Strange Sally Diamond is an unputdownable psychological thriller about a woman in her 40s who struggles to find her footing in the world after her father’s demise. Sally’s character reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant in many ways but with a much darker streak. From the moment I flipped the first page, I knew this would become one of my top reads of this year and I was not disappointed. Liz Nugent has a great knack for keeping the readers engaged as she goes on to weave a haunting story about a woman with a traumatic past. Our protagonist, Sally Diamond is a woman of few words. Having been homeschooled and limited access to socialize, she has a mind of her own - unbothered and unfiltered. It’s easy to mistake her for someone with autistic tendencies but as Liz pulls us deeper into the story, we realise it’s anything but that.

Sally Diamond is a character that evokes affection in the reader’s heart. Her seemingly routined life turns upside down after her father’s death as secrets start spilling out from a skeletal closet. Gory secrets from her past comes back to haunt her and we see Sally trying to make sense of this new world. We see this woman trying to make friends, navigating through conversations and speaking to a therapist to overcome all those years she spent being alone without actually realising how lonely she was. I certainly did not expect the book to end that way and I think it’s one of the things that makes this story so compelling.

Although this was an incredibly engaging book, it is in no way an easy one. It has dark themes like sexual abuse and r*pe amongst other topics. So I’d urge you to be prepared before diving into Strange Sally Diamond’s life. Filled with some expected and unexpected twists, this book was a complete package. I don’t think I’ve ever read a thriller this greedily. I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending this book.