The Stranger Inside by Lisa Unger

Wow! If you are looking for a good psychological thriller, look no further than The Stranger Inside by Lisa Unger. Rain Winter escaped being abducted when she was twelve-years-old, but her two best friends, Tess and Hank, were not so fortunate. Tess was killed by the abductor and Hank escaped, but not without scars.

Fast-forward and Rain is married with a baby and is currently a stay-at-home mom. She had a career as a journalist after college, but left her job when her daughter was born. She locked her trauma from childhood deep within her mind and has tried to move forward. Then, a man who was let off on a murder charge is found brutally murdered and Rain is feeling the pull of the case. His trial was the last big case she had covered and it has haunted her over the last year.

That’s all I want to tell you about the plot because spoilers will rob you of the suspense! Here were a couple of my favorite things about this book. There’s a definite Dexter feel to the story as a juvenile trauma psychiatrist who is an expert consultant is exacting vigilante justice. I loved being inside this character’s mind and definitely felt sympathy for the cause. I also loved being inside Rain’s mind with her side of the story. She escaped the abductor and has carried guilt ever since that horrific day. As a mother working outside the home, I also related to Rain’s constant tug between children/family and career. I read some reviews that thought this was too frequently part of Rain’s thoughts, but I thought it was completely realistic and relatable.

I highly recommend The Stranger Inside by Lisa Unger! It was the first book I have read by her, but it definitely will not be the last!

Check out The Stranger Inside by Lisa Unger at the Library (https://catalog.lclibs.org/polaris/search/title.aspx…).