A real quality read on every level - plot, characters, setting and wonderful depth of descriptive prose, which all brought the storyline instantly to life. A slow burn in the best possible sense. Loved it.

I thought I would adore this book, and while I did like it, I didn't fall in love with it. Maybe I had expected too much, with the references to Rebecca that I kept seeing. I did get a sense of place: I could smell the Cornish air and feel the spray of the sea but the characters never seemed quite enough for me to fully engage with.
The book deals with emotions well but you never get into the skin of the characters.
Enjoyable but not a page turner.

Gorgeously atmospheric, The Stranger is a historical fiction novel packed with mystery and intrigue.

Set in a sleepy Cornish village during World War II, the story follows three Land Girls billeted at mysterious Penhallow. The backdrop of the war combines with all the best bits of classic Gothic mystery to create a memorable and highly enjoyable novel.

The three main characters - Rose, Diana, and Jane - are about as different from each other as it's possible to be. Rose is a working-class shopkeeper's wife with an artistic flair, chasing memories of a long-ago golden summer. Diana is an unruly debutante, expelled from boarding school and determined to carve out a new life to escape her family. Jane is the youngest of the trio, a hard worker with a mysterious familial connection to Penhallow. Each has secrets, yet as the unlikely group spend a summer together, it isn't long before their darkest secrets come to light.

Threads of romance and friendship also run through the story, combining with the mystery and suspense to weave a rich, twisting story. It's cleverly-written and well-paced - and you definitely won't expect the surprising twist!

The Stranger is a complex story yet it instantly draws you in, keeping you turning page after page. I read this in one day because I just couldn't put it down! Although it's a very character-driven book, the vivid descriptions and rich imagery really lend the story a strong sense of place. It's firmly anchored in rural Cornwall, and it's incredibly easy to picture yourself there right in the middle of the action.

Beautifully-written and highly descriptive, The Stranger is a brilliant read. I look forward to reading more from Kate Riordan in the future!

I don't think I have read a Kate Riordan book before, so I was intrigued to see what her writing style was like.

The novel is set in the outbreak of WW2 and focuses on a large 'estate' house in Cornwall, occupied by the elderly owner and her daughter Eleanor. With men sent off to 'do their bit' they open their home to Land Girl volunteers to work the land and grow supplies. Three (seemingly unconnected) women arrive, Diana, Rose and Jane.

The story centres more on the relationship between the three girls, the home they are occupying and the local village, versus the wartime setting. In some ways this was refreshing, but in others I think that there could have been more ties to the war time setting, at no point did they ever seem to be in peril apart from due to each other.

Some aspects of the book were obvious (the hidden mother/daughter relationship) and the lost love, but the ending was a complete thrill!

An enjoyable book which I would recommend.

Diana, Jane and Rose are land girls billeted to Penhallow Hall in Cornwall in 1940. Rose ,the elder of the three girls has history with the local area, and has high hopes that she might run into an old acquaintance.

Diana is younger, more determined, some would say bolshy one.

Rose, the practical, friendly one.

Jane, the youngest of the women, is actually related to the owners of Penhallow Hall, but doesn't exactly receive the warm welcome that one would expect.

In fact, it's almost as if Jane isn't welcome there at all. It is clear that Penhallow has its secrets, as do each of the three women. So different in personality, but thrown together by circumstance and determined to do their bit for the war.

Set against the backdrop of World War II, The Stranger is exactly the kind of historical fiction novel that I love. Full of mystery and intrigue, with enough detail about the surrounding times to make you grateful to all who contributed towards the war effort.

As always I look forward to Kate Riordan's next novel.

The Stranger is a very different book to my recent reads and it made a nice change. Set in Cornwall during the 1940's it takes the reader back in time to a beautiful scenery and a slower pace of life. There is a haunting atmosphere as three women descend on Penhallow Hall as they seek safety. What follows is a beautiful story of their lives, as we, the readers, discover their reasons for fleeing to Penhallow Hall. The story switches between the past and present (1940's) and I soon became entranced in their world as I learnt more and more about the characters.
With 2018 being the International Year of the Woman this is a great book to be read, with strong women being the focus of The Stranger and the story will remain with the reader long after the last page has been read. There is plenty of heartache and sadness in the book but the underlying message is definitely the strength of women
Thank you to the publishers, Penguin Books, for sending me the book to review.

This is Kate Riordan at her best.
Set in Cornwall in 1940 three girls each from different social classes are seconded to the country house Penhallow as land girls.
It would appear that all of them have secrets and pasts that they are trying to escape but some have their own secret agendas and they don’t care who gets hurt whilst they achieve it.
It pulls you in straight away because you know from the very start that a young women has lost her life. Then you are taken back in time and retrace the steps that led up to this disaster..
It is wonderfully atmospheric and evocative of the time and I just could not put it down.

Kate Riordan sets this wonderfully atmospheric piece of historical fiction in the wild, beautiful and stunning landscape of Cornwall where women, apparent strangers, find themselves staying at Penhallow Hall, near the aptly named Breakheart Cove. Penhallow Hall has been opened by Eleanor and her querulous, abusive mother, to land girls, working the grounds to grow vegetables in their efforts to feed Britain in WW2 in 1940. This is a complex, character driven tale of women escaping the war to find refuge in Cornwall. It begins with the risk taking, wilful, meddlesome, and over curious Diana, a reluctant landgirl who took pleasure in needling the others, disappearing and the narrative, incorporating diary entries, goes back in time to understand how this came to be. It's a story of secrets, lies, deception, love, intrigue, loss, and grief amidst a background of blackouts, fears of invasion, and all the heightened tensions of being at war.

Each woman is troubled, haunted by their pasts, isolated, and trust is a huge issue between them as secrets begin to emerge. A chilling, claustrophic and menacing feel to the book intensifies as we got closer to the mystery of Diana's disappearance. The repercussions of what happens to Diana leads Eleanor, Rose and Jane to address the difficult issues in their lives. There is such a strong and vibrant sense of location in Cornwall, richly described, with its history of smuggling. Riordan is a wonderful writer, her complicated characterisations and well plotted story are a joy to behold, she draws on the great literature that is embedded in the psyche of the area to weave an enthralling war time novel. A brilliant read that I loved and recommend! Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this book - I was drawn in right from the start and couldn't stop reading. Beautifully atmospheric and so well written.

Set in beautiful Cornwall at the fictional Penhallow Hall, with a small village setting, pirates coves and a boathouse. A well written cast of characters who I liked from the start. There is a brooding sense of anticipation throughout the book, a sense of foreboding which develops as the book progresses.

I couldn't put this down. The ending was perfect and left me satisfied.

Highly recommended - I was spellbound by this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Set in Cornwall during the Second World War, this is a tale of 3 mismatched Land Girls billeted together at Penhallow Hall. Their stories of relationships, secrets, actions and consequences are gradually revealed through the diary of one of them and a relentless countdown to the tragedy that opens the book. However, all is not quite as it seems and the denouement, when it comes, is quite unexpected.

Thanks Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and netgalley for this ARC.

Kate Riordan pulls us in and we can't stop till the end. Loved the past/present and camouflaging storyline that this novel has at its heart. You won't' easily be able to categorize this one.

I found this book very slow to start and it never really grabbed my attention enough to care about the story. I think that Riordan is a talented writer but this genre is not one that I read often.

What a descriptive way to start a story and it meant I was instantly pulled in, it's the kind of book where you just want to curl up by yourself. That way you can focus completely on the story without any distractions. I have to admit to loving stories that include diary entires as I find them to be such a great tool at adding more personality to a character. In this case Diana's were perfect at revealing her character both the good and the bad. After each one I was already looking forward to reading the next.

There are a few characters to follow within the story but I didn't find this confusing at all as they were all so different yet at the same time almost had this lost and lonely aspect to their personalities. Diana is quite something and not necessarily in a good way especially when she is bored. Rose is chasing her past as she fondly remembers one summer spent in Cornwall. As the story progresses it becomes clear that the characters lives are very tangled indeed and I couldn't wait to see how it would all end.

There is a very atmospheric feel to the plot and I think the setting helps to establish this even more with a feeling that Penhallow Hall has a darker story behind it. The Stranger is a drama that captivated me from the start and had some engaging although not always likeable characters. The mystery aspect was always going to be a positive in my eyes and I loved the way Kate Riordan wove secrets, lies and also the past firmly into the story.

Five stars from me!

With thanks to Jenny Platt at Michael Joseph for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

The tagline "In a house full of strangers who can you trust?" is perfect for this book. Three land girls are thrown together at Penhallow Hall in Cornwall, thrust into a house with secrets and sadness at the heart of it. Rose, Diana and Jane are complete opposites in every way and have to learn to live with each other.

I found The Stranger to be a fascinating and enthralling read, pretty much unputdownable. Rose was my favourite character and somehow her story seemed to me to be the most prominent one, even though Diana is by far the more memorable character. Rose is pleasant and kind, but unfulfilled. She remembers a holiday half a lifetime ago which has shaped the whole of her life since. Diana is much younger than Rose and very damaged, the sort of woman who causes trouble wherever she goes, stirring up things that are best left alone but somehow always getting away with it. And Jane, well there's more to Jane's presence at Penhallow than meets the eye, but I shall leave it for you to find out her story for yourself.

The whole setting in this book is crucial to the storyline. The brooding house, the pirates coves, the small village setting, the boathouse. All of these add a gothic feel to the story and it's hard to imagine the author setting it anywhere else but Cornwall.

It's not a book with a clear beginning to end story, more a slice of life, a snapshot of a time in 1940 when three Land Girls shook up their own lives and those of the inhabitants of Penhallow Hall. The descriptions are simply beautiful, there's a sense of foreboding throughout and I could feel thunderclouds gathering, building up to the end.

The author uses a clever device to tell us what Diana is up to by the use of a diary. This meant that Diana's inner thoughts were revealed only to the reader, not to the other characters. I witnessed Diana wreaking havoc and taking great delight in it with a sense of apprehension all the way through the story and it certainly posted a moral dilemma to me: could I forgive Diana because I knew what she had gone through in her past, or was her nasty streak just part of her personality? I'm still a little undecided.

The Stranger is atmospheric, intense and full of drama. It has quite a melancholic feel at times, an underlying sense of sadness, but it's wonderfully observed and had me totally hooked. The writing is just lovely and I found it to be a fantastic read.

WWII is underway with the nightly blackouts and constant threat of invasion. Penhallow Hall in Cornwall is a thowback in time until 3 land girls are posted there to shake up the ghosts. Why is Eleanor in a constant state of anxiety under her Mother's dominance? What secrets do the land girls hold & who is Jane the third landgirl?

This is a relatively slow-paced but enjoyable book. Penhallow Hall has ghosts steming back to an event in 1924 which has roots back to the death of Robin, a son of the house, in WWI. Eleanor is stuck in the groove of the past and sits terrified under the gaze of her mother, Mrs Fox. Thrust into this are three young girls who are working the gounds as part of the land army. Diana the sophisticated young woman who just can't help herself but to create mischief. Rose is the older woman in an unhappy marriage. Then there is Jane who arrives late & is not what she seems.

This is a good solid read as are Kate Riordan's books in general. It isn't fast paced but moves along quite steadily. Some of the book is presented as part of Diana's diary & some in the third person. This isn't always clear and there were times when I got lost about who "she" was in certain circumstances. I do generally like books which explore different methods of delivery but in this case some of the change overs needed to be more clearly defined to prevent confusion.

The characters are clearly defined and interesting. The idea of Eleanor being cowed by her mother is slightly cliched but I enjoyed it all the same.

There is a big reveal towards the end of the book but this had been quite obvious for several chapters prior to this. The ending of the book wasn't quite as satisfying as it could have been and I didn't feel that the final twist worked as well as it could have.

This book would make an excellent summer read. It is interesting and well constructed but easy to put down as required.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

The Stranger draws you into its pages from the beginning. Three Land Girls are thrown together during the war. They are totally different characters. The book begins with a body being washed up in the sea and the story is told from three different points of view. One being a diary. As the day of the disappearance draws closer so the intricate story line becomes more menacing but finishes with a believable ending.

Thoroughly enjoyable and well written. The fact that the story is told from multiple perspectives makes it really interesting and even though you suspect what might happen, the ending doesn't prove to be a disappointment. Kate Riordan is an excellent writer who knows how to keep the reader hooked. The female characters are very convincing and the fact that the story is set in Cornwall makes for a very atmospheric read. Great for the summer holidays!

I have just finished reading The Stranger, Netgalley and the publisher kindly let me have a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The book is based near the end of the second world war in Cornwall, in a large family mansion. It involves Eleanor the daughter of the lady of the mansion and 3 land girls. The story is told in third party by Diana, Rose and Eleanor. In the beginning a body is washed up on the shore after a party, the story the goes back a few weeks to tge the lead up to the party and the body being found.

I have read other books by Kate but I found this book quite hard to get into. First from the way it was written but secondly I didn't feel the story really got going until the last third of the book. Despite this I did enjoy the ending as there was a twist I didn't get till just before the reveal.

The Stranger is the tale of three women, all of whom leave their home to work in the land army. Another, Eleanor lives in the house in which they work and live. All of them have something they are trying to escape from.
The novel starts when the body of a young woman is swept out to sea. At the same time a diary is being read, in which secrets are revealed. It then goes back in time by a few weeks to the moment they all met and you learn what happens.
There are three narrators – Eleanor,emotionally abused by her mother, Diana, beautiful, wilful, damaged and quite often cruel and Rose, struggling with her feelings about her marriage and the past. All three are lonely for different reasons and all find their own way of dealing with it.
I liked Rose immediately, she somehow managed to cope with being on the receiving end of Diana’s antics quite well. Which at the same time managed to annoy Diana even more. But even though Diana isn’t the easiest to like I was too quick to judge, she wasn’t as devious as I originally thought. Eleanor has a terrible relationship with her harridan of a mother, who had a carer who was nearly as bad. But with her husband’s help she knew she could make her life better.
The differing views of all the women towards the war was convincing, Rose concerned for her husband, but not as much as she should have been, Diana was indifferent, just wanting to party and Jane, the third land army member wanting to know all the details.
There is also a storyline connected to minor characters that broke my heart a little bit. It was a part of the novel that was very small but had plenty of impact.
It is a beautiful novel. The remoteness and beauty of Cornwall, the history of smuggling and the families who had lived in the area for years. I could practically hear the sea, and visualise everything about the local area. I had thought that Cornwall was one of the more untouched areas during the war but reading the events in the novel I was proven wrong.
The Stranger is another fantastic novel from Kate Riordan which I read very quickly. Poignant, determined, and hopeful for the future.

This book is about strangers thrown together because of the war. Three of them are land girls; the others are the family of Penhallow Hall in Cornwall. All of them have haunting secrets which appears to lever them apart rather than bond them together. The characters are not compatible in many ways. There's the vivacious, restless, damaged, beautiful Diana. Rose isn't as gregarious. She can't cope with her loyalties and Jane who is moody and feeling like a misfit. The grandmother is a tyrant and her daughter Eleanor is a nervy woman with Agoraphobia. Cornwall sounds deliciously moody weather-wise and I can almost hear those waves crashing against the rocks. The imagery is very good. It's very descriptive with a lovely turn of phrase. What is brought out so well is the small-mindedness of the villagers which reminds me of, "Under Milk Wood," by Dylan Thomas. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph.