I have been in a reading funk now for months. Occassionally I've come across a book that has gripped me from the first page and that is what has happened here.

I've read everything Liz Nugent has written and they have all been five star reads for me. The only thing I can add is that her books just get better and better. She is an incredible writer. This book is so easy to read, yet conveys the brutality and shocking storyline succinctly and with compassion. It is a story that stayed with me through every page, compelling me to put off other things in order to read more of the story.

I wont give away the storyline as I went into it blind and absolutely loved it. Bravo Liz Nugent, you've done it again👏👏👏

I'm big Liz Nugent fan and the premise of this novel seemed highly intriguing. The quality of the writing is as gripping and taut as ever - I read this in two sittings.

A harrowing read at times - in much the same way Room, by Emma Donaghue was - it was an interesting way of understanding the impact that such an experience can have on a young child - and the concepts of nature vs nurture when it comes to siblings raised in simillar but different ways.

However, I was really disappointed, to see how the particular character traits of Steve and Mary were linked to them possibly being neurodivergent. As someone who is neurodivergent, whose husband and children also are, it's getting really exhausting to constantly see our behaviours portrayed in this way - that we are uncaring, violent, weirdos, incapable of relating to others in any meaningful way or maintain successful relationships and careers.

I think this book would benefit from any references to neurodiversity being removed.

**EDIT The publisher contacted me and removed the reference to neurodiversity from this book, which I appreciate so much. I have moved my rating up accordingly to 5*

Liz Nugent is one of my favourite writers. Each time she produces a novel it is different from the last and Strange Sally Diamond is one of a kind. At first, I wasn't sure about it but once halfway through I raced to the end, staying up late into the night to finish it. As usual, Liz excels in writing about a flawed main character: Sally, in this case, has been raised with little socialisation and when her father dies she takes him at his word and 'leaves him out with the bins'. Her life then attracts unwanted attention and the twists and turns that happen do not disappoint. Many thanks to PenguinGeneralUK/Sandycove for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book grabbed me from the very first sentence and when a book does that, you just know it's going to be a good'un. A masterpiece in characterisation and another 5 ***** read as brilliant and gripping as all of her previous books. I urge you to read it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@currentlyreading__
Book 89 of 2022

Thank you to @NetGalley, @VikingBooksUK and of course the very talented author @liznugentwriter for the ARC of ‘Strange Sally Diamond’ ahead of publication on 2nd March 2023.

When I saw fellow Liver Bird @books.on.the.moon had gotten an ARC, we decided to Buddy Read and we both fell in love with the tale of Sally Diamond. 💎

I have never read anything by Nugent before but after this, I have all of her books earmarked to buy with my Christmas Amazon vouchers!

Sally is in her forties living an isolated life in rural Roscommon. When her father dies she remembers what he has told her to do, throw him in the rubbish. This is exactly what Sally does and as a result, finds herself centre of attention with others disgusted by her heinous behaviour.

Having to adapt to life without her father, Sally stops acting as though she’s deaf and interacts with those in the community who were initially fearful of Sally’s behaviour. Then come the letters and a teddy bear Sally recognises. Her psychologist father’s manuscripts and tapes reveal that Sally’s life as she knew it, was a lie. She was the subject of horrific abuse and this is not only shocking, there are multiple twists and turns as well as flashbacks to the past with a whole cast of characters spanning decades.

Not wanting to spoil this, I will say that it is my favourite read of 2022 and it is going to be huge. I was totally invested in not only the beauty of Nugent’s writing, but just how much of a character-driven novel this is; with Sally painted beautifully and the experiences written about with brutal complexity adding layers and depths to plot and character.

Get this on your pre-order list. If my review isn’t reason enough, just read what brilliant authors like Lisa Jewell, Marian Keyes and Shari Lapena have to say. Now, when is the TV adaptation?!

#bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #book #booknerd #bookstagrammer #kindle #instabook #reader #bookobsessed #instareads #currentlyreading #bookchat #bookish #books #readersofinstagram #netgalley#liznugent #strangesallydiamond

TW: kidnapping, abduction, imprisonment, violence, sexual assault, physical abuse, mental abuse, death, coercion, manipulation, paedophilia.

This is my first book by Liz Nugent so I had no preconceptions as to what to expect from her writing, and I quite liked going in blind. But now I’ve read one, you can be sure I’ll be reading all of her work. She has managed, through one book alone, to become a top author for me.

It is a pure psychological thriller, not just for the reader, but for those in the book too. The main character, the supporting characters, the background characters…everyone is on this journey, whether for good or for bad. It hits you straight out of the gates. Liz hasn’t hung about, you’re thrown into the action almost immediately and she doesn’t let up for one moment.

I absolutely loved the interlinking stories. I think it’s very difficult to create a story using two points of view and two time periods and make it easy to read, but she’s perfected that. We have the main story of Sally Diamond herself, but then e have a second story from a Peter. It takes a while for us to know how his story links (I won’t spoil it), but Liz has managed to keep them separate entities but superbly linked. It flows so well that you never feel shortchanged, but she’s leaving a little for you to work out yourself.

I really liked Sally. Her quirks and her difficulties shout of a neurodiverse personality or condition - such as autism; this is explained in further detail, but again, I won’t spoil it here. A lot of fictional books put neurodiverse characters into two camps: they’re either there to be the entertainment or the bullied characters, or they’re ignored. Liz has handled Sally with great sensitivity and she is as important a main character as any non-neurodiverse one. Regardless of what she may or may not have done, or may or may not have said, or what she’s been through, she is this instantly likeable person whose heart is definitely in the right place.

Yes, it is a dark book (see themes above). There’s no getting away from that. It’s unsavoury, there are things people do and say that make you uncomfortable. It borders the gratuitous but for me, I think she’s got it right. It is full on and some of it is hard to stomach, but it is completely in keeping with the theme of the book. She provides enough detail to make the scene understandable, but leaves enough for you to develop in your head.

Given it’s dark storyline and topics, I did find some of it quite numerous. It’s not a comic book, but there’s this sense of dark humour running through it that somehow just worked. It also has elements of a murdery mystery about it. The twists and turns, the unanswered questions, the hidden answers, the…well…mystery. It’s fabulously done.

It is compelling, gripping, exciting, exhilarating, dark, troubling, happy, sad, twisted, dark, endearing, obsessive, funny, scary, enlightening, empowering — but overall, I would say it’s very moving and touching. Sally Diamond is a Diamond. She has her troubles but she’s a shining star, and her story really touched me and she’s instantly become a favourite character of mine.

I know it’s not very ‘literary’ to say but it is good. Very good. Extremely good. That’s the main way of describing it. Yes there’s more detail to go into, which I hope I have in this review, but when all is said and done, this is a very good book.

Liz Nugent is back with a bang with Strange Sally Diamond. Full of the deeply dark and twisted characters that she does so well. A must read for 2023

Full review to come.

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

Publication date: 2 March 2023 (Sandycove)

‘Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange.
She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.’

As a long time fan of Liz Nugent, I was thrilled to get an advanced proof copy of her long awaited (by me at least) new book from @penguinbooksireland

Liz Nugent is the queen of opening lines / scenes and Strange Sally Diamond opens with Sally taking her father’s advice quite literally, by putting him out with the rubbish when he dies.

As the news spreads, an investigation ensues (with a thrilling Easter egg for Irish Crime Fiction fans!) and opens up a big can of worms. Not literally, thankfully.

What follows is a charming and quirky page turner, that has been compared to Eleanor Oliphant crossed with Room. I really enjoyed both, so consider that high praise, and would add that Strange Sally Diamond is reminiscent of Liz Nugent’s earlier books, such as Unravelling Oliver.

My only issue with this book is that I’ve read it now so will have to wait a bit longer for the next Liz Nugent.

In the meantime I might have to read it again and would recommend it for fans of psychological thrillers. Available to pre-order now, in al the usual places.

Thanks to the publishers @penguinbooksireland for the advanced proof copy and e-ARC via @netgalley

#StrangeSallyDiamond #LizNugent #IrishAuthors #PsychologicalThriller #IrishBookstagram #2023releases #TiredMammy30minutes #TiredMammyBookClub

Having never read this author before the title of the book caught my attention and I was definitely not disappointed. A wonderful read with wonderful characters, this book will definitely stay with me and has quickly turned into one of my best reads of the year.

I saw this book and it caught my eye with the slightest of description so I knew very little of what to expect other than it involved a ‘strange’ character. My fascination with understanding the adverse had me sold, therefore I had no idea of what was coming. This novel is disturbing in so many ways, the intense emotion that it invokes in you will have you reading a good 2 hours past your bedtime. A fantastically written narrative of two separate upbringings which transpire were not as they seemed, an incredibly intoxicating subjective perspective on nature versus nurture. How trusting those closest to us can be wildly dangerous…

Sally Diamond is an unforgettable character and Liz Nugent has written another beguiling life story in this book. A dark, compelling but ultimately touching tale.

When Sally Diamond’s father died he asked her to put him out with the bins and that’s exactly what she did. This draws lots of unwanted attention to the quiet and reclusive Sally who has spent her life in the shadows on the edge of society.

Now that Sally’s dad is dead she’s forced to confront secrets of her past that have stayed hidden for many years.

I went into this book pretty much blind and I think that’s the best way - I wasn’t expecting the twists and turns and tore through it so quickly desperate to know what happened next.

A prior warning - this book is DARK. So beware of that! But it’s brilliant, Sally’s character reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant and Molly from The Maid - and I think this book will match them in popularity, it has all the hallmarks of the next bestseller. Loved it.

Wow what a twisty well written book!

I loved this and couldn't get enough. This was a serious page turner for me and I loved Sally Diamond and her quirky ways.

Would highly recommend to anyone who loves a bit of black comedy mixed in with plenty of twists and turns.

A really interesting book that I was compelled and keen to keep reading throughout. I liked how down to earth and real a lot of these characters and ideas seemed even when discussing a situation I have no experience with. However, not without its issues - I really didn't like the ending, and the confrontation in a cafe ending with everyone cheering and clapping was embarrassing, and the coronavirus stuff was unnecessary. I also at some points felt as if the story couldn't settle and you were just waiting for the next twist repeatedly. I'm aware this review is skewing quite negative so I would just like to say again how much I was thinking of this story when not reading it, how quickly I read it in the time I was able to, how much I like the characters and their depth.

An amazing book - wow! I have read a few of Liz Nugent’s book and they are all brilliant.
I know the characters will stay with me for a good while. I thought the ending was superb - it could not have been any other way.

I highly recommend this book and other works by Liz Nugent.

Wow. From the very beginning of this book the author grabs you with the characters and doesn't let you go until the final page. The reader follows Sally who has understandable social difficulties through incredibly difficult discoveries and is lead through some very tough reading. The material is hard going and upsetting to read but is handled with care and honesty. There were times when I wanted to put the book down due to the content and experiences being delivered but felt as thought I owed it to the characters to finish their story. This is the first time I've read one of Liz Nugent's books and I will definitely seek out more, a fantastic author who is clearly a master of character sculpting and story telling.

As a huge Liz Nugent fan, I was eagerly awaiting her newest book, Strange Sally Diamond. From the first paragraph, I was completely engrossed!

Sally Diamond is a reclusive, 40 something who lives with her adoptive Father, near a remote village in Co. Roscommon. Sally likes straight forward facts and instructions. Life takes a turbulent turn for Sally when she misconstrues a flippant comment made by her father. Joking that she should put him out with the bins when he dies, well ... you guessed it. Sally's past has always been a mystery to her and this mystery unravels quickly when she reads her father's letters, detailing how she came to be adopted. Sally quickly becomes the focus of the media, neighbours and locals as word spreads of her dumping her father's body. Without the support of her dead mother's colleague Angela, the socially awkward and naive Sally would have no doubt ended up in jail or institutionalised. Things turn incredibly dark as Sally grows with confidence and works so hard on finding her place in society with the assistance of many new friends. Her dark past creeps into her new life and the horrific abuse is brought to light, is she still in danger?

This book is certainly not for the faint hearted. It deals with horrific abuse that is dealt with wonderfully by Liz and tension is lightened with lots of comic humor and laugh out loud moments too. You cannot help,but love Sally and I found myself cheering her on from the first chapter. The characters are beautifully well developed and I hope this is not the last of Sally Diamond as we are left with questions at the end. A fabulous book with a sinister and horrific theme. Sally at times reminded me of the character Eleanor Oliphant and will be a character that stays with me for a long time to come! I highly recommend this book, an outstanding read from start to finish.
I see this as being the book of the year in 2023 for many!

Sally Diamond was adopted at the age of seven, but she has no memories of her first family. Her adoptive parents wanted to give her a home; sad for her past life and the harrowing experiences she had been a part of. It caused a sensation when the story of her retrieval was first told. But life carried on for Sally because her new parents sheltered her. Her adoptive mother died early and from then on she lived alone with her father for the rest of his life. She was different in so many ways. She had no filters and she pretended to be deaf because she had never been socialised and did not know what to do or say. Her life was dominated by her father and his ideas and routines. He kept her away from everyone else and told her that when he died she should put him with the rubbish and incinerate him with whatever was in the rubbish dump at the same time. So when he actually died, she did what he had told her to do. She incinerated him along with the rubbish. For a second time the media were crawling around wanting to seek out the freak they thought she was at the age of forty three. They wanted to spread news, and even to sensationalize it. The story was set in Ireland and New Zealand.
Of course Sally didn’t know what she had done wrong. The police were called in and started their investigations. Her father’s friend Angela, who was a GP, came to her rescue and explained that Sally had only obeyed her father’s instructions, and that she was either on the autistic spectrum or was neurodivergent and didn’t know any better. Sally was left to live alone in her father’s house, but of course she had to buy food so she had to learn to talk to other villagers to survive. She did remarkably well considering her lack of socialisation. There were a few hitches obviously, but gradually Sally made progress and even made fragile friendships, resorting to playing her piano when she was overwhelmed or upset. Then she was alarmed to receive messages from a complete stranger, and even a teddy bear that she feels she recognises. This stranger from New Zealand seems to have known her from childhood, and once again Sally feels adrift, frightened and agitated, but she is determined to find out about her past, even if is not palatable she must find her roots. This desire was featured in the second thread, which then seamlessly merged with Sally’s adult experiences.
I was totally captivated by this wonderful story from the first page of the book to the very end. It was beautifully told and splendidly constructed. The characters were vivid, well envisaged and developed. I was charmed with Sally’s character and thought she was an amazing person despite her lack of social experiences. She was willing to accept advice and tried her best to fit in and she was always honest and caring. Her dysfunctional and narcissistic family were the only role models she ever knew in her first family childhood. The story was both dark and poignant but at times there were also light phases and comedic incidents to revel in. Sally was likable and when her childhood trauma was revealed, so her memories began to appear as well. The story revealed monstrous, evil, paedophile activity, mental health issues and more.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Sandycove through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you so much for my copy. These are my own honest opinions without any outside influences. It is an exceptionally good read and a 5* review from me. I’d personally class it as an unmissable page-turner.
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Sally is forty-two and has been living a sheltered life with her adoptive parents in Roscommon Ireland. Her favourite thing to do is play the piano. But she is a loner and is also socially inept, and she takes things literally. So, when her father tells her to put him out with the bins.
She does not realise that she has committed a crime when a family friend Angela, who is also a doctor tells her so and helps her become a more sociable in her everyday life. So, when the media get here of what Sally has done, they delve into her past they find out about her traumatic childhood and what her monster father did, which becomes front page news.
Thank you, Penguin for an ARC of Strange Sally Diamond. It is my first book from the author Liz Nugent, and it will not be my last. This is a fantastic read, and the story gripped from the first page. This character Sally reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant but, the story was more darker and disturbing throughout. I noticed that the ending was a bit of a cliff-hanger. So are we going to get more of Sally? I hope so. 5 stars from me.

I was drawn to this novel because I so enjoyed the author’s Skin Deep. I knew nothing about the story and if I had, I probably wouldn’t have read this book. The level of abuse, contained within its pages, is horrific. However, because the characters of both Sally and Peter were so compelling, I simply had to keep reading. The novel was deftly plotted and despite the subject matter, there were real moments of warmth and hope. I particularly loved Sally’s new and growing friendships. I would have given this five stars, but for me the ending was way too bleak, without hope and extremely disturbing.