Well. What was a fantastically entertaining read ends up only being a three star review. How come?

Diane is an author of thrillers about serial killers. With two children and a husband her life from outside seems good but her marriage has been going cold for a while. Eventually her families lives are shattered with the suicide of her husband.

The book takes up as she has relocated with her kids to a small seaside town in Massachusetts. She is still writing and being very successful but her now college going daughter is estranged from her. Suffering with anxiety and depression she seems to hate her mother and has as little contact with her as possible.
Her adopted son, who is a couple of years younger and lives at home suffers some health problems, especially with his breathing and she cares for him with all her love. Josh, despite his health problems is a whole different kettle of fish to troubled Alexa. He loves his mom, is easy going and does what he's told. Although he gets on with his sister, she's always been jealous of him. She stopped getting attention when he arrived. Her mother in and out of hospital all the time with him as a child with little time for Alexa, she feels abandoned and unloved.

Meanwhile a real life serial killer is on the loose. Attacking and killing young women, Diane is concerned that Alexa might be next and becomes more and more anxious as Alexa as usual fails to pick up her calls or reply to her text messages. Her anxiety levels go through the roof when, as she's doing her shift at the local help centre she volunteers at,she starts receiving calls from what seems to be the serial killer. Why is he contacting her? What does he want with her? As she becomes more absorbed and paranoid by the whole thing all the main men in her life suddenly become suspicious to her. Possible suspects? Does she know the killer and if so who exactly is he?

Ok I'm going to say this right here now. I nearly loved this book. In fact for the most part I did love it. Read it in a couple of days. The characters were extremely well written, the story was excellent and very well told. It was the ultimate page turner. I was drawn straight into the world of the author and as the pages turned I had no idea how far I was in to the book or what page I was on, such was my interest. It was fantastically entertaining. It was probably going to be a five star review from me.

But, and here's the crux of it. The ending. The final chapters. They are awful. It's just a ridiculous ending. Totally unbelievable. I'm not talking about the killer reveal. I won't of course go into the ending but it just didn't in any way sit right with me. I just couldn't buy that the characters would behave that way. It was just ludicrous. It just about spoiled the whole experience. I don't know what the author was thinking letting it play out like that.
Such a shame as up until the final few chapters it was as enjoyable a read as I've had this year so far.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and Jennifer Jaynes for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very good psychological suspense novel by the talented author Jennifer James with a fast paced plot.
Good strong characters that the author gives depth to, making them easy to identify with and making the story flow so well.
The lead character in this novel is Diane, who lost her husband to suicide. She is now left to raise her two children Alexa and Josh while earning a living as a successful author. Her daughter Alexa is a college student who suffers from depression and lives close by, while Josh still lives at home. Diane is concerned for her daughter, Alexa when a fellow student is murdered, but ends up making their strained relationship even worse.
The murderer uses the crisis hotline to confess to Diane and claims she is the only one who can stop the killing. At the same time Diane has a new love interest and when more girls turn up dead, she tries to solve the mystery she fears will hit terrifyingly close to home.
The strange caller contacts her to tell 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.

The way this book is written made me read it very quickly and was the sort of book you stay up late to finish in order to find out more.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I love this author & really really enjoyed her books in the Stranger series! I was very excited to receive this advanced copy of her new, stand alone book from Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer!
I was engrossed in this suspenseful book about a serial killer on the loose, in a small Massachusetts town, killing college age girls. As usual, the author does a great job keeping you guessing... going back & forth on who you think the killer is, until you are shocked by an unexpected twist!
The ending leaves you hanging a bit, making me wonder if this is the start of another series?? Will definitely recommend to others!!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Stranger Inside. A serial killer may be on the loose. A young woman is killed in a seaside Massachusetts town.
Meanwhile, an writer, Diane, who also works at a crisis center, gets a call from the killer and she knows there are more to come.
This book was ok for me - there are several characters that MAY be the killer. I just didn't connect with the characters and figured out the ending.
Quick read - ok for me.

The characters in previous novels by Jennifer Jaynes were as memorable as they were flawed. It was surprising to learn that Diane Christie, her new heroine, is perfect. She hasn't had a perfect life, far from it, but she is responsible and smart and successful. She's even pretty and rich. Her daughter Alexa, on the other hand, is insecure and severely depressed. Their complex relationship is the backbone of this novel. Diane lives with her adoptive son, Josh, who is the complete opposite to his sister and supports Diane no matter what. But if all this family drama sounds like enough to fill a book, there is also a serial killer in the town where Alexa lives. He may or may not be calling Diane at the support line where she volunteers. He may or may not be one of the men in Diane's life, maybe even Rick, the mysterious drifter who just arrived in town. There are many red herrings and, of course, I knew whodunit and how it was going to turn out... WRONG... I didn't see the twist coming. As usual with Jennifer Jaynes, the story is well plotted, the character development excellent, and the descriptions of the places make you feel like you are there.

This book is brilliant. So many twists and turns to take the reader in many wrong directions.

Well written, dark and filled with suspense this is a must read in my view.

This aint no fairy tale. Harsh look at the life of a widowed wife of a man who committed suicide and the damage that caused her children. The daughter fighting the downward spiral of depression and a son exhibiting abnormal behavior. This is a story of how far a mother will go for her children – no sacrifice is too great.

Along with the family drama there is a serial killer killing girls at the College the daughter attends. The mom who writes mysteries also volunteers at a crisis hot-line center and the killer calls her expressing remorse for his kills but is unable to stop.

Not long into reading this book you realize everyone is on a collision course – one that is both shocking and heartbreaking.

When you get to the end – your left asking yourself what would I have done. This was a thrilling psychological suspense.

Thanks to Jennifer Jaynes, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of The Stranger Inside. Here is my honest review of it.

I give this book 3.5 stars because I really liked the character development, atmosphere, and overall plot of the book. The lead character, Diane, is a mystery writer trying to rebuild after her husband commits suicide, leaving her and her two teenage/young adult children alone. Diane has done fairly well at rebuilding her life, finding comfort in volunteering, writing, and being a mother. Her college age daughter, however, struggles with anger and resentment, and finds that remaking her life has not been as easy for her.

In the middle of this, several college age women have been kidnapped and killed by a young male in Diane's new town. Diane becomes entwined in the murders when the killer begins calling into the help center at which she works. All the men in her life seem suspect in the book, making it difficult to tease out who is the killer.

I won't spoil the book, but I eventually figured out who the killer was before it was announced in the book. That didn't shock me. What shocked me is how the characters acted at the end of the book, and the decisions they made seem so very out of character for all of them. The ending is really what made this a 3.5 star book, because I did not think the last 20% of the book seemed realistic and true to the characters.

That being said, it was well written and I got through it quickly. It was enjoyable read, but the plot left me desiring more.

The Stanger Inside
By Jennifer Jaynes

4 stars

Reviewed by Heath Henwood

Difficult to put down.

This is Jaynes fourth triller in the Stranger Series.

Diane Christie is a widow and a mystery writer, recently moved to Fog Harbour, with her adopted sixteen year son, Josh. Her daughter Alexa attends University of New Cambridge, the scene of a recent murder of a female student, which unnerves Diane.

As Jaynes slowly introduces more characters, the question who can be trusted is raised, and who is the villain?

The plot is well developed with many twists and turns, to ensure the reader stays interested until the end.

The characters are well developed and believable, which demonstrates Jaynes talent and style as a writer.

Starts out okay and ends up terribly

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT:
This started out as a pretty normal psychological thriller about a serial killer of young women. The protagonist of the story is Diane Christie, an author of mysteries about serial killers. She has two teenage children - Josh who has health issues and still lives at home and Alexa, who has her small apartment and has problems with anger and depression. Her husband committed suicide and Diane is just recently feeling ready to date again.

The story was fast-paced - not the best I've read and not the worst most of the way through. There were all kinds of red herrings scattered throughout the story - to an annoying level in my opinion.

And then we come to the worst, most unbelievable ending that I've had the misfortune to read.

I received this book from Amazon Publishing through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Amazing book - so many twist and turns it's insane... the ending is sure to shock you ! While you keep thinking it is someone close to the main character you never expect who it turns out actually to be! I couldn't stop reading once it came to that point.. and it makes you question what would you do in that same situation??

Review will be up @ Kylie's Bookapalooza closer to release day

I don't know if another thriller will top The Stranger Inside. I just don't know if it's possible.

In some twisted tale of fate Jennifer Jaynes was given the ability to take you on a ride so bizarre and unexpected, you're left reeling. Like, "what just happened?"

I pride myself in knowing who "the bad guy" is early on, and I thought with my deep knowledge of Jennifer's work that I had it all figured out. It was so obvious. And at the last second, Jennifer rips the rug out from beneath your feet and you're left with your jaw on the ground.

Almost as soon as you recover from this first bomb, so to speak, she drops another! And again I found myself wondering where this genius is hiding.

What I loved most about this book is that it takes off right away. You start speculating and guessing almost from the first sentence. It doesn't take long to build that all consuming anticipation and desire to figure it out. Towards the end it really picks up and you just can't put it down. It was nearly impossible.

I can't wait for y'all to hang out in Fog Harbor! I hope you love it as much as I did.

I always sit with anticipation for Jennifer Jaynes latest book. I just love her stuff.
After reading all her books to date I know her style and enjoy her stories.

This book was of no exception.

I read this book in two days. It is a gripping, edge of your seat thriller! I did not agree with the ending but it made sense with the story and characters.

Jennifer Jaynes does it again with The Stranger Inside. A masterpiece from a truly gifted author in her genre. I just cannot rate this book highly enough, a must read for any thriller fan. Hold on tight as this book will take you on a roller-coaster ride before reaching it's jaw dropping conclusion.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Wow! Jennifer Jaynes raised the bar and threw it out the window in this thriller. Diane is a thriller writer, and now is in the middle of her own thriller. There is a serial killer in the neighborhood targeting young women. Who can it be and who can you trust? There is also another dynamic in this book. I didn't expect the emotional turmoil in her family. Her husband committed suicide, and her two children did come cope very well with this. Alexa, her daughter is a hot mess! Josh is more reserve. Plus, Diane has two men in her life she is uncertain of. Lance and Rick. Which one to trust? I did not expect the twists this story took, but I was hanging onto every word. All thriller and suspense fans will love this book. Unputdownable!

The Stranger Inside is a fantastically twisted psychological ride that had me hooked from the very first page! This is quite possibly my favorite read so far this year, I honestly can't say enough how much I loved it. I really had no expectations going in and I was blown away. I've been reading mystery/thrillers since I was a kid, so I'm not easily scared by a book. the Stranger Inside had jumping at every little noise, biting my nails, and loving every scary minute of it!

Main character Diane, who co-incadentily is a mystery writer ( love her already!) and her son Josh and daughter Alexa move to Massachusetts after her husbands suicide. Her life begins to get more complicated, just as students at Alexa's college start turning up dead. Meanwhile at the crisis center Diane volunteer's at, she starts receiving mysterious distorted phone calls from the killer, who claims only she can stop the murders. With a serial killer on the loose, no one is safe, especially not Diane!

This was so expertly written, the pacing was fantastic, there were never any lags in the story or parts that dragged on. It was a quick, fast paced read, which are my favorite kind. It was extremely suspenseful and I found myself screaming things out loud as I read along "no don't go in there," "pick up the phone!!!" "don't get in the car!!!"

This is one of those stories where your suspicious of everyone and see shadows everywhere. The ending was mind blowing, there were so many shocking twists and turns one right after another, I was truly left speechless when I finished this one. I absolutely loved this one, and highly recommend it! Can't wait to read more from this amazing author!

What a great read. Love books that i can't seem to figure out who is the bad guy in them. i I kept changing my mind.
Kept me guessing till the very end.. Would recommend to friends!

This is the fourth psychological thriller written by author Jennifer Jaynes that I've read. The Stranger Inside is an outstanding book. This author always has a surprise ending. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advance copy.

Needing a fresh start after her husband’s death, author Diane Christie relocates to small town Massachusetts with her two children. Her husband’s suicide has caused a huge rift between Diane and her daughter Alexa, and Diane hopes the move might help them heal. Even former good-natured son Josh is beginning to misbehave. Diane keeps plugging away at her new book and, given what happened to her husband, volunteers for a crisis hotline. But instead of getting calls for help, she gets a call from the person who murdered one of Alexa’s college classmates – apparently, she is the only one who can’t prevent another murder. This is an intense read and Jaynes does a good job of depicting the fallout after a family member’s suicide