A review by trevert
The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones

5.0

This was terrific. I read a lot of horror and suspense books, but this one stood out with an original concept and one of the freakiest villains and most paranoia-inducing setups I've encountered. In a nutshell, one woman's family is stalked through the centuries by an insane killer who happens to be from a race of old world shapeshifters. He has the ability to become anyone and replicate them exactly, so the descendants of our victims have had to develop an elaborate system of verifications and counter-verifications to apply to everyone around them, to be sure their stalker hasn't slipped quietly into their lives in the guise of friend or family.

Got to give this one five stars, which I don't do often. It's hard to classify by genre, as it mixes elements of suspense, mystery, fantasy, horror, and even romance. A very gripping novel, well told.