The stranger at the door by A J Willis is a psychological thriller, with twists and turns and an unexpected twist at the end.
Whilst there was plenty of action the characters were not the sort of people you would want to spend any time with. I thought it was okay book, just not a deeply flawed psychological thriller.

Was not sure what to expect from this but it kept me interested from the beginning to the end

Thanks so much for the opportunity to review

First, I would like to start off by saying thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for this ARC. This is my first book from A.J. Willis, after having several books from this author on my TBR shelf for months.

Gwyneth is a widow who remarried to Harvey about two years prior to the timeline that this takes place in. Gwyneth's late husband, Lionel, was a collector of antiques, and Gwyneth took over his antique store after his passing and runs the store on Wednesdays. Gwyneth prefers to take the two mile walk to and from town when it isn't raining and one day after closing up her shop, while walking home, she is struck by a vehicle and gets rushed to the hospital where she is in a coma.

The police arrive at Gwyneth and Harvey's home to inform Harvey of the accident and transport Harvey to the hospital to see his wife who is stable, but the hospital is unsure of what her condition will be until she wakes up from her coma and the swelling in her brain subsides. The police immediately begin investigating this incident due to the nature of the hit and run.

Harvey is struggling to cope with this shocking news and uncertain outcome after only two years of marriage to Gwyneth. Will she wake up in a week? A month? Several months? Will she still have her memory? Will Harvey become her caregiver and her husband if she doesn't make a full recovery? The outcome is unknown. Harvey doesn't know very much about Gwyneth's upbringing and family and only knows that she has been estranged from her mother for 30+ years.

One morning, when Harvey arrives at the hospital to visit his wife and help with minor tasks (ensuring her hands and lips are moisturized), he finds that there is a woman at Gwyneth's bedside who has a striking resemblance to his wife, but is much older. She introduces herself as Freya, Gwyneth's mother, and while speaking with Harvey, she mentions that she was going to stay in her car and just wanted to be there for Gwyneth after so many years apart.

Freya is taking over Gwyneth's care and pushing Harvey onto the sidelines. When she moves in with Harvey she becomes a total nightmare to deal with, stating the bed in the guest bedroom is unsuitable, leaving a mess all over the house, she dyes her hair blonde to match Gwyneth and starts wearing Gwyneth's clothing. Harvey can't take much more and tries to offer to pay for an Airbnb closer to the hospital, but Freya talks him into letting her stay time and time again.

Due to Freya's odd behavior, Harvey digs into her past and is shocked to discover the truth of who this stranger in his house is.

This book was full of twists and turns and kept my attention from start to finish. I was on the edge of my seat trying to piece together who Freya is, and when it was finally revealed, I was speechless. The twists didn't stop there, though. They just kept coming with Harvey, and with Gwyneth and the ending was completely unexpected! I would definitely recommend this book.

This book is about Harvey and Gwyneth, a lovely couple but Gwyneth suddenly gets into an accident and a coma… Gwyneth’s mother comes into their life but Harvey suspects that she might be not be as innocent as she seems.
The story of this book sounded really good, I am a big fan of AJ Wills but unfortunately this one fell a bit flat to me compared to his previous works. It felt quite predictable and something about the pace was not it for me.
I would have preferred having more characters and something more than just Freya and Harvey’s indifferences.
I gave this book 2.5 stars because it honestly wasn’t bad at all but just not what I personally expected.
Thank you NetGalley and AJ Wills for the ARC!

This was brilliant thriller with such a tense atmosphere throughout. It was full of twists and turns which kept me hooked from start to finish. I loved the writing style and how well written the characters were written. Overall I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to read more from this talented author. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

Brilliant story about who you can trust. Lots of twists. Really good book . Had me up all nightreading this..⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed reading this one, and I’m sure our author had fun writing it because you can’t tell me they weren’t laughing at how the husband was written in this. It was absolutely brilliant because I wanted to choke him every moment of him inviting and then showing off their house to this new “guest.” This was such a great thriller with all the twists, and I loved the ending. Well done!

Another unputdownable twisting read from A J Wills.

Full of twists and turns as it unravels who the stranger is.

Had me talking to the book, telling Harvey not to trust, when the stranger arrives at his wife’s side.

There were a few surprises throughout.

Keep up the good work A.J Wills.

This was a terrible book could not finish it which is very unusual for me.but just was bored with this story.

Physiological thriller full of twists. This had me reading late into the night totally obsessed who knocked her over and who is this mysterious women really. So many questions and so much tension full of emotion and underlying is everything as it seems. I loved the way the truth was finally revealed and wondered how I'd missed ot. Such clever writing. You made me hate and pity Freda as well as being angry at Harvey. Thank you for this hard to put down story that had me totally gripped from page 1. Look forward to the next.
Thanks to netgallery and publisher and author fir this highly recommended 5 star read .

Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Harvey’s wife Gwyneth has been a victim of a hit and run. While she lies in the hospital in a coma, the police is investigating the accident and one of Gwyneth long lost family members show up. Who is Freya, what’s behind her odd behaviour and what really happened to Gwyneth?

I loved the start of the book and there’s great suspense to see how things will unravel with Harvey and Freya but I had to stop at 65%. I’m happy to suspend belief for a good book but this story felt so far fetched and Harvey so weak to deal with so many red flags that I had to stop. I found incredibly really frustrated while reading so I’m not going to finish it.

I would be interested to try another book by the author with a different story.

A. J. Wills has done it again with The Stranger at the Door, delivering a tense, psychological thriller that will keep you hooked from the very first page. Release date: October 15, 2024.

The story centers around Harvey, whose wife Gwyneth is left in a coma after a devastating hit-and-run accident. As he struggles with the heartache of her condition, spending every day by her bedside, a new and unexpected element enters his life: Freya, Gwyneth’s estranged and domineering mother. Freya’s sudden appearance after years of silence raises all kinds of red flags, and it quickly becomes clear that she has her own agenda—one that threatens to unravel Harvey’s world even further.

What I loved about this book is how Wills layers the tension. Harvey’s grief and confusion are palpable, and Freya’s controlling behavior brings a sinister edge to the story. You can’t help but feel for Harvey as he tries to navigate these complicated relationships, all while the police struggle to find Gwyneth’s attacker. The mystery is cleverly built, and the psychological twists will keep you guessing right up until the final page.

Freya is a fantastic character—on the surface, she seems frail and vulnerable, but there’s something much darker lurking beneath. The secrets between her and Gwyneth add to the suspense, and just when you think you have it all figured out, Wills throws in another twist that will leave you stunned.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers with plenty of twists and turns, The Stranger at the Door is a must-read. Wills does a great job keeping the reader on edge, with a chilling atmosphere and a conclusion that will blow you away.

Thanks to NetGalley and A. J. Wills for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. A gripping, suspenseful read from start to finish!

Another good thriller by A J Wills. The police arrived at Harvey's home to inform him that his wife has been in an accident and is told at the hospital that she is in a coma. Was it an accident or deliberate. This book will keep you guessing, good plot and characters (though not all nice). Thanks to Victory editing and Netgalley for this review ARC

This was such a great psychological thriller novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the genre. I thought the characters were realistic and worked with the story being told. A J Wills was able to keep me reading and thought the overall story worked in the genre.

Harvey is trying to come to terms with his wife, Gwyneth's near fatal accident. She is in a coma and the police have no leads. Harvey visits every day, moisturizing Gwyneth's lips and hands. Suddenly a woman shows up claiming to be Gwyneth's mother, Freya. She takes over and Harvey feels shunned. This story was well written with an excellent buildup of suspense and enough thrills to keep you engaged. The final twist stunned me. I would definitely recommend this book. I received an advance copy of this book via Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

Whyyyyyy. Why would you invite a stranger into your home? I was screaaaaming reading this book. What are you thinking sir? So so crazy.

A J Willis always gets me hooked right away, this book was full of suspense and tension that had me reading until the very end,

The Stranger At The Door
By: A.J. Wills

4 Stars

This story was what I would call a grabber. It grabs and keeps hold of you till the very end. Harvey is under suspicion when his wife is involved in a hit in run and ends up in the hospital. While dealing with his wife and the cops, a new person shows up. She claims to be his wifes mother? But who is she really?

This book was a crazy but well written story. It had me hooked from the start. It was psychological with mystery and thrills throughout. It leaves you wanting more, but not wanting it to end. It was descriptive, had well thought out characters, and was action-packed. By the end, I was shocked and really enjoyed such a well-rounded read. I would love to read more books by this author.


*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

very hateable characters, every single last one of them. delicious and fun book that was a worth it read, although the protag was a bit painful

Rounding up from 4.5 stars

This psychological thriller kept my attention from page one. From the beginning, my thoughts were swirling in my head. Whose body is in the basement? Who is narrating that first chapter? Then I started developing suspects because it was too much to assume the "accident" was an accident. Next I started coming up with theories of who Freya is and what are her motives. In the end I figured a few things out earlier than I would have liked but overall this book had me hooked and I read it cover to cover in one day!

I have yet to be disappointed in a book written by AJ Wills and I look forward to the next release!

Thank you to Netgalley and AJ Wills. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Release date 10/15/24