Stranger on the Shore

By: Josh Lanyon

Narrated by: Jeremy York

Twenty years ago little Brian Arlington was kidnapped from his family's Long Island estate and was never seen again. The trail went cold, but investigative journalist Griff Hadley has always thought there was more to the story - much more. When the Arlingtons' patriarch invites him to stay at their estate to research his true crime book, Griff can't say no. It's the story of a lifetime. But not everyone is happy about Griff's presence. Relatives and staff alike regard him coldly, including Pierce Mather, the Arlingtons' attractive lawyer, who is more than a little wary of Griff's motives. When a stranger shows up claiming to be the long-lost Brian, Griff and Pierce are united in their suspicions. Startled to have found an ally in the buttoned-up lawyer, Griff soon realizes it's hard to keep a professional distance. Even in the midst of a groundbreaking investigation, even in the face of a shocking family secret....

©2014 Josh Lanyon (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

A Twist in the Road You Can See a Mile Away

What made the experience of listening to Stranger on the Shore the most enjoyable?

Mostly the only thing I really liked about the book was the romance. There were a lot of aspects that really frustrated me. The romance helped to mellow me out after having little rants about various other things. But there was more frustration than anything.

Would you recommend Stranger on the Shore to your friends? Why or why not?

No. The twist is obvious. The players are inept in their investigation. The hints are painfully obvious. There is no mystery here. It's a very long, drawn out waiting game until what you know is confirmed.

Unless you are very forgiving or tend to not think about the mystery until it's revealed to you I would not bother with this book. It will give you more frustration than joy.

Have you listened to any of Jeremy York’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I haven't. Jeremy may be a decent narrator, but he's in my bad books for one choice he made. When he voiced the man incarcerated for the kidnapping and murder, everything about the voice he used pointed to a stereotypical black man. Having not heard any points that would have outright made it clear the man was a poc I proceeded to borrow the ebook from my library to search through it. From what I found there was no indication that the man convicted of the crime was a poc, and considering the detail paid to others I considered it to be a purposeful decision in Lanyon's writing not to make the man a poc outright.

While there are points that almost lead one to think of John Coffey from The Green Mile, the author makes a point of not stating the man is black. So, then, for the narrator to obviously decide he is makes me think that he decided to make him sound black because he is a criminal. Hence I don't want to listen to anything else he's ever done.

Who was the most memorable character of Stranger on the Shore and why?

Probably Griff since you follow the story through him, it's about him, and his name is easy to remember. I like Pierce more but for memorability it's Griffin.

Any additional comments?

*Spoilers!!!*

There is no mystery to this book. Many other reviews mention that the twist is known very early on. My flashbulb moment was at the 1.5 hour mark, and I think, realistically, one could determine the twist from the summary. Though I would have hoped for something more interesting. There are a lot of, basically, smack you up the back of the head moments where the characters are telling you what the twist is. It's a 7+ hour waiting game where you are just bored, waiting for them all to figure out what you already know.

And the ineptitude... When the impostor shows up, Chloe makes a point that he was checking her out, even though they are supposed to be cousins, doesn't like him, and doesn't think he's Brian. Just after that Griff and Pierce have a conversation about how they don't think the guy is Brian and make a very pathetic plan to figure out his past/prove he isn't Brian. This is supposed to be a very successful lawyer and a crime journalist. And neither of them think to just go talk to Chloe and have her invite the impostor over for wine and chat as the only other person in the household around his age? He thinks she's hot. Use it! They can't just take the damn wine glass after the fact and have that tested for DNA? Really? If it was a physical book I would have thrown it.

Yes, based on later discovery, he is still a member of the family, but another cousin. Would it not have been more dramatic for the DNA test to reveal he could have been Brian? That he was surely a member of the family? And then the reveal that Griff is also a member of the family through the test Pierce did earlier? Even if they did use the Chloe plan and continued on with their little side-quest it would have been less painful because then they wouldn't have come off as incompetent.

When Griff finally realizes who he is and finds out what happened to Brian on the night he was taken, Lanyon really makes it confusing as to what Griff's mother's name is. He refers to her both times as Amy Truscott. His last name is Hadley, but you hear it so infrequently that you honestly may forget what his last name is. The head housekeeper is named Mrs. Truscott. If his mother was actually called Amy Truscott while he grew up, Griff should have commented on it instantly, and seen the resemblance he does later. One simple change to "Amy Hadley. No... Amy _Truscott_." upon the initial revelation would have cleared it up. Considering children often take their father's name, and he only ever calls her Amy Truscott it just comes off as a very bad choice, and confusing to the audience. Either Griff is as observant as a rock, or it's bad writing.

There are so many comments made, and information given, that should have been looked into and weren't. And so many hints that were given that should not have been. Knowing what is going to happen just makes hours and hours of narration seem like a slog. The "action" isn't exciting because all you are doing is waiting to be told you are right. It means the only thing that is at all interesting is the few and far between moments between Griff and Pierce.

Uncanny Connection

Griff is hired to write a novel on the kidnapping of a child in a setting much like the tv show Dynasty. The rich Relatives don't want the book written or the child found. The lawyer starts boning him and they investigate a man who shows up and say he is the missing child.
Hijinks take place and then the book abruptly ends. I wish their was a real epilogue but it's still was worth the credit.

A Good Listen

Overall it was a good listen. The story wasn't extremely strong and was slow in some areas but was generally interesting. The narrator was good a telling the story but wasn't as good at differentiating the characters voices.

I couldn't put it down.

Would you listen to Stranger on the Shore again? Why?

I sure would. There were lots of plot twists and turns. I thought I knew the final outcome, but it turned out to be loads more interesting. I like The Great Gatsby, so I really love it when someone else mentions it or any author from the Lost Generation.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Stranger on the Shore?

Griff meeting Chloe on the stairs and she realizing half way up that Griff was gay. It struck me as a funny scene.

Which character – as performed by Jeremy York – was your favorite?

Pierce Mather, easily. Commanding, masculine, his shit was tight. Very attractive voice.

I have to say here that the voices of Chloe, Diana, and Clotilde's roommate were kind of annoying. Too breathy. They sounded like airheads, when their characters were anything but. And Odell's voice. I didn't like what I thought the voice actor was implying.

Who was the most memorable character of Stranger on the Shore and why?

Again, Pierce Mather with his Zion tattoo. His college past was inexplicable. Kinda wanted to know more about him. He seemed wound so tight, but picked the complete opposites in terms of people to fall in love with. Vulnerable, Griff. Presumably non-conservative Rastafarian Roberto. Crazy. I think that I might be able to understand Griff based on what we know about him. Pierce, not so much. So I think about Pierce more often.

Any additional comments?

I've read The Great Gatsby twice. I like how Griff was reluctant to discuss the book with others for fear that they didn't "get it". I feel that way about my favorite books, too. The author made me want to read The Great Gatsby again.

Great Story! Surprise Ending!

I really enjoyed this book. The narration was excellent. The story always held my interest. But the ending blew me away.

so amazing!

great listen, amazing story and completely surprising plot.i loved the mystery of it but also the romance between the two main characters. conclusion was a bit rushed but oh so unexpected.

One of my favorite Lanyon of all

And beautifully read. the story itself has such a unique premise that adds so much emotional impact to both the crime and the romance. great, flawed but awesome characters. love, love, love this book.

Great story!

This was a great story! What a read! Awesome characters and plot. And the romance..💓
!!!!! This guy can write!

Great reading

I enjoyed the audio version even more then the book. Gomez Pugh did an excellent job of bringing Adam and Rob to life. I especially liked Adam's Joe Friday-ish Just the facts, Ma'am delivery

Great story!

I loved to book! It was better then I thought it would be & kept me guessing to the end! Mr.Lanyon is becoming one of my favorite authors!