Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent Review

Title: Strange Sally Diamond

Author: Liz Nugent

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Publisher: Penguin Random House/ Sandycove

Pages: 384

Release Date: 2 March 2022

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Hello fellow book lovers! Today, I'm sharing my review for Liz Nugent's Strange Sally Diamond.  A dark and twisted thriller that—despite the awful (and I mean truly despicable) people we meet amongst its pages—brings to life such a remarkable (if misunderstood) woman that I couldn’t help but find endearing.

Synopsis

 Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.

Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and worried police, but also a sinister voice from a past she has no memory of. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, recluse Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, finding independence, and learning that people don't always mean what they say.

But when messages start arriving from a stranger who knows far more about her past than she knows herself, Sally's life will be thrown into chaos once again . . .

Review

This was a pacy and thoroughly addictive read that I genuinely couldn’t put down —though I do suggest that given the subject material, it’s best to check TWs before reading.

Being new to Liz Nugent’s work I didn’t know what to expect when I first picked this up—the premise sounded phenomenal but, it really didn’t do justice to the vividly detailed and emotionally visceral story that we see unfold.

It’s quite a dark and emotionally devastating read, but the depth we explore through Sally’s character as she tries to come to terms with the traumatic past she can’t remember and the new life she’s trying to build, was absolutely fantastic! I genuinely loved Sally, even in her darkest and most challenging moments and adored the small glimpses of hope (and humour) that are embedded within the story.

Told from the POVs of both Sally and her biological brother,Peter we get a deeply detailed and evocative picture of the tragedy and horror that Sally and her mother experienced as well as the lives forged in the aftermath of their rescue (including a surprisingly detailed glimpse into the life of their captor and abuser.)

I can’t go into to anymore details without spoiling the entire plot but, if you enjoy emotionally devastating and completely immersive stories which delve into the intricacies of morality and the human condition—then you simply don’t want to miss the masterpiece that is Strange Sally Diamond.

Also, thank you to Penguin Random House/ Sandycove for the proof copy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

About The Author 

Photo: Beta Bajgart

Liz Nugent is a bestselling writer of award-winning psychological suspense novels. Her books have been optioned for screen adaptations and have also been translated into 16 languages. She has also written extensively for radio and television in drama and animation. Strange Sally Diamond is her fifth novel.

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