The Kindness of Strangers, Emma Garman
The Kindness of Strangers, Emma Garman
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The Kindness of Strangers

Author: Emma Garman

Narrator: Olivia Dowd

Unabridged: 9 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/12/2026


Synopsis

A wildly entertaining debut and homage to the classic murder mystery set in post-WWII London where a stranger’s arrival at a boarding house sets a deadly chain of events in motion—perfect for fans of Kate Atkinson, Agatha Christie, and Richard Osman.

London, 1953. Jimmy Sullivan lies dying on the drawing room floor while his housemates look on, their lives about to change forever.

One foggy night in the dead of February, a young man arrives unannounced at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. Self-styled Bohemian Mrs. Honor Wilson—who runs a minor literary journal and lodgings from this timeworn Victorian house—introduces him to her “dear house guests”: Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the debutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says—yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone’s misgivings, she lets the stranger move into the attic.

As they each try to disprove Jimmy’s dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household’s delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge.

In a house built on lies, the truth will get you killed.

About Emma Garman

Emma Garman, a Brighton-based writer and critic, has been a columnist for The Paris Review and a contributor to Literary ReviewThe Daily BeastLapham’s Quarterly, and History News Network. She has an MA in creative writing from the City College of New York and an MA in literature from Queen Mary University of London. The Kindness of Strangers is her debut novel.


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Quotes

"Dowd is outstanding delivering this intricately plotted mystery rife with characters who may or may not be telling the truth."

"Numerous intriguing suspects in this entertaining whodunit allow narrator Olivia Dowd to display her wide range of voices. A diverse group of residents call Honor Wilson’s boardinghouse home. Robbie, a writer; Mina, a teenage girl; Saul, a Holocaust survivor; and George, a gorgeous model, live in relatively anonymous harmony until a stranger moves in. Jimmy Sullivan’s arrival causes unease among the boarders, while Mrs. Wilson seems unusually distressed. Dowd’s grasp of nuance is just right as she delivers each resident’s backstory, revealing secrets each would prefer were left hidden. When Sullivan is murdered, the characters join together to hide the truth."