United States
![L.S. Stratton - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0BN2LDZHC.jpg)
Not So Perfect Strangers: A Thriller
One fateful encounter upends the lives of two women in this tense domestic thriller, a modern spin on Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers On A Train that flips the script on race and gender politics.
"I'm a big believer that women should help each other, Tasha," she says. "Don't you think?"
Tasha Jenkins has finally found the courage to leave her abusive husband. Taking her teenage son with her, Tasha checks into a hotel the night before their flight out of D.C. and out of Kordell Jenkins's life forever. But escaping isn't so easy, and Tasha soon finds herself driving back to her own personal hell. As she is leaving, a white woman pounds on her car window, begging to be let in. Behind the woman, an angry man is in pursuit. Tasha makes a split-second decision that will alter the course of her life: she lets her in and takes off.
Tasha and Madison Gingell may have very different everyday realities, but what they have in common is marriages they need out of. The two women want to help each other, but they have very different ideas of what that means . . .
They are on a collision course that will end in the case files of the D.C. MPD homicide unit. Unraveling the truth of what really happened may be impossible‒and futile. Because what has the truth ever done for women like Tasha and Madison?
"I'm a big believer that women should help each other, Tasha," she says. "Don't you think?"
Tasha Jenkins has finally found the courage to leave her abusive husband. Taking her teenage son with her, Tasha checks into a hotel the night before their flight out of D.C. and out of Kordell Jenkins's life forever. But escaping isn't so easy, and Tasha soon finds herself driving back to her own personal hell. As she is leaving, a white woman pounds on her car window, begging to be let in. Behind the woman, an angry man is in pursuit. Tasha makes a split-second decision that will alter the course of her life: she lets her in and takes off.
Tasha and Madison Gingell may have very different everyday realities, but what they have in common is marriages they need out of. The two women want to help each other, but they have very different ideas of what that means . . .
They are on a collision course that will end in the case files of the D.C. MPD homicide unit. Unraveling the truth of what really happened may be impossible‒and futile. Because what has the truth ever done for women like Tasha and Madison?
Editorial Reviews
"Not So Perfect Strangers is a gripping, twisted ride! You think you know what's happening, but you don't. Chock full of surprises, this dark story unfolds perfectly right up to the last page."
-Samantha Downing, #1 International Bestselling author of For Your Own Good.
"I was delighted to be caught in the crosshairs of this deliciously devious cat-and-mouse game between two strikingly different, but equally magnetic women as they duked it out for justice, revenge, love, and power. This one keeps the reader guessing until the very end."
-Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network
-Samantha Downing, #1 International Bestselling author of For Your Own Good.
"I was delighted to be caught in the crosshairs of this deliciously devious cat-and-mouse game between two strikingly different, but equally magnetic women as they duked it out for justice, revenge, love, and power. This one keeps the reader guessing until the very end."
-Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network
Readers Top Reviews
Brenda #RIC
Disclaimer: NOT SO PERFECT STRANGERS is not a romance story. Believe me, fans, this story is not for the hopeless romantics out there in Romancelandia. The only hint of romance occurs between the protagonist, Tasha Jenkins and her lover, Morris Hammond. NOT SO PERFECT STRANGERS is a domestic noir that encompasses domestic violence, mental illness, a hint of religion, and women’s rights. I know that’s a lot for one story, but all of those elements are present in this provocative story. The storyline shifts between “Now” and “Before”. The chapters are named after the Protagonist, Tasha, and the Antagonist, Madison. I stepped out of my “romance” box when reading this story, but I must say, it is an intriguing, engrossing, and entertaining story. If you have ever liked stories with a dark twist, or an Hitchcockian twist, this is a story for you. It is also my first time reading a story written by the author LS Stratton. I enjoyed it, and I recommend it for your reading pleasure. Just know, this is not a romantic story, but it is a well-written dark thriller. You’ve been forewarned!
Kindle
This is my second read of this novel… it was just as good as the first time. When i tell you I found every available moment to pop open my kindle and read another paragraph— could not put it down. This book has everything I love about a crime fiction thriller/ suspense— a hero/heroine I want to root for, a character (or two) that I love to hate, a timeline that snaps, and high HIGH stakes. If Tasha doesn’t keep up her end of the bargain, more people will die and it’ll be her fault. It’s DELICIOUS. Add in a character I want to sympathize with but also drives me up a wall, a few surprise twists and you have a highly enjoyable thrill ride. I love everything Stratton has published as Shelly Ellis and Shelly Stratton, so it’s no surprise that I really enjoyed this novel, but I’m MOST enjoying her renaissance as a domestic suspense author. We saw shades of it in the BRANCH AVENUE BOYS, then she gave it to us straight in THE THREE MRS GREYS and TRUTH LIES AND MR. GREY. NOT SO PERFECT STRANGERS is a cut above- using all of her finely honed talents to bring hours of entertainment to our faces. Stratton is driving the train directly where I want to go and I’m hanging on for the ride. If this book doesn’t have an audio release, I will RIOT. I would love to hear this book brought to life by stellar voices.
