One of Red Magazine's top ten books . . .
In a house full of strangers, who do you trust?
Cornwall, 1940.

For decades, Penhallow Hall has stood frozen in time, sheltering the secrets of its isolated inhabitants. But the far corners of England are no shelter from the war, and Penhallow must finally open its doors to strangers.

Three newcomers arrive, each looking to escape their past and start afresh. They adjust easily to the routine - nightly blackouts, the threat of invasion - but tensions mount and secrets are forced into the open. For one of them is not there by choice. And then, in the hushed hours of deepest night, a young woman is taken by the sea.

Was it simply a tragic accident? Or should the inhabitants of Penhallow have been more careful about whom they invited in?

 

Kate Riordan is a British writer and journalist. After working on staff at the Guardian and Time Out London, she left the capital and moved to the Cotswolds in order to concentrate on writing novels. Published by Penguin, HarperCollins and Heyne, she's currently writing her fifth book.

 

'A beautiful and intriguing page-turner, where the secrets of the past cast long shadows. Cornwall springs to life in vivid colour' (Dinah Jefferies)

With its vivid Cornwall setting and a house full of shadows, The Stranger has echoes of Daphne Du Maurier but its riveting in its own right (Red Magazine)

A beautifully written tale of family secrets, loves and losses, set against the magical Cornish coastline. I loved it (Amanda Jennings)

A fabulous twisting tale, so beautifully written that the pages practically turned themselves. I couldn't put it down (Liz Fenwick)

A beautiful and intriguing page-turner, where the secrets of the past cast long shadows. Cornwall springs to life in vivid colour (Dinah Jefferies)

Beautifully written and unputdownable. I loved it (Katie Fforde)

An enthralling tale of secrets, the twists and turns will have you hooked to the very last breathtaking page (Jane Bailey, author of What Was Rescued)

An atmospheric whodunit set in the Second World War (The Sunday Post)

With such vivid, mysterious characters and an atmospheric setting, the echoes of Du Maurier's Cornwall are on every page. Brilliant! (Emylia Hall)

With excellent characters, the novel revels in the magical backdrop of Cornwall, with shades of du Maurier (Daily Mail)

A wonderful, gripping, beautifully written book. From the first page, I didn't want to put it down - and by the second half I literally couldn't put it down (Katherine Webb)