I didn’t hugely enjoy this - I don’t know if I’ve just read too many similar books recently which has impacted my enjoyment. It was easy to read and follow, but it didn’t blow me away.

This concept had me so interacted and I couldn't wait to dive straight in. Ot definitely starts with a bang but I dodntnfeel the pace kept up throughout. In saying that, it was still a really good read and when it did start to drag, by then I was too invested to quit. Ots hot a few nice wee twists thrown in to keep you guessing and certainly paints a very clear picture of the dark and creepy atmosphere whoch was also a nice tough. It's not mind blowing but still very enjoyable

Atmospheric, Unsettling…
The Mackinnon Hotel, set deep in the Scottish Highlands, is suddenly hit by Storm Ezra. Remie Yorke, with only one shift left to work before quitting the place for good, is stranded. Freezing temperatures abound and phone lines are down. A bizarre and frightening catalogue of events is about to begin. With two injured men appearing out of the abysmal conditions, both claiming to be Don Gaines, who is who and most importantly who is telling the truth? A well drawn cast of characters populate a swiftly moving and menacing plot. The remote, atmospheric and unsettling backdrop make this eerie, chilling and unpredictable suspense as the tale moves to a, perhaps, unexpected denouement.

This had an amazing start to any thriller I’ve read!

Remi Yorke only has one shift left at a remote hotel in the Scottish highlands. It’s the last night before it closes down for the season and there’s a storm which brings in an injured man claiming to be PC Don Gaines who was transporting a violent criminal who has escaped. While he goes in search of the escapee another injured man’s appears at the hotel also claiming to be Don Gaines. Who is the real Don Gaines and who is the criminal?!

What starts as a strong and gripping beginning meanders into an average read.

Although it did make me want to stay at a remote highland hotel- just a less murdery one.

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!

The suspense and drama build through this book as even the reader goes through phases of not knowing who to believe or even to second guess it. Very clever and unexpected ending - yet wholly believable - which totally makes this book.

The Second Stranger is a brilliant story set in the Scottish Highlands in Winter .Remie is on her last shift at the Machinnon Hotel ,the only member of staff with two guests when Storm Ezra hits .A Policeman comes knocking on the door seeking help and then the drama starts .There are plenty of heart stopping moments ,twists and turns .A fast paced story ,atmospheric ,intriguing with a great ending ,I loved it .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC .

This, for me, is one of those books which would have been hard pressed to go wrong. The plot of this book is so intriguing that I was sure I was going to enjoy.

Remie is working her last shift at the Mackintosh Hotel in the Scottish Highlands before leaving the country for a better life. However, on her last night in the hotel which only has two guests staying, there is a knock at the door and a police offer, Gaines, arrives seeking help. During a prisoner transport gone wrong, he has lost his gun and the prisoner he was attempting to transfer. However, not long later another person arrives at the hotel, also a police officer, also called Gaines leaving Remie with no idea who to trust.......

With a plot like that, how can it go wrong? I really enjoyed this novel and enjoyed the excellent descriptions of the hotel, weather and conditions. Griffin does an excellent job of making you feel like you are in the hotel with Remie and I felt every gust of wind and slammed door along with her.

The story does get a little slow at some points however I often find that inevitable when stories are set in one place over the course of the whole novel.

The story plays out well and I really enjoyed the ending as well which was both exciting and satisfying.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group, Sphere for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping story, slow in parts but overall worth reading till the end. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

A really enjoyable read with a great storyline and a fantastic setting that gripped me from the start. Some parts were slower than others but it didn't affect the enjoyment of the book

This made for an interesting story, especially once the two 'policemen' have arrived at the hotel.
You feel for Remie as it's hard to know who to trust or what to do in such a situation.
I did guess a few things, like the missing hotel guest definitely being an accomplice but there were still a few twists that I didn't see coming, which was good.
I also liked the remote Scottish location and the flashbacks to when Cameron was alive.
However, for some reason, the way that this was written didn't make it the easiest book to read. And what I mean by that is in quite a lot of it, the writing is far too descriptive, when it doesn't need to be.
A lot of the time something that could have been described in a few simple words ran on for long sentences or even several sentences.
That made me have to pause several times and took me away from the action as there was quite a bit of unnecessary verbiage.
I did understand to a degree why our main character had to get away and was so hell bent on getting her passport, even if I imagine almost no one else behaving in that way in real life.
I liked how it ended and how there was another switch in names/characters.
I would be open to reading more from this author in the future but hopefully by then the extra descriptive writing will be tempered a bit.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#TheSecondStrapnger #NetGalley
Awesome 5 🌟
Remie Yorke has one shift left at the Mackinnon Hotel in the remote Scottish Highlands before she leaves for good. Then Storm Ezra hits. As temperatures plummet and phone lines go down, an injured man stumbles inside. PC Don Gaines was in a terrible accident on the mountain road. The only other survivor: the prisoner his team was transporting. When a second stranger arrives, Remie reluctantly lets him in from the blizzard. He, too, is hurt. He claims to be a police officer. His name is also Don Gaines.
Someone is lying and, with no means of escape, Remie must work out who. If the cold doesn't kill her, one of these men will get there first.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Books UK Sphere for giving me an advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for my arc of The Second Stranger.

ONE DETECTIVE. ONE MURDERER. BUT WHICH IS WHICH?


Based on the first pages, I thought that this was going to have a slow start. But it actually picked up really fast and the atmosphere became really creepy.

✨Here’s what I enjoyed:

✨Put Scotland, snow and a remote location together and there you have my perfect atmosphere for a good thriller.
✨Don Gaines One and Don Gaines Two - both seem to be in the wrong and both have the antagonist flare. I can’t say much without giving away anything too spoilery. But I can say that I was wrong about who the escapee was.
✨The ending is very satisfying.

💫What I didn’t enjoy as much:

💫Once we discover who the escapee is, I felt that the book became a little too descriptive whereas I was really enjoying the fast pace of the night.
💫I didn’t find Shelley to be a credible character.