After finishing Steve Cavanagh’s psychological thriller, Two Kinds of Stranger, I was left with a question: what makes this book better than the other books I’ve recently read? 

It wasn’t just the premise—the way Cavanagh plays to readers’ fears about the dangers of an online presence and how the information we share can be weaponised against us. 

It wasn’t just the reappearance of well-loved characters: Eddie Flynn, the conman turned lawyer who fights injustice with the occasional con; his old friend Harry; legal partner Kate; and ‘enforcers’ Lake and Bloch, who do much of the heavy lifting—or should I say hitting. 

It wasn’t even the dual investigations and trials—Flynn trying to prove that influencer Ellie Parker didn’t murder her cheating husband and best friend, while Kate defends Christine (Flynn’s ex-wife) and new partner Kevin against charges of killing a man who was threatening them. 

And it wasn’t the blend of courtroom drama, fast-paced action and continuous twists. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that what makes Two Kinds of Stranger a great read is Cavanagh’s creation of Logan—an even bigger conman than Flynn himself. As the tension builds, it looks like Flynn has finally met his match. I really couldn’t put it down. 

I’ll admit that I suspected the final twist, but even when it came, it didn’t disappoint.