3.74 AVERAGE

dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

A whodunnit, with boring characters and plot. Very self consciously written and formulaic. For example, each chapter written from perspectives of à different character. Dull.
dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

This was one spooky book! And I mean it mostly for the book within the book.

It felt like a well written thriller, keeping me guessing until the end. It had suspense, doubtful, unreliable characters, crimes, secrets and multiple POVs.

I really enjoyed reading this and I will most likely read the next one in the series.

The stranger diaries is about a high-school teacher, Clare Cassidy, specializing in the Gothic writer R. M. Holland. She likes telling the students her favorite story from the author, The stranger. But when one of Clare's colleague is found dead with a line from Holland’s story left by her body, everything gets complicated.

Unsure who she can trust, Clare turns to her diary, where she often writes her thoughts. Then one day she notices something weird, a writing that isn't hers, left on her diary:

Hallo Clare. You don’t know me.
dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

A murder mystery taking place at an English school, with a dash of ghosts and teens experimenting with a coven. Told from multiple POVs, which kept it interesting. The ending fell a little flat, but it was a good story overall. 

kathijo63's review

2.0
dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This book was a confusing rambling mess.  It's a shame because I am a huge fan of the author's Ruth Galloway series.
dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No

Well, I was a quarter of the way through it, and realized and read it and remembered how it ended. Still a joy to read, cuz it's the incredible Ms. Griffiths.