A review by melissadelongcox
The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict

3.0

*Thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the ARC!*

So, I'm having a hard time rating this one and here's why - the story is good! I like the past/present narrative (one told from each sister's perspective), and I appreciate how, while there are a lot of moving pieces, everything eventually comes together.

That said, I'm still feeling a little meh on it because it gets to be a little overzealous (extra, as the kids say!) as each piece of the story is revealed.
SpoilerI genuinely feel like the whole family story was enough on it's own and worked really well, the book didn't need the Gabriel/Brianna storyline to make it work. It would've been more than enough for her to have the ex-boyfriend thing happening, and her job could've easily had problems just by virtue of her bringing bad publicity to the station.
Obviously, I'm not the editor, but I kind of wish that piece would've been left out. The story still all tied together well and all the pieces were made to fit, I think the book would've felt more cohesive that way.

Again - it's a good story! I enjoyed it and it hooked me right from the start, so it's one that I'll recommend to someone looking for a page turner.