The Stranger She Knew

Shortlisted for the Paul Torday Memorial Prize 2020

‘A tense page-turning thriller…powerful’ The Times

‘A masterful feat of storytelling’ Tim Pears, author of The West Country trilogy

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As a young woman, May found that sometimes it was easier to say nothing and cope with what life threw at her in silence. Now, decades later, May has suffered a stroke and has lost her ability to speak. She is still as sharp as ever, but only her daughter and a new friend from the care home, see this.

When May discovers that someone very familiar, from long ago, is living in the room opposite hers she is haunted by scenes from her earlier life. May is determined to protect everyone from this new threat, but how can she warn them without her voice? And who really is this man charming everyone in May’s life?

Tense, powerful and unnerving, The Stranger She Knew is a mystery that will surprise and shock you. It is an insightful portrait of a woman who refuses to remain silent, even when no one will listen.

* An earlier edition of this book was published with the title Hello, My Name is May *

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Readers highly recommend The Stranger She Knew:

‘A masterpiece of tension . . . Highly recommended’

‘[A book] I found hard to put down . . . a recommended read’

‘I dived in without knowing much about the story and I ended up loving it. It was one the best reads’

‘I wasn't able to put it down once I started it and I certainly wasn't expecting the ending. I shall be recommending this book’

Reviews

‘Cutting between past and present, Stopps has written a tense page-turning thriller that is also a powerful study of old age and disability’
The Times

‘May is a brilliant character…a masterful feat of storytelling. The voice of May carries the book, with her acid asides, unspoken putdowns and comical observations, her regrets and frustrations, her repression and spite and love, all mixed up. She is quite wonderful’
Tim Pears, author of The West Country trilogy

About the author

Rosalind Stopps lives in Margate and south east London with various humans and dogs. Her short stories have been published in five anthologies and read at live literature events in London, Leeds, Hong Kong and New York.

The Stranger She Knew is her debut novel and was shortlisted for the Paul Torday Memorial Prize 2020.