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birtee's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kbranfield's review
4.0
4.5 stars.
The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman is a mesmerizing mystery that is quite engrossing.
Twenty-nine-year-old Joan Lurie is a style writer who is also secretly working an expose of newspaper owner, Caspar “Cass” Osgood. When the explosive story hits the stands, Joan’s life takes an immediate turn. She is attacked in her home and leaves her fearful of leaving her apartment. She is also experiencing lingering and sometimes debilitating aftereffects of the head injury she suffered in during the attack.
With the advance from an extremely lucrative book deal, Joan moves into the Refuge, a historic building which was at one time a Magdalen Laundry. Feeling safe within the walls of her new apartment, she attempts to begin working on her book. Still unable to leave her home, Joan begins exploring one of the unsubstantiated claims she learned during her investigation of Cass. Will Joan uncover the truth about this incident?
Unbeknownst to Joan, Melissa Osgood is determined to prove the allegations about her husband are not true. She is not exactly a kind woman and she is very derisive of Joan both as a person and a journalist. Melissa takes many unexpected steps in her quest for revenge but will she find the proof she is searching for?
Joan is not making much progress with her novel, so she is delighted when her elderly neighbor Lillian begins dropping by to visit. Joan is enthralled by Lillian’s stories of her life in the forties. Lillian’s life took a downward turn after her mother’s death and her brothers became involved with the local mobsters in the area. Joan strives to remain far away from the criminal enterprise but while helping her best friend, she inadvertently finds herself in an increasingly dangerous situation.
The Stranger Behind You is an absolutely captivating mystery with chapters that alternate between two distinct perspectives. The storyline is multi-layered and shines a much-needed light on high-powered men sexually preying on women in the workplace. After her assault, Joan’s fears affect her judgment and ability to make sound decisions. Lillian’s stories are positively spellbinding and very fascinating. Melissa is a snob and she is hypercritical of those she deems beneath her. The mystery surrounding who attacked Joan and why is intriguing and not easy to figure out. With unexpected twists and breathtaking turns, Carol Goodman brings this suspenseful mystery to an edge of the seat conclusion.
The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman is a mesmerizing mystery that is quite engrossing.
Twenty-nine-year-old Joan Lurie is a style writer who is also secretly working an expose of newspaper owner, Caspar “Cass” Osgood. When the explosive story hits the stands, Joan’s life takes an immediate turn. She is attacked in her home and leaves her fearful of leaving her apartment. She is also experiencing lingering and sometimes debilitating aftereffects of the head injury she suffered in during the attack.
With the advance from an extremely lucrative book deal, Joan moves into the Refuge, a historic building which was at one time a Magdalen Laundry. Feeling safe within the walls of her new apartment, she attempts to begin working on her book. Still unable to leave her home, Joan begins exploring one of the unsubstantiated claims she learned during her investigation of Cass. Will Joan uncover the truth about this incident?
Unbeknownst to Joan, Melissa Osgood is determined to prove the allegations about her husband are not true. She is not exactly a kind woman and she is very derisive of Joan both as a person and a journalist. Melissa takes many unexpected steps in her quest for revenge but will she find the proof she is searching for?
Joan is not making much progress with her novel, so she is delighted when her elderly neighbor Lillian begins dropping by to visit. Joan is enthralled by Lillian’s stories of her life in the forties. Lillian’s life took a downward turn after her mother’s death and her brothers became involved with the local mobsters in the area. Joan strives to remain far away from the criminal enterprise but while helping her best friend, she inadvertently finds herself in an increasingly dangerous situation.
The Stranger Behind You is an absolutely captivating mystery with chapters that alternate between two distinct perspectives. The storyline is multi-layered and shines a much-needed light on high-powered men sexually preying on women in the workplace. After her assault, Joan’s fears affect her judgment and ability to make sound decisions. Lillian’s stories are positively spellbinding and very fascinating. Melissa is a snob and she is hypercritical of those she deems beneath her. The mystery surrounding who attacked Joan and why is intriguing and not easy to figure out. With unexpected twists and breathtaking turns, Carol Goodman brings this suspenseful mystery to an edge of the seat conclusion.
nikkihrose's review
3.0
This book has a fascinating premise, and certain parts of the plot I didn’t see coming.
That being said, many of the events I did loosely predict, which isn’t a bad thing – but I know it matters for some of you.
I think the thing that stuck with me most about this book was how much I hated one of the characters. I know I’m supposed to hate her, so that helps, but she seemed to feed into every rich white woman stereotype in regards to how she saw the world, saw herself, and thought about others beneath her. There were racist and privileged comments in nearly each of her chapters (alternating narrations) and while it was to prove a point and I know these people exist, it wasn’t necessarily what I enjoy reading about. But this is just a personal preference.
This book follows a journalist who is out to “take down” a sexual predator. Someone with power, who believes he cannot be stopped, and doesn’t care whom he hurts in the process. And yet this young journalist, Joan, is not afraid of him. Not until she gets assaulted, though, and doesn’t know who she can trust.
As she struggles to figure out her life with impaired vision and a potential brain injury, Joan continues to feel as though someone is watching her and messing with her – but she no longer knows if it’s just her. But it’s not. Not completely, anyway. The predator’s wife doesn’t believe the articles and is angry that her entire life has come down around her – and she wants revenge.
This book was captivating. It highlighted the #MeToo movement and showed it from all sides (reporters, perpetrators, victims, and those who don’t believe). It also, as mentioned previously, challenges other close-minded mindsets by demonstrating how absurd they can be in the moment.
TW: sexual abuse, sexual harassment, physical abuse, stalking, memory loss
That being said, many of the events I did loosely predict, which isn’t a bad thing – but I know it matters for some of you.
I think the thing that stuck with me most about this book was how much I hated one of the characters. I know I’m supposed to hate her, so that helps, but she seemed to feed into every rich white woman stereotype in regards to how she saw the world, saw herself, and thought about others beneath her. There were racist and privileged comments in nearly each of her chapters (alternating narrations) and while it was to prove a point and I know these people exist, it wasn’t necessarily what I enjoy reading about. But this is just a personal preference.
This book follows a journalist who is out to “take down” a sexual predator. Someone with power, who believes he cannot be stopped, and doesn’t care whom he hurts in the process. And yet this young journalist, Joan, is not afraid of him. Not until she gets assaulted, though, and doesn’t know who she can trust.
As she struggles to figure out her life with impaired vision and a potential brain injury, Joan continues to feel as though someone is watching her and messing with her – but she no longer knows if it’s just her. But it’s not. Not completely, anyway. The predator’s wife doesn’t believe the articles and is angry that her entire life has come down around her – and she wants revenge.
This book was captivating. It highlighted the #MeToo movement and showed it from all sides (reporters, perpetrators, victims, and those who don’t believe). It also, as mentioned previously, challenges other close-minded mindsets by demonstrating how absurd they can be in the moment.
TW: sexual abuse, sexual harassment, physical abuse, stalking, memory loss
maekay's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kaileycool's review
3.0
I love every Carol Goodman book and I always will, but I do not like the New York setting as much. Give me a boarding school in Maine, pls!
mollyfy's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ktlong's review
3.0
I received The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman in an uncorrected proof edition from a Goodreads contest and I am under no obligation to write a favorable review.
I enjoyed this book and would have given it 4 starts except that the plot got a little messy at times . Goodman did do a good job wrapping up the two individual plot lines by weaving them into each other so that in the end there is a solid connection . However like the main character Joan's two upcoming books I felt this book could have also been two separate books: both entertaining in themselves.
This is also written in 2 person account which I am finding a lot of writers are doing now. I am not a huge fan of this style but if done correctly it flows smoothly. Goodman was able to smoothly change character stories without making this a struggle to remember who was telling their story.
Over all a good read.
Thanks for the opportunity
I enjoyed this book and would have given it 4 starts except that the plot got a little messy at times . Goodman did do a good job wrapping up the two individual plot lines by weaving them into each other so that in the end there is a solid connection . However like the main character Joan's two upcoming books I felt this book could have also been two separate books: both entertaining in themselves.
This is also written in 2 person account which I am finding a lot of writers are doing now. I am not a huge fan of this style but if done correctly it flows smoothly. Goodman was able to smoothly change character stories without making this a struggle to remember who was telling their story.
Over all a good read.
Thanks for the opportunity
lazygal's review
3.0
I saw the movie "The Magdalene Sisters" and "Philomena" but had no idea that there were similar places in the US, much less in New York City! Learning about that history, and the story of the New York mob in the early part of the last century was really interesting. To some extent it makes sense to intertwine that with the current #metoo movement, since in both cases women lost power. The stalking parts were less powerful, to be honest, and at times were simply unbelievable. Joan's decision to not seek medical help for what's clearly a concussion is also unbelievable, as is her ability to continue working for as long as she does at the level she does.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
mermi's review
3.0
I really struggled to get into this one, I almost didn’t finish because it just wasn’t doing it for me. But I stuck it out and the second half of the book was a great read! I loved the ending and how it tied everything together but woof the first half was SLOW.
reag17's review
3.0
This started off slow for me – in fact, I was thinking of DNFing it about halfway through. I'm really glad that I stayed with it because the second half really pulled everything together and made it quite a good Gothic mystery thriller.