A review by bzliz
Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards

mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

A bad snowstorm grounds all flights and five strangers rent a car to try to get home. But are they all trying to get home? Are they all strangers? A series of misfortunes befall the group- Mira, Harper, Josh, Brecken & Kayla- as roads turn bad, narrowly avoiding massive accidents, personal items going missing, and danger lurking in the car just as much as outside. 

I listened to this audiobook after previously DNFing a physical copy and I think that’s a good way to do thrillers. It felt much more suspenseful hearing someone else read it. It has a good mix of suspense and creepiness for someone looking to dip their toes into the thriller genre. There are enough suspects that you can second guess your instincts about who Mira’s stalker is right up until the end and it doesn’t come off as cheap or unsatisfying. 

I did say that I don’t find the characters lovable, nor do I think there’s strong character development or that their flaws are a focus but that’s fine for a thriller. The plot is the main focus and although Mira does do some introspection at the end, it’s not enough for me to call it strong character development. 

If you’re feeling anxious about reading and want to know whodunnit in advance, click here for spoilers of the ending:
Josh is the stalker and attempted kidnapper/killer. He became obsessed with Mira after buying her a cup of coffee the day her aunt died and wrote her a bunch of stalker letters that she never got.  He enlists Kayla to help him by stealing her drugs which almost works. In the end, Mira manages to get away after Kayla pushes her down a hill and Josh comes after her with a knife. Brecken hits the stalker in the head with a shovel and kills him.
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