Strangers We Know

By: Elle Marr

Narrated by: Janet Song, Alexander Cendese, Lauren Ezzo

The search for a serial killer leads a woman into the twisted tangle of her own family tree in a chilling novel by the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Missing Sister and Lies We Bury.

Adopted when she was only days old, Ivy Hon knows little about her lineage. But when she’s stricken with a mystery illness, the results of a genetic test to identify the cause attract the FBI. According to Ivy’s DNA, she’s related to the Full Moon Killer, who has terrorized the Pacific Northwest for decades. Ivy is the FBI’s hope to stop the enigmatic predator from killing again.

When an online search connects Ivy with her younger cousin, she heads to rural Rock Island, Washington, to meet the woman. Motivated by a secret desire to unmask a murderous relative, Ivy reaches out to what’s left of a family of strangers.

Discovering her mother’s tragic fate and her father’s disappearance is just the beginning. As Ivy ventures into a serial killer’s home territory, she realizes that she may be the next victim of poisonous blood ties.

©2022 Elle Marr. (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Listeners hear Ivy's perspective of her experiences and that of her white mother's life back in the 1980s.… Listeners will get wrapped up by the narrators as the many layers of secrets within the family are revealed.”—Library Journal

“…the increasingly tense plot takes turns the reader won’t see coming. Marr is a writer to watch.”—Publishers Weekly

“Elle Marr is an author to know. Just when you think you understand the motives behind her characters and the way their story lines are being presented—bam!—Elle will hit you with twists you won’t see coming. Told from multiple points of view, Strangers We Know is about more than Ivy learning of her past and, shockingly, the serial killer within her family; it’s also about knowing who to trust and how to discern who’s telling the complete story. Because if everyone has secrets, are they truly family or only strangers? Read Strangers We Know to find out.”—Georgina Cross, bestselling author of The Stepdaughter

But why?

I understand her autonomy made the story but author gives no reason that Ivy avoids or seems to never even think to notify any authorities. That makes her seem stupid. Who does that? The story was diminished for me when I’m asking ‘why doesn’t she tell someone’ over and over again.

gripping

keeps you wanting more, at times I couldn't stop listening it is really good

An interesting storyline but missing something

This book was average. Unfortunately I truly didn't like the narrator's voice or something for the main character, Ivy, so my enjoyment of the overall may be skewed. It was a unique story but it never sucked me in. Some aspects were predictable even where there were "twists" they were not a shocking surprise. You understood early on which characters had a role in the climax, even if you didn't exactly know the role until it was revealed. It was fine if you need something for a long ride but there are better.

Wait till the end

Well organized and written stories. I had a hard time to put it down and wanted to keep reading till to the end.

Brilliantly Wriiten!

Love it when a writer keeps you guessing until the very end. Such a great read! Couldn't stop listening. Finished it in two days.

Fell a Little Flat BUT...STRONG Ending

It is very rare for me to find a book that I just do not like or could care less if I finished, but for some reason, this book was it for me! I was pretty dead set on a 2 star rating, however, the ending did have some redeeming qualities that made me take it up a notch!

I've never previously read anything by Elle Marr but I have several of her books on my TBR list, so I am hoping that it was just this book, but I'm definitely still willing and exciting to read the other books to gauge my interest in her as an author. I certainly appreciate the uniqueness of the story and that it's not just your typical run-of-the-mill mystery book!

The ending of this book had a certain gusto, that if the rest of the book had contained, then this book would have knocked it out of the park for me! The story was full of lots of heavy topics, which the focus of that was high, and in some ways I think that may have taken away from the mystery aspect of the story! But the ending...that wasn't particularly something I saw coming!

Strangers We Know is read by a trio of narrators...Janet Song, Alexander Cendese, and Lauren Ezzo. I have to say that the narration fell a little flat for me and felt a bit robotic at times.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed in this book, but have incredibly high hopes for greatness from Elle Marr in her other books!

Couldn’t do it

The male narrator was unlistenable. I was drawn in during chapter 1 but couldn’t get past chapter 2.

Oh man, the twists!!!

Foster care that includes molestation, recipe for a sociopathic serial killer…I had a feeling about the killer but wasn’t expecting the twist! OH THE TWIST!! I knew there was something untoward about one of Ivy’s male relatives, but he did have a slightly redeeming quality at the very end. Looking back at the 70s, those are some crazy times and I’m glad I was an 80s baby…this crazy story reaffirms that!

a great thriller with an amazing narrator!

There was A LOT happening in this book... I was still a little confused during the epilogue. But I am attributing that to the fact that I listened to the book instead of reading it. That might sound weird but I am more of a visual person. So I think I probably got distracted and missed some important things along the way ...which I probably wouldn't have if I had read it. The main character, Ivy, gave the typical horror movie scenes that had me yelling at her as I'm walking through my house trying to fold laundry. Some of her actions were complete insanity .. but made for her to figure out what the heck is happening! Plus we get some chapters from different perspectives of important people throughout the book that only add to the mystery. Marr wove a detailed and indepth thriller that could've gone so many different ways... You think you know something and bam! The rug is pulled out from under you. You'll never see the twists coming. And there are a lot of twists. Overall, this was a great suspense that kept me hooked!

incredible

my first audio book, and I couldn't stop listening.
while there were some errors, and some times when I felt the vocals could've been better, maybe it was trying to connect to the character? not sure. just sometimes the emotion seemed forced, the read was robotic, other times, just in incredible.
I will listen to more!