Thank you for the ARC. The blurb intrigued me, but I couldn't connect with the characters. Not my cup of tea.

3.5*

One Detective.
One Murderer.
But which is which?

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Seeing as I am clearly in a bit of an audiobook phase, I thought I would try this book which had been on my Netgalley shelf for over a year (oops) and was pleasantly surprised to find that I instantly got on with the Narrator, AND the book was compelling right from the start!

Remie is on her last shift ever at a remote hotel in the Scottish Highlands when Storm Ezra hits (obviously) and when a stranger knocks on the door. This injured man claims to be PC Don Gaines. Not long after a second man knocks on the door - he also claims to be PC Don Gaines!

I liked the wintery, isolated location, the pacey story, and the realistic thought processes and reactions from most characters. I find it so frustrating when characters seem to lose all their common sense and communication skills when in these situations! There was enough character background and inner monologue to help you connect with them, but not so much that you wanted to fast forward to the action - I liked the stargazing brother references in particular.

This was a quick going thriller - the first stranger appears within the first few chapters - which had me almost instantly invested. I don't think I have listened to a thriller before so I appreciated the speed in which everything happened. It also has a few twists along the way and wraps up well in the end, so win win!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
Billed as a thriller, I thought this book was excellent: suspense was built throughout, there were many complex twists and it's an edge-of-the-seat page turner. Everyone seems to hiding something or lying, and I was just as unsure what the truth was. The slow reveals within the height of the storm that keeps the characters trapped an isolated were exciting and made compulsive reading. An author to follow!

This is a locked room thriller. It is very well written and cleverly plotted. It is a fast paced read full of action. The setting was described so well.

I enjoy crime thrillers so was excited to read this new debut by Martin Griffin set in a favourite location of mine - the remote Scottish Highlands. The backdrop of the highlands always provides that pathetic fallacy and atmosphere for a murder/thriller and it certainly does the job here.
I did find the first half of the book better than the second, but it’s a great debut. You do get the thrill of the familiar tropes that you read this genre for and there’s some nice twisty moments. I felt the pace and drive shifted in the latter half, but this by no means suggests you should not read it.
Love the front cover! A good read, particularly for dark, winter nights.

This chilling and atmospheric thriller is set against the unforgiving backdrop of the remote Scottish Highlands. The main character, Remie, is on the verge of leaving her job at the Mackinnon Hotel, when a snow storm of unprecedented proportions descends.

Remie gives an injured man seeks refuge from the storm. PC Don Gaines, the lone survivor of a mountain road accident involving a transported prisoner, introduces an immediate sense of mystery and tension. The arrival of a second stranger, also claiming to be Don Gaines, thrusts Remie into a perilous situation where she must navigate the treacherous combination of a harsh environment and conflicting identities.

An intricate plot, has been skilfully woven from these two events which heightens the suspense with each passing page. The isolation enforced by the storm intensifies the claustrophobic atmosphere, creating a palpable sense of urgency. The author's vivid portrayal of the Scottish Highlands adds to this novel's immersive, almost cinematic quality. The harsh weather conditions become a character in themselves, influencing the other characters' decisions and actions.

The pace is relentless, mirroring the urgency of the characters' predicament. The ending is both satisfying and unexpected, offering a resolution that stays true to the novel's atmospheric and suspenseful tone. Gripping from start to finish, it is a compelling exploration of deception and danger in an isolated, snowbound landscape.

Overall, very unique and worthwhile.

This kept me hooked - so many twists and turns to keep you guessing about the real identity. Couldn't stop reading it.

A fast-paced, chilling and menacing plot. The authentic, remote, claustrophobic setting makes for a creepy setting and the thrills don't let up.

A solid read. My kind of thriller..

The plot was engaging. It wasn't a slow burn but not too fast past either.

I think this author's future work will be promising as she has a compelling writing style.

This one has a very fun premise: in a hotel isolated by a raging snowstorm, a lone maid on her last shift is chatting to the only remaining guest, when a wounded stranger knocks on the door. He states he’s PC Don Gaines, who’s survived a car crash when he and his team were transporting a prisoner. The prisoner has escaped. Then a 2nd stranger knocks on the door… and he also states he’s PC Don Gaines.

Thus begins a night full of suspense and thrills, as well as many secrets coming to surface for all the 4 people present in the hotel.

This thriller actually has thrills in it! The writing is good, the suspense keeps the reader on their toes when they try to guess who the actual cop is, and there are many twists and turns involving not just the 2 strangers, but also the maid and the guest - as from the start we get to know the maid’s brother has died in the same prison that the escaped prisoner was being transported from.

The reasons why this wasn’t a 5-star read for me:
1) There’s a bit too much info dump about the past. Some of it is necessary for the plot, but the suspense could have been even better if many of those wall-of-text paragraphs were cut.
2) This is more of a “me” reason – I’ve discovered that I don’t really enjoy the cat-and-mouse kind of thrillers as much as I used to, so in essence, this book was not entirely for me. But I can easily see it being a 5-star for readers who enjoy those!

If you have liked One by One by Ruth Ware, you will probably enjoy this one as much, or maybe even more! It has the same insulated setting and more levels of mystery and intrigue to it.

Loved this book from start to finish, can’t recommend this book enough. Really well written and had me absolutely hooked.

The Second Stranger has a strong opening; it is atmospheric and mysterious from the start. I found the introduction of the two 'Strangers' very tense and creepy and I felt for Remie in her predicament. For me, the story slowed a little bit in the middle but ultimately comes to a satisfactory ending.

A clever and gripping crime debut. This was an intriguing and thrilling story and I enjoyed it. It kept you gripped whilst guessing who you could trust and who you couldn’t.

The settings of this one are superbly atmospheric and the pressure of trying to solve the mystery gets intense. The ending is a cracker!

A clever and gripping crime debut. Remie Yorke is stuck in a remote Scottish Highlands hotel during a snowstorm. An injured man arrives, stating he is PC Don Gaines and has lost his highly dangerous prisoner. But then a second man arrives with the same tale. To stay safe can Remie figure out who's telling the truth. A riveting thriller that hits the spot.

This was a thrilling read set against a ravaging storm that wants to destroy everything in its sight. Well written and well worth the effort.

This was a very intriguing and thrilling story and I enjoyed it. I love Remi and the whodunit plot kept me guessing with all the red herrings!

Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.
Although this was set in the Scottish Highlands and, being Scottish, I was really looking forward to reading this book. The author started off well and held my interest for most of the read but claim to lose some of this interest along the way, finding some of the red herrings a little too much! Found this book was OK but could have had a little more believable in places.....this is my own, honest review, others may love it!

Remie Yorke is wishing for her last shift at the Mackinnon Hotel to be over so she can finally catch a plane and go see the stars. Then storm Ezra hits and the phone lines go down and Remie receives a knock at the door from a man claiming to be PC Don Gaines and he's been in a terrible accident and he's looking for a dangerous criminal that's escaped. When another stranger appears Remie reluctantly allows him to come in too. As he's also injured from the accident and also claiming to be PC Don Gaines. Someone is lying and its up to Remie to figure out which one is the officer and which is the criminal before its too late.

This was a very good fast paced thriller set in the Scottish Highlands. It kept me gripped and I needed to know what was going to happen. There was some very good twists that I didn't see coming and I liked how this ended. Overall a very enjoyable thriller.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept you gripped whilst guessing who you could trust and who you couldn’t, with a great conclusion.