I absolutely love this book! I flew through the entire series once I picked it up. Elly Griffiths is one of my favorite mystery writers, and I think this is her best series to date.
In this book, the premise of the story and the gothic setting immediately drew me in. Once Harbinder was introduced, she stole the show. The mystery was great, but I loved the portions of the book Harbinder narrated about her life outside of work, especially at home with her family.
Not only have I recommended it to countless customers, I also had our library book club read this one recently.

Clare is an English teacher at a school in England and is fascinated by ‘The Stranger Diaries’ a Gothic story written by RM Holland. When her colleagues start turning up dead with quotes from the story, everyone is a suspect.

This had all the elements that I typically enjoy in a book but I had trouble connecting with the characters. I wasn’t rooting for Claire and I think if I was I would have enjoyed this more.

I did like the concept of a book within a book and I’m intrigued by the main series character, Harbinder Kaur, so I will likely read the next in this series.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Mariner Books for my digital ARC of this book. Unfortunately, it did not make the cut for me. I usually love murder mysteries, but the story did not grab my attention and I struggled to keep going as I found it was too slow paced for me. What I did enjoy though, was the old-fashioned, gothic vibe.

The narration is split between multiple POVs, as well as “The Stranger”, which the reader gets to learn about throughout the book. I did enjoy the multiple POVs, although I wasn’t a big fan of the characters.

This one would be recommended if you like slow-burn mysteries that aren’t over the top.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for my digital ARC in exchange for a review. As always, my reviews are my own and unbiased opinions.

This is typical murder mystery that I am surprised has such mixed reviews. I finished it in a few days.
This is a book about a woman who works at an older school. In the attic of the school was where a famous author once lived. He wrote a short story that threads through the book and weaves everything together.
An English teacher at the school is murdered and an investigation ensues. Someone has been writing in the diary of a fellow teacher and leaving her notes.
I liked the concept and the mystery aspect of the book, and found it very approachable. I also liked the gothic notes. I wasn't in love with the characaters, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story.

Clare Cassidy is an English teacher and scholar of Gothic novelist R.M. Holland. Clare loves to read a lot, especially novels consisting of horrors and tragedy. But Clare is soon going to find herself inside her own novel so to speak full of horror and tragedy when she finds out her close friend, Ella, has been murdered,

WOW! I LOVED this book sooo much. I did not want to put it down and HAD to know how this was going to end. I loved the multiple POVs. I felt each character came alive from the pages and felt emersed into their lives. KUDOS to Elly Griffiths! Cannot wait to read more from this author.

This book is the perfect mix of gothic vibes and modern mystery. I will definitely be reading more Elly Griffiths books in the future. I loved that there was essentially a book inside of a book, who doesn't love that? Only complaint, characters were a tad bit dull.

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t expecting the ghost aspect, but I thought it worked well with this story. The plot twist at the end was totally unexpected!

Thanks to Mariner books for the free book.
Cleaning up my NetGalley backlist, and I went with the audio of this one. It was creepy, had a good pacing, and I loved the short story told throughout that the crimes parallel.

Very enjoyable thriller which seamless intertwines modern and gothic fiction elements. DI Kaur grew on me and I will definitely be checking out the next book in the series (Herbert was, however, the star of this book and I have no complaints!).

This was my first excursion into Elly Griffiths; it was a Carmel Clay Public Library Mystery Book Club selection. As an aside, the group shared my enthusiasm for the book. The Stranger Diaries is well written, with fully formed characters and an atmospheric, almost gothic feel. Griffiths demonstrates technical mastery with several stories including the gripping Halloween tale, “The Stranger,” integrated into the novel. All of us agreed that we would revisit her work. The only reservation that I had with the book (which keeps me from awarding five stars) is that the denouement is abrupt with the author not playing particularly fair with the reader with regard to the perpetrator, especially with respect to the motivation for the crimes. Although the denouement is somewhat logical in retrospect though unlikely (as in the least likely suspect school of mystery fiction), a reader would have to “solve” the crime strictly by elimination. I also felt she overdid the reference to the Tempest line. Notwithstanding these reservations, I would still encourage readers to strap in and enjoy the ride. Check it out.

(Catching up on some reviews from books I read a while back)

This book caught my eye when I read about it, I mean when someone's storyline becomes entwined or similar to their favorite books who wouldn't want to read about it. I liked that I was not only trying to figure out what was going on but also laughing throughout the book. Also, love the dog and glad he lived to see another day!

This is the first book in a new series from Elly Griffiths. This is a bit of a gothic mystery dealing with a long dead author. R.M. Holland once lived in the building that is now Talgarth School. Claire Cassidy is an English teacher at the school, and teaches a course each year on the author. When her friend and fellow teacher, Ella is killed, there is a note left by her body. It is a line from R.M. Holland's novel, The Stranger which says, "Hell is Empty. The thing is, The Stranger is unpublished and most people don't know about it. When someone starts leaving notes and comments in Claire's journal she takes it to the police. When another victim turns up, Claire is worried for herself and her daughter Georgia. Is Claire guilty? Who could have access to her journal?

I have not read the Ruth Galloway series, so thought this new series might be a good way to start with Elly Griffiths writing. I really enjoyed this mystery/police procedural with its gothic, creepy feeling. This was a multi-layered and complex mystery, with snippets of "The Stranger" woven throughout the story. I liked Claire and her daughter, Georgia. Georgia is a teenager, so was not perfect, but overall was a pretty good kid. She is worried about school and does not want to be sent away. DS Harbinder Kaur is lead investigator. Kaur is bright, witty, and highly analytical by nature, a bit off-putting, but a great investigator. I was not sure who the culprit was, although I had many guesses along the way. When the identity was revealed, it was one of my guesses, but the motive was not on my radar at all. At the end of the story, we get to hear "The Stranger" in its entirety. This was an interesting addition to the book. If you enjoy a mystery, ghosts, spooky vibe, a story within a story and an old haunted school, then you will love this story. I am ready to start the next book in this series.

This was a great mystery with a bit of ghost story tossed in. Recommended for a cozy fall read. Enjoyed it very much.

This story builds in momentum as you read it. I never saw the ending coming. And afterall, isn't that what we look for in a story that keeps us on the edge of our seat?

I love a good whodunnit and this mystery provided me with a twist ending that I didn't see coming. One of my favorite techniques is when an author tells the same set of events from different perspectives. When done well, this can create a really fun, interesting plot device. Griffiths definitely pulls it off wonderfully - telling the story from the point of view of a woman whose best friend has just been murdered, the woman's teenage daughter, and the policewoman investigating the case. There's also a pretty fun thread of an older mystery brought out through the telling of an old Gothic short story. I'm not explaining it great - but Griffiths does!

With several twists and turns and a fun English setting, this book kept me turning the pages all the way until the last page. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series as well. Loved it!

The Stranger Diaries is a contemporary mystery with a Gothic flavor. There's a book within the book, old houses with creepy passageways, a deserted building with lights that flash from the windows at night and even a self proclaimed witch. What more do you need for the spookiness factor? And then there is the murder mystery. The story is told by Clare Cassidy, her daughter Georgia and D.S. Harbinder Kaur. Clare is an English teacher and
would be author who is responsible for the diaries of the title and a lot of the other things that happen. Harbinder is a superb character with a very dry wit and a rather critical approach to life. Her unspoken asides to herself are hilarious. A really good read!

3.5 stars. The characters in this story are what made the book. The mystery is a slow burn, which works well with the creepy short story entwined into the story. I figured out the murderer very early on so that was kind of a bummer. I look forward to more in this series.

This one kept me in suspense to the end. I liked reading the same events from the different characters’ POV and I definitely had no idea whodunnit until it was revealed. Good read!

Loved this book with its gothic atmosphere, fascinating characters and incredibly engaging writing style.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Clare Cassidy is writing a biography of R.M. Holland who wrote one short horror story that stands the test of time. While teaching at the school that used to be his home murders begin taking place. H. Kaufman is the officer called in to solve the case along with her partner.
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