Bookseller Reviews
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Best book read in 2023!
This is the best book I have read so far this year! It had all that you would want in a thriller: unexpected truths, the Stockholm syndrome, humour, charac... READ MORE
This twists and turns - dark, joyous, warm and heartbreaking.
We meet Sally Diamond as she takes her father's words literally and disposes him with the rubbish after he dies. We quickly learn that Sally is in her earl... READ MORE
A must-read for 2023.
This is an absolutely brilliant book centred on Sally Diamond who takes things very literally and puts her father out with the rubbish when he dies. This b... READ MORE
Oddly Wonderful
I liked a lot about this book. The characterisation is off the charts, a cast of compelling, flawed people reeling from a strange event. The unfurling of t... READ MORE
An intense yet necessary read
I went into this novel with zero expectations and it did not disappoint. Following Sally Diamond, an outcast in her town, we immediately come to know that ... READ MORE
Sally Diamond - the best character ever
I loved this book. It has all the feels of a bestseller. The beautifully quirky, awkward and ultimately wonderful Sally will delight and infuriate you in e... READ MORE
Superbly Unpredictable
Checklist for a great crime novel
Addictive Page Turner Tick
Unexplained Deaths Tick
Dramatic Plot Twists Tick
With ... READ MORE
Superb! Compulsive, dark, and disturbing
I'm not usually one for crime novels or thrillers, however...I read the first page of this and just had to continue. Sally Diamond has always led a reclusi... READ MORE
A Strange But Brilliant Read
This is one of the weirder books I’ve read, but such a fun read, I could never tell where it was going.
I loved Sally so much, and despite Peter being s... READ MORE
Strange Sally Diamond
This book is many things. Sad, horrifying, tense and also ... very funny at times.
Sally Diamond is a protagonist that I absolutely could not get enough... READ MORE
Fascinating and macabre
What an iconic character Sally Diamond is. She’s excellently written, and it’s hard not to care for her. That her world has to be shared with such horrors ... READ MORE
A fantastically gripping page-turner
Sally Diamond is quite a peculiar woman with quite a peculiar past. When she discovers more about her extremely traumatic childhood, which she had previous... READ MORE
Holy cow!
Ngl, folks, I’m obsessed. Not a huge crime reader at the best of times, this is a whole different kettle of fish, though. At first I thought Sally is coded... READ MORE
Synopsis
Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died. Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don't always mean what they say.
But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally's trust issues are about to be severely challenged.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
- ISBN: 9780241993576
- Number of pages: 384
- Dimensions: 197 x 128 x 24 mm
- Weight: 267g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allStrange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent is a book about Sally Diamond, who is quite different from everyone else around her. When her father dies Sally does wh... READ MORE
Blown away by this book
Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he... READ MORE
A must read for 2023
There’s been a trend of books from the perspective of a neurodivergent main character recently, and after listing one of these - ‘The Maid’ as one of my 20... READ MORE
Fascinating and addictive
When Sally Diamond's adoptive father dies her reaction brings the media flocking to the small town she lives in. However the truth of who Sally really is ... READ MORE
One to watch in 2023 shortlists!
Empathy for the main protagonist, empathy for the community in which she lives, empathy for the other in the story, who’s late arrival is a body blow, but ... READ MORE
A fascinating, addictive read that I read in one sitting.
I loved this book. The Strange Sally Diamond of the title is a grown woman who takes her father’s suggestion of “put me out with the bins when I’m dead” li... READ MORE
UNPUTDOWNABLE
Read it in 3 sittings as wanted it to last unfortunately I couldn't put it down! AARGH!
Will be looking for other books by this author as she is too good n... READ MORE
Strange Sally...a true diamond!
This really is a book that I can see being much talked about on its March release, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to meet Sally Dia... READ MORE
Loved loved loved
This book had me gripped from the start. It’s a harrowing read but at times funny and heartwarming. I read it in a couple of sittings and was desperate to ... READ MORE
Intriguing read
Strange Sally Diamond is another compelling and intriguing read by Liz Nugent.
The book is shocking and unforgettable and oddly enough not only heart br... READ MORE
A must read!
Wow, this book was one of those that had me gripped from the very first page - I couldn’t put it down and I certainly didn’t know how it would all end!
It... READ MORE
A real compelling read with a brilliant central character
When a book opens with a character putting her dad's body out with the bins you kinda can’t help but be pulled in.
Though the locals in the small Irish t... READ MORE
Between The Covers - Series 6 Book
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy it is SUPERB!
Everyone told me it was brilliant, so I started this book with the highest of expectat... READ MORE
Another best seller from Liz Nugent
This has got to be another best seller for Liz Nugent.
It is a dark, gripping psychological thriller with flashes of comedic humour. Sally Diamond , the p... READ MORE
Read this now
Oh Sally, I found myself cheering you on,
being frustrated with you and giving out to any character that dared upset you! Reading 'Strange Sally Diamond' ... READ MORE
Psychological fiction at its greatest and most original
Strange Sally Diamond begins with Sally taking literally what her recently deceased father had always said she should do when he died which was to put him ... READ MORE
She just keeps getting better!!
‘Liz Nugent just keeps getting better. This was a fantastic read. I loved how it switched from Sally to Steve’s story, I loved past and present, I loved ho... READ MORE
Chilling story - a must read!
Liz Nugent has already proven that she is an impressive writer and her latest novel Strange Sally Diamond is surely one of her best.
This book starts wit... READ MORE
Dark and Different
Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent is quite a ride.Initially I thought it was a black comedy with Sally taking her Father's jocular instructions to "just ... READ MORE
A quirky main character and a dark plot gel to produce an enthralling story
An Irish woman who decides to cremate her own father in the garden incinerator is certainly strange - and her actions lead to all sorts of repercussions wh... READ MORE
Dark and fantastic!
A wonderfully fascinating, and sometimes disturbing, tale of Sally and her difficult life in rural Ireland. It starts off with the strange details of her f... READ MORE
Outstanding
‘Liz Nugent is my go to author for the dark, twisted and macabre, she never fails to disappoint me and in Strange Sally Diamond, she has proven once again,... READ MORE
Absolute page turner
Another page turner from Liz Nugent. Sally is different and lives a secluded life with her father, from the start it appears she may be on the spectrum but... READ MORE
A must read for 2023
Just fantastic. I haven’t rushed through a book so quickly for some time. Told from the point of Sally and Peter who then are thrown together. It’s full of... READ MORE
Liz Nugent at her best
Strange Sally Diamond is the fifth novel from Irish author Liz Nugent.
Having read the previous four, I should have known better than to let myself be lul... READ MORE
Such a great book!
This is SUCH a great book! I loved every page and part of me never wanted it to end. The plot is absorbing and strongly written, with details drip-fed very... READ MORE
Sally‘s Story
Liz Nugent became one of the authors I would order any new book immediately without knowing anything about it. I just love her strong writing and her unusu... READ MORE
Compelling and Beautifully Crafted
A likeable protagonist ! Who could have guessed ?
It’s been three long years since Liz Nugent published her last novel but it was worth the wait .
Stran... READ MORE
Great read
Liz Nugent is one of my go to authors whenever I want a guaranteed good read and she has done it again with ‘ Strange Sally Diamond’. In this novel Liz has... READ MORE
Riveting and disturbing
I absolutely loved this book! It was riveting and disturbing in equal measures. I was fascinated by Sally right from the very beginning and the story conti... READ MORE
A loveable character that will stay with you
From the first page, Strange Sally Diamond commands your attention. The story reveals a woman who has had a traumatic childhood that has left her with beha... READ MORE
Fantastic. Dark and disturbing
This was an unexpected surprise. Dark, disturbing with great characterization. Really enjoyed it. A great read.
Perfection!
When Sally’s dad dies she puts him out with the trash - literally, starting a snowball of events that threaten to upend her sheltered life in the small vil... READ MORE
Superbly dark.
Once again Liz Nugent offers us a dark tale of the human condition, with a divisive, oddly likeable main character, a twisted darkly observant storyline an... READ MORE
Strange Sally Diamond
Unravelling Oliver is one of my favourite books and I have also enjoyed many other cracking reads by this author so I was beyond delighted to get my grubby... READ MORE
A 5⭐️ harrowing read
An easy 5⭐️ rated read
A harrowing read that literally kept me awake all night! I definitely wasn’t expecting this story to unfold in that way when I ... READ MORE
In my books of the year
This book had a lot of early very positive vibes on social media, with the fear of missing out on something special I couldn’t pass up the chance of readin... READ MORE
amazing novel
This was a beautifully written book with well thought out characters and plot, but oh, so dark and heartbreaking.
Read it and weep then look forward to M... READ MORE
Brilliant
Sally Diamond’s father tells her to put him out with the rubbish when he dies - so she does as she’s told. Sally is seen as strange and different and doesn... READ MORE
You'll LOVE Sally Diamond!
STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND - LIZ NUGENT: MY REVIEW
Beautifully strange!
Rarely is there a book in which there are no redundancies. This is one of those rarities.
Rarely is there a book that grabs hold of your guts and won’t let... READ MORE
Wonderful! 5*
Sally is very “different”. A bit of a loner, reclusive and not at all a people person, she is viewed as decidedly odd by her fellow villagers. Never is t... READ MORE
Not to be missed!
Marvellous read…not just another story about abduction but more about survival and what comes after… I loved it!
Well worth the wait!
‘Wow wow wow, was this worth the three year wait? Yes it was! Strange Sally Diamond is sure to be THE book of 2023!
Forty something Sally didn't realise it... READ MORE
Fab
Sally is forty-two and has been living a sheltered life with her adoptive parents in Roscommon Ireland. Her favorite thing to do is play the piano. But she... READ MORE
A superb psychological thriller - just make sure to visit the dentist before you pick it up
‘Liz Nugent, the queen of the psychological thriller has a new book coming out early next year (2/3/23) and I was delighted to get my hands on a @netgalley... READ MORE
I could not put this book down!
I could not put this book down!
Young Peter is home schooled by his father. He hears noises through his bedroom wall, his father tells him not to worry, i... READ MORE
Brilliantly written!
‘Strange Sally Diamond’ is the brilliantly written story of Sally who I was so entranced by that I didn’t want it to stop. It charts the history of Sally ... READ MORE
A story of extreme cruelty
This is a novel about families. But these families are the polar opposites of ‘cereal box families’ where Mom bakes good wholesome apple pies. These famili... READ MORE
Always distinctive, never short of compelling and the characters have a unique voice
Liz Nugent is one of those authors whose books are always a must read. She is always distinctive, never short of compelling and her characters have a uniqu... READ MORE
Dark but with plenty of humour!
*4.5 stars*
Forty something Sally Diamond put her deceased father out with the rubbish. Nothing wrong with that is there? Well that’s what Sally believes ... READ MORE
highly recommended
Fantastic book, I finished it in two days (shame about work and sleep, I could not put it down!). Wonderfully crafted plot and amazing characters, highly r... READ MORE
Compelling, moving and darkly brilliant
Sally Diamond is far from neuro-typical and takes things literally. So when her father requests that she should put him out with the bins after he dies, be... READ MORE
Disturbing issues with a great plot
This is only the second Liz Nugent I've read and about a third of the way through I was wondering why.
Strange Sally Diamond centres on the unsettling sto... READ MORE
another masterpiece from Liz Nugent
‘Thanks to Penguin UK and Netgalley for the advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Another excellent read from Liz Nugent. I found it d... READ MORE
I know it’s not very ‘literary’ to say but it is good. Very good. Extremely good.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
TW: kidnapping, abduction, imprisonment, violence, sex... READ MORE
A very easy five stars
When I read Our Little Cruelties a couple of years ago, I knew instantly that Liz Nugent would be my type of author. It has been a while since I've had suc... READ MORE
What a novel
This is the best and hardest book I have read in a long while. The writing is phenomenal. Thanks so much to the lovely booksellers at the Kendal branch fo... READ MORE
Absolutely Brilliant
I literally couldn't put this book down. Absolutely amazing
A real page turner
I love loved loved this book. Although there were dark themes in this book it wasn’t overly intense and at times felt light hearted as the story follows Sa... READ MORE
Thrilling
Kept me on edge till the final page. Fantastic book and easy to read. Highly recommend to anyone into crime. The Waterstone’s team in Witney recommended th... READ MORE
Couldn’t put it down!
I absolutely loved this book, I actually read it in an afternoon. I have never read anything like it but it gripped me all the way through. Such a back sto... READ MORE
Dark and compelling.
I was 100% gripped by this book and was eager to see how the story ended. I'm still undecided on how I feel about the ending, but I finished it this mornin... READ MORE
A bizarre story
Sally Diamond has lived a reclusive life and has no inkling that people might consider her strange. But when her father dies and she tries to incinerate hi... READ MORE
Original, dark and addictive
When Sally Diamond’s father dies she does what he told her to do: put him out with the rubbish. Everyone seems to think what she did is strange and shockin... READ MORE
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