The Stranger at the Table
The domestic noir hit of 2025. Poisonous lies, family secrets, addiction and revenge are all on the menu. For readers of Sally Hepworth, Jo Dixon and Ali Lowe
Cassie Hamer
- A
- family
- gathering,
- but
- not
- everyone
- who
- sits
- down
- to
- dinner
- will
- survive
- it.
- Poisonous
- lies,
- family
- secrets,
- addiction
- and
- revenge
- -
- always
- a
- dish
- best
- served
- cold
- -
- are
- all
- on
- the
- menu.
- For
- readers
- of
- Sally
- Hepworth,
- Jo
- Dixon
- and
- Ali
- Lowe,
- this
- twisty
- domestic
- suspense
- holds
- you
- captive
- from
- its
- gripping
- beginning
- to
- its
- shocking
- denouement.Maz
- Antonio
- has
- spent
- the
- last
- two
- years
- in
- prison
- so
- is
- determined
- to
- make
- the
- first
- major
- family
- gathering
- in
- their
- new
- home
- deep
- in
- Australian
- suburbia
- as
- perfect
- as
- possible.
- She
- owes
- it
- to
- everyone
- after
- the
- terrible
- mistakes
- she's
- made
- ...
- mistakes
- for
- which
- she
- will
- always
- be
- trying
- to
- atone.
- This
- special
- lunch
- is
- her
- chance
- to
- make
- things
- right
- for
- her
- husband
- and
- children,
- to
- show
- everyone
- that
- she
- can
- maintain
- her
- sobriety,
- that
- things
- can
- go
- back
- to
- normal.
- (Whatever
- normal
- looks
- like
- when
- you
- have
- traumatic,
- confusing
- flashbacks
- of
- that
- fateful
- day
- where
- two
- innocent
- lives
- were
- lost.)Her
- sister,
- Elli,
- is
- in.
- So
- is
- her
- husband's
- brother.
- Her
- distant
- father-in-law
- is
- gracing
- them
- with
- his
- presence
- and
- her
- mum
- Margaret
- is
- on
- the
- way
- from
- Newcastle,
- bringing
- a
- colleague
- -
- a
- virtual
- stranger
- she
- impulsively
- invited.But
- is
- this
- man
- really
- a
- stranger?
- Or
- could
- it
- be
- that
- he
- is
- intimately
- connected
- to
- the
- past
- that
- Maz
- has
- so
- desperately
- been
- trying
- to
- put
- behind
- her
- -
- a
- past
- that's
- about
- to
- explode
- across
- the
- dinner
- table
- in
- the
- deadliest
- of
- ways...PRAISE
- FOR
- THE
- STRANGER
- AT
- THE
- TABLE'Summer,
- suburbs,
- families
- at
- war-this
- book
- has
- it
- all.
- Even
- the
- backdrop
- of
- deafening
- cicadas
- roar
- their
- approval.
- I
- turned
- pages
- without
- even
- realising.'
- Markus
- Zusak'I
- absolutely
- loved
- this
- book.
- A
- thrilling
- ride
- with
- a
- heartfelt
- storyline
- and
- rich,
- nuanced
- characters,
- I
- was
- all
- consumed
- by
- this
- brilliant
- and
- clever
- story.
- It
- is
- undoubtedly
- Hamer's
- best
- novel
- yet.'
- Ali
- Lowe'I
- inhaled
- this
- story,
- completely
- addicted
- until
- the
- final
- breathtaking
- twist.
- Razor
- sharp
- and
- riveting.
- Domestic
- suspense
- at
- its
- very
- best.'
- Tess
- Woods'With
- mystery
- and
- mayhem,
- secrets
- and
- suspense,
- this
- scarily
- relatable
- family
- drama
- hooked
- me
- from
- start
- to
- finish.'
- Joanna
- Nell'I
- absolutely
- loved
- this
- contemporary
- exploration
- of
- addiction,
- family
- dynamics,
- deep-rooted
- shame
- ...
- and
- out-and-out
- revenge.
- Compelling,
- satisfying
- and
- unputdownable.'
- B.M.
- Carroll'Hamer
- brings
- her
- trademark
- warmth
- and
- humour-filled
- domestic
- observation
- to
- a
- taut
- and
- darkly
- compelling
- novel,
- proving
- herself
- to
- be
- an
- accomplished
- suspense
- writer,
- to
- rival
- Sally
- Hepworth
- and
- Liane
- Moriarty.'
- Kate
- Solly'Cassie
- Hamer's
- astute
- observations
- about
- family,
- motherhood
- and
- relationships,
- and
- the
- lies
- we
- tell
- others
- and
- ourselves,
- underpin
- a
- delicious
- mystery
- with
- a
- satisfying
- denouement.'
- Vanessa
- McCausland'This
- compelling
- page-turner
- takes
- us
- inside
- the
- Antonio
- family
- with
- all
- of
- its
- love
- and
- loyalty,
- secrets
- and
- betrayals,
- grief
- and
- guilt.
- Cassie
- Hamer's
- characters
- are
- so
- real-she
- gives
- us
- fascinating
- insights
- into
- complex
- family
- dynamics.
- And
- that's
- what
- hooks
- us
- into
- this
- story:
- the
- explosive
- truths
- that
- this
- family
- must
- face,
- and
- whether
- they
- can
- uncover
- their
- long-held
- secrets
- ...'
- Petronella
- McGovern'Humour,
- tenderness,
- pace,
- suspense
- and
- entertainment.
- Cassie
- Hamer
- is
- a
- writer
- who
- knows
- how
- to
- get
- her
- characters
- jumping
- on
- the
- page.'
- Justin
- Smith'Lunch
- is
- served,
- and
- it's
- a
- delicious
- mix
- of
- family
- secrets,
- suspense,
- lies
- and
- revelations.
- I
- devoured
- The
- Stranger
- at
- the
- Table.'
- Kylie
- Ladd'An
- artfully
- crafted
- story
- exploring
- how
- many
- wrongs
- can
- make
- something
- right.
- Hamer's
- story
- leaves
- you
- questioning
- the
- fine
- line
- between
- right
- and
- wrong
- and
- what
- happens
- when
- that
- line
- gets
- blurred,
- even
- if
- you're
- blurring
- them
- for
- the
- right
- reasons.
- Cassie
- Hamer's
- best
- book
- yet!'
- Sandie
- Docker'The
- Stranger
- at
- the
- Table
- heralds
- a
- new
- and
- exciting
- direction
- for
- bestselling
- Australian
- author,
- Cassie
- Hamer.
- Pacey
- and
- page-turning
- with
- a
- cast
- of
- flawed,
- but
- relatable
- characters
- and
- a
- killer
- plot
- twist,
- this
- novel
- is
- domestic
- noir
- at
- its
- best.
- Perfect
- for
- fans
- of
- Liane
- Moriarty
- and
- Sally
- Hepworth.'
- Claudine
- Tinellis,
- Talking
- Aussie
- Books'This
- is
- a
- compulsive,
- twisty,
- gripping
- novel
- that
- I
- just
- ate
- up
- with
- a
- dessert
- spoon
- ...
- loved
- everything
- about
- it!
- My
- new
- favourite
- Cassie
- Hamer
- novel.'
- Anna
- Loder,
- Read
- a Book
