I give this one a 2.5 rounded up to a 3.

Ursula, Gareth and Alice don't know each other -- or only on the most superficial basis -- when their lives intersect during a horrible crime.

Which sounds really exciting and suspenseful, but, unfortunately, it's not enough to really make this book into a great thriller. While the backstory for each character was interesting, and there's a brief moment when it seems like we're finally going to have something happen that stays suspenseful for more than a couple pages, it unfortunately just never gets there.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

Oh I do love getting my hands on a book by C.L. Taylor. You are always guaranteed and absolutely cracking read and Strangers, her very latest thriller, is no exception. It reeled me in from the off with three very different, very intriguing characters whose lives connect in a very original way.

I don't want to say too much about the plot of the story other than that Alice is the manager of Ursula's favourite boutique in a shopping centre in Bristol. although they are very aware of each other, they do not know each other and it takes a set of very exceptional, very dark and very surprising circumstances to bring them into each other's worlds. Gareth is a security guard and the centre and finds himself caught up in the middle of a police investigation that he doesn't want to be a part of.

What I loved about this book is that the author has taken such diverse characters, each having a moment to shine in terms of telling their story, but each with such a unique voice and story that even having the three narrative threads did not become confusing at all. The are all people we can identify with in a way. All three are battling their own complicated lives and their own anxieties and problems, from internet dating to missing parents to serious personal loss. I felt empathy for each of them in turn, and could understand their actions, even if not able to condone some of them.

It is Alice's life which appears to be the most complicated, and which is really the crux of the story. Just as she believes she has met the perfect man, something happens to scupper her new found happiness, something that puts her in grave danger. But as to where that danger is coming from, you have to read to find out. There are many supporting characters, some more likeable than others, some plain strange or disturbing to be fair, but the author has woven them into the story perfectly. IN isolation their actions may seem out of place, or unfair. Collectively, they make for one hell of tense and unnerving read.

Now you can feel the tension, that sense of apprehension slowly building from the very beginning of the book. Perhaps it it is the odd behaviour of some of the characters that drives that sense of impending dread, but whatever it is, it works. The pacing is perfect, with the action changing perspectives just at the right moment to leave readers on tenterhooks. As we move towards a fairly dramatic showdown, you can feel the pace and the sense of urgency kicking up a notch, all building to a totally satisfying conclusion.

It all goes to show that the strangest of friendships can be forged from the most unusual of situations. And then that ending ... I know one thing. I am never shopping in a Bristol mall again! Top read and most definitely recommended.

This is a character led drama with elements of a psychological thriller and a little different from the author's previous novels. Excellent storytelling and fast paced narrative with a satisfying denouement.

The plot has a good premise, however I was expecting more hard hitting twists, it all seemed a little pedestrian for me...don't get me wrong, it does draw you in and the character development is good...I just felt there were opportunities here to have 'wow' moments.

The tagline of 'keep you guessing until the end' is exactly right, I gasped and exclaimed my way through the last 15% of this book and I had so many questions that I asked the air in my apartment for the rest of the book, this is the definition of a page turner.



This book was so great, CL Taylor just keeps out-doing herself novel after novel. The fact that we have a stalker, some mysterious goings on and some very very dodgy strangers is the basis for this novel and the rest of the plot just can;t be talked about because-spoilers.



These three characters are all incredibly intriguing. I could definitely sympathise with all of them even if I didn't necessarily like them. Alice gives us some lessons in what consent means, but also what it means to open up and trust people. I did actually rally like Ursula, perhaps because, like me, she is a former teacher and I was really championing her throughout the novel. On the outside she is a pretty strong person but on the inside she is oh so broken. And then Gareth is probably the person we find out least about until the very end of the novel. I really felt for him and he made me want to find out more every time I read his chapters.



This story is told from all of these characters' points of view and so you get a little way into someone story and then you're thrown back to the story of another character and so you literally have to keep turning and turning and reading on and on searching for answers and only uncovering even more questions. This book will make your heart race, leave you holding your breath and ultimately turning the pages until you get some answers into the mysteries of the Strangers. This is a hard recommend from me!

I’m gutted to be saying this, but I am disappointed by this book. This is definitely my least favourite book from C L Taylor. I don’t normally give half ratings, but if I did then this one would be 2.5. 2 stars doesn’t feel like a high enough rating but 3 stars feels too high. The main thing that I liked about this book is that it was really easy to read and it was a page turner. However I didn’t really like any of the characters and I felt no emotional attachment to any of them. I thought some of them were very annoying and quite weak characters. I also found the storyline to be far-fetched and a little unrealistic at times. I think the idea for the storyline was great, but lacking something. It’s an interesting idea and something that I haven’t read before. It took too long for anything to happen, and then the big event was too rushed. I kept reading because I normally enjoy C L Taylor’s books, and I was determined to finish this one and not give up. I’m not going to let this put me off from reading the rest of C L Taylor’s books, but I won’t be recommending this one the same way I recommend her other books.

This is my favorite book by C.L. Taylor so far. I have read the majority of the author's books and I have enjoyed them all but this one has been the best. I was pulled into the story from the start and I sat and read it in one sitting.

This book follows three characters; Alice, Ursula, and Gareth. The characters have never met but secrets are going to force them together. This story grabbed me right from the start. The changing POV chapters meant that this was fast-paced and I could not put this down. I had to keep reading to find out how these characters were going to be connected. I was surprised by the direction that the plot took as I was not expecting it.

This is one of the most gripping thrillers that I have read recently. It had me on the edge of my seat and I just had to find out what was going to happen. Something that I have found that the author does well from her previous books is the last chapter always seems to be shocking and leaves you thinking about the book long after you have read it.

Strangers by C.L. Taylor is at the top of my list for gripping psychological thrillers for the year! It has been a long time since a thriller kept me up way into the night! I spent a large part of the book trying to second guess how these strangers were going to fit together. From the intro you know that they all end up in a room together - but piecing all the storylines to find out how they intersect keeps you guessing at the outcome. In a city plagued by disappearances credited to the Harbourside Muderer, every scenario has you invested in the characters and second guessing the evil behind every door. I do not want to include any spoilers so can not say too much here. I loved the suspense and twists -it was pieced together rapidly in the end, but was also satisfying which is one of my criteria for this genre. I highly recommend this book! I received an ARC if this book, all opinions are my own.

A well written, if at times a bit bizarre, book about a group of strangers who randomly and I guess unrandomly have their paths crossed and all end up in a situation together where they could die!

Its a character rich book and the characters are interesting and have good back stories and most of them I warmed to but and this was the same in another book I read recently what is it with seemingly sensible women suddenly throwing caution to the wind and moving in and renting a room from an obvious weirdo?, to me it defies logic that this would happen but there you go that’s just me

Some of the topics covered are dealt with really well inc kleptomania and a vile abusive husband but didn’t feel the story re the Mum with dementia rang quite true and the ending of that character seemed
to just been thrown in as a last minute thing

Saying all that it is at times a fascinating read and a very surprising end chapter where someone I didn’t expect or suspect of anything suddenly comes to light and finishes the book on a bang!

7/10
3.5 Stars

Strangers is a well written psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat guessing what might happen next. As it switched from different character POVs, you are anxious to get back to certain characters lives. The lives of these characters intersect throughout the book but they will unexpectedly come together for a day they will never forget.

this book has everything one expects from a twisted, tangled and thrilling story!
after finishing it i had to go back to the very beginning to round up the reading.

first all the characters are introduced and you get to know about their stories until bit by bit they get connected.
i particularly enjoy chapters that are not too long and make you want to go on and on and on because i need to know what is going to happen.
i never would have guessed the ending and am happy to have received this from
#netgalley and #Avon Books UK

It's about three strangers, who are they to to each other? they all have their own problems, secrets and regrets. Then one day, they finally meet in not the best of circumstances, dangerous circumstances and now they have to be together, help each other or else any of them could die.

Right at the beginning is murder..

The main characters we have are ursula who is grieving for the love of her life. A sad tale and very destructive woman who you will be wanting to come through the other side at the end.

Gareth the lonely security guard who lives with his mum who has Alzheimers and carries the world on his shoulders and sees no way out of his "just existing life"

Alice who is working hard to look after her moody teenage daughter who has a drinking problem and an idiot of a boyfriend. She works hard as a manager in a fashion boutique and barely keeps her head above water.

So as I said we have murder and then the story goes backwards and we get to know all the characters they are people that we know in life and can relate to them and I felt like I had a soft spot for them during their difficulties.

Great twists in this story, and character building. It builds into a great thriller where all the characters connect in the end. I read this and enjoyed it but it wasn't a page turner for me, I just felt it was lacking in something. We had characters with sad backgrounds and their own stories to tell but I needed a little more oomph.

A compelling read which kept me gripped the whole way through. I loved how everything came together at the end. Ursula was a really interesting character. I didn’t want this book to end. I could have kept reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Strangers by C.L Taylor.
A brilliant read with good characters. Good story. The opening was brilliant I had all sorts of theories to what was happening. 5*.

A wonderful read and one I highly recommend.
Alice, Ursula and Gareth are three ordinary people with ordinary lives.
They don't know each other but their paths are soon going to cross and their fate and the fact of someone else will depend on what they each decide to do.

I thought this was a fantastic plot and I loved the characters and their life stories.
It was unpredictable and by far the best book I've read in a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an Advance copy.

I never repeat the blurb. This was a strange one, not my usual genre and took a while to get through (despite being on lockdown). Good premise but because there was focus on so many main characters, it was quite hard to build up a rapport with any of them. Decent enough ending and reveal.

(also posted on my GR account!)

What is it about: three separate lives of Alice, Gareth, and Ursula would come together in a shocking event.

What I like about it:
+ the writing, hands down, was good. I used to skimread some books but with this one, there was no need. It was easy to read and I like it too.

What I don't like about it:
- the supposed twist? on how they all came together? pretty mundane compared to what I had in mind IMO
- it got to slow in the middle, we got nothing until about 70%ish mark to know where the plot headed

An enjoyable and well-written book that holds the attention throughout without quite cranking the tension up totally. Three disparate characters, Ursula the delivery driver, Alice the shop manager and Gareth the security guard have a lot going on in their lives, but the reader is left wondering what links this unlikely triumvirate. Eventually all is revealed and the book is a satisfactory read

This book drew me straight in and I was hooked all the way through.
With so many voices, I would normally struggle, but they were all written so well and with such intriguing detail that I found it easy to become invested in each character’s story.
I was fully taken in by the slow reveals and desperate for answers at the end of each chapter.
An easy five stars!

received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story starts with a murder and then we go back in time and follow three strangers.

Alice is divorced after her husband cheated on her. She is a manager of a clothes shop and has a daughter who lives with her who is a primary school teacher.

Ursula is a courier and ex teacher who is grieving for her boyfriend who was killed and shoplifts wherever she goes.

Gareth is a security guard at the shopping centre. He lives with his mum who has dementia.

This is a fast paced thriller which is really clever. We hear the stories f these three strangers who don’t really have any connection with each other but it all comes together at the end. I really enjoyed the twist but thought the story lost something towards the end. This was really close to being a five star read.