Review: The Stranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine

Publisher: Harper

Published: July 6, 2021

Source: Publisher via Suzy Approved BookTours

Summary:

A diabolically twisty, psychologically unsettling novel about a woman with no recollection of her past from the authors of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish and The Wife Stalker.

“Liv Constantine plants her flag squarely in land staked out by the likes of Lisa Gardner and Karin Slaughter.”—Providence Journal

Addison’s about to get married, but she’s not looking forward to the big day. It’s not her fiancé; he’s a wonderful man. It’s because Addison doesn’t know who she really is. A few years ago, a kind driver found her bleeding next to a New Jersey highway and rescued her. While her physical wounds healed, Addison’s memory never returned. She doesn’t know her real name. Or how she ended up injured on the side of a road. Or why she can’t shake the notion that she may have done something very, very bad . . .

In a posh home in the Boston suburbs, Julian tries to figure out what happened to his loving, caring wife, Cassandra, who disappeared without a trace two years ago. She would never have left him and their seven-year-old daughter Valentina of her own free will—or would she?

As these two lives intersect, The Stranger in the Mirror hooks readers with riveting drama, told with Liv Constantine’s hallmark blend of glamour, tense psychological thrills, and jaw-dropping twists.

My thoughts:

I have been a fan of this writing duo ever since reading their debut novel, The Last Mrs. Parrish, which I absolutely loved. And this latest book, their fourth one, is again, in lines with that one and I loved it!

Amnesia tropes are my favorite in the thriller genre and I loved how it was tackled in this book. Right from the start, this book grabbed me and I loved that I could feel the unsettledness that Addison was feeling by not knowing just who she really was because of her lost memories. The story is told by multiple POV’s of view and is done so well because it really leads you to think you are getting to know the characters but you are only seeing what they want you to see.

I love books where you think you know what is going on and where everything is heading, yet you couldn’t be more wrong. At a certain point, I knew things weren’t right with a particular character – I just had a feeling at one point – and while I was right, I still didn’t have all the pieces. And to be honest, this only upped my anxiety because I just kept waiting for the shoe to drop so to speak. And wow, did they, in ways I could not even have imagined! The twists just kept coming and I literally ended up reading this one in two sittings because I was so involved in the story and needed to see where it was all going.

This was one book that I just could not put down and the short chapters combined with all the drama that was unfolding kept me completely engaged with the book. Definitely add this one to your summer reading if it is already not on your list…you won’t be sorry!