A review by theomnivorescientist
The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

adventurous challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

4.0

The Stranger Diaries is a story about a story. A high school teacher is writing a biography of a fictional author named R.M. Holland who is famous for writing a horror story called The Stranger. She researches this fictional Holland's life and the tragedies of his Victorian life in Sussex. Holland's home is now the modern school where Clare Cassidy, the English teacher works. There is a legend that Holland's wife fell down the stairs and her ghost flits about the school building till today. Meanwhile, Clare gets embroiled in a string of murders that happen in the school's English department. On the hunt for the killer, we meet the very charming DS Harbindar Kaur. DS Kaur's character arc is very entertaining as I can identify with her Punjabi culture and her thoughts and observations about her British life. A good mystery with a dash of gothic horror and plenty of English countryside vibes.