C. M. Ewan delivers another nail-biting, high-stakes thriller with Strangers in the Car, a story that grabs you from the first chapter and refuses to let go. What starts as an ordinary late-night drive quickly turns into a pulse-pounding nightmare when Abi and Ben make one split-second decision—one that leads them down a road of escalating fear and suspicion.

Ewan expertly captures the creeping sense of unease that comes from isolation, foggy backroads, and the terrifying unknown. Abi’s moral conflict—choosing between safety and compassion—sets the tone for a tense and emotionally charged journey. The introduction of the mysterious woman and baby only deepens the suspense, as nothing is quite as it seems.

The pacing is razor-sharp, with each chapter tightening the screws, forcing the reader to question who to trust and what’s really going on. Ewan’s knack for claustrophobic, real-time thrillers is on full display here. He skillfully plays with fear and vulnerability in a way that feels both grounded and terrifyingly plausible.

Strangers in the Car is more than just a thriller—it’s a story about instinct, trust, and the terrifying consequences of a single choice. With morally grey characters and constant tension, it delivers twists that feel both shocking and inevitable.

Perfect for fans of fast-paced, cinematic suspense, this is one ride where taking a wrong turn might just be fatal. A gripping and terrifying read that will have you questioning what you would do in the dead of night, on a deserted road, with strangers in the car.

Abi and Ben are driving home down foggy country roads, arguing about having had to cut short their weekend away when they take a wrong turn. Abi is behind the wheel, but her eyes leave the road for a moment as she says something to Ben just as he gasps. A man is in the road, waving a torch. Abi swerves to avoid him. Ben tells her they should stop and go back, but Abi refuses. It’s dark, the roads are isolated and they don’t know this stranger. But, as Abi continues on, they see a broken-down car. Every instinct is still telling Abi to drive by, but then she notices the woman holding a car seat with a baby in it. Abi can't bring herself to leave a mother and baby stranded in the middle of the night. But offering them a ride might take them down a dangerous road, a road from which they may never return! Wow now I really think twice about picking up strangers! lol great read! What a Chilling wild ride! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This book was intense! I felt anxious the entire time reading it! Strangers in the car is in the mysterious and thriller genre. Sometimes we are driving in the car and we just want to help strangers, which makes this story seem very realistic. This is however a fictional story that kept me on edge! It kept me up at night reading it! This book came with suspense, completely unpredictable plot twists and gave me chills!

This story centers around a couple, whose names are Ben and Abi. They are driving and end up taking a wrong turn down an eerie and creepy road, where they see a guy. They ignore him and keep on driving. As these two keep driving, they notice a car is broken down and it belongs to a Mother and a baby. What’s the best thing these two good people do? Offer the Mom and her baby help… Of course. This is where things start to get really creepy and disturbing! As this story unravels, you will feel like you’re in a claustrophobic car with them, just wanting to escape! Be sure to read the content warnings! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great mystery thriller read! I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars rating!

Thank you to NetGalley, author C.M. Ewan and Grand Central Publishing for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

"Stranger in the Car" is a fast-paced, edgy suspense novel. I enjoyed the way the narrative flipped between dual timelines, how the author kept me guessing but unable to put the pieces of the puzzle together, and how the suspense kept me on my toes. It's a great popcorn or fast-read thriller, perfect for a late night or flight. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

#StrangersInTheDark

This was a twisty, adrenaline filled read. This book picks up the pace quickly, and the author does a fantastic job of building dread from the get go.

The action starts quickly, and I liked the structure the author used to tell the story, flipping not only between perspectives of the characters but also flipping back in time to build to the events happening in the present.

Every time I thought I had an idea of where the story was going, another twist would come and I really couldn’t see where it was going until we got there. I read this book in one evening, I really couldn’t put it down. It’s a great, edge of your seat thriller.

My only criticism, is that there was something about the main character (Abi), that made her somewhat irksome. I think the intention was to make her unease indicative of foreshadowing in the beginning, but it came off as whiny and weak. She absolutely redeems herself, but the first third of the book with her just made her less appealing of a character to me.

Also, I love that this book is “wrapped up”. Sometimes I find thrillers tend to just have an abrupt ending and I very much appreciated that the ending was well thought out and left the reader without feeling like the book was ended in just a page or two.

Overall this was a good book, but I do not think it was the perfect book for me. It heavily leaned into the domestic thriller category, which I am not a huge fan of.