by Elly Griffiths
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019, 338 pages, Mystery
High school English teacher Clare Cassidy may know more about Gothic writer R.M. Holland than anyone else. She teaches at the school that used to be his home, and she uses Holland’s well-known short story, “The Stranger,” to teach an adult creative writing course during school holidays. When one of Clare’s colleagues is found murdered with a line from “The Stranger” left by her body, Clare is horrified. She is also a likely suspect. Clare pours all of her fears and suspicions into her diary until one day someone leaves a note in her diary, answering back.
One of my favorite parts of this novel is that it contains a story within a story. Holland’s spooky short story “The Stranger” is told slowly throughout the novel, which adds a lot to the ambience, and also seems to hint at clues as to who the murderer could be. The main story shifts between the perspectives of Clare, the detective assigned to the case, and Clare’s daughter, which helps add to the sense of mystery and keeps the reader guessing who the murderer is. This book is a fairly cozy read, but the Gothic and ghost story elements of the plot makes this book stand out from other books in this genre. Fans of both cozy mysteries and Gothic literature will find a lot to enjoy in The Stranger Diaries.
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