Parade’s “10 Books Written by Women We Can’t Wait to Read in 2019” | She Reads’ “Most Anticipated Thillers of Summer 2019” | Pure Wow’s “The Best Beach Reads of Summer 2019” | CrimeReads’ “The Most Anticipated Crime Books of Summer”From bestselling author Michele Campbell comes A Stranger on the Beach, an edge-of-your seat story of passion and intrigue that will keep you guessing until the very … and intrigue that will keep you guessing until the very end.
Caroline Stark’s beach house was supposed to be her crowning achievement: a lavish, expensive space to showcase what she thought was her perfect family. But after a very public fight with her husband, she realizes things may not be as perfect as they seem: her husband is lying to her, the money is disappearing, and there’s a stranger on the beach outside her house.
As Caroline’s marriage and her carefully constructed lifestyle begin to collapse around her, she turns to Aidan, the stranger, for comfort…and revenge. After a brief and desperate fling that means nothing to Caroline and everything to him, Aidan’s infatuation with Caroline, her family, and her house becomes more and more destructive. But who is manipulating whom in this deadly game of obsession and control? Who will take the blame when someone ends up dead…and what is Caroline hiding?
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I am not sure what I think.
The suspense and the thriller aspect were wonderful! I enjoyed guessing at what was going to happen next, if Caroline would finally tell Aiden to go away, if Aiden would finally leave Caroline alone, and whatever Jason was doing…he needed to stop.
The way the chapters were laid out was odd to me. I didn’t love how the chapters alternated between Caroline and Aiden. I felt like it was repetitive a lot of the time and didn’t always add much to the actual story. There were times that I was entirely confused on if the chapters were telling the same story or two entirely separate stories.
All I can add to my review is HOLY CRAP! the ending was entirely unseen. I had no clue that was how it would end and I loved it! The story moves along quickly, there are some parts you can skim over as they’ve already been told. But the ending is worth reading the book for. It will shock you and leave you wondering how you ever missed what was happening.
I love the beach…and thrillers, so this book was an instant draw. I didn’t even bother reading the book blurb.
We heard from two narrators—Caroline and Aidan—who told completely different versions of the same story. One of them had to be an unreliable narrator, but which one? At times I wondered if it was both of them. How could two people see the same situation so differently?
Both characters made so many bad decisions, I thought they were competing for the “I’m Stupidest” award”. As it turned out, one was naive and the other was…well you can decide!
The story was told in such a unique way, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it before. Michele Campbell has an interesting and original writing style.
This was another fun Buddy Read with Marilyn!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
My Rating: 4 ’s
Published: July 23rd 2019 by St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 352
Recommend: Yes
This book is a thrilling roller coaster ride with twists and tunnels where hidden clues are there for the very astute reader. What a wonderful book! The story of Caroline, the wealthy socialite with a million dollar mansion at the beach, and Aiden, a bartender with a crush on Caroline and her house, is told from both points of view so that at times the story seemed confusing, that is until the very satisfying and explanatory ending. Caroline doesn’t seem happy in her marriage, since her husband showed up at her housewarming party with another woman. It was inevitable that she seek out Aiden’s companionship and bared her heart and soul and deepest secrets to him. She needs his help and isn’t afraid to ask for it. In helping Caroline, Aiden risks everything, including his freedom. Just when you think that the ride is about to end in a certain way, another twist is brought in and you are again left guessing about what is really happening. The false trails that the author uses were wild but extremely compelling and original. Fans of psychological thrillers and suspense will definitely want to read this latest book by Michele Campbell and will definitely not be disappointed!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
A perfect summer read just hit the shelves today and it is one that you will not want to miss: A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell.
Caroline literally has it all: a marvelous husband, a beautiful daughter and an amazing new beach house that has been transformed for exquisite entertaining, lavish parties and relaxing vacations on the beach. She also has a stranger who is very interested in her house. At first she is intrigued with him, when he shows up at her party as a bartender she is concerned by him, but when her life begins to disintegrate she turns to the stranger for comfort. But what if the stranger wants more?
Admittedly, I love Campbell’s writing and I knew going into this book that I was going to enjoy it – which I thoroughly did. Campbell’s characters also are layered, multi-dimensional versions of who you think they might be which enables her to keep you guessing throughout the story. Her plot, particularly in A Stranger on the Beach, never is quite you suspect it of being and just when you think you have the entire mystery solved, you discover that you were completely wrong. I’m not fan of plot twists for the sake of surprising the readers and that is not what Campbell does. She literally takes the reader into areas which the reader never thought to go and that makes her books very enjoyable and satisfying.
A Stranger on the Beach is not only a good summer read, it is a great mystery, thriller and suspense which I highly recommend.
Stranger Danger has never been a more appropriate term than for the situation Caroline found herself in.
Caroline found out about stranger danger when she talked to Aidan, the stranger on the beach always staring at her house.
Caroline’s life was falling apart in more ways than one, but getting cozy with Aidan definitely added to what was happening in her life. She made more of a mess of her life or did she?
STRANGER ON THE BEACH will have you rapidly turning the pages and also have you wondering who is telling the truth. One character relays the events one way and the other relays it another way.
The twisty, turny events along with the twisted stories each character tells keeps you guessing and will keep the interest high.
You don’t know who is lying and who is telling the truth. You won’t even know what events are true and what are not.
If you like to be in suspense and like to be surprised about what the characters will do and how they will react, STRANGER ON THE BEACH will be a good read for you.
An excellent, wild ride indeed and one you do NOT want to miss reading. 5/5
This book given to me as an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn’t get enough of this book!! Twists and turns to find out who you can trust, even trying to trust yourself in the process. Will recommend this book and it is on my reread pile for sure!!
A Stranger on the Beach was an okay read. I didn’t really love it, but nor did I dislike it. I just felt kind of meh about it.
This book is twisty and turny and takes you on quite the ride. It is dark in spots and the premise is good. My issues were with the characters. I never felt anything for either of the primary characters. Caroline and Aidan had nothing about them that made me like them.
The story was told in alternating chapters, but about the same incidents. The alternating chapter thing is one I quite enjoy, but having the exact same event/s covered every time from both view points made the book feel like it was dragging to me.
I did think the plot was good. I really wasn’t sure what was going to happen and once I realized, it all made sense. I just wish getting to that point had been more straightforward.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own and freely given.
This book kept me guessing until the end. The book alternates between the perspective of two different characters, Caroline and Aiden, and each tell a very different version of the same event. Part way through the book I realized that I couldn’t tell which character to believe – the one I thought was trustworthy turned out to be the one to trust the least. I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters, but I don’t think the author intended for them to be lovable or relatable.
WOW – what a read! If you are looking for a great psychological suspense read, pick up A Stranger on the Beach. Michele Campbell really rocks this one, putting together a highly compelling read that is SO suspenseful I felt as if I were on the edge of my chair the whole time. I actually had to put it down and walk away sometimes just to give myself a break!
This is one of those books that is really hard on a reviewer because to say anything about the story itself would be to steal some of the surprises for readers, and I don’t want to be a spoiler!! Let me just say that this book takes he said/she said to a whole new level, and that the viewpoints used to tell the story are not at all similar. There is surprise after surprise and just when you think you know what may be true….SURPRISE again!
This is twisted, delicious, devious read that you won’t want to miss!
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Michele Campbell for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews ” A Stranger On the Beach” by Michele Campbell, St. Martin’s Press, July 2019
Michele Campbell, Author of “A Stranger on the Beach” has written an intense, edgy, captivating, and intriguing novel. The Genres for the story are Mystery and Suspense, Psychological Thriller and Fiction. The timeline for the story is in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The story takes place East on Beachfront property on Long Island and New York. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. There are twists and turns, lies, secrets, betrayals, and murder.
Caroline and her husband have just finished building an expensive house overlooking the beach. Caroline sees a man standing on the beach looking at the house. There have been a string of robberies, and Caroline is worried that he is casing her house.
To celebrate and show off her new home, Caroline has an enormous well-catered party. The same man that was on the beach, Aiden is tending the bar. Carolyn is very upset that her husband has told her that he can’t make the party. Surprisingly, the husband shows up with another woman. Caroline is embarrassed and angry.
When Caroline confronts her husband, he leaves to follow the woman, and now there are many questions. Is Caroline’s marriage over? Caroline lets Aiden comfort her. The story is told at times from Caroline’s point of view, and Aiden’s point of view. Who can you believe?
I would highly recommend this edgy, suspenseful story for those readers who enjoy an intense mystery and psychological thriller.
I have been anxious to read this book since I first started seeing people talking about it. My newest trope obsession is the mystery/suspense/psychological thriller category and this book fits that bill to a tee.
I hate when I accidentally see comments or spoilers about a book before I read it, so I stayed away from all reviews and discussions and went in blind. And holy wow, I got way more than I bargained for in this book.
This story is the perfect example of how deceiving looks can be from an outside perspective. Caroline appeared to have it all, but in spectacular fashion, it all comes crumbling down in front of everyone at their housewarming party.
I was fascinated with getting both Caroline’s and Aiden’s point of views in this book. I was fascinated with how completely different Caroline and Aiden’s perspectives are on the same event. Which one is what really occurred? Is one or both unreliable narrators?
Michele certainly throws a plethora of twists and turns into this story. Who is telling the truth, who is manipulating who, and can anyone be trusted? I admit there were so many twists along the way, I ended up feeling a little lost and had to reread some parts to get myself figured out and not floundering along. But I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out what happens!!
This book is the perfect summer read. I read it while on vacation visiting family and feel bad now that I ignored them and read instead! Fans of psychological thrillers are going to eat this one up!
Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
This fantastic book deserves more than 5 stars! Jason and Caroline Stark are wealthy, live in a multi-million dollar mansion in the Hamptons with a fancy apartment in the city. There seems to be problems in the marriage and Caroline has a one-night stand with a much younger bartender from the local bar near their mansion. From there, the story is one giant roller-coaster of a ride with many twists and turns. Every time I thought I had it figured out, the story went in a different direction. This book is a real page turner and I still cannot quit thinking about it. Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the ARC of this super thrilling book. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a very suspenseful thriller.
This will make one heck of a beach read this summer! Thrilling and fast paced. Keeps you guessing what the heck is going on. Finished it in one day. Nice wrap up at the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC
This is a twisted tale of greed. Caroline and Jason swindled the mob to supplement their lavish lifestyle and came up with the perfect patsy to take the fall. All Aiden was guilty of was being naive. The plot is tightly knit together with no loose ends to leak any secrets before they come out. I was left guessing the true details of the crime all the way through until the author revealed it. It was truly a work of of Machiavellian proportions.
Best book that I have read all year!
I couldn’t put this book down! The story was told in a unique format – alternating and completely conflicting points of views. I loved how I never knew what to believe or which character’s POV was accurate. The novel was fast-paced and completely unpredictable.
This will be a great Beach read. It is suspenseful and has a lot of twist that will draw you in and keep you turning the pages to find out more.
The story is told in Caroline and Aiden’s POV. Each POV was a little bit different, which I liked. It kept you guessing where the truth lies. These two main characters could not be more opposite. Caroline a snobby socialite building her weekend “palace” on the beach. Aiden’s a boy from the town in which they all watch the rich to come to play for the weekend. Aiden also has a past that has people looking down on him.
Aiden and Caroline have a chance meeting and have instant chemistry. This is where it all starts and you’re never quite sure of where it’s going or how it will end. This book is definitely worth a read.
Thank you to netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Michele Campbell for this ARC.
This review is also available on my blog: Wine Cellar Library
First, I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A Stranger on the Beach caused so many vivid emotions for me. Having experienced an abusive relationship in the past, I was sickened reading Caroline’s chapters. This book forces you to weigh the honesty of Caroline and Aidan’s accounts of what has happened, and I immediately sided with Caroline, perhaps out of some sort of pseudo survivor’s bond. However, the more I read, the more I questioned if I was siding with the right person.
The retellings given by Caroline and Aidan became so different factually that I started to side with Aidan (even if his supposed love for Caroline was nauseatingly codependent and frankly quite ridiculous and unbelievable). I began to feel as though I were an investigator, trying to work out from Caroline and Aidan’s sworn statements which of them was innocent.
I read this book in two short sittings because it was completely engulfing (once I got past the initial aversion to reading Caroline’s chapters detailing her abuse). I do not want to describe more than this for fear of giving away spoilers, but I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves suspense and thrillers. Honestly, I would recommend this book to anyone because it was thrilling to read.
I was sad to see that a lot of people who rated this book 1/5 had simply stopped reading after the first few chapters because they had given up on the book. If you only read the first few chapters, of course it is going to seem unbelievable! That’s the point! Your job is to seek out the contradictions and inconsistencies in the “statements” presented to you and figure out what is really going on. Why has Jason’s mistress followed him to his wife Caroline’s party to cause a scene? Why does Hannah, their daughter, side with Jason in all things? Why does Aidan, a supposedly gorgeous bartender, fall in love with Caroline after just one night together? What really happened all those years ago when Caroline and her sister Lynn screwed the rest of the family out of their inheritance?
This book causes you to look deeper and piece together the facts until you’re sweating and your heart is racing as you read into the wee hours of the night because you want so badly to just be able to tell the investigators what has really happened. I finished this book late last night and I have been thinking about it ALL DAY. I wish I was part of a book club so I would have someone to gush over it with! A Stranger on the Beach was fantastic overall and I would love to read other books written by Michele Campbell.
#netgalley #astrangeronthebeach
Caroline and her husband are building their dream home on the beach. It’s really Caroline’s dream as her husband isn’t around much due to his work schedule. After her husband comes to their housewarming party with his new girlfriend, Caroline has an affair with Aiden. And that is when things get interesting! Aiden becomes OBSESSED with Caroline! The twists and turns are many and the twist at the end was crazy! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.
Michele Campbell’s A Stranger on the Beach takes “he said / she said” to a whole new level. There are two sides to this story, but it’s quite possible neither is the truth—and every time you think you’ve figured it out, Campbell flips the script again and again, stacking twists until the whole story comes to hover at a breathtaking climax. If you’re looking for the perfect fast-paced summer read for your beach bag, this is it! (Thanks to the author and her generous publisher for the ARC to read & review.)
From the moment he spotted her on the beach, a deep infatuation settled in, and he knew instantly that he had to have her, no matter the cost. She was way out of his league, and he knew it, but when she stumbled into his bar one night, obviously looking for some comfort, he jumped at the chance to be the one to offer it to her. She gave herself to him easily, but then her soon-to-be ex husband came crashing back into her world, and she immediately tossed him aside. But he doesn’t plan to let her walk away so easily… he’s gotten a taste of her life, and he wants more!
Caroline thought she had everything, a beautiful home, happy marriage, and a blossoming new business, but she couldn’t have been more wrong. In an instant she loses everything, one unsettling phone call from her husband and she learns that he has been keeping secrets, ones that threaten to take everything she loves away… but she isn’t giving up her privileged life without a fight. With her marriage unraveling she turns to a stranger for comfort and winds up getting herself trapped in a deadly little love triangle!
A Stranger on the Beach will lure you in from the very first page, and have you completely addicted by the next… WOW what a read! The story that lies between the pages of this one is certain to thrill, every page is riddled heart-pounding action, drama, gripping emotion, and a few unexpected turns that will leave your mind in shambles. This is my first encounter with this author’s work and I have to say she did not disappoint, her perfectly designed tale left me rattled in the best possible way! Highly recommend you get your hands on this one, it’s a can’t miss thriller that is certain to have you dangling helplessly from the edge of your seat the whole way through!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.