Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    A Stranger on the Beach
    Unavailable
    A Stranger on the Beach
    Unavailable
    A Stranger on the Beach
    Audiobook10 hours

    A Stranger on the Beach

    Written by Michele Campbell

    Narrated by January LaVoy

    3.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    From the bestselling author of It's Always the Husband comes a novel about a love triangle that begins on a fateful night…

    ‘Rides its rising tide of terror to a finale that blanched my knuckles. An exceptionally suspenseful thriller’ – A J Finn, Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

    There is a stranger outside Caroline's house.

    Her spectacular new beach house, built for hosting expensive parties and vacationing with the family she thought she'd have. But her husband is lying to her and everything in her life is upside down, so when the stranger, Aidan, shows up as a bartender at the same party where Caroline and her husband have a very public fight, it doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary.

    As her marriage collapses around her and the lavish lifestyle she's built for herself starts to crumble, Caroline turns to Aidan for comfort… and revenge. After a brief and desperate fling that means nothing to Caroline and everything to him, Aidan's obsession with Caroline, her family, and her house grows more and more disturbing. And when Caroline's husband goes missing, her life descends into a nightmare that leaves her accused of her own husband's murder.

    A Stranger on the Beach is Strangers on a Train meets Fatal Attraction in Michele Campbell's edge-of your-seat story of passion and intrigue.

    Praise for A Stranger on the Beach:

    ‘A Stranger on the Beach rides its rising tide of terror to a finale that blanched my knuckles. An exceptionally suspenseful thriller’ A J Finn

    ‘The latest release from bestseller Michele Campbell is darkly intriguing and speaks volumes about how keeping up appearances and burying secrets can lead to disastrous consequences’ Woman’s Own

    ‘After all the twists and turns, you’ll want to start this book all over again, it’s that good!’ Woman’s Weekly

    ‘Gripping … a genuinely suspenseful thrill ride. It’s a whole lot of fun’ Heat

    Perfect for fans of Mark Edwards, TM Logan and Lisa Jewell!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateJul 23, 2019
    ISBN9780008354527
    Unavailable
    A Stranger on the Beach
    Author

    Michele Campbell

    A graduate of Harvard University and Stanford Law School, Michele Campbell worked at a prestigious Manhattan law firm before spending eight years fighting crime as a federal prosecutor in New York City. Michele is the author of She Was the Quiet One and It's Always the Husband.

    More audiobooks from Michele Campbell

    Related to A Stranger on the Beach

    Thrillers For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Living With A Painful Past

      Jun 24, 2023

      Living With A Painful Past
      8 min read

    • Article

      Lil Spin

      May 17, 2019

      Lil Spin
      8 min read

    • Article

      Swisher Sweets

      May 1, 2022

      Swisher Sweets
      17 min read

    • Article

      ‘Sing to It’: Featured Fiction from Amy Hempel

      Mar 25, 2019

      If she was home at night in her husband’s bed, did he care what she did with her days? The post ‘Sing to It’: Featured Fiction from Amy Hempel appeared first on The Millions.

      7 min read

    • Article

      Jenkins

      Feb 4, 2021

      Jenkins
      6 min read

    • Article

      In It For The Tea

      Mar 24, 2020

      In It For The Tea
      7 min read

    • Article

      Birdie

      Jan 14, 2020

      Birdie
      24 min read

    • Article

      Honeymoon

      Mar 15, 2019

      Honeymoon
      15 min read

    • Article

      The House On The Cliff

      Apr 17, 2020

      The House On The Cliff
      5 min read

    • Article

      Banjo Man

      Oct 27, 2020

      Banjo Man
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Leather Coat

      Apr 4, 2024

      The Leather Coat
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Man With No Name

      Oct 1, 2021

      The Man With No Name
      4 min read

    • Article

      A balancing ACT

      Nov 23, 2021

      A balancing ACT
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Man I Should Have Married

      Dec 29, 2019

      The Man I Should Have Married
      11 min read

    • Article

      Righteous

      Jan 22, 2019

      Righteous
      8 min read

    • Article

      Good Bones

      Mar 19, 2020

      Good Bones
      18 min read

    • Article

      Good Guysfinish Last

      Oct 6, 2020

      Good Guysfinish Last
      3 min read

    • Article

      Together Alone

      Mar 29, 2020

      Together Alone
      2 min read

    • Article

      Push

      Aug 4, 2022

      Push
      5 min read

    • Article

      Epithalamium

      Jun 1, 2023

      Epithalamium
      16 min read

    • Article

      Festival

      Sep 15, 2018

      My husband, who loved festivals, who was a great fan of festivals, wanted to get to the square in time for the first band at eleven o’clock. From bed, the dog and I watched him dress. He tried on various T-shirts, declaring some of them too tight and

      13 min read

    • Article

      My HAPPY PLACE

      Jul 7, 2022

      I see it as fate that the rather grotty upper floors of a Victorian house I viewed for a holiday home, had a huge magnolia tree just inside the rusting iron gate. I had always wanted such a tree and I knew come the spring it would be gorgeous. I did

      3 min read

    • Article

      Not That Story

      Oct 28, 2017

      Not That Story
      7 min read

    • Article

      Valley Oaks Drive

      Mar 1, 2021

      Valley Oaks Drive
      10 min read

    • Article

      Begin Again

      Jun 14, 2022

      My grandfather came to live with me. There was nowhere else for him to go. What had happened to all his children? Death, decay, exile—I hardly know. My own parents died of pain. But I must not be too gloomy, at the beginning, or you will leave me, an

      6 min read

    • Article

      Uncontrollable, Irrelevant

      Dec 6, 2022

      My sister called me the other day. She wanted to let me know that I had once more been merciless and cruel in my relations with our parents. “They say there’s a lot of anger in you,” she said. “It makes them mad. It hurts their feelings. They think y

      14 min read

    • Article

      The July War

      Sep 8, 2020

      In summer, our neighborhood quiets in phases. The quieting begins in May. Schools give their older kids, the seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds, a month off to prepare for the baccalaureate exams. Following a ritual as old as our parents, the students

      21 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for A Stranger on the Beach

    3.5/5

    103 ratings29 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      One of the best thrillers I have listened to this year. Keeps you guessing till the end.
    • 1/5
      This book is a perfect example of why I don’t make a habit of reading heavily hyped books, because most of the time they are bad.
      1. Terribly stereotyped characters
      2. Not one character you would like or care about what happens to them. While at the same time they weren’t the kind that you love to hate.
      3. Characters who behaved like narcissistic teenagers going from one stupid decision to another, fixing nothing and never learning from the past.
      4. Throw in some steamy sex for the wife who hasn’t been laid in awhile.
      5. Be trendy and tell the book from two different points of view, so you don’t know who’s version is correct. Guess what, it doesn’t matter, by about the half way point you won’t care.
      If this had been one of those .99 books for kindle you would wouldn’t care, but apparently this is like the 3rd book from this author. This is shocking as the writing is at about the 6th grade level.
      All I can think is the author moves in the right circles to get a publishing deal, and the quality of the books just doesn’t matter.
    • 4/5
      The Stranger on the Beach by Michelle Campbell is a 2019 St. Martin’s Press publication. Caroline has finally moved into her dream home - a beautiful beach house. She plans a lavish housewarming party to celebrate, but her husband of twenty years spoils her mood by first announcing he can’t make it to the party, then suddenly showing up with another woman. Humiliated, Caroline ends up in a bar, where she flirts with the bartender, a younger guy named Aiden. After too many drinks, they have a torrid one-night stand. But while Aiden falls for Caroline, she tries to work things out with her husband. However, she can’t seem to get rid of Aiden - he follows her everywhere she goes, complicating her situation. Caroline thinks she’s being stalked while Aiden claims he’s only trying to protect her from her husband, who he suspects is involved in criminal activities… Who is telling the truth? This was a clever and well-plotted psychological thriller. The first part of the story was fast-paced and edgy at times. The middle section dragged a bit as the back and forth between Aiden and Caroline got repetitive. Just as I was getting impatient for something to happen, the author dropped a bombshell that changed the direction of the story completely. From there, an investigation unfolded with one surprising twist after another. Overall, this was a book that I should have read sooner. I’m glad I finally got around to this absorbing mind-twister. 4 stars
    • 4/5
      Cleverly constructed thriller with two conflicting versions of what is happening from the lead characters and never quite sure which is accurate. Whilst I did work out what had probably happened towards the end, it didn't detract from my enjoyment.
    • 3/5
      Premise - rich older woman picks up hot young bartender. Obviously that story could go many directions. But it did go in the direction one would expect. Although I enjoyed this book, I did struggle with a few parts of it. There were moments I found a few of the characters extremely unbelievable, but it wasn’t enough to really make or break the book for me at first. Then some of the characters became so stupid and behaved so crazy that I found it hard to believe anything. Caroline the main character, behaved so dumb at times I found myself wondering who was the crazy one. I feel the ending definitely made up for some of it, but what you have to go through to get there what kind of tough.
    • 1/5
      Caroline has a stunning new beach house. It's meant to impress the people who attend her expensive parties and it's supposed to be a vacation house for her and the family she thought she'd have. But her husband is lying to her and her life is turned upside down. She turns to the stranger she saw outside her house for comfort and revenge. This fling means nothing to Caroline, but it means everything to Aiden. His obsession with Caroline, her house and her family is disturbing. And when her husband goes missing, she's accused of his murder.

      This started off okay, but not long into the book it all began to unravel quickly. The writing was absolutely terrible. It's amateurish - repetitive, hard to follow and the story dragged. The characters weren't that great. The whole thing lacked depth. It was all so awful. I couldn't bring myself to finish this one, and I hate not finishing a book.

      Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC.
    • 4/5
      An excellent book. I really enjoy the style of her writing. Great true to life bag of shit characters and a fun story with a twist at the end. Looking forward to more. Well done!
    • 5/5
      4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

      Holy Moly! What a suspense filled read. Loved it, just what I needed to get out of my reading slump. Fast paced, action packed, heart pounding page turner of a read. Characters you both loved and hated from one chapter to the next. After reading The Husband is Always Right and She Was the Quiet One, Michele Campbell as been on my list of authors I buy without reading the jacket cover. This did not disappoint.

      Caroline is convinced that her husband Jason is cheating, especially when he turns up at their housewarming with a mistress following close behind. But, Caroline’s life goes from bad to worse, after she has a steamy one-night stand with a hot guy, almost 20 years her senior. A few unanswered questions at the end, but a solid story line.

    • 4/5
      A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell is a twist-filled mystery.

      Caroline Stark is happily married to investment banker Jason and their daughter, Hannah, is beginning her first year of college. She is thrilled her elaborate beach house in the Hamptons is finally complete.  But the night she throws an extravagant party to showcase her beautiful new home, her life as she knows it is completely upended when she learns Jason is having an affair. Despondent over the discovery, Caroline has a one-night stand with bartender Aidan Callahan. But Aidan, it appears, believes their night together is the beginning of a relationship.  Will Caroline find a way to save her marriage? Or will Aidan persuade her to give him a chance?

      The majority of the novel alternates between Caroline's and Aidan's perspectives.  The pacing becomes a little sluggish as the same events are viewed through both Caroline's and Aidan's points of view.  Following a shocking series of events after a hurricane strikes, the chapters now unfold from different perspectives as the police begin an investigation. Will Lt. Jess Messina untangle the twisted web surrounding Aidan and Caroline and uncover the truth about what happened the night of the storm?

      A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell is a suspenseful mystery with a unique yet very  interesting premise. Caroline and Aidan are fascinating characters but which of them is the most reliable narrator? To find out the answer this compelling question, I highly recommend readers pick up a copy of this diabolically clever mystery!
    • 5/5
      I'm just going to start off with the fact that I absolutely enjoyed reading Michele Campbell's 'A Stranger On The Beach'.  I knew from the write up that this would be right up my street, and I wasn't wrong.  Michele really captured the elements of suspense and suprise in this beautifully well written psychological thriller. The idea of an idyllic beach house setting, with a seemingly perfect family and a guy in awe of the building and of one of the occupants was well thought out and I really enjoyed the way these characters were written and it's easy to become very attached to both Aidan and Caroline.  All of the characters are believable, and at first impressions you get a real sense of who they are and what they want but their versions of matters will make you love to hate and hate to love them to the point where you will question their intentions throughout the whole of the book.The only thing I felt that could improve was that the romance scenes could be dimmed down a little, a little too much information in my opinion but, all in all this was a fantastic read and after reading I feel like I need to re-read it with a different perspective.I will definitely be looking out for more books written by this author.
    • 4/5
      This is a decent thriller that held my interest throughout. The narrative kept changing viewpoints between the two main characters, and it took me awhile to catch on since they were basically nearly opposite. The confusion created by this plot style was what made the story work and kept me intrigued to the end. There were points when the story seemed to bog down a bit with some repetition, and the characters were hard to either like or sympathize with after the very beginning. In spite of that, I would give it 3.5 stars and recommend it to fans of the current thriller category of novels.
    • 4/5
      A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell is a psychological thriller that is unpredictable. Caroline Stark is a happily married woman who has recently moved into her dream home: a high-end beach mansion in the Hamptons. A house-warming party turns into an embarrassment when Caroline and her husband have a loud argument about "the other woman". Caroline soon turns to Aidan, a local bartender and ex-con for solace and a short sexual relationship soon ensues. Although many of the characters are not likable, the reader's interest is maintained throughout by the many plot twists. Who is the good person, who is the bad, will change from page to page and you will not know who to cheer for. Who will commit a crime? Who will be blamed for the crime? Who will be the victim of the crime? Meanwhile, in the background, a hurricane is brewing. Suspense abounds. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
    • 2/5
      Many thanks to NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for a book review of A Stranger on the Beach. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.Carolyn notices a strange man on the beach staring at her brand new beach house. She notices him again while jogging on the beach. He makes her uneasy. He is gorgeous to look at, but he seems a little dangerous. Carolyn loves her beach house. It has cost a fortune and her husband, Jason, has not been around to enjoy it with her. He has been working a lot lately. But he promises to make time for her at their housewarming party. She has invited absolutely everyone. She is shocked and uncomfortable when the guy on the beach is a bartender for the party, but she brushes it off. Carolyn is more concerned about why Jason hasn’t arrived from the city. She should have hoped for something else. The party is in full throttle when Jason walks in with some Russian floozy on his arm. He tells Carolyn that he has been having an affair and is leaving her. She can keep everything, the house, the money, all he wants is out. Carolyn is in shock. But Jason lied. He emptied their bank accounts and froze their credit cards. She doesn’t have a dime to her name. Distraught, Carolyn finds herself at a local bar in town where low and behold, the handsome stranger from the beach is bartending. He notices her and introduces himself as Aiden. She flirts. Carolyn knows she is too old for him but maybe this is the distraction she needs. Just for one night. But Aiden becomes obsessed with Carolyn. He claims they are madly in love and follows her everywhere. He wants to be her protector. Aiden says he will do anything to help her get her money back from her lousy cheating rat of a husband. Even if Aiden has to kill Jason.This story wore me out. You have the alternating chapters in the double perspective between Carolyn and Aiden. First, I am so sick of this writing technique. It is sorely overused. However, there is one difference from the usual format. Aiden’s account of events is very different from Carolyn’s. Is Aiden so crazily obsessed that he interprets his actions as being heroic and not that of a stalker? At first, I was intrigued. It piqued my interest and was a welcome change. However, when this was still going on 75% into the book, I was just exhausted and confused. Mild Spoiler AlertI’m not going to give away any plot points but it’s a warning nevertheless. So obviously one of them is a liar. Either Aiden or Caroline. You know this because both versions can’t be true. Quickly you’ll be able to figure it out. If you look at a novel like Gone Girl, there is the ability to go back reread it and it stands up. The narrative stands true. While reading this book, I just felt lied to. I don’t like it when the author just, flat out, lies to the audience. It isn’t clever. Also, the book stayed in this stagnant dynamic that you are just waiting for something to make it stop. There were some wishy-washy characters. I found Lynn, Caroline’s sister, really inconsistent. I didn’t believe Aiden at all, especially when the truth is out. I guess either way he was psychotic. Caroline’s daughter - I couldn’t relate to her at all. She felt creepy, weird and very sad and so were her actions. It was a quick and easy read. Maybe I’m just too old, or have read too many of these types of novels, that I just can’t get swept away like I used to. It’s sad to think, but I hope that’s not the case. If you have been following my reviews, you’ll know that I’ve have been wishing for a thriller that I could finally sink my teeth into. This wasn’t it. I will continue on my hunt. If you have any recommendations, please leave them in the comments below. Here’s to hoping the next one will be better!
    • 3/5
      Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of A Stranger on the Beach in exchange for an honest review.I was very excited to receive this ARC as I have read all of Michele Campbell's previous books. This one grabs you from the start, but soon you start to think that something is not right. The story is told from 2 perspectives - Caroline's and Aidan's. Caroline is a wealthy woman who is stunningly beautiful, and is having marital troubles. She notices Aidan, 15 years her junior on the beach in front of her new home. She picks him up and they have a one-night stand. Then, she tries to push Aidan away, but he is enthralled with Caroline. Everything goes south. This is a well crafted thriller, but since I read so many, I was pretty sure what was going to happen, and I was right. Since it was so predictable for me, I can only give it 3 stars. #AStrangerOnTheBeach #MicheleCampbell #NetGalley
    • 3/5
      Stranger on the Beach has a pretty good suspense story as the basic premise, lies, money & a stranger. Dual or dueling narrators, one reads on trying to grasp the Truth. Could have been great, but it loses its suspense well before the end. And all the unnecessary detail lavished on with an expensive beach house, the daughter and an affair was just distracting. I guess if the intent was to sell as a movie, all the fluff makes more sense.
    • 4/5
      I really was into this book. Right away I was drawn into this story. Aiden was definitely the "wild card" in this whole story. One moment I thought Aiden was a total stalker cheep and the next moment I kind of felt for him. He is the one that really did keep the story interesting. Caroline was made more intriguing by her relationship with him. All of the characters in this book were engaging. This is a great aspect to any book. You don't want characters that are not engaging or some that are just more like trophy pieces that don't add anything to the story. A quick read. Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this book a lot. Maybe it was just me but this time I did not see the ending coming. Just when I thought it was all wrapped up a few more twists were thrown at me. I look forward to reading the next book from this author. Don't be "A Stranger on the Beach"; pick up a copy of this book as it promises to be a sizzling summer read!
    • 3/5
      A Stranger on the Beach has an engaging, appealing premise. The stranger on the beach watching Caroline’s lavish new beach house becomes a one-night stand, and then an obsessive stalker. Her daughter is distant and her marriage is falling apart. Sounds like a good start for a thrilling story. However, I found the characters and the thin, rather obvious plot to be much less engaging and appealing – and thrilling – than the premise.There is a lot of action in this book and you will wonder where the danger will come from next. You won’t be able to put it down until you know what’s really going on. The POV jumps between Caroline and Aiden. Their stories are very, very different. Someone is not telling the truth – or is delusional. But rather than speed up and add suspense to the flow of the story this jumping actually slowed things down without providing any insight. So you are left with two totally different versions and no way to try and figure it out until an ending that is rather obvious and just kind of thumps down on you.I wasn’t able to connect or understand or sympathize with any of the characters. They seemed one-dimensional without any real feel. Caroline is the perfect stereotype of the rich, entitled big city woman. Aiden seemed sincere and earnest one minute, crazy and dangerous the next. The rest of the characters weren’t developed well enough to give them more than a passing glance.On the other hand, although I enjoy thrillers and the unreliable narrator, perhaps A Stranger on the Beach was just not my cup of tea. It is a very dramatic tale with a lot of excitement and may be a very good book to read on the plane to your vacation destination or on the beach. Thanks to NetGalley for the READ NOW ARC.
    • 4/5
      Michele Campbell lives up to expectations built on her previous books with this deadly game of “she said, he said”. Who’s more creditable? Caroline, the wife of a New York stock broker, Jason Stark, and owner of the latest insanely expensive beach home or Aidan Callahan, local bad boy who can’t escape his past no matter how hard he tries? Who will you believe?A STRANGER ON THE BEACH appears to be a run of the mill case of obsession. Is it that simple? What’s the truth and what’s a lie? Who is the master manipulator?You can empathize with one or the other, but that’s not what matters when it comes to murder. Empathy won’t necessarily get you the truth.Where do the facts lead? Does it all add up? That’s what matters. The truth, wherever it leads.Passionate, frightening, thrilling and challenging, A STRANGER ON THE BEACH will keep you waffling and flipping those pages right to the oh, so satisfying ending. I received a digital copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
    • 3/5
      This book is a tricky one to rate because I am left trying to decide if the positives outweighed the negatives. The story got off to a real strong start, but about a third of the way in I began to lose interest in some of the characters. Points to the author for coming up with a slightly creative story but there were parts I wish were more fully fleshed out. This is also the type of book you look forward to discussing with other readers because the opinions could be all over the place which is always fun.Caroline is living the high life in a beautiful new beach house when her whole world is knocked upside down. Her husband has been keeping secrets from her and Caroline finds herself being comforted by a handsome stranger named Aiden. And let's just say this fling is going to have disastrous consequences.A big reason this story didn't completely work for me was Caroline. I realize the story is complicated but I still think the author needed to fine tune the character a bit along with a few others. In order for a story like this to work on a high level, the reader needs to have this uneasy feeling while reading that something terrible is going to happen to a character they care about. That extra layer of drama just wasn't there and it didn't make a difference to me if something bad happened to her or her family. I had some problems with a few of the transitions in the book. I literally questioned more than once how the story got to that point and whether my kindle had skipped a few pages. I don't know how to describe it other than it feeling like there was no explanation to why a character was acting a certain way. Fully understanding characters' motivations is something I struggled with at times while reading the story. I think there needed to be a better setup as to why characters made certain decisions as in some cases the reasoning was pretty flimsy. It just wasn't something I could completely buy into and it felt like it was being told rather than shown. The author tried to do something different with this story which I appreciate and overall this is an okay read. I just think the potential was there for a thoroughly entertaining story but it short. However, take my opinions with a grain of salt because there are plenty of readers who loved the book.Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a free advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      Caroline Stark's dreams appear to be falling apart-her opulent beach house has been the scene of a very public fight between her and her husband, in front of all their friends and future clients. Despondent, Caroline sleeps with the local bartender, Aidan, a stranger she saw staring at her home from the sand. But the one night stand means so much more to Aidan, and his feelings quickly grow into obsession.There is definitely a lot of suspense to this book. Events keep building and building to create a real sense of terror. The story kept me feeling off-kilter in a positive way, where I never was entirely sure what was truly going on, especially with the dueling narrations of Caroline and Aidan. The twist at the end really surprised me as well.While the twist at the end was surprising, once it was revealed much of what had already happened in the book didn't make much sense. The characterization felt a little heavy as well-there was a lot of repetition as opposed to development.While I enjoyed this book, I didn't feel it lived up to the hype surrounding it. This was a good thriller, with a surprising twist and some real suspense, but I've read better in this genre.
    • 4/5
      Linda's Book Obsession Reviews " A Stranger On the Beach" by Michele Campbell, St. Martin's Press, July 2019Michele Campbell, Author of  "A Stranger on the Beach" has written an intense, edgy, captivating, and intriguing novel. The Genres for the story are Mystery and Suspense, Psychological Thriller and Fiction. The timeline for the story is in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The story takes place East on Beachfront property on Long Island and New York. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. There are twists and turns, lies, secrets, betrayals, and murder.Caroline and her husband have just finished building an expensive house overlooking the beach. Caroline sees a man standing on the beach looking at the house. There have been a string of robberies, and Caroline is worried that he is casing her house.To celebrate and show off her new home, Caroline has an enormous well-catered party. The same man that was on the beach, Aiden is tending the bar. Carolyn is very upset that her husband has told her that he can't make the party. Surprisingly, the husband shows up with another woman. Caroline is embarrassed and angry.When Caroline confronts her husband, he leaves to follow the woman, and now there are many questions. Is Caroline's marriage over? Caroline lets Aiden comfort her. The story is told at times from Caroline's point of view, and Aiden's point of view. Who can you believe?  I would highly recommend this edgy, suspenseful story for those readers who enjoy an intense mystery and psychological thriller.
    • 3/5
      A special thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, Macmillan, and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.Caroline Stark is hosting a lavish housewarming party at her new beach house. When her husband, Jason, shows up not only late to the party, but followed by a Russian woman he claims is a business associate, the couple get into a very public and very ugly fight. She knows that Jason is lying and that the woman is really his mistress.When her marriage falls apart and she is left with an empty bank account, and cancelled credit cards, Caroline has an impulsive fling with a bartender. Aidan also happened to be working her party that night and knows all about her husband problems. What she doesn't know is that Aidan has a history of violence.As if things couldn't get worse, her college-aged daughter seems to be taking her father's side. Crestfallen, she turns to Aidan for comfort—but that comfort soon turns to revenge. The only problem is that their brief fling has left Aidan with a dangerous obsession with Caroline and her family. Meanwhile, Jason disappears and all eyes are on Caroline. Isn't it always the spouse?Told from multiple points of view, Campbell confuses her reader (on purpose) by telling the same events from two very different perspectives. The dynamic is also interesting: Caroline is a wealthy, 43-year-old woman who is trying to keep up appearances to launch her career and social standing whereas Aidan is a 27-year-old bartender that served time for manslaughter. Both characters are unlikeable, untrustworthy, and unreliable.There were a few plot holes that I ultimately struggled with, but I'll partially overlook given Campbell's strong writing and ability to deftly create suspense and tension. She pens some strong characters and used the unreliable narrator as the perfect mechanism to execute her effusive plot. There wasn't the startling revelation that I was hoping for in that I did figure it out, but again, her writing was intricate and compulsive.
    • 4/5
      As far as thrillers go, A Stranger on the Beach has many elements that will keep readers engaged. Stalking, extramarital affairs, money laundering and unreliable characters fill the pages with suspense. The story begins with a woman named Caroline who has just moved into her new beach dream house. It’s not all wonderful for her, as we soon find out she and her husband are going through a rough patch in their marriage.In a weak moment, Caroline enters a bar and encounters a man named Aiden Callahan that she has seen on the beach in front of her house. They strike up a conversation which sets in motion the nightmare that Caroline will soon be living.Readers are privy to both Caroline’s and Aiden’s point of view. It soon becomes apparent that one, or maybe both of them, are unreliable. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on in the story and I think other readers that love mystery thrillers will as well. This was a very satisfying read.Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
    • 4/5
      Another fun, thrilling book perfect to read this summer on the beach. Caroline seems to have it all. Now 43 yrs old, she's built a successful life alongside her husband and daughter. They have apartments in the city, house on the beach, a perfect marriage. However, things are not as they seem. When Caroline suspects her husband of an affair, she lashes out by having one of her own with a young bartender from the wrong side of the tracks, Aiden. What follows is an obsessive affair with dire consequences. What makes this book even more fun to read is that it gradually is told from two different perspectives regarding the same event. Characters you originally thought were reliable, now appear as unreliable and the reader is forced to second guess the entire scenario. Although the plot is completely unrealistic it was still fun to read. A book that is fast paced, keeps you guessing, lots of drama, lies and involves upper vs. lower class. I received a complimentary book as part of the Goodreads giveaway program.
    • 2/5
      Caroline's marriage of 20 years is on the rocks and after a particularly dramatic and public confrontation, she goes to a bar and ends up having a one night stand with the bartender named Aiden. This turns into a muddled story of obsession and lies and culminates in the murder of Caroline's husband. I didn't find this novel very well written or believable, even after finishing it. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
    • 4/5
      Caroline Stark, the owner of the luxury beachfront house, notices that there is a stranger on the beach, staring intensely at it. At that instant, her gut-feeling tells her that he is a potential thief, and is best to stay away from him. Instead, she walks toward him, and strikes up a conversation. This fateful moment is the beginning of her downfall and changes her life.Caroline has decided to host a housewarming cum Jason’s birthday party at the beach house. Jason, the husband whom she has married for 20 years, is no-show at first, then showed up with a Russian or maybe Czech woman who apparently is his mistress!Coincidence or fate? The stranger on the beach is actually tendering bar at the party that day! His name is Aidan Callahan.Out of frustration, Caroline confides her husband’s infidelity to Aidan. She has even asked Aiden to help to take out her husband! When the storm approaches fiercely, Aiden rushes to Caroline’s beach house to protect her from Jason who intends to put her in jeopardy. Both men get into a heated altercation, and a violent fight… The next thing Aidan knows is that he is in his truck, covered in blood… What’s actually happened? As pages turning, there are more secrets and lies! And there is an unexpected twist toward the end of the story!A Stranger On The Beach is a well-written psychological thriller by the talented Michele Campbell. This is my first book by her and I am loving it. The novel will be on sale in July 2019, and it is a good summer read for fans of suspense/mystery thrillers.I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC of A Stranger On The Beach.
    • 3/5
      Review of advance reader eBookIn the middle of a party thrown by wealthy socialite Caroline Stark, her husband, Jason, arrives at their posh beach house with another woman. Although he denies being involved in an affair with the woman, he leaves with her following a verbal altercation with his wife. Hurt and angry over the apparent collapse of her twenty-year marriage and convinced that two can play at the marriage-cheating game, Caroline picks up a local bartender for a one night stand. But unbelievably obsessive Aidan Callahan seems to have no sense of reality and begins stalking Caroline who, hoping to reconcile with her husband, seeks to end the affair. As Caroline desperately tries to avoid further entanglements with Aidan, an unplanned encounter between the three leads to unforeseen tragedy.Plot twists and unexpected reveals help build the tension in this disturbing tale rife with secrets and lies. The story spins out in alternating viewpoints between Caroline and Aidan; this often-used device here creates an unnecessarily-convoluted tale that tends to leave the reader confused as to what is actually happening in the unfolding story. The unlikable main characters consistently fall victim to “too-dumb-to-live” decisions, giving the narrative a growing sense of ludicrousness. Unfortunately, the unexpected twist that heralds the denouement in the telling of this tale comes from so far out of left field it is likely to leave readers feeling dumbfounded. By definition, unreliable narrators habitually subvert the truth; here the purposeful strategy of misrepresentation hides an essential truth; it may preserve the startling final revelations, but it also intentionally deceives readers who are likely to feel cheated by the deliberate omission. I received a free copy of this digital galley from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley #AStrangerOnTheBeach #NetGalley
    • 4/5
      Wow, Michele Campbell, you had me glued to the pages on this one!I have to say that telling this story from various points of view was such a great idea. I immediately figured out that the telling of the same circumstances was inconsistent, to put it mildly. And, as one does, I jumped on the train I thought would take me on the right track. Or did I?Can't answer that for you. You'll have to read this one for yourself to figure out your track, or the right track, or the might be right track or.....You will be reading this one until you come to the end. And you will love it.This book was provided to me NetGalley.com and the publisher, for which I thank them.
    • 5/5
      From the moment she saw him standing on the beach staring at her beach house, their fate was sealed. Caroline and Jason are an “it” couple. They have an apartment in the city and a beautiful beach house on the ocean. They are both beautiful. And successful. And rich. Other than good looks, they are everything Aiden isn’t. And have everything Aiden doesn’t. Bitter about the big beach house built on his grandfather’s land, he still can’t help staring at the beautiful house longingly. But Aiden is an ex con who works as a bartender; he will never own a house like that.But maybe part of that dream isn’t out of reach for him. Maybe he can’t have the house. But maybe, just maybe he could have the wife. Aiden can’t believe is luck when Caroline turns her attention his way. That perfect relationship Jason and Caroline have has developed a crack after their housewarming party turns ugly and soon after, Caroline finds her way into his bar to drown her sorrows and ends up with more than she was bargaining for. A moment of drunken revenge turns into a nightmare. He’s desperate and obsessed with her. She’s mortified and frightened. And then two stories come into play. Same events are narrated by both Aiden and Caroline. But told entirely differently. Which is the truth? Or is it somewhere in the middle? This story is so cleverly written. I was engaged throughout as I tried to figure out the truth. I didn’t want to put the book down while my head tried to wrap around what I thought was true and what I suspected. This book is full of suspense and intrigue and you will want to stay up until this one is finished.4 1/2 stars for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege to read and review this book by sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.