A Stranger in the House: A Novel

This one was a great book that unfolded at a perfect pace. What's presented in the first couple chapters is like just surface level and as you go, the layers just keep revealing themselves. I rally enjoy her writing style and the fact that I will ignore everything else to keep reading. It's truly great writing.

Shari Lapena is one of my favorite authors of this genre. She knows how to weave a great story that is believable and can keep you in suspense. I gave this one a four because I thought the beginning was a bit slow-moving and I figured out the whodunnit quite early in the book. This book wasn't as descriptive as some of her others, which made it feel rushed. There's a recurring character from the Couple Next Door, Detective Rasbach who helps solve the mystery.

I will start off by saying that I do not normally reach for domestic thrillers. A Stranger in the House was a wild ride and I loved every minute of it. I read the majority of the book in a little over two hours, and I’m pretty sure my heart was beating a little faster than normal.The book is told from a few different perspectives, which takes some getting used to, but once you get past the first few chapters the story flows really well. Karen and Tom are your typical upper middle class, suburban newlyweds. They’re comfortable in their routine until Karen has a nasty car accident and can’t remember what caused it. Suddenly, Tom finds himself questioning if the woman he married is who she says she is. Karen and Tom both have secrets they’d rather not reveal, but their lives might depend on the truth coming out.My favorite part of this story was the changing perspectives. Tom, Karen, and their neighbor Brigid are all unreliable narrators. They’re never telling the whole truth, and it makes you as the reader wonder if you can trust them. The characters are all pretty flat, and if I’m being honest, Tom is super gullible and naïve. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he and Karen are in marriage counseling and on the brink of a pricey divorce if I checked in on them today. It’s hard to describe this book in detail without spoiling anything. It’s pretty formulaic for a thriller/mystery, so I would say that if you’ve read a lot of these types of books then you’ll probably see everything coming.I initially gave this a 4 star rating but I’m changing it to a 3 star now that I’ve had some time to really take in what I read. As I said before, this is my first domestic thriller, so I don’t have much to compare it to. I thought it was a great read and I would recommend it, but I found that I disliked all of the characters and couldn’t identify with them. At times I found myself screaming at my book because Tom especially, was being a total boob. I will say that this book has made me want to reach for more domestic thrillers in the future and read more of Shari Lapena’s books. I think her writing is easy to read and get through super quick.

Every single one of this authors book that I read is amazing. Good thriller, hard to put down when you start reading!

Although the basic plot of A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE is familiar, especially to those who watch soap operas and Lifetime movies, Shari Lapena adds some great twists and turns that make the story unique. I read from cover to cover in one overnight sitting, an admonition to those who start a new book before going to bed.Karen and Tom Krupp live an idyllic life in suburbia until one fateful night when she disappears. Her car is gone when Tom arrives home from work, but her purse and phone are in the house, along with a partially cooked dinner. Hours pass until Tom hears the dreaded knock on the door.Karen is in the hospital with a concussion and memory loss, having crashed her car into a pole in the seedy part of a nearby city. Evidence indicates that she was speeding and lost control of her vehicle. The woman who has never had a parking ticket now may be arrested for reckless driving. The police are suspicious of Karen's memory loss, especially when they later learn that a crime has been committed in the area of her accident.Karen Krupp Is sure that someone has been in her house after she returns to recuperate. She is certain that she would never leave a glass by the sink or neglect to close a bottle of perfume. Tom dismisses her suspicions, attributing them to amnesia.As her fears intensify, so does the police investigation into Karen's accident. Even Tom is beginning to question her memory loss. What would make her rush from her suburban home into a dangerous part of the city? Only her neighbor and best friend, Brigid, buys Karen's story.Brigid is a peculiar woman. Married to the owner of funeral homes, she spends her days knitting while staring at the Krupp house. If I hadn't known differently, I would have pegged Brigid as a little old lady - the neighborhood busybody. Instead, she is Karen's contemporary and cannot seem to do enough to help her friend.Just when I think I have solved the mystery, Shari Lapena throws in a new twist, sending me down another road. She does not complete the puzzle until the end, which makes this book a fun read. This is a terrific book for fans of the genre.

I have only recently been introduced to this author and I absolutely love her writing style. This book did not disappoint! Excellent read.

A brilliant read with twists and turns. Cleverly written with intrigue and suspense. This author creates a masterpiece. Loved it !

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I couldn't put it down, I liked it a lot. Great ending!