Madness that surges into my throat: THE STRANGER DIARIES.

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Clare Cassidy is an English teacher at Talgarth High. She's also writing a book on Gothic writer R.M. Holland, known for his famous ghost story, "The Stranger." Clare is horrified when she's told that her close friend in the English department, Ella, has been murdered. Even worse, it seems like Ella's death has linkages to Clare and "The Stranger"--with a line from the story left at the crime scene. Clare turns to her diary, her one safe place. Then one day she finds writing in her diary that isn't hers. Is a murderer writing directly to Clare? And is she next on the list?

Oh I love Elly Griffiths so much, and I was incredibly excited to win this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. It was so good! It's told in various points of view, including Clare's and that of Harbinder, an incredibly awesome Sikh lesbian Detective Constable. I mean... so cool. Harbinder attended Talgarth High in the past, so her former schooling memories are aligned with the current case.

The book gets off to an engaging start from the beginning. It's creepy and interesting from page one and never stops. We get pieces of R.M. Holland's story "The Stranger" interwoven in our story, too, and have to figure out how it aligns to the tale unfolding before our eyes. In fact, the book is very literary, which is really fun, especially if you're a book nerd like me. Lots of little Easter eggs thrown in, almost: bits of Shakespeare and more throughout.

Griffiths is just so darn good at writing her characters. Clare and Harbinder are both so uniquely "them" and different from each other from the get-go. I was completely engrossed in the story and caught up in their lives, even Clare's and honestly, she can be a little self-absorbed at times. It's hard not to appear that way when you're reading excerpts from someone's journals. Clare has a daughter, too, and we also learn about others in the English department who worked with Clare. Truly, the British education system is its own mystery to me, though I'm slowly learning about it through many English novels!

This novel is an excellent mystery and incorporates creepy Gothic undertones. I couldn't help but get a little spooked when Clare was discovering writing that wasn't hers in her journal. Even better, it's just so good and well-written! It kept me guessing the entire time, and putting all the pieces together down the finish line was fun. I literally had no idea who had done it--it was incredibly well-done!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The characters are great, the plot is befuddling and exciting--it's a wonderful mystery! Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.

A huge thanks to Goodreads and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for my copy!

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