In a quiet, unassuming town, three strangers find their lives intertwined by an event that seems anything but ordinary—an unsettling murder that casts a long shadow over the community. As the story unfolds, each of these three unique individuals takes their turn sharing their journey of discovering the others. What begins as a dark mystery soon reveals itself to be a tale of unexpected connections, a hidden love story, and the unraveling of one person’s deeply unusual past. At the heart of A Confluence of Strangers is an unlikely bond between Alex, an enigmatic older man with a mysterious past; Anna, a café owner seeking refuge after a high-pressure career in government; and Leon, a thoughtful university professor with a passion for literature. As their shared love for good food, meaningful conversation, and a thrilling mystery pulls them together, they find that their differences are the very thing that unites them in a story of redemption and discovery. This poignant novel celebrates the transformative power of friendship and love, offering a powerful reminder that even in the face of life’s darkest questions, connection and compassion can light the way.

Praise for A Confluence of Strangers

“With dazzling prose from an author at the top of his game, Michael Strelow’s A Confluence of Strangers is a witty exploration of three characters brought together by baked goods, their gradual Venn diagram of a relationship, like a mystery éclair, filled with something unexpected inside. Part John LeCarre and part Gabrielle Zevin, the reader rocks back and forth between the light-hearted and something darker and more ominous. It’s not a rollercoaster of a ride; rather, this is a train descending a steep slope while the passengers pray that the brakes will hold.

—Steven Mayfield, award winning author of Sixty Seconds and The Penny Mansions