The Stranger You Know

By: Jane Casey

Narrated by: Sarah Coomes

He meets women. He gains their trust. He kills them. That's all London police detective Maeve Kerrigan knows about the man she is hunting. Three women have been strangled in their homes, and it appears to be the work of the same sadistic killer. With no sign of break-ins, every indication shows that the women let their attacker in willingly. The victims' neighbors and friends don't seem to remember anything unusual or suspicious, and Maeve is almost at a loss about how to move forward with the investigation. Then the evidence starts to point to a shocking suspect: DCI Josh Derwent, Maeve's partner on the police force. Maeve refuses to believe he could be involved, but how well does she really know him? Secrets Derwent has long kept locked away are coming back to haunt him, and the more Maeve learns about her partner's past, the more difficult it is to dismiss him as a suspect. After all, this is hardly the first time Derwent's been accused of murder.

Jane Casey returns with her most outstanding novel yet in The Stranger You Know, a taut thriller and an intimate portrayal of complicated, all-too-human characters.

©2013 Jane Casey (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Critic reviews

• Edgar Award Winner, Mary Higgins Clark, 2015

Casey Is Getting Better and Better

The beginning of this book is the 20 year old cold case of the first girlfriend of DC Maeve Kerrigan's obnoxious superior,DI Josh Derwent. Maeve is a character I know well from the previous three books, but Josh is given an interesting background. These characters are all wonderfully tough and interesting. I wouldn't want to work with them but I certainly enjoy reading about them.

Two women have been murdered in their apartments. There were similarities between the murders which suggested that one man was involved, a man that they voluntarily allowed into their homes. Maeve becomes involved into the investigation into the murders, trapped between her charismatic, brilliant boss, the surprisingly sympathetic (at times) Dewent and the abrasive female DI, who is Dewent's senior.

I was almost becoming afraid that Audible was not picking up this type of police procedural, so it was with relief that I found myself so wrapped up in listening to this one. It did not keep me up all night, but I did become annoyed when I had to shut my audio off and attend to someone else.

High marks for the narrator as well. All in all an enjoyable package for those who enjoy a bit of grit with their suspense.

My Favorite Detective Series!!

I love the plot, the characters and the incredibly clever humor of this novel and the rest of the series!

good but a bit too long

I enjoy this series. I found this book a bit long, but otherwise a good read. Great narrator.

Great series

Love this detective series.... Great down to earth detective work with some surprising twists. Maeve's getting a bit too predictable though with the situations she finds herself in.

4 1/2 stars all around

When I first started reading this, I didn't think I was going to like it. It was a bit of a slow start for me. I was pleasantly surprised, I ended up really liking it. I didn't realize it was a series. I already purchased the next one. I loved the narration, too.

Excellent Use of a Credit.

It says a lot about the writer that I give this high marks even with the horrible narration. I have never wanted to stop listening so much to put myself out of the torture, but I couldn't. I was totally engrossed in the characters and story. I has to listen to the whole thing. This is my first Maeve Kerrigan novel and now I am so excited I have a whole series to listen to. They're very good. Very entertaining. Could not wait to get back to the story.
Aside from an overuse of the word "chew" and "frown," the writing is really nice. Crisp, exact, and just when it flags a bit it will pick back up. Great pacing. My first intro to the characters now makes me want to know everything. Nice balance between personal story and crime story. There could have been a lot more about the murders, but somehow I didn't mind. These four women die and you don't know much about them. The victims are really in the background. It's about Maeve, which could get annoying but it doesn't.
Overall I would rate this very high. I like how it doesn't meander too much, and has a definite resolution. This is a straightforward Whodunnit, a classic psychological crime story.
This narrator is very frustrating. When she stopped being affected and hyper she has a beautiful voice, and there were long stretches when she was fine. But she over-pronounces and breathes heavily and just overdoes it and exaggerates in a very grating way. Good thing I tolerated her because it was almost enough to make me give up early on.
Now onto the other books in the series!

I love the narration

I have to praise the narration of Sarah Coomes. She does a great job with this series.

I found this a bit slow at the beginning but it soon erupted as the fabulous story written by Jane Casey. This had all sorts of drama. The ending was a fun surprise and I can’t wait to see how that plays out. The characters are exceptional.

I’m glad there are more books in the series.

I LOVED IT!

I just don't think Derwent is that bad. I think Maeve and Derwent actually have the hots for one another and that is what makes it so hard for Maeve. This book tells what formed Josh Derwent. I think he's fantastic and the play between Maeve and Derwent makes the murder investigations in these books even better.

I loved this book. The narration was great and the story was the best! Definitely worth the credit!

Will likely buy the book to read but...

Could not handle the voice of the narrator in this audio form....erratic and shrill. I actually returned it after trying to listen to the first 8 chapters.

Twisty mystery/thriller well told, well narrated

Maeve Kerrigan is a spunky and a little bit rogue police detective in London tasked with finding a brutal serial murderer of young woman as she is experiencing problems of her own, not the last of which is that her partner, DCI Josh Derwent, is a suspect. Derwent is a complex character: egotistical, brusk, sometimes demeaning, and yet occasionally thoughtful and capable of tenderness – in his own way.
He is sent home in an effort to keep him from sabotaging the investigation while she is assigned to another team. Her loyalties to finding the truth, protecting her partner, and saving her job pull her in every direction until through her good old-fashioned police work, a satisfying conclusion.