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The Second Stranger
An electric, locked-room suspense thriller set in the remote Scottish Highlands, where icy temperatures and a terrible blizzard prevent any ideas of escape—from a brilliant new voice in crime fiction.
One bitterly cold February night at the remote MacKinnon Hotel, Remie Yorke begins her last shift at the front desk as the snow begins to fall. She has booked a one-way flight for the next day—and she's never coming back to Scotland. Or so she thinks.
As the storm quickly invades the surrounding Highlands, the roads become impassable and the phone lines fall dead. When the icy temperatures plummet further, an injured man stumbles into the hotel lobby from the blizzard. Police Constable Don Gaines has been in a car accident on the mountain road, and Remie welcomes him to safety. Gaines tells her that the other survivor of the accident is a dangerous prisoner who is now at-large; and Gaines is sure he is heading their way.
Then a second injured visitor arrives—also introducing himself as Constable Don Gaines. Both claim to want to protect Remie and the hotel's remaining guests. Both are convincing. Remie doesn't know who to trust.
But she must endure a deadly night before dawn breaks, and if she doesn't succumb to the cold, one of these men will surely kill her first. And she has no idea why they have chosen to come to the MacKinnon Hotel . . .
One bitterly cold February night at the remote MacKinnon Hotel, Remie Yorke begins her last shift at the front desk as the snow begins to fall. She has booked a one-way flight for the next day—and she's never coming back to Scotland. Or so she thinks.
As the storm quickly invades the surrounding Highlands, the roads become impassable and the phone lines fall dead. When the icy temperatures plummet further, an injured man stumbles into the hotel lobby from the blizzard. Police Constable Don Gaines has been in a car accident on the mountain road, and Remie welcomes him to safety. Gaines tells her that the other survivor of the accident is a dangerous prisoner who is now at-large; and Gaines is sure he is heading their way.
Then a second injured visitor arrives—also introducing himself as Constable Don Gaines. Both claim to want to protect Remie and the hotel's remaining guests. Both are convincing. Remie doesn't know who to trust.
But she must endure a deadly night before dawn breaks, and if she doesn't succumb to the cold, one of these men will surely kill her first. And she has no idea why they have chosen to come to the MacKinnon Hotel . . .
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 19, 2023
263 people are currently reading
4146 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 737 reviews
December 17, 2022
I know what you're thinking. Not another 'woman stuck somewhere because of a terrible storm and there's a murderer around' kind of crime novel... it's tired. Old. I feel you, I really do. But hear me out, this one is GOOD.
Remie Yorke is nearly free. One last night shift at the Mackinnon Hotel in the remote Scottish Highlands before she's off to sunnier climbs. Problem is that the weather isn't playing ball. It's getting worse by the minute and the possibility of catching her flight is starting to look like wishful thinking. On top of that, she's sure one of her guests is not what they seem. They're acting suspiciously and she thinks she knows why.
But before she can get to the bottom of that puzzle, things take a turn for the worse. PC Don Gaines knocks desperately at her door, telling of an accident and an escaped prisoner. The very worst of men. And with the hotel being the lone shelter for miles around, he must already be on his way. Locked up tight, they can only hope to avoid trouble. And they do, until PC Don Gaines knocks desperately at her door, telling of an accident and an escaped prisoner...
No, that wasn't a typo. Merely the thrilling opener to a desperate race for survival. Remie must separate lies and truth if she wants to survive. But she has secrets of her own and they might be the most dangerous thing of all.
A full, well deserved 5 stars. Tense as hell and superbly written, I loved it.
ARC via Netgalley
Remie Yorke is nearly free. One last night shift at the Mackinnon Hotel in the remote Scottish Highlands before she's off to sunnier climbs. Problem is that the weather isn't playing ball. It's getting worse by the minute and the possibility of catching her flight is starting to look like wishful thinking. On top of that, she's sure one of her guests is not what they seem. They're acting suspiciously and she thinks she knows why.
But before she can get to the bottom of that puzzle, things take a turn for the worse. PC Don Gaines knocks desperately at her door, telling of an accident and an escaped prisoner. The very worst of men. And with the hotel being the lone shelter for miles around, he must already be on his way. Locked up tight, they can only hope to avoid trouble. And they do, until PC Don Gaines knocks desperately at her door, telling of an accident and an escaped prisoner...
No, that wasn't a typo. Merely the thrilling opener to a desperate race for survival. Remie must separate lies and truth if she wants to survive. But she has secrets of her own and they might be the most dangerous thing of all.
A full, well deserved 5 stars. Tense as hell and superbly written, I loved it.
ARC via Netgalley
January 5, 2023
Cairngorms - The Mackinnon Hôtel
It’s Remie Yorkes final evening as night manager at the hotel because tomorrow she leaves for a South American adventure. However, plans are thrown awry when Storm Ezra hits and blankets the area in deep snow with temperatures plummeting to below zero with the addition of wind chill factor. As she serves one of the two remaining guests a glass of Malbec, there’s a powerful knock at the door and an injured man enters the hotel. This is PC Don Gaines who has been hurt in an RTC while transporting a prisoner from nearby Porterfell Prison. Later, a second man arrives, he too claims to be Constable Gaines. Remie is faced with a real conundrum, who is the real policeman and who exactly is the imposter? As the storm does it’s worse the danger levels increase for Remie as she tries to navigate a safe passage through the quandary.
Well, this one grabs you from the start. There’s atmosphere in abundance in the terrific highland location, add in a storm, a virtual empty hotel and a puzzling locked hotel mystery and I’m all in! There’s suspicion from the beginning not just the Gaines dilemma but also of the two guests. You flip flop constantly between believing one over the other but the author has plenty of surprises in store as he hits the reader on several occasions with the unexpected. The fear factor grows, it becomes perilous, the tension is taut and you get cold chills and not just from the storm which will have the last word.
Remies background adds a very good element of dysfunction and she proves to be a worthy opponent in the constantly changing discovery landscape as danger closes in.
This is a very good read there’s no question but it does get a bit confusing with identities so you need to keep up! The pace does occasionally drop off as it is a bit too descriptive in places but these parts are not unenjoyable. I do get a bit irritated by Remies constant repetition of her plans being disrupted. Yes, got it!!
Overall though, this is a very good take on this kind of mystery. The conclusion is dramatic which I like and especially the good touch of humour right at the end! Nice one!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
It’s Remie Yorkes final evening as night manager at the hotel because tomorrow she leaves for a South American adventure. However, plans are thrown awry when Storm Ezra hits and blankets the area in deep snow with temperatures plummeting to below zero with the addition of wind chill factor. As she serves one of the two remaining guests a glass of Malbec, there’s a powerful knock at the door and an injured man enters the hotel. This is PC Don Gaines who has been hurt in an RTC while transporting a prisoner from nearby Porterfell Prison. Later, a second man arrives, he too claims to be Constable Gaines. Remie is faced with a real conundrum, who is the real policeman and who exactly is the imposter? As the storm does it’s worse the danger levels increase for Remie as she tries to navigate a safe passage through the quandary.
Well, this one grabs you from the start. There’s atmosphere in abundance in the terrific highland location, add in a storm, a virtual empty hotel and a puzzling locked hotel mystery and I’m all in! There’s suspicion from the beginning not just the Gaines dilemma but also of the two guests. You flip flop constantly between believing one over the other but the author has plenty of surprises in store as he hits the reader on several occasions with the unexpected. The fear factor grows, it becomes perilous, the tension is taut and you get cold chills and not just from the storm which will have the last word.
Remies background adds a very good element of dysfunction and she proves to be a worthy opponent in the constantly changing discovery landscape as danger closes in.
This is a very good read there’s no question but it does get a bit confusing with identities so you need to keep up! The pace does occasionally drop off as it is a bit too descriptive in places but these parts are not unenjoyable. I do get a bit irritated by Remies constant repetition of her plans being disrupted. Yes, got it!!
Overall though, this is a very good take on this kind of mystery. The conclusion is dramatic which I like and especially the good touch of humour right at the end! Nice one!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
September 10, 2022
Well hello there, remote and snowed in Scottish hotel the day before closing, escaped prisoner and mysteries galore!
It sounded like such a fun and exciting book and I must admit, the cover is my favourite!
It painted a beautiful picture of the remote hotel on the day before closing for off season, the sister of a drug runner, who has recently passed away and all the mysteries of a arms dealer gang.
Overall, it was an ok read, highly average (2.5 stars rounded up), as nothing really took my breath away - the gang leader twist was brilliant though!
As some of you might know, I always judge the book by its cover and the cover was definitely my favourite part of the whole story/set up!
Thank you NetGalley for the kindly gifted ARC!
It sounded like such a fun and exciting book and I must admit, the cover is my favourite!
It painted a beautiful picture of the remote hotel on the day before closing for off season, the sister of a drug runner, who has recently passed away and all the mysteries of a arms dealer gang.
Overall, it was an ok read, highly average (2.5 stars rounded up), as nothing really took my breath away - the gang leader twist was brilliant though!
As some of you might know, I always judge the book by its cover and the cover was definitely my favourite part of the whole story/set up!
Thank you NetGalley for the kindly gifted ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2022
What an intense read!! Locked room mystery lovers are going to devour this book. It is the perfect setting for an action packed and dark thriller and I loved it
Remie is the only employee working at the Mackinnon Hotel. She just has to get through the night and then she will be off to warmer climates for a new start. But then a severe snowstorm hits and they are locked in. The phone lines go down and there is no wifi connection. They think they are all good until 2 men knock on the door, hours apart, wanting to be let in. Both claim to be PC Gaines, looking for and escaped prisoner.
It really is a case of who to believe, and who to trust. Along with the one guest of the hotel, Remie has to try to survive long enough to make her getaway. There is plenty of danger and it will keep you turning those pages.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on January 19th.
Remie is the only employee working at the Mackinnon Hotel. She just has to get through the night and then she will be off to warmer climates for a new start. But then a severe snowstorm hits and they are locked in. The phone lines go down and there is no wifi connection. They think they are all good until 2 men knock on the door, hours apart, wanting to be let in. Both claim to be PC Gaines, looking for and escaped prisoner.
It really is a case of who to believe, and who to trust. Along with the one guest of the hotel, Remie has to try to survive long enough to make her getaway. There is plenty of danger and it will keep you turning those pages.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on January 19th.
March 26, 2024
1.5
The novel takes place virtually over the period of one night in a hunting resort/hotel in Scotland during a massive snow storm. The hotel is about to close for the winter with the last two guests and one night shift manager the only residents, until two strangers arrive. A quite familiar story if you have read much in this genre. Throw in the fact that the hotel is next door to a high security prison, that the night managers brother was an inmate, and that the prison decides to do a prisoner transfer on the night of the worst storm in a century! And I'm afraid for me it just got worse. I struggled with the writing, I didn't need to be told so many times that Remie, the night manager was leaving the country, nor the multiple other repetitive sentences and ideas. As a character Remie frustrated me, a psychology major who at 22 could suture her brothers major abdominal wound (and who totally enabled his criminal activity), but made so many absolutely ridiculous decisions within the plot.
Glad others have loved it, and I see I am not alone in struggling, but I just couldn't suspend belief enough.
The novel takes place virtually over the period of one night in a hunting resort/hotel in Scotland during a massive snow storm. The hotel is about to close for the winter with the last two guests and one night shift manager the only residents, until two strangers arrive. A quite familiar story if you have read much in this genre. Throw in the fact that the hotel is next door to a high security prison, that the night managers brother was an inmate, and that the prison decides to do a prisoner transfer on the night of the worst storm in a century! And I'm afraid for me it just got worse. I struggled with the writing, I didn't need to be told so many times that Remie, the night manager was leaving the country, nor the multiple other repetitive sentences and ideas. As a character Remie frustrated me, a psychology major who at 22 could suture her brothers major abdominal wound (and who totally enabled his criminal activity), but made so many absolutely ridiculous decisions within the plot.
Glad others have loved it, and I see I am not alone in struggling, but I just couldn't suspend belief enough.
January 10, 2023
Primo flop del 2023! Se la prima parte si può considerare interessante, la seconda metà del libro diventa noiosa, scontata, con risvolti prevedibilissimi e a tratti inverosimili. Ho fatto una fatica immensa a finirlo.
January 14, 2024
I really enjoyed the beginning and the end of this one, I just got a little lost in the middle and grew a tad disinterested. Had it not been for the middle leading me astray, this would have been a much higher rating. Still going to keep my eye on this new author!!
August 29, 2024
This pacey "Who's the Real Villain?" book kept me guessing from start to finish.
Character development was strong...........
Suspense levels and atmospheric tension were sky-high.
I could feel the chill in the air.
I listened to the audiobook, brilliantly narrated by Tamsin Kennard.
This was my first Martin Griffin book and I will be watching for this talented author's future releases.
June 14, 2023
Avevo alte aspettative ma sono rimasta parecchio delusa. Un thriller dovrebbe, per sua natura, accrescere l’interesse del lettore, stimolandolo a finire in fretta un capitolo per conoscere cosa succede in quello successivo. Ne L’impostore non si verifica niente di tutto questo. Molte parti sono noiose e senza senso. Capitoli fini a sé stessi che non invogliano a proseguire. Si percepisce essere la prima opera letteraria nell’ambito del genere giallo/thriller realizzata dall’autore. Unico motivo che mi spinge a non attribuirgli solo una stella.
Peccato.
Peccato.
January 17, 2023
I really enjoyed The Second Stranger by Martin Griffin a fast paced thriller with twist and turns that kept me guessing until the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest
February 21, 2023
I liked the unique premise of this book and thought it sounded really interesting as well as having a wintery, isolated setting but sadly this one really didn’t end up working for me.
I thought it became pretty obvious early on which of the two men was the escaped prisoner and which was the police officer and so when the reveal came I felt it was very anti climatic. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters and the overall direction the story went in wasn’t of interest to me. It’s just personal preference really as I never tend to find books about organised crime and gangs very interesting so that’s a big reason that I didn’t end up enjoying this one very much.
I did like the wintery hotel setting and the snowstorm/avalanche scenes but I just wanted so much more from the story and I’m sad to say I couldn’t really care less about this book but from looking at other reviews it looks like I’m in the minority with this one so definitely still worth checking out if it sounds interesting to you.
I thought it became pretty obvious early on which of the two men was the escaped prisoner and which was the police officer and so when the reveal came I felt it was very anti climatic. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters and the overall direction the story went in wasn’t of interest to me. It’s just personal preference really as I never tend to find books about organised crime and gangs very interesting so that’s a big reason that I didn’t end up enjoying this one very much.
I did like the wintery hotel setting and the snowstorm/avalanche scenes but I just wanted so much more from the story and I’m sad to say I couldn’t really care less about this book but from looking at other reviews it looks like I’m in the minority with this one so definitely still worth checking out if it sounds interesting to you.
January 25, 2024
Dinamico. Ricco di adrenalina e mai banale.
Sin dall'inizio vieni catturato, ghermito senza esser mai lasciato, dall'ipnotizzante narrazione dell'autore. Di già a inizio libro fonda delle solidi basi per un'ambientazione claustrofobica e opprimente, un senso di ansia portato a braccetto dall'incertezza per ciò che è vero e ciò che è falso, il tutto contornato dalla Regina delle fobie: quella per la morte. Sin dalle prime pagine, come piace a me, vieni catturato dalla giusta essenza che deve possedere un libro "giallo/thriller" a mio totale avviso.
Pathos, suspense, tensione, ansia, situazioni surreali, inquietudine, coinvolgimento; una scala reale per una perfetta partita a poker.
Incalzante nell'immediato con un susseguirsi, un vortice sferzante e implacabile di: speculazioni, menzogne, verità nascoste, da cui non puoi sottrarti fino alla sua conclusione.
I "tempi di suspense" sono stati gestiti in modo egregio dall'autore. Ti dà ma mai troppo. Ti toglie ma per darti di nuovo il doppio della volta precedente in un intreccio pazzesco.
Ritmi serrati di vicende dinamiche, appunto, rendono molto semplice e fluido lo scorrere delle pagine.
Che dire poi della protagonista, nonché totale voce narrante della storia, l'ho amata! I suoi "flashback" sul suo passato, sulla sua vita, sui suoi cari, erano una vera delizia da leggere nonostante la tematica complessa ed estremamente delicata.
(Ho amato così tanto lei, e il rapporto che aveva con il fratello, tale da invogliarmi a leggere un intero libro dedicato su di essi se solo esistesse.)
I colpi di scena finali sono incredibili che dire "inaspettati" è un eufemismo.
Un vero genio l'autore!
Sin dall'inizio vieni catturato, ghermito senza esser mai lasciato, dall'ipnotizzante narrazione dell'autore. Di già a inizio libro fonda delle solidi basi per un'ambientazione claustrofobica e opprimente, un senso di ansia portato a braccetto dall'incertezza per ciò che è vero e ciò che è falso, il tutto contornato dalla Regina delle fobie: quella per la morte. Sin dalle prime pagine, come piace a me, vieni catturato dalla giusta essenza che deve possedere un libro "giallo/thriller" a mio totale avviso.
Pathos, suspense, tensione, ansia, situazioni surreali, inquietudine, coinvolgimento; una scala reale per una perfetta partita a poker.
Incalzante nell'immediato con un susseguirsi, un vortice sferzante e implacabile di: speculazioni, menzogne, verità nascoste, da cui non puoi sottrarti fino alla sua conclusione.
I "tempi di suspense" sono stati gestiti in modo egregio dall'autore. Ti dà ma mai troppo. Ti toglie ma per darti di nuovo il doppio della volta precedente in un intreccio pazzesco.
Ritmi serrati di vicende dinamiche, appunto, rendono molto semplice e fluido lo scorrere delle pagine.
Che dire poi della protagonista, nonché totale voce narrante della storia, l'ho amata! I suoi "flashback" sul suo passato, sulla sua vita, sui suoi cari, erano una vera delizia da leggere nonostante la tematica complessa ed estremamente delicata.
(Ho amato così tanto lei, e il rapporto che aveva con il fratello, tale da invogliarmi a leggere un intero libro dedicato su di essi se solo esistesse.)
I colpi di scena finali sono incredibili che dire "inaspettati" è un eufemismo.
Un vero genio l'autore!
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August 22, 2023"Zwei Fremde" von Martin Griffin war leider einer der Thriller, der mich zwar unheimlich neugierig gemacht hat und sich dann leider wirklich zu einem Leseflopp entwickelt hat....
Ausgangslange und Setting fand ich einfach großartig und auch das Cover versprühte schon so eine Düsternis und ich hatte mich auf einen spannenden Thriller gefreut!
Leider entwickelte sich für mich persönlich die ganze Story sehr holprig und nach etwa der Hälfte hatte ich das Gefühl, alles dreht sich eigentlich nur im Kreis und nichts kommt hier so richtig in Gang. Auch die einzelnen Protagonisten waren für mich irgendwie nicht richtig greifbar.
Da ich eben auch nach der Hälfte des Buches noch immer irgendwie nicht warm wurde mit dem Buch, habe ich es abgebrochen...
>>Die Chancen stehen 50:50 - wirst du dich richtig entscheiden?
Das Hotel in den Highlands, in dem Remie Yorke als Managerin arbeitet, wird ausgerechnet am letzten Tag der Saison von einem frühen Schneesturm von der Außenwelt abgeschnitten. Kein Telefon mehr, kein Internet. Zum Glück verfügt das Hotel wenigstens über ein Notstromaggregat. Dann stehen mitten im Sturm nacheinander zwei Fremde vor der Tür. Jeder der beiden behauptet von sich, ein Polizist zu sein, der einen geflohenen Mörder sucht und Remie und die Gäste schützen will. Remie weiß Einer der beiden ist wirklich Polizist. Der andere aber ist ein brutaler Mörder. Doch wer von den beiden lügt, und wer sagt die Wahrheit? Remie hat eine Fifty-fifty-Chance, sich richtig zu entscheiden - oder zu sterben ...<<
Ausgangslange und Setting fand ich einfach großartig und auch das Cover versprühte schon so eine Düsternis und ich hatte mich auf einen spannenden Thriller gefreut!
Leider entwickelte sich für mich persönlich die ganze Story sehr holprig und nach etwa der Hälfte hatte ich das Gefühl, alles dreht sich eigentlich nur im Kreis und nichts kommt hier so richtig in Gang. Auch die einzelnen Protagonisten waren für mich irgendwie nicht richtig greifbar.
Da ich eben auch nach der Hälfte des Buches noch immer irgendwie nicht warm wurde mit dem Buch, habe ich es abgebrochen...
>>Die Chancen stehen 50:50 - wirst du dich richtig entscheiden?
Das Hotel in den Highlands, in dem Remie Yorke als Managerin arbeitet, wird ausgerechnet am letzten Tag der Saison von einem frühen Schneesturm von der Außenwelt abgeschnitten. Kein Telefon mehr, kein Internet. Zum Glück verfügt das Hotel wenigstens über ein Notstromaggregat. Dann stehen mitten im Sturm nacheinander zwei Fremde vor der Tür. Jeder der beiden behauptet von sich, ein Polizist zu sein, der einen geflohenen Mörder sucht und Remie und die Gäste schützen will. Remie weiß Einer der beiden ist wirklich Polizist. Der andere aber ist ein brutaler Mörder. Doch wer von den beiden lügt, und wer sagt die Wahrheit? Remie hat eine Fifty-fifty-Chance, sich richtig zu entscheiden - oder zu sterben ...<<
February 22, 2023
L’impostore di Martin Griffin è un thriller ambientato in un isolato hotel in montagna, costruito nei pressi di un penitenziario da cui è appena evaso un detenuto. Alla reception, a distanza di poco tempo l’uno dall’altro, bussano due uomini diversi che dicono di essere la stessa persona: chi è il vero agente e chi sta mentendo? A chi credere?
Un’idea tanto semplice quanto geniale ci cattura riuscendo a farci dubitare ogni 2 pagine delle nostre assunzioni. Un bel gioco di narrazione che viene, secondo me, troncato un po’ troppo presto per far spazio a molte sotto-trame di cui, onestamente, avremmo potuto fare anche a meno.
A mio parere l’autore si è andato ad incasinare senza che ce ne fosse realmente bisogno. Con questo non voglio dire che sia un libro pesante o non riuscito.
È una lettura piacevole e disimpegnata che secondo me può venire apprezzata da molti. È adatta soprattutto per i lettori che vogliono tentare di leggere dei libri thriller per la prima volta!
Fatto non scontato: tutto viene spiegato e ha un perché.
Puoi trovare questa e altre recensioni sul mio profilo Instagram “I libri di Dede” www.instagram.com/ilibrididede o sul mio blog/sito www.ilibrididede.it 📚
Un’idea tanto semplice quanto geniale ci cattura riuscendo a farci dubitare ogni 2 pagine delle nostre assunzioni. Un bel gioco di narrazione che viene, secondo me, troncato un po’ troppo presto per far spazio a molte sotto-trame di cui, onestamente, avremmo potuto fare anche a meno.
A mio parere l’autore si è andato ad incasinare senza che ce ne fosse realmente bisogno. Con questo non voglio dire che sia un libro pesante o non riuscito.
È una lettura piacevole e disimpegnata che secondo me può venire apprezzata da molti. È adatta soprattutto per i lettori che vogliono tentare di leggere dei libri thriller per la prima volta!
Fatto non scontato: tutto viene spiegato e ha un perché.
Puoi trovare questa e altre recensioni sul mio profilo Instagram “I libri di Dede” www.instagram.com/ilibrididede o sul mio blog/sito www.ilibrididede.it 📚
January 5, 2023
Premessa: parlo da lettrice non amante del genere.
Allora... l'Impostore non si classifica fra i miei libri preferiti, ma l'ho comunque trovato affascinante. Diciamo che ha un suo perché.
Ti porta a fare teorie su teorie per gran parte del tempo, quando in realtà è esattamente tutto come sembra (apparentemente, però). Il titolo geniale, perché per almeno metà libro si crede faccia riferimento a una determinata questione, mentre secondo me alla fine realizzi che riguarda ben altro. Che va oltre la questione dei due poliziotti.
Avvincente. Ricco di colpi di scena. Dinamico e scorrevole. Consigliato per chi cerca una libro coinvolgente, che non sia però necessariamente un mattone.
Allora... l'Impostore non si classifica fra i miei libri preferiti, ma l'ho comunque trovato affascinante. Diciamo che ha un suo perché.
Ti porta a fare teorie su teorie per gran parte del tempo, quando in realtà è esattamente tutto come sembra (apparentemente, però). Il titolo geniale, perché per almeno metà libro si crede faccia riferimento a una determinata questione, mentre secondo me alla fine realizzi che riguarda ben altro. Che va oltre la questione dei due poliziotti.
Avvincente. Ricco di colpi di scena. Dinamico e scorrevole. Consigliato per chi cerca una libro coinvolgente, che non sia però necessariamente un mattone.
January 17, 2023
Mi aspettavo molto di più da questo libro, la trama mi aveva intrigato… ma nulla, proprio non mi ha presa!
Mi sono addirittura annoiata a tratti!
Sviluppo scarno, con dei buchi/no sense, personaggi di poco carattere. La ciliegina sulla torta è il finale [o i finali] tutto troppo forzato. Questo voler dare la sorpresa nella sorpresa, nella sorpresa, nella sorpresa… ha vanificato ulteriormente tutto lo sviluppo, che già scricchiolava!
Fortemente dispiaciuta di questa delusione 😔
Mi sono addirittura annoiata a tratti!
Sviluppo scarno, con dei buchi/no sense, personaggi di poco carattere. La ciliegina sulla torta è il finale [o i finali] tutto troppo forzato. Questo voler dare la sorpresa nella sorpresa, nella sorpresa, nella sorpresa… ha vanificato ulteriormente tutto lo sviluppo, che già scricchiolava!
Fortemente dispiaciuta di questa delusione 😔
February 28, 2023
This started off well, drifted halfway through with a lot of slow bits and then, it picked up,towards the end. Very atmospheric with the storm and the snow. Not a bad read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
January 29, 2023
Remie York is working her last shift at a hotel in the remote Scottish Highlands when a storm Ezra hits. As temperatures plummet and phone lines go down, an injured man PC Don Gaines stumbles inside explaining he was in a terrible car accident and the only other survivor was a prisoner he was transporting. When a second injured stranger arrives, he too claims he is PC Don Gaines - Someone is lying, Remi must work out who!
Ooof!! Talk about a claustrophobic locked door thriller. This wonderful debut smashed it out of the park - Twisty, heart pounding stuff. While I might have screamed at Remies very poor decision making - Yes, I did yell out loud - the plot and very clever writing, kept me wholly wrapped and entertained. So much so, I finished reading it in one sitting.
Tense, creepy, intriguing with a brilliant ending.
Well deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️
Thanks to @netgalley @littlebrownbookgroup_uk @martingriffin for an advanced reading copy.
Ooof!! Talk about a claustrophobic locked door thriller. This wonderful debut smashed it out of the park - Twisty, heart pounding stuff. While I might have screamed at Remies very poor decision making - Yes, I did yell out loud - the plot and very clever writing, kept me wholly wrapped and entertained. So much so, I finished reading it in one sitting.
Tense, creepy, intriguing with a brilliant ending.
Well deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️
Thanks to @netgalley @littlebrownbookgroup_uk @martingriffin for an advanced reading copy.
December 11, 2025
IN A NUTSHELL
A clever and original thriller that is much more complex than the initial premise suggests. Most of the novel was entertaining, suspenseful, and often surprising, but the middle section dragged a little, perhaps because the author held onto the initial mystery for too long. The ending was satisfying. This was an accomplished debut novel by an author I'll be following in the future.
I was immediately engaged with the story in 'The Second Stranger'. The setting was perfect: a remote hotel by a lake in the Scottish mountains on the last day of the season, enveloped in Storm Ezra. The story was told by a lone hotel employee, Rennie Yorke, looking after the last two guests on her final shift before she leaves for a trip to Chile. It's clear from the start that she's someone with a backstory and an agenda but we get little time to learn about that before the first mystery of the story is triggered: two injured men emerge from the storm, an hour or so apart, each claiming to be a police officer in search of a convict who has escaped from a crashed prison transport vehicle. Rennie must decide which one of them is lying.
The tension at the beginning was palpable. I couldn't make my mind up which of the two men was the policeman and which was the convict. I also couldn't see how that tension could be maintained for a whole novel. It also seemed that there were too many coincidences in the plot.
Towards the middle of the book, it seemed to me that the story lost its edge for awhile. The which-one-is-the-bad-guy question was sustained for a little too long, and I began to lose interest.
Then, just as the answer was revealed, several dramatic things happened at once, pulling me back into the story, which had now become an action-packed struggle for survival.
This struggle brought into focus the bits and pieces that I'd learned about Rennie's backstory. It also made it clear that what had appeared as improbable coincidences were actually attributes of a larger, more complex plot with Rennie at its centre.
The action scenes were vivid and compelling. The larger plot was more interesting and created more tension than Rennie's original pick-the-real-policeman challenge.
The ending was bold, clever, and satisfying.
I'll be adding Marin Griffin's second novel 'The Last Visitor' (2024), to my TBR pile soon.
I recommend the audiobook version of 'The Second Stranger'. Tamsin Kennard did a great job with the narration. Click on the YouTube link below to hear a sample.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uHHA...
A clever and original thriller that is much more complex than the initial premise suggests. Most of the novel was entertaining, suspenseful, and often surprising, but the middle section dragged a little, perhaps because the author held onto the initial mystery for too long. The ending was satisfying. This was an accomplished debut novel by an author I'll be following in the future.
I was immediately engaged with the story in 'The Second Stranger'. The setting was perfect: a remote hotel by a lake in the Scottish mountains on the last day of the season, enveloped in Storm Ezra. The story was told by a lone hotel employee, Rennie Yorke, looking after the last two guests on her final shift before she leaves for a trip to Chile. It's clear from the start that she's someone with a backstory and an agenda but we get little time to learn about that before the first mystery of the story is triggered: two injured men emerge from the storm, an hour or so apart, each claiming to be a police officer in search of a convict who has escaped from a crashed prison transport vehicle. Rennie must decide which one of them is lying.
The tension at the beginning was palpable. I couldn't make my mind up which of the two men was the policeman and which was the convict. I also couldn't see how that tension could be maintained for a whole novel. It also seemed that there were too many coincidences in the plot.
Towards the middle of the book, it seemed to me that the story lost its edge for awhile. The which-one-is-the-bad-guy question was sustained for a little too long, and I began to lose interest.
Then, just as the answer was revealed, several dramatic things happened at once, pulling me back into the story, which had now become an action-packed struggle for survival.
This struggle brought into focus the bits and pieces that I'd learned about Rennie's backstory. It also made it clear that what had appeared as improbable coincidences were actually attributes of a larger, more complex plot with Rennie at its centre.
The action scenes were vivid and compelling. The larger plot was more interesting and created more tension than Rennie's original pick-the-real-policeman challenge.
The ending was bold, clever, and satisfying.
I'll be adding Marin Griffin's second novel 'The Last Visitor' (2024), to my TBR pile soon.
I recommend the audiobook version of 'The Second Stranger'. Tamsin Kennard did a great job with the narration. Click on the YouTube link below to hear a sample.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uHHA...
February 15, 2023
In pratica, se avessi dato retta alla maggior parte delle recensioni italiane lette qui su Goodreads, “L’impostore” di Martin Griffin non l’avrei nemmeno letto. L’avrei lasciato ad ammuffire sullo scaffale della mia libreria, convinta di aver preso, leggendo la trama e affidandomi a quello che definisco il mio “sesto senso da lettrice”, l’ennesima cantonata.
Invece no.
Per i miei gusti, “L’impostore” si è rivelato un raffinato thriller psicologico, perfettamente costruito, ricco di suspense e di soprese dall’inizio alla fine e pronto, perché no, per una trasposizione cinematografica per la storia, i personaggi e la bella ambientazione!
Siamo infatti in un paese sperduto della Scozia, con la precisione in un motel, il Mackinnon Hotel ed è una notte di bufera, l’ultima che Remie, la receptionist, vi passerà per poi partire, l’indomani, alla volta del Cile e costruirsi una nuova vita. E, come in un prevedibile (ma sempre gustoso) film thriller, la bufera dà il peggio di sé, le temperature precipitano, le linee telefoniche s’interrompono e Remie resta isolata, lei e altre due ospiti dell’hotel, gli unici presenti dopo che tutti gli altri che vi lavorano sono partiti per la fine della stagione. In questo vuoto di bianco e di paura, uno sconosciuto suona alla porta e riferisce di chiamarsi Don Gaines, un poliziotto, e di essere rimasto ferito in un incidente nella bufera, mente trasportava un pericoloso detenuto, ora evaso: Remie gli crede e lo fa entrare, prestandogli soccorso e mostrandogli tutte le sale dell’hotel, compresa l’armeria. Anche perché il suo obiettivo, come dice, è mettere in sicurezza l’albergo e chi vi soggiorna dalla minaccia del detenuto. Poco dopo, però, la scena di ripete, e un secondo uomo si presenta alla porta, reclamando di essere Don Gaines e mostrando a Remi il suo tesserino…e ora? Chi è il vero Don Gaines e chi è il detenuto?
Nemmeno le recensioni che descrivono i tre quarti del libro come noioso mi trovano d’accordo: il dubbio che vive Remie per buona parte del romanzo crea uno stato di tensione che rende la lettura assolutamente godibile, perché piena di paura, la stessa che prova lei! Quando poi il dubbio viene sciolto, l’azione si mette in moto in maniera più vivace e prevedibile, come in un vero film thriller, ma ormai il gusto della scoperta è andato perduto. Che poi Martin Griffin, da bravo giocoliere, ci riservi qualche altra sorpresa, è un altro conto.
Ma, al di là della trama, che dire di Remie? Un personaggio debole ma forte, dal passato oscuro, macchiato dal ricordo del fratello ucciso, e ricco di sfumature per la complessità con cui affronta gli spettri del passato e l’ansia del futuro…insomma, un gran bel personaggio! Anche gli altri personaggi, tuttavia, non mancheranno di rivelare sorprese, rendendo il romanzo tutt’altro che scontato.
Direi che, fra i vari romanzi thriller pubblicati da Giunti negli ultimi anni, “L’impostore” spicca per diverse motivazioni…ad esempio molto meglio, a mio avviso, del tanto osannato “La stazione” di Jacopo de Michelis, tra i tanti.
Invece no.
Per i miei gusti, “L’impostore” si è rivelato un raffinato thriller psicologico, perfettamente costruito, ricco di suspense e di soprese dall’inizio alla fine e pronto, perché no, per una trasposizione cinematografica per la storia, i personaggi e la bella ambientazione!
Siamo infatti in un paese sperduto della Scozia, con la precisione in un motel, il Mackinnon Hotel ed è una notte di bufera, l’ultima che Remie, la receptionist, vi passerà per poi partire, l’indomani, alla volta del Cile e costruirsi una nuova vita. E, come in un prevedibile (ma sempre gustoso) film thriller, la bufera dà il peggio di sé, le temperature precipitano, le linee telefoniche s’interrompono e Remie resta isolata, lei e altre due ospiti dell’hotel, gli unici presenti dopo che tutti gli altri che vi lavorano sono partiti per la fine della stagione. In questo vuoto di bianco e di paura, uno sconosciuto suona alla porta e riferisce di chiamarsi Don Gaines, un poliziotto, e di essere rimasto ferito in un incidente nella bufera, mente trasportava un pericoloso detenuto, ora evaso: Remie gli crede e lo fa entrare, prestandogli soccorso e mostrandogli tutte le sale dell’hotel, compresa l’armeria. Anche perché il suo obiettivo, come dice, è mettere in sicurezza l’albergo e chi vi soggiorna dalla minaccia del detenuto. Poco dopo, però, la scena di ripete, e un secondo uomo si presenta alla porta, reclamando di essere Don Gaines e mostrando a Remi il suo tesserino…e ora? Chi è il vero Don Gaines e chi è il detenuto?
Nemmeno le recensioni che descrivono i tre quarti del libro come noioso mi trovano d’accordo: il dubbio che vive Remie per buona parte del romanzo crea uno stato di tensione che rende la lettura assolutamente godibile, perché piena di paura, la stessa che prova lei! Quando poi il dubbio viene sciolto, l’azione si mette in moto in maniera più vivace e prevedibile, come in un vero film thriller, ma ormai il gusto della scoperta è andato perduto. Che poi Martin Griffin, da bravo giocoliere, ci riservi qualche altra sorpresa, è un altro conto.
Ma, al di là della trama, che dire di Remie? Un personaggio debole ma forte, dal passato oscuro, macchiato dal ricordo del fratello ucciso, e ricco di sfumature per la complessità con cui affronta gli spettri del passato e l’ansia del futuro…insomma, un gran bel personaggio! Anche gli altri personaggi, tuttavia, non mancheranno di rivelare sorprese, rendendo il romanzo tutt’altro che scontato.
Direi che, fra i vari romanzi thriller pubblicati da Giunti negli ultimi anni, “L’impostore” spicca per diverse motivazioni…ad esempio molto meglio, a mio avviso, del tanto osannato “La stazione” di Jacopo de Michelis, tra i tanti.
October 2, 2024
3.25.
Lettura decente, che intrattiene.
Leggendo la trama però mi aspettavo un thriller psicologico e così non è stato; la parte più interessante dove bisogna capire "chi è chi" dura relativamente poco. La maggior parte del libro tratta più di crimine organizzato (del quale, a mio parere, l'autore ne sa ben poco, banalizzandolo parecchio).
Detto ciò è comunque una lettura scorrevole, classico thriller estivo da godersi sotto l'ombrellone come passatempo.
Lettura decente, che intrattiene.
Leggendo la trama però mi aspettavo un thriller psicologico e così non è stato; la parte più interessante dove bisogna capire "chi è chi" dura relativamente poco. La maggior parte del libro tratta più di crimine organizzato (del quale, a mio parere, l'autore ne sa ben poco, banalizzandolo parecchio).
Detto ciò è comunque una lettura scorrevole, classico thriller estivo da godersi sotto l'ombrellone come passatempo.
April 16, 2023
The snowy atmosphere and isolated setting was really well done. I found the flashbacks to the brother uninteresting and distracting tho. The main story was quite interesting, however I always find myself questioning the feasibility of such events as was described at the end.
July 9, 2023
Es war okay und schnell zu lesen. Das Setting hatte sehr gute Voraussetzungen, der Umsetzung fehlte jedoch was.
Thrillerfeeling kam für mich leider nicht auf.
Thrillerfeeling kam für mich leider nicht auf.
did-not-finish
January 18, 2024DNF at page 57/Chapter 8...
Read
February 2, 2024DNF
Sorry to say I lost interest in this book as I became too confused to follow it.
Young woman, night manager at a hotel in the Scottish highlands during a storm, lets one last straggling guest inside - who claims to be a cop. But in a road accident he's lost the prisoner he was transporting. Then a second stranger appears who claims to be the same cop and...
I can read confusing, conflicting, puzzling and even unreliable narrator-type books. HUGE books, with very large casts of characters, but this one just over-confused me because...
The heroine, or MC, constantly seems to trust first one man - as the real cop - and then the other just the same, and I got lost, like in a blizzard, and which (you wanna know) has really happened to me in a really happening blizzard. (Cuz I live in New England, though lately we just get a lot of rain.)
So an excellent writer with great psychological insights as to why people do this or that, but the storyline is too confusing for me to continue.
Like I've said before in other reviews: Interest wanes when confusing reigns.
DNF
Sorry to say I lost interest in this book as I became too confused to follow it.
Young woman, night manager at a hotel in the Scottish highlands during a storm, lets one last straggling guest inside - who claims to be a cop. But in a road accident he's lost the prisoner he was transporting. Then a second stranger appears who claims to be the same cop and...
I can read confusing, conflicting, puzzling and even unreliable narrator-type books. HUGE books, with very large casts of characters, but this one just over-confused me because...
The heroine, or MC, constantly seems to trust first one man - as the real cop - and then the other just the same, and I got lost, like in a blizzard, and which (you wanna know) has really happened to me in a really happening blizzard. (Cuz I live in New England, though lately we just get a lot of rain.)
So an excellent writer with great psychological insights as to why people do this or that, but the storyline is too confusing for me to continue.
Like I've said before in other reviews: Interest wanes when confusing reigns.
DNF
March 30, 2025
Lettura scorrevole, ma il finale banale onestamente.
L’indagine fra i due agenti bella ma termina a poco più di metà del libro.
L’indagine fra i due agenti bella ma termina a poco più di metà del libro.
December 23, 2022
I don’t know why, but this book just didn’t grab me. I’d find my attention wandered listening to the audiobook, and I’d have to go back until I found something sounding familiar. I even tried going right back to the beginning 4 or 5 times. The story didn’t do much for me, I didn’t take to the narrator’s voices, and overall I was just grateful to finally finish. I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
January 17, 2023
⭐4.5 star⭐
March 27, 2023
Scozia. Remie Yorke sta per cominciare il suo ultimo turno di lavoro al Mackinton hotel: ha trent'anni, nessun vincolo familiare e un biglietto aereo diretto a Santiago del Cile per la sera dopo.
✈️Finalmente potrà scappare all'estero e ricominciare la sua nuova vita: aveva accettato l'incarico di responsabile notturna al Mackinnon hotel per stare più vicina al penitenziario in cui era detenuto suo fratello Cameron, poi deceduto tragicamente in una rivolta carceraria.
🏔️Nella zona dell'hotel si abbatte improvvisamente una tempesta di neve che interrompe ogni collegamento con il mondo esterno.
👮♂️Al Mackinton hotel giunge un uomo ferito che chiede aiuto: l'agente Don Gaines, unico sopravvissuto ad un terribile incidente insieme al detenuto che stava trasportando nel vicino carcere di Porterfell.
👮Subito dopo chiede accoglienza un secondo uomo, anche lui asserisce di essere Don Gaines e anche lui ha la divisa da poliziotto...
Chi dei due è il vero agente e chi l'impostore?
📖 "L'impostore" è un thriller ambientato nelle Highland scozzesi: l'autore, con le sue accurate descrizioni, riesce ad immergere perfettamente il lettore nell'ambientazione cupa e desolata in cui è situato il Mackinton hotel.
📖La scrittura è coinvolgente sin dall'inizio, ho avvertito giusto un rallentamento del ritmo nella parte centrale che per fortuna è stato recuperato con una serie di eventi carichi di suspense e dinamismo.
📖 Ambientazione pazzesca, mistero, intrighi, colpi di scena e la giusta suspance lo rendono un thriller godibile da leggere magari in vacanza in montagna o anche nel divano di casa propria, per una piacevole evasione!
✈️Finalmente potrà scappare all'estero e ricominciare la sua nuova vita: aveva accettato l'incarico di responsabile notturna al Mackinnon hotel per stare più vicina al penitenziario in cui era detenuto suo fratello Cameron, poi deceduto tragicamente in una rivolta carceraria.
🏔️Nella zona dell'hotel si abbatte improvvisamente una tempesta di neve che interrompe ogni collegamento con il mondo esterno.
👮♂️Al Mackinton hotel giunge un uomo ferito che chiede aiuto: l'agente Don Gaines, unico sopravvissuto ad un terribile incidente insieme al detenuto che stava trasportando nel vicino carcere di Porterfell.
👮Subito dopo chiede accoglienza un secondo uomo, anche lui asserisce di essere Don Gaines e anche lui ha la divisa da poliziotto...
Chi dei due è il vero agente e chi l'impostore?
📖 "L'impostore" è un thriller ambientato nelle Highland scozzesi: l'autore, con le sue accurate descrizioni, riesce ad immergere perfettamente il lettore nell'ambientazione cupa e desolata in cui è situato il Mackinton hotel.
📖La scrittura è coinvolgente sin dall'inizio, ho avvertito giusto un rallentamento del ritmo nella parte centrale che per fortuna è stato recuperato con una serie di eventi carichi di suspense e dinamismo.
📖 Ambientazione pazzesca, mistero, intrighi, colpi di scena e la giusta suspance lo rendono un thriller godibile da leggere magari in vacanza in montagna o anche nel divano di casa propria, per una piacevole evasione!
August 13, 2025
ein sehr spannendes, packendes Buch; kaum ist ein Rätsel gelöst rücken die 100 anderen in den Vordergrund und treiben einen weiter in den Wahnsinn - ein ausgeklügelter Plan, der bis zu den letzten Seiten nicht zu erwarten war.
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