My thanks to Jen Harlow of Michael Joseph Books, for inviting me to be part of the blog tour for Stranger. This is the sixth standalone book by Karen Perry. Out in May 2021.
Abi Holland is worried about her daughter Beth.
So when foreign exchange student Corinne comes to stay, it’s a relief to see her daughter making a friend.
But the Holland family have lots of secrets, and Corinne is quietly listening to them all.
Watching. Waiting. Ready to show them what they should really be worried about . . .
Our Authors – Karen Perry
Karen Perry is the pen name of Dublin-based authors Paul Perry and Karen Gillece. Their first novel, The Innocent Sleep, hits stores in February, 2014. Sunday Times bestselling authors of Your Closest Friend, Can You Keep a Secret?, Girl Unknown, Only We Know and The Boy That Never Was, which was selected for the Simon Mayo Radio 2 Book Club.
My Review – Stranger
As any parent knows, having a child’s school friend back for tea, can sometimes be a testing experience, let alone having an exchange student stay. I know I would have avoided this like the plague if they had exchanges like this when I was at school. Stranger, set in the hills of Wicklow and Dublin, turns the rolling grass of the Irish hills into the green eyed monster.
However, Abi Holland thinks it will do Beth, her daughter good to have an exchange student stay at their home. Beth’s auntie, Melissa died a while ago and Beth has become less social. Mark her dad thinks it will do them all good too, to give them all something else to think about and for Beth to also experience going to France to stay at Corrine’s too. Eva their older daughter isn’t so keen and doesn’t warm to her. She finds Corrine domineering and doesn’t like the way Beth is doing everything Corrine tells her to do. Mark, a stay at home Dad takes care of the day to day him life, whilst Abi is out at work – a fairly high up job, that demands more of her attention than her family does. Mark is aware of the role reversal and Abi feels pressured to be the bread winner.
Corrine quickly makes herself at home and installs herself in their lives. Before they know it, the whole family are swept off to France for their summer holiday to stay at Corrine’s family home as the girls are desperate to stay together longer. Why Beth no longer sees her other friends soon becomes clear, they feel smothered and need space. Corrine being the domineering one in the pair, tells Beth daily what to wear, react and behave. But their friendship reaches a point of no return and a trail of lies and betrayal become evident. Corrine tells Beth to make one big display that no one will forget, and boy does she mange that.
Please follow the rest of the blog tour and fellow bloggers reviews.
Stranger is a story of love, jealousy and desperation and how it can all go so badly wrong. Written skilfully and with twists that make you think you already knew that, but the details are so subtle you don’t notice that they are underlying details that create the ending.
To buy Stranger https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Karen-Perry/Stranger/25986175
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