made his blood boil. He was only popping up to the changing
room to get something out of his bag. Alice didn’t like him
sharing the shop changing room with the sales girls. She said it made some of them feel uncomfortable. Larry wasn’t bothered.
He thought the world had gone unisex mad and besides, he likes the camaraderie of being around the other security guards even if the only thing he has in common with most of them is the
job. He was rounding the first set of stairs when he heard Liam’s whiny demands. Horrible little runt. He knew Gareth’s mum
wasn’t well, they all did, and there he was, blackmailing the
bloke, trying to steal his hard-earned cash.
Now Larry allows himself a brief little smile of satisfaction
as the gap closes between him and the drunk singing and stum-
bling towards him. It turns out he might have decided how to
spend his retirement after all.
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READING GROUP QUESTIONS (for p.333)
1. At certain times of the book, we see the response to events on social media in the form of Twitter posts. What do you think this adds to the novel? Do you like it?
STRANGERS
2. Strangers focuses on three main characters – Alice, Ursula, and Gareth. Who did you feel most connected to, and why?
3. Towards the start of the book, Alice has an unpleasant date with Michael. Do you think she handles this interaction in the best way? How did this scene make you feel?
4. Whereas many crime books focus on the idea that a crime is always committed by someone you know, this novel focuses on the notion that strangers are the ones to watch out for. Do you agree with this? Which idea is most frightening to you – the idea of being hurt by a stranger, or by somebody close to you?
Acknowledgements
5. What did you think of the way things ended for Joan? Are you glad her story ended where it did?
6. How important do you think the shopping centre setting is as a pivotal place in the novel? Why do you think the author chose a shopping centre for this key scene?
Strangers is set in Bristol and, while a lot of the locations are actual places, some have been invented to suit the plot. The
7. Ed behaves badly in this book – but how far does what happened in the past go Meads is a fictional shopping centre. It was named by Johanet
towards excusing what he does?
Sloan who won a competition on my Facebook author page.
8. The central theme of the book is loneliness. How successfully do you think the Thank you to the readers who offered their surnames for some
author explored this theme?
of the characters in this book, and to my Twitter followers
who let me use their handles. The conversations they have in
9. Do you think Ursula was right to get involved in Nikki’s situation? Why do you think this book are fictional and don’t reflect their personalities or she responded the way she did?
views.
Strangers wouldn’t be the book it is without input from my amazing editor Helen Huthwaite. She pushes me to make my
books the best they can be, responds to my emails with lightning speed and never, ever drops the ball. She’s also a genuinely lovely person. A huge thank you to Phoebe Morgan for stepping into
Helen’s shoes as she goes on maternity leave. My book couldn’t be in safer hands and I couldn’t ask for a nicer person to work with.
Grateful thanks as always to my superstar agent Madeleine
Milburn who has been with me every step of the way over the
last eleven years of my career and continues to be the best agent 329
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C.L. TAYLOR
on the planet. And a big thank you to Hayley Steed and Liane-
Louise Smith for working their magic with TV options and
foreign rights.
If you’ve read about this book in a magazine or heard me
talk about it at an event or on the radio that’s down to the high priestess of publicity, Sabah Khan. Thank you for your PR
voodoo (I still can’t believe you got me on The Sara Cox Show!).
A huge thank you to marketing maestros Hannah O’Brien and
Ellie Pilcher for their innovation, creativity and hard work. Big smooches to Anna Derkacz for making me laugh over boozy
lunches (and being a sales superstar) and to everyone at Avon
and HarperCollins who work so hard on my books. Thanks
also to John Rickards for doing a superb job on the copyedits.
For anyone looking for a freelance editor/copyeditor John is
your man!
I would have struggled to research this book without the
following people who answered my endless questions: Tony
Kent and Neil White for legal expertise, Stuart Gibbon for police procedural help, and Scott James who talked me through his
experience of working as a security guard.
My family and friends are the people who keep me going
when doubt sets in, deadlines loom and my stress levels rise.
Big love to my parents Jenny and Reg Taylor who have supported me every step of the way (and foist my books onto everyone
they know), my sister Bec Taylor who is my biggest cheerleader and my brother Dave Taylor who shares each and every one of
my social media posts. Lots of love to Lou Foley, Sami, Frazer and Oliver Eaton, Sophie, Rose and Mia Taylor, Ana Hall, James Loach, Angela Hall, and Steve and Guinevere Hall. And ALL
my love to Chris and Seth – my little family and my everything.
Thank you and kitty kisses to Rowan Coleman, Julie Cohen,
Kate Harrison, Tamsyn Murray and Miranda Dickinson for
holding my hand every step of the way. Drunken fist bumps to
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STRANGERS
my criminally good friends for entertaining me and making me
laugh. Massive hugs to the friends who support and put up with me, you know who you are.
Finally, a huge thank you to the publishers, booksellers,
retailers, reviewers, book bloggers, librarians and readers who acquire, stock, recommend, lend, borrow and buy my books. I
am hugely grateful.
And thank YOU for choosing to read my book. I hope you
enjoyed it.
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STRANGERS
Reading Group Questions
1. At certain times of the book, we see the response to events on social media in the form of Twitter posts. What do
you think this adds to the novel? Do you like it?
2. Strangers focuses on three main characters – Alice, Ursula, and Gareth. Who did you feel most connected to, and
why?
3. Towards the start of the book, Alice has an unpleasant
date with Michael. Do you think she handles this inter-
action in the best way? How did this scene make you feel?
4. Whereas many crime books focus on the idea that a crime
is always committed by someone you know, this novel
focuses on the notion that strangers are the ones to watch
out for. Do you agree with this? Which idea is most
frightening to you – the idea of being hurt by a stranger,
or by somebody close to you?
333
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C.L. TAYLOR
5. Wha
t did you think of the way things ended for Joan?
Are you glad her story ended where it did?
6. How important do you think the shopping centre setting
is as a pivotal place in the novel? Why do you think the
author chose a shopping centre for this key scene?
7. Ed behaves badly in this book – but how far does what
happened in the past go towards excusing what he does?
8. The central theme of the book is loneliness. How success-
fully do you think the author explored this theme?
9. Do you think Ursula was right to get involved in Nikki’s
situation? Why do you think she responded the way she
did?
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Seven guests. Seven secrets. One killer.
The gripping Richard & Judy psychological thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller.
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Sometimes your first love won’t
let you go . . .
The sensational, gripping thriller from
the Sunday Times bestseller.
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What do you do when no one
believes you . . .?
The gripping, twisty thriller from
the Sunday Times bestseller.
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You love your family. They make you feel
safe. You trust them. Or do you . . .?
The gripping psychological thriller to leave you on
the edge of your seat.
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She trusted her friends with her life . . .
A haunting, compelling psychological thriller to
have you hooked.
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Keeping this secret was killing her . . .
A gripping psychological thriller from
the Sunday Times bestseller.
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