Read this book so quickly, I couldn’t help myself!

The way the story is told from three sides makes it stand out but it’s still reads well and keeps you hooked.

I like books set in the UK, I find it more relatable and this is no different.

Loved this one! I couldn't begin to guess how the all the stories would weave together and how the stranger's lives with intersect, so it was a great twist when they did. Plus the end had a great surprise!

C L Taylor has become a firm favourite with me. I see her latest book when it comes out, and I want it! After a string of books that were...okay...what a relief it was to dive into her latest, 'Strangers.'
Ursula, Gareth and Alice are virtual strangers to each other, connected only by the shopping centre which is a daily part of each individual's life. Alice is a shop manager; Gareth is a centre security officer; and Ursula is a shoplifter.
All three are emotionally vulnerable; yet when danger strikes, all three will come together to fight for each other, and for their lives.
C L Taylor writes psychological thrillers as do many other authors, but what makes her books stand out from others are two things. Firstly, Taylor has a particular talent for imbuing the entirety of her book with tension; her writing is unsettling, the atmosphere uncomfortable. Secondly, her climatic action scenes, often so chaotic and difficult to follow in other books, are clearly mapped out so the reader doesn't feel like they are ploughing through a fog of action with no clear idea of what is happening.
I give this book 4 stars; it's tense, atmospheric, invested in its characters and wholly readable.

Overall I think this is a solid 3/5 for me. The first 70% of the book was but too slow burn for me and it felt tedious to read. Having said that the last portion of the novel was really good, I’m glad I stuck it out. It was worth it,

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

#Strangers #NetGalley Another stonker of a book by C L Taylor!! The story of three different characters all going through their own personal traumas/problems neatly brought together at the end. I could not put this book down!! I'm normally not a fan of books that switch chapters between characters but it worked well in this case and I was soon engrossed in each 'next' chapter to find out what was happening to each character. Be warned - A definite read in one sitting book!! A well deserved 5 stars!

I have read a few books by C.L. Taylor and thoroughly enjoyed them and was delighted to have been gifted an e-arc of her latest book for review.

Alice, a divorced mum of a grown up daughter, who is dipping a toe back into the dating game;
Ursula, a parcel courier and a kleptomaniac; and
Gareth, 20 years a security guard and also trying to care for his mother who has onset dementia.

Three strangers. Three separate narratives. Three lives on a collision course.

This book was fairly unputdownable for me for the first 60% or so. Reading about the three main characters, I was intrigued by each of them. At the beginning of the book they are standing over a dead body. We don't know who it is, or what happened and we go back to a week or two earlier to find out the situation.

A very good, suspenseful and easy read, I flew through it. The ending lost me somewhere along the way however as I felt it was pretty drawn out but otherwise a very enjoyable book.

Opening paragraph: "Alice Fletcher has never seen a dead body before. She always imagined they'd look peaceful: their skin slackened, their muscles softened and their mouths settled, not into a smile exactly, but a loose, contented line. Alice Fletcher was wrong."

That same evening, residents are speculating on twitter about the massive police presence in the center of Bristol. Could it be the "Harborside Murderer" at work again? Or is that just an Urban Legend?

The story regresses to one week earlier....

Alice is just the manager of Mirage Fashions, in the Meads Shopping Centre, trying her hand at online dating" for the first time, at the urging of her daughter, Emily, with disturbing results.

Ursula, is a six foot three inch, kleptomaniac and shoplifter, banned from the store. The problem started when she thought she killed Nathan, who was "the love of her life."

Gareth, is the 47 year old security guard at the Meads Shopping Centre, who lives with his aging mother, Joan, who is suffering from dementia, and has been receiving postcards she thinks are from her long missing husband.

Chapters will alternate between the three POV's of these flawed, yet sympathetic characters until you return to the "opening scene" and the DEAD body.

I would categorize the story as LIGHT SUSPENSE, not a THRILLER, focused on the likable characters and their struggles, as the three narratives eventually intertwine.

Nothing dark or complex here, but entertaining nonetheless!

I LOVED the final chapter (55)- (don't peek!) It is the ONLY chapter told from the POV of one of the "supporting role" characters.....


I have been wanting to read something by C. L. Taylor for awhile now! Although she is not as well known in the U.S., she is a Sunday Times bestselling author with over a million copies of her books sold in the UK alone.

I am glad I was given a chance to discover her work through a digital ARC from NetGalley, Avon books UK and the author, in exchange for a candid review! Available in the US on April 2, 2020.

Quite an interesting and addictive story.
I enjoyed it and read it in one sitting. I liked the idea of three strangers that never before have seen or had anything in common but, when it comes to helping each other in a difficult situation they don’t hesitate.
Different points of view, different life stories that slowly are unveiled, everything adds up to a great read.


Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy.

Another belter of a book from C.L.Taylor! I have loved her books from reading 'The Accident' and then wanting to read everything she writes, the Strangers did not disappoint!

The book is written from the perspective of three separate characters, characters that make some dreadful mistakes but overall are dealing with the rubbish that life can throw at us. All of their stories lead into one path that they all begin to cross and they are thrown into the worst possible situation, together! At points I had absolutely no idea what was going on or where the story was going, but I really think this was deliberate by the author.

The characters were completely believable and relatable - they felt like real people dealing with the journey of life.

I would definitely recommend this book! A 5 star read!

I really enjoyed this book.

There is 3 main characters, Alice - a woman trying to get on with her life after divorce, Gareth - a man who looks after his mum but wants more from his life and then Ursula- a woman trying to get over losing someone close to her.

At the beginning of the book I thought I’d connect more with Alice but to my surprise it was Ursula who I found myself growing to like the most. I won’t go to much into it because I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone.

All 3 characters are strangers but end up becoming involved in each other’s lives.

Ursula is a parcel delivery driver and a kleptomaniac.
Gareth is a security guard who looks after his elderly mother.
Alice is a store manager who is looking for love.
Three strangers who’s lives are about to collide.
The story is told by the main characters in alternative chapters and this certainly added to the suspense.
I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This didn't feel like a typical CL Taylor book to me. It had a different feel, but I absolutely loved it. I loved the different characters and the crossover between some. It kept me guessing, wasn't predictable and the writing was so good that I can still see the imagery it created in my head, weeks after reading. 5* for sure, loved it!

I have previously read two other books by C.L.Taylor (Sleep and The Fear), both of which I really enjoyed, but this is my favourite so far!! I was hooked from the start, and thought the story worked really well being told mainly from the perspective of three different characters; who end up together for a thrilling (and quite dramatic!) climax. There’s always one last twist to stories like this, and that is not missing from this book. A fantastic read - both for old fans of C.L.Taylor and those perhaps looking for a new or different author!

A cast of unique characters seemingly unconnected. But as the story progresses, their lives become increasingly entwined. This book was such a delightful surprise to read.

The story is told from the point of view of the different characters. The characters were so unique, and so flawed. The story moved fluidly back and forth between characters and between the past and present.

This book has crime, romance, deceit, and some mystery.

I was on the edge of my seat until the end of the book. I wanted to know how each character resolved their problems.

From the first page to the last, Taylor delivers palpable tension in this psychological thrill ride. The storyline is told from the multiple perspectives of individuals whose lives become mysteriously intertwined. The plot is mostly character driven with a brilliant, yet wonderfully chaotic cast. Taylor layers on the intrigue chapter after chapter and delivers an ending worth remembering. Fantastic read!

Thank you to #NetGalley and @AvonBooks for the ARC of #Strangers which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

WOW WOW WOW!!!
Without a doubt this is going to be a top crime/thriller if 2020! This book has me pointing fingers at a new suspect every time I turned the page. Not only did it keep me guessing till the very end but just when I thought OK, books over, I know it all, it hits you with a final punch that literally left my jaw on the floor. Its hard to find a crime/thriller writer better than C.L. Taylor. Let me tell you though, Strangers is her best yet!

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love C.L. Taylors writing and this book was no exception. The story immediately sucked me in and held my attention the entire way through. The twists were so well done and I really loved the ending. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves thrillers.

This is the fourth book I read from this author and although it’s not as gripping as “The Fear” and “Sleep”, it was suspenseful enough to keep me interested and curious to know what was going to happen next. Some of the characters are very well developed, but others are flat and not very interesting. Overall I liked the book and would recommend it.

Thank You to Net Galley, the author C .L Taylor and the publishers for an ARC Copy.

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before. All leading their own lonely lives.

Ursula feels like she killed the love of her life. Gareth’s looking after his older Mum and been receiving strange postcards. Alice is trying to find love but is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.

C.L Taylor a resident herself of Bristol has given us a unique story, a story behind the faces we see in our everyday life's. Three lonely people, leading pretty boring life's, but things are going to change !!

The story follows the three main characters throughout alternating chapters. Ursula is in mourning, and has a shoplifting habit, Alice is a single mother, working as a shop manager and trying her hand at internet dating, and Gareth is a security guard at a shopping centre who cares for his mother who has dementia.

A story, or I guess three stories that come together in a clever and shocking way, I enjoyed the twists and the pace of the story, even shocked when I read the last 40% of the book in one evening.

Grateful that this author is also a member of my group on goodreads called "A Good Thriller", as she has written a good thriller here.

Four stars

Strangers by C.L. Taylor is a high intensity thriller that readers won't want to put down. Ursula, Gareth and Alice have nothing in common but somehow their lives have become intertwined.

Alice is assaulted after a date and then quickly meets a new suitor, Gareth sees it all go down while he worries about his dad who has been missing for over 20 years and his mom's dementia. Ursula is guilty because she let her beloved boyfriend die and likes to steal - but rarely get caught - from the store Alice manages.

They don't know each other's names, but their lives come together when violence touches them all. Who is stalking Alice's boyfriend? Can Ursula ever stop stealing and what is her very odd flatmate hiding in his basement? Will Gareth find out if his dad is really dead after all these years?

Lots of questions surrounding these three ordinary people. Very good book with lots of twists and turns and subplots that add color and emotion. This book is highly recommended!