This felt very long and drawn out to me. The story was KIND OF interesting, but not gripping. Almost every night when I would try to read, I would fall asleep after a few pages. The "twist" was ok, but kind of fell flat. Maybe I'm becoming too desensitized to these kinds of twists, but it felt like it was trying too hard, to me. Would I recommend it? Probably not, simply because I doubt I'll even remember this a week from now.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house, and the author for allowing me an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So I was in a reading "funk" and couldn't decide what I wanted to read. I actually let my husband pick out my next book and he picked this. And I liked it. It is very much a mystery and a clever mystery at that.

Beth hasn't seen her best friend in about 12 years after their friendship abruptly ended. They went to college together, married and both had 2 children. Then Flora had another child that Beth knew nothing about. Then Flora and her husband, who was by this time quite wealthy, moved away - eventually to the States. Beth took a chance one day and used her son's soccer game as an excuse to snoop around the last known address for Flora, 12 years later. She sees Flora and both children, however they have not aged. They are still 5 and 3 when they should be 17 and 15.

That truly is all I can say. I don't want to give anything away. But the whole story is intriguing and only gets more intricate and interesting. I can say it didn't involve what I thought was going on so it was a surprise ending. That always makes me happy about this genre. I consider a book somewhat of a failure if I can figure out the ending before it happens. And the ending? Wonderful and realistic.

The blurb for this book grabbed me straight away. Unfortunately, the novel didn't meet expectations.

One problem: Beth, our heroine. You won't question Flora for abandoning their friendship twelve years earlier. Not only does Beth resemble a crazed stalker, she also doesn't understand her own story. She is completely without self-knowledge. (You might find yourself wondering, as I frequently did, why her husband sticks with her and why her children--her daughter in particular--support her.)

When Beth believes she sees Flora and two children who closely resemble Flora's kids from a dozen years earlier, it sends good old Beth into a frenzy. WHO ARE THOSE CHILDREN? WHY HAVEN'T THEY AGED? AND WHO IS THIS 'CHIMPY' PERSON BETH HEARS FLORA ASK ABOUT ON THE PHONE?

At one point, it looks like an elderly neighbor of Maybe Flora might come to our rescue and get Beth arrested, but our girl remains free to chat up school employees, track down estranged parents, and take a deep dive into LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook accounts.

Meanwhile, there is the mystery of Maybe Flora and Maybe Her Children. The explanation of the truths for those people feels flimsy, to say the least. And you have to buy it for the climax and denouement to make sense. I think if I had found Beth even slightly less batty, I might have accepted the hows and wherefores.

There are also long chunks where the book falls into a slumberous state. I had to push myself to keep going because I needed to know if Beth was right to pursue her suspicions. (Spoiler: it doesn't matter. She's nuttier than peanut brittle.) I would get irritated by the lulls, wishing Sophie Hannah had skipped some of those and gone straight to the details we need. And THEN I would get irritated that her editor didn't make that happen.

Yet there was enough there to keep me going, albeit with an occasional skipping or five. Sophie Hannah deserves credit for that, doesn't she?

Hit up the comments and let me know what you thought of this book.

So twisty! I couldn’t figure this one out until it was over!!! Very clever writing - Hannah does it again!

Another page-turner from Sophie Hannah! A recommended purchase for collections where her other titles, or thrillers in general, are popular.

One day, as Beth takes her son to a soccer game, she decides to drive past the home of a former friend, whom she hasn’t seen in twelve years. Although her memories of Flora are painful, she still stops to watch her friend and her children arrive home. Beth expects to feel regretful for the way the friendship ended, but she doesn’t expect to see the children at the very same age they were twelve years ago. How can that be? As Beth tries to find out why Flora’s children have seemly stayed the same age, she also finds herself asking more questions while, at the same time, attempting to find a logical way to explain her suspicions.

I found Perfect Little Children to be an enjoyable read. There are several twists to the story and the premise is interesting, with great characters and good dialogue. My favorite character is Beth’s daughter, Zannah. Her comments and her reactions to her parents is so like a teenager. Plus, Zannah is also smart, intuitive, and proactive. Her character lends a great deal to the story and the plot. I also like the relationship and interactions between Beth and her husband. They respect each other and give each other space, while also providing much needed support and encouragement. Even though the story is somewhat implausible, it still has all the elements for a good psychological thriller that I’m sure many readers will enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

SophiebHannah never feels to drew me in keep me guessing.This is a truly chilling read that kept me racing through the pages staying up way too late to finish it.#netgalley#harpercollins

This book missed the mark for me. The premise sounds intriguing and pulled me in at the start. The more I read, however, the more implausible the storyline became and the more unlikable the characters all were (with the exception of Zannah). I finished just to finish, but found the climax and ending to be equally unbelievable.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another creepy read from Sophie Hannah. I found this one intriguing and enjoyed unraveling the mystery of how Thomas and Emily have not aged.

This was a great book. Lots of intrigue and a sleuth who makes it clear she's not a detective she's a mom. How in the world did those children not grow up? As far as I'm concerned, even with the epilogue Kevin still has some explaining to do.

First line: Here we are, in the wrong place: Wyddial Lane.

Summary: It has been twelve years since Beth saw her one time best friend. While taking her son to a football game she decides to drive by Flora’s home. She is surprised when she sees her and the children get out of their car. The children have not aged since the last time she saw them. They are still five and three years old. How can this be? As she tries to get answers she continually finds new facts making everything even crazier.

My Thoughts: I have never read any Sophie Hannah books. I was looking forward to this because it seems to be right up my alley. I love psychological thrillers. I needed a fast paced book for this strange time. I loved how quickly the story moved and each new piece of information that made it wilder. I kept expecting a big twist at the end but I was a little disappointed. It fell flat. I liked the book and will try others but it was a lot of build up for a rather average reveal.

Brilliant novel! Creepy, insidious and unsettling.. Deep, thoughtfully written characters, the correct amount of mystery, intrigue and horror... Would definitely recommend!

I love Sophie Hannah--like I was a fan before her books started publishing in the US and bought them from UK bookstores fan-- and while I freaking adored the strange and eerie Perfect Little Children I notice no one seems to be talking about it! How can this be? I worry that Sophie Hannah's books are not going to be as readily available in the US if this trend continues and strongly advise anyone who enjoys well-written thrillers that have outstanding characterization and genuinely surprising plots to check this or any of Sophie Hannah's works out immediately.

Overall, I thought this was a decent addition to the psychological thriller genre. Hannah is a solid, dependable writer. However, I thought this particular book needed a lot more editing. It was too long, mostly because it was so repetitive. There were several times that I thought I had accidentally re-read the same sections over again. Because of the endless repetition, I thought the build up was going to lead up to a truly impressive ending. By comparison, the ending was a letdown. It was underwhelming and unbelievable. Looking back, I think the ending would have been fine had the body of the book not been so focused on making the reader think that the big reveal was going to be some incredible, borderline supernatural solution. Also, there was a subplot introduced about 3/4ths of the way through - the one in which the daughter's boyfriend is the target of casual racism from a teacher - which has nothing to do with the main plot and is never mentioned again. It could have given more depth to the story had that been handled better.

I have read several of Sophie Hannah's novels in the past, so when I saw this new one available I was excited. It kept my interest, but never really had enough for me to say it was a satisfying read. I guess I need more of an aha moment.
Thanks to Netgalley for the pre-release ebook.

I found the premise of this intriguing: a woman spots a former friend that she has not seen in many years with her children, who have not appeared to have aged at all. The story was like a ball of yarn that needed to be unwound to reveal the ultimate prize inside. I never saw the plot twist coming or could’ve predicted the ending. This was a fun, entertaining read.

Many thanks to Netgalley, William Morrow and Sophie Hannah for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book kept me guessing until the very end - an excellent psychological thriller that I couldn't put down!

4.5 Stars * Top Pick

Beth Leeson and Flora Braid were best friends for more than ten years. Then something happened between the two women and their friendship ended. Twelve years later, Beth decides to drive by Flora’s new house in a nearby town. Beth sees Flora, but is shocked and confused by something else she observes. The two older Braid children should be teenagers by now, but somehow they are still toddlers and are even wearing outfits they wore years before. Fortunately, Beth’s family doesn’t think she’s crazy, but when she can’t find any quick answers, her husband thinks she needs to let it go. However, the more Beth learns about the situation, the more determined she is to find a logical explanation for the impossible thing she saw.

I have read several of Sophie Hannah’s books, but this one is my favorite and is also the most unusual. The unique premise of Beth seeing children that look like they haven’t aged in twelve years caught my attention, and the great storytelling kept my interest throughout the entire book. I wasn’t sure what direction this story would take, but I couldn’t put the book down. As Beth gets closer to the answers, the suspense heats up and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what would happen next. Beth is a very likable main character. She won’t let her investigation go, even when her husband begins to lose patience, but she continues out of concern for her old friend.

Unrelated to her search for the truth about Flora’s children, there is a wonderful scene with Beth going to bat for her teenage daughter when an incident occurs at school. Likewise, Zannah helps her mom get information that helps get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Flora. Even though Zannah often has a smart mouth typical of a teenager, she is there to support her mom in the toughest situations. Zannah is wise beyond her years and is my favorite character in the book. Together, she and Beth make a formidable team.

As Beth uncovers more and more information about Flora, her husband Lewis, and their children, my theories about the true explanation kept changing. There are several twists to the story and when everything is revealed, it is not what I had anticipated. A character comments that Beth’s theories are creepy and abnormal, but still believable. Likewise, the author is able to tell a story that is sometimes far-fetched in such a way that it seems possible. I was engaged from the beginning and enjoyed the unexpected ending. Readers looking for a psychological thriller that is creative and unique will enjoy Perfect Little Children.

~ Christine

Color me suitably impressed! I haven't been enamored with the psychological thrillers I've been reading lately because they all seem to be lacking in surprises. This one has them in spades. I came into the reading of this a bit reluctantly because Sophie Hannah is kind of hit or miss for me, and the premise of this book made it seem like it was going to have a supernatural element (thank goodness, it doesn't!) I read the book very quickly because I was so curious as to what was going on, and when it all comes together it makes perfect, albeit creepy, sense.
I didn't like the Beth character at all. If you ever read my reviews you know I am not a fan of armchair detectives and she goes beyond this to the point where she honestly seems like a crazy woman. I never bought the reasons why she got herself so involved with the situation--disregarding her husband's pleas that she stop and even to the detriment of her job. Her husband was a huge saint, but I do give her props for keeping him in the loop for the most part and not keeping it all a big secret, because I definitely would have stopped reading at that point. (Besides armchair detecting, my other two book pet peeves are unnecessary secret keeping/not talking to someone when it makes total sense to do so, and wrongly accused people)
Overall, this is a unique mystery with some well-placed twists and a satisfying conclusion.

I picked this book up not knowing anything about it other than the author, who I really enjoy. Five minutes in, I couldn't put it down. I had to find out what was actually going on.

While I loved all the plot twists, I also loved that the sleuth was kind of normal lady with a family who thought she was maybe getting a little too carried away.