This is a very cleverly told story, with many twists and turns. Some of the story I guessed earlier on, and other parts were a mystery until near the very end. This was my first of this series and I was entering it a late stage, The author provided enough detail though to make it workable and covered enough background to make things make sense for the reader. Although some of the background characters were well established, it was also a new story with new characters and challenges to be solved. Which meant that while starting fresh in book 11, it still felt like coming home and the characters were easy to adapt to especially the relationship between Maeve and Josh. Of course, now I’ve been left on a cliffhanger and need to find out what happens in the next book! thanks very much to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for a review.

Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins Australia and Jane Casey for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Maeve Kerrigan series is one of my favourite thriller series. All of the books have been fantastic 5 star reads and A Stranger in the Family was no exception.

The writing was excellent, the plot genius and the characters feel almost like family after so many books. I was drawn in immediately and couldn't put it down.
I love the chemistry between Maeve and Josh, but honestly, just let them get together already!

This story had all the feels. It was also intriguing and mysterious, with great twists.
After that cliffhanger ending, I can't wait for the next installment, but please don't undo the progress between Maeve and Josh, it's been far too long in the making.

I highly recommend.

5 stars from me. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

A police procedural with heart!

A frail older couple found dead in their bedroom. Could this be connected to the disappearance of their daughter sixteen years earlier? It’s up to DS Maeve Kerrigan to find out.

This book was fast paced, funny in places, and contained a dual timeline which I always love from a mystery-thriller. The main character Maeve was honest and likeable, and I found her sarcastic inner voice amusing. Settings were described really well making it very easy to picture the scenes.

There was a bit of a love interest side story which I didn’t care for as much and I felt that at times too much focus was given to this rather than the mystery element. However, if I’d read the other books in the series (I intend to now) I may have been more familiar with and more invested in the characters.

The twists and turns kept me guessing and the family dynamics made me emotional. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for this ARC.

*4.5 stars
The 11th book in the Maeve Kerrigan series - A Stranger in the Family can be read as a standalone (which is what it was for me), or within the series. I found not having read any of the other books in the series I still understood the plot and to some degree what had happened between characters previously.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the character development throughout and the plot was extremely enjoyable. Thriller with a dash of romance. Would I go back and read the previous books? Probably not - but will I want to read the next in the series? Definitely.

This book had lots of twists and turns that you don't see coming. You may think you know what will happen, but you definitely won't guess correctly.

I loved the main characters and how they evolved throughout the book - which makes me want to come back for the next book.

FILE DID NOT WORK SO COULD NOT READ. NOT SURE WHY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT DIDN'T WORK. I HOPE IT WORKS FOR OTHERS. SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD BOOK.

This was hard to get into as someone who hadn't read any of the previous books in the series. I thought this was readable as a standalone, but while the mystery plot was interesting, overall this was a slog with too much of the other messy romance stuff between characters I was unfamiliar with and didn't care about.

A Stranger in the Family (by Jane Casey) is the eleventh book in the Maeve Kerrigan / Josh Derwent series. I requested it as there's not been much about lately and am extremely relieved I did as I loved it. It was a huge surprise. According to Goodreads I've read the first four books in the series and missed out on reading any since. 

Kerrigan and Derwent have come a long way since then and I was surprised to see there'd been a flirtation and perhaps some feelings on one or both sides. And though the will they / won't they was part of the novel and an element I certainly enjoyed, it doesn't overshadow the investigation at hand.

It won't matter if this is your first book in this series as Casey is obviously well versed at providing context and backstory without belabouring it. It means though I'm unsure now if I want to go back and read books 5-10, though suspect the crimes at their centre would be worth it.

Here we're offered a couple of mysteries for the price of one, though one has led to the other. I was only reading an electronic version so the transition from past to present wasn't entirely clear at the beginning of the book. I hadn't read the blurb so assumed the focus would be on a missing girl, rather than the murder of her parents sixteen years later. Interestingly I'd kinda 'bonded' with Helena in the beginning so was slightly horrified as I learned more about her all of these years later.

It's easy to assume you know where this book is heading. Of course the crimes are linked. But most interesting is the disappearance of nine-year old Rosalie years before. Casey gives us some suspects and motives, and then hints at others in Rosalie's past.

Casey includes a heap of twists along the way here, so it's ultimately hard to work out what direction this book and its investigation will take. I certainly did not guess at the 'who' when they're eventually revealed.

And then we're back to Kerrigan and Derwent. There's certainly an attraction there but he's with someone else. Sort-of. And just when we think there's a resolution... Casey goes and ends this on a huge cliffhanger which has bumped this up to a 4.5 star read for me. Argh! Roll on book 12.

Every mother's worst nightmare . . . When nine-year-old Rosalie Marshall vanished from her bed one summer night, her disappearance tore her family apart. Now, sixteen years later, her mother Helena is found dead, her husband by her side. It looks like a straightforward murder-suicide but DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent soon discover nothing about this case is straight forward.

I really enjoy books by this author and this one was no exception, a continuation in a great series. What is initially thought of as the suicide of a woman and her husband it soon becomes apparent that it is much bigger case for DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent, now with a double murder on their hands to solve. We are also beginning to see the attraction these two detectives really have for each other which is presented realistically and you are taken in by the emotions felt between the two.

Excellent strong characters bring the story to life and once again the housework was left as I immersed myself in the book. Great plot that leads the reader down a path that makes you wonder where it is all going and I really had no idea how this would resolve, this to me is an indicator of a great book. If you have not tried this series I suggest you do as you will not be disappointed. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

That epilogue!!! Really?!? My god a Stranger in the family was an absolutely captivating and maddening story.

16 years ago Rosalie Marshall disappeared. Now detectives Maeve and Josh have been called to what looks like a murder/suicide of Rosalie’s parents. What happened to Rosalie 16 years ago and who had reason to want her parents dead?
This was a thrilling ride! I really enjoy these kinds of stories and Jane Casey did not disappoint! I really enjoyed the dynamic between Josh and Maeve although I did feel like their relationship did steer things away from the story. Aside from that A Stranger in the House was a really good read and the last 85% had me on the edge of my seat!!

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers Aus for the arc!

A thriller with romantic suspense... a must read for Maeve Kerrigan fans! Maybe wait until closer to the release of book 12 because it's going to be a long and hard wait with that ending 🫣😬😆.

This was a gripping and fast paced crime thriller/police procedural with Maeve and Derwent investigating the murder-suicide of Rosalie's parents. Rosalie herself has been missing for 16 years and her disappearance may be connected with what happened to her parents.

I believe having read The Outsider (stand alone) last month made this even more enjoyable!

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

⚠️ Please check TWs online ⚠️

Jane Casey delivers a masterclass at notching up the tension while balancing a compelling mystery and the personal life of her heroine in the 11th DS Maeve Kerrigan installment, 'A Stranger in the Family'. Maeve and the team, including boss/landlord/friend DI Josh Derwent investigate a double murder with links to an unsolved missing person case 16 years ago. Meanwhile, Maeve grapples with all the potential messy consequences of her and Josh’s clear mutual attraction, something she’s only come to realise in the last book.

The mystery had clever twists and turns that were difficult to guess and had me glued to the page. Most poignant and heartbreaking were the Rosalie chapters. Casey seamlessly balances between the case and the combustable attraction between Maeve and Josh, which makes this series so compelling. Maeve has been oblivious for a long time, so it’s good to see this finally develop. Fraught with tension (and holy smokes, I nearly fainted!), the two dance on the precipice of giving into their feelings. It's raw, extremely messy (yes, agree Liv and Georgia. I really did want to yell at both of them, especially Josh), but very human and also a natural step forward given how their relationship has developed ever since Josh arrived in book two.

With its gripping mystery and the most delicious, sizzling chemistry between these two compelling characters, I consumed this book like the fire that burns between Maeve and Josh. By the final two words, my jaw hit the ground. This is one of the best police procedurals with characters that feel so real I'm always me greedy for more. I cannot wait for book 12! I'm calling this early, but I think this is going to be one of the best crime novels of 2024.

Massive thanks to Harper Collins Australia/Hemlock Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I have pre-ordered my own copy and audiobook.