I’ve had this one on my TBR for a while. I was introduced to Shari Lapena several months ago and quickly devoured every book of hers I could find! Now one of my favorite authors, Shari has dominated the domestic thriller arena. Published in 2023, this title quickly became a fan favorite and most definitely one of mine. Ready for my Thriller Thoughts? Let’s dive right in!
On the outside, Karen Krupp seems like the picture perfect housewife. Married to husband Tom for 2 years, she’s particularly orderly, sweet, and law-abiding. That is, until she’s the prime suspect in a murder.
Found in abandoned restaurant in a part of town Karen would never step foot in, a man has been discovered dead, robbed of everything but his clothes. The police work quickly to identify him and find out what happened the night he was murdered—the same night that Karen Krupp wrapped her car around a pole after speeding away from the scene of the crime. Unfortunately, all memory of the events of that night have been wiped from Karen’s mind—the result of amnesia from the accident, as confirmed by her doctors. But as more and more clues emerge, we begin to unravel Karen’s squeaky-clean facade and realize she may not be who she says she is. Then there is the nosy neighbor, Brigid, with whom Karen has become close and who suspects Karen has more to hide than everyone thinks. Tom must come to terms with the fact that his wife is not who he married, and there is more to her past than she is letting on.
Impressions:
- Hooked from the first page
- Fast-paced plot
- In Karen We Trust—or do we?
- Surprising but unsatisfactory ending
Hooked from first page
This book started out just the way I like—it had me hooked from the very first page! We first meet Karen as she’s fleeing from the scene of the murder. From that point on we hit the ground running as the story takes off and never slows down! I found myself unable to put this book down. I had to keep reading to find out what happened!
Fast-paced plot
As I mentioned above, from the first page we hit the ground running. The exciting part is that as the plot progresses, the reader is trying to find out what’s really going on with Karen, Tom, and Brigid as much as the investigators are! It seems like everyone is keeping secrets and every chapter we learn something new about the characters. Very intriguing!
In Karen We Trust…or do we?
Up until the ending, I sympathized with Karen. It seemed she had a very traumatic past that she’d escaped from, and now she was being questioned as a suspect in a man’s murder. The author does a fantastic job painting Karen as the victim, for whom the reader cares and desires justice to be served. However, as more and more clues about Karen and her past emerge, the less I was inclined to believe her story. It seemed as though no one around her could be trusted, but as the story progressed I found myself questioning her story too! I thought I had it figured out until the last chapter when the truth was revealed.
Surprising but unsatisfactory ending
Like I said, the last chapter reveals the truth about what happened the night of Karen’s accident and the murder of the man who died. It was definitely a shock to me, although I did have my suspicions. However, the ending of the book felt unresolved and perhaps a bit rushed. I may be in the minority here, but in my opinion the ending could’ve been a bit more rigorous and strategic. I prefer when all loose ends come together seamlessly and anyone in the wrong is held accountable. Neither of those things happened for me in the end so I felt a little bit cheated! I closed the book feeling like we deserve a sequel because the ending just wasn’t as satisfactory as it could have been.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Despite the ending, this was an exciting and intriguing read! The author took us on a wild ride as we took a closer look into the life of a seemingly normal housewife in a suburban neighborhood, and what we found was secrets, deceit, infidelity, and murder. I did take one star off because of the ending, which just seemed too unresolved for my taste. Would I still recommend this book? Definitely! It lacks nothing in suspense and excitement. Another success for Shari Lapena!
Thanks for reading! If you have any thoughts or questions leave a comment below!
Buy A Stranger in the House here: