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

This book was of no exception.

The people in this book soon became very real to me. The entire family was one I had a window into. I could see mistakes, I could fault find, but, I could also feel the warmth, the sadness and the emotional turmoil of finding that your husband/father had committed suicide.

What does that do to a wife? A mother? Her children.

Diane is an author. She writes mainly thrillers.
Alexa the daughter is a young woman with problems. Her relationship with her mother is not good no matter how Diane tries.
Alexa is very depressed. She lives away from home but comes home often. Usually to do her washing.
She's always fault finding with her mother.

The son, Josh seems ok at the start but he's started to act odd. I put that down to his young age.

The rivalry is very much felt coming from Alexa towards her brother but more for her mother and what the problems are between them soon leak out which give a better insight.

The reader is taken with Diane to her volunteer work, its a crisis hotline which she helps man.

A girl from her daughters college is found strangled.

There starts a term of events that will get you reading chapter by chapter with eagerness.

If you love a good thriller with a great story, this is it.

It starts of steady, but soon gets the readers juices flowing.

Yet another one of Jennifer's books that I absolutely loved! I had trouble putting it down once I started it.

I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

For me, when the writing is great, the reading goes faster. "The Stranger Inside" wasn't an exception. From beginning, to middle, to the superb fast-paced, heart-wrenching ending, the novel delivers. Also, as usual in Jennifer Jayne's novels, the cast includes people with complex personalities and "complexer" problems, which makes the whole narrative flow smoothly.

"The Stranger Inside" is a great, attention-grabber story ... and so much more. A must read, if you ask me.

I am a big fan of this author's Stranger Series so I was intrigued when I heard she was writing a stand alone and jumped at the chance to read it when I read the synopsis. She writes in a style that just suits me. After reading her first book, subsequent books have felt very comfortable for me to read and she has always told a good tale played out with well crafted characters full of emotion so I was excited to start this book. And finish it in pretty much one sitting. It gripped me that much that I found it very difficult when I had to put it down for boring life stuff.
So, Diane is a mystery author. Suffering the loss of her husband, she moves herself and her two children to a small town to get a fresh start. Her relationship with her two children couldn't be more different. There is a big rift between her and her daughter, Alexa, whereas she's close to Josh, her son. Probably due to his health conditions. As well as her writing, Diane also volunteers on a crisis helpline. When a girl from Alexa's college is brutally murdered, the murderer drags Diane into the investigation as he calls her on the hotline. It's the last thing she needs as, as well as being rather frightening, she starts to wonder "why her?" and starts to wonder who it is? Does she know them, could it be someone in her close circle of friends? With new love on the horizon and the chance of happiness, could it all blow up in her face?
Wow, just wow! Although the book starts off quite steady, there was always that feeling that things were bubbling under; just waiting to break through and boy when they did it was exhilarating and delivered blow after blow of excitement and, well lets just say, lead to a rather shocking conclusion that left me both speechless and breathless with lots to think about.
As usual with this type of book, I try to go along with the characters, trying to work out who and why but, although I had the perpetrator on my list, it was only in pencil. I read a lot of this genre of book and it's not often that I am that gobsmacked at the end. But, don't get me wrong. It's not a case of the author leading the reader the wrong way all the way. Hindsight is your friend here and, at the end, when I'd calmed down and thought back, yes, the signs were there. I just chose to gloss over them. Well done Ms Jaynes.
Characters were as always very well crafted. And full of emotion and dysfunction and all the other things I love in fiction. And real, they all felt very real to me. Even with the decisions that they had to make. I can't qualify this statement here, spoilers prevent me, but you'll understand when you read it!
All in all, a brilliant read that went a little bit further for me than just being a psychological thriller. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.