Publishers Weekly
★ 05/15/2023
Nugent (Lying in Wait) outdoes herself in this chilling exploration of her title character’s pitch-black past. Ruthlessly bullied as a child in Ireland, Sally has lived a quiet life with her parents, rarely venturing outside. When her widower father dies just before her 44th birthday, Sally incinerates his body with the garbage, thinking she’s honoring his wishes to “put him out with the trash.” Instead, the act draws outrage from neighbors, authorities, and the media, suddenly thrusting the reclusive Sally into an unwelcome spotlight. She’s always known that she was adopted, but slowly—with the aid of letters her “father” left behind, plus a series of messages from a mysterious stranger who may hail from Sally’s blurry past—she comes to know the precise horrors of her backstory. Can she overcome them and learn to navigate a world she barely understands? Nugent fashions an unforgettable protagonist in Sally, and never loses sight of her characters’ fundamental humanity, even as she piles on twists and steers the narrative into exceptional darkness. Inventive, addictive, and bold, this deserves a wide audience. Agent: Marianne Gunn O’Connor, Marianne Gunn O’Connor Literary. (July)
From the Publisher
Praise for Strange Sally Diamond:
"One of the year’s boldest and most original offerings, Nugent’s off-kilter latest grabs hold and won’t let go."
- Publishers Weekly Best Mystery/Thriller Books of 2023
"Dark, compelling, and deeply moving."
- Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The It Girl and The Woman in Cabin 10
"The best book I've read this year. A truly incredible reading experience."
- Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone and Watching You
"Shocking, disturbing and utterly original, Strange Sally Diamond will grip you from first page to last."
- Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train
"Jaw-droppingly clever. I'm completely in awe of Liz Nugent's writing. 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
“It’s both heartbreaking and it’ll make you laugh.”
- Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hold Tight, Six Years, and The Match
“Liz Nugent has created a dark, twisted, gripping, intriguing, heart-stopping tale full of characters who, despite the horrors they inflict, are victims in their own right.”
- Sinéad Moriarty, bestselling author of Yours, Mine, Ours
“A brilliant book! Liz Nugent has outdone herself with this one.”
- Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door
“A terrific read.”
- Anthony Horowitz, New York Times bestselling author of Magpie Murders
“Twisted and twisty, dark and gripping, no one is going to forget Sally Diamond in a hurry!"
- Graham Norton, New York Times bestselling author of Holding
“Liz Nugent dares to go where many won’t. This is wickedly dark territory. And yet amidst the darkness, she allows a light to glimmer—that of a diamond. Sally Diamond, to be precise.”
- Sarah Winman, internationally bestselling author of Still Life
“Nugent fashions an unforgettable protagonist in Sally, and never loses sight of her characters’ fundamental humanity, even as she piles on twists and steers the narrative into exceptional darkness. Inventive, addictive, and bold, this deserves a wide audience.”
- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Nugent writes relatable, imperfect characters... This well-written, engaging novel isn’t for the light of heart, but it will find a home with readers who thrive on intricate plotlines and character development.”
- Booklist
"Sally is an appealing character—strange, yes, but also engagingly literal. Nugent hits exactly the right tone of empathy and optimism."
- Kirkus
"This is exquisite storytelling, harnessing a full palette of emotions. Darkness and humour, hope and despair. Sublime."
- Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine
“Nugent weaves a master tale of depravity, trauma, and mental health.”
- Library Journal
“[A] riveting mystery, with puzzles piling up... Nugent's spectacular novel gives us both despair and hope.”
- Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Tense and suspenseful and often creepy, Liz Nugent has delivered a haunting and poignant tale, one that won’t be easy to forget any time soon."
- Mystery & Suspense
"There’s the usual trademark Liz Nugent disturbing content, but with a heart-felt dose of humanity to balance things out."
- Crime Reads Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of Summer 2024
"Compelling . . . [U]nforgettable characters, the prose is crisp and there’s real wit in the pages."
- Globe & Mail Ten Thrillers for the Heat of Summer
“Nugent pens a thrilling, utterly immersive mystery that, paired with Sally’s unique, unforgettable voice, makes it a true winner. . . Nugent is at the top of her game here, and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next.”
- BookReporter
“[C]reepy, absorbing and, yes, funny and sweet . . . Block out plenty of time for this one, because once I started listening, I didn’t want to stop.”
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch (audiobook review)
Mystery & Suspense magazine
Tense and suspenseful and often creepy…a haunting and poignant tale, one that won’t be easy to forget any time soon.”
Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine
This is exquisite storytelling, harnessing a full palette of emotions. Darkness and humor, hope and despair. Sublime.”
Paula Hawkins
"Shocking, disturbing and utterly original, Strange Sally Diamond will grip you from first page to last."
Lisa Jewell
Praise for Strange Sally Diamond:
"The best book I've read this year. A truly incredible reading experience."
Sarah Winman
Liz Nugent dares to go where many won’t. This is wickedly dark territory. And yet amidst the darkness, she allows a light to glimmer—that of a diamond. Sally Diamond, to be precise.
Anthony Horowitz
A terrific read.
Booklist
Nugent writes relatable, imperfect characters... This well-written, engaging novel isn’t for the light of heart, but it will find a home with readers who thrive on intricate plotlines and character development.
Shari Lapena
A brilliant book! Liz Nugent has outdone herself with this one.
Marian Keyes
A tense, taut, almost gothic thriller...impossible to stop reading.
CrimeReads
"This book is a brutal as it is beautiful, with the year's most haunting ending."
Robyn Harding
Darkly funny, creepy, and has one of the most disturbing endings I’ve ever read!
Booklist (starred review)
Nugent introduces an unforgettable cast of characters in this tour de force...astonishing....everyone should grab it the second it appears."
Brit + Co
"Though we know Lydia and Andrew Fitzsimmons’ big secret by the end of the first sentence of Nugent’s book, it’s why they did it that initially remains a mystery...The secret may be out, but the intrigue remains."
PEOPLE
[A] dark, captivating psychological thriller.
Sebastian Barry
Taut, crisp, clear, a storm-warning of a book. It has the eeriness of ‘The Turn of the Screw;’ but as these screws turn, a mighty tension takes hold. Masterly.
Shelf Awareness
"Riveting...Little Cruelties melds a hardboiled story with a family drama, leading to a tragedy that will define another generation."
Crime by the Book
"Truly outstanding."
Bustle
"Electrifying ... a chilling narrative with an unexpected ending that will take your breath away."
BookPage
"Liz Nugent, whose debut novel, Unraveling Oliver, earned high critical praise, has upped her game here with a darkly twisted tale of murder, lies and secrets best left buried."
BookReporter
"Just when you think you have things figured out, Nugent throws everything off-kilter again. All of the primary characters —- including the dead woman, Annie —- are complicated and well-rounded...and defy easy categorization as “villain” or “hero.” Readers who first encountered Nugent’s work only recently will be thrilled with this new-to-us thriller —- and will be thronging for even more of her excellent work to make its way across the pond."
Fredericksburg Freelance Star
"Nugent tells a brilliant tale—taut, horrifying, chilling...the plot is impossible to resist and the tale is beautifully written...If you like psychological thrillers, “Lying in Wait” is perfect."
A.J. Finn
Praise for Lying in Wait
“An extraordinary novel. Lying in Wait crackles and snaps like a bonfire on a winter’s night; you shudder even as you draw closer to it. Spellbinding.
Library Journal
04/01/2023
Nugent (Little Cruelties) weaves a master tale of depravity, trauma, and mental health. Sally Diamond's father, Thomas, has often joked that when he dies, Sally should just put him in the rubbish bin. When Thomas does die, Sally follows his wishes: puts him in the trash incinerator and attempts to burn his body. The police and media attention around her actions upend Sally's quiet solitary life. Subsequent letters Thomas left her to open after his death unveil a traumatic secret about Sally and her life before her parents adopted her at seven. This past trauma and Sally's untreated PTSD explain a lot about her "social deficiencies"—how Thomas referred to Sally's behavior—and why Sally, at 42, is so isolated. Angela, a friend of her adopted mother, helps Sally cope with all these changes and helps guide her to a path of healing, which Sally finds hard to stay on. Intercut with Sally's story is that of Peter, a young boy living in unusual circumstances. VERDICT How Peter and Sally interconnect is one of the disturbing twists in this deeply unsettling psychological novel. While it's not a thriller, those who like thrillers and true-crime readers would enjoy this book.—Lynnanne Pearson
Kirkus Reviews
2023-05-24
Sally Diamond is beginning to connect with the world after having lived an isolated life with her late father. Will she be able to escape the shadows of her traumatic past and their echoes in the present?
Sally’s father, a psychiatrist, diagnosed her as “socially deficient,” so although she’s 42, she’s always lived with him outside the small Irish village of Carricksheedy. He'd always said that she should “put [him] out with the trash” when he dies, so when it happens, she tries to burn his body in their incinerator. In the flurry of public attention that follows, ranging from concern about Sally’s ability to function on her own to outraged theories that she must have murdered her father and was trying to dispose of the evidence, a secret about Sally’s past is revealed. While she'd always known she was adopted, she didn’t realize that she was the child of Denise Norton, who was kidnapped at age 11 and brutalized for 14 years. By the time Denise and Sally were rescued from their captor, Denise was so traumatized that she took her own life. So in addition to coming to grips with her adoptive parents’ roles—her father was the doctor treating her and Denise all those years ago, and her mother was the nurse—she also begins to process the truth about her biological parents. With the support of her therapist and her friends, Sally begins to step outside her constricted life, all the while keeping her eyes open for any sense of threat after she receives a mysterious gift in the mail. Nugent also begins to weave in flashback chapters from the perspective of a young boy being raised by a father who has a woman locked up in a single room. Between these chapters and Sally’s exploration of her past, this tragic, disturbing story of generational trauma eventually unspools. Despite the grim subject matter, Sally is an appealing character—strange, yes, but also engagingly literal.
Nugent hits exactly the right tone of empathy and optimism, but she can’t fully banish the darkness.
