Wow! I flew through this one. So good. I don't think I'd change anything about it. Completely absorbing, suspenseful, and well-written. Start it when you have a good chunk of time to kill, because you're going to want to read this in one sitting if possible and the end will leave you reeling.

Diane lost her husband to suicide. She is a successful author, and she and her two children made a move for a fresh start. Daughter Alexa is a college student who has slipped into severe depression. She lives in a tiny apartment not far from her family. Though her mother supports her, she is borderline cruel to her. She seems to still resent the adoption of her teenage brother, Josh. Though he's been in the family since he was in diapers, she still holds onto it. When a fellow student is murdered, Diane worries about her but she only pushes her farther away.

Diane receives a strange phone call at her volunteer helpline job before the first body is found. Someone who has disguised their voice tells her the name of the first victim before the police release it. Could she be talking to the murderer? Tensions mount as the violence continues but the police haven't a clue. She's used to writing dark stories, but now she's involved in one... complete with murder and a potential romance with a handsome but mysterious stranger.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

The Stranger Inside

by Jennifer Jaynes

Thomas & Mercer

General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 09 May 2017

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of The Stranger Inside through Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley:

Mystery Author Diane Christie moves to small coastal town Fog Harbor Massachusetts with her son after her husband commits suicide. She moves to Fog Harbor to be closer to her daughter who is attending college in Massachusetts

Diane feels that she is being watched

Her daughter Alexa avoids her, still critical of everything she does until one day a girl from Alexa's college is found strangled, and the murderer uses the crisis hotline to confess to Diane and tells her she is the only one who can stop the killings.

Who is behind the killings, and is Diane Christie the key to stopping them?

Is the monster some faceless fan, or someone closer to home?

Find out in The Stranger Inside.

Five out of five stars.

Happy Reading!!!

Talented Jennifer Jaynes turns up the intensity with her first standalone thriller: THE STRANGER INSIDE an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller solidifying her place alongside the best of female crime writers out today! Jaynes clearly belongs in the top echelon of thriller writers.

Sharply written, a psychological thriller both chilling and emotional- you can't wait to find out what happens - but you're not sure you want to know. Nail-biting action and an unexpected revelation you will not see coming.

The author’s most complex and intriguing novel to date. Read what Publishers Weekly had to say.

“Monsters are real . . . they live inside us, and sometimes, they win.” – Stephen King

There is a terrifying serial killer at the heart of this equal parts mystery, thriller, and cautionary tale. A cross between domestic suspense and a mesmerizing psychological drama of motherhood, family loyalty, loss, guilt, redemption, and an unexplained evil.

As the book opens open there is a murder. A young college student gal is walking home. She heard someone, then in the blink of an eye, her life was over. This is only the beginning of someone murdering young girls at the college.

Meet Diane Christie, a mystery crime writer.

She had been married and had a five-year-old daughter she adored and the adoption agency called and said they had the perfect baby for her. A little boy who had been abandoned by his mother at the hospital.

Today her husband is dead (suicide), and her daughter Alexa who had just turned nineteen, showed nothing for her but contempt and disdain. She would love to repair her relationship with her daughter. It had been and uphill battle. Their life has been an emotional roller-coaster.

She would never give up on her kids.

Diane had moved the previous year with her sixteen-year-old son, Josh to the small coastal town of Fog Harbor, Massachusetts, to escape what had happened back in New Jersey and to be closer to her daughter Alexa. Hopefully a time for healing and starting over.

However, Alexa is withdrawn and hateful. She worries about her (stealing, depression, suicide). Diane and Josh reside in a quiet neighborhood with a landlord Mr. Davidson. He was also an avid mystery reader. This family needed a new start after the trauma of her husband's death.

Josh had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called pulmonary sarcoidosis shortly after they had adopted him at eighteen months. Because of everything he had been through medically, she could not help but be panicked anytime he exhibited symptoms of becoming ill. He was more laid-back than Alexa. He loved video games. He was a loving child and very smart. He tries to help Alexa with her relationship with their mother, acting as a go-between.

Alexa never responded to her texts and she was worried about her, especially with the recent murder. Alexa had been angry with Diane since she was five. Much had to do with adopting Josh, three years younger. He had been in the hospital frequently which meant time away from home. They had grown apart. Then her husband's suicide. Diane continues to pay her daughter’s bills and offer her support, even though she treats her with no respect.

Then a report came in that a University of New Cambridge student was found murdered.

Diane was a law-abiding suburban widowed mother of two teenagers. She had spent her entire adult life caring for and trying to protect and sacrificing for her children. She volunteered at a small crisis center.

Lance, is a Fog Harbor policemen and fellow volunteer at the crisis center. Lance was in his late twenties, about ten years Diane’s junior. He had magazine cover looks. He had lost a brother to suicide and had been volunteering at the hotline ever since. He had a reputation of being a playboy. He flirted with Diane; however, she was done with men after what she had been through with her late husband.

Mary Kate is also another volunteer with a family suicide in her past. There is also Ellie her friend back in New Jersey which is married. In addition a creepy man, Wayne – a store manager at the local Brookmart. Totally weird. He adds some nice humor.

Diane had a long roster of repeat callers at the center. People who she had helped in the past; some desperate for encouragement, a little hope, and a listening ear.

A call comes through the hotline. The caller stated the name of the girl, Katie who was murdered, yet the victim’s name had not been released yet, according to Lance. The person on the other end of the line said he was having a crisis. A robotic voice. A mechanical voice changer. It made her flesh crawl.

He was talking about the murder. Was the person confessing to murder? Did he have knowledge about what happened? The caller said he was glad it was she who answered because he said she was the only person who can stop it. What did that mean?

As a crime writer, Diane knew she tended to view the world through a darker lens. Wayne always bugged her, but he was harmless. At the supermarket, she runs into a guy named Rick. Rick turns out to be a very intriguing character. A former Marine sniper with two tours in Iraq with PTSD. Hot, good-looking, and the complete package. What is his background?

Josh was such a polite son and Alex a terror. There is an ongoing mystery about her former husband Frank. We get bits and pieces of how they had a whirlwind romance and then he became a stranger living inside her home.

Some of her sleeping pills are missing? Was Alex taking them? Josh is like a nerd. He is always trying to play the go between his mom and Alex. Even Alexa’s friend Trish likes her mom. Alexa is jealous.

The name of the victim was released. Katie Worth. A talented girl on a scholarship from Vermont. How did the caller know? Diane becomes convinced the anonymous caller was Katie’s murderer.

Diane invites Lance over for Thanksgiving, as a friend, and Alex continues to be a brat, jealous of her mother. Even her friend Trish likes her mom.

An ongoing message of Red or blue pills. The Matrix. Symbolism. The blue pill is like a sedative. It allows you to continue to live in ignorance. Protected from all the ugliness in the world. The red pill allows you to see the truth. The truth about everything, including the stuff you do not want to know.

Lance spends time at their house explaining that the most notorious killers appear very normal. "The worst monsters are masters at blending in. "

Alexa is depressed and socially awkward, plus she is overly critical of her mom. Diane bends over backward trying to get her to open up.

In addition, someone is posting terrible reviews (one-star reviews of all her books) on Amazon when normally she gets 4 and 5-star reviews. Who was writewellorquit777? Hateful reviews. Who is trolling her? (hilarious).

Between Alexa, the strange caller on the hotline, Lance acting strange and being overly flirty with her daughter and friend. Her daughter seems to be entranced by him, plus she is worried about her daughter’s mental state. Alexa is hateful, critical, nasty, cynical, depressed and unhappy. Even Josh appears to be off.

Alexa does not like Rick, knowing he had killed people, and lived in the creepy cabin in the woods. What was her mother thinking? She does not trust him. She once again trying to make problems for her mom when she finds she is interested in him. After all, Diane had married a nice guy and turned into something else. Alexa tries to plant suspicion and doubt in Diane’s mind and goes through his things. Diane has had enough of Alexa’s behavior.

Rick the guy who lives in a hunting log cabin in the woods. He seemed guarded. Rick starts getting closer; however, she does not trust herself with new relationships. Can she trust him?

Her friend Ellie is going through a separation and sleeping on her sofa. (not sure how Diane gets any writing done with all this drama). Her friend warns her about Rick. Now Detective Chavez has been contacted about the caller at work. She trusted Rick. He was a great cook, a nice clean house, great classical music, and an inviting home, plus he was a reader with all the top names. He had guns, medical supplies, antibiotics, and water. Everything was organized. A survivalist?

With a serial killer on the loose and once again the caller says the name of the second murdered college student: Jill. There was no doubt in her mind that the caller was the killer, or at least involved with the killer somehow, but what reach out to her?

Now a third girl, Trish Underwood. Alexa’s friend.

What was going on? Why did the killer choose certain girls to kill, young and pretty girls with long brunette hair.

Between Lance, Rick (PTSD), a cabinet full of weapons, crazy Wayne, Diane’s caller, and her kids. Who can she trust? What does she have to do with the killer and why is this person calling her? Diane soon realizes she has to solve the mystery before this person kills again.

A mother is faced with the worst choice of her life. Will she resort to the unthinkable to protect her shattered family?

From a master of suspense, Jaynes explores the dangers lurking closer than you think. Even in the perfect family, you never know what is going on behind closed doors.

Riveting, chilling, mind-bending, heart-pounding. Dark and intense, the author skillfully plots and creates characters’ readers root for. Clever twists and turns continue to push the suspense with an array of suspects. High adrenaline, fast-paced action.

I could not put this book down and read in one sitting. Every time you think you have the killer figured out, the suspicion turns to someone else. However, the shattering conclusion will definitely not be expected. Testing the bonds of family.

This tense psychological suspense demonstrates Jaynes at the top of her game. A pro at creating twisty plots and emotionally devastating family dramas. Her characters are fractured, cracked and troubled and you sympathize with them.

If you have not read Jaynes’ books, I would highly recommend. An avid fan, adore her engaging writing style. She never fails to impress. She never takes you on detours or side roads. She always grabs your attention from the first page to the last.

One of my favorite authors and an avid fan starting with the Strangers Series:
Never Smile at Strangers
Ugly Young Thing
Don’t Say a Word

Fans of Lisa Gardner, JT Ellison, Tami Hoag, Karen Slaughter, Chevy Stevens, and Lisa Unger will be assured to enjoy THE STRANGER INSIDE.

A special thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an early reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

Oh my word and breath....this was a roller coaster of a book.I read a lot of thrillers it is my favourite genre and I am pretty good at working out who did what usually,this book had me completely fooled .There was a mix of characters some likable some not likable some I felt suspicious about and the mother of the family central to everything and seemingly sensible and switched on and I liked her.I don't do spoilers I want other readers to read this book and enjoy it as much as I did so I will tread carefully,really all I can say is that towards the end of the book I still didn't have it all sussed and had several theories and one of them was right, but I could have said that if one of my other ideas were right so really I didn't have a clue .I also didn't anticipate the ending didn't see that coming at all and I'm still trying to take it all in totally fooled me and I loved it .I thought this was one of the best books in this genre I have read in a long time and hope others enjoy it as much as I did.Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The stranger inside by Jennifer James.
Crescenzo and his friends may have survived their confounding journey to the enchanted realms of Florindale, but now they find themselves fighting for their sanity and lives while stuck on the other side of the very mirror they set out to destroy.

With their families trapped by a former ally with a crippling fear of the queen, Enzo, Rosana, and Zack must play a deadly game in Wonderland, where shadows are on the move, kings are at war, and one of them wants Rosana dead.

As darkness hovers over the world, the friends must lean on each other and stop the King of Hearts from following through on Avoria’s orders: Break them.

I really enjoyed this book. Couldn't put it down. Reading it every chance I could. Highly recommended. 5*. Netgalley and Thomas and mercer.

I've been looking forward to reading my first novel by Jennifer Jaynes, author of [book:Ugly Young Thing|23745103], and for most of the book, I found myself enjoying the journey. Good characters, good pacing, a family struggling after the suicide of the husband moving to a small town, some young pretty college girls murdered and a few suspects hanging around the main character, a thriller writer. All good so far, although maybe all a little predictable, and than BOOM! the entire plot took a dive off the straight and narrow into the wilds of incredulity! With no earlier hints to prepare us, the characters all started behaving completely out of character and the final chapters were just too much to believe.

There are a lot of 5 star reviews out there so maybe it's not you Ms Jaynes but me. Generally I like a good twist but I also like it when the author is clever enough to have planted some subtle hints for us to say Aha! in retrospect. In this case, there were no indications that any of the characters would start to behave in ways that totally contradicted what we knew about them.

4.5 stars! First, thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an early copy of this book!

This was a very fast read for me, finished in a day and a half. This story centers on Diane, a widow of a husband who committed suicide and their children Alexa and Josh. Alexa has now moved away to college and Diane and Josh move out of their old family home to be closer to her. The daughter is suffering through a serious bout of depression and is hateful and miserable. Along with the family drama there is a serial killer close to home killing girls at Alexa's college.

This was a great psychological thriller filled with suspense. I personally could have done without the love/sex scene, I am not one for romance books but to each their own! The ending.. let's talk about that ending.. you are either going to like it or not. I personally liked it! A bit controversial and different from what is expected of the norm! I give this 4.5 stars as I keep going between 4 and 5 so 4.5 it is. I have read several books now from this author and will continue to look for more!

great read and easy to follow story line. look forward to reading more from this author.

I was really excited to be approved to read and review my first Jennifer Jaynes book. (I know this is bad, but every time I see her name I am reminded of a certain porn star...anyone else experience this?) I have had my eye on this author for awhile now and with so many books already under her belt, I had high expectations.

I'm not sure if it is because I just came off a high of some amazing 5 star books or not, but this really didn't do anything for me. I mean anything... :(

It wasn't just the cookie cutter characters or the predictability at every turn. There just wasn't anything fresh here, not to mention the absurdity of that ending. I don't think a Lifetime movie would even attempt to wrap things up the way this did, and they are the kings (or queens) of the fairy tale happy ending.

I honestly don't know if I will get this author another go around or not. If any of my GR family has a favorite that you can recommend I'd be happy to check it out. But until then, my ever growing TBR is calling.

ARC provided by NetGalley

THE STRANGER INSIDE by talented author Jennifer James is a fast-paced psychological suspense novel that had me guessing right until the end.

“A recently widowed mother resorts to the unthinkable to protect her shattered family. But does she go too far?”

After mystery author Diane Christie loses her husband to suicide, she and her sixteen-year-old son, Josh move from New Jersey to the small coastal town of Fog Harbor, Massachusetts, to escape what happened back in New Jersey and be closer to her nineteen-year-old daughter, Alexa, attending college close by. Diane hopes that her family can now begin to heal.

But Diane had her hands full trying to raise two teenage children, with issues, while she tried to earn a living as an effective author. Alexa suffers from anxiety and depression, and fights for her mother’s love and attention but still resents the adoption of her teenage brother, Josh. Josh suffers from respiratory problems and is now started acting out. Diane pushes forward, focusing on her writing and her volunteer work at a local crisis hotline. She knows that healing takes time.

But then a girl from Alexa's college is found strangled. A serial killer is on the loose, and Diane is worried for the safety of her daughter. And Alexa isn’t picking up her calls or text messages.

But then through the use of a robotic voice, the murderer uses the crisis hotline to confess to Diane . . . and claims she is the only one who can stop the killing. The murderer identifies the victim’s name…and Diane had received this anonymous call three hours before the victim’s name had been released?

But why is she being contacted?

And at the same time, Diane has a budding new love interest, at the same time as more girls show up dead. Who can she trust…and talk to?

This book was a quick and easy read, with intriguing characters and an excellent plot, which kept me gripped until the end. I did not guess the identity of the killer. But, for me, I found the ending a little too unbelievable. I won’t say any more for risk of spoilers. Just read this entertaining novel.

Many thanks to Jennifer Jaynes, Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC.

Diane Christie was a mystery writer whose books were successful – but her home life wasn’t the same. Her husband had committed suicide when the children were younger and her son Josh was frequently ill. Alexa was at university and didn’t live at home – she was an angry young woman who seemed to hate her mother with an intensity that Diane felt shocked by whenever she thought about it.

But when young women were found murdered; a university student whose apartment was close to Alexa’s, then others – Diane knew she wanted her daughter to come home, at least until the killer was caught. Diane’s volunteer work at the crisis centre took her mind off her troubles until a call that seemed to be from someone who knew more than the police did. Was it the killer? Was he trying to confess? Diane was freaked out; the police turned their investigation toward the crisis centre calls. Would they discover who was murdering young women before more lost their lives?

The Stranger Inside by Jennifer Jaynes is another fast-paced, excellent psychological thriller which I raced through. But I was stunned by the ending. A shocking, unbelievable last few chapters that felt so wrong after the brilliance of everything until then. I can’t believe the author finished the book like she did and I would venture to say it’s the worst ending I can remember reading. So disappointing! I’m afraid it immediately reduced my star rating on a book that was definitely going to be 5 stars.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

A great thriller!
When Diane's daughter Alexa makes the decision to move to Massachusetts for college, Diane and her son Josh make the move as well, just to be close by. It turns out the happy, quaint little town of Fog Harbor, Mass. isn't exactly the safe-haven she expected it would be. Fact is, someone is killing young beautiful codes at the nearby college.
Diane volunteers at a crisis hotline. During a night shift she responds to a call that rattles her to the bone. Is this the killer everyone’s looking for? One of her fellow volunteers Lance, works full time as a local police officer. And right now he’s dealing with a crisis of his own…trying to get closer to Diane and her daughter. There is also a very handsome, mysterious stranger new in town who has his eyes set on Diane. So why can't she trust either of them?
So many possibilities of who is behind the killings. Small clues are placed along the way to steer you in one direction only to be suddenly yanked in another. Whiplash!!
Very easy read and hard to put down. I kept telling myself ok, just one more chapter. Well that was a short one, didn’t really count. I’ll just read one more and yada, yada, next thing I knew it was the wee hours of the night!! Kept me guessing all the way through.
Red pill....blue pill....which one would you take?
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Jennifer Jaynes for an ARC to review.

To be posted on Goodreads under Kaceey 5/1/17

The Stranger Inside is a gripping psychological thriller. The book has a well written plot with well thought out characters.. If you enjoy a good thriller I recommend this book.

Diane Christie has lost her husband to suicide so she decides to move herself and her son to the small coastal town of Fog Harbor, Massachusetts. Diane’s older daughter is attending college nearby and Diane thinks being closer to her daughter will help mend their strained relationship but when a young girl is found murdered at the local college Diane’s worry pushes her daughter further away.

After the murder Diane is volunteering at the local crisis hotline when she receives a call from someone disguising their voice that seems to know details the police haven’t released. With a new man in Diane’s life, a daughter that does everything to push her mother away and a son with health issues Diane doesn’t understand why the caller seems to be singling her out which makes her question everyone in her life.

The Stranger Inside was one of those psychological thrillers that I found quite easy to dive right into and begin to know the characters and get completely engaged in the story. At every turn of the page there was a new shady character to point the finger at and wonder could this be the killer? I found this completely compelling to continue reading and find out just how it would all turn out for this interesting cast of characters.

When finished with this one I was reading a few other reviews that completely hated the ending of this one. I have to say for me personally I rather enjoyed the ending, a bit off the map as far as what you would think would really happen when a killer is finally named but yet set up well for it to work in this story and quite possibly be the reaction that could happen, it certainly had my attention to the very end.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the third Jennifer Jaynes book I've read. And I enjoyed it just as much as the last two.

The Stranger Inside is a psychological suspense thriller, looking at how far a mother will go for her children. It's an easy read, with strong writing, believable characters and an intriguing, fast-paced plot.

I read most of the book in one sitting. I have to admit that the big reveal wasn't a total surprise to me, and I wasn't 100% sure about the ending - whether it was in keeping with the true nature of the characters. But overall I found the book very hard to put down, with its complex trail of clues, red herrings, twists and turns.

Definitely one of those books that makes you think 'what would I have done?'

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

A STRANGER INSIDE is a psychological thriller full of suspense and intrigue. Jennifer Jaynes immediately grabs her readers’ attention setting the tone of the storyline that will deliver murders, manipulation and trust issues. Jaynes creates a fast moving suspense storyline focusing on the Christie family and the murders change their lives. Jaynes introduces Diane Christie, who is a widow and successful author, Alexa nineteen-year-old college student with anger issues towards her mother, and Josh who is an adopted son with health problems. Jaynes provides her readers, with each family member’s backstory. As the momentum of the story increase, Jaynes supplies additional information as needed

To keep readers interest and help understand each of the Christie family’s actions, Jaynes adds details as to how they interact with each other. Each family member has common goals but seems to have trouble telling each other. The storyline deals with those events that might bring them all together. The psychological tension increases to a high level when the serial killer calls at the Diane on her shift a crisis center giving naming the identities of the murder victims. The killer asks Diane to stop him.
Jaynes creates support character to keep the pace of the story moving forward. She gives each character’s backstory and explains their roles when she introduces them to the storyline. The author creates subplots changing the storyline’s direction. She adds twists and turns and misdirection to the storyline that keep readers in the dark as to what is going to happen next. The community is up in arms regarding the unsolved murders.

A STRANGER INSIDE’s plot increases momentum, tension, and intrigue. Jayne keeps her readers guessing as to resolve issues relating to the murders and Diane and Alexa’s discoveries. Readers will be holding their breath as events unfold. Jayne creates a thought-provoking ending to the complicated family and friends situations.

This is a chilling psychological thriller ! After mystery writer Diane Christie loses her husband to suicide she moves her family to Fog Harbor Massachusetts where her daughter attends college nearby .Her daughter if depressed and troubled. Diane is very close to her son Josh who has health problems and is a little strange . A girl from Alex's college is found murdered .The killer calls the crisis hotline where Diane volunteers and confesses to Diane and tells her she is the only one who can stop him. This book keeps you guessing who the killer is. A great plot with a jawdropping and heartwrenching ending .
I received this ARC from Thomas Mercer Publishing , Netgalley and Jennifer Jaynes in exchange for my honest review. Publication date is May 9, 2017 .Sharing review on Goodreads and Amazon ,

With a serial killer on the lose and contacting her at the crisis center, Diane feels overwhelmed. Her home life isn't much better with a daughter who hates her and an I'll son to worry about.
The book started off great but the ending was such a total let down. I realize the author wanted a shocking ending with a surprise twist but to me it was horrible and disappointing.

Another great book by Jennifer! I was very excited to get a chance to read this book. I was not disappointed at all. I loved every heart pounding minutes of this book. The characters jumped off the pages at me and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. What a great thriller! I the movies should grab some of these great books and make wonderful movies to scare the pants off me more. * I received the this book form Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer---this is my honest review*

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a very well written thriller about an author who writes thrillers! Diane is widowed with two children, Alexa and Josh. Alexa is in college nearby, and someone has begun targeting college age women for murder. She has never had a great relationship with her mother and struggles with anxiety issues. When Diane wants her to move in with her until the killer is caught, she wants to but can't get past the hard feelings she developed when her parents adopted her brother. Josh is a typical 16 year old who loves gaming and hanging with his friends. Diane volunteers at the local helpline, her way of giving back to the community and getting out more. When the killer begins calling her during her shift, her whole world gets turned upside down. She has two men in her life, Lance a police officer she works with at the helpline, and the hunky Rick who she met in the grocery store. Suddenly Diane does not know who she can trust, and she is desperate to protect her daughter and keep her life together. This is a finely crafted tale with a huge twist I did not expect. I stayed up way past my bedtime with this one!