she wouldn't have to do if she simply went to a lawyer, or something of that nature. And guess what? Her best friend is a lawyer. I was slapping my forehead at this point, with a strong urge to throw the book across the room!
The home stretch was admittedly good, as all the pieces fell into place, with some plot developments that I didn't spot (albeit none that made me gasp "OMG!" as the author most likely would have intended.) It felt condescending to have our protagonist literally tell us "pay attention to this", but I figured the author felt it important to do so in order for us to see how well everything was put together. And, true, it was. Little facts become important, so you need to pay attention. But if the author is going to create a main character who doesn't have two brain cells to rub together, don't go assuming your reader is as stupid as your main character! That rubs me up the wrong way.
But I ended up enjoying the experience of reading the book, because I basically read it in two gos, and wanted to know what happened next. It was slick and compulsively readable. And I'm generally happy with any mainstream psychological thriller that doesn't involve some white woman bemoaning a secret in her past but not say what it is for 300 pages.
Trigger warning: protagonist mentions being date raped in her past, and to be honest, I didn't appreciate the cheapjack way this was included as some sort of way to build character.
The book begins with Charlie spotting a profile on her friend's Tinder app that looks exactly like Charlie's husband, Oliver. Indeed, it's a photo she took of him herself. The first big hurdle you need to get over to believe that the events in this book could happen is that Charlie simply asks her husband if he's cheating, accepts his denial with a shrug of the shoulders, and moves on. No mention of Tinder. You would think, wouldn't you, that the question to your husband might be, "Hey, funny thing, I saw a profile on my friend's Tinder that was using a photo of you. We should check that out." After all, Charlie is presented as being very social media savvy, and knows what catfishing is. They could have found the fake profile together, and the whole thing would have unraveled from there.
Of course, we wouldn't have a book. But it was very, very hard for me to get past, and the first indication that Charlie was going to have a firm grip on the idiot ball in order to keep the plot moving.
Not being satisfied with hubby's answer, and still not bringing up Tinder, she starts getting freaked out by an account she doesn't recognise following her on Instagram. (HUH?) He must be cheating, right? (Um, no.) So she sets up a fake account on Tinder herself, appropriating another person's photos, in the hopes of matching with Oliver's account on there and catching him out.
And NEVER ONCE does she consider the possibility that Oliver's account is fake. NOT ONCE. Despite, you know, CREATING A F***ING FAKE PROFILE HERSELF!!!! I mean, come on! REALLY??!!?? I must emphasise here that Charlie is presented as someone who knows her way around social media really well. I just couldn't get my head around Charlie never once raising a fake account as a possibility. That was the second hurdle for me to get past, and it was a biggie. Once again, she could have thought about who knew enough about Oliver and had access to photos of him to create the account in the first place, and it would have all unraveled from there.
But, once again, if that happened, we wouldn't have a book. Do you see what I mean? Events only play out the way they do because our protagonist Charlie is a complete and utter moron.
She continues on this fashion, but I won't go into detail, because my review would be as long as the book, and would involve a ton of spoilers. In short, she's doing all sorts of things that she wouldn't have to do if she simply went to a lawyer, or something of that nature. And guess what? Her best friend is a lawyer. I was slapping my forehead at this point, with a strong urge to throw the book across the room!
The home stretch was admittedly good, as all the pieces fell into place, with some plot developments that I didn't spot (albeit none that made me gasp "OMG!" as the author most likely would have intended.) It felt condescending to have our protagonist literally tell us "pay attention to this", but I figured the author felt it important to do so in order for us to see how well everything was put together. And, true, it was. Little facts become important, so you need to pay attention. But if the author is going to create a main character who doesn't have two brain cells to rub together, don't go assuming your reader is as stupid as your main character! That rubs me up the wrong way.
But I ended up enjoying the experience of reading the book, because I basically read it in two gos, and wanted to know what happened next. It was slick and compulsively readable. And I'm generally happy with any mainstream psychological thriller that doesn't involve some white woman bemoaning a secret in her past but not say what it is for 300 pages.
Trigger warning: protagonist mentions being date raped in her past, and to be honest, I didn't appreciate the cheapjack way this was included as some sort of way to build character.
December 8, 2019
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
‘Sometimes all it takes is one plot twist to realise nobody is who you think they are and everything you know to be true is actually false.’
Actor, musician and writer Pip Drysdale returns with her second novel, The Strangers We Know. A modern domestic thriller, with twists aplenty and a whole host of false leads, this addictive page turner enthralls from cover to cover.
Charlie is a married aspiring actress, who lives in London. When Charlie is confronted with an image of a man who resembles her husband on a dating app, her world changes. This shocking discovery sends Charlie spiralling down a pit of mistrust, confusion and paranoia. Charlie is unable to cast her fears aside and she soon second guesses everything about her husband Oliver. It will send Charlie on a mission to discover the truth behind the photo and why Oliver was inclined to join a dating app. However, what becomes abundantly clear is that a possible affair marks just the beginning of Charlie’s problems. The Strangers We Know delves head-first into the question, do we truly know our loved ones?
The Strangers We Know was another compelling and consuming tale from Pip Drysdale, a relatively new author, who is fast making a name for herself in the modern domestic thriller genre. The Strangers We Know is a novel that taps into our present day use of dating apps and social media. Drysdale cleverly intertwines these modern day trappings within an entertaining and astute thriller narrative.
The structure of The Strangers We Know was creative and engaging. Cleverly drawing on the main character’s aspirations to be an actress, as well as the author’s past career as an actress, The Strangers We Know unfolds just like a television script. As a result, this novel reads in a very visual way, I could very easily picture this one on the small or big screen. There is a nod to Netflix in this novel, which I thought was very in tune with our current fixation on streaming services. Structurally, The Strangers We Know is divided into nine episodes, defined the day, date and time. I enjoyed this clear set form of storytelling very much.
Charlie is our chief narrator and we receive a very thorough insight into the events of this beguiling tale from her perspective. At times I was a little at odds with Charlie’s thought patterns, reasoning and actions. However, I did find moments of clarity and sympathy for Charlie. I think Charlie offers plenty of page appeal, and readers will be likely to embrace her, she is definitely relatable. The secondary cast adds plenty of weight to this tale. I found Charlie’s interactions with the secondary characters offered plenty of intrigue and speculation, piquing my interest level in this tale. In fact, I was seduced into reading just one more page, then just another chapter and before I knew it, the book had reached its propulsive close!
My final word on The Strangers We Know is to praise Pip Drysdale for her setting interpretation. I loved the locale base of present day London, this bustling capital came to life before my eyes, reminding me of my past experiences in the UK. There were plenty of references to places and customs that I found both nostalgic and authentic. Drysdale also focuses on the privileged and aspiring social set of London within her novel. The cast of The Strangers We Know are quite refined and I found their experiences engrossing. I was also fooled a few times over and a few surprising along the way ensured that the author stayed one step ahead of this reader.
The Strangers We Know exposes a relationship marked by love, lies, betrayal, tragedy and deception. A highly readable and intense book, Pip Drysdale’s second novel is impressive, making her an author we need to watch.
*I wish to thank Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Strangers We Know is book #148 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
‘Sometimes all it takes is one plot twist to realise nobody is who you think they are and everything you know to be true is actually false.’
Actor, musician and writer Pip Drysdale returns with her second novel, The Strangers We Know. A modern domestic thriller, with twists aplenty and a whole host of false leads, this addictive page turner enthralls from cover to cover.
Charlie is a married aspiring actress, who lives in London. When Charlie is confronted with an image of a man who resembles her husband on a dating app, her world changes. This shocking discovery sends Charlie spiralling down a pit of mistrust, confusion and paranoia. Charlie is unable to cast her fears aside and she soon second guesses everything about her husband Oliver. It will send Charlie on a mission to discover the truth behind the photo and why Oliver was inclined to join a dating app. However, what becomes abundantly clear is that a possible affair marks just the beginning of Charlie’s problems. The Strangers We Know delves head-first into the question, do we truly know our loved ones?
The Strangers We Know was another compelling and consuming tale from Pip Drysdale, a relatively new author, who is fast making a name for herself in the modern domestic thriller genre. The Strangers We Know is a novel that taps into our present day use of dating apps and social media. Drysdale cleverly intertwines these modern day trappings within an entertaining and astute thriller narrative.
The structure of The Strangers We Know was creative and engaging. Cleverly drawing on the main character’s aspirations to be an actress, as well as the author’s past career as an actress, The Strangers We Know unfolds just like a television script. As a result, this novel reads in a very visual way, I could very easily picture this one on the small or big screen. There is a nod to Netflix in this novel, which I thought was very in tune with our current fixation on streaming services. Structurally, The Strangers We Know is divided into nine episodes, defined the day, date and time. I enjoyed this clear set form of storytelling very much.
Charlie is our chief narrator and we receive a very thorough insight into the events of this beguiling tale from her perspective. At times I was a little at odds with Charlie’s thought patterns, reasoning and actions. However, I did find moments of clarity and sympathy for Charlie. I think Charlie offers plenty of page appeal, and readers will be likely to embrace her, she is definitely relatable. The secondary cast adds plenty of weight to this tale. I found Charlie’s interactions with the secondary characters offered plenty of intrigue and speculation, piquing my interest level in this tale. In fact, I was seduced into reading just one more page, then just another chapter and before I knew it, the book had reached its propulsive close!
My final word on The Strangers We Know is to praise Pip Drysdale for her setting interpretation. I loved the locale base of present day London, this bustling capital came to life before my eyes, reminding me of my past experiences in the UK. There were plenty of references to places and customs that I found both nostalgic and authentic. Drysdale also focuses on the privileged and aspiring social set of London within her novel. The cast of The Strangers We Know are quite refined and I found their experiences engrossing. I was also fooled a few times over and a few surprising along the way ensured that the author stayed one step ahead of this reader.
The Strangers We Know exposes a relationship marked by love, lies, betrayal, tragedy and deception. A highly readable and intense book, Pip Drysdale’s second novel is impressive, making her an author we need to watch.
*I wish to thank Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Strangers We Know is book #148 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
November 20, 2019
Thanks to simon schuster au and the author for a copy of this book.
Woooooowwwwwie this book was something. Think gossip girl writes CSI, with as many impossible plot twists as pretty little liars and youll get the vibe.
When Charlie sees a picture of her perfect husband Oliver on a friends dating app she does what any sane wife would do and accuses him of cheating. Oliver denies the accusation with the outstanding argument of 'when would i have time to cheat on you'. Charlie determined to prove his lie makes a fake account to match with her husband. Within days her husband is dead, Charlie having done nothing wrong except making a fake internet account decides to run from the police and solve his murder herself. Charlie gathers the evidence alone (even though her best friend is a lawyer) to prove to the police that despite hiding from them for days after her husbands murder that she is not guilty.
Honestly this plot had so many flaws, the twists were predictable and unrealistic and the characters were completely unrelatable. The whole book has a very superficial feel and i dissaprove of the authors use of rape to give her main character depth, it was dissrespectful to victims and added nothing to the novel.
This book was not for me but if you really love romance thrillers or the authors other works you may enjoy this.
Woooooowwwwwie this book was something. Think gossip girl writes CSI, with as many impossible plot twists as pretty little liars and youll get the vibe.
When Charlie sees a picture of her perfect husband Oliver on a friends dating app she does what any sane wife would do and accuses him of cheating. Oliver denies the accusation with the outstanding argument of 'when would i have time to cheat on you'. Charlie determined to prove his lie makes a fake account to match with her husband. Within days her husband is dead, Charlie having done nothing wrong except making a fake internet account decides to run from the police and solve his murder herself. Charlie gathers the evidence alone (even though her best friend is a lawyer) to prove to the police that despite hiding from them for days after her husbands murder that she is not guilty.
Honestly this plot had so many flaws, the twists were predictable and unrealistic and the characters were completely unrelatable. The whole book has a very superficial feel and i dissaprove of the authors use of rape to give her main character depth, it was dissrespectful to victims and added nothing to the novel.
This book was not for me but if you really love romance thrillers or the authors other works you may enjoy this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2021
My favourite thing in a thriller is short chapters full of twists to keep you interested. This book delivered and I was hooked straight away.
Pip’s lead characters are always strong female characters that are determined to get to the bottom of things and I love that.
Though I had my suspicions of where this was going, there will still parts that I didn’t see coming and shook me!
Pip’s lead characters are always strong female characters that are determined to get to the bottom of things and I love that.
Though I had my suspicions of where this was going, there will still parts that I didn’t see coming and shook me!
November 30, 2020
Pip Drysdale’s debut novel ‘The Sunday Girl’ was widely enjoyed by thriller readers and her latest suspense mystery, ‘The Strangers We Know’, is another thoroughly entertaining read that I enjoyed immensely.
“When Charlie sees a man who is the spitting image of her husband Oliver on her friend’s dating app, her heart stops. Her first desperate instinct is to tell herself she must be mistaken but no matter how much she tries to push her fears aside, she can’t because she took that photo - on their honeymoon. Suddenly other signs of betrayal begin to add up and so Charlie does the only thing she can think of to defend her position – she signs up to the app to catch Oliver in the act.
But Charlie soon discovers that infidelity is the least of her problems. Nothing is as it seems and nobody is who she thinks they are...”
I was quite ambivalent towards Charlie at the start of the story but by the time I’d read about a traumatic event she endured when she was sixteen, I was fully invested in her character and felt full empathy towards her situation. Although Charlie could well have come clean to Oliver at the beginning of it all, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and was hopeful it was all a mistake. As events unfold and she digs deeper into his work affairs and friends, is everything she thought to be true about her world, about to explode in ways she could never have foreseen? I read this story quite quickly due to the easy flowing narrative and engaging premise. I found I was looking forward to picking it up again in between reads and what I did find particularly fun, was the teaser to the twists Charlie often intimated at the end of chapters, enticing you to read more.
The layout of the narrative with Charlie telling the story in the past and set out like a diary, with the last chapter explaining why she is telling the story, made for an exciting and fast paced read. A great psychological thriller that I enjoyed trying to fit the clues and piece it all together and I’d happily recommend this author and “The Strangers We Know” to all thriller readers.
4 stars
“When Charlie sees a man who is the spitting image of her husband Oliver on her friend’s dating app, her heart stops. Her first desperate instinct is to tell herself she must be mistaken but no matter how much she tries to push her fears aside, she can’t because she took that photo - on their honeymoon. Suddenly other signs of betrayal begin to add up and so Charlie does the only thing she can think of to defend her position – she signs up to the app to catch Oliver in the act.
But Charlie soon discovers that infidelity is the least of her problems. Nothing is as it seems and nobody is who she thinks they are...”
I was quite ambivalent towards Charlie at the start of the story but by the time I’d read about a traumatic event she endured when she was sixteen, I was fully invested in her character and felt full empathy towards her situation. Although Charlie could well have come clean to Oliver at the beginning of it all, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and was hopeful it was all a mistake. As events unfold and she digs deeper into his work affairs and friends, is everything she thought to be true about her world, about to explode in ways she could never have foreseen? I read this story quite quickly due to the easy flowing narrative and engaging premise. I found I was looking forward to picking it up again in between reads and what I did find particularly fun, was the teaser to the twists Charlie often intimated at the end of chapters, enticing you to read more.
The layout of the narrative with Charlie telling the story in the past and set out like a diary, with the last chapter explaining why she is telling the story, made for an exciting and fast paced read. A great psychological thriller that I enjoyed trying to fit the clues and piece it all together and I’d happily recommend this author and “The Strangers We Know” to all thriller readers.
4 stars
January 1, 2020
2.5 rounded up.
September 30, 2020
The Strangers We Know is the new domestic drama-slash-thriller by Pip Drysdale. Simon & Schuster were kind enough to provide a copy for review, and it was just the ticket for taking my mind off this stifling summer heat!
Charlie and Oliver had the perfect meet cute, a whirlwind romance, and a happy marriage... until one night, Charlie joins her single friends for a girl's night out, and the unthinkable happens: they're swiping through her best friend's Tinder matches, and Oliver's profile comes up.
The story quickly spirals into a world of DIY detective work, danger and intrigue. I really loved how Drysdale showed that the kind of forensic online investigation so commonplace in 21st century relationships isn't all that different to tracking down a criminal. This is the perfect thriller for readers who generally prefer rom-coms.
An extended review is available for subscribers at Keeping Up With The Penguins.
Charlie and Oliver had the perfect meet cute, a whirlwind romance, and a happy marriage... until one night, Charlie joins her single friends for a girl's night out, and the unthinkable happens: they're swiping through her best friend's Tinder matches, and Oliver's profile comes up.
The story quickly spirals into a world of DIY detective work, danger and intrigue. I really loved how Drysdale showed that the kind of forensic online investigation so commonplace in 21st century relationships isn't all that different to tracking down a criminal. This is the perfect thriller for readers who generally prefer rom-coms.
An extended review is available for subscribers at Keeping Up With The Penguins.
October 30, 2019
Very nearly put this book in the 'did not finish' pile, but thought it would be unfair to offer a review if not reading it to the end. As it was, though the plot did become more interesting from about the halfway mark, I just wasn't able to connect with the protagonist. I found the tone somewhat superficial, and some of the events totally unrealistic. A shame, really, because the concept was an interesting one.
December 3, 2019
Thanks to Simon&Schuster for my ARC of this great book by Pip Drysdale.
I was really looking forward to this read as it looked intriguing and I wasn't disappointed.
I was hooked from the start with the story of Charlie and her husband Oliver.
"Do we really know anyone" is the question when Charlie finds her man's profile on a dating app.
She goes on to try to uncover the truth about what is going on in her husband's life and discovers more than she bargained for. Right until the end of this book you don't know who can be trusted and who is telling the truth.
I loved the author's writing style as despite all that was going on and all the twists it was easy to follow. It was a real page turner and I look forward to more from Pip Drysdale. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a great thriller novel.
I was really looking forward to this read as it looked intriguing and I wasn't disappointed.
I was hooked from the start with the story of Charlie and her husband Oliver.
"Do we really know anyone" is the question when Charlie finds her man's profile on a dating app.
She goes on to try to uncover the truth about what is going on in her husband's life and discovers more than she bargained for. Right until the end of this book you don't know who can be trusted and who is telling the truth.
I loved the author's writing style as despite all that was going on and all the twists it was easy to follow. It was a real page turner and I look forward to more from Pip Drysdale. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a great thriller novel.
January 5, 2020
Holy hell, this was so, so bad! It sounds like a parody, it's so ridiculous. The dialogues, the plot, everything, so, so, laughable!
July 16, 2022
So very twisty!! 👌
May 13, 2020
THE STRANGERS WE KNOW 🌟🌟
I am not a fan of sharing negative reviews, but I’m sorry to say this is going to be one! I was really excited to read this book by Pip Drysdale, because the synopsis sounded gripping. When Charlie sees a man who is the spitting image of her husband Oliver on a dating app her friend is using, her first instinct is to tell herself she must be mistaken, but no matter how much she tries to push her fears aside, she can’t. As she begins to investigate her husband, she learns that potential infidelity is the least of her problems...
I had three major gripes with this book. First of all, I enjoyed the conversational style, but I really didn’t enjoy the way the fourth wall was broken by Charlie (the main character) telling the reader to “remember this point, it’ll be important” - to me, this meant none of the ‘twists’ were surprising because they were bread-crumbed the whole way through? I like a thriller that keeps me guessing, not knowing who to trust, & I can honestly say I pegged the bad guy/girl (no spoilers) from the minute they were introduced. So when the reveal/major plot moment happened, it was just like 🤷🏼♀️ & there was no OMG moment, which is what I personally need from a book like this
Secondly (this one is so minor) I didn’t like the fact that whenever there was a tense moment, the writer put “ba-boom ba-boom” in multiple lines, narrating Charlie’s heartbeat to let us know she was nervous. I just found this to be too literal & it was almost anti climatic at points of tension.
Thirdly; Charlie might be the most unlikeable & infuriating character I have ever read. I spent most of the second half thinking she was an idiot (sorry that’s not particularly eloquent but it’s true) & it detracted from any potentially interesting plot points because I was so frustrated with her & her behaviour & decisions were so incredibly unrealistic.
I am not a fan of sharing negative reviews, but I’m sorry to say this is going to be one! I was really excited to read this book by Pip Drysdale, because the synopsis sounded gripping. When Charlie sees a man who is the spitting image of her husband Oliver on a dating app her friend is using, her first instinct is to tell herself she must be mistaken, but no matter how much she tries to push her fears aside, she can’t. As she begins to investigate her husband, she learns that potential infidelity is the least of her problems...
I had three major gripes with this book. First of all, I enjoyed the conversational style, but I really didn’t enjoy the way the fourth wall was broken by Charlie (the main character) telling the reader to “remember this point, it’ll be important” - to me, this meant none of the ‘twists’ were surprising because they were bread-crumbed the whole way through? I like a thriller that keeps me guessing, not knowing who to trust, & I can honestly say I pegged the bad guy/girl (no spoilers) from the minute they were introduced. So when the reveal/major plot moment happened, it was just like 🤷🏼♀️ & there was no OMG moment, which is what I personally need from a book like this
Secondly (this one is so minor) I didn’t like the fact that whenever there was a tense moment, the writer put “ba-boom ba-boom” in multiple lines, narrating Charlie’s heartbeat to let us know she was nervous. I just found this to be too literal & it was almost anti climatic at points of tension.
Thirdly; Charlie might be the most unlikeable & infuriating character I have ever read. I spent most of the second half thinking she was an idiot (sorry that’s not particularly eloquent but it’s true) & it detracted from any potentially interesting plot points because I was so frustrated with her & her behaviour & decisions were so incredibly unrealistic.
December 3, 2019
“Nothing is ever as it seems, is it?”
When Charlie Carter catches a glimpse of a man who looks like her husband on a dating app, she desperately wants to believe she is mistaken. Since their marriage eighteen months previously, Oliver has been the perfect husband…hardworking, attentive and loving, and she wants his unequivocal denial to be enough.
“You see, that’s the problem with trust issues: eventually you find you can’t trust yourself either.”
But it isn’t. To allay her lingering suspicions, Charlie sets a trap and is devastated when her worst fear is realised. Her marriage is over.
“And that should have been it: rock bottom. A cheating husband and broken dreams. Fair is fair. But no. Life was just getting warmed up.”
Fast-paced with some surprising twists, The Strangers We Know is an entertaining contemporary thriller from Pip Drysdale.
I really enjoyed the plot, and I’m loathe to spoil the surprises it offers. There is an unpredictability that is compelling, if not entirely credible, and I easily read it straight through.
Unfolding from Charlie’s first person perspective, Drysdale exploits the character’s profession as an actress in the structure of the novel, it’s easy to imagine this novel being adapted for the screen. It has a modern sensibility which will appeal to a younger audience, and a classic whodunnit twist to satisfy mystery fans.
Caught in a web of deceit and betrayal, and unsure who to trust, Charlie doesn’t always make smart decisions, which can be frustrating, but her naivety is also relatable, which makes her an appealing character. She is indubitably the star of this novel.
“But here’s the thing with life: You have to get through it. There’s no choice. Eventually, even in real life, the heroine has to win out in the end.”
When Charlie Carter catches a glimpse of a man who looks like her husband on a dating app, she desperately wants to believe she is mistaken. Since their marriage eighteen months previously, Oliver has been the perfect husband…hardworking, attentive and loving, and she wants his unequivocal denial to be enough.
“You see, that’s the problem with trust issues: eventually you find you can’t trust yourself either.”
But it isn’t. To allay her lingering suspicions, Charlie sets a trap and is devastated when her worst fear is realised. Her marriage is over.
“And that should have been it: rock bottom. A cheating husband and broken dreams. Fair is fair. But no. Life was just getting warmed up.”
Fast-paced with some surprising twists, The Strangers We Know is an entertaining contemporary thriller from Pip Drysdale.
I really enjoyed the plot, and I’m loathe to spoil the surprises it offers. There is an unpredictability that is compelling, if not entirely credible, and I easily read it straight through.
Unfolding from Charlie’s first person perspective, Drysdale exploits the character’s profession as an actress in the structure of the novel, it’s easy to imagine this novel being adapted for the screen. It has a modern sensibility which will appeal to a younger audience, and a classic whodunnit twist to satisfy mystery fans.
Caught in a web of deceit and betrayal, and unsure who to trust, Charlie doesn’t always make smart decisions, which can be frustrating, but her naivety is also relatable, which makes her an appealing character. She is indubitably the star of this novel.
“But here’s the thing with life: You have to get through it. There’s no choice. Eventually, even in real life, the heroine has to win out in the end.”
arc
August 28, 2023I'm not usually a fan of the (quite frankly) dime a dozen domestic psychological thrillers, but this premise intrigued me, and the execution didn't disappoint. I read this in one sitting - it's gripping and fast-paced, and moves along efficiently. Lots of intrigue, suspense, and red herrings. The protagonist is easy to empathize with and invest in, and is far from perfect herself, often making rash, questionable decisions that are realistic. Overall this is well worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 759 reviews