It was all about the title for our March book club selection, A Stranger in the House, by Shari Lapena. A little intrigue, a little mystery, and some good cover art really sucked me in – I could not wait for all of us to start this book.
I do not like to give too much away, so I will write just enough of the plot to entice you all!
Tom receives a phone call that his wife Karen has been in a car accident in a sketchy part of town — somewhere that a “typical” housewife would never find herself. That same night, a murder occurs in close proximity to the car accident, and evidence suggests that Karen was involved. The problem is that Karen cannot remember anything about the accident or how she ended up in that neighborhood. As the story unfolds, we find that Karen has secrets to hide – but her friends and husband also are hiding secrets. As all these secrets come to light, we are led to believe that there is indeed a stranger in the house … or many strangers, as we discover that no one is whom he or she seems to be. The ending leaves you with answers and yet questions about these complex, fictional characters. We all loved it!
This is not Lapena’s first book. She is a Canadian author with several thrillers under her belt. However, this novel includes a character from her previous book, The Couple Next Door. Detective Rasbach is back to investigate another crime in upstate New York. Some of our members even chose him as their favorite character!
One of our contributors, Michelle, pointed out that he provided an “unbiased voice of reason who made you see everyone and everything a little different.” Perhaps this was the author’s intent …
We all agreed that this thriller was the right mix of suspense, drama, and fiction without being gory or unbelievable – a win from all of us! We hope you enjoyed it as well.
Our next month’s pick is The Invention of Wings by Susan Monk Kidd. Check back next month for our review!
