Very clever plotting and a terrific ending!

In Strangers, CL Taylor has miraculously woven 3 distinct and absorbing stories into a terrific finale which demonstrates genius plotting and planning skills.

Each of the characters find themselves in their challenging circumstances and dealing with different problems - some of them self-inflicted. Ursula is a one-of-a-kind character barely hanging onto her job as a courier and trying to keep her own addiction in check. In parallel, Lynne is running a business and has a complicated relationship with her daughter - each supporting the other (with lots of wine); Gareth works in a toxic environment as CCTV security officer and juggles his mother’s dementia but does get some help from his next door neighbour.

In the end, their circumstances conspire to produce a fantastic climax; with the last chapter as a perfect little bonus - the icing on the cake!

This story starts with one of the main characters Standing over a body. It then flashes back to introduce us to Alice, Gareth and Ursula, the 3 main characters. These 3 have never met before but a twist of fate throws them together.
Told from all 3 points of view we get to know more about each character and what leads them to the situation they found themselves in at the start of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and how well the 3 stories came together and reached the conclusion

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review early

Strangers is the first book I’ve read by C.L. Taylor, and I’m already looking into getting some of her backstock. This novel was so well crafted with more than three storylines interweaving and then coming to an ending that answers all the questions in regards to the craziness that is going on with three people whose lives barely touch each other. It makes me want to be very nice to everyone I meet, since one never knows when you might need their help.

Strangers is a super fast read filled with lots of secrets, plot twists and POV switches. The short chapters and changing POV really kept me turning the page. Towards the end when Ursula goes to her roommate’s open door and then the chapter changes to another character, I groaned out loud because I was so tense waiting to see what was in his room! And at one point I was absolutely certain as to what was in the basement, but then I laughed out loud when it was finally revealed. The way Taylor wrote the scenes with the loud music and noises coming from the basement is masterful. And for a second, I was like, but what about the murders? And then Taylor gives us a final ending that made me smirk, and it was the perfect ending.

Alice, Ursula and Gareth are strangers. They are all connected through a shopping mall where Ursula and Gareth work and Ursula likes to stroll through. They met but they don’t know each other.

Gareth works as a security guard. At home he cares for his mother who is falling into dementia. She is getting strange postcards from her long lost husband and Gareth does not know what to make about them.

Alice is divorced and lives with her grown up daughter. She is looking for a new man in her life. But her first date ends in a disaster.

Ursula is after a personal tragedy barely able to manage her life. Her housemate kicks her out because Ursula eases her tensions by stealing stuff.

Slowly we learn how these people are connected. There is a lot going on in everyone’s life. The story is complex and neatly woven by the author. The characters are all very unique and well done. I could connect to Ursula and Gareth while Alice was a bit annoying. She is very needy and self-centered. But all of them are very realistic characters. The pace is a bit slow but the short chapters keep you reading. I enjoyed it.

This one was mixed for me. I thought it was slow in places but enjoyed the different characters and how their lives were intertwined. Overall, a clever and enjoyable book.

WOW what an opener, Alice is standing over a body, at this point we don’t know who the victim is. I knew from the first paragraph this was going to be a late night for me.

The main characters are Ursula, Alice and Gareth. Ursula has to move out of her shared apartment as her flat mates discover she has been stealing from them, she moves in with a very strange man who has peculiar rules.

Gareth is a security guard at the place where Alice works in a boutique and is Ursula’s favourite place to shoplift from. They couldn’t be more different but are linked by the shopping mall.

I loved this book, three separate people getting on with their lives unaware they are all going to meet in a dramatic way. I loved how the tension slowly builds up and I really didn’t know how this amazing book would end!!

A must read, be sure to clear you’re diary as you won’t want to put this book down.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

I think it's safe to say that I now have a new favorite C.L. Taylor title. What a read! I'm glad I cleared my schedule before diving into this story, because there was just no way on earth I was going to stop reading before I knew how it would all end. What an absolutely masterful and simply brilliantly constructed psychological thriller!

I'm going to keep this review on the short side to avoid spoilers, but I absolutely loved the sheer complexity of this story. In Strangers, you get not one, not two, but THREE storylines for the price of one. Yes, you read that right, three completely different storylines with three different POVs and characters to follow... And you will only understand how the three will fit together in the story until after the final plot twist bombs. Each different storyline is developed thoroughly and realistically, giving us insight in the lives of Alice, Ursula and Gareth as well as truly making them come alive. Each character has their own set of issues, secrets and background, turning Strangers into a thoroughly complex, rich and utterly satisfying psychological thriller.

There are a lot of elements in play in Strangers, including infidelity, stalking, kleptomania, Alzheimer, abuse, violence and bullying. That seems like a lot to juggle, but each element is incorporated into the plot in such way that helps enrich the plot without feeling chaotic. They give the different characters extra dept and without doubt take the character development as well as the plot to the next level... The characters themselves might not be 100% likeable if you look critically, but you will find it quite easy to fully immerse yourself in their stories and root for them along the way. And as each character has their own issues, you will find your mind in overdrive as you try and juggle all those storylines and suspicions about motive and who could be behind it.

The writing is 200% engaging and combined with a fast pace and a fantastically constructed plot you will find yourself reaching that final page in no time at all. Especially as the suspense is starting to build up and things are getting more intense... Plot twists, secrets and POV switches are used to both keep you on your toes and send you off the wrong track, and I don't think it will be easy to guess the full truth about how the three storylines come together before you actually read about it happening. What a way to end a story! If you are a psychological thriller fan, you definitely need to add Strangers to your must-read list.

Loved it, loved it. The characters were so well drawn and each of their stories were a mixture of pathos and at times humour. The storyline bubbled along at a fast pace drawing the reader in further and further. A very satisfying read by one f my favourite authors.

#Strangers #NetGalley
Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an ARC.
This novel is so good and twisty, this novel is talking about 3 strangers they don't know each other but there is one thing that connected them and you will deiscover it if you read the novel.
The first part of this novel is slow and you may feel bore but the last chapters are amazing , i felt that my heart will stop from fear and Epinephrine is so high that i am sweating from my head to my toes.
I loved Alice character the most of them, i don't know why but i felt that the chapters about her are interesting and excited.
I loved that Alice and Ursula are friends and how Alice sympathized and kept her at her home.
This novel is the first to me by C.L.Taylor but will not be the last because i enjoyed her way of writing.

This is the second book I've read of C.L. Taylor and I was intrigued to see whether I'd enjoy it as much as the other I've read. Unfortunately, Strangers was a real slow burner for me and I found it really hard to stick with it if I'm honest. There are three main characters in this story and each tells their stories in alternating chapters. I liked this style of writing but I felt as though there was a lot to digest and remember for the final conclusion.

The way in which their lives connect with one another happens early on in the story but its conclusion is well constructed and definitely comes out of nowhere. It wasn't my favourite C.L.Taylor book but I could see others enjoying it more than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this advanced reader's copy. I found this book a tad confusing at the start but as I've loved this author's previous books I stuck with it and I'm glad that I did. I loved the way the stories skilfully weaved together and enjoyed it immensely.

Three strangers have never met before and they are all dealing with their own issues in life.
Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth and his mum have been receiving strange postcards.
Alice is being stalked.
None of these people are used to relying on others, but when their lives unexpectedly collide, they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

This was an interesting plot which interweaves the three strangers lives together. I liked the characters and the way they dealt with the issues in their lives. We learn a lot about each strangers and their backstories before they all meet in a thrilling ending. A fast read which I really enjoyed.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher AVON Books UK for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

With a fascinating array of characters whose lives become intertwined as the plot progresses, this book does not disappoint. It is fast paced and flits between each of the main players, giving an insight into their- initially -ordinary lives. And then things begin to become complicated! With a back story of missing persons, in conjunction with a man who professes himself to be psychic, a person suffering from dementia, a victim of abuse and one of bullying cleverly integrated, it leads us on a merry dance peppered with red herrings galore! The final denouement is well executed and one I did not see coming! I highly recommend this novel and would like to thank Avon Books UK and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

I just couldn't connect to any of the characters. The plot took a long time to connect but I did like the end.

A great plot, immensely readable and thoroughly engaging.
The characters and events are seemingly unconnected
There is Ursula who has hit hard times, she was a teacher but can now having lost her job, barely make ends meet. She works as a delivery driver and her sideline is shop lifting.
Alice is divorced and works in a local boutique, she is has just started dating and has met a mysterious new man who helped her during a drinker assault.
Gareth is a security guard who cares for his mother who appears to be getting post cards from his father who disappeared years ago.
Everything eventually comes together and makes perfect sense.
I raced through this and recommend you give it a go.

As someone who usually rates this author's work as first class I found this book disappointing. I didn't think the story flowed very well. It was as if you were reading three different stories which are then quickly linked together at the end. Not one of her best pieces of work..

Strangers is an interesting read about three different characters who will eventually meet under mysterious circumstances. I wasn’t a big fan of the revelation regarding the motive behind what’s happening to our characters throughout the story; I felt completely underwhelmed, but I did like the little surprise at the end, it was absolutely unpredictable, even though it felt a bit disjointed from the rest of the book. However, I am definitely interested to check out the author’s previous work.

This novel has a clever plot weaving together the separate lives of three strangers until they collide in one shocking event. The book opens with the three people looking down at a body in a fashion store in a Bristol shopping mall. Alice is the manager of the store, divorced and recently started dating again. Ursula is single and struggling mentally and physically after the traumatic death of her boyfriend. Gareth is a security guard at the mall, who lives with his elderly mother who has dementia. The mall is the only thing these strangers have in common, although their paths have crossed before but they little about each other prior to the death in the store.

Each of the three characters' stories are interesting and each was well developed as they faced and dealt with difficult situations. All three are lonely and have problems to deal with in their work or personal lives. The plot moved along at a good pace and the alternating story lines made for an addictive read. Even though the reader knows a lot about Alice, Ursula and Gareth before they are all brought together in the store, the events leading up to that were unexpected and made for a thrilling climax.

As usual an enjoyable book by this author. A little different and a bit confusing at first but soon became a can't put down book. Loved the characters,

I enjoyed the characters, plot twists, and the mystery behind it all. The only concern I had was the lull about half way through the book - it seemed to slow down for quite awhile before picking up again near the end