Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

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📦 Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent – A Dark Family Mystery That Didn’t Quite Work for Me

⭐️ Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

You know those books that everyone seems to love, and you pick it up expecting to be blown away… but it just falls flat? That was Strange Sally Diamond for me.

This psychological thriller is highly rated, but honestly? I found it kind of boring. For a book with kidnapping, murder, abuse, identity changes, and secret messages, it somehow still felt like nothing really happened. No tension, no real twist, and it gave off serious déjà vu from other books like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, These Silent Woods, and Keep It in the Family. Not a bad book—just not a gripping one.

🕯️ Meet Sally Diamond: Socially Awkward and Social Media Famous

The book kicks off with a bang—Sally Diamond, a socially awkward 40-something woman in rural Ireland, tries to cremate her father's body after he dies in his chair.

Why? Because he once joked, “When I die, just throw me out with the rubbish,” and Sally—being very literal—takes him at his word. That moment alone causes a stir, attracting media attention, police involvement, and the nickname “Strange Sally Diamond.”

That’s when things start unraveling.

🧬 Letters, Lies & Sally’s Hidden Past

Soon after her father’s death, Sally finds letters he left behind, written by him (Thomas) before his passing. They reveal that:

  • Sally isn’t biologically his.

  • She was adopted after a traumatic early childhood.

  • Her biological mother was Denise, a young woman who had been abducted by a man named Conor Geary and held captive for years.

Denise was raped repeatedly, and Sally (then named Mary) was born in captivity. She had an older brother, Peter, also fathered by Conor. But Conor had a violent hatred for women—he doted on Peter but kept Denise and Sally locked away like animals.

🌍 Meanwhile, in New Zealand…

Back in the 1980s, a would-be thief accidentally stumbled upon Denise and Sally in captivity. Fearing they’d be discovered, Conor fled with Peter to New Zealand, assuming new identities as James and Steven Armstrong. Sally and Denise were rescued and sent to a psychiatric facility.

Thomas, a psychiatrist, was assigned to their case. When Denise died by suicide shortly after being separated from Sally, Thomas adopted Sally and raised her in a quiet Irish village with his wife, Jean.

🧸 Enter: The Teddy Bear

Now an adult, Sally starts receiving mysterious packages—childhood items she hasn’t seen in decades. One is a teddy bear she clung to as a young girl. The packages are labeled simply with the letter “S.”

Concerned, her guardian Angela and aunt Christine worry Conor might still be alive. But Conor is long dead.

The packages are actually from Peter.

🧠 Peter’s Story: Twisted, Tragic, and Terrifying

Here’s where the book shifts gears. We learn Peter’s full story:

  • After moving to New Zealand, Peter grew up in total isolation with Conor, believing he had a deadly skin condition that would kill him—or others—if he touched them.

  • This lie cost him his only friend, Rangi, who drowned while Peter stood by, afraid to help.

  • Conor later abducted a new victim, Lindy, whom he raped and kept imprisoned for decades.

  • Peter, emotionally stunted and confused, fell in love with Lindy, who eventually gave birth to a daughter, Amanda.

  • Peter abandoned the baby at a church and never told Lindy. She died of appendicitis shortly afterward.

  • Peter, now in his 40s, remains deeply disturbed but sees himself as Lindy’s protector—not her jailer. He begins watching Sally and eventually reaches out.

🧬 DNA, Podcasts, and Disturbing Revelations

At the same time, a podcaster named Kate is digging into Peter’s past. She suspects Rangi’s death wasn’t accidental.

A man named Mark appears, claiming to be Sally’s biological uncle—Denise’s brother. DNA tests confirm his identity, and also Peter’s. But they reveal something else too: Amanda, the baby Lindy gave birth to, is alive and well. And she’s a gifted pianist.

Peter is now worried. He knows his crimes are coming to light. Sally tries to help him escape, giving him half the money from the sale of Conor’s old house. Over €1 million. Peter disappears and builds a cabin in the U.S., ready to start over.

Or... maybe not.

🧸 Epilogue: Amanda & the Teddy Bear

Amanda receives a package in the mail—a teddy bear. The same one that once belonged to Sally.

It’s from Peter.

Amanda doesn’t know who sent it. But she decides to keep it—thinking it’s a lucky charm.

Meanwhile, Peter (now under yet another alias) is building a new life… and searching for his next victim.

🙅 Final Thoughts: A Dark Story That Didn't Land for Me

For a book packed with trauma, abuse, identity changes, and a deeply disturbing villain, I expected to be glued to the page. But I found myself skimming.

Yes, there’s a mystery—who is sending the packages, what happened to Sally’s family, who Peter really is—but the story feels like it meanders without real urgency. I kept waiting for the big twist, the shocking moment. It never came.

It’s a dark book with a tragic premise—but it felt oddly detached, like the author was checking boxes from other popular thrillers without delivering a punch of her own.

🧃 Final Verdict

  • Genre: Psychological Thriller / Family Drama / Crime Fiction

  • Content Warnings: Graphic abuse, child neglect, captivity, rape

  • Recommended for: Fans of Room by Emma Donoghue or The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld

  • Not recommended for: Readers who need clear plot momentum or satisfying resolutions

Rating: ⭐️⭐️ (2 out of 5)

Have you read Strange Sally Diamond? I’d love to hear if it worked better for you than it did for me! Drop your thoughts in the comments! 📚💬

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