In her most mature and volatile as well work so far, Liz Nugent reaches the peak of her writing career and delivers a novel that is equally disturbing and arresting while she creates a protagonist, the titular "Strange Sally Diamond", who will become etched on your memories for a long time after completing the reading of the novel. Nugent, who began her career in 2013 when her debut novel, Unraveling Oliver, was published, has illustrated her tendency to tackle subjects and motifs aiming to dismantle the myth around the -indeed ambiguous and debatable- inherent goodness and morality in humans. Kevin O' Sullivan writes in his review of the book in Irishexaminer.com: "[Nugent is] attracted to the sinister, the seedy, the cynical", thus summarizing in a few words the author's thematic preferences. The Irish author's books are, collectively, an attempt to shine a light on the dark side of human behavior and her characters are frequently monster-like figures lacking what we like to consider as the essential traits that define us as human beings. Strange Sally Diamond loyally broaches this particularly perplexing theme, thus the readers should be brace themselves for some truly nasty personifications of the most primitive behavioral aspects that unleashed with raw force when we deal with people who are labelled as "different" in any way imaginable.

The main character and chief narrator of the story is Sally Diamond, a 40-year-old woman living a mile outside a little hamlet in Ireland’s thinly populated County Roscommon. Sally lives there along with her father, a former psychiatrist who resigned from the clinic and continued his scientific career by writing articles for medical journals, while her mother, we learn early, has passed away a few years back. The story begins with Sally's father dying from a chronic disease and leaving behind a (foster) daughter alone to deal with the troubles and grievances of everyday life. The addition of the adjective "Strange" before Sally's full name is indicative of her odd behavior and her complete ineptitude in social situations. The protagonist harbors an overwhelming feeling of disconnection with her surroundings and the other people, a trait following her since her early childhood. She is unable to discern the metaphor and irony used in day-to-day interactions all over the world and she perceives everything literally and at face value. It is for that reason that she opted for pretending to be deaf when going on errands (groceries etc.), thus diminishing the possibilities that somebody might strike a conversation with her. Vicki Weisfeld in Crimefictionlover.com observes: "When you read about a person who interacts with the world in a vastly different way than the norm, you find yourself thinking about the demands of society from new perspectives. When the book is written well and consistently, as it is here by Liz Nugent, you start to realise how much we take for granted in our relations with other people and the world around us."

Sally finds herself in a tough predicament when her father dies and she decides to dispose his remains in a rather unorthodox way, that is to cremate him in an incinerator barrel. This is another misunderstanding caused by Sally's peculiar "sickness" or "eccentricity" as her father, shortly before he passed away, told her: “Just put me out with the bins,”, but not in the literal sense of the words. This event turns Sally's mundane existence upside down as she becomes the person of interest for the police, the few people who stand beside her such as her Aunt and doctor, and the media which are having a field day with that bizarre happening in the rural parts of the country. Sally will be forced to face her fears and engage in meaningful communication with the others, a no small feat for a woman who never had a single friend in her life. The reason(s) that lurk behind Sally's oddness are gradually divulged to the reader through some letters that her father left her as well as a few audio cassettes dating back to the days when both Sally's foster parents were working in the mental hospital.

Sally's mother, Denise, had been abducted from the garden of her house at the age of 11 from a vile individual named Conor Geary. Geary held Denise captive for -more or less- 16 years and he was the one who fathered Denise's little baby Mary (later named Sally by her foster parents. Denise never managed to overcome the trauma caused by the chronic abuse, mental and physical, in the hands of a psychopath while her daughter, our protagonist, survived and was then adopted by two of her mother's supervisors in the mental clinic. Throughout the novel, we watch the destructive effects of abuse and violence and their impact on the lives of both victims and culprits. Despite the morbid nature of the main theme, there is a sneaky humor pervading some parts of the story, a quirky, gloomy farce that primarily stems from Sally's difficulties in using the language properly. However, you have to keep in mind that Strange Sally Diamond is by no means an easy or fun read and you will experience various states of emotional havoc as the descriptions are lurid and the narrative so potent that you feel like inhabiting the narrators' minds as we move forward. Apart from Sally, there is a second narrator also, Peter, the young son of Conor Geary who also suffered his father's abuse for several years and left him with more than one scars. Peter's story is set chronologically several years earlier than the main narrative.

There is a whiff of Nordic crime fiction influences here and there were times that the narrative brought to my mind some notable works by Scandinavian writers such as Erik Axl Sund, Karin Fossum, and more recently Anna Mette Hancock. This is Liz Nugent's fifth novel and the crown jewel of her work to date. Wholeheartedly recommended to those who prefer their crime novels to be a bit darker than usual.

This was brilliant! What a fantastic character! I really loved this book and couldn't put it down. Heartbreaking and gripping.

I absolutely LOVED this, such a gripping read and Sally Diamond was a fascinating character. I've read a few of Liz Nugent's books before and this one is my new favourite. I went into this thinking it was a straight thriller, but it's a lot more emotional, powerful and moving than that, whilst also having some conventions of the thriller genre. Highly recommended!

From the first few pages I was hooked. What can I say but wow. This is the best book I have read all year. I started reading this yesterday afternoon and knew I had to finish it. There was no way I could wait to find out the ending. This isn’t your run of the mill thriller. Liz Nugent introduced a main character who was socially inept and had went through various unbelievable tragedies. At times you will not know how to feel. The main theme of nature versus nurture was explored and will get you thinking. Will definitely keep my eye out for more books by this author.

I am a big Liz Nugent fan and she didn’t let me down with the recent addition to her archive. I enjoyed the first third of the book more than the rest I would have to admit but the interwoven strands of the complex characters played out nicely to the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone that would like a psychological thriller mixed with quirky characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

Strange Sally Diamond is not an easy book to pigeonhole. Set between Ireland and New Zealand, a dark and sinister story of horrific abuse and controlling behaviour is slowly unravelled. When Sally’s father dies, she takes him literally and disposes of his body in the bin. The media storm that follows reveals a past Sally cannot remember, which her father had misguidedly tried to protect her from, but I don’t think he did her any favours keeping her isolated and ill-prepared to cope with the outside world.
The story moves back and forth in time, between different perspectives and locations, and the shocks just keep on coming. Flashes of humour prevent the darkness from taking over. I liked Sally and enjoyed reading her chapters, and watching her try to move on and live life on her own terms. The chapters from her brother’s point of view, on the other hand, were very disturbing and not for the faint-hearted.
The writing is excellent, the characters well drawn and convincing, and Strange Sally Diamond would be a good choice for a book club with lots of potential for lively discussions. This was the first book I had read by Liz Nugent, and though I don’t think ‘enjoy’ is the correct word to describe this story, I did find it interesting and thought-provoking, and will certainly go on to read her other books. Thanks to Penguin, Sandycove and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

Although it was an extremely disturbing read, I relished reading Liz Nugent's Strange Sally Diamond. The central character who is in her 40's is quirky and blunt, the author's writing is phenomenally good, and though some of the themes are chilling, there is also humour and lightness. A truly marvellous tale.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Penguin General UK - Sandycove via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

It's best to go into this book knowing as little as possible, I had no idea how dark and grim it would be but it was absolutely fantastic. I have read some great books lately but this was one I did not want to end. I feel like I now need to dig into the authors back catalogue.
I can see this featuring highly in a lot of end of year award lists.

So many people were raving about this book and Liz Nugent is always such a good read. I did enjoy the read, but it goes down a pathway that you have no idea about and I found this very dark and heavy. The opening is a woman throwing her dead father out with the bins, and this is only a small and largely insignificant part of the story. The story is well plotted out, keeps your attention, but I found it difficult.

It is quite difficult to write a review without spoilers because this book si full of unexpected and unique events. Sally is a socially inept loner who struggles to comprehend that things said cannot always be taken literally. Her father has died and because of a throwaway remark he made Sally thinks she should burn his body. Sally is clearly neurodivergent, but instead of being portrayed as a character to be pitied she is shown to be strong and capable. Her reasons for her behaviours, once explained, do make some sense and the reader is helped to understand why she behave the way she does. Add to this an extremely traumatic childhood which she does not remember for much of the book and Sally seems all the more remarkable for the very fact that she survived to become the individual she is.

I loved every moment of this book. From the opening where we make our first impressions of "Strange Sally Diamond", and through the slow unfurling of the backstory which explains exactly what we need to do and in the perfect pace... this book is a masterpiece of storytelling. The characters are amazing, the plot is brilliant, and I was intrigued by every single page. Highly recommended.

I've never read anything by Liz Nugent before, but I've heard a lot about her work. She's been described to me as "the queen of opening lines", and the opening line of Strange Sally Diamond definitely had me hooked. I wanted to know more about this character and why she behaved in the unorthodox way that she did.

Sally Diamond is one of the most complex characters I have ever come across in a book. It is testament to Liz Nugent's talent that she has managed to create a character with so many layers who feels many emotions that she struggles to express, and yet despite her often angry and violent presentation, I still felt sympathy for her. The narration is in the first person - between Sally, and a character who is introduced later called Peter - and these accounts are not always reliable. This meant I found it difficult to know who to trust throughout the story which made it more intriguing for me.

Strange Sally Diamond is extremely well plotted and I loved the detail that the author has included to create a really tense atmosphere the whole way through. The novel is very dark, and at times there is some graphic violence, but whilst this may be uncomfortable for some readers, I found the story gripping from beginning to end.

I can't wait to delve into this author's back catalogue now!

I really enjoyed this book, I literally read in 2 sittings, a fast read.
Loved Mary/Sally great character and enjoyed watching her grow in confidence, which then obviously disappointed me with the ending.
Some very sad and horrifying storylines, check trigger warnings. Overall I loved it definitely a book that will stick with me.
Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy for an honest review

Strange Sally Diamond

The first thing I have to say is ‘Wow! What an opening.’ I read the first page then went to find my other half so I could read it to him. He’s one of those people who say ‘just chuck me in a bin bag’ so I thought he’d love it too. Of course it’s horrifying, but I also found it blackly comic and with Irish ancestors myself I can honestly say it’s an Irish trait. We laugh at the story of Mother - my great-grandmother - putting her head in the oven and wondering why it was taking too long. It was an electric oven. Tragic, horrifying, but hilarious at the same time. I felt this all the way through the story of Sally Diamond, a young woman having to negotiate a new life after the death of her incredibly protective father. He was an academic doctor and it turns out Sally was his subject. He leaves Sally letters to read after his death to give her all the information about what to do next. However, Sally can be very literal and by carrying out his verbal wishes to be in a bin bag, it turns out she may have committed a crime. Luckily family friend and GP Angela comes to the rescue, explaining to the police that Sally is ‘different’ she’s been sheltered and her childhood before her adoption was very traumatic. In fact her father left specific instructions in his letters, but as Sally points out he should have labelled the envelope ‘open this as soon as I’ve died’. Sally learns that she was born in terrible circumstances and it’s only chance that saved her. How will Sally cope with the detailed news about her past and how will she integrate into the community and learn how to manage by herself?

I found Sally rather endearing, despite her tendency to ask personal questions and disappearing to play the piano when things get too much. Sally knows that her mother died, in fact she committed suicide after their escape. She was born Mary Norton, in a locked extension attached to the home of Connor Geary and his son. Sally’s mother was abducted by Geary and brought back to the specially built annex where he chained her to he radiator. Denise Norton was subjected to all forms of abuse and violence and gave birth to her daughter in captivity. They were only found when a burglar broke into the house and Denise shouted to him ‘I am Denise Norton’ in the hope he’ll tell the authorities. Sally doesn’t remember anything about her earliest years, but when she’s sent a grubby, old teddy in the post she knows instinctively that he’s hers. Sally was adopted by the husband and wife psychologist team who were treating her and her mother after they left hospital. After a short space of time, it became clear that Denise would not recover well and it was decided that in order for her to develop, Mary must be removed from her mother. Tragically, as soon as this happened, Denise committed suicide. Ever since, and with the new name Sally, she has lived an isolated rural life in Ireland. Sally has her quirks: she asks deeply personal questions; she would tear out her hair if upset; she could be extremely violent. As we followed Sally’s journey it started to feel really uplifting and I was so happy for her.

Then the book changes and we’re listening to a man called Peter from New Zealand, having emigrated from New Zealand. I found Peter’s father terrifying, he is a misogynist and incredibly controlling to the extent of telling his son he has a rare disease that means he can’t touch other people. This lie will have terrible consequences, when Peter tries to make connections with others. Slowly a terrifying story emerges about their home in Ireland and the ghost who lives through the wall. Sometimes he’d hear the shrieks and moans through the wall. When Peter was left to be looked after by the ghost, something terrible happens and the trauma will stay with him for life. I felt so moved by Peter’s story, but terrified by what he could become. I felt as if the loss of his friend Rangi that was the next turning point. He can also be extremely violent and even though he is assailed by guilt afterwards, the damage is done. I hoped and hoped for a point of redemption for him. When his father starts to build a barn and look for another victim he has no choice but to be complicit. If something happened to his father, would he able to come clean and let them victim go? Does he ever wonder about what happened to his mother’s family in Ireland?

I was hoping that these two damaged people would get to meet each other. Both of them need family and a sense of where they’re from, even when the truth is awful to comprehend. The author has such a talent for playing with the reader’s emotions, letting us feel for a character then finding out they’ve done something terrible or making us feel sorry for a character we dislike, because of something they’ve experienced. Her characters are always complicated and flawed, but this was the next level. I loved watching Sally start to thrive with the support of those around her. She uses the money she inherits to renovate a cottage closer to the village. She starts to build relationships with her dad’s sister Aunt Christine and her Uncle Mark too. The high point is a lovely party at Sally’s cottage with a bouncy castle for the kids, which she is even persuaded to try herself. Then a stranger from New Zealand turns up at her door and I was riveted to the story from then on to see how this will affect Sally. Can two damaged people console and support each other, or will they drag each other down? We are about to witness the difference between growing up opposite sides of the wall. This was a fascinating novel, especially if you love psychological thrillers and studying how someone’s start in life contributes to the person they are. I was also fascinated with the idea that those who heal can also hurt. When your adopted child is also your subject, your academic reputation and possibly even your funding lines become blurred. The author created a character that I was so emotionally invested in, she will definitely stay with me.

A story to keep you on the edge of your seat, delving into the depravity of man but also a world of hope and support (so hard not to say too much and ruin it).

We meet Sally Diamond who is definitely strange, although no official diagnoses has been given. She struggles to relate to other people, and prefers to be left alone. Her love of the piano is her only indulgence. When her father dies, a spotlight is shone on her and her history and its a really strange one, one that explains much of Sally's oddness. But for Sally, all this is new news. She will need to find a way to adapt to this information, and uncover her horrific childhood which will continue to haunt her.

Its a story of hope and rebirth on one side, but also of torture and control. So much care has been taken to develop each and every character. Sally is innocent, naïve and untethered. She is desperate to find her way, despite her obstacles, and those around her rise up to offer her the support she needs. There is so much pathos in her story, and we will her to triumph,

Her nemesis is also a victim of circumstance, he is unhinged and controlling, morally misguided, but also so desperate for love, and trying to find his own way. The story should be so sad, and there are moments which are completely horrifying, but the author deftly switches between the dark scenes and ones of rebirth and potential.

Its a complete rollercoaster of a ride, and impossible to put down no matter what emotions they spark. A dark tale I will not forget quickly.

Strange Sally Diamond is the fifth novel from Irish author Liz Nugent.

Having read the previous four, I should have known better than to let myself be lulled into a false sense of security and assume that Liz had gone in a different writing direction. I actually got to one part and said "ah, there we go" out loud 😂😂

Sally Diamond's Dad has recently passed away. He always joked that Sally should put him out with the bins when he died - and unfortunately, that's exactly what she does.

When news of Sally's actions reach the local village, people are shocked - Sally has always kept herself to herself. But news travels fast - and soon, Sally's past comes back to haunt her in spectacular fashion.

Cold cases, family secrets, and a long lost teddy bear - who is Sally Diamond?

I really enjoyed this, but I like Liz's writing style in general. It's incredibly readable, and I found it hard to put down. I found Sally hard to warm to, but I was rooting for her, and wanted her to be happy. I felt that some of the other characters were a little harsh with her given what she'd been through, but I suppose nobody knows how they'd react in those situations (and I sincerely hope I never find out, thank you very much)!

Warnings galore here, it's incredibly hard to read at times, mainly due to the graphic nature of the cruelty & violence in some chapters. I did have to take a breather from it at times, some of the incidents were really upsetting, so do approach with caution if you find that kind of thing hard to read.

If you like a good thriller, you can't get better than Ireland's women at the moment. They're all playing an absolute blinder, and Liz is no exception. She's an auto-buy author for me, so while I read this on Netgalley with thanks to @vikingbooksuk , I did buy a copy for myself too.

This was absolutely magnificent, exactly what one would expect from Liz Nugent. Nobody does family dynamics and eerie like her

Such a hard book to review. On the one hand, I loved the dark subject matter, but at the same time I struggled with the writing style and the endless exposition in the dialogue. The protagonist had Eleanor Oliphant vibes which I didn't mind, but some of the contrivances of the plot were hard to suspend disbelief for - SPOILER the fact that a head of cyber security would send his DNA through the post when he has taken care never to leave a digital footprint was actually ridiculous...he would definitely have seen Minority Report! Also Sally's ability to have SO many friends in such a short time was very unrealistic. At the same time, I could not put the book down and overall would say I enjoyed it.

This was so good I stayed up most of the night to keep reading!

Strange Sally Diamond once had another name but she doesn’t remember that. Her adoptive mother and father disagreed on when to share the story of her early years and when her mother dies her father takes the action he thinks best. To keep her safe, protected and without the knowledge of where she came from. But at what cost?

When he dies all that Sally knows is their sheltered existence and that needs to change so she can live happily among her community, in spite of her …quirks. But can anyone ever really change? Is life cyclical and do we inevitably revert back to our default?

I confess the ending of this book felt a little rushed compared to the rest of the book but maybe that is because I want to know what happens after, when the dust has settled.

Had me hooked from the start, a great page turner, would highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.