Another triumph by Liz Nugent, an author who isn't afraid to go to the darkest places we can imagine with some of the worst people. SSD reminded me of Room meets Eleanor Oliphant. There were points where I wanted to reach into the book's pages and shake some of the characters (well. one in particular) and I knew that because this was Liz Nugent a happy ending was far from guaranteed. A work of genius.

First time that I have read this author. Interesting premise. Mixed feelings about the storyline as some of it unbelievable but I kept reading as a lot of it was pulling me in.. I felt the ending far too rushed and left me hanging. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

This really is a book that I can see being much talked about on its March release, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to meet Sally Diamond before she ventures into the world.
From the opening chapter I was desperate to find out more about our main character. Socially isolated, Sally has lived in rural Ireland with her father since her mother’s stroke. She has her routines, does her best to avoid talking to people and follows her father’s wishes when she burns him as part of the household rubbish following his death.
It’s clear from the opening that Sally is unconventional. Her actions bring about unexpected interest…and reveal that Sally was not who she thought and that her past is a more troubled one than you could have imagined.
I don’t want to reveal any of the details that we learn about Sally, but my heart broke for her as she learns the truth about her experience and finds herself dealing with situations that are so far removed from her comfort zone.
This was an ambitious book. How realistic the portrayal of the characters and their situations is, I wouldn’t dare to comment on, but I can’t see anyone being unmoved by the story that begins with Strange Sally.

After the death of her adoptive father, Sally puts him out with the rubbish. She doesn’t understand why everyone thinks that this is so strange, this is what her father had told her to do. This gains a load of media attention and Sally starts to learn about the horror of her biological father.

If you liked Wednesday on Netflix then this is certainly a book for you. It is safe to say I have never read a book like this in my life. The story line of her past is horrific. The different time lines and perspectives make it a gripping read. Sally herself is extremely socially awkward and I enjoyed reading about her learning how to forge friendships and relationships with others.

Even though I loved this story, the ending left me feeling a bit high and dry. I am hoping this is because a sequel is being written and if one isn’t planned for the pipe line, then it definitely should be!

I did enjoy this book but did find it hard going at certain points,the writing is great though and I will be looking at the authors back catalogue ( especially after the comments read re her other books ) this book was certainly an experience!

Yet another fantastic read by this author. I loved Strange Sally Diamond, Sally's early years were heartbreaking and horrific . Sally was not just a brilliant character, she was so believable., I laughed but also cried at her frustrations and honesty. A traumatic and harrowing read at times had me rooting for Sally throughout. Obviously a book by Liz Nugent'would not be complete without obnoxious and despicable characters . A superb read !

Where do I start. I’ve read this author before, but this book was just something else. There are some brilliant characters in the book, some just brilliant, others brilliantly awful. When I started it I thought it was going to be about a character on the spectrum, I had no idea how dark and disturbing the storyline would become. So well written this character driven novel is a proper gem, a diamond in fact! Written in multiple timelines and from various POV’s this is a compelling read.

Briefly, Sally Diamond is different. Sally will tell you that. She is neurodivergent, socially deficient and a loner. Since her mother died she has been brought up by her father and they relied totally on each other. Sally also takes everything she is told as fact so when her father dies she “puts him out with the rubbish”. This misunderstanding bring her to the attention of the police and the media, and soon after her past begins to unravel.

It’s hard not to mention some of the other characters, but to do so would be a big spoiler so you’re just going to have to read it for yourself. This book raises the issue of nature versus nurture and it’s a compelling story of how trusting children are of their parents despite everything. As the story progresses you can’t help but feel horror at many of the revelations but there are still little bits of humour to break the tension. A wonderful book that must be heading for awards.

I absolutely loved this book. Now I've finished reading it I have a bit of a book hangover and that rarely happens to me.

Sally is an interesting and quirky character. You might be lead to believe that she put her deceased father out for rubbish collection because she's autistic but her situation is much more complex than that. You'll have to read the book to find out why.

I love that this story is dark and disturbing but tempered with humor. I really didn't know what direction the plot was going in but I enjoyed being along for the ride. I was completely gripped from the first page and thought the ending was thought provoking.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone that enjoys a dark thriller.

Forty-year-old Sally Diamond – socially deficient as she refers to herself- lives a secluded life with her father on the outskirts of a village. After he dies, and she reads the letters he has left for her, she starts to appreciate why she might have such far reaching issues.
This however is just the tip of the iceberg in Liz Nugent’s latest page turner of a thriller. Strange Sally Diamond is a dark, engrossing read, impossible to put down, but with unsettling content only made readable due to Liz Nugent’s calm and detached writing style.
As the story unfolds, the result of a single evil act expands over the years and across the world, affecting more and more people. It is impossible to empathise with any of the characters, villain or victim, damaged as they all are. This is a clever, measured work and can have no comfortable conclusion.

Sally Diamond does what her father said to do when he dies. Unfortunately she took him literally when he said to put him out with the rubbish.. When the furore dies down things about Sally's past come out and she faces challenges while she finds out about herself. Quirky and funny.

Over her first four psychological thrillers, Irish author Liz Nugent has shown she’s a master at taking readers into some dark, twisted corners of family relationships. She’s particularly been a magician with hard-to-like protagonists, igniting our curiosity, fascination, even empathy through her rich characterisation, superb prose, and sublime storytelling.

Nugent may have raised the bar even higher with her new novel, Strange Sally Diamond. I devoured this unique tale in a few hours over a single day. It’s page-whirrer, with depth, and a truly unforgettable main character.

Sally Diamond is a ‘socially deficient’ lady in her 40s whose neurodivergence and occasional extreme outbursts may be more nurture rather than nature. Or not. While she’s led a perhaps too-sheltered teenage and adulthood thanks to her adopted parents - particularly her ex-psychiatrist father, her early years were about as grossly traumatic as they could be.

Though Sally can’t remember them.

So when her fellow villagers and the police are horrified by what Sally did, she can’t understand why. She was just doing what her father asked. When he dies, no fuss, just “put him out with the bins”. You burn rubbish, right? Public notoriety brings extra pressure on a woman struggling to find her place, but as Sally comes into herself and starts connecting with others, even starting to make a few friends in her her own way, her terrible past comes back too. Letters, and more.

Nugent takes readers on quite a ride, using a full palette of emotions. STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND is dark, and funny. It's got hope, and despair. It traverses some of the worst that humanity can offer (TW for pedophilia, sexual abuse, etc) - though we're usually not 'in the room' for that, just knowing it has happened - while smoothly telling a fascinating story about an unforgettable character. And casting rays of light among the shadows. Can we feel empathy for victims turned violent? For good intentions perhaps tainted by ego that maybe led to bad outcomes?

Nugent and Sally make readers FEEL. Not always comfortable things, but lots of things.

Exquisite storytelling from a masterful author.

[This is an extended version of a shorter review written for the April 2023 issue of Good Reading magazine]

You can rely on Irish author Liz Nugent to deliver on a strong psychological thriller with a sinister undertone. And with Strange Sally Diamond she absolutely does not let us down. It covers some pretty serious themes while giving us the highly memorable character of Sally Diamond.

Sally Diamond lives in a small Irish village, Carricksheedy with her adoptive parents. She’s in her 40s but still lives at home, a creature of habit you could say, but with Sally there’s a far deeper reason. The characterisation of Sally is the heart of this book and when her nuances are first revealed – she doesn’t like being touched, she pretends she’s deaf so she doesn’t have to make conversation with people, she has issues controlling her temper – you do wonder why, but I don’t think you’ll guess at the reason.

Sally is child-like in a lot of her interactions, learning how she should respond in social situations and high-fiving herself when she navigates interacting with other people. She also has no natural filter – although she is getting better at not saying everything that comes to her mind. This leads to some chuckle-moments when you see her holding back on what she wanted to say.

These lighter moments are great for balancing out the darker themes that Strange Sally Diamond goes on to explore.

When her father dies, Sally takes him literally when he tells her to ‘put him out with the bins’ – so she does. This causes quite a stir in the local community and the police come knocking. This is the trigger for Sally’s past to be unearthed. Her father left her letters telling her the truth about how he came to adopt her. We then discover, along with Sally just what happened.

To go too much into that would take away from the impact of the story but I will say there are some very serious and potentially triggering topics that come into play, including abduction and abuse. These were not easy to read about but as Sally had already been so strongly established as a character, your heart just goes out to her and you want to find out more.

The story is so well written and perfectly paced, you just can’t help but be drawn in.

The ending of Strange Sally Diamond wasn’t what I was expecting in one way, but when I remind myself this is a Liz Nugent novel, it is the only way the ending could be. Sorry for that ambiguous note to finish this review on but there’s no ambiguity in how much I loved this book. A compelling look at the darkest side of human nature and how good can blossom from even those situations.

Sally Diamond’s father told her to burn him with the rubbish when he died, so she literally did just that. This act brought her to the attention of people outside of her remote village and when a teddy bear from her childhood arrives in the post it seems her past is starting to catch up with her.

A beautiful book, funny and absolutely fascinating but heartbreaking too. Read it.

I’d like to thank Penguin General UK, Sandycove and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Strange Sally Diamond’ by Liz Nugent in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

When her adoptive father Tom Diamond died Sally puts his body in a black sack and heaves it into the domestic incinerator as that’s what he told her to do. He leaves her three letters to read telling details of her birth and Sally soon becomes renowned for being the child of Denise Norton who was held captive for fourteen years and her abductor Conor Geary. As Sally attempts to combat her anger issues she receives a parcel from New Zealand containing a teddy that she recognised from her childhood, and becomes terrified that her birth father is searching for her.

‘Strange Sally Diamond’ is the brilliantly written story of Sally who I was so entranced by that I didn’t want it to stop. It charts the history of Sally who works hard to rise above her traumatic start in life to when she finds out about an uncle and a brother Peter who she didn’t know existed. I feel emotionally drained after reading about the fantastic character of Sally and didn’t want to stop. The story is harrowing, haunting, funny and is absolutely unforgettable, and if you read just one book this year make sure it’s ‘Strange Sally Diamond’.

This is the first book that I've read by Liz Nugent but I will certainly be seeking out more of her books after enjoying this one as much as I did.
It takes a dark subject matter but makes it moving and fully engrossing.
Sally was definitely a special character that I won't forget for some time.
My only issue was the ending, which I won't spoil but it left me feeling a bit disheartened, especially after everything that Sally and we had been through as readers.
All I can say is that this is truly a must read, especially if you like a twisty and dark kind of story.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly don’t know how to start reviewing this book. From the first page I was gripped and intrigued, wanting to find out more about Sally Diamond. .

As a story unfolds, my initial perception of Sally was turned on his head . The behaviours she displayed, are not purely characteristic traits, but they are symptoms of her deeply entrenched, traumatic childhood experiences.

I will not go onto the storyline as a feel readers should come into this book blind, enjoying the story as an each revelation is slowly and expertly revealed.

Sally Diamond stole a piece of my heart,. First class writing by Liz Nugent who takes a dark, bleak story and makes it page turning, moving and thought provoking.

Strange Sally Diamond might end up being one of my best reads of 2023. I think it will certainly be a very popular book these next few years.

We meet Sally, just at the point where she has possibly committed a criminal act. She’s a neurodivergent character and suddenly, everything she has known her 40 odd years on earth has been turned up side down and we go on a journey with her trying to figure out how to navigate her new life.

As the story unfolds we learn more about her past and how she came to be Sally. Her past trauma is disturbing and at times upsetting. However, as well as having some grim, heartbreaking moments this book is also heartwarming and at times laugh out loud! That scene in the coffee shop with the racist Texaco worker had me in stitches! The subtle comedy was brilliantly written.

This book is fantastic and will be very popular this year! It was well on its way to being 5 star plus right up until 98% of the book but that ending wasn’t for me. It felt rushed and a little pointless.

This book is still a cracker though and I’ll shout about it all year, a definite must read?!

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent is my favourite book of the year to date, and I have a strong suspicion that it will still be high in my rankings come year end. Sally Diamond is a wonderful creation, vividly brought to life on the page by Nugent's excellent characterisation. From the very first paragraphs it is clear that there is something different about Sally, and as her story unfolds and the reasons for these differences are revealed , she becomes more understandable and more loveable despite being as blunt and socially awkward as ever. Being a Liz Nugent book, I knew to expect darkness and bite along with the humour, and I was not disappointed. It is difficult to write this review without giving too much away, but this is definitely a case where the reader will benefit by going in almost blind.
Sally has had a lonely and isolated upbringing in rural Ireland, and even more so since her mother died leaving her to be raised by her reclusive and over protective father. She has always been regarded as a little strange, probably because she is bluntly honest to a fault, takes everything literally and gets upset if her routines are challenged in any way. Now in her forties she is contentedly taking care of her father, and doesn't understand why people are shocked when she did what he told her to do, and put his body out with the bins following his death. Unable to understand that he was joking, she thinks she was honouring his last wishes and is surprised at the legal and media interest in her actions. As she makes headlines someone from her long forgotten past reaches out and opens a rather large can of worms .
Seeing Sally's growth over the course of the book was such a joy, as were the many wonderful characters that Nugent surrounded her with. The second narrative voice, who will remain unnamed in this review was an inspired choice and really added another dimension to the story. The pacing of the book is excellent, I could hardly bear to put it down as both narratives unfolded, each with their own surprises , and I have already been raving about it to friends and colleagues.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher ,all opinions are my own.

Strange Sally Diamond. I remember when I first saw the cover and heard the title, it was not what I was expecting. Then again I don't know what I was expecting. But quite honestly there couldn't have been a better title for this book.
Sally Diamond...I wonder will that name be forever etched on my mind.
What a brilliant story from author Liz Nugent. I am in awe of her mind, her words and her stories.
Strange Sally Diamond is so dark, it's harrowing and quite quite disturbing.
The talent the author has shines through the pages in her story telling.
It really is quite a creepy story but ultimately a devastating one...
I feel I will be recommending this one forever.

An incredibly absorbing and quirky read. Sally Diamond is such a likable, incredibly well crafted character that you can’t help being sucked into her life - and what a muddle she’s made!
Her difficulties as she struggles through her mistaken interpretation of her Dad’s instructions after death are so poignant and believable.
This story gripped me from the beginning and I read it in two sittings. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.