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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Conor Gallagher’s A Stranger Among Us begins in 1924 North Carolina, where twelve-year-old Haskell, “Hack,” witnesses wealthy college student Walter Brooks kill Hack’s father after Percy intervenes to protect a young woman from Walter. Walter then gives the police a false account that turns Hack into a wanted fugitive, forcing him to disappear inside Good Shepherd, a Benedictine monastery whose monks agree to hide him. Years pass as Hack grows into adulthood under a new identity while Walter builds a public life from the story that ruined Percy’s name. The danger of discovery never disappears, especially as Walter’s influence expands and Hack’s connection to the monastery becomes harder to conceal. Decades later, an unexpected relationship with Walter’s son brings Hack dangerously close to the family whose secrets have shaped his entire life.
Conor Gallagher’s A Stranger Among Us spans four decades, with Benedictine life at its center amid twentieth-century North Carolina history. This is, truly, a fast-paced thriller loaded with suspense and terrifying details, like a Ku Klux Klan broadcast threatening Catholic voters with violence. I really like Haskell, mainly for his compassion. In a quieter moment during a mountain hike, he sees an older monk tiring and gives him space to decide whether to continue. The landscapes are visually written, from the New River flashing beneath jagged mountain peaks as a crane watches the rapids, to a winter valley where snow-capped mountains rise behind green pines as the river rolls below. The Christian element is unmistakable, especially in scenes like Haskell counseling a former broker by comparing complete faith in God to investing everything in one stock. Readers drawn to Christian historical thrillers will like this faith-centered story. Very highly recommended.
