A violent rapist is attacking women, leaving them for dead on south London streets. When young police woman Maeve Kerrigan responds to a domestic disturbance, she's horrified to stumble across the latest victim. But as a new recruit - and a female to boot - she'll have to face down not only her own nerves but rampant sexism from her colleagues if she wants to be taken seriously enough to even assist on the case.
When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation. The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound, and dumped in water around London.
Five figures gather 'round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult-sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken, but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood. Years later a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders that shock the Black Country.
When a woman's body is discovered in a cathedral and hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigation. Both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. It's clear the pair are connected, but how? The trail leads Lottie to St Angela's, a former children's home, with a dark connection to her own family history. Suddenly the case just got personal.
DI Nikki Galena: A police detective with nothing left to lose, she's seen a girl die in her arms, and her daughter will never leave the hospital again. She's gotten tough on the criminals she believes did this to her. Too tough. And now she's been given one final warning: make it work with her new sergeant, DS Joseph Easter, or she's out.
Frieda Klein is a solitary, incisive psychotherapist who spends her sleepless nights walking along the ancient rivers that have been forced underground in modern London. She believes that the world is a messy, uncontrollable place. The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, Frieda cannot ignore the coincidence: one of her patients has been having dreams in which he has a hunger for just such a child.
A violent rapist is attacking women, leaving them for dead on south London streets. When young police woman Maeve Kerrigan responds to a domestic disturbance, she's horrified to stumble across the latest victim. But as a new recruit - and a female to boot - she'll have to face down not only her own nerves but rampant sexism from her colleagues if she wants to be taken seriously enough to even assist on the case.
When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation. The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound, and dumped in water around London.
Five figures gather 'round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult-sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken, but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood. Years later a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders that shock the Black Country.
When a woman's body is discovered in a cathedral and hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigation. Both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. It's clear the pair are connected, but how? The trail leads Lottie to St Angela's, a former children's home, with a dark connection to her own family history. Suddenly the case just got personal.
DI Nikki Galena: A police detective with nothing left to lose, she's seen a girl die in her arms, and her daughter will never leave the hospital again. She's gotten tough on the criminals she believes did this to her. Too tough. And now she's been given one final warning: make it work with her new sergeant, DS Joseph Easter, or she's out.
Frieda Klein is a solitary, incisive psychotherapist who spends her sleepless nights walking along the ancient rivers that have been forced underground in modern London. She believes that the world is a messy, uncontrollable place. The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, Frieda cannot ignore the coincidence: one of her patients has been having dreams in which he has a hunger for just such a child.
The hunt for a serial killer unearths an unsolved cold case from over 60 years ago. Young girls are being abducted and murdered in the Northeast. Out of favour detective constable Ian Bradshaw struggles to find any leads - and fears that the only thing this investigation will unravel is himself. Journalist Tom Carney is suspended by his London tabloid and returns to his home village in County Durham. Helen Norton is the reporter who replaced Tom on the local newspaper. Together they are drawn into a case that will change their lives forever.
A corpse is found, its identity extinguished in the most shocking manner imaginable. Detective Ian Bradshaw can't catch the killer if no one can ID the victim. Out there, somewhere, a missing young woman may hold the answers. Journalist Helen Norton is about to uncover a massive criminal conspiracy. She just needs the final piece of the puzzle. Soon she will learn the price of the truth.
In this brilliant debut, a psychologist finds herself drawn into the dark world of a serial killer - who may be closer than she thinks.... Ray and Marie Benson killed 13 women before they were caught, tried and imprisoned. Five of their victims were never found. Six years later psychologist Alice Quentin discovers a woman's body on the waste ground at Crossbones Yard. The wounds are horrifyingly similar to the Bensons' signature style.
A missing schoolgirl is found buried in the Dublin Mountains, hands clasped together in prayer, two red ribbons in her hair. Twenty-four hours later, a second schoolgirl is found in a shallow grave - her body identically arranged. The hunt for the killer is on. The police call in criminal psychologist Kate Pearson to get inside the mind of the murderer before he strikes again. But the more Kate discovers about the killings, the more it all feels terrifyingly familiar.
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children, unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.
Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a 12-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery.
A teacher goes missing under suspicious circumstances and a man is murdered at a local reservoir. For Detective Robyn Carter, there's no obvious link between the cases. But as she starts to delve into them, her investigations lead her to Abigail, perfect wife and mother to beautiful little Izzy. What was Abigail's connection to the victims? And why is she receiving threatening messages from an anonymous number?
He meets women. He gains their trust. He kills them. That's all London police detective Maeve Kerrigan knows about the man she is hunting. Three women have been strangled in their homes, and it appears to be the work of the same sadistic killer. With no sign of break-ins, every indication shows that the women let their attacker in willingly. The victims' neighbors and friends don't seem to remember anything unusual or suspicious, and Maeve is almost at a loss about how to move forward with the investigation. Then the evidence starts to point to a shocking suspect: DCI Josh Derwent, Maeve's partner on the police force. Maeve refuses to believe he could be involved, but how well does she really know him? Secrets Derwent has long kept locked away are coming back to haunt him, and the more Maeve learns about her partner's past, the more difficult it is to dismiss him as a suspect. After all, this is hardly the first time Derwent's been accused of murder.
Jane Casey returns with her most outstanding novel yet in The Stranger You Know, a taut thriller and an intimate portrayal of complicated, all-too-human characters.
The beginning of this book is the 20 year old cold case of the first girlfriend of DC Maeve Kerrigan's obnoxious superior,DI Josh Derwent. Maeve is a character I know well from the previous three books, but Josh is given an interesting background. These characters are all wonderfully tough and interesting. I wouldn't want to work with them but I certainly enjoy reading about them.
Two women have been murdered in their apartments. There were similarities between the murders which suggested that one man was involved, a man that they voluntarily allowed into their homes. Maeve becomes involved into the investigation into the murders, trapped between her charismatic, brilliant boss, the surprisingly sympathetic (at times) Dewent and the abrasive female DI, who is Dewent's senior.
I was almost becoming afraid that Audible was not picking up this type of police procedural, so it was with relief that I found myself so wrapped up in listening to this one. It did not keep me up all night, but I did become annoyed when I had to shut my audio off and attend to someone else.
High marks for the narrator as well. All in all an enjoyable package for those who enjoy a bit of grit with their suspense.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
I love the plot, the characters and the incredibly clever humor of this novel and the rest of the series!
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
What did you love best about The Stranger You Know?
The key to enjoying the DC Maeve Kerrigan series is to read them in order. I find it helpful to know where each book belongs in a series so here goes: The Stranger You Know is the 4th in series. 1. The Burning; 2. The Reckoning; 3.The Last Girl; 4. The Stranger You Know; 5. The Kill; 6. After the Fire (not yet available on Audible). There is a short "novella" meant as a prequel that can be read at any time in my opinion- I read it after The Burning. The characters have grown on me! The narrator becomes less annoying each time, I promise.
What did you like best about this story?
The plot was interesting, as always in the series. Entertaining and addictive, there are subplots woven throughout that carry on through the books, and I am hooked on finding out how the relationships evolve and how Maeve grows and changes. Derwent is a kick- love/hate between Maeve and Derwent is funny to me.
Have you listened to any of Sarah Coomes’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes- Coomes' narration evens out by this book. Other reviewers have pointed out that she can be ridiculous in overdoing voices, and they are right. I started reading Stranger before having read the first 3. I put it down midway because the narration grated on me like crazy. I took a deep breath and decided to go back to the beginning. Come to find out, Coomes is more dramatic in the first novel. I notice though that she calms down after the first 1/3rd of each novel; and she is better and more measured and less bizarre as the books go on. Please don't give up on the series because of the narrator- you don't want to miss this series especially if you're a big fan of the genre! You get used to her such that you can't imagine anyone else narrating the series!
Any additional comments?
Loved it and will definitely read each Jane Casey novel as they come out. I highly recommend The Stranger You Know, but I also urge listeners to try starting from book 1- it totally enriches this story.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
Ok storyline but takes too long to get there. Bad narrator. Over the top dramatic when it isn't needed. Couldn't tell between voices who was who.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
As with many good series, the characters are developing into old familiar friends, I will be sad when I have no more left unread! The narrator is fabulous, (I looked her up and in reality she is just as beautiful as she sounds) I intend on looking for other books she has narrated, as she has added a lot to this series!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Great story with inspired narration made this audiobook a real treat! I very rarely listen to a whole series, book after book....but that's exactly what I wanted to do with this series.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I just don't think Derwent is that bad. I think Maeve and Derwent actually have the hots for one another and that is what makes it so hard for Maeve. This book tells what formed Josh Derwent. I think he's fantastic and the play between Maeve and Derwent makes the murder investigations in these books even better.
I loved this book. The narration was great and the story was the best! Definitely worth the credit!
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
Unfortunately, I could not give true reviews for "overall" or "story" here, because the narration is so vile that I couldn't get through the first chapter so I have no way of knowing where the story went or how. I can't even remember what I did hear, because I was open-mouthed at the over-the-top parody of bad over-acting that was the narrator's delivery.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Love this detective series.... Great down to earth detective work with some surprising twists. Maeve's getting a bit too predictable though with the situations she finds herself in.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful