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steffiraquel's review against another edition
3.25
I listened to this in two sittings and definitely couldn't put it down after we met the 'second stranger'!
Unfortunately, when the real identity was revealed, my interest did come down. I don't know whether I had lost my touch, but Troy's identity being revealed shocked me! Though with the stereotype of body types with prisoners working out in prison to kill time, I did have a strong suspicion that the ripped person was indeed NOT the police officer, but their behaviours did shake it up with who was who! The ending was unrealistic and made no sense to me, but overall, it was enjoyable!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Medical content, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
megbatsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This one has a very fun premise: in a hotel isolated by a raging snowstorm, a lone maid on her last shift is chatting to the only remaining guest, when a wounded stranger knocks on the door. He states he’s PC Don Gaines, who’s survived a car crash when he and his team were transporting a prisoner. The prisoner has escaped. Then a 2nd stranger knocks on the door… and he also states he’s PC Don Gaines.
melanie_dc's review against another edition
1.0
What a disappointment. The premise of this sounded fun: Remie Yorke has one shift left — and only two guests to take care of — at the Mackinnon Hotel in the remote Scottish Highlands before the hotel shuts down for the season and Remie leaves for good. Then Storm Ezra hits.
Ooh, a wintery locked-room mystery! Just the thing to read on these cold December nights. And I felt that dark, cold, wintery atmosphere from the start, but then I quickly got bored. The remote hotel is near a prison, and when a prison transport crashes in the snow on Remie's last night, an injured police officer knocks on the hotel's door. He sets about securing the hotel until a second police officer knocks on the door. But they both use the same name. Only one of them is the real officer. The other might be the murderous escaped prisoner. Who is who?
Sadly, I didn't care. I was bored and thought it was a bit obvious who was who and it was also revealed earlier than I expected. I really thought the author would let it play out until the last pages, but you learn before that. I ended up skim-reading the last half of the book and am glad I did because there were too many disjointed wild turns that didn't need to be there. I wished the author focused more on building up the atmosphere and the "who is who" aspect instead of adding in all these other plot points. On to the next book!
Ooh, a wintery locked-room mystery! Just the thing to read on these cold December nights. And I felt that dark, cold, wintery atmosphere from the start, but then I quickly got bored. The remote hotel is near a prison, and when a prison transport crashes in the snow on Remie's last night, an injured police officer knocks on the hotel's door. He sets about securing the hotel until a second police officer knocks on the door. But they both use the same name. Only one of them is the real officer. The other might be the murderous escaped prisoner. Who is who?
Sadly, I didn't care. I was bored and thought it was a bit obvious who was who and it was also revealed earlier than I expected. I really thought the author would let it play out until the last pages, but you learn before that. I ended up skim-reading the last half of the book and am glad I did because there were too many disjointed wild turns that didn't need to be there. I wished the author focused more on building up the atmosphere and the "who is who" aspect instead of adding in all these other plot points. On to the next book!
phoebehorvath's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.5
mariajkaplan's review against another edition
3.0
Great beach read, but not as twisted as Alice Feeney Rock Paper Scissors
kelseysterg's review against another edition
3.0
Locked-in thrillers really don’t scratch my suspense itch at all! Poor Remie is not good at the gut feelings but hey good for her for getting her happy-ish ending.
reading_under_covers's review against another edition
Dnf ~70%
This one started off strong, but it’s been really dragging for me and I don’t care enough about the characters or the story to see how it all resolves 🤷🏼♀️
This one started off strong, but it’s been really dragging for me and I don’t care enough about the characters or the story to see how it all resolves 🤷🏼♀️
complicated_brunette's review against another edition
4.0
The Second Stranger tells the story of Remie Yorke, an employee at the remote Mackinnon Hotel, who is working her final shift before jetting off to South America. Storm Ezra hits and Remie is faced with an injured police officer at the door, telling of an nearby accident and warning of an escaped prisoner from the nearby jail. Then, a second stranger arrives, claiming to be the same police officer and warning of the same deadly prisoner. Remie has to work out which one is the real police officer and which one is the escapee.
I loved the setting on this book; the remote Scottish highlands make for a perfect backdrop to this story. I found myself completely able to picture the unforgiving terrain and the biting cold, with the hotel the only source of warmth. The characters were well written and I found that I went back and forth so many times, not knowing who to believe .
The story was full of twists and turns and it kept me gripped right to the very end.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.
I loved the setting on this book; the remote Scottish highlands make for a perfect backdrop to this story. I found myself completely able to picture the unforgiving terrain and the biting cold, with the hotel the only source of warmth. The characters were well written and I found that I went back and forth so many times, not knowing who to believe .
The story was full of twists and turns and it kept me gripped right to the very end.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.