A Familiar Stranger

Lillian Smith longs for a bit of the excitement that everyone around her seems to enjoy, from her cheating husband to the subjects of the obituaries she writes. When presented with the opportunity for an affair of her own, she adopts a thrilling personality from one of her obituary subjects and dives in. Unfortunately, her whirlwind romance ends in unemployment, embarrassment, and ultimately her own death. Still able to observe her friends and family, she is determined to solve her murder. As the clues lead from corpses to cryptocurrency to cartels, Lillian realizes her life was more exciting than she ever knew. Torre (Every Last Secret; If You Dare) has crafted a compelling and suspenseful story wherein the twists are never-ending, and no one can be trusted. Narrator Christina Traister is the lead in the first half, until a supernatural slant turns the tables, bringing readers Chris Ciulla, Patrick Lawlor, and Leon Nixon into the spotlight. Each narrator is distinct and droll, filling the narrative with engaging and entertaining personalities.