A Stranger in the House: A Novel

This book was thrilling and kept you guessing the entire time!you think you have it all figured out and then another twist occurs. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to read a good book that' make you not want to put it down.

The premise of this book is good...woman with memory loss involved in something suspicious. I really wanted to like this book, but I could not get past page 61 due to the awful writing. The author continually "tells" how the characters feel
instead of "shows" how they feel. As a consequence, the characters are flat and dull and it's hard to even know them, let alone like them. The descriptions of the settings read like those old text based video games...to the right there is a chair, in front there is a table, etc...so boring and without any life. The dialogue is simple and amateurish with the word "says" being way overused. On one page, where there are only two people talking, the word "says" appears 8 times. My eighth grade students can write better dialogue than this. I wanted to take my red pen to the whole thing. It was painful to read and I decided that I don't have the time to waste on a book that needed so many corrections and revisions.

***I received a copy of this book from netgalley***

This book was pretty good at the beginning. I was enjoying it all and had a hard time putting it down. Then things started going south, I did not like how Tom acted after what happened with his wife. Suspected Brigid was crazy from the get go. And that Karen hid more than even the reader knew. The only one I enjoyed thoroughly was detective Rasbach but only because I loved him in The couple next door.

Also the ending left a bitter taste in my mouth I did not enjoy it. And to give the psycho what she wanted? Really? It wasn't the worst but it wasn't the best either. The Couple Next Door was better.

This book was thrilling and kept you guessing the entire time!you think you have it all figured out and then another twist occurs. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to read a good book that' make you not want to put it down.

The premise of this book is good...woman with memory loss involved in something suspicious. I really wanted to like this book, but I could not get past page 61 due to the awful writing. The author continually "tells" how the characters feel
instead of "shows" how they feel. As a consequence, the characters are flat and dull and it's hard to even know them, let alone like them. The descriptions of the settings read like those old text based video games...to the right there is a chair, in front there is a table, etc...so boring and without any life. The dialogue is simple and amateurish with the word "says" being way overused. On one page, where there are only two people talking, the word "says" appears 8 times. My eighth grade students can write better dialogue than this. I wanted to take my red pen to the whole thing. It was painful to read and I decided that I don't have the time to waste on a book that needed so many corrections and revisions.

***I received a copy of this book from netgalley***

This book was pretty good at the beginning. I was enjoying it all and had a hard time putting it down. Then things started going south, I did not like how Tom acted after what happened with his wife. Suspected Brigid was crazy from the get go. And that Karen hid more than even the reader knew. The only one I enjoyed thoroughly was detective Rasbach but only because I loved him in The couple next door.

Also the ending left a bitter taste in my mouth I did not enjoy it. And to give the psycho what she wanted? Really? It wasn't the worst but it wasn't the best either. The Couple Next Door was better.

Shari Lapena's suspense novel, The Couple Next Door, was a multi list bestseller. I loved it and couldn't wait to see what her next book would bring. Well, that book, A Stranger in the House, releases tomorrow and it was another late night page turner for me.

Karen and Tom, husband and wife. "But she's gone out with her car, and forgotten to lock the door. That's very odd for his wife, who's a stickler about locking the doors." "Something is wrong. He should call the police. He hesitates. Perhaps the police will thing they've had an argument....theirs is an almost perfect marriage."

The neighbour, Brigid. "Just as she does every morning. Brigid sits in her favorite chair by the large picture window in her living room." "She thinks a lot about Tom and Karen, about where they are and what they're doing, about their life together. It's like she's caught up in a particularly good television show and can't wait to see what happens next."

What a great premise eh? I was immediately hooked! So, something does happen (nope, not gonna spoil it for you!) But Lapena keeps the reader on their toes. We're given information about a crime, but not the full picture. Those three main characters are most definitely not likeable, instead they are self serving, secretive, shallow and manipulative. We have a fairly good idea of what has happened as each of the three is given a voice and point of view. With each new entry a little more of the big picture is revealed. The title is quite appropriate as no one is quite who they say they are.

Detective Rasbach, the detective from The Couple Next Door is also the investigator in this case. The emphasis is more on him as a character, than police procedural details.

The style of writing in A Stranger in the House is pared down to essentials and has a staccato feel to it. I thought it suited this plot, as well as the characters, echoing their thoughts, actions and lies. I did find some of the plot points to be a bit of a stretch, but still quite enjoyed the book. I liked the last twisty paragraph - a great ending.

If you enjoy psychological suspense, this one's for you.

The new novel by Shari Lapena, author of The Couple Next Door, has gotten a lot of buzz, and I’m a big fan of psychological suspense, so I was happy to get an advance copy of A Stranger In the House (thanks to Penguin Group/Viking and NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

In the prologue, a woman named Karen is rushing to escape something, driving wildly across town, and runs headlong into a light pole. Her husband, Tom, comes home and finds the door unlocked, Karen’s car gone, but her purse and cell phone in the house. It doesn’t make sense to him, but he soon finds out Karen is in the hospital, suffering from amnesia.

They love in a comfy neighborhood: “People who live here are successful and settled; everyone’s a little bit smug.” There is a nosy neighbor who seems way too interested in everyone else’s business, and she is only too happy to talk to the two detectives who come around looking into a murder that happened right where Karen’s accident happened – in a part of town where people like her just don’t go.

There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader glued to the story until the unexpected ending – but it might not be unexpected for everyone; I am notoriously bad at seeing these “unexpected” endings coming.

I wasn’t wild about Karen or Tom, but the plot kept me happy. It’s a clever, suspenseful thriller of the woman in peril genre, and will be appreciated by fans of Gone Girl, Girl on a Train, etc. I think I may not remember much about it in a few weeks, other than the “oh yeah, I liked that one” memory. I will recommend it to people, though, so it’s a solid four stars.

Like most evenings, Tom Krupp is looking forward to getting home to his wife, despite feeling guilty about what he’s been up to. Dinner should be almost ready. Driving along their street, Tom thinks about how much he loves Karen. Married only two years, the couple has been blissfully happy. As he parks the car in the driveway, he is greeted by the warm glow of their beautiful home. But once he reaches the front door, things go terribly wrong.

First, the house is unlocked. Inside, he finds Karen’s purse and cell phone, but she’s nowhere around. All the lights are on, and it looks as though dinner prep was interrupted in the midst of chopping. A short time later, when the police show up, Tom’s world really starts to fall apart. The cops quickly assure him that his wife is alive. She’s been in an accident, a pretty bad one, but she will survive. What’s strange, though, is that she doesn’t remember what she was doing in the worst part of town or why she was speeding and running traffic signals.

While Karen may not have a clue, the police think they do. What’s worse, they suspect she knows, too, because her reckless driving wasn’t the only criminal act in the area that night. As the police ramp up their investigation, Karen begins recovering snatches of her memory, but the most crucial parts remain elusive. Can anyone help her? The Krupps’ neighbor, Brigid, certainly wants to try. Brigid lives right across the street, and Karen considers her a good friend, but for some reason Tom doesn’t want anything to do with her. His attitude is making Karen’s situation beyond difficult. Now more than ever, she needs a good friend, especially with the cops nosing around. What do they suspect she’s done anyway?

Anxious to leave the hospital, Karen longs to get back home. Once there, maybe the pieces of the puzzle will finally come together. Before the accident, she recalls, she’d begun noticing things out of place on occasion. Subtle differences, but she believes someone had been in their home while they were out. Could that be related somehow to the night of the accident? She prays her memory will return soon, for besides the intense scrutiny the police have put her under, the cloud of uncertainty has strained the Krupps’ marriage. A few short days ago, they were living their dream. Now secrets from their pasts have them viewing each other with distrust. How could this happen so fast? More importantly, what exactly happened?

The mere concept of waking up in a hospital with no memory of how you got there is enough to scare a person witless. Add in the police telling you that you were driving like a maniac --- something you would never do --- and ran your car into a pole. Well, regaining your memory would seem like the most important thing right about then. Or would it? Maybe you don’t want to know after all.

A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE is a first-class thriller with perfect pacing. Tom and Karen Krupp come across as exactly the type of neighbors anyone would want living across the street, which makes readers think how lucky Brigid is to have them. But then the truth slowly bleeds out, sowing suspicion and shattering some pretty solid beliefs about the characters. Who is the good guy in this story? And who is the stranger in the house? Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way lovers of suspense want it.

Reviewed by Kate Ayers

Have to start off by saying, That ending. WOW! So totally did not even see that coming.

Karen and Tom have the perfect marriage. They have been married for almost 2 years and are very much in love. But then it all comes crashing down. Tom comes home one night and Karen is not there. The front door was unlocked, her car is gone but her purse and cell phone are in the house. Then the police show up to say that she was involved in a car accident in a bad part of town. Karen survived the crash with a few scrapes but she also has amnesia and cannot remember anything about what happened that night. Not only did Karen have an accident, but there was also a murder in the same part of town.
Did Karen see what happened and that is why she was driving so fast and got in the accident? Or is she somehow involved?

Have to say I did not really care for the characters in this book. Tom who is supposed to be so in love with Karen, was so quick to question if she really did have amnesia. He so did not come across as the supportive husband. Then we have Brigid, the crazy neighbor across the street. And Karen came across as flat.

But even though none of the characters jumped off the pages to me, I still enjoyed the story. Loved all the twists and turns (even though I wanted to smack Tom a few times) And that end. Whoa! Wonder if there may be a sequel in the works.

I bought this book from a big box store on sale. We are prime customers, but I wanted a book immediately. I thought hey a quick easy read when there are distractions. It is written in a 6th graders vocabulary. The character lack any depth, the storyline is full of holes, the twists are predictable, and the book doesn't actually have an ending. There is a damn cliffhanger and I don't think I want to buy another book by this author just to see how she ends the whole thing. The main storyline has an ending, but the secondary which is just as important does not. Don't waste your money.

Having enjoyed this author's first novel, I was eager to try her latest release, we we ultimately enjoyed on a recent road trip. This was a very easy audio book to follow (try few characters) with a great narrator, Tavia Gilbert, as well.

A husband comes home from work to find the front door unlocked and his wife (Karen) and her car missing. It appears as if she ran off in a hurry so concerned he phones the police. He later learns that she has been in an accident is a bad part of town, a place that his wife would not typically drive through. Hospitalized with partial memory loss, what happened to Karen and what is her tie to a man who was found murdered nearby is the mystery to be unraveled.

This book held our interest throughout but, it was probably longer than it really needed to be.

I won a copy of the ARC in a Goodreads giveaway.

A woman is racing away from something when she ends up crashing her car into a pole. Across town Tom arrives home to find his home unlocked and his wife missing. Thinking nothing of it he makes dinner and waits, by as time passes the more worried he gets so he calls 911. Shortly after police officers arrive at his house to tell him that his wife has been in an accident.

They also relay the details of the reckless driving which will most likely result in charges, when Tom arrives at the hospital he is stunned to find out that Karen doesn't remember a thing. Soon their neighbor Brigid arrives to visit with Karen, and Tom wonders what is going to happen. They consult with a lawyer, but both Karen and Tom are completely shocked when a set of Detectives arrive at their house to question Karen about a murder.

Soon Tom is at a complete loss as to what is going on or even who his wife is, Karen is frightened but knows she couldn't possibly have killed someone. Meanwhile, Brigid is watching and waiting.

I hate being so vague, but so much happened in this book that I know I would give away major details if I really want on about this book. I am still not quite sure if I like the ending, but it thrilled me and threw me for a loop. Everything I suspected was not quite right. I will say that I really didn't like any of the characters, they were all liars and just a tad crazy. However, it worked I couldn't stop reading this, I just could not until I finished it.

I literally could not stop reading or thinking about reading this book! I loved the frantic tone that gave me the feeling of being on edge and the super quick pace. Never a boring moment. I carried this book around with me just in case I had a few minutes to get a few pages in!

Tom and Karen have a picture perfect life. The are newlyweds with a beautiful home and Tom is a successful accountant. That is until Karen's accident, she has crashed her car into a pole and has no idea why she was frantically speeding through a seedy neighborhood! She is taken to the hospital and now has a concussion and can't remember what or why she was there. The police have questions for her. Hmm.....

"If someone has to go to jail--well, that's the way the cookie crumbles." What??!!

Karen is a very detailed person and while she is home recuperating from her injuries, she begins to notice things in her home are misplaced. She knows she didn't leave a glass on the counter. She would never have left her stopper off her perfume and one afternoon she sees the outline of a body on top of her bed. Has someone been laying in her bed??!!

Twists galore and some fast turning of pages. I always wanted to get back to reading this one! Lots of fun, quick read, highly entertaining! But that is just my opinion! Loved it!

This book was just 'eh' for me. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for the big twist, the climax, the part where my heart started to race--but it never came.

The end of the book was obvious from--literally--the first few pages. I see where the author was intending to go with the story, it just could have been more suspenseful, more crafted so as not to be so see-through. Besides that, the characters, Tom, Karen, and Brigid were all so one-dimensional. They had no depth. They 'talked' the same, they all sucked at lying (which sucks for a thriller in general, because everyone is a liar in a thriller! lol), they all repeated the same thoughts over and over, as if trying to make us (the reader) digest it as new information.

It just, wasn't good. Second book I've tried by this author and I've yet to be thriller. But, boy, does she craft some great premises, which is what lures me in. Hopefully the delivery will catch up.

I recieved a copy of A Stranger in the House from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The latest book by Shari Lapena is a psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

Karen and Tom are a happily married couple. One night, Tom returns home from work to find Karen missing...purse and cellphone left behind, dinner in the kitchen, just gone. After some frantic time goes gym the police arrive at the house to inform Tom Karen has been in a car accident. She is in the hospital, but what was she doing in the worst part of town at night? When the police start asking questions, Karen can't remember anything...

This was a fast paced, interesting book. It was exciting, but sometimes a little confusing. I was not a fan of the characters, the author has created a group of people you love to hate. I wouldn't want to be friends with any of them. That doesn't take away from the story itself. Very twisty, sometimes predictable, but you will want to make sure you have enough time set aside to read it from start to finish. The last few pages are worth the wait!

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read, who appreciates a good thriller. I'm looking forward to reading the authors other book, The Couple Next Door.

This just isn't an author I'd ever choose to read again. I despise the wooden storytelling, where she narrates the action rather than letting her characters tell the story. The characterization is zero. This plot was moderately better than The Couple Next Door. The cast of characters was so small, however, that the ending was easy to figure out well ahead of time. What changed this to a two star was an egregious plot contrivance. No, the author cannot have the police arresting a homicide suspect and never serve warrants to search the property. Would. Not. Happen. And it was laughable the way the author tried to explain that away by having the police detective think a warrant was a waste of time because no suspect would keep the murder weapon. Umm...what? She lost me at that point. Facts drive the plot, not the other way around.

A Stranger in the House has many issues that earned a two-star rating from my perspective. One huge annoyance was pedestrian writing that was overly simplistic (i.e. Tom felt scared. Karen was distressed.). The subject matter wasn't young adult, but the writing level was more appropriate for a middle school reader. The characters were not developed and, outside of the police detectives, were hugely unlikable. Some of the plot points were beyond ridiculous. The ending was frustrating, disappointing, and very abrupt, leaving me dissatisfied. The book was very short - I read it in under three hours - which I suppose was nice considering how silly it was. That being said, I felt the book had a ton of potential and it could have been developed into something really interesting. I give it two stars for a neat idea. A good editor could have helped this novel a lot.

Eh. I was intrigued enough to finish quickly. That's the only reason I gave this book three stars instead of lower. I felt the writing was too simple. All telling, no showing, in short and basic sentences. I didn't feel an emotional connection to any of the characters. It was easy to figure out. The "twist" wasn't a surprise nor did I care. And the last paragraph, which I assume was supposed to be a gasp out loud moment, was just irritating.

*Borrowed from Library*

I read Shari Lapena’s debut thriller last year, The Couple Next Door, and I loved it! So you can imagine my excitement over her new book, A Stranger in the House, as well as my disappointment when it just didn’t live up to her first novel.

I had high hopes for this book going into it. The bar had been set high with The Couple Next Door. But unfortunately, A Stranger in the House was far from the thriller I had hoped for. The story was nothing original – a woman running from her past, an obsessed ex-lover, a marriage full of secrets, etc. Basically, I felt like I had already read this story dozens of times. There were a couple of surprise “twists” at the end, however, one really wasn’t that much of a shock and the other was very predictable. In fact, I had even said out loud to myself during the book, “I bet such and such happens…” and in fact, it did.

If you really want to read a good mystery/ thriller, you should check out Lapena’s previous release, The Couple Next Door. That one kept me guessing all the way through. Hopefully her next one will live up to her first one.

Read full review at: KaitsBookshelf.com

As with all thrillers and suspense novels that I’ve enjoyed this one had short chapters. I love when each chapter ends on a little cliff hanger, so you feel like you just have to continue. Also, the prologue in a thriller is extremely important to me, and wow this one did a great job. I was immediately wondering what happened to make all this action happen.

I will say that I wish the chapters officially switched point of views (maybe starts with each persons name at the beginning) instead of jumping into the story. None of the characters were trustworthy, I think the author did a great job of making that perfectly clear. I did like each one in their own way though. I thought the twists were interesting, maybe not very believable, but they definitely kept me interested.

Overall I would call this novel a solid thriller. I loved the cover, it really captures your eyes and makes you wonder. There were plenty of twists and turns. I liked that the main character had amnesia after her accident but the author wasn’t too repetitive with things. If you are looking for a quick thrilling read, you can find it with this book.

This novel was a major disappointment, magnified by the previous success of ''The Couple Next Door'' in which Shari Lapena displayed a certain level of skill on building suspense, as a matter of fact, I recall that when I was reading it this novel brought the Hitchcockian thrillers on my mind. This novel, however, is truly hard to read as I found myself totally indifferent both to the characters and the story. I stopped reading it halfway as Ι felt Ι was wasting my time. Better skip this one and try another novel from the same writer.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Shari Lapena’s The Couple Next Door I was very excited to read A Stranger In The House and promptly requested to read it via Netgalley.

The book quickly sucked me into the story, I wanted to know just what Karen had been running from when she crashed her car. Was her amnesia real or was she pretending? Had her marriage really been so perfect? And what was with the curtain twitcher who lived opposite?

When a book immediately throws you into the action it can mean that reader doesn’t get to know who the characters are before their lives were thrown into turmoil, but Lapena’s writing doesn’t fall into that trap. I felt that I had a good understanding of Tom and Karen’s relationship which made the book all the more enjoyable.

As the twisted story revealed itself more was revealed about Karen and her past, I started to think that I’d worked it out but of course I hadn’t at all. Lots of twists and turns in this book that’s for sure!

I think that A Stranger In The House is even better than The Couple Next Door, so I am now really looking forward to her next book!

3.5 star for me. There were a few times I almost did not finish this book. I found it all over the map, and at times I was wondering what in the heck I was reading. I kept plugging away as I wanted to know how it all unfolded and I love a good mystery/suspense. It was engrossing, but the writing wasn't as good as The Couple Next Door. I will say the final chapter is what pushed this book above a 2-star rating for me. I wasn't expecting it to unfold the way that it did.

The story follows Karen and Tom Krupp, a married couple who by all appearances have the perfect lives. Karen is involved in a horrible accident that causes her to lose her memory of the night of the accident. Add in a nosy neighbor, a murder, a faked death, and an affair and you get a decent suspense. I would recommend this book if you're looking for a quick read and enjoy the mystery-suspense genre.

2.25 stars.

To me, this was like reading an episode of Desperate Housewives. However, some of the characterization felt flat. The characters seemed more like pieces of a puzzle rather than actual characters experiencing these things. Karen and Tom, the main couple, were just...blah. I will say that I liked how the ending came as a bit of a surprise. Unfortunately, it also made me see how out of character some of them were being in earlier parts of the book. In one scene, we would hear from one character's POV. Then later on in the book, we would learn that they were planning/thinking of something that wasn't mentioned or hinted at, at all.

Despite its flaws, it's a fun, domestic thriller. Nothing to write home about imo, but it's still a fast-paced book if you're in the mood for that sort of thing.

3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐?
An entertaining read that kept me turning the pages, but it was missing the twists and turns I have come to expect from this kind of thriller, as well as the element of surprise.

Very early on I figured out which character/s were not to be trusted. It was so predictable, I was waiting for the bomb to drop, where I would be shocked to find out that it was someone I never expected. That sort of shocking reveal never came, and the story followed the path I had anticipated.

I think my favourite part was the last few pages, where you are given some final answers. And the last page, some may be unsatisfied with the tidbit of information you're left with, but I thought it was a great, creepy way to end the story.

This is a murder mystery thriller about Tom and Karen who have been married two years when Karen goes missing one night. Tom gets home from work to find her gone and dinner halfway prepared. He has no idea where she is and calls her friends before contacting the police. A police shows up at his door telling him there was an accident and his wife is in the hospital. From that point, the story takes off with amnesia, a murder and criminal investigation, a nosy neighbor, jealousy, betrayal and manipulation!

This is a page turner that I zoomed through with a surprise ending. I liked the investigation part of this book because it seemed to ring true to life. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery. I look forward to reading more by this author.

While this book was incredibly fast-paced and addictive, I'm just getting slightly tired of the overuse of memory loss as a device to uncover the mystery. Especially given that in the majority of these stories, everything about the couple's relationship was incredibly perfect and the ideal to others until one day one bad thing happens and everyone begins to question the woman's sanity and/or honesty. Ugh. One day something new will come along, but today is not that day.

One of the first few reviews I wrote at the beginning of my blog was for Lapena's debut novel The Couple Next Door. As with that story, the multiple perspectives greatly enhances the sense of unlikeability you begin to have for these characters. Even the characters that I'm assuming you are supposed to have some empathy for become annoying and even more unlikable. Especially Tom. What a pathetic, suit of a man! No one is actually redeemable and the vast majority of their problems wouldn't even be an issue if they would just TALK to one another! But they don't and honesty never reigns supreme, so we end up with this convoluted mess! But I do thoroughly enjoy the varied perspectives on the issue, so readers are fully aware of what's going on, while leaving the characters out in the cold. The suspense is heightened along with the adding some layer to character depth, which can be pretty lacking.

There is no doubt that Lapena can write train wreck thrillers with quite a few twists along the way, so I will still continue keeping an eye out for her future books. I would highly recommend this one for anyone wanting out of a reading slump, but if you're looking for more of a crime-centered story with depth, you'll have to look elsewhere. The ending is definitely worth waiting for and I think I would spend the few bucks on a novella to find out more, but please don't turn it into a sequel!

The new novel by Shari Lapena, author of The Couple Next Door, has gotten a lot of buzz, and I’m a big fan of psychological suspense, so I was happy to get an advance copy of A Stranger In the House (thanks to Penguin Group/Viking and NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

In the prologue, a woman named Karen is rushing to escape something, driving wildly across town, and runs headlong into a light pole. Her husband, Tom, comes home and finds the door unlocked, Karen’s car gone, but her purse and cell phone in the house. It doesn’t make sense to him, but he soon finds out Karen is in the hospital, suffering from amnesia.

They love in a comfy neighborhood: “People who live here are successful and settled; everyone’s a little bit smug.” There is a nosy neighbor who seems way too interested in everyone else’s business, and she is only too happy to talk to the two detectives who come around looking into a murder that happened right where Karen’s accident happened – in a part of town where people like her just don’t go.

There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader glued to the story until the unexpected ending – but it might not be unexpected for everyone; I am notoriously bad at seeing these “unexpected” endings coming.

I wasn’t wild about Karen or Tom, but the plot kept me happy. It’s a clever, suspenseful thriller of the woman in peril genre, and will be appreciated by fans of Gone Girl, Girl on a Train, etc. I think I may not remember much about it in a few weeks, other than the “oh yeah, I liked that one” memory. I will recommend it to people, though, so it’s a solid four stars.

Like most evenings, Tom Krupp is looking forward to getting home to his wife, despite feeling guilty about what he’s been up to. Dinner should be almost ready. Driving along their street, Tom thinks about how much he loves Karen. Married only two years, the couple has been blissfully happy. As he parks the car in the driveway, he is greeted by the warm glow of their beautiful home. But once he reaches the front door, things go terribly wrong.

First, the house is unlocked. Inside, he finds Karen’s purse and cell phone, but she’s nowhere around. All the lights are on, and it looks as though dinner prep was interrupted in the midst of chopping. A short time later, when the police show up, Tom’s world really starts to fall apart. The cops quickly assure him that his wife is alive. She’s been in an accident, a pretty bad one, but she will survive. What’s strange, though, is that she doesn’t remember what she was doing in the worst part of town or why she was speeding and running traffic signals.

While Karen may not have a clue, the police think they do. What’s worse, they suspect she knows, too, because her reckless driving wasn’t the only criminal act in the area that night. As the police ramp up their investigation, Karen begins recovering snatches of her memory, but the most crucial parts remain elusive. Can anyone help her? The Krupps’ neighbor, Brigid, certainly wants to try. Brigid lives right across the street, and Karen considers her a good friend, but for some reason Tom doesn’t want anything to do with her. His attitude is making Karen’s situation beyond difficult. Now more than ever, she needs a good friend, especially with the cops nosing around. What do they suspect she’s done anyway?

Anxious to leave the hospital, Karen longs to get back home. Once there, maybe the pieces of the puzzle will finally come together. Before the accident, she recalls, she’d begun noticing things out of place on occasion. Subtle differences, but she believes someone had been in their home while they were out. Could that be related somehow to the night of the accident? She prays her memory will return soon, for besides the intense scrutiny the police have put her under, the cloud of uncertainty has strained the Krupps’ marriage. A few short days ago, they were living their dream. Now secrets from their pasts have them viewing each other with distrust. How could this happen so fast? More importantly, what exactly happened?

The mere concept of waking up in a hospital with no memory of how you got there is enough to scare a person witless. Add in the police telling you that you were driving like a maniac --- something you would never do --- and ran your car into a pole. Well, regaining your memory would seem like the most important thing right about then. Or would it? Maybe you don’t want to know after all.

A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE is a first-class thriller with perfect pacing. Tom and Karen Krupp come across as exactly the type of neighbors anyone would want living across the street, which makes readers think how lucky Brigid is to have them. But then the truth slowly bleeds out, sowing suspicion and shattering some pretty solid beliefs about the characters. Who is the good guy in this story? And who is the stranger in the house? Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way lovers of suspense want it.

Reviewed by Kate Ayers

Have to start off by saying, That ending. WOW! So totally did not even see that coming.

Karen and Tom have the perfect marriage. They have been married for almost 2 years and are very much in love. But then it all comes crashing down. Tom comes home one night and Karen is not there. The front door was unlocked, her car is gone but her purse and cell phone are in the house. Then the police show up to say that she was involved in a car accident in a bad part of town. Karen survived the crash with a few scrapes but she also has amnesia and cannot remember anything about what happened that night. Not only did Karen have an accident, but there was also a murder in the same part of town.
Did Karen see what happened and that is why she was driving so fast and got in the accident? Or is she somehow involved?

Have to say I did not really care for the characters in this book. Tom who is supposed to be so in love with Karen, was so quick to question if she really did have amnesia. He so did not come across as the supportive husband. Then we have Brigid, the crazy neighbor across the street. And Karen came across as flat.

But even though none of the characters jumped off the pages to me, I still enjoyed the story. Loved all the twists and turns (even though I wanted to smack Tom a few times) And that end. Whoa! Wonder if there may be a sequel in the works.

I bought this book from a big box store on sale. We are prime customers, but I wanted a book immediately. I thought hey a quick easy read when there are distractions. It is written in a 6th graders vocabulary. The character lack any depth, the storyline is full of holes, the twists are predictable, and the book doesn't actually have an ending. There is a damn cliffhanger and I don't think I want to buy another book by this author just to see how she ends the whole thing. The main storyline has an ending, but the secondary which is just as important does not. Don't waste your money.

Having enjoyed this author's first novel, I was eager to try her latest release, we we ultimately enjoyed on a recent road trip. This was a very easy audio book to follow (try few characters) with a great narrator, Tavia Gilbert, as well.

A husband comes home from work to find the front door unlocked and his wife (Karen) and her car missing. It appears as if she ran off in a hurry so concerned he phones the police. He later learns that she has been in an accident is a bad part of town, a place that his wife would not typically drive through. Hospitalized with partial memory loss, what happened to Karen and what is her tie to a man who was found murdered nearby is the mystery to be unraveled.

This book held our interest throughout but, it was probably longer than it really needed to be.

I won a copy of the ARC in a Goodreads giveaway.

A woman is racing away from something when she ends up crashing her car into a pole. Across town Tom arrives home to find his home unlocked and his wife missing. Thinking nothing of it he makes dinner and waits, by as time passes the more worried he gets so he calls 911. Shortly after police officers arrive at his house to tell him that his wife has been in an accident.

They also relay the details of the reckless driving which will most likely result in charges, when Tom arrives at the hospital he is stunned to find out that Karen doesn't remember a thing. Soon their neighbor Brigid arrives to visit with Karen, and Tom wonders what is going to happen. They consult with a lawyer, but both Karen and Tom are completely shocked when a set of Detectives arrive at their house to question Karen about a murder.

Soon Tom is at a complete loss as to what is going on or even who his wife is, Karen is frightened but knows she couldn't possibly have killed someone. Meanwhile, Brigid is watching and waiting.

I hate being so vague, but so much happened in this book that I know I would give away major details if I really want on about this book. I am still not quite sure if I like the ending, but it thrilled me and threw me for a loop. Everything I suspected was not quite right. I will say that I really didn't like any of the characters, they were all liars and just a tad crazy. However, it worked I couldn't stop reading this, I just could not until I finished it.

I literally could not stop reading or thinking about reading this book! I loved the frantic tone that gave me the feeling of being on edge and the super quick pace. Never a boring moment. I carried this book around with me just in case I had a few minutes to get a few pages in!

Tom and Karen have a picture perfect life. The are newlyweds with a beautiful home and Tom is a successful accountant. That is until Karen's accident, she has crashed her car into a pole and has no idea why she was frantically speeding through a seedy neighborhood! She is taken to the hospital and now has a concussion and can't remember what or why she was there. The police have questions for her. Hmm.....

"If someone has to go to jail--well, that's the way the cookie crumbles." What??!!

Karen is a very detailed person and while she is home recuperating from her injuries, she begins to notice things in her home are misplaced. She knows she didn't leave a glass on the counter. She would never have left her stopper off her perfume and one afternoon she sees the outline of a body on top of her bed. Has someone been laying in her bed??!!

Twists galore and some fast turning of pages. I always wanted to get back to reading this one! Lots of fun, quick read, highly entertaining! But that is just my opinion! Loved it!

This book was just 'eh' for me. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for the big twist, the climax, the part where my heart started to race--but it never came.

The end of the book was obvious from--literally--the first few pages. I see where the author was intending to go with the story, it just could have been more suspenseful, more crafted so as not to be so see-through. Besides that, the characters, Tom, Karen, and Brigid were all so one-dimensional. They had no depth. They 'talked' the same, they all sucked at lying (which sucks for a thriller in general, because everyone is a liar in a thriller! lol), they all repeated the same thoughts over and over, as if trying to make us (the reader) digest it as new information.

It just, wasn't good. Second book I've tried by this author and I've yet to be thriller. But, boy, does she craft some great premises, which is what lures me in. Hopefully the delivery will catch up.

I recieved a copy of A Stranger in the House from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The latest book by Shari Lapena is a psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

Karen and Tom are a happily married couple. One night, Tom returns home from work to find Karen missing...purse and cellphone left behind, dinner in the kitchen, just gone. After some frantic time goes gym the police arrive at the house to inform Tom Karen has been in a car accident. She is in the hospital, but what was she doing in the worst part of town at night? When the police start asking questions, Karen can't remember anything...

This was a fast paced, interesting book. It was exciting, but sometimes a little confusing. I was not a fan of the characters, the author has created a group of people you love to hate. I wouldn't want to be friends with any of them. That doesn't take away from the story itself. Very twisty, sometimes predictable, but you will want to make sure you have enough time set aside to read it from start to finish. The last few pages are worth the wait!

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read, who appreciates a good thriller. I'm looking forward to reading the authors other book, The Couple Next Door.

This just isn't an author I'd ever choose to read again. I despise the wooden storytelling, where she narrates the action rather than letting her characters tell the story. The characterization is zero. This plot was moderately better than The Couple Next Door. The cast of characters was so small, however, that the ending was easy to figure out well ahead of time. What changed this to a two star was an egregious plot contrivance. No, the author cannot have the police arresting a homicide suspect and never serve warrants to search the property. Would. Not. Happen. And it was laughable the way the author tried to explain that away by having the police detective think a warrant was a waste of time because no suspect would keep the murder weapon. Umm...what? She lost me at that point. Facts drive the plot, not the other way around.

A Stranger in the House has many issues that earned a two-star rating from my perspective. One huge annoyance was pedestrian writing that was overly simplistic (i.e. Tom felt scared. Karen was distressed.). The subject matter wasn't young adult, but the writing level was more appropriate for a middle school reader. The characters were not developed and, outside of the police detectives, were hugely unlikable. Some of the plot points were beyond ridiculous. The ending was frustrating, disappointing, and very abrupt, leaving me dissatisfied. The book was very short - I read it in under three hours - which I suppose was nice considering how silly it was. That being said, I felt the book had a ton of potential and it could have been developed into something really interesting. I give it two stars for a neat idea. A good editor could have helped this novel a lot.

Eh. I was intrigued enough to finish quickly. That's the only reason I gave this book three stars instead of lower. I felt the writing was too simple. All telling, no showing, in short and basic sentences. I didn't feel an emotional connection to any of the characters. It was easy to figure out. The "twist" wasn't a surprise nor did I care. And the last paragraph, which I assume was supposed to be a gasp out loud moment, was just irritating.

*Borrowed from Library*

I read Shari Lapena’s debut thriller last year, The Couple Next Door, and I loved it! So you can imagine my excitement over her new book, A Stranger in the House, as well as my disappointment when it just didn’t live up to her first novel.

I had high hopes for this book going into it. The bar had been set high with The Couple Next Door. But unfortunately, A Stranger in the House was far from the thriller I had hoped for. The story was nothing original – a woman running from her past, an obsessed ex-lover, a marriage full of secrets, etc. Basically, I felt like I had already read this story dozens of times. There were a couple of surprise “twists” at the end, however, one really wasn’t that much of a shock and the other was very predictable. In fact, I had even said out loud to myself during the book, “I bet such and such happens…” and in fact, it did.

If you really want to read a good mystery/ thriller, you should check out Lapena’s previous release, The Couple Next Door. That one kept me guessing all the way through. Hopefully her next one will live up to her first one.

Read full review at: KaitsBookshelf.com

As with all thrillers and suspense novels that I’ve enjoyed this one had short chapters. I love when each chapter ends on a little cliff hanger, so you feel like you just have to continue. Also, the prologue in a thriller is extremely important to me, and wow this one did a great job. I was immediately wondering what happened to make all this action happen.

I will say that I wish the chapters officially switched point of views (maybe starts with each persons name at the beginning) instead of jumping into the story. None of the characters were trustworthy, I think the author did a great job of making that perfectly clear. I did like each one in their own way though. I thought the twists were interesting, maybe not very believable, but they definitely kept me interested.

Overall I would call this novel a solid thriller. I loved the cover, it really captures your eyes and makes you wonder. There were plenty of twists and turns. I liked that the main character had amnesia after her accident but the author wasn’t too repetitive with things. If you are looking for a quick thrilling read, you can find it with this book.

This novel was a major disappointment, magnified by the previous success of ''The Couple Next Door'' in which Shari Lapena displayed a certain level of skill on building suspense, as a matter of fact, I recall that when I was reading it this novel brought the Hitchcockian thrillers on my mind. This novel, however, is truly hard to read as I found myself totally indifferent both to the characters and the story. I stopped reading it halfway as Ι felt Ι was wasting my time. Better skip this one and try another novel from the same writer.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Shari Lapena’s The Couple Next Door I was very excited to read A Stranger In The House and promptly requested to read it via Netgalley.

The book quickly sucked me into the story, I wanted to know just what Karen had been running from when she crashed her car. Was her amnesia real or was she pretending? Had her marriage really been so perfect? And what was with the curtain twitcher who lived opposite?

When a book immediately throws you into the action it can mean that reader doesn’t get to know who the characters are before their lives were thrown into turmoil, but Lapena’s writing doesn’t fall into that trap. I felt that I had a good understanding of Tom and Karen’s relationship which made the book all the more enjoyable.

As the twisted story revealed itself more was revealed about Karen and her past, I started to think that I’d worked it out but of course I hadn’t at all. Lots of twists and turns in this book that’s for sure!

I think that A Stranger In The House is even better than The Couple Next Door, so I am now really looking forward to her next book!

I haven’t read Shari Lapena’s previous books, but I really enjoyed this one. A twisty, suspenseful thriller with an unexpected ending, an intricate plot, and a frantic pace.

Tom Krupp arrives home from work to find his wife, Karen, has left in the middle of making dinner. The front door is unlocked and she hasn’t taken her purse or cell phone. Still in that blissful, newlywed stage, Tom soon starts to worry about Karen. Then the police arrive to tell him she’s in the hospital after an accident on the bad side of town. But Karen can’t remember anything that happened.

Lapena has a clear, easy-to-follow writing style that propels you through the pages. While her characters weren’t likeable (Karen was hard to get a reading on due to the amnesia and Tom was a snivelling mess), I don’t think you have to like the characters to enjoy the story. Well-plotted and a fast read. I enjoyed immensely.

3.5 star for me. There were a few times I almost did not finish this book. I found it all over the map, and at times I was wondering what in the heck I was reading. I kept plugging away as I wanted to know how it all unfolded and I love a good mystery/suspense. It was engrossing, but the writing wasn't as good as The Couple Next Door. I will say the final chapter is what pushed this book above a 2-star rating for me. I wasn't expecting it to unfold the way that it did.

The story follows Karen and Tom Krupp, a married couple who by all appearances have the perfect lives. Karen is involved in a horrible accident that causes her to lose her memory of the night of the accident. Add in a nosy neighbor, a murder, a faked death, and an affair and you get a decent suspense. I would recommend this book if you're looking for a quick read and enjoy the mystery-suspense genre.

2.25 stars.

To me, this was like reading an episode of Desperate Housewives. However, some of the characterization felt flat. The characters seemed more like pieces of a puzzle rather than actual characters experiencing these things. Karen and Tom, the main couple, were just...blah. I will say that I liked how the ending came as a bit of a surprise. Unfortunately, it also made me see how out of character some of them were being in earlier parts of the book. In one scene, we would hear from one character's POV. Then later on in the book, we would learn that they were planning/thinking of something that wasn't mentioned or hinted at, at all.

Despite its flaws, it's a fun, domestic thriller. Nothing to write home about imo, but it's still a fast-paced book if you're in the mood for that sort of thing.

3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐?
An entertaining read that kept me turning the pages, but it was missing the twists and turns I have come to expect from this kind of thriller, as well as the element of surprise.

Very early on I figured out which character/s were not to be trusted. It was so predictable, I was waiting for the bomb to drop, where I would be shocked to find out that it was someone I never expected. That sort of shocking reveal never came, and the story followed the path I had anticipated.

I think my favourite part was the last few pages, where you are given some final answers. And the last page, some may be unsatisfied with the tidbit of information you're left with, but I thought it was a great, creepy way to end the story.

This is a murder mystery thriller about Tom and Karen who have been married two years when Karen goes missing one night. Tom gets home from work to find her gone and dinner halfway prepared. He has no idea where she is and calls her friends before contacting the police. A police shows up at his door telling him there was an accident and his wife is in the hospital. From that point, the story takes off with amnesia, a murder and criminal investigation, a nosy neighbor, jealousy, betrayal and manipulation!

This is a page turner that I zoomed through with a surprise ending. I liked the investigation part of this book because it seemed to ring true to life. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Not bad, Shari.
NOT. BAD.

I will admit that I am not quite as excited about this book as I was The Couple Next Door, but this was still a really INTENSE read that kept me up till midnight reading on more than one occasion.

The book felt a little predictable in most places, but I'm not gonna lie - that ending had me SHOOK.

It was one of those endings where you should have seen it coming, and once it happened I was like "ahh, Shari, I see what you did there..."

But as it was happening; I. WAS. SHOOK.
--

Alright, so without further ado, here is my TL;DR for A Stranger in the House:

The book opens up with Karen Krupp; your typical all American housewife.

*Karen gets into a really bad accident in a suspicious part of town.*

Detectives are like: "hmmm, what's a pretty lady like you doing down here"
Karen: "uhhh, I have amnesia, idk"
Detectives: "also, whatchu know about this dead body we found near your accident scene"
Karen: "wuuhhhh? idk idk, I have amnesia"
Tom (hubby): WTF, Karen?
Karen: "pssst Tom, I don't actually have amnesia lol I just have lots of secrets"

*Secrets unfold*

There wasn't anything too new or original about this book that would make it like an ASTOUNDING read for me, but it was genuinely a fun read and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Final Rating: a SOLID 3.5/5 stars!

The Author has truly outdone herself! I read her debut novel, The Couple Next Door and I was not disappointed. Lapena delivers once again, with edge of your seat suspense and a storyline full of twists. Tom, Karen and Brigid all are keeping secrets, making each, in a sense, a stranger. Warning: Brief spoiler!!! There's a terrible car crash, a case of temporary amnesia, a dead man, a planted gun, a secret identify, lies, deception and the rabbit hole seems to have no end. I read the brunt of this book in one setting. I just couldn't put it down.

This was a very suspenseful novel! I liked the way that nothing stayed the way I expected it to throughout the novel. Karen was speeding in her car one night for some reason and she got into a serious accident. Afterwards, she doesn’t remember anything about what happened that night. Karen's husband, Tom, believes her. Her best friend, Brigid, isn't sure if she believes her. There are very unusual circumstances about the night that Karen was in the accident. More and more strange things begin to unravel. Everyone has a secret they aren't telling. And everyone’s life seems to be falling apart. Maybe things aren't as clear cut as they seem. And maybe the characters aren't who they seem to be. This novel will keep you guessing straight through to the very last page!

When Tom Krupp comes home to find his wife Karen gone, with her phone and identification left behind, his panic turns to puzzlement when the police tell him about her car accident. Appearing to have something to do with a crime nearby, Karen is under a cloud of suspicion. With no recollection of the night, Karen must put together clues to figure out the real truth. As her paranoia reaches a fevered pitch, is her perceived danger actually a reality?

The pacing of the book was good, although the ending did come out of left field. I am all for a plot twist, but I did not feel that the author did enough to tie the action into the rest of the story. A Stranger in the House is a quick read, though, and it has enough suspense to keep readers interested.

One evening, Tom Krupp comes home to find his wife Karen missing. Immediately panicking, he calls 911, only to have them show up at their house and inform him that she's been in an accident. She had crashed into a utility pole and now suffers from amnesia. A few chapters later, it's revealed that her car was found near the scene of a murder, and so sets off a chain of events as Karen tries to get her memory back and figure out how she ended up near the murder.

The book was okay, and the plot was mostly implausible. Halfway through the novel, I started skimming it. There are three characters in the novel: Tom, Karen, and Brigid, their next door neighbor who's obsessed with them. They're relatively flat and boring.

Oh I seriously need to know what happens next! This book is gripping and will hold you until the very end. The story follows Karen, her husband Tom and her best friend and neighbor Brigid. I don't want to spoil anything and it really is best to go into this book knowing very little but I will say it has everything you could ever want and more in a thriller. Karen gets into a car accident on the wrong side of town and gets amnesia. Everyone is asking "Why?" even the police. Especially when a dead body is found right near the area she was in. Don't even think you know how this will end because the ending will make you gasp in disbelief and want more! I will recommend this to everyone!

Things I ❤ ‘ed:

*The plot, it was interesting and kept me guessing until the very last chapter. Although it may have lacked some originality, I really enjoyed reading it.
*The use of the characters. I can’t give anything away, but while the books seemed like it was about just the main characters, there was more happening underneath that I didn’t pick up on until the very end.
*The irony!!! Again with not wanting to give anything away, but MAN! it was palpable.
*This doesn’t really have anything to do with the book, but I finished it on Halloween and it was a perfect time to finish reading it.

Things I didn’t care for:

*The book was redundant. Maybe I just need to switch genres for a while, but I thought this book was like any other. Nothing about it was new it was just variations of similar books I liked.
*The lack of build up. The very first chapter is about the accident and I, for one, felt the characters could really have used more of a setup. The background was (obviously) revealed as the book continued, but I think there was just something missing.
*I can’t say that the end was a cliff-hanger, but I really didn’t like it. It was like here is the end, this is where we should stop then but wait, there’s this last secret and you’re left with just that knowledge and nothing to do with it.

Altogether, I thought it was a well written, easy read. I would recommend this to people who like mysteries and psychological thrillers, readers of Paula Hawkins, and those who love The Passenger and The Woman In Cabin 10. There were lots of things about the book that I really enjoyed, but, because of the ending and the lack of originality, I’m only giving it 4 stars.

Decent enough suspense story but very juvenile. This book is such a fast read as it is written in such simplistic language... a child could comprehend this. The author probably whipped this together in a week. So, if you want something fast and easy to kill a few hours - you'll love it. If you like more challenging, thought provoking books with more character development - pass.

At first I had my doubts about the story. The characters were unlikeable and I said to myself from the beginning that I already knew what the outcome was. I couldn’t wait to write a review about how I knew the ending and how I was disappointed. But as more and more things were revealed, I started to second guess my theory and started getting more and more into the story. The ending turned out not being what I had expected. The ending left me with wanting more as with the author’s other book “The Couple Next Door.” It took me awhile to get into and once it did, I enjoyed it a lot.

I was hesitant to pick this up, as it did not have the best reviews from others I trust. However; I found this at my local library store and got a great deal. I am so glad I ended up picking this up. I really enjoyed it. I actually liked this more than I did the debut novel.

This started off strong, and brings you into the story right away. I did not want to put this down. It continues to pull you in throughout out the whole story.

Overall, I ended up loving this!

I received A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena as a prize in the 2017 Bookreporter.com End-of-the-Year Contest.

I enjoyed A Stranger in the House. This is the first book I have read by S Lapena, but I found her to be a good author. It is an easy read - I read the book in one evening. There were some twists and turns, but nothing really unpredictable. I started out liking the husband, but towards the end - not so much.

I would recommend A Stranger in the Houses by readers who like: well written mysteries.

Well, it appears I'm in the minority here. Everyone was raving about Lapena's debut novel The Couple Next Door and I read it and thought...meh, it's okay. Then the reviews started coming in for this novel and all the same people that raved about her debut didn't seem to enjoy this one. Just the opposite for me. I found this book much more enjoyable. It's a fast paced, quick read and I kept flipping those pages to see just how she planned to resolve this. There are some good twists. Some I saw coming and others I didn't but all in all I found this to be a fun psychological thriller.

I just finished reading A Stranger in the House. Shari Lapena has mastered another thriller. As in The Couple Next Door, she treats the reader to unexpected twists and turns and a surprise ending.Romanov CurseRomanov QuestHimmler's Mistress: Volume ThreeUltimate DutyGood Fortune's CurseAn Innocent LieHigh-Tech Terror: Recognition, Management, and Prevention of Biological, Chemical, and Nuclear Injuries Secondary to Acts of Terrorism

I have certainly read worse books, but I am also certainly disappointed in this one, especially after throughly enjoying The Couple Next Door. This book had no where near enough twists and turns. The twist, which wasn’t a very good one, was saved for the last few pages which made the rest of the book suffer. There was no building anxiety like in the author’s previous book, so by the time the (one-dimensional) twist comes, no one really cares. In fact, I stopped reading this one in the middle and read The Breakdown by BA Paris — an infinitely better book and one I recommend instead. I only finished this one as an afterthought and because I was so close to being done. Again, it wasn’t horrible, it’s just that I don’t recommend it. If you’re expecting to be on the edge of your seat like with her first book, you’ll likely be as disappointed as I am.

I can’t remember the last time I read so boring and poorly written a novel. Some of the sentences could have been from the C- 9th grade English essays I’ve had to edit. I read “airplane books” all the time—you know, the kind that you can pick up and put down between drink carts, turbulence, connections to other flights, without forgetting the plot basics and characters. This one is less interesting than the safety card they stick in the seat pocket.

As many other reviewers have said one of the biggest problems is that you don’t feel empathy for any of the characters. For me personally (at the risk of sounding like a prude) I don’t mind mild language and up until page 146 that’s all it was and then all of a sudden the “f” bomb was dropped frequently. It didn’t add anything and was annoying. I also thought there would be a “thriller “ aspect to it. I kept expecting something, but it never came. Like many people here I felt like I wasted time reading this and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

A Stranger in the House is a thrilling read that is sure to have your pulse pounding from the get go, WOW !! what a read! I was just barely a chapter into it, and Ms. Lapena's twisted little story line and captivating words had me sitting up and taking notice. The story slowly starts to unravel with twist after twist right up to the thrilling conclusion. The character development is great as you learn that all parties involved have dirty little secrets and layer after layer that kept me in suspense! Loved it! It gives me chills. I Want More!!

This book has a very good story and the author is very good.The story is a simple story for the most of it and have some twist but the first impression is the right one .I give four star and not five stars because the story is easy predictable from the start . Although has a lot of interesting and I highly recommended.

This was a super suspenseful story with well developed characters, none of which I liked very much. Otherwise, I would have given it 5 stars. I couldn't sympathize with any of the main character's plights. They were all sneaky and dishonest. It reminded me very much of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Another book where I struggled to sympathize with the players. That being said, this was a page-turner. There were so many twists in this story and it kept me guessing right up to the end. I will read The Couple Next Door because I do like Lapena's writing style and the reviews are really good. I just hope that at least one of the characters has some kind of redeeming quality.

I loved the idea of this book a woman is cooking dinner then suddenly leaves her house, door unlocked and wraps her car around a post and apparently has no memory of any of this.Her husband meanwhile is equally puzzled and so the fun begins.I so wanted to like this I loved her previous book, I did like this but didn't really like any of the characters I know in real life not everyone is likable or truthful, and I certainly don't like everyone but I am still getting my head around authors deliberately writing unlikable or unreliable characters I still think it is a very brave thing to do as it may put some readers off, and I must admit I prefer to like the characters if possible I care more about them if I like them.Having said all of that in a long winded way this is still a good book and one that will keep you on your toes and guessing and really that is what you want from a thriller so I can't complain because this delivered .I would say it is worth a read but you might not like the characters .Thanks to netgalley and the Publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This book had me right from the get go and even though you pretty much figure things out long before they are revealed, it is still full of suspense because you want to see how they all actually play out. A bit of mystery, lots of tension and suspense and I read it in one sitting. I liked the ending. This book entertained me and dont give up before the end of you'll miss out.

OMG I could not put this book down!!!
Just when I thought I had it figured out Shari threw in another curve.
A true psychological thriller, and I totally didn't see that ending coming!
I love how Detective Rasbach was in this book as well as The Couple next door
Can't wait to read more from Shari, I like her writing style.

It was an okay book. The ending was completely unexpected, which is the only reason for the two stars. Beginning and middle.. eh, could have been a lot better.
Tami Hoag is the best author I’ve found thus far. Read her mysteries!!!!

An interesting read, but the writing was missing something. "She didn't know what to do." I'm sorry, but that sentence came across as lame and juvenile and it wasn't the only one. The only character I was pulling for was the Detective. Karen was extremely unlikable and untrustworthy and Tom wasn't much better--maybe they deserved each other.

Will I give the author's next book a try? Yes, but I hope it's better than this one.

I was also Surprised at all the good reviews- unfortunately that was why I decided to give it a try. I managed to read this book through to the end and only the last 4 th of the book was ok. I found the writing to be redundant and juvenile and would not recommend.

So I didn’t dislike this book, but it wasn’t my favorite. When I first started it I was very interested in the storyline. However as I read further it was easy for me to guess where the story was going. I didn’t find it very suspenseful, but instead felt a bit disappointed that this ended up being very similar to other stories I’ve read. This was just an “okay” book for me.

Nonetheless I appreciated that this was an easy read - was a good book to take along on vacation. I have not read Lapena’s book “The Couple Next Door” but may still give it a shot based on the reviews here.

This book was good, but not as great as the couple next door. I found that the book was slightly predictable through each chapter and during the big things that happened. The end had a good twist, but I still didn't love the ending for some reason. However this book is a quick read and makes you want to keep going to find out what happened.

The description of the book and 5-star reviews given by other readers is what caught my attention. The book, however, lacked everything...depth, character-building, a strong storyline, etc. It's definitely a quick read and the ending does have somewhat of a twist, but even then the conclusion seemed like there should have been more to it. All around, a disappointing read.

I loved her book the couple next door, but i can't believe the same author wrote this book. It's poorly written and mildly boring until the ending. I absolutely loved the ending, but that's it. The majority of the book is predictable. It was hard to finish, but I'm definitely glad I did.

A happy couple, an unexplained accident and a case of amnesia leave this couple wondering if anyone is really who they say they are.

Karen and Tom Krupp find themselves questioning everything after an accident that leaves Karen with amnesia. Why was she driving so fast? What was she doing in that neighborhood? These are questions that neither of them can answer but when a body is found in the same location as the accident, the police begin to investigate.

I had a really hard time reading this review copy because my eBook was corrupted! Every other sentence was gibberish. However, I do believe I was able to piece together enough of the story to give it a fair review. Please note, I received a review copy of this book so my eBook version experience might be different from the one you purchase.

I have to admit, the story felt a little familiar and in the end, it was too predictable but I think it held up better than the other book I read by this author, The Couple Next Door. This story had some tense moments and I felt as if we got to know this couple a little better than the couple in her previous book. Overall, it was okay but nothing really stayed with me after I put it down.

Beginning this book at bedtime was a mistake, because I did not want to put it down. I quickly finished this in a few days - it was that good and easy to read. Pick this up if you want a good mystery/thriller. I don't think you will be disappointed.
Her first book "The Couple next door" was really good too.

I bought this book for $1 at my local library, and that’s about all it was worth. I was looking forward to an edge-of-your-seat thriller and this was NOT it. It was so predictable and obvious what had happened that I for sure thought that there was going to be a huge amazing plot twist, but no. And it has one of the most anti-climatic endings I’ve ever read.

I finished the book in one day, so I guess that’s something positive to say. It kept my attention, mostly because I was eagerly awaiting a big surprise ending.

This book was okay. It was predictable about half way through, so I wasn’t surprised by the ending. The writing was mediocre and had a lot of repetitiveness. I did finish reading it though, so it was horrible.

Read this book,in one day. It's an easy read with plenty of twists, sub-plots and curve balls. The final twist was a mind blower! I've discovered a new favorite author. Hope to see many more tales of this caliber.

Excellent book. Twists and turns in every chapter. It keeps you guessing! I loved the psychological aspects of this book. I would have given it 5 stars but I wasn't too fond of the ending. Love the author.

I enjoy the way the author writes. She has a nice flow to the story and doesn't repeat a lot of things for filler. Even though I figured everything out pretty quick I still looked forward to finishing the story. Hopefully her next novel will be a little harder to figure the plot out. First book was outstanding!

I enjoyed A Couple Next Door so was excited to read this one. Terrible. Plot was contrived and predictable, the twist came out of nowhere (in a bad way) and made no sense, and it seemed to be written at a third grade reading level. I gave it two stars because I got it for free at the library and was able to finish it in one day at the beach.

I took this book out of the library because they didn't have her first book available period from the beginning of the book it grabbed me and I could not put it down. Twists and turns that you never saw coming. I thought it was a fantastic read.. it was a great escape from reality for me

Certainly one the most banal, lackluster novels I have ever encountered. After eighty pages of boring narrative, I held on for some the suspense promised by the great reviews espoused on the cover but it just plodded on to an inevitable conclusion. Character development is non existent so the good thing is you don't really care that nothing of any interest happens.

Great psychological thriller. It's quick reading, hard to put down, and has a nice twist (several of them, in fact). It's not nuanced literary fiction but if you're looking for an absorbing read, this is a good choice.

I am currently reading this book for my Book Club. It is written like a 5th grader wrote it. The sentences and vocabulary are very basic and it is very cliche'. It is going to be a struggle to get through it. I do not understand the 5 star reviews.

Read it in one sitting! I only gave it four stars because the change in tense in a single sentence just bugged me. But otherwise, it was a great story and as others have said, lots of twists! Especially that big one at the end I didn't see coming.

The story was interesting, but I did not like the way it was written. It did not flow well and the story line seemed to randomly jump around. I was expecting more after reading The Couple Next Door.

Another winner from Shari, This one could not put down, Shari brings you down one path only to throw you for a loop on the next page., people are not who you think they are and this novel will hold your attention until the very end. Look forward to reading more from Shari

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good “bad” Lifetime TV movie. Mindless, predictable, laugh out loud unbelievable scenarios. But not necessarily the qualities I look for in good book. Agree with most of the 1 star postings that her first book was considerably better. The plot line was cliche and predictable, characters underdeveloped, and story overall was just boring. I am pretty sure I wrote a better mystery thriller in 8th grade literature class.

I'm glad I didn't read the negative reviews first because maybe then I would not have read the book--NOT. I liked Stranger in the House as much as I did The Couple Next Door. I knew I would. I like her style of writing. But we're all different.. That's why there's so many different books out there. Something for everyone.

Just finished this quick read in 2 days. As good as her first book, The Couple Next Door. Not only a twist at the end but a double twist. Very enjoyable and I didn't want to put it down. Highly recommend.

This was the best book I have read in a while!! An absolute psychological thriller!! Get it and read it now!! You will not be able to put it down and you will never see the ending coming!!
FIVE BIG STARS!!!

I liked the story, but I feel like it was missing depth. The characters had no depth to them. I kept waiting for the author to break the surface and give us some details but it never happened.

I was very eager to find out the ending, so I kept on reading although sometimes not enjoyable to read. I did like the twist in the ending, but if I had to go back I would have read something else.

I found this book disappointing. The characters were unlikeable. And the present tense narrative (for example, "Karen sees..." instead of "Karen saw") detracted from the story. I also thought the ending was somewhat predictable. I finished it because I started it, but I have not recommended it to friends who read suspense.

I recently discovered Shari Lapena's The Couple Next Door and could NOT put it down. As soon as I finished I read an excerpt for her next book A Stranger In The House .. which conviently came out 2 days later!! Another amazing read that I read front to back in a day ! From the first paragraph she always pulls you in with such suspense you just NEED to know what happens !!!!

A melodramatic soap opera being sold as a thriller. There is absolutely nothing thrilling about this book. At one point I expected Susan Lucci to appear after waking from a coma. Really silly, could have been an episode of Days of our Lives.

Eh. I wouldn't recommend it. The writing felt redundant in that the same clues kept being presented in a different way by a different character. It was a bit slow. Predictable. Definitely not thrilling. To be a book by a touted "Best-Selling Author" it was a bit of a let down.

It is a very intriguing story, the characters are all big fat liars, I was hoping that the detective and the police will lock everybody in the jail until proven guilty. I didn't like the end, hated everybody.

I didn't enjoy the book from the first page. I thought the description of the neighborhood was formulaic. I only continued reading because the book was on the Wait List for my library. The plot was interesting but boring.

This book might be enjoyable to a moderately intelligent 4th grader. Short sentences, words of one syllable, non-existent character development. There are many wonderful books in the world. This is not one of them.

Another winner from Shari, This one could not put down, Shari brings you down one path only to throw you for a loop on the next page., people are not who you think they are and this novel will hold your attention until the very end. Look forward to reading more from Shari

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good “bad” Lifetime TV movie. Mindless, predictable, laugh out loud unbelievable scenarios. But not necessarily the qualities I look for in good book. Agree with most of the 1 star postings that her first book was considerably better. The plot line was cliche and predictable, characters underdeveloped, and story overall was just boring. I am pretty sure I wrote a better mystery thriller in 8th grade literature class.

I'm glad I didn't read the negative reviews first because maybe then I would not have read the book--NOT. I liked Stranger in the House as much as I did The Couple Next Door. I knew I would. I like her style of writing. But we're all different.. That's why there's so many different books out there. Something for everyone.

Just finished this quick read in 2 days. As good as her first book, The Couple Next Door. Not only a twist at the end but a double twist. Very enjoyable and I didn't want to put it down. Highly recommend.

This was the best book I have read in a while!! An absolute psychological thriller!! Get it and read it now!! You will not be able to put it down and you will never see the ending coming!!
FIVE BIG STARS!!!

I liked the story, but I feel like it was missing depth. The characters had no depth to them. I kept waiting for the author to break the surface and give us some details but it never happened.

I was very eager to find out the ending, so I kept on reading although sometimes not enjoyable to read. I did like the twist in the ending, but if I had to go back I would have read something else.

I found this book disappointing. The characters were unlikeable. And the present tense narrative (for example, "Karen sees..." instead of "Karen saw") detracted from the story. I also thought the ending was somewhat predictable. I finished it because I started it, but I have not recommended it to friends who read suspense.

I recently discovered Shari Lapena's The Couple Next Door and could NOT put it down. As soon as I finished I read an excerpt for her next book A Stranger In The House .. which conviently came out 2 days later!! Another amazing read that I read front to back in a day ! From the first paragraph she always pulls you in with such suspense you just NEED to know what happens !!!!

A melodramatic soap opera being sold as a thriller. There is absolutely nothing thrilling about this book. At one point I expected Susan Lucci to appear after waking from a coma. Really silly, could have been an episode of Days of our Lives.

Eh. I wouldn't recommend it. The writing felt redundant in that the same clues kept being presented in a different way by a different character. It was a bit slow. Predictable. Definitely not thrilling. To be a book by a touted "Best-Selling Author" it was a bit of a let down.

It is a very intriguing story, the characters are all big fat liars, I was hoping that the detective and the police will lock everybody in the jail until proven guilty. I didn't like the end, hated everybody.

a fast read - my first with this author... one error in the book that the US editors should have caught. In the US we have Certified Public Accountants, CPA's, not Charter Accountants as Tom is described in the book in upstate New York. They are in the UK and Canada....

When I'd first began reading i wondered if B.A. Paris and Shari had gotten together on writing. Reading more into this book they're quite different, however they do have a few similarities. Overall I was quite surprised. Would definitely recommend. Hope there's s book 2. I'd love to see Karen and Bridgid go at it