The Stranger You Know

By: Jane Casey

Narrated by: Sarah Coomes

Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

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.

©2013 Jane Casey (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Casey Is Getting Better and Better

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

My Favorite Detective Series!!

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

Great book in a series that has become a favorite!

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

Needs better narrator

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

Absolutely loving this series!

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

Fantastic Mystery, with loads of twists and turns

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 LOVED IT!

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

Narration alone caused lousy review

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

Great series

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