I was on board with most of this book. It was exciting and action packed but the ending was way too ridiculous and unsatisfying and I don’t want to spoil it so that’s all I will say. Besides that I think Rain’s husband was a huge jerk even though I don’t think he was supposed to be.

Lisa Unger has once again created an amazing thriller with The Stranger Inside. The story grabbed me from the start and the title caused me to immediately start questioning what it meant. Was the stranger lying in wait or did the stranger reside in the characters head? This is a story of three friends who encounter a stranger and the aftermath of that meeting.
Lara, Hank and Tess are thirteen years old the summer they encounter the monster in the woods. This meeting leaves behind two very traumatized children and their best friend dead. How will this effect the rest of their lives?
The story is told alternating between the two survivors Rain aka Lara, and Hank. The reader is given insight into the impact that one day had on Rain and Hank with flashbacks to the past. Just as I believed I knew what was going on, another piece dropped. There were many unexpected twists and turns.
Things and people were not as they seem.
I was on the edge of my seat as I read this book. I actually felt scared and nervous as I continued to read. There were many unexpected story reveals, and I was always on unsure footing.
I highly recommend this book. Lisa Unger is a master at mystery thrillers. This book once again confirms that. It is a well written story with very interesting characters.
Thank you #Netgalley and #ParkRow for approving my request for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Having been a long time fan of Lisa Unger, The Stranger Inside just did not do it for me. The characters did not grab me in and the plot was a bit too draggy. After the wild ride I've experienced in Unger's other books, I had high hopes that fell short but I will chalk this up to a one off and continue to love her books in the future!

No Spoilers! Rain has always borne a mantel of guilt that she alone survived a bad bad thing when she was 12. The man who abducted and killed her friend Tess was killed after he was released from jail. Her friend Hank escaped but did he? SHe's now a stay at home mom but she hasn't put her journalistic skills and nose for investigation totally aside so when Steve Markham who was acquitted of killing his pregnant wife is murdered, she feels like she has to know what really happened. This takes a bit to get going and it does move back and forth in time but Unger has done an excellent job of raising the stakes when someone appears to be going after Rain. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is a well done thriller - a page turner where you might think you know what's going to happen but.....

I just could not get into this book. Sooo boring. I have read almost all of Unger’s books and loved them! This one was a no go. Maybe next time!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is my second book by Lisa Unger and have to say that I felt pretty similar to both books I've read by her.

This is a nail biting thriller that is dark, mysterious, and a battle between good vs evil. It was a fun chase that left you wondering who, what, where, why. But, what killed it for me? The CONSTANT repetition of the story. My goodness we get it as readers about the feelings and inner thoughts. Yikes.. I was super annoyed by the end and the story was just wayyyyy tooo long.

I was bummed out because I feel like the author could have cut a chunk out and made the ending stronger. I have always been a picky thriller reader but have a feeling that many will gobble this thriller up.

Overall, it was decent but wasn't something I'm going to put on my thriller shock hall of fame bookshelf.

3 stars

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harlequin/Trade Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 9/17/19
Published to GR: 9/8/19

Wow!!!!!!! I read this book in two days & would have finished sooner if I didn't have to sleep. This is a classic Lisa Unger thriller!!!! Mysterious,twisty, and dark. If you love those kinds of books you will love this one just as I do.
Rain Winters is a journalist, wife, mother, and a survivor. She was a victim as a young child of a horrendous monster who took her childhood from her and two of her best friends. Now as a stay at home mom she is pulled back into that past she has tried so hard to escape when a person starts killing off criminals in The same way their victims were killed. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for my honest review.

I was expecting this to be a bit more like Gone Girl then it ended up being. It started off with you just as clueless as Rain as to what was going on, but it was quickly revealed who was stalking her and who the killer was. Now this doesn’t mean that I didn’t like the book, I did, quite a bit actually. It just wasn’t exactly like I thought it was going to be. It was quite a riveting book, that was hard to put down, the characters were strong, although not very likable at times, and there were a few twists that were not totally expected.

The narrative switches between Rain and Hank. Both were very complex characters with that shared history of what happened to them as kids. I can’t say that I liked them exactly, but they were certainly interesting to spend some time with. They were both very emotionally scarred from that experience and it shows, even when they are pretending to be normal people. Hank’s character was perhaps a bit more interesting than Rain’s and his storyline was very well done. I don’t want to give too much away, but how he dealt with the trauma and the PTSD, was what made this book so interesting.

Rain’s need to be the perfect mother was interesting to see. Her struggles and guilt in trying to juggle her daughter and husband and a drive to investigate this story was very well done. I remember having very similar feelings when my son was young. Although Rain was not abducted like Hank and their friend was, she was no less traumatized by the experience of seeing what happened and being injured by the guy who did it. How she dealt with it and the PTSD was quite different from Hanks, she sort of walled it off and tried to forget the emotions.

I can’t really talk about the plot without spoiling it, but I will say that it is pretty well written even though it is a tad predictable. This is very much a story about the characters and how they managed what happened to them. I must say that there were a couple of twists that I was expecting until they almost happened. There was also a side story that was very well done and was intertwined with the whole plot, and that was very done. I almost enjoyed that more than Rain and Hank’s main story.

This was a very interesting psychological thriller that really looked at how trauma affects people. Very well written and certainly hard to put down. I will certainly be looking to read other books by this author.

Mystery/Thriller is one of my very favorite genres and I chose this book because of that - plus the author is Lisa Unger and the last three books I read by her were really good. Narrated by Rain and Hank, victims of a childhood horror. The book goes back and forth between the present and the past as they remember the events of that horrible day and keep struggling to function as normal people.

There are several themes explored here such as what is legal and what is right, good vs. evil, revenge and forgiveness. Gives you a lot to think about.

This was good and I like Unger's writing style. I did think sometimes that it was a bit slow and repetitious in places though. Not my favorite Unger book but I would still recommend it as a solid mystery.

Thanks to Lisa Unger and HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

I loved this book from the very first chapter! Journalist Rain Winter is trying to be a fulltime mother to her darling daughter Lily, keeping the home warm and welcoming for her husband Greg, who proves to have the patience of Job. Rain can’t ignore her calling to return to investigative journalism when multiple murders have eerie similarities, some that revive memories of a very traumatic crime that happened to 12-year old Rain and her two best friends Hank and Tess.
Rain begins communicating with Hank, who has his own demons to bear as a result of the childhood trauma. He has become a successful child psychiatrist working with trauma victims. Some of my most favorite parts of the book are his explanations of why people do what they do under certain circumstances. Lisa Unger really did her psychology homework before penning this nerve-wracking read. It turns out that Hank and Rain have more history in common besides the childhood trauma but I won’t go there; I don’t want to spoil any of the twists and turns, you figure it out.
This is one of those twisty plots that could actually happen. So many recent plots have been a bit difficult to imagine, but this one hits the ground running and stays believable to the last page. The characters, large and small, are colorful and described vividly. One of my personal favorites is Greta, a bird-watching fanatic with a beautiful eye for nature and life in general. Although her role in the book isn’t a major one, she adds so much to the healthy perspective and closure needed by the main characters. If you love thrillers, this is a must-read. Don’t start it if you can’t read for a while. You’ll be angry every time you have to put the book down to return to your real life.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks so much to Harlequin / Park Row Publishing and NetGalley for making it available.)

Another good twist story by Lisa Unger. It took me about 40 pages to get hooked by this story as it was somewhat all over the place with the characters and their pasts. I thought I had figured out who the revenge killer was but I was totally wrong.

I'm just going to put this out there that I absolutely LOVE Lisa Unger and her books almost always keep me enthralled. The Stranger Inside I think captures all the hallmark characteristics that Unger is known for... sweeping plotlines, intriguing characters, suspense, horror, fast-paced story, action-packed scenes, and a little bit of paranormal. I read most of this in one day -- it's a new release that is not to be missed. Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

I really liked the contrast between the two perspectives in The Stranger Inside. It set a precarious tone for the story, and kept me on the edge the whole time. One of the main characters, Rain, was so easy to relate to. She was a new mom who was torn between her professional life and the desire to be a good mother. It’s a balance that few are able to negotiate well. Some scenes with Rain grew tiresome, kind of like looking at photos of someone else’s baby. One or two photos are enough; more than that and you start looking for excuses to get away. Unger repeatedly described baby Lily as some version of happy. Nearly every mention of Lily had the phrase “happy” or “happily” in it.

Other than that, I really don’t want to give anything away here. It’s a great suspenseful novel that features some of Unger’s best writing.

great book, i am very glad i got an advance review copy and was able to read this psychological thriller. Two main characters, bound by childhood trauma, do they ever get to leave it behind, explores questions of guilt, responsibility, how to recover your humanity and how to live after the horror ends. Both main characters, became very relatable as the story continues and the under depths of other characters were revealed as well. no spoilers but read this book

This was a great story with plenty of plot twist to keep the reader engaged. Three young friends experience a life altering event and it ends so differently for each of them. But the best twist is that the one who seems to come out it the best, was really the one who struggled the most. Rain's story of resilience takes a remarkable turn at the end when we learn what really happened to their tormentor. My favorite parts were the ones written from Hank's point of view. The writing was very intriguing. I will recommend this title to others.

Lisa Unger strikes again! Fantastic plot, intriguing characters and I am left with all types of positive emotions and thoughts.

When a man is found dead in his home, the police and journalists are left with many questions while the court of public opinion feels justice has finally been served. More interesting still is that there might be similar crimes. Is it possible a vigilante is out there healing the wounds juries could not.

Oh, I liked this one as it introduced me to all kinds of people and situations that made me glad I was reading this on a beautiful summer day. Rain was certainly one of Lisa Unger's most fascinating protagonists.

Goodreads review published 25/08/19
Publication Date 17/09/19

Thanks to Netgalley and HARLEQUIN-Trade Publishing for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

When the book opens, we witness the near abduction of Rain Winter. When she walked onto a wooded path with her best friend Tess, there was a strange man sitting there. And her alarm bells went off. But Tess insisted it was fine. It wasn’t.
Fast forward maybe 25-30 years and Rain has actually managed to rise above her tragedy. She worked as a successful radio producer and is giving the stay-at-home mom gig a try. So when a man who was found not-guilty of murdering his wife and unborn baby (think Scott Peterson if he hadn’t gone to jail), is found murdered in his house, she is immediately intrigued.
And her quaint little life is turned upside down. And things that seemed left in the past might not be.
This book was good. Like cancel your Saturday night plans, pour a big glass of red wine and dig in type of good. I really don’t want to say much and risk spoilers. But Unger has written a meaty, satisfying psychological thriller that you’ll be thinking about long after you finish reading it.
I’m not the only one who loved it. It was chosen as a 2019 Buzz Book by Publisher’s Marketplace, a Most Anticipated Thriller by SheReads, and she was blurbed by two of my most favorite authors, Chris Bohjalian and Riley Sager. This one is for fans of crime fiction, psychological thrillers, and yes, even for fans of series crime fiction. Try her out, you won’t be disappointed!
Special thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Park Row for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one releases September 17.

Very suspenseful, lots of thought-provoking moments. Even though the mystery wasn't a huge surprise, it was worked in well and almost became secondary to subjects of abuse, trauma, and justice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishers for the ARC to read and review.

Rain Winter escaped being kidnapped when she was 12, but her two friends did not. One died and the other never recovered. Rain is happy now, she has a loving husband, a beautiful baby, living the suburban life. She used to be a reporter, however, and when a brutal murder takes place, her reporter's instincts begin to take her into dark and dangerous memories. Endangering her child and herself, Rain decides to remember exactly what happened all those years ago. Unger writes some of the best psychological thrillers; this one will get you reading long into the night.

Lara and her two best friends, Tess and Hank, were taken by an evil stranger when they were 12. Lara got away and hid in a tree stump, Tess and Hank were not as lucky. Hank was held prisoner before he escaped and Tess never made it home. Now Lara goes by Rain and she is married with a daughter. She is an investigative reporter. Murders have been happening to killers that escape justice. Rain is drawn back in to tell her story. Hank is now a psychiatrist helping children of trauma. As the detectives try and figure out who is murdering the criminals, they revisit Rain and Hank's case. This is a great story of revenge and evil vs. good. It had so many twists and turns it kept me reading way past my bedtime! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.