This book started out strong and had so much promise. The first half moved along at a fast clip and then started to fall apart. At that point it became repetitive and disjointed. I was hoping for a much more satisfying ending. The twist that I was craving didn’t happen and I ended up being disappointed!

Title was archived before I could review it sadly. Guess I will have to buy it if I would like to read it. I am new to the Galley and was not aware of the fact that the archival date meant that I could not access the title anymore. Too bad

The Stranger by Melanie Raabe was an exciting psychological thriller, that kept me reading page after page. This book was translated from German, and I think it lost something in the translation. I found the ending a surprise, but not necessarily in a good day. I will read more books by this author in the future.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book really was like a rollercoaster of emotions. I wasn't sure what in the hell was going on. It was mysterious and scary at times. I enjoyed the literature and music references. I felt that both medias helped me to understand the mood and state of mind of Sarah.

I hate to not finish a book but I honestly couldn't get through this one. I got to 38% and had to stop as the story was dragging.

I loved this authors last book and wanted to love this one too but just couldn't stick with it.

3 stars for how the story started.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for a review.

The Stranger was a highly unusual story. This is my first book by Melanie Raabe and her writing style is really unique. Her writing is very literary and creatively descriptive. She possesses her own definite, distinct flair. The Stranger is part mystery, part suspense, part love story, and part philosophy discourse. The story is gripping and nerve-wracking, but also highly esoteric and theoretical. I will admit the big reveal was a bit of a let down, though I also didn’t expect it, but the author’s discussion after was really unexpectedly thought-provoking. I’m still a bit surprised by this story. It was not what I expected, but really intriguing.

Oh, my, goodness, buy this book! Then, close the curtains, put your phone on silent and enjoy.

I loved this read so, so much. I’d honestly give more than 5* if I could. I literally sat up into the night to finish it in one sitting and woke up wanting to re-read it, It just grabbed me and wouldn’t let go!

It’s so well written and honestly never lets up from the first page to the last and what an amazing ending.

A woman, whose husband has been missing for 7 years turns up....but he’s a stranger to her. Who is he? And what does he want?
there are elements of the story where you have to suspend belief, but, it’s so, so good and well written I did so gladly and I wasn’t disappointed.

As I was reading it I did think that it’s very much in the style of early Harlan Coben / Linwood Barclay and in my opinion on a par in terms of writing quality and suspense and better in many parts due to the fabulous poetic writing.

For anyone who enjoys a good ‘edge of the seat’ thriller/drama, it’s a must read and I would highly recommend. It’s so good I know it will stay with me for such a long time and that I want to read it again, now.

Thanks so much to Netgalley, Text publishing and the fabulous author, Melanie Raabe for the opportunity to preview this amazing read,

One thing I don’t quite understand, is that Netgalley state a publishing date of 9 October, but, I did some research and you can buy now on Amazon UK for £4.74 sold as ‘The stranger upstairs ‘ an incredible bargain, in my opinion.

5*

Sarah is a teacher and a mother who lost her husband seven years ago. He went on a business trip in South America and then never came back. Now, she got a phone call saying he's been found and he is coming back to her and her son. But the man that steps off the plan is not the man she loved, he is a stranger.

I am a sucker for just about any mystery/thriller. So it was no surprised that I requested to read this book from NetGalley. Originally written in German, I guess it is finally being released here in America for the first time. So I read this in English.

This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. The length is not spectacular, but it took me a while to read it because I felt as if the entire book was a bundle of Sarah and The Stranger asking themselves questions the whole time. Especially Sarah who would ask 80 questions in a row and then yell at The Stranger or people she knew. It wasn't the best writing by any means. But honestly, what saved this book for me was the ending. It was kind of cute an left me content. I feel like I have read a lot of books with ambiguous endings lately so this was kind of nice to have a "happy" ending of sorts.

This book took me a bit to get into but I think it was because it appeared choppy on my Kindle.
I have to say that it really surprised me. I definitely liked it. I can't imagine how it would be to have your spouse disappear & 7yrs later to return home after having been rescued. Then to look at this person only to discover a fraud.
A solid 3.75 for me.

This book was definitely a creepy premise. To think your husband would be missing and the one that comes home claims to be your husband years later but he is shorter and is just different. This is definitely one of those books you need to read. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Thank you for allowing me to review this novel.

I received a copy of "The Stranger" from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley! I really liked this book. So many books in this genre seem to be predictable but in my opinion this one was not. It was suspenseful most of the time and kept me guessing as to what was actually going on. This is a German author so some of the wording is a bit different but that didn't take away from the story. I recommend this to anyone who likes suspense books revolving around marriage/relationships.

Melanie Raabe is a new author to me and I must say I am glad I got the chance to read The Stranger. Not quite a 5-star read but a strong 4. Very suspenseful, it is basically about Sarah, a woman who sends her husband off on a trip that he never returns from. Then one day, seven years later, she gets a call telling her he is coming back but, in the end, it isn't him that's come back.
Twisty and well paced, The Stranger is a great intense mystery. I couldn't stop thinking about it while reading it and will be looking out for more books from Raabe.

Holy moly! This book kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. It was so well written, so dark and twisty. Spellbinding. I struggled to put it down.

First published in German, in 2016, it has recently been translated into English. Melanie Raabe introduces us to Sarah, a single mother at 37, whose husband disappeared on a trip to South America seven years prior. Seven years that Sarah has had to ponder her future without him, never losing hope nor declaring him dead. Seven years that Sarah has remained faithful to his memory. But when we meet Sarah, it seems that after seven years, it is time to move on.

We are slowly brought into Sarah’s seemingly ordered world. A world where she is a school teacher and her son, Leo, a bright, charming little boy. We meet Miriam and Martin, her best friend and husband. We meet coworkers Mirko, Claudia and Werner. Everything seems so even and normal in her life. Then the other shoe drops and Phillip, her missing husband, is found.

This should be a love story, right? Husband disappears, wife stays faithful, husband returns, happy ending like in a fairytale. Wrong. Once Phillip returns things seem to spiral out of control for Sarah. This is where the story gets really interesting. The way that Raabe weaves this masterful thriller is mesmerizing. I was left wondering until the very end. No shortage of surprises and turns throughout this novel.

We are lucky that Imogen Taylor did a beautiful translation of this story. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to read this book. It was a page turner that kept me up late to finish.

I really enjoyed this fast moving thriller. It had lots of twists and turns and I didn’t figure it out! This book also was more literary than many of the current thrillers. Definitely worth a read.

i liked this book a lot. It was quite suspenseful. - It was really good in the beginning but i felt it drug out in the middle just a little bit. Overall I found this book to have a unique plot and I enjoyed reading it a lot. I will look forward to reading other books by this author.

Sarah's husband Phillip disappeared 7 years earlier. When she gets a call that he has been found, she is of course thrilled. Until he arrives and the man is not her husband but a total stranger. I actually enjoyed this book more at the very end once it's finally apparent what is going on. The rest of the book dragged a bit and was somewhat repetitive. 3 stars.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Text Publishing and Melanie Raabe for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Stranger.
I was drawn in by the premise of the story, so I was happy to receive a copy in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.
Unfortunately, I struggled to finish this book. I did not feel any connection with the characters and the storyline seemed to drag. Not a book for me.

The Stranger by Melanie Raabe is a psychological thriller that will have you guessing what is going to happen next. Sarah’s husband Phillip was in South America when he disappeared without a trace. For 7 yrs she went on with her life and raised their son without him. Then one day she gets an email that says it is Phillip. Could it really be? Well, no but who she meets is someone that knows too much about her and a secret as well. If she exposes him, he will destro her life. What should she do? This is a great thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and continuing to read in order to find out what happens. The ending is great and pulls everything together.

5 out of 5 ⭐️

Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

I thought this was a good read. Not the most realistic mystery, but still a page-turner. Well written and easy to fall into.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book
I loved this twisty fast paced. Mystery.
Highly recommend this book