Release date: November 4, 2025
Publisher: Grand Central
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Synopsis:
Late at night…
Abi and Ben are driving home down foggy country roads, arguing about having had to cut short their weekend away when they take a wrong turn. Abi’s driving, but her eyes leave the road for a moment as she says something to Ben – just as he gasps. A man is in front of the car, waving a torch. Abi swerves to avoid him.
You see a family stranded…
Ben tells her they should stop and go back, but Abi refuses. It’s dark, the roads are isolated and they don’t know this stranger. But, as Abi continues on, they see a broken-down car. Every instinct is still telling Abi to drive by, but then she notices the woman holding a car seat with a baby in it.
Would you stop?
For a moment, Abi hesitates, but they can’t leave a mother and baby on the side of the road. Agreeing to give the family a lift, they set off again. But now these strangers are inside their car and it might be the worst mistake they have ever made…
Review:
Strangers in the Car follows Abi and Ben as they set off on what should be a straightforward road trip — until a thick fog, a wrong turn, and a stranded family on the side of the road turn everything upside down. When they decide to pick up the family, noticing they have a baby with them, things take a dark and unexpected turn that’s best left unspoiled. From there, C.M. Ewan delivers the kind of tense, high stakes thriller that has you reading with your shoulders hunched and your heart racing.
This is absolutely a popcorn style thriller, it’s fast paced, cinematic, and packed with short, punchy chapters that make it nearly impossible to stop. You do have to suspend disbelief at times, but if you’re along for the ride, it’s pure fun: twisty, surprising, and anxietyinducing in the best way. Ewan is so good at placing ordinary people in extraordinary, terrifying situations, and Strangers in the Car is another strong example of why his books work so well. It’s wild, consuming, and totally unique, the kind of book you finish in one sitting just to see how far things can possibly go.
Overall rating: 4/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
Novelgossip 