I received this book from netgalley for an honest review.This is a weird one for me, although I enjoyed the story, if a little slow at parts, I struggled with the ending, I didn't find it believable, I've read plenty books that I've been surprised by the ending, but it's made sense once you've thought about it, this just didn't sit right with me.
The story itself is still worth a read, starts with a young lad being killed and the police start to investigate, over the past 18 months there were also 2 other killings that were not solved, is there a connection? The locals and mother of the latest killing seem to think so.
This is a story of a mother determined to find out who killed her son, no matter the danger involved

Mia and Ben are teenagers finishing school and preparing for university. They had been dating for several months but have broken up. One night walking home Ben is brutally assaulted and killed. Only 18 months earlier two other deaths occurred when a teacher at Mia’s school, Will Fulton, was assumed to have been killed in a burglary gone wrong and Becky, another pupil at the school, died in an apparent suicide. Written in multiple POV’s this is a well paced and quite dark thriller, a compelling read.

Briefly, Mia is linked to all three dead people and people are now questioning if she is a killer. Both Becky’s mother and Alison, Bens mother, believe she is and that the police are not doing their job. Should they take matters into their own hands? As Alison quickly spirals out of control in pursuit of the truth, her truth, to prove Mia is the killer, Mia herself struggles to cope. She is clearly hiding something but does it mean she is a killer!

Mia is a difficult character to understand, she professes her innocence but in a rather halfhearted manner and seems a bit confused at times, there is clearly something troubling her. The identity of the killer is perplexing and I was on the edge of my seat at times. A genuine shocker of a book right through to the last page! Brilliant

Three murders in a short space of time in a small town and the police have no idea who is responsible. The rest of the town are pretty sure they know who the murderer is, eighteen-year-old Mia had issues with each victim just before they were murdered. Why can't the police see what everyone else sees?

The Stranger In The Room by Luca Veste is more of a why dunnit than a who dunnit. From the very beginning, Mia Johnstone is the main suspect in the murder of Ben Lennon. The police don't seem interested but social media is abuzz. All the clues point to Mia after her acrimonious break-up with Ben because he cheated on her. There are also the two unsolved murders of a teacher and another student, both of who had run-ins with Mia. Mia doesn't help herself either, she's vague at times, economical with the truth and can't explain the blood-like stain on her clothing.

The real focus of the story is the obsession of Alison Lennon, Ben's mother. In such a small town everyone knows everyone else's business and it's impossible to avoid gossip. She is frustrated that the police refuse to accept what everyone else clearly knows so sets out to find the proof she needs. Consumed by grief and resentment at the perceived inaction of the police, it is easy to see how logic and reason are replaced by helplessness, pain and irrationality. There is a distinct lack of support from her family; an already fragile marriage is on the brink. The only person who truly understands is the mother of the teenage girl who was murdered a year ago.

Despite a huge guilty sign hanging over the head of Mia, you get this strange feeling that there must be more to the story. She keeps denying any involvement with any of the murders but it feels half-hearted. I felt very unsettled by the ambiguity the story offered, unable to know with any certainty who the murderer actually was. The revelations in the conclusion were shocking and chilling.

This is the first book I have read by Luca Veste. I really enjoyed it. Three people have been murdered and their deaths all seem to be related to Mia. Is Mia the murderer or is someone killing on her behalf. This book had lots of twists and turns. It was edge of your seat in places. The character of Alison could be annoying in places but she has just lost her child. I will be recommending to this book.

An exceptional and chilling tale that is guaranteed to make you check the locks!
Shockingly addictive and twistier than a mountain road this is a book you won’t put down no matter what needs doing!
Terrifying, shocking and very, very good.
Highly recommended and definitely worth 5 Stars.

Another cracking thriller from the excellent Luca Veste! A series of murders seems to be linked to Mia, and the latest to die is her boyfriend Ben. Ben's mum Alison is not impressed by the police and takes matters into her own hands. But is everything as it seems? Gripping from the start, well written and with an interesting array of characters, this is a super read.

Underwhelming overall. I didn't take to the style of writing at all—the short, staccato sentences going into the heads of characters, and sometimes a page of more of thoughts before a question was answered.

I also found the changing perspectives jarring and inconsistent. A couple of sections had the names of the PoV character, but most didn't; one of the PoVs was in first person, but there were a few sentences here and there that slipped into third person (possibly this was changed in a later revision, and will get ironed out in the final version).

I also wasn't at all convinced about the story, and why everyone though Mia was a killer. The ending was supposed to be twisty, I guess, but needed some suspension of disbelief.

Alison's son Ben is killed, and Alison believes that Mia, Ben's ex-girlfriend, is responsible, and tries to take the law into her own hands, risking the investigation.
It's a twisty psychological thriller, but most of the characters are horrible, and Alison can be quite annoying.
Despite this, it keeps you gripped, and the final revelations are a shock.

When Alison's son Ben is murdered, she is determined to get him justice at all costs. But she may have got her calculations wrong.

Ben was just a teenager, what reason could there be for his death? Convinced that his girlfriend Mia is somehow responsible, Alison is unaware of Mia's own assessment of her role in the situation.

This is a story by everyone has secrets, and the reader is introduced to them - with each turn of the page - to great effect. Intricate and suspenseful, this is entertaining storytelling skillfully delivered.

Another excellent thriller from Luca Veste. Each turn of the page reveals a new suspect as we follow the mum of a murdered teen who takes matters into her own hands when she believes the police are doing nothing. An excellent read with a brilliant climax.

Many books have been written about missing teenagers but Luca Veste manages to bring a new dimension to a familiar story with the use of multiple viewpoints and inter generational tension. I felt the book lost a little tightness towards the end but over all an engaging read

I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed this book, I read it in one sitting on my afternoon off.

The Stranger in the Family is a perfect example of a great psychological thriller. Twists of character and event, perfectly paced and with interesting underlying social themes that make you think.

It also has a good unpredictable edge and some terrific writing. Overall a big thumbs up from this reader.