Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC.

Synopsis: Grace and her son Jack found the abandoned girl when she was just four years old. They named her penny and adopted her when her birth mother signed over her rights. Penny seemed perfect, but as a young teen found herself In trouble that would come back to haunt her when at 16 she is accused of killing her birth mother. The problem is, she doesn’t think she did it and doesn’t have any recollection of how she got there.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. My first 5 star of the year! Yes @djpalmerauthor you did amazing! The twists and story line were perfect. I loved the descriptions of characters and the narrative. There was some really awesome court room thrill as well as mystery and family drama all wrapped into one. I read this, but could see this being a really amazing audiobook. This is my first DJ Palmer book and I was not left disappointed. I will definitely be picking up more of his books. This book was released today, so do yourself a favor and pick it up!

WOW!! This book tells the story of Penny, a girl who was abandoned at a park and found by Grace. Grace feels strongly that she needs to mother a daughter, so she and her husband become foster parents and then adopt Penny. As Penny becomes a teenager, behavioral issues become evident, and Penny is diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. Penny is eventually placed in a psychiatric hospital after being accused of a murder. The author provides so much information about dissociative identity disorder through the character of Dr. McHugh during his sessions with Penny. I found it fascinating! This book definitely keeps your attention!

THE PERFECT DAUGHTER 👧BY: D.J. PALMER

Happy Pub Day!! 🎉

DJ Palmer came and gut punched me so hard I thought my intestines dropped out. Is that too graphic? If so, maybe you shouldn’t be here .

The Perfect Daughter was a slightly (I mean a lot) addicting read for me. I was oh so fascinated by the wealth of research on multiple personality disorder, which highlights the character of our new friend, Penny.

Poor Penny has been arrested for a gruesome, I mean gory murder while covered in blood and her bloody prints are all over the damn murder weapon. Dead giveaway right??... RIGHT???

Well let’s just say they shot a cold 3 straight into the net and dropped her straight in the psychiatric hospital . Grace and Arthur are Penny’s adoptive parents, who believe it was a dream come true to adopt a daughter, but she comes with a mysterious past. It all seemed to come together so perfectly in the beginning. Though Penny’s actions and personalities came to the surface much too soon.

Of course Grace does what any doting, loving mother would do: She won’t stop until she finds the truth. She believes Penny is in innocent.

So- Did one of Penny’s alter egos start cutting up to be deemed responsible for the murder ? Or is she a straight cold blooded (cue Rick James) sociopath???

Well I got pulled in a dark web of lies, secrets, betrayal , sadness, corruption.. the list goes on and on. The Perfect Daughter was wonderful, layered storytelling. I obviously recommend. Huge thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the e-ARC

This is a great book; very captivating. Edgy, complex, & engaging. All the complimentary words I can give for this type of story! Yes, yes, yes, definitely recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

' I always enjoy books by D. J. Palmer. This one is his best yet in my opinion. It has quite a bit going one. A family torn apart by a very unknown and confusing mental disorder. DID or dissociative identity disorder. A girl with several faces. Several identities. Several lives. All living inside of her one body. A strong, weak, emotional, angry, loving, frightened, terrified, loving, trusting and not trusting, young lady. Dealing with emotions that she does not begin to understand.

Penny was found at a young age in a park and taken into the home of a very loving family to be sheltered and cared for. A woman who wanted nothing more than to have a daughter to love and protect. A family that had enough love for a little girl that they didn't know anything about other than her mother freely gave her away. A family, mom, dad, two brothers, who all gave Penny a happy home. So what happened. What went so wrong to cause her to possibly commit a heinous crime. To make her possibly hurt her birth mother. What did her birth mother do to her many years ago to cause such hate. Or is it something else. Someone else. Did Penny or one of her personalities do something so horrible.

This book gives a good look at a mental disorder and also in a behind the scene story of a drug addict. How this disorder affects a teen and what brought it on in her young mind. What caused her to hide behind protectors that lived in her mind. Or was all of that a big charade? Did she make it all up. Could anyone be that good? This is the story of a young lady who is accused of the brutal murder of her birth mother. All she goes through and all she went through. What led up to the things that happened. What really happened. It's all revealed. Nothing held back. Also the story of a doctor who's son is addicted to heroine. What it does to him and his depression. How can he help his son. How can he help Penny. How can he help himself. So much going on and so many things are answered in this book.

I actually loved the ending. I thought it was much needed. It helps explain why some people become addicted to drugs. Why it's easier for one person to walk away yet another's life is torn apart by taking that one pill or that one drink or that one shot. What is happening in their brain to make them want that again and again. How it may be possible to learn to forgive a person for being weak. I've dealt with depression and it's awful. I know people who have been or who are addicted to drugs. I often wonder why do they do that to themselves. Maybe it because they just can't help it. Maybe it's much harder than we know. That sure would explain a lot. I honestly don't believe anyone decides that they just want to be an addict. To anything. It's out of their control. That first pill or that first drink or that first bite of food and they are hooked. We need to be more understanding of these things.

This is a very moving and emotional book. Not that you will read it and cry your heart out. It's not that kind of emotional but the kind that keeps your mind working. Keeps you wanting to help. Keeps you on the edge wondering who you will meet next or who will be the true bad person in this story. Was it a young teenage daughter or a complete stranger. Was it a friend or just some person who lost control. This is a very well written book about a mental disorder, a drug addiction, and murder. About a girl who has to learn the importance of family and love. Also about forgiveness.

Thank you to #Netgalley, #DJPalmer, #stmartinspress for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

5/5 stars and a high recommendation. It starts out strong and doesn't let you down.

(3.5/5) This book dealt with the issue of mental illness mainly DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder, which most people might remember it as multiple personality disorder. It was well written and I felt dealt with in a respectful manner. The story was very interesting with a good cast of characters and had me hooked at the beginning but somewhere in the middle it seemed to drag a bit and I was actually starting to lose interest. But I did continue reading and was quite surprised with the ending. Wasn’t expecting that at all as I had my own list of suspects. It wasn’t really a “wow” ending for me, just surprising. I did like the way it was done with the different points of view, although at first I was confused with Jack being one of the points of view. Made me wonder where that was leading. I won’t tell, though!

Overall, The Perfect Daughter was an entertaining read. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

Another fantastic book from D. J. Palmer. This book is a true psycholigical thriller told from many POV’s. So, Grace and Arthur, who has since passed away adopt this little girl named Isabel who they find abandoned by her mother. As time goes by, they notice that Penny, which they named starts to show bizarre behavior which appear like DID, many different personalities within one person. Grace also has two sons. Her daughter Penny at the age 16 is accused of murder of her biological mother. When trying to interview her about the murder which seems like a slam dunk being she is covered in blood and the only person at the crime scene. She is put into a psychiatric institution where with the help of the psychiatrist there, Dr. Mitch McHugh who finds another person there named Abigail who never surfaced before. I do not want to give away any spoilers but this book had a major twist at the end I never saw coming. I highly recommend this book. I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC for a honest review. Thank you net galley for this ARC. This author never disappoints their reader.

The Perfect Daughter tells the story of Penny, a teenager with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), who has been found at the scene of a murder, covered in the victim's blood. The novel focuses on unraveling the mystery as to what happened the night of the murder and the secrets of all those involved. The chapters switch between Penny (and her alternate personalities) and one of Penny's adoptive brothers, as he's attempting to create a film about his sister's trial and the case.

I thought D.J. Palmer's writing style was easy to read, and the mystery of the murder and the setting of the trial were both elements that have the ability to pull the reader into the story. Some of my favorite characters were the supporting characters, including the doctor who's treating Penny in the mental institution while she's waiting to go to trial. I was disappointed to feel that none of the main characters were ones that I found particularly interesting, which is one of the primary reasons that I've knocked my rating down. The pacing for me was off at different points of the story, which was a distraction from the story, and the narrative became a little repetitive at times. it picked up towards the end of the book. I will say that, while I predicted most of the plot elements throughout, the largest plot twist was one that I didn't seem coming, and it made the ending that much more satisfying.

If you like thrillers and suspenseful books, this might be a book for you!

Warning: This book discusses some sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers including murder, mental health, multiple personality disorder, and physical violence.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Wow, I really really enjoyed this one. I love psychological thrillers, and this one was great. I loved the deep dive into mental illness, particularly Dissociative Identity Disorder. Palmer clearly did a ton of research for this book.

I was captivated by Penny/Ruby/Chloe/Eve throughout this book. Her various identities were so fascinating in relation to the underlying crime.

I didn't care for the various viewpoints, especially since the chapters weren't labeled. It threw me off, but I got used to it.

Other than that, this was a great thriller that I will definitely be recommending!

Wow. Didn’t see that ending coming. D.J. Palmer is becoming an auto-buy author and one of my favorite authors.

Grace gets a visit from police officers one evening telling her that her daughter Penny has been arrested. Penny a sixteen-year-old, who has been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), was found holding a knife and covered in blood standing in front of the body of her biological mother.

Thanks to NetGalley, Publisher and Author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A brutal murder, a girl with multiple personality disorder, a mental hospital and enough secrets and unreliable narrators to have you changing your mind with each new chapter⁣
⁣
This was a slow burn, intense whodunnit that will have you questioning everything and everyone. ⁣
⁣
It looks like a clear cut case of murder when Penny is found covered in blood, holding a knife over a murdered woman’s body. But her mother thinks she’s innocent and wants to save her daughter from going to prison. Convinced it had to be one of her multiple personalities, and not really Penny at fault, she enlists the help of a psychiatrist to prove Penny’s DID is to blame. ⁣
⁣
Told in alternating voices, we get pieces of the puzzle falling into place but before all is revealed we get taken on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs - did she or didn’t she, who’s lying, who’s keeping secrets? ⁣
⁣
The book has a fabulous premise and I was immediately drawn in but things got a bit repetitive and I found my attention waning with time spent on side stories that really weren’t needed and didn’t add to the overall plot. I also felt like the twist/ending was a bit too over the top and the epilogue was unnecessary. I usually love a good epilogue, always wanting more, but this one didn’t work for me as it focused on a side story that seemed off topic to the main events and I wasn’t as invested in it to care. ⁣

The Perfect Daughter takes on preconceptions about mental illness and puts you in the mind of those who suffer and those who suffer alongside them. Penny is known to have DID (MPD in my days in school). When she is found bloody next to a body with the weapon in her hands, it seems like a slam dunk. Her mother, Grace, spends everything she has trying to get her daughter a diagnosis and some understanding. She is sure that her sweet daughter is not responsible.

The story goes into detail about the diagnosis of DID. It is just as controversial today as when I got my degree in the 90's. Some of the extra long explanations about the diagnosis went on a little too long for me, but I imagine they would have to be necessary for those coming in fresh. Overall, I was fascinated by the story and the author's take on the disorder. I did find Grace to be cringe-worthy in some of her statements and actions. Chalk it up to a crazed mother protecting her young. I enjoyed Jack's take on the whole tragedy as he planned to make his sister's trial into a student film.

The whole thing lost me a little at the end. The twist was OK, the final few scenes often went from unbelievable to unnecessary as the author wove the ends of the threads all together. Overall, good read.

At the beginning we meet Penny Francone, A sixteen year old who has been found at the scene of a crime. She was found in the victims apartment covered in blood and alone not to mention the fact that the murder weapon was found in her hand. Her mother Grace doesn't understand why her daughter has done such a horrible thing but in order to figure it out she knows she must find answers. When the police realize Penny's relationship with the victim they see the perfect motive and don't seem to be looking any further. While awaiting her trial Penny is being seen by Dr. McHugh who decide whether Penny is sane enough to stand trial. Dr. McHugh wants to help Grace figure out what went wrong with her daughter but will his own demons get in the way? The two get together and start digging for reasons why someone besides Penny would want the victim dead. Along the way secrets begin to come to light and bringing untold deceptions to the surface. This was an intriguing read that I couldn't put down. The author took me on a wonderful rollercoaster of twists and turns, shocking me in the end!

I’ve been enjoying DJ Palmer since Saving Meghan and I’m officially a fan. The premise in this novel (a girl with multiple personalities suspected of murder) sounded really interesting! Let me tell you it worked for me! I was hooked from the beginning because you get to know this different personalities and at the same time try to figure out who’s the killer... Overall really good and perfect for the whodunnit novels fans.

I was immediately sucked until this novel. I was so interested in the main character who has dissociative identity disorder (DID). Can you imagine being found in a park when you are a young child? Well that's exactly what happened to Isabella. Isabella would then be adopted by the woman that found her in the park and rasied into a loving family and renamed Penny. Seems like the saving grace for a child, but now Penny is being accused of murder, in fact she was found covered in blood beside her birth mother's body. The crazy part is Penny has no recollection of this night, and now they need to prove Penny's DID. If that isn't crazy enough for you, wait for even more twists and turns that happen when Penny and her alters are being interviewed. Then the most shocking twist of all in an ending that I didn't see coming at all.

One night Grace receives an unexpected visit from the Lynn Police department. They have her daughter Penny in custody for murder. There is little question of her guilt, she was found covered in the victim’s blood with no one else around. But Penny is not like other girls. She has severe Disassociative Identity Disorder. As Penny, her family, and her psychiatrist start to build their case, their only hope is to try to figure out if one of her alters knows more than they are letting on. But as Grace and Mitch dig deeper into Penny’s past, the more secrets they discover.

The Perfect Daughter is a truly, twisty psychological thriller. The story is told from three alternating POVs: Grace, Penny’s adoptive mother, Mitch, Penny’s psychiatrist, and Jackson, Penny’s adoptive brother. I learned so much about Disassociate Identity Disorder (formerly referred to as Multiple Personality Disorder). The amount of research done by D.J. Palmer was incredible. There were so many nuances to the disorder and so many interesting facets. I loved how we got to meet Penny’s alters and how unique they each were.

The pacing started a bit slow for a thriller, with lots of character building, and discussions about Penny’s diagnosis and defense plan. But once Penny starts switching between her various alters, the story quickly picks up pace. I read the majority of the book in an afternoon. I felt like I held my breath right up until the very end. The ending twist absolutely blew my mind.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

Another thriller from Palmer! And it is so good!

Some backstory: Grace and Arthur run the family pizza joint in town. They have two sons, Jack and Ryan. Grace though has always dreamed of being the mother to a daughter. So imagine her surprise when she finds a four-year-old little girl abandoned in the park.

The police have no idea who the child is and the child is not speaking to anyone. It’s obvious she has been traumatized but she’s kept quiet. With no family, Grace talks Arthur into letting them foster her which eventually leads to her being adopted and becoming a member of the family.

Jack nicknames her Penny and it sticks. She’s fine with it. But the question remains. Who is she? And when puberty sets in things get dark. Penny hangs around a known pyro, Maria, and they are both in trouble with the law soon. And when Arthur keels over dead at work with only Penny around, she is traumatized more. She is also blamed by Ryan for not calling 911.

Although things are tense and her behavior is odd, they finally get a diagnosis of DID. The last thing Grace thought she would see next was her teenager in jail, covered in blood, found holding a knife over her dead biological mother.

So who the heck is this kid and what has she done? Is she Eve? The kick-ass and take no names alter? Or Chloe? The perfectionist? Maybe Ruby? Although that British accent is off, she seems to be halfway decent.

While her daughter sits in an insane asylum waiting for her trial, Grace and Dr. Mitch will dig deep to find the truth, ending with both of their lives in danger.

But when ‘Penny’ takes the stand her testimony will blow your mind! Either this girl is a pro at lying or the cops are about to be very busy inside the courtroom!

Excellent as her last one!

NetGalley/ April 20, 2021, St. Martins Press

Happy book release day D.J Palmer!

Let me start by saying all the thanks to St. Martin’s Press publishing and NetGalley for the digital advanced readers copy of this great story! I’m a nurse in acute psychiatry so this book grasped my interest immediately and was right up my alley. I was super happy to receive this book in exchange for an honest review.

This thrilling story is about a teenage girl who is believed to have Dissociative Identity Disorder aka Multiple Personality Disorder. She is accused of killing her birth mom in a very disturbing and gruesome manner. The story explores her diagnosis, her early life trauma’s, her stay in Edgewater psychiatric hospital, and ultimately the whole mystery of who was really behind the death of Rachel, the mother.

This story was dark, twisted, suspenseful, and deeply disturbing at times, but utterly fantastic. Filled with mystery, plot twists, and unexpected endings. This is definitely one I recommend to thriller lovers out there and my psych nurse readers. Not only does this book make you question dissociative identity disorder in general, but it also has excellent messages about depression, PTSD, trauma, drug abuse and addiction. I LOVED the epilogue at the end of the book - it was absolutely perfect. This has easily become another favourite for me!

"So let me tell you about the first time I took a life."

Not exactly what you want to hear from your patient in a psychiatric hospital who you are hoping is not guilty of a brutal murder. Then again, The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer is filled with surprising not exactly what you were expecting twists and turns

From the first chapter our roller coaster is at full speed from the time Grace opens her front door to the police and is told her 16 year old adopted daughter, Penny, has been arrested for murder. Oh, and she should bring a change of clothes for her daughter since what she is wearing is covered in the victim's blood and is now the prosecution's first bit of evidence.

Grace is a fierce mama bear and will do anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to keep Penny out of jail. While she awaits trial Penny is in a state psychiatric hospital where her first psychiatrist doesn't believe she has DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder, or better known as multiple personalities. He thinks it is a made up diagnoses to get out of jail. Her second doctor is not sure either but is willing to meet the "others."

As Grace tries to prove her daughter's illness, her innocence, and keep her family from falling apart, she takes scary risks, accuses others of murder and may just lose it all to save the little girl she has always chosen to love.

As with most thrillers there are very clear red herrings and clues are VERY SLOWLY revealed. However, the last few chapters are on warped speed and the reveals are shocking, heartbreaking, infuriating and very suspenseful.

I recommend this novel for all lovers of psychological thrillers and just plain fun who done it mysteries. This is the second book I have read by this author and he is now an automatic must read writer for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

AH, yes, this was much more like it! This was just what I want in a suspense/thriller. The author created the perfect unreliable narrator and twist throughout the story. You can tell he did extensive research into mental disorders, and wrote this story with care for those who struggle with it personally. The ending may seem a bit far-fetched for some, but was totally worth the read!