Book Review: Between Two Strangers by Kate White

Between Two Strangers
Author: Kate White
Publication: Harper Paperbacks (May 16, 2023)

Description: A woman receives a bewildering inheritance that may have something to do with her past in this twisty and addictive psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Entertainment Weekly calls “impossible to outwit.”

Struggling artist Skyler Moore is flabbergasted when she receives a suspicious phone call from a lawyer she’s never met regarding a “private matter.” As soon as she arrives at the law firm’s office, she learns she’s the recipient of a large inheritance, a life-changing sum that will allow her to realize her long-held dream of becoming a mother. But who was her benefactor, Christopher Whaley? The late man’s name means nothing to Skyler, and she has no idea why he would leave her such an enormous bequest.

Looking into his background, Skyler finally realizes they met once at a hotel bar and shared a one-night stand. But they never exchanged numbers, or even last names, and that was over a decade ago. She wonders if the inheritance is meant to be a message of some kind, but can’t imagine what it might be.

Chris’ family is confused and suspicious too, and his widow accuses Skyler of having an affair with her late husband, then threatens revenge. In order to protect herself, Skyler has to understand the reason the money was left to her. But as she digs for the truth, it becomes clear that Chris Whaley might have taken other secrets to the grave, ones that could have terrifying consequences for her . . .

My Thoughts: When artist Skyler Moore gets a phone call from a lawyer telling her that it is urgent for her to see him, she first thinks it is a scam. However, curiosity and the possibility of an inheritance has her making the trip to Scarsdale from her East Village flat. 

It seems that Skyler has been given a trust after the death of Christopher Whaley. The only problem is that Skyler doesn't know Christopher Whaley and has no idea why he would leave her $3.5 million. Christopher's mother and wife don't know why he's pick her either. While the mother seems sanguine about the inheritance, the wife is not.

However, when she hears that Christopher Whaley's nickname was C.J., she remembers him as a man she had a one-night stand with when she was a graduate student in Boston. A lot of the one-night stand has left her memory because it happened at the same time that her younger half-sister disappeared from a party they both attended and was found a couple of days later by Skyler. The trauma around her sister's death put the one-night stand way in the background of her memory. 

When Skyler starts being harassed, i.e. her apartment broken into, her studio almost broken into if not for the intervention of a fellow artist, a feeling that she is being followed when she is out scouting for art materials for her next collage, a note with the stamped word "whore" placed in her tote bag, and the same word stamped on the collages that are supposed to be viewed at her first show, she at first thinks that it is a former boyfriend who didn't take their break-up well. 

The fear Skyler feels when she is harassed comes right out of the pages and managed to scare me too. Skyler already suffers from anxiety which is only getting worse as she gets older. She is just managing to restart her art career after years when she was still dealing with her sister's death and ruin of her relationship with her mother who has always felt Skyler could have done more for her sister. 

The story was fast-paced and intense. I liked that it was told in alternate time periods from the Now when she inherits the money and Twelve Years Ago when she has her one-night stand and when her sister disappears and is found dead. 

I couldn't put this one down. 

I bought this one January 2, 2025, when it was a BookPerks deal for $1.99. You can buy your copy here.