The Stranger Inside by Lisa Unger is a 2019 Park Row Books publication.

Lisa Unger is one of my favorite Suspense/Thriller novelists. As such, I have a bad habit of hoarding her books, saving them up so that I always have one on hand when I get a craving for one of her books. The downside of that, though, is that I tend to lose track of them over time and they pile up, going unread for years. I’ve decided to work on that little quirk and so I’ve been trying to catch up on all my blacklisted LU titles.

This one was published in 2019, but the subject matter couldn’t have been more relevant or timely.

Rain and two of her friends were targeted by a killer who was also victim of extreme abuse by his parents. One of the victims would not survive, leaving the remaining two to live out their lives riddled with guilt and anger- at themselves and each other, while still sharing a nearly unbreakable bond, both knowing they had a ‘stranger inside’ - something no one else could possibly understand no matter how well they knew them.

All those feelings rise to the surface again for Rain when an acquitted murderer is found dead one year after the trial. As a journalist, Rain is itching to cover the story, but she’s given up her career in favor of being a SAHM. But when her suspicions about the possible vigilante slayings of other criminals who were either released from prison or escaped justice altogether, she knows she must pursue it- conflicted feelings or no…


Unger once again creates a dark, suspenseful, yet thought provoking story that explores duality in people in one form or another- including motherhood vs career- innocence vs trauma – and the ever-present good vs evil and justice or the lack thereof.

In the ‘Barbie” movie, America Ferrera makes a memorable speech- but she doesn’t have anything on Lisa Unger who writes a similar passage here, years before that movie was even thought of. Rain’s conflictions were multi-faceted, and she was an interesting character study. But her friend, Hank- now that’s an altogether different sort of conundrum. What role does trauma play in one’s thoughts and actions? Another very thought-provoking characterization.

The story is dark, twisted, absorbing and pretty much a quintessential Lisa Unger novel-but with a deeper level of inner human turmoil. I really liked the book- it made me think, it was creepy and suspenseful- all you would want from a thriller.

Overall, a very solid effort by one of my favorite crime fiction writers!

4+ stars ( )

Rain, whose real name is LAHraine but has also been known as Lara, was a journalist who is now trying to make it as a stay-at-home mom. Her husband is handsome, thoughtful, and all-forgiving, so much so that he seems unreal. Rain has a troubled past that affects her even now as an adult. When she was 12 her two friends Hank and Tess were abducted by a mentally unstable man, Kreskey, who seriously hurt Hank and murdered Tess. Rain was mauled by Kreskey's dog but escaped abduction.

THE STRANGER INSIDE moves among, essentially, three periods: the present, during and after the abduction, and the time of Kreskey's murder, all three sometimes in the same chapter. I didn't have a hard time following the story, but I can see how some people might. I did find a lot of repetition, though, which made me want to skip paragraphs.

As adults, both Hank and Rain seem to have a stranger inside. THE STRANGER INSIDE is about them and their strangers and how the four of them deal with their past.

It's a putdownable book. Not that it is bad; it just did not impress me the way many Lisa Unger books do. ( )

Creepy, creepy book. Great commentary on cults and playing god. Not a book I would have ever picked up if I hadn't been specifically looking for something outside my normal reading genre.

The story unfolded in a manner that strung the reader along with the main characters. It gave and eerie feel to the whole story, by not knowing who to trust, and which person in the house was telling the truth.

The ending was perfection. A great wrap up to a creepy tale. My only complaint is the authors lack of use of the dialogue tag 'said'. The constant emotes were distracting at times. ( )

A great psychological thriller. This was the story of 3 children who were brutally attacked and tortured and the effects that this had on them. There were many twists and turns that I was not expecting. It was also a multi-layered story. A good read! I will look for more from this author. 321 pages ( )

This is a hard book to review without giving away too much. But it’s Lisa Unger. Enough said. I love her books, and this one certainly did not disappoint. It gives all new meaning to childhood trauma. ( )