Book Review: The Stranger Diaries | Elly Griffiths

In her first standalone novel, popular author of the Ruth Galloway series Elly Griffiths brings a dark, haunting mystery that is a surprise standout for me in 2019! There is a gothic feel to The Stranger Diaries that leant to the spooky nature of the plot. This is a standout in the genre, and it took me by surprise because it had a quieter launch this spring than many others in the mystery/thriller genre, but it deserves every glowing review it has received!

About the Book

English teacher Clare Cassidy is an expert on gothic writer, R. M. Holland. The school that she’s at is actually hallowed ground for a Holland specialist, with it housing Holland’s former office (preserved as a shrine). Holland was particularly known for his short story The Stranger, which Clare teaches to her older writing students. It always fascinates them to learn of the connection between the building and R. M. Holland.

But when Clare’s colleague Ella is found murdered with a quote from The Stranger at the scene, Holland’s signature dark writing becomes a bit too close to reality. Even more disturbing is that the police are certain the murderer was someone Ella knew.

As Clare continues to document the strange happenings in her diary, it becomes clear that something sinister is afoot, and Clare is somehow at the center of it. Someone is recreating the murders from The Stranger and Clare could find herself a target.

Reflection

I would surmise that I’m not alone in thinking that mysteries centered around books are among the most intriguing. The mystery of not only the mirrored murders to The Stranger, but also of Holland’s life are, are themes throughout the book. The setting adds a spooky atmosphere, with rumors of a haunted stairwell and the truth behind Holland’s daughter and wife lurking just out of reach.

Griffiths crafts a gothic suspense novel that is so atmospheric, I frequently felt like I was in those darkened, candlelit rooms with the wind howling outside and the old books piled up, rather than in the safely in my bright bedroom. This is a fantastic book any time, but I can imagine that on an October evening, just as the weather cools and the days become shorter, this would be a perfect book to cozy up with and get into the fall and All Hallows’ Eve spirit.

The use of multiple narrators was done masterfully. We begin with Holland’s own short story, The Stranger, and find it interspersed among sections of the book. The murders unfold in conjunction with the story, a parallel structure that gave goosebumps. Then there are Clare’s chapters as the predominant narrator, that set the scene for the parallels between Holland and present day.

Sections are also narrated by DS Harbinger, the prototypical “bad cop” who is anything but—female, Indian, and gay, Harbinger has her own demons as she investigates the case. And finally, we get surprising narration by Clare’s teenage daughter Georgie. I must admit that Georgie’s chapters took me the most by surprise, as she became an important character in her own right, that I initially thought of as being most critical through the lens of Clare. Georgie’s chapters bring an entirely new perspective to the story and add to the vaguely ghostly context.

I have rarely been as immersed in a story as I was in this one. I actually wondered whether Holland was a real author. It isn’t unheard of that a somewhat obscure, gothic writer would slip my notice. But when I looked, he is fictional as well. I was astounded by the way Griffiths captured his voice—so distinctly different from the other narrators. After reading this book, I wondered whether Holland’s story came the most easily or the hardest, capturing a different writer’s voice must be incredibly difficult.

One other part that I found fascinating was the use of diaries—usually Clare’s—throughout the book. The characters often muse on the purpose of a diary. What does it mean for someone to create one? Why might a person care about the eloquence of their diary if no one is intended to read it? Griffith’s brings so many fascinating elements together, that the mystery of Ella’s murder—though captivating—is not necessarily the most memorable thread to this intricate novel.

A truly masterful gothic suspense novel that left me wanting to reread this again and again.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for my copy. Opinions are my own.