I absolutely love C.L. Taylor's books, I've read all her thrillers and was so happy when I was approved to read Strangers.

This story was a bit of a slow burner for me. It 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.

Each of their lives are unraveling, and while the reader learns fairly early on how they are all connected, I was curious to see how they would all come together, and who was behind it all. I really liked Ursula and Gareth, but found Alice so irritating, particularly the way she was with Simon. I felt like her storyline took over a bit, and I wish there could have been a bit more to Gareth's storyline.

There is a kind of subplot about a possible killer in Bristol which is told primarily through tweets. I found myself getting a little confused with this and couldn't work out how it all fitted in.

There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the story, and as usual, C.L. Taylor manages to tie everything together nicely at the end. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't read all her other stories, which set the bar very high! The final twist in the story was great, and I absolutely didn't see it coming.

What an absolute Corker of a book, it was phenomenal.
I read this in 2 days (unfortunately life got in the way) but I couldn't put it down, I just had to know what happened next and everytime I've had a spare minute I've squeezed in a couple more pages.
I'm up for the school run in the morning, but I've stayed up til 130am to find out how it ended.
I found it a complete roller coaster, have been on the edge of my seat, and the way the story built up in the beginning it was so sinister and creepy and had me holding my breath and shutting my eyes.
This was my first C.L. Taylor book after I'd seen some posts on social media but it definitely won't be my last

Thanks for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Another solid read from this author. Devoured this in no time. The plot was great all the way through. Loved the ending. Will be keeping my eyes open for more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book so much. It has a really great plot, superb main characters and I read it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book.

Another gripping and complex tale from Cally Taylor. This must have taken some plotting and planning! It all comes together so well and grips you by the throat as the more you read the more pressure you can feel around your neck. Now THAT is a good thriller.

The fact it's all set in a (fictional) shopping center is good as it's familiar territory to us all and the three people whose stories come together could be people we all know. Alice is manager of a clothes store and she goes on a date from hell from which a man named Simon rescues her. Ursula meanwhile works as a delivery driver but also shoplifts. Then there's Gareth, a security guard who also cares for his mother who is suffering from dementia.

A twisty read which makes you want to turn the pages to see what on earth is going to happen and how on earth these threads are going to fit together!

I'm a big fan of C L Taylor so was delighted to get an early copy of this through Netgalley. Three strangers all have some kind of problem- Ursula has recently been made homeless, Alice is being stalked and Gareth is getting unusual postcards. They don't know each other but become connected through what is happening. I found that I preferred the Ursula/Alice chapters and found myself racing through Gareth's to get to them. As is always the case with Taylor's novels this is clever writing with excellent twists and makes for a gripping read!

This was a really great premise . The 'strangers ' of the title are exactly that , neither of the three know each other and are not involved in each others lives . Alice a single mother , Gareth a security guard and Ursula a loner with a secret . It was brilliant how all their stories were woven together to bring everything to a conclusion . I started the book not keen on any of the characters at all , Alice was drippy , Ursula , socially awkward with a shop lifting habit and Gareth still living at home with his mum . It was clever , though , the more I read and as their stories unfurled how I warmed to them all . Clever storytelling with great characterization .

Another fantastic read from C L Taylor. She is an absolutely incredible writer that really knows how to suck the audience in and to keep their attention throughout.

My favourite yet from this author. Brilliant characters and an intelligently twisted story. 

I love books like this that have ever unravelling threads of story - where connections are tentative and unexpected - then there's a coming together of everything you've discovered into one huge finale. Cally Taylor manages the layers perfectly and gives us a group of characters you engage with, both focused and peripheral, positively and negatively. I was invested in their outcomes immediately and read this fast, utterly riveting from first page to last. 

Beautifully done, you'll devour this and sit on the edge of your seat for those final scenes, there is a depth of character here that engages thoroughly and you won't be quite sure where it's going until you get there.

Loved it. More like this please.

Highly recommended.

A gripping story with lots of threads and layers....I didn’t know where it was going to go and the twists and turns you certainly cannot predict. A thoroughly enjoyable story!!!

I’ve always loved a good Cally Taylor thriller and Strangers is no exception.

It follows the lives of Ursula, Gareth and Alice. They’re total strangers, yet throughout the course of the book their paths begin to cross. This book is full of their secrets and they realise they need to rely on each other to survive m. It’s gripping, thrilling and will keep you on edge to the end. I couldn’t put it down!

A brilliant read for 2020 and definitely worthy of five stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for the chance to review.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Strangers by CL Taylor. This novel starts with an apparent murder with several people reflecting over a "dead body" - the plot then takes the reader back into the lives of three main characters and the journey begins.
The plot will keep you reading, although on some parts I was wondering how this would play out, but in the end the story lines converge. Some parts are fast paced, and other parts had me scratching my head. But again, the plot falls into place with a good ending. This is well written and I really liked the realism and characters.
I am going to give this 3.5 stars and recommend.

As always, another great book from C. L. Taylor. Gripping from the outset, this novel had me desperate to know what was on the next page. There are plenty of twists, turns and a well thought out plot. What’s not to love.

Love, love, loved this book. Couldn’t put it down. Pacing was great, tension just right and the three stories interesting enough to keep you hooked. No, I didn’t work out beforehand how they all interlinked and loved the way it all came together. Highly recommended.

An unusual story,lots of twists,especially at the ena,and a varied cast of interesting characters. Took a while for it to all come together.

Thanks @netgalley for allowing me to read this, ahead of publication for an honest review.
I struggled with this book and had to put it down and come back to it several times - the main reason for this was that I didn't really like any of the main characters. The story is told through different points of view which also made it difficult to follow.
The story follows three strangers, with very different lives and problems, whose lives become connected
I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them more than this one..
I did read it all and the second half is better than the first and I am glad I finished it as the ending is different to what I was expecting.

Another excellent read by author CL Taylor.
Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice 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.

CL Taylor is so successful at writing books that grip you and have you racing through the pages. This one is no different, 3 characters that appear to be unrelated yet you just know that somewhere along the way their worlds are going to collide. Told through the different view points of each character we learn of their troubles.
Another riveting read by this author, highly recommended.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Avon Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Strangers’. The storyline felt unique and engaging from the get-go. The pace was gratifyingly swift and the characters interesting, original and for the most part likeable.

The central character is forty-something, single mum, Alice. She appears to have recently got back into the dating scene. This leads her into the dark world of cyber stalking and ultimately crossing paths with other characters (who are all introduced through their own unique storylines) - they include security guard Gareth and mysterious ex- teacher / shoplifter / flatmate from hell - the deeply troubled, Ursula.

For some reason the later chapters lost my attention slightly but it didn’t take much perseverance to continue and the ending definitely made it worthwhile!

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this for fans for quick paced British psychological fiction!

My thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for an honest and timely review in exchange for an advance copy.

A slow burning tale about Alice, Gareth and Ursula; three strangers whose only connection is the Meads Shopping Centre, but that connection will help save one of their lives. A good book with a clever ending.

I've enjoyed several of C L Taylor's books but I'm sad to say I found this one really underwhelming.

I was curious to learn how Gareth, Alice and Ursula were all connected but I found the resolution really underwhelming and disappointing. I found Alice to be irritating, the way she fell for Simon and the amount she text him was very over the top - you wanted to tell her to snap out of it and move on. Ursula's story was more interesting with some surprising discoveries. Gareth had real potential but the plot with his mum seemed unnecessary to the broader story line.

Not one of Taylor's best, I'd encourage fans to read The Fear instead.

2.5 stars.