I love Liz Nugent’s books and right from the first paragraph I knew this one would have me hooked - I was not wrong! Absolutely devoured it and was bereft when it ended - incredibly dark and sad but just a fantastic read. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this fantastic book!!

WOW!!! Liz Nugent, you really have pulled it out of the bag with this book - I absolutely LOVED it!!

I thought Sally was amazing and with all her "quirks" she was a perfect character.

You never knew what twist was going to happen next, so this book definitely kept me on my toes!

A wonderful, fantastic and gripping read!!

Liz Nugent is my go to author for the dark, twisted and macabre, she never fails to disappoint me and in Strange Sally Diamond, she has proven once again, that she really is the queen of twisted noir.
The cover and the blurb of this book drew me in immediately (although it is fair to say that I would pick up any book written by this author and read it without seeing either cover or blurb!) and once I stepped inside the pages, I was immediately immersed into the world of this amazingly quirky, complicated and compelling young woman.
As the title suggests, Sally really is rather strange, in fact some might think she is completely off the wall bizarre. Yet, if you care to just step inside her world and her mind, then it quickly becomes understandable why she is this way, and once her backstory is uncovered, you can’t help but be drawn even further into her way of thinking. At times I wanted to reach in and pull her out of that story and protect her from the world around her.
Without giving away any of the plot, this is a dark and haunting tale; it touches upon themes that some readers might find upsetting, yet it is never gratuitous nor shocking for the sake of it. Each reveal is heartbreaking but for me, it simply drew me closer to Sally. I had all the emotions reading this, I was angry, I was heartbroken, I was vengeful but even within all this darkness, there was light, hope and resilience. Sally’s straightforward way of speaking and looking at the world brought humour into the story; it was a demonstration of how communities can fall apart yet come together when needed, how the simple act of speaking up for someone and supporting can make a difference and of how much human beings can take, yet still continue on their journey.
The pacing was perfect, Liz Nugent always manages to weave some pretty outstanding twists and turns into her writing and she does so seamlessly. Every time I thought about putting down the book and doing some adulting, I was compelled to return to the story. Sally and her world burrowed their way under my skin and I’ve got a feeling they will be there for a very long time!
Sally Diamond stepped out of the pages and invited me to step into her world. It’s dark, it’s disturbing and it’s totally unsettling. I urge you to go out and buy this now.

This is Liz Nugent's best book yet (and that's saying something) and one of the best books I've ever read. It's magnificent. Sally is a fantastic character. Everything she does, no matter how unusual we find it, is completely understandable as we learn how she thinks and why she reacts as she does. She's so self-aware and it's really interesting watching things from her POV but also seeing how other characters respond to her and at times explain her own reactions to her. The story itself is very dark and one that will get under your skin, going from uncomfortable to horrifying across the book. But the characters keep you reading. All of them, from the main characters to the smaller roles are well-rounded and believable. Peter's story is really gripping. The progression of both his and Sally's stories as they grow and then revert is so believable and so heart-wrenching at times that you won't forget this book in a hurry. I'll be recommending it to everyone. Brilliant.

Strange Sally Diamondis a wonderful book ,utterly compelling .I really liked Sally although strange she overcomes a difficult past because she is different .The story has lots of twists and turns ,some very unexpected .Set in the quiet village of Carricksheedy in Ireland it is a great read ,a well written story of such a harrowing and difficult subject .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read Strange Sally Diamond!
I was absolutely hooked on this book from the first page and couldn’t put it down!
The story will be one I won’t forget and will haunt me for a long time - in the best way haha.

Brilliantly written, so easy to feel like you’re in the story, and race through the pages.
A new favourite I’ll be recommending!

Thanks to Liz and NetGalley for allowing me to read Strange Sally Diamond prior to the publication date.
At the heart of the story is a monster.

Sally Diamond has no memory of her life before she was 7 years old. When she was found neglected and malnourished,it was decided that Dr. Jean Diamond and her psychiatrist husband would adopt Sally.
She has spent her life in their rural home where she has developed coping strategies to avoid interaction with anyone else.
After her adoptive father’s death, Sally discovers that she has an uncle and a brother that she did not know about. Gradually her background is revealed and the reader will be left to ponder the question of nature versus nurture.

Brilliant, as always. Dark, twisted and sinister with morsels of hope that are quickly snatched away. A tragic beginning, an unusual upbringing and the fight to be more than your parents in a world that doesn’t understand you. Liz Nugent brings Sally Diamond through the ringer of life in this gripping story of abduction, rescue and control. I loved it so thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

Liz Nugent is one of my favourite authors and I am always excited to read her books as they guaranteed to be well-written, original and gripping. What I also find gratifying is that each book is completely different (whilst so many books this days seem to be almost following a template) and you never know what to expect. Strange Sally Dimond didn’t disappoint in any way - expertly drawn out characters, intriguing and unpredictable plot, satisfying ending, excellent writing… It’s a treat of a book and I’ll be recommending it to all fans of the genre.

Oh my god. Liz Nugent has done it again. As soon as I started reading this book I was just drawn to Sally Diamond - the protagonist of the book. 'Strange' Sally as they call her, has two adoptive parents, but she can't remember any childhood memories before the age of 7. She doesn't know why. She has been bullied at school, has no friends, and pretends she is deaf to avoid contact with anyone other than her parents.
Suddenly, her father dies, and makes a quip about putting him out with the trash when he dies, and that's just what Sally does. This creates a whirlwind of attention around poor Sally who doesn't know what she did wrong? Her father did say she was 'socially deficient', so this is exactly what Sally replies with when she is unintentionally rude.
The story really begins with her father leaves her a series of 3 letters - to each be read one week apart. The letters detail just how Sally came to be a member of the Diamond family, and it is not what she imagines at all.
The rest of the story takes a remarkable host of twists and turns that you couldn't imagine, and I won't spoil it for you. But I will say that this book is well worth the read.

I absolutely loved this book. As with Liz Nugent's previous books it immediately draws the reader in with a shocking premise and bit by bit the character's tragic start in life is revealed and we meet her brother and birth father also, following them from Ireland to New Zealand. Modern day references to social media and ancestry DNA are woven into the storyline so you literally feel the net closing in. This book kept me awake long into the night and I highly recommend it!

Sally lives in a small village in Co. Roscommon. She is reclusive and odd. Liz Nugent tells us why Sally is strange and it is a twisted tale.

Sally Diamond’s father tells her to put him out with the rubbish when he dies - so she does as she’s told. Sally is seen as strange and different and doesn’t think the way that others might do. Why? Well, that would be telling. Then the stuff hits the proverbial fan and Sally finds herself in the headlines - again. To say that chaos ensues is a distinct understatement.

Well, all I can say about this amazing book is that is has been well worth waiting for as Liz Nugent has knocked it out the park again. This is a brace yourself, buckle up read, at times it’s absolutely heartbreaking, at others there’s bone chilling horror and then there’s joy and laughter. I love the light and shade of the different tones in the storytelling though I’m not going to pretend it isn’t shockingly dark black at times though it is never overblown.

The total standout for me in the utterly compelling and immersive read is the memorable character of Sally. She feels so read and authentic that I just want to protect her and be her friend. All the characters are superbly portrayed and you can visualise them jumping from the pages. Sally’s unfiltered honesty is brilliant and she makes me laugh and at other times when things get too hard for her you want to take her pain away.

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.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General UK for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

A likeable protagonist ! Who could have guessed ?

It’s been three long years since Liz Nugent published her last novel but it was worth the wait .

Strange Sally Diamond is dark ,compelling and beautifully crafted .

“ Put me out with the bins” . When its discovered that Sally Diamond followed her deceased fathers request quite literally ,when he died peacefully at home, the local villagers of Carricksheedy become suspicious that something is not quite right. Rumours of a traumatic childhood ordeal resurface and the past continues to unhinge an already unstable Sally Diamond . Clues to her past are unveiled upon reading her fathers letters . If only she had opened them before she had disposed of his body . How was she expected to know otherwise ?

Clever ,twisty and unsettlingly . Very true to Liz Nugent ‘s unique style . I could not put this down . I really hope we don’t have to wait as long for her next book and wish her every success with this one .

My sincere thanks to NetGalley for an Arc . Sally Diamond is due for release March 2023.

Wow, this well-written book really packs an emotional punch. Initially "strange" Sally Diamond just seems to be an oddball quirky character but as the story progresses we learn why she is the way she is, and cheer her on in her development. There is some very disturbing content here and I really sympathized with the main character. This book will stick with me.

Another page turner from Liz Nugent. Sally is different and lives a secluded life with her father, from the start it appears she may be on the spectrum but as the novel unfolds the horror of her early life is unravelled. The book takes you through Sally learning to live in a world that is new to her, making friends and finding her way while also dealing with finding out about her early life and history. A bit different from Liz Nugent previous books but an addictive page turner.

A well written story by Liz Nugent. This book kept me engrossed from start to finish with
many interesting twists and turns. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

Love love love Liz Nugents’ work this book was extremely difficult to read in parts but her writing skills keep you transfixed.
Sally Diamond is the main character and her life story is enough to break the hardest of hearts. She endured so much trauma from childhood continuing into her adult life and this is her story.
I think I went through the whole spectrum of emotions during this journey and I loved every word.
Highly recommended 5 star ⭐️ read for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. This story was absolutely brilliant. The storyline and the characters were fantastic. Only thing is I need more. I think more of Peter/Steve in the future. That would be a fantastic read. Great writing. I look forward to more books from the author.

A young girl abducted leaving no trace . A woman with young child found locked in a cabin brutally abused. Two medical experts intent on undoing the catastrophic damage inflicted . A harrowing storyline of an unhinged pedophile inflicting untold atrocities and defilement on his victims and the slow tenuous path to potential salvation for those surviving imprisonment and abuse. Post traumatic stress outlined in graphic detail as an innocent claws her way back towards a goal of normality in a confusing and often dangerous situation. Always a difficult subject told with sensitivity, humour and pathos. The protagonist reliving her past whilst struggling to comprehend the enormity of existence in a world that for her is an alien environment. A riveting conclusion as traumatic as suspenseful from a difficult plot line expertly written with enormous sensitivity . Many thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for ARC.