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A Stranger in the Family

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A Stranger in the Family

By: Diane Saxon
Narrated by: Melanie Crawley, David Thorpe
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About this listen

The BRAND NEW thriller from Diane Saxon, BESTSELLING author of The Quiet Wife Just what is in the attic?

I've just made the biggest mistake of my life.

As the last of my children leave home, I've persuaded my husband we should move house.

Clearing out thirty-odd years of rubbish is overwhelming, but nothing prepares me for what I find in my attic.

It's a hint at a hidden horror. A box of secrets I only glimpsed, before I was disturbed.

And now it's gone.

Someone in my home has removed it. Which means someone I love thinks I know their secret. A secret so dark, I refuse to contemplate it. Until I am forced to.

I need to find that box and take a better look.

I need to protect myself because if I'm right…

My life is in peril.

©2026 Diane Saxon (P)2026 Boldwood Books Crime Thrillers Domestic Thrillers Psychological Thriller & Suspense Marriage
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Whether you are an ardent fan of Diane Saxon or a newcomer to her gripping prose, The Stranger in the Family is a relentless page-turner that demands to be read in one or two sittings. Saxon has crafted a domestic thriller that expertly balances the mundane realities of family life with a chilling, subterranean darkness.

The story follows Emma, a mother at a crossroads in life. As her sons, Mikey and Thomas, depart for university, Emma proactively tackles the looming threat of "empty nest syndrome." In a bold move to reclaim her future, she decides to downsize from the sprawling family home to a more manageable bungalow for herself and her husband, Ralph.
With only two weeks until moving day, the frantic packing process is in full swing. Emma has successfully "blitzed" most of the house, but one daunting task remains: the attic. It is here, amidst the dust of decades, that she uncovers an unfamiliar box. A discovery that causes her mind to spiral and sets the stage for a harrowing psychological journey.

While Emma grapples with the unsettling fragments of the past, the narrative shifts to Ralph, a long-distance lorry driver. In a jarring and brutal contrast to Emma’s domestic diligence, we see the monster hiding in plain sight. Ralph has spent years leading a horrific double life, preying on women across the country with a terrifying lack of remorse.
However, the clock begins to run out on Ralph’s depravity when he encounters Laura. In a sequence that ratchets up the tension to a breaking point, a botched murder attempt and the unexpected intervention of Laura’s pimp send Ralph’s carefully constructed world into a violent tailspin.

Diane Saxon excels at highlighting the "stranger" within a marriage. The pacing is breathless, and the juxtaposition of Emma’s suburban transition against Ralph’s predatory road trips creates a friction that keeps the reader on edge.
Fast-paced, action-packed, and unapologetically dark, this novel is a visceral exploration of what happens when the skeletons in the attic refuse to stay buried.

4.5/5

You won't be able to put this one down.

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Excellent story from start to finish. It kept me guessing and I love the twist at the end. Brilliant!

Brilliant

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