Listen free for 30 days
-
The Stranger House
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £32.89
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Woodcutter
- By: Reginald Hill
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wolf Hadda's life was a fairytale - successful businessman and adored husband. But a knock on the door one morning ends it all. Universally reviled, thrown into prison, Wolf retreats into silence. Seven years later Wolf begins to talk to the prison psychiatrist and receives parole to return home. But there's a mysterious period in Wolf's past when he was known as the Woodcutter. Now the Woodcutter is back, looking for truth and revenge...
-
-
The Woodcutter
- By jackie Hammond on 23-05-11
-
Who Guards a Prince
- By: Reginald Hill
- Narrated by: Ian Redford
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who would sever a tongue from a living mouth? Or kill a pathetic, homeless old man? Or frighten a young doctor into silence? The questions are piling up, and Doug McHarg can't stop asking them - especially when he's warned off by both his boss in the local police and by Scotland Yard. The pattern that emerges is of a powerful organisation with links to the throne and the White House. And all that stands against them is McHarg: a discontented copper with nothing to lose.
-
-
Another super Hill book
- By Diane on 03-11-10
-
Singing the Sadness
- Joe Sixsmith Series, Book 4
- By: Reginald Hill
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This, the 4th novel in Hill's series about Joe Sixsmith, finds the black, balding detective caught up in a tangled web of politics, hatred and scandal in a small Welsh town where arson and child abuse go hand in hand.
-
-
Enjoyable
- By A. Foley on 02-12-15
-
Hand in Glove
- By: Robert Goddard
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tristram Abberley was an acclaimed English poet of the 1930s whose legendary reputation was sealed when he died fighting for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. Nearly 50 years later, his sister Beatrix is brutally murdered in her seaside cottage. Her family are stunned by the crime - especially Beatrix's niece, Charlotte Ladram. But Charlotte has little time to mourn her aunt as 50 years of secrets begin to unravel.
-
-
Great Earlier Work From Robert Goddard
- By Mark F. on 10-04-18
-
Out of the Sun
- By: Robert Goddard
- Narrated by: Paul Shelley
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Harry Barnett is informed that his son is in hospital in a diabetic coma, he is certain that there must be some mistake, since he does not have a son. But he soon discovers that he does. David Venning was a brilliant mathematician, and his tragic condition is taken to be the result of an accident or a suicide attempt.
-
-
Harry Barnet's adventurous life continues!
- By Kirstine on 28-01-21
-
The Suspect
- By: Michael Robotham
- Narrated by: Crispin Redman
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joseph O'Loughlin appears to have the perfect life: a beautiful wife, a loving daughter, and a successful career as a clinical psychologist. But nothing can be taken for granted. Even the most flawless existence is only one loose thread away from unravelling. All it takes is a murdered girl, a troubled young patient - and the biggest lie of his life.
-
-
Excellent story, brilliantly written
- By Annie on 15-04-14
-
The Woodcutter
- By: Reginald Hill
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wolf Hadda's life was a fairytale - successful businessman and adored husband. But a knock on the door one morning ends it all. Universally reviled, thrown into prison, Wolf retreats into silence. Seven years later Wolf begins to talk to the prison psychiatrist and receives parole to return home. But there's a mysterious period in Wolf's past when he was known as the Woodcutter. Now the Woodcutter is back, looking for truth and revenge...
-
-
The Woodcutter
- By jackie Hammond on 23-05-11
-
Who Guards a Prince
- By: Reginald Hill
- Narrated by: Ian Redford
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who would sever a tongue from a living mouth? Or kill a pathetic, homeless old man? Or frighten a young doctor into silence? The questions are piling up, and Doug McHarg can't stop asking them - especially when he's warned off by both his boss in the local police and by Scotland Yard. The pattern that emerges is of a powerful organisation with links to the throne and the White House. And all that stands against them is McHarg: a discontented copper with nothing to lose.
-
-
Another super Hill book
- By Diane on 03-11-10
-
Singing the Sadness
- Joe Sixsmith Series, Book 4
- By: Reginald Hill
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This, the 4th novel in Hill's series about Joe Sixsmith, finds the black, balding detective caught up in a tangled web of politics, hatred and scandal in a small Welsh town where arson and child abuse go hand in hand.
-
-
Enjoyable
- By A. Foley on 02-12-15
-
Hand in Glove
- By: Robert Goddard
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tristram Abberley was an acclaimed English poet of the 1930s whose legendary reputation was sealed when he died fighting for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. Nearly 50 years later, his sister Beatrix is brutally murdered in her seaside cottage. Her family are stunned by the crime - especially Beatrix's niece, Charlotte Ladram. But Charlotte has little time to mourn her aunt as 50 years of secrets begin to unravel.
-
-
Great Earlier Work From Robert Goddard
- By Mark F. on 10-04-18
-
Out of the Sun
- By: Robert Goddard
- Narrated by: Paul Shelley
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Harry Barnett is informed that his son is in hospital in a diabetic coma, he is certain that there must be some mistake, since he does not have a son. But he soon discovers that he does. David Venning was a brilliant mathematician, and his tragic condition is taken to be the result of an accident or a suicide attempt.
-
-
Harry Barnet's adventurous life continues!
- By Kirstine on 28-01-21
-
The Suspect
- By: Michael Robotham
- Narrated by: Crispin Redman
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joseph O'Loughlin appears to have the perfect life: a beautiful wife, a loving daughter, and a successful career as a clinical psychologist. But nothing can be taken for granted. Even the most flawless existence is only one loose thread away from unravelling. All it takes is a murdered girl, a troubled young patient - and the biggest lie of his life.
-
-
Excellent story, brilliantly written
- By Annie on 15-04-14
-
Angel Maker
- DI Jamie Johansson, Book 1
- By: Morgan Greene
- Narrated by: Sofia Engstrand
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a teenage girl is found dead in the woods, her body posed like an angel, Stockholm holds its breath. The kill bears a chilling resemblance to those of the Angel Maker, a serial killer caught two decades ago.... One who just died in prison. Detective Inspector Jamie Johansson is taking some much-needed time away from the London Met when the call comes in. Her father, one of Stockholm's most notorious detectives, caught the Angel Maker when she was just a girl, and Jamie has long since closed the door to that part of her life.
-
-
Great story, fab narrator
- By Anonymous User on 05-01-22
-
Beyond Recall
- By: Robert Goddard
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Estranged from his family for most of his adult life, Chris Napier is persuaded to return home for his niece's wedding. At the reception, he is shocked to recognise a dishevelled intruder as his childhood friend Nicky Lanyon, whose presence is a chilling reminder of a murder and subsequent trial that Chris has tried hard to forget. When Nicky hangs himself, Chris is compelled to revisit the tragic events of 34 years ago and the apparent justice that was served.
-
-
superb classic Goddard
- By Ian on 03-10-21
-
Shrouded Legacy
- By: A.M. Story
- Narrated by: Roger May
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arriving too late, Amos Cotswold cannot decipher what the dying Lord Marston is desperately trying to convey, and his failure threatens to destroy the villagers’ way of life. What will become of the estate? Amos and Lord Marston’s son had been friends, but Crispin hasn’t been seen for 40 years and no one knows if he’s still alive. As the estate disintegrates, Amos finds himself haunted by the Marston ghosts. Merely finding the rightful heir won’t be enough to save his village; Amos must also determine how the legend ended.
-
The Blood Strand
- Foroyar Triology, Book 1
- By: Chris Ould
- Narrated by: Matt Addis
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jan Reyna is a murder squad detective, British by adoption and choice, Faroese by birth and history. Called back to the remote Danish Faroe Islands when his father suffers a paralysing stroke, Reyna is forced to reexamine his decades-long rejection of the past and of his father in particular. But in this now-foreign country, whose language and customs he no longer understands, Reyna is also drawn into a rare Faroese murder case.
-
-
Faroe - Scandinavian slow lane
- By Rogayah on 17-03-16
-
Eye For An Eye
- DI Gilchrist , Book 1
- By: T. F. Muir
- Narrated by: David Monteath
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One psychopath. One killer. The Stabber. Six victims, all wife beaters. Each stabbed to death through their left eye. Six victims, all wife beaters. Each stabbed to death through their left eye. The cobbled lanes and backstreets of St Andrews provide the setting for these brutal killings.
-
-
Looking for more
- By Karen on 24-04-13
-
The Snow Killer
- The DI Barton Series, Book 1
- By: Ross Greenwood
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A family is gunned down in the snow, but one of the children survives. Three years on, that child takes revenge, and the Snow Killer is born. But then, nothing - no further crimes are committed, and the case goes cold. 50 years later, has the urge to kill been reawakened? As murder follows murder, the detective team tasked with solving the crimes struggle with the lack of leads. It’s a race against time and the weather - each time it snows, another person dies.
-
-
Outstanding
- By Andromeda's Twin on 28-11-19
-
Death of an Expert Witness
- By: P. D. James
- Narrated by: Daniel Weyman
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery. From P.D. James, one of the masters of British crime fiction, comes the seventh Adam Dalgliesh novel, set against the bleak fens of East Anglia. Death of An Expert Witness is a classic work of detective fiction packed with forensic detail, intrigue and suspense. When a young girl is found murdered in a field, the scientific examination of the exhibits is just a routine job for the staff of Hoggatt's forensic science laboratory.
-
-
satisfying
- By sally on 22-08-16
-
Only the Innocent
- DCI Tom Douglas, Book 1
- By: Rachel Abbott
- Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Women are rarely cold-blooded killers. But when famous philanthropist Hugo Fletcher is found dead, there is no doubt in anybody's mind that the killer is a woman. And it is clear from the precision of the planning that this was no crime of passion. It was an execution. The victim was revered the world over for his charitable work with trafficked Eastern European prostitutes, and as at least one of these girls is missing, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Douglas is certain that there has to be a connection.
-
-
brilliant
- By S. Coakley-Evans on 20-09-21
-
Days Without Number
- By: Robert Goddard
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nick Paleologus is summoned to the unyielding bosom of his family to help resolve a dispute which threatens to set his brothers and sisters against their aged and irascible father. Michael Paleologus, retired archaeologist and supposed descendant of the last Emperors of Byzantium, lives alone at Trennor, a remote and rambling house on the Cornish bank of the Tamar. A ridiculously generous offer has been made for the house, but he refuses to sell despite the urgings of his children, for whom the proceeds would solve a variety of problems.
-
-
Engrossing blend of history and mystery
- By Kirstine on 17-02-14
-
The House of Dolls
- By: David Hewson
- Narrated by: Saul Reichlin
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anneliese Vos, 16-year-old daughter of detective Pieter Vos, disappeared three years ago. Her father's desperate search revealed nothing. One day, Laura Bakker, a trainee detective, visits to tell him that the daughter of local politician, Katja Prins, has gone missing in circumstances similar to Anneliese. Vos is drawn back into the life of a detective, hoping that somewhere will be a clue to his daughter’s fate….
-
-
Brilliant
- By mollyeyre on 05-05-14
-
The Vanishing Year
- A Novel
- By: Kate Moretti
- Narrated by: Mandeleine Maby
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zoe Whittaker is living a charmed life. She is the beautiful young wife of handsome, charming Wall Street tycoon Henry Whittaker. She is a member of Manhattan's social elite. She is on the board of one of the city's most prestigious philanthropic organizations. She has a perfect Tribeca penthouse in the city and a gorgeous lake house in the country. The finest wine, the most up-to-date fashion, and the most luxurious vacations are all at her fingertips. What no one knows is that five years ago, Zoe's life was in danger.
-
The Skull Beneath the Skin
- By: P. D. James
- Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Cordelia Gray Mystery. Marking the return of Cordelia Gray, The Skull Beneath the Skin is a complex mystery which more than lives up to its predecessor, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman. Hired to protect a beautiful but neurotic actress, Cordelia Gray soon becomes embroiled in a case as dangerous to her own life as it is mysterious. Clarissa Lisle hopes to make a spectacular comeback in a production of The Duchess of Malfi, to be played in Ambrose Gorringe's sinister castle at Courcy Island.
-
-
Performance of narrator
- By Maureen Frost on 10-04-21
Summary
Critic reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about The Stranger House
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Lucy C.
- 04-07-11
Good listen in the end
The Woodcutter was my first Reginald Hill book, I loved it and I want to hear some of his other books, so I bought this one. I found the first couple of hours quite difficult to stick with not because of the narrator who I thought was very good but because I could not make sense of it, however it was worth staying with as it turned out to be a good story and nearing the end of the book could I make sense of the beginning.
38 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- TPB
- 02-11-07
Good detective novel with a touch of romance
A good story particularly well told; the reader distinguishing the great variety of accents, genders and ages in a believable way. The combination meant that I could lose myself in the book and, although a long book, it held me to the end
24 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Heidi
- 11-06-11
Narrator lets this book down
Having enjoyed reading many other Reginald Hill books and recently listened to my first as an audiobook - the Woodcutter, I was looking forward to this. Now I wish I'd heeded Claire (Orpington)'s review. It is indeed all in the telling. The accents Gordon Griffin used were irritating and didn't at all match the characters' personalities: everyone over the age of 60 was made to sound reedy and feeble, despite descriptions & actions which indicated that they were strong and far from ailing! But the real problem for me was the fact that he just didn't get the rhythm of HIll's writing.There were pauses in the wrong part of the sentence, and intonation that altered the meaning. I found myself replaying sentences in my head to work out what Hill had intended to say. A good narrator can enhance a story, but Gordon Griffin lets Hill down badly. Unlike Claire, I persevered to the end and enjoyed the tale unfolding, but it was a struggle. If you like Reginald Hill, I recommend you buy and read the book rather than downloading this audio version. (For a narrative masterclass, try Juliet Stevenson's Middlemarch - amazing!)
40 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- RJ
- 16-09-11
My favourite audible book so far
This is a clever, intricately plotted book that weaves and turns right up until the last page. Essentially it is a mystery that draws together two polar opposite people; one a Spanish ex-Catholic priest and the other a fiery, independent young Australian woman and deposits them in a Cumbrian village inn called the Stranger House.
I found it gripping from beginning to end, and talking of endings, it has an ending that really delivers - well done Mr Hill.
One last point, I actually liked the narrator and thought he really added to the tale but even if you don't, the incredible story should be enough to see you past any shortcomings.
17 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Katie
- 24-12-12
Reginald Hill at his best
This is quite a different one for Reginald Hill - very unlike the other books of his I've read or listened to. But I would definitely say it's one of his best (at least of the ones I've read). It's really added to by the quality of the narrator too. It's got a really quirky character and doesn't take itself too seriously, and is a gripping and interesting story. Definitely one to listen to.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- JANE WILSON
- 25-01-09
GREAT READ
Perhaps I am biased - having been a huge fan of Reginal Hill for years.
I like his style, humour and "off-the-wall" plots. Even when writing detective novels, RH's work is several cuts above the rest. For new readers - don't be put off by the pathetic TV version - go to the original books, and enjoy great characters, ingenious plots, and laugh-out-loud humour.
This book was up to standard. I loved it.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Frances Wartnaby
- 27-08-09
A good story
I really enjoyed this. A good story with strong characters. Spanning centuries, but joined by the present, this is a riveting tale.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- claire
- 03-06-11
Its all in the storytelling...
Having just finished readingThe Woodcutter by Reginald Hill and recommending it to everyone I decided to use my precious credit to listen to another of his novels. I wish I had bought the book and read it instead as I could tell the story was as interesting and original but the narration was trully terrible (in my opinion). His australian, young womans accent was unbelievably bad and he made everyone else sound like a middle aged man from Surrey. I really tried to listen through the mind numbingly dull Gordon but alas I gave up after part 1 and am onto something else. Sorry Reg
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- David
- 16-06-12
Compelling listen
First, a point on the narration following on from the other reviews:
Having previously suffered through a poorly narrated volume, I was concerned following the reviews of this title. While the australian accent is interesting, it's not distracting and 10 minutes into the book, i ceases to be an issue at all - overall I found the narration smooth, easy to listen to and nicely in step with the tone of the story.
As for the story - I followed the Woodcutter here, so was very please to find a similarly excellent listen. Recommended!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Helen
- 15-04-12
worst australian accent ever
i gave up listening to this quite quickly because of the narrator's awful australian accent. as one of the main characters is australian the idea of listening to the whole of the book was more than i could stand.unfortunate as the premis of the book is very interesting. maybe i will read it as a printed book.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Susan
- 02-07-11
This story gets more intriguing as it progresses
I'm a big fan of Reginald Hill and this is one of his best. I had just seen the film "Oranges and Sunshine" so very pertinent to the storyline
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- M.E.S
- 05-03-14
Scrappy heroine, pleasingly complex mystery
Well written and crafted thriller, which uses the classic chestnut of the remote village, with residents who distrust nosy outsiders, to great effect. You think this is going to be an old-fashioned horror, with restless ghosts and forbidden, pagan rites still practiced by the weird locals. In fact, it's a modern, psychological drama, its twists attributable to very human fears and desires. Some of the crimes may be too modern for certain listeners: If you are bothered by stories that involve hurting children or torture, be aware that this narrative takes a few dark turns. Nothing overly graphic, but it does go there, if not all the way there.
There are two mysteries here, one historical, one contemporary, each with its related protagonist, a compassionate Spanish ex-priest and a scrappy, Australian mathematician named Samantha Flood. Sam Flood is almost worth the price of admission alone -- she's that appealing.
Great reading by Gordon Griffin, who differentiates the many characters with vocal distinctions and quirks. I had no trouble keeping the large cast straight.
My only complaint is that the epilogue, while intriguing, ties up the threads too neatly. Still, the rest of the story is so good that I'm willing to forgive Reginald Hill for this over-zealous bit of plot writing.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Jen Terry
- 18-01-08
an OK read
This wasn't a bad book, but overall I was underwhelmed. The narration was good, which gives it points as an audiobook, but the story fell a little flat. The background stories of the central characters and even the second-tier characters were actually pretty interesting. The problem was that they were infinitely more interesting than the two main characters, themselves. They were quite two dimentional, and I found myself not really caring what happened with them. And the constant relating of everything in Sam's narrative to a math problem....gack.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- jackson
- 06-02-13
Not one of his best
Absolutely loved The Woodcutter and many of the Dalziel books, but I had to force myself to stick with this one all the way through. I'm not sure how much of the problem is attributable to the Writer and how much to the Narrator but the story doesn't gell. I guess it would be best described as a local history book, but it is fairly slow moving. I also had to go and check when it was written as it felt rather like a 1930s book that had been jarringly updated by mentioning laptops, sex and mobile phones at random moments. As it turns out, it is indeed written and set in current times but is an odd blend that feels very out of date. The central characters are meant to be in their 20s but as depicted they are implausible and the characterisation is wooden and does not get beyond caricature.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Elissa
- 14-01-17
Bored
Put me to sleep at every attempt to persevere with it.
Could not engage with it.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anneke
- 08-02-13
A good listen
If you could sum up The Stranger House in three words, what would they be?
Surprises to the end
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Stranger House?
I enjoyed the last part, where they named that little baby! I waited for Reginald Hill to come up with a surprise.
What does Gordon Griffin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Gordon Griffen gave each character its own personality with the use of his voice
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I listen to the books in my car on my way to work and home, 2 hours a day
Any additional comments?
A good story, not however The Woodcutter was probably his best.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Hollyb2
- 20-06-22
Way too long and hard to follow.
Too many story lines going on. Really liked “The Woodcutter” from same author so thought I’d try another. Didn’t love it.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- J. Lindsey
- 25-07-21
Hang on…
I have read some of Mr Hills writings and was mesmerized by one. This one is a wild ride. Don’t “blink” or you will be lost. The premise is good and there is some fluidity, but pat yourself on the back for making it to the end……
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Gordon
- 27-10-16
A good story - BUT
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
A good story
Who was your favorite character and why?
Thor. A great but kind manipulator.
Did Gordon Griffin do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
The narration was irritatingly slow, but reasonably good at giving the characters recognizable voices when they spoke.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, because it was too long to listen to all at once.
Any additional comments?
A good story but the narrator detracted from my enjoyment.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 21-08-12
Ok, but it dragged on a bit.
I bought this because I just finished The Woodcutter which I finished in one day as it was so wel written and narrated. This was ho hum. A little disappointing.