Book Review: The Stranger In Her House by John Marrs
The Stranger in Her House
Author: John Marrs
Narrators:
Elizabeth Knowelden
Soneela Nankani
Steve West
Published: February 13, 2024
Audiobook: 10 hours 11 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: March 24-29, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
A stranger has infiltrated your family…and now he’s taking over.
Paul’s just here to help, or so he claims—sent by a charity for vulnerable people to do odd jobs for elderly widow Gwen. But for Gwen’s daughter Connie, there’s just something about Paul that rings alarm bells from day one. He’s a little too kind, a little too involved…Worse still, Gwen seems to have fallen under his spell.
The last thing Connie wants is a stranger meddling in the safe routine she’s built around Gwen. She loves being the one Gwen turns to for cooking, cleaning and company. But the more Paul visits, the more Gwen is relying on him. By the time he conveniently finds himself between homes and has no choice but to move in, Connie is certain he’s trying to push her out completely.
It’s her word against his, though, and as her attempts to unmask him become ever more desperate she’s not the only one left wondering if she’s lost her grip on reality. But when events start spiralling rapidly out of her control, should Connie wage all-out war on Paul and risk losing Gwen forever—or has that been his plan all along?
Jessica’s Review:
Whoa: Another John Marrs book that delivers! How does he come up with these twisted ideas?!?! We have mother Gwen and daughter Connie. Connie takes care of Gwen who suffers from Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Then Paul comes into the picture: He was sent in by a charity that helps the elderly who are also sick. Paul starts doing small jobs and pulls himself fully into Gwen’s life. Slowly he begins taking over Gwen and her home. Is Paul honest or does he have ulterior motives? What is Connie to do?
Both Connie and Paul were unlikeable to me. Connie just rubbed me the wrong way despite trying to help her mother. The only one I felt empathy for was Gwen. Marrs captured a character’s descent into Dementia and Alzheimer’s with compassion and understanding. It seems like he must know someone who has suffered from those dreaded diseases.
This novel is so much more than it seems! I can’t give my thoughts on one character without it being a possible spoiler. John Marrs can just do a one, two, three punch when it comes to twists: Just when he delivers one doozy of a twist, you better get ready, because he is about to deliver another one!
I will definitely be working on reading more of Marrs books.
Blog Tour: A Book Review of Missing by Ruby Speechley
Today I am taking part in the blog tour for Missing by Ruby Speechley. It was just released on September 27th and I am sharing my review today! I think this would be a fear of most parents!
Book Description:
Single mum Ellie is shown a missing person post on Facebook. It’s of her three-year-old son, Tyler…
But he’s right there, holding her hand.
Surely this is some kind of prank – she knows her friend Louise can go too far with her jokes sometimes. And Ellie is used to the other mums gossiping at the school gates…
But now the other parents are questioning whether Tyler is really her child.
Ellie does everything she can to prove the post is fake, but the longer it goes on she knows it is malicious. Who would do this to her? And why?
It could be her ex, Darren, but deep down she knows it must be linked to what happened all those years ago – the night she’s been doing her best to forget…
All she knows is that she has to keep her son safe – no matter what.
Missing
Author: Ruby Speechley
Published: September 27, 2023
299 pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: September 6-13, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Jessica’s Review:
Whoa!!! I’m not a parent, but the book description had me wanting to read this book! And it is a roller coaster of a ride along with the Energizer Bunny: It just keeps going and going! I had no idea how this was going to end! The chapters were shorter which made this one a quick read that I enjoyed and did not want to put down! I didn’t know who to trust or believe.
Missing shows the danger of the internet and social media: How just a few clicks can change a life. And how much we all seemingly believe what we see on there. People’s lives can change for better or even much worse because of Facebook!
Admittedly Ellie did annoy me at first: Just go to the police! I mean there isn’t much that could be done but at least you have a record of what is going on. She did grow on me after a little time.
Ellie is on her own with her three-year-old son Tyler. Ellie’s ex denies that Tyler is his when she insists she was faithful to him. But also during their time together she drank a lot and there was one night were she blacked out. And she has nightmares of a clown.
So yes, if you have a fear of clowns, you might not want to read this one. The clowns were a bit creepy!
The big twist didn’t totally work for me with the villain and everything that happened. But otherwise I did really enjoy this novel! Missing was the first for me by Speechley and I do plan to look into what else she has written!
Order Your Copy here.
About the Author:
Ruby Speechley is a bestselling psychological thriller writer, whose titles include Someone Else’s Baby. Previously published by Hera, she has been a journalist and worked in PR and lives in Cheshire.
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