A Familiar Stranger

Written by A. R. Torre

Narrated by Christina Traister, Chris Ciulla, Patrick Lawlor and Leon Nixon

Such a quiet and ordinary wife and mother. Who will even notice what she’s done?

Lillian Smith leads an unexceptional life, writing obituaries and killing time with her inattentive husband and disconnected son. Then she meets David, a handsome stranger, in a coffee shop. Lured into an affair, she invents a new persona, one without strings, deadlines, or brooding husbands.

Lillian has never felt so reckless, unpredictable, or wanted. But as her affair with David intensifies, she withdraws from everything that’s real, even her closest friend. When evidence of her life as a secret lover finds its way onto her son’s social media, she risks ruining much more than her marriage or reputation.

As lies beget lies, Lillian’s two worlds spiral dangerously out of control. And betrayals run deeper than she imagines. Because Lillian isn’t the only one leading a double life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Sep 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781713667742

A. R. Torre

A. R. Torre is a pseudonym for New York Times bestselling author Alessandra Torre. She has been featured in such publications as ELLE and ELLE UK and has guest-blogged for Cosmopolitan and the Huffington Post. In addition, Torre is the creator of Alessandra Torre Ink, a website, community, and online school for aspiring authors. Learn more at www.alessandratorre.com.

Reviews for A Familiar Stranger

[Carol Hurley · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Would have been much better without the obit writer part of the story. I have worked at a funeral home forever and my family has owned them since 1857. We have never heard of anything like this. No one orders an obit. We write the obits, it’s not a big deal. It just kind of made the story weird. I stuck with it and and enjoyed the rest, but I couldn’t get past that weirdness.

[Katie Rollins · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this story! I really liked the characters development - the ending left me wanting more thoughts from Lillian but it was a fun read!

[Morgan Hall · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It took half the book to really get going but i really enjoyed the second half. If you can stick with it, its worth the read.

[Khadijah · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good complex characters, well written, great plot. Will be looking for more books by the same author.

[Jan Warren · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really keeps you guessing! Great description of characters with unassuming behaviors. Enjoyed this book immensely.

[Yvette Bonett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Extremely well written! a mix of different characters all with their own secrets & with quite a few unexpected twists! Slightly rushed towards the end, would have liked a bit more detail but still a very good story! I Loved the narrator as 'Lillian' as well as her interpretation of male voices, which was even better than the actual males! :)

[breezy7532 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was really good! Can't wait to dive into the next book by this author!!?

[Tara · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very cute. The narration is multi cast, and very good. The plot twists are there and it has a slight supernatural vibe to it.

[huzeifav · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book!!! Loved it. Definitely did not predict the ending

[Randi Howser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow, I was not expecting so much drama and twist. Great read

[Melina Longoria · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The author could have invested more time in details and more dialogue in the sifferent point of views.

[Sharon Czudak · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really liked this book. Great, intricate story beautifully read. Especially loved the grave digger/former cop. Don't often give a five star!

[Philippa Martin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thoroughly enjoyable and I would never have guessed what was going to happen. Surprises everywhere that kept one listening.

[Kathryn Arnold · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a fun read with witty & smart dialog. The twisty conclusion was a surprise, but if you listen closely to Lillian's first puzzle, you realize it was there all along.

[JoAnn Mintz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the humor in this. It was a good story and Lilian was very likable.

[Lara Pretorius · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book! It had a great plot with interesting characters, the twists were also great ? the narrators did a great job and I recommend a listen ?

[Pam Allard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nothing was what it seemed in this book. Great narrators too!

[Lynne Jonsson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Way more intricately woven plot which was and the characters were well developed and supported the suspense.

[Dorern · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is a very touching story. What a sad ending

[carmenmico7606 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I cannot wait to start the next book by same author.

[Akona Ludidi · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

No way A.R. Torre wrote this mess. Such a letdown.

[Payal Chawda · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I didn’t enjoy the paranormal. It might be that I didn’t read the reviews but I didn’t even enjoy the premise.

[lorikboyd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book had me turning pages quickly. We know there is a death, just not sure who. Once you hit 50%, all bets are off and the book takes so many twist you’ll need to hold on. I really can’t say I had it figured out, expected some, shocked by others. Some left me with questions and scratching my head, rereading to see if I missed it. Fast paced domestic thriller. Another win for this author. I look forward to the her next book! Lillian has a unique job — writing obituaries. But she is at a crossroads; unhappy with work, unsatisfied in her marriage and an overly solemn son. She meets a handsome stranger in a coffee shop, comes up with an alias and starts an illicit affair. An unfulfilled life, trying to bring some much needed affection into it. Lillian has so many vices. Then we have her controlling husband, Mike. He has no redeeming qualities and you can so figure out where some of Lillian’s issues stem from. This guy has more secrets than any character should! Characters are sad, mostly unlikeable. Definitely not an uplifting character in the story. Although, I had a soft spot for the cop turned cemetery caretaker Lenny! Thanks to AR Torre, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

[helsky · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In the beginning our eccentric main character Lillian finds out that her husband Mike is having an affair. Lillian's life spirals out of control and in the midst she meets David and begins an affair.This book started really well. I was interested in the characters, wanted to know what was going on and went on reading on the edge of my seat. Somewhere in the middle there was a twist I did not see coming and did not like at all. After that I had to literally force myself to finish.I must admit that the characters are interesting and for the sake of the strong start I give this book three stars. The ending was okay, even though some things could have been explained better. The feeling of menace was apparent from the first page and the writing style worked well with that menace.Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy of this book.