The Stranger at the Table: The must-read Aussie suspense of 2025. Poisonous lies, family secrets, addiction and revenge are all on the menu. For readers of Sally Hepworth, Jo Dixon and Ali Lowe

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