Stranger Within, The

Take one woman with utterly poor decision-making skills, add in a husband with the spine of a jellyfish, layer with two spoiled brats and top with an old biddy of a next-door neighbor. Stir and poor into your Kindle or iPad. Read, savor, gasp and delight in this powerfully dysfunctional family and you are suddenly enveloped in the life of Callie Halwell, her husband James, his two teenage sons Dillon and Luke, and the peering eyes of old Mrs. What's-Her-Name from next door. To add in a little extra flavor, serve with a side of Rhys, and you have the makings of a tasty psych thriller. The ending was the cherry on top!

I spent an entire novel with this character who, by all rights, should have been interesting, but was not, and I never really learned anything about her, from her. Good characters drive the plot; in this book, it is the other way around. She makes highly implausible decisions which, we are told, she doesn't understand either, but that serves only to let the author off the hook from having to really reveal an honest to life character. It gets old about a third of the way through, and I found myself skimming large sections. Maybe I missed something in there, but I don't think so, for the internal dialogue was repetitive and un-insightful. Life is short; look elsewhere. Sorry!

It was an interesting read, but I was a bit disappointed. I thought it was going to be a psychological thriller, but it was not. But what bothered me most was that this character allowed herself to be abused by everyone in her life, from her stepsons to her husband's secretary to that awful old woman next door. It was really beginning to grate on my nerves the way she tolerated that kind of abuse just to hold her marriage together. Love has its limits. The ending was interesting and the author writes well but I really was disappointed. This is the second Croft book that I've read and I like her writing - so it's really a mixed bag.

I liked the story, but Callie the main character just didn't know herself at all. I felt like I wanted to tell her how stupid she was to do some of the things that she did, when she absolutely knew they were wrong like having sex with a teenage boy who was a friend of her stepson. This character absolutely drove me crazy thru the whole book and I wished that somewhere along the way she would have realized who she really was and done something about it instead of landing in jail. It could have had other endings without the killing part.

I've recently become a fan of Kathryn Croft's novels a few months ago. This is the third book of hers that I've read and I've enjoyed it just as much as the first two.This story is about a woman's longing for a normal family and the need to be a mother. Her downward spiral, due to her mental illness, is quick and somewhat disheartening, but the author does a great job of making you sympathize with her. Throughout the whole story you're lead to believe that you already know the outcome, but are curious know how it plays out. However, the twist that occurs during the last few chapters is surprising!

Twisted story about a very unstable person, who has problems. Who could not figure out what she really wanted. Callie thinks she has it all, except her mind tells her otherwise. How does James not notice how Callie gets through one day at a time and the pressure it puts on her? She does need help, but can't find it, so in her mind she attaches herself to Rhys, and all the sex and attention makes her feel loved. But when Rhys get killed , she really snaps. The end was also a surprise, well worth reading the book to find out what really happened.

Croft makes Callie seem like a really introverted person constantly questioning what other people are thinking of her. Towards the middle of the story, Callie likes to hide her strategies from even her husband and best friends so that as the story is drawing towards the close we think that Callie is capable of any black deed. What an ending though! A complete surprise! But a psychological involvement in personality development that makes you feel creepy about knowing a person like Callie. No matter how you think you've outwitted Croft for a perfect ending, you'll find out she's outwitted you!

I am almost finished reading this book. At first I did not care for the story because I don't care for women being so subservient to a man. Then I started to skip read which then recaptured my interest. I returned back and then just kept reading. Now I cannot put it down. I'm sorry that I'm almost finished the book. I have read other books by K. Croft and they always have a way of bringing me into the story.