A Familiar Stranger

By A.R. Torre

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer, 2022

Genre: Crime thriller

Pages: 268

Via: Library

“That’s why this was the perfect murder, and it’s why I will never be caught. Tomorrow belongs to the people who plan for it today, and I planned for this day for years.”

Kimber: Mom was doing that “fly by” thing the other day. That’s when she swoops over to the library. Flies inside like Maverick in Top Gun. Nabs a coupla new books and checks out at warp speed. Also like Maverick. Or maybe Ice.

All this rush cuz Yours Truly is waiting outside with the patience of Job. Sort of. Kinda like this book. Lemme ‘splain:

A Two-fer?

A Familiar Stranger is a two-fer. It’s not advertised as a two-fer. But it is.

The first part reveals that someone be dead. But we don’t know who said dead person be. We find out in Part Deux. Then, wham! We’re suddenly reading a different kind of a story. This is gonna give some readers whiplash. The 4-1-1 on the basic plot:

The Basics

Lillian Smith is “a good little wife” who’s been writing obituaries for the Los Angeles Times for two decades. She lives in a three-bedroom house with a white picket fence. An emotionally detached seventeen year-old son, Jacob. And a dull as dirt husband, Mike, who’s also an arrogant, self-centered jerk. He’s also more than likely got something going on the side.

Lillian is sick of herself and her “yawn-worthy” life. If boredom was an Olympic sport, she’d bring home the gold. She’s cynical. Skeptical. She also has a police record. But let’s not get picky here, okay?

Burnt-out to a crackly crisp, Lillian makes up another version of herself. Taylor is everything Lillian isn’t. Bright. Bold. Reckless. A risk-taker.

Lillian’s pretty happy with the double life she’s invented. Then she meets David Laurent.

Turns out Lillian isn’t the only one with a double life. Or secrets.

Naw…

This book has moments where it could be classified as a “white-knuckled page turner.” At other times it’s a predictable as tomorrow’s sunrise.

The plot feels paper-thin in places. The (spoiler) ex-Times employee-turned marina gofer arc is as artificial as a box of Twinkies. Some characters also seem superfluous. Like Fran, Lillian’s boss at the Times. And Lillian’s mother. It’s like they wander in and out of the novel and then fall off the edge of the world. Also problematic is Lillian’s police record. It’s never adequately explained.

Ping-Pong POV

The POV ping-pongs back and forth between Lillian, Mike, Lenny, an ex-cop turned cemetery groundskeeper, and Sam Knight, a realtor with secrets. Why Jacob’s POV is never explored is unclear. And what the author does with the character of Lillian later is just ridiculous.

Bottom Line & Old MacDonald

The author’s skill in crafting a thriller that’s as high strung as a three year-old Thoroughbred at the Kentucky Derby is impressive. It’s just not our cuppa. Too many holes and dangling threads. Here a thread. There a thread. Everywhere a thread, thread…

Our Rating: 2.5