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Table of Contents
About The Book
“One of the best books I’ve read in a long, long time.” —Lucy Foley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Apartment
“I loved every damn second of it!” —Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Family Remains
“Dark, compelling, and deeply moving.” —Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of Zero Days and The It Girl
The internationally bestselling author of the “dark, captivating psychological thriller” (People) Lying in Wait returns with a wickedly dark, twisted, and brilliantly observed new novel about an enigmatic woman confronting her unknown past.
For Sally Diamond, people are confusing, unpredictable, and hard to read. She has always preferred routines to spontaneity, silence to noise, and forthright communication to small talk. Adopted at the age of seven by a psychiatrist, she cannot remember any details of her childhood before that age. Now, at forty-three years old, the truth comes into sharp focus when Sally’s past becomes headline news: she endured something unthinkable as a child, and now, the entire world knows exactly who she is…and was.
Suddenly, Sally finds herself in the spotlight. People everywhere are digging into her past, ravenous for details, and Sally herself is learning things about herself and her family that she never knew before. Soon, a stranger from New Zealand sends her a familiar teddy bear in the mail, but why does he insist on addressing her as Mary? And why is her new neighbor so obsessed with her?
Told from the alternating perspectives of Sally in the present-day and a boy named Peter in the past, this is a novel that confronts the trauma of family secrets and explores one woman’s brave decision to define herself and her future.
“I loved every damn second of it!” —Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Family Remains
“Dark, compelling, and deeply moving.” —Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of Zero Days and The It Girl
The internationally bestselling author of the “dark, captivating psychological thriller” (People) Lying in Wait returns with a wickedly dark, twisted, and brilliantly observed new novel about an enigmatic woman confronting her unknown past.
For Sally Diamond, people are confusing, unpredictable, and hard to read. She has always preferred routines to spontaneity, silence to noise, and forthright communication to small talk. Adopted at the age of seven by a psychiatrist, she cannot remember any details of her childhood before that age. Now, at forty-three years old, the truth comes into sharp focus when Sally’s past becomes headline news: she endured something unthinkable as a child, and now, the entire world knows exactly who she is…and was.
Suddenly, Sally finds herself in the spotlight. People everywhere are digging into her past, ravenous for details, and Sally herself is learning things about herself and her family that she never knew before. Soon, a stranger from New Zealand sends her a familiar teddy bear in the mail, but why does he insist on addressing her as Mary? And why is her new neighbor so obsessed with her?
Told from the alternating perspectives of Sally in the present-day and a boy named Peter in the past, this is a novel that confronts the trauma of family secrets and explores one woman’s brave decision to define herself and her future.
About The Author
Photograph by Beta Bajgartova
Liz Nugent has worked in Irish film, theater, and television for most of her adult life. She is an award-winning writer of radio and television drama and has written critically acclaimed short stories both for children and adults, as well as the bestselling novels Unraveling Oliver, Lying in Wait, and Little Cruelties. She lives in Dublin and has won four Irish Book Awards, as well as the James Joyce Medal for Literature. Visit her at LizNugent.com or follow her on Twitter at @LizzieNugent.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster (July 18, 2023)
- Length: 320 pages
- ISBN13: 9781501191336
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Raves and Reviews
“Jaw-droppingly clever. I’m completely in awe of Liz Nugent’s writing, and this is my favourite yet. One of the best books I’ve read in a long, long time. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
— LUCY FOLEY, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Apartment
“The best book of 2023. An incredible reading experience, it shook me to the core. I loved every damn second of it!”
— LISA JEWELL, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Family Remains
"Strange indeed . . . and smart, too! Shocking, disturbing, and utterly original, Strange Sally Diamond will grip you from first page to last."
— PAULA HAWKINS, internationally bestselling author of Slow Fire Burning and The Girl on the Train
“Nugent outdoes herself in this chilling exploration of her title character’s pitch-black past. . . . Inventive, addictive, and bold, this deserves a wide audience.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Dark, compelling, and deeply moving.”
— RUTH WARE, New York Times bestselling author of The It Girl
“Terrific! Think Room meets The Collector, with a dazzlingly unique main character.”
— SIR IAN RANKIN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Heart Full of Headstones
“A magnificent novel by a major talent. Liz Nugent is a treasure.”
— SHARI LAPENA, New York Times bestselling author of Not a Happy Family
“Nugent’s fifth novel is her best yet: evil perpetuates evil in a heartbreaking but humane tale of people damaged beyond repair.”
— The Guardian
“What a brave, funny, disquieting, riveting book. By the end, I felt I knew Sally Diamond’s mind better than I did my own.”
— LOUISE CANDLISH, internationally bestselling author of The Only Suspect and The Heights
“A gloriously sinister read, at times wildly funny, at times wildly creepy . . . one of the best novels I've read this year. Liz Nugent is a master of convincing her readers to root for characters they can't quite trust. . . . A truly excellent thriller that gripped me start to end.”
— AMY STUART, bestselling author of A Death at the Party and the Still series
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Strange Sally Diamond Trade Paperback 9781501191336
- Author Photo (jpg): Liz Nugent Photograph by Beta Bajgartova(0.1 MB)
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