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Cover of The Stranger Diaries by Elly GriffithsThe Stranger Diaries
Modern · Fiction, Mystery, LGBT

The Stranger Diaries

by Elly Griffiths
2018 · 338 pages · Fiction
62.3Must-Read
Score Modern
Critics' pick
≈ 8 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Clare Cassidy, a high school teacher, specializes in the gothic writer R. M. Holland and even teaches a course on him. When a colleague is found dead with a line from Holland's famous story 'The Stranger' beside her, Clare is horrified to see her life collide with her favorite literature.

Why it's worth reading

It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. It's an atmospheric, gothic mystery.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It includes a gothic story-within-a-story.

By the numbers

62.3Must-Read Score
  • Readers22 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller13 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Buzz14 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Won
Edgar Award winner (2020)

Reads as

Gripping

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Stranger Diaries worth reading?

Yes. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. It ranks #2,162 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.3 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Stranger Diaries about?

Clare Cassidy, a high school teacher, specializes in the gothic writer R. M. Holland and even teaches a course on him. When a colleague is found dead with a line from Holland's famous story 'The Stranger' beside her, Clare is horrified to see her life collide with her favorite literature.

How long does it take to read The Stranger Diaries?

About 8 hours (338 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What awards has The Stranger Diaries won?

Edgar Award winner (2020).

What should I read after The Stranger Diaries?

If you liked it, try Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield or The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.