Sally can’t understand why she is so strange but when her adopted father dies, her grim past unravels and reveals itself. Liz Nugent paces this book impeccably, it’s dark, intense, unsettling and deeply disturbing. Nugent creates deeply complex characters and as Sally begins to uncover secrets from her past her whole world turns upside down.

This books isn’t for the faint hearted, it’s a challenging read and I felt extremely thankful for those moments of comic relief that are scattered throughout. This book is so well written and Liz Nugent once again proves how she is a master at her craft. I highly recommend this book and I’m extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to read this ARC. Many thanks to @liznugent @netgalley @vikingbooksuk @penguinbooksuk

I absolutely loved this book. For me, it was a mix between Room by Emma Donoghue, and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. While I felt it was a departure from Nugent's usual twisted dynamics and all-too despicable characters, it was still quite dark in places, and often heartbreaking.

Nugent has a really fine talent for evoking characters that stand proud from a page. I so enjoyed meeting Sally Diamond and was rooting for her all the way.

What a wild ride! Very dark and suspenseful, it gripped me from the start and I read a book basically in a day. And that ending, it will divide readers apart. I have a feeling this book will be everywhere in 2023😉 also that cover with a preppy woman and yellow background, it is a yes for me♥️

Compelling and creepy, Strange Sally Diamond is one of the best books I’ve read this year! I came for the Wednesday Addams-esque jacket, I stayed for the fascinating plot and engaging characters. It’s hard to say too much about this book without giving it all away, but to me it was very much Eleanor Oliphant (but SO MUCH BETTER) meets Room in a twisted and heart-breaking true crime set-up. It very much deserves to be a bestseller and I cannot recommend it enough.

I couldn’t put this down! I was hooked from the first page and it was just so fast paced I couldn’t wait to get to the end although I’m sad it’s over too! Superb writing and intriguing characters with a fascinating plot - what more could you ask for? I will read this one again and will be shouting about it to everyone who will listen; one of my favourite books this year for sure.

The really endearing and sometimes funny story of Sally Diamond who is completely unfiltered and has been sheltered from the world for over 30 years. When the darkness of a past unbeknownst to her comes back after the death of her adoptive father, a whole new can of worms explodes and a quirky story becomes one of secrets, old news headlines and the search for a known criminal. I absolutely loved it and have felt deeply in awe of Strange Sally.

I received this arc through net galley and the publishers.

Having read books by liz Nugent previously i was delighted to get my teeth into this new one.

It didn't disappoint, I loved the story of Sally and the reason why she is "strange" I raced through this as I could not put it down

4 stars

This is only the second Liz Nugent I've read and about a third of the way through I was wondering why.

Strange Sally Diamond centres on the unsettling story of Sally who, at first, merely appears to be unsocialised, perhaps somewhere on "the spectrum", easily angered and somewhat of a hermit. On the death of her father, however, her life changes dramatically.

Without giving too much away it appears that Sally's past is known to far more people than she suspected and she is the last to find out who and what she is. The revelations keep coming and getting bigger and more horrifying until Sally is forced to face them head on.

If I say any more I will ruin the book, suffice to say you will learn several salient parts of Sally's past quite quickly so you're not wading through utter confusion for long.

For me this was one of the best features of the book. Parts reminded me of John Marrs' Keep It In The Family but where Liz Nugent triumphs over Marrs is that she keeps it the right side of believable.

Her characters while all being slightly untrustworthy and irritating never quite tipped me over into eye rolling stage. The writing is good and the book itself is easy to read and (despite the subject matter) very enjoyable. I polished it off in three sittings because its one of those books that keep you wanting to turn the pages.

Fans of Liz Nugent will, no doubt, love this. She's clearly done her homework on various quite disturbing issues. If, like me, you've not read a lot of her work you'll still enjoy it if you like a thriller with not so many twists that you can't keep up. It's an easy read, not too horrifying in content but definitely disturbing and despite Sally's strangeness you should take her to your heart.

Oh my dear!!
This is Sally's story. Sally is different. She is not always lovable and does not fit in all the usual categories our society offers. Why? Because of the long way she came from her childhood. This sometime quirky person will stay with me for a long time. Sally's story is intervinend with a lot of different characters who complete the picture. A very touching book with lots of sensitive subjects touched.
High recommendation for lovers of deeply psychological stories and a clear new task for myself: read back on all of Liz's books!!
#Netgalley #Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Sandycove for this ARC

Publication Date: 2 March 2023
Rating: 5/5
So, so unsettling! I am new to Liz Nugent's work, and now I want to read it all. Strange Sally Diamond follows Sally, a socially awkward outsider, in her quest to understand who she is. It begins with her adopted father's death. She decides to put his corpse out with the bins, and once discovered, her life turns on its head. She discovers gravely unsettling facts about her true parentage and past, and I promise that you will want to read it all in one sitting. Without ruining it, think of Room meets Kiss the Girls. It is an absolutely brutal tale of one woman's quest for answers, and a deranged pedophile's desire for control. The pace is spot-on too. Someone needs to turn this into a TV series.

I'd be very surprised if this doesn't end up being one of the most popular books of 2023. Dark, sad, moving and occasionally funny... it has all the hallmarks of a bestseller.

I had my reservations about Strange Sally Diamond at first. Over the last few years, I've become increasingly aware of and exasperated by books where neurodivergence is not acknowledged-- instead there is a "quirky" character, used for comedic value, allowed to have social struggles without really confronting the spectre of mental health. The description had me worrying this could be another one.

But this is not that kind of book at all. Nugent engages fiercely with Sally's mental illness. In fact, understanding it, and the trauma it grew out of, is at the centre of this story.

Strange Sally Diamond is a much bigger scale story than it first appears. The story moves back and forth in time, between two perspectives, from Ireland to New Zealand and back again, painting a dark, horrific picture of abuse and trauma, testing our limits on how forgiving we can be of a victim when they themselves cross the line.

I really enjoyed Sally's perspective, cared for her, wanted to discover her past and found humour in her inner commentary:

I hung up shortly after we had done the goodbye thing that annoys me: 'Goodbye,' 'Bye,' 'Goodbye,' 'See you later,' 'Yes, goodbye,' 'Bye, then.' So tedious.


She is definitely a bit of an Eleanor Oliphant kind of character. She finds social situations very difficult and doesn't always react emotionally like people think she should, but being inside her head is often entertaining. Neurotypical human socialization through her eyes seems absolutely ludicrous a lot of the time.

Despite this, however, I actually think Sally is only the second most interesting character in this book. The other is less likable, sometimes intensely unlikable, but far more complex. Nugent has explored two different forms of trauma and abuse here; Sally's was the more straightforward of the two.

I would like to reiterate that this is a very dark book that contains physical and sexual abuse, on-page violence, paedophilia and all manner of gross emotional manipulation. I don't recommend it for readers especially sensitive to these subjects.

This book is an absolute must-read.
I’ve never gone through so many emotions reading one book.
I laughed, I was horrified, I was sad… I was eager to finish it.

Sally Diamond, socially deficient as she describes herself, has grown up in rural farmland with her adoptive parents. A proficient pianist but elective loner, Sally lives in a very literal world.

After committing a crime, unbeknown to herself - Sally is thrown under the spotlight and her world changes. Sally uncovers the truths in her past, and the story truly begins.

Sally starts to discover who her birth parents are, and the horrors that surround that.. and we follow in her journey of discovery, and self improvement.

A fantastically written book, which made me laugh out loud but also sickened by a storyline which can be so true, that is the harrowing reality.

This is definitely going to be a recommendation to others

Thank you Netgalley for my free Arc, in return for an honest review :-)

Liz Nugent excels at punchy openers and dark, dark stories and fortunately for us, backs her usp with a strong plotting and exceptional characters. Strange Sally Diamond is no exception.

Sally Diamond's father told her he was happy to be put out with the rubbish when his time came, but it did raise concerns with the police and residents of the small Irish town where she lived. Far worse was that long-buried stories about Sally's past become front-page news.

There are many twists and turns to Sally Diamond's story and the characters are somewhat unconventional and is guaranteed to capture your attention.

Liz Nugent smashes it out of the park again. A dark, twisted and gripping masterpiece starring the unique and unforgettable Sally Diamond. An Irish treasure we should all be reading.

I was so excited to see a new book from the great Liz Nugent and it didn't dissapoint.
I loved the character Sally and the way the story unfolded.keeps your gripped throughout and the twists made it a well written engrossing story I didn't want it to end.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the ARC

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.

Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and worried police, but also a sinister voice from a past she has no memory of. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, recluse Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, finding independence, and learning that people don't always mean what they say.

But when messages start arriving from a stranger who knows far more about her past than she knows herself, Sally's life will be thrown into chaos once again

There are very some strong characters here, with real depth to them, some of whom are quite horrific, so obviously the storyline is quite dark, shocking even, although it has to be said the writing is sharp and clever. Even though it’s dark, there is plenty of humour thanks to Sally’s inability to hold back her thoughts and feelings. It’s completely gripping for sure, and Sally Diamond will be hard to leave behind, such is the strength of her character.

This is a book that will take you through a whole gamut of emotions, it’ll make you gasp at times yet warm your heart too. In my opinion this is an author at the top of her game and she’s a must read writer for me. The writing flows and rises and falls as it twists and turns to an excellent ending. An outstanding read and I’ll never forget Sally.

This book is due to be released in March 2023

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for an advance copy in return for a fair and honest review

Unsurprisingly, given that it was written by Liz Nugent, this is a hugely compelling book. It's incredibly dark - I think it merits just about every trigger warning there is - and so it's not easy to read, at times. That darkness, though, is balanced by a great humanity and warmth, and a treatment of complex and flawed characters with intelligence and sympathy. This book will stay with me.

I really enjoyed this book. Sally is an incredibly interesting character and her approach to life being so literal is incredibly relevant as we champion neuro diversity.

I enjoyed the story as Sally begins to build a life and make friends but did find the ending incredibly disappointing. I'm not usually 'a happily ever after ' person but wasn't sure about the endings purpose.

Absolutely loved this! It’s gripping, shocking and tense with an unforgettable quirky main character Sally Diamond. The themes will take you through a rollercoaster of emotions as you root for Sally along the way. It’s heartbreaking, bone chilling horror and there’s joy and laughter too. The writing is just brilliant as it twists and turns until and excellent ending. I couldn’t put it down. Great characterisation and a very well thought out plot. Highly recommend this dark, shocking psychological thriller.
Thanks to #NetGallery #PenguinGeneralUK #LizNugent for an arc of #StrangeSallyDiamond in exchange for an honest review.

A great narrative….well written and quite relevant with real life abductions in the press over the last few years. Interesting story which keeps one page turning to the end