This is tipped to be one of the most popular releases of the year, and it’s easy to see why. The protagonist, so-called strange Sally Diamond is different to other people. Not very sociable, emotionally detached and reclusive, she takes everything very literally, so when her elderly father says “when I die, just put me out with the rubbish”, when he passes away she does exactly that and thinks no more of it.
When Sally’s actions are discovered, it understandably causes an uproar, but the chaos comes not only from her literal way of following her father’s instructions but sets off a spiral of investigations that unravel everything Sally thought she knew about herself and her family.
Sally’s life as she knows it turns upside down, as the media and police attention uncovers secrets from her past that even she didn’t know about.

I absolutely loved this book and raced through it in just a couple of days, desperate to uncover the secrets and get to the bottom of the mysteries that kept popping up! With twists at every turn, this is a thrilling read that will have you hooked, but it’s also full of warmth and depth of character, as we get to know Sally and learn more about her unusual circumstances, you can’t help but love her.

Skilfully written, the secrets kept over generations gradually come tumbling out. Sally as a character is especially readable, and I was reminded quite a bit of Molly from The Maid, another very strong female neurodiverse voice with a certain vulnerability and an unusual family background.

The book is coming out in early March so I was thrilled to get hold of an advance copy from Netgalley!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Wow this is an incredible read. It is also a very difficult read that tackles very dark and sensitive subjects so I urge caution before starting. But if you do read this you are in for a treat. I was completely addicted to this book and read it in nearly one sitting whilst also not wanting it to end. Sally is a truly endearing character with an incredible story. I really felt for her and wanted her to do well throughout the book. Along the way, Nugent introduces us to a range of characters, some with good intentions and some with bad. All of them bring something to this darkly comic, quirky read and they all enhance the book in some way. This book is a tough read but there are also moments of dark humour and I found myself grinning on more than one occasion. I was also completely immersed and interested where Nugent was going to take the plot next.
I am going early but 'Strange Sally Diamond' is going to be one of my reads of 2023.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for an advance copy.

I seen someone describe this as Room meets Misery and they definitely hit the nail on the head.

Meet Sally she's done nothing wrong only put her dead father out with the bins but sure that's what he told her to do when he died wasn't it?

Liz Nugent has an amazing ability to write the most horrible characters, however Sally is far from her usual norm. You can't help worrying for her, having empathy for her and pitying her, all while rooting for her. Some of her socially awkward and blunt moments will have you laughing out loud.

I have absolutely devoured all of Liz Nugent's previous books. She is one of my auto buy authors and I have to say I'll be sad I've read this already when release day comes.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin, Viking and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Strange Sally Diamond is available to preorder now and will be released on 2/3/2023

An easy 5⭐️ rated read
A harrowing read that literally kept me awake all night! I definitely wasn’t expecting this story to unfold in that way when I first requested the book. If you are looking for a story with sunshine, rainbows and happy endings, this is not the one 📚

After Sally‘s father dies, she makes headline news because of her “home burial”. What unfolds next is the harrowing, disturbing and heartbreaking story of her birth and circumstances around how/why she is the person she is today.

The story looks at the events that took place from a variety of angles and we get to witness the actions and consequences of other peoples’ decisions and the long lasting and life changing damage it causes their families and loved ones. I don’t feel that I can provide more details without ruining the story.

I have read a variety of books that cover a range of storylines but I haven’t been this affected by one in a long while. After finishing the book in the early hours of this morning, I find I’m still thinking about the characters in the book, in particular Peter. I also find myself reflecting on the victims surviving devastating similar true life events that take place today.

I know this reads like a cryptic puzzle however, I feel that you should read the book yourself and not have me spoil the experience for you. I am now off to read a light hearted story full of sunshine and rainbows to take my mind off the trauma of this compulsive, but dark read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Sandycove for early access to this thought provoking read.

My first read from Liz Nugent, and definitely not the last. This was absolutely fantastic and raced to the end. I will definitely be recommending this book and I will be reading all of Liz Nugent books now.

When Sally Diamond’s dad said “when I’m gone just leave me out with the bins, Sally took him literally so when he dies that’s what sally does which then brings then brings the spotlight on her from police and the local community which sally really does not want. Great read which will keep you invested in the book.

What a great novel - a neurodiverse main character who delves into her past and finds her place in the world with humour. Honestly, this makes me laugh, cry and feel frustrated at some of the choices made but, all told, this is an easy book to recommend. Reminds me a little of Eleanor Olyphant so, if you enjoyed that novel, give this one a go.

Sadly this wasn't the book for me. I can appreciate it and there were some dark comedy moments but I just couldn't get on board with the character and plotline. Maybe a case of wrong book at the wrong time?

Strange Sally Diamond is the latest from Irish author Liz Nugent; known for her unlikeable characters and dark thrillers. I think this is her usual style, but on steroids (that’s a good thing).

Sally Diamond’s dad has just died. She’s been minding him in his final days but now that he’s gone she gets his body ready to pop in their trash incinerator out the back of the house. Well her dad did say “when I’m gone just leave me out with the bins, sure”.
Sally *may* have misunderstood the joke at the heart of his words; she has a social deficiency, as she would say herself. Her father’s death and subsequent “removal” puts an unwanted spotlight on Sally and ends up revealing a lot more about her early life than she could ever have imagined.
This could be the start of a new life for Sally, but there’s also the risk that her dark past could destroy her and the community she’s started to build around herself.

This book goes to some really grim places. I’ve seen it described as having shades of both Room and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and I’d definitely agree with those comparisons.

It’s such a well crafted and engaging read; I was absolutely glued to it and raced to the end, desperate to find out what was going to happen.

While there are plenty of those darker moments, there’s also some black humour. Sally is an unusual character to say the least, both loveable and completely exasperating. I was so sad to say goodbye to her when I finished her story, I would have happily read more.

This is a weird, twisted little book and I loved it! I recommend it 100%.

With huge thanks to @netgalley and @penguinukbooks @vikingbooksuk @penguinbooksireland for the opportunity to read this brilliant book! It’s out on the 2nd of March.

#bookstagram #IrishBookstsgram #StrangeSallyDiamond #LizNugent #Books2023 #NewBooks

Strange Sally Diamond has been described as a mix of Room and Eleanor Oliphant and seeing as both of these are stand out books for me, I was very excited to delve into Liz Nugent's latest work. Sally's adoptive father passes away, and as she is quite the literal thinker, she decides to do exactly what he had told her to do and disposes of his body with the rubbish. Needless to say, Sally finds herself in the height of trouble for this, but in her innocence is unable to see what the fuss is all about. She's always been a little bit strange, but now that she's on her own, she has to overcome her issues to learn how to fend for herself. Sally's past is drip fed to her in letters from her father and, with the aid of her local GP, Sally figures out just what happened to her in her past and why she is the way she is.
This book was amazing. I loved Sally's story but I also loved how it was broken up with Peter's narrative - each character had every second chapter. I found both characters fascinating as they, alongside Sally's mother, depicted the many different ways in which someone can be subjected to abuse. The descriptions left little to the imagination but were tasteful enough that you don't ever have to put the book down or look away. Peter's storyline became the far more gripping one for me towards the end however but I feel that it was a natural journey as his life took a bit of an unexpected turn. I thoroughly enjoyed both characters, and I loved Liz's ability to tell such a difficult yet riveting story.

From the very first sentence, I was sucked in by this captivating story. Liz's best yet, it's bound to be a huge hit. Dark and creepy ... normally I hate (in a good way), the main characters in Liz's books, but I've a real soft spot for Sally.

A suprisingly sinister psychological thriller. Despite how it starts with a bang, it also develops in a way that was much more disturbing than I expected. I was a little nervous at the beginning with where they were going with Sally. But I ended up so invented in her and where it was all leading. Compelling, unexpectedly upbeat at times and incredibly grim at others.

There's also a whole other side to the story happening that I don't want to spoil. But it's tumultuous, traumatic, and something that I'm left thinking about.

The warnings are real with this one, please be sure to seek them out in advance of reading.

Liz Nugent is back with a bang. It has been a little while since Liz has released a new book but fans appetites are sure to be more than satisfied with what she is serving up this time.

In the past many people have noted that Liz's protagonists are, to put it mildly, less than likeable. This time, however, the star of the show should be easy to warm to. Sally has always shied away from public life and holed up with her father - but events at the start of the book mean she has to come out of her shell a little, and start to get to know not only those around her a bit better, but also herself.

As is usual for a Liz Nugent novel the opening lines will hook you in right from the off. Liz has weaved a fantastic story that I highly recommend you read - but, and I do say this a lot for this kind of book, try not to find out too much about it before you go in. Just pick it up and get reading.

Sally Diamond is a 40 year old recluse who lives with her widowed adoptive father in Roscommon in Ireland. Her father jokes that when he dies, Sally should "put him out with the rubbish". So she takes him literally and does just that. This action of course makes Sally the centre of attention with the police, the media and the local community, which for Sally, is not ideal.

After her father's death and Sally's sudden media attention, she receives messages from Australia from someone who appears to know her from childhood. Sally has no memories of your childhood before she was adopted. These messages set Sally on a journey of discovery into her childhood that she has no memories of herself. However this journey is far from sunshine and roses. It is tinged with fear, anxiety trepidation and a reluctance to acknowledge the truth about her past.

Liz Nugent has given us a tense, edge of your seat, page turning psychological thriller to get lost in.
Read it. You won't regret it.

A pacy page turner!

Sally Diamond is a loveable oddball with a strange past - and it turns out she didn’t know the half of it. Diamond gains notoriety for a troubling mistake, and with this unwanted attention, she makes discovery about her life, her past and herself.

This was a fun read with a lot of warmth - quite a feat given the nature content covered. I expect Strange Sally Diamond will be a very popular mystery novel this year.

Pick up this book if: you wished that Eleanor Oliphant was completely twisted

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I only finished this because I wanted to see where it was going, but let me spare your the misery.
It’s going nowhere.
The story felt as clinical as reading a newspaper article. It was dark, twisted and pointless. Even the characters you were supposed to sympathise with were portrayed as weak and disgusting.
Both of the main characters are unlikable and irredeemable with no character growth whatsoever. Their narratives are both devoid of any feelings, they just present facts on a timeline.
The ending was awful, nothing was ever truly resolved, information just went in from one ear and went straight out from the other.
And what was even the point? To tell that people never change?
Well thanks for wasting my time then but I refuse to take any book at face value because it has a bunch of "different" people.

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin General UK for the digital ARC

Really enjoyed this - like all previous books by this author. Well written this follows the journey for Sally the main character- when she loses her father and discovers amd deals with her traumatic past ( having blocked it out)

I enjoyed this read. It's dark as per Liz's previous books. Good story, unusual. I flew through this read. The ending bummed me out though...

Liz Nugent is really very good. This book is like Eleanor Oliphant but with guts - and teeth. I loved Sally’s voice and her story arc was satisfying, if not pleasing. I think that’s the point. Nugent shows us human nature in its raw form. My only criticism is that the number of characters, especially the number of middle aged women, had me confused at times. But, frankly, I didn’t mind because the story, writing and main character were so good.

Fantastic book, I finished it in two days (shame about work and sleep, I could not put it down!). Wonderfully crafted plot and amazing characters, highly recommended.

Wow, Liz Nugent never misses. Strange Sally Diamond is a tornado from the get-go - Sally, a reclusive and awkward woman, lives with her dad in rural Roscommon. When her dad dies, she decides the most logical thing to do is to burn his body with their other rubbish, and pretty soon Sally's name is all over the headlines. But Sally has a bleak past that she never knew, and now that past is rearing it's head again...

Sally Diamond is a character who will stay with me for a long time, and it's a testament to the author that such a vivid character exists within such a tightly plotted and twisty novel. Sally has been kept from the world, and as such, her way of thinking and speaking is wildly diffferent to what we expect, which is evident not just from the horrific act of burning her dad's body, but also from the way she processes the world. Making Sally a POV character was a risky choice but it's one Nugent pulls off, seemingly effortlessly, allowing us to emotionally connect with Sally by seeing the world through her eyes.

SSD is a book that it's best to go into completely blind and embrace the absolutely wild reading experience. Liz Nugent is a writer I trust implictly to take me to places I don't expect, and that was 100% the case with this one. But I think my favourite thing about Nugent is that she's more than just an excellent thriller writer - this novel is also about trauma, fear and learning to live in a world that you don't fit into. There are parts that are oddly hopeful, and parts that will devastate you entirely. The range of emotions I felt reading this book is testament to Nugent's power as a writer.