I absolutely loved this book. Every single page my stomach was in my throat

This book is about a teenager named Penny who lives with Dissociative Identity Disorder who is arrested for murder. Most of the story is spent trying to piece together what happened that night by trying to get through to Penny’s alters.

Every chapter is a new revelation, followed by more questions. Just when you think you know where the story is going, you take a hard left to a new direction.

I don’t know much about DID but I do like how the author highlights that people who live with a mental illness are usually nonviolent and that the media drastically dramatizes violence and mental illness. The characters were layered well and the different POVs were great. My only criticism is I wish the chapters were titled with the characters POV of that chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I thought this was a great book! The Dissociative Identity Disorder was really interesting to read about and I'm impressed with the research that was clearly done for this book. I loved the suspense, the does she/doesn't she, and the ending was perfect. I didn't see that one coming at all!

Thanks NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and D.J. Palmer for an ARC to review.
That's what I call a true psychological thriller. What a horror it is to feel how it would be to live in Penny's head..to not know who you are or what are your true memories
When Grace was faced by a nightmare, her daughter is charged with murdering her birth mother, full set of evidence stacked against her..she didn't hesitate one second in standing fiercely by her side, accepting her no matter what.
A complex, emotionally heavy book. I loved the book's structure and writing more than the whodunit reveal.
The book contains some graphic triggers regarding mental illness, child abuse, addiction, depression and animal cruelty.

What would you do if you suspected your child had multiple personalities, or Dissociative Identity Disorder?

What would you do if that same child was also accused of murder?

The Perfect Daughter explores what one mother would do if both those cases were true. Penny was abandoned by her birth mother, Rachel Boyd, when Penny was only four. Grace, her adoptive mother, found Penny in a park and brought her home to care for her, and eventually adopted her. Now, Penny has been diagnosed with DID and is accused of killing Rachel.

Penny’s story digs deep into her brain, showcasing one of three alters and their separate characteristics. There’s Eve, the brash, rough, protector. There’s Chloe, the perfectionist. And there is Ruby, the sweet British girl. All of these girls live inside Penny’s head. But is Penny really good at acting and lying, or is she really suffering from DID?

As her doctor, mother, and lawyer all try to navigate what happened the night of Rachel’s murder, they also uncover new information about DID and how Penny’s brain seems to work. None of her alters really know much about the other, aside from the fact that they exist. None of the memories from one alter seem to be apparent in another. Trying to figure out how to reach each alter and recall the memories associated with it is the challenge Dr. Mitch faces in order to help prove Penny really does have DID and may not be responsible for Rachel’s murder.

I won’t go into more detail than that because I don’t want to give the ending away. I did enjoy this book, and I was surprised that none of my initial theories seemed to be the right answer to the murder mystery. I did eventually guess what was happening, but it was very much in the last probably 10% or so of the book. Great twist, great surprise.

I can’t necessarily say I liked any of the characters. I don’t know that I really felt much of a connection to any of them, except maybe Grace, because I am also a mother and would do everything I could to protect my children. I think it was hard to connect with Penny because of her multiple personalities. I also think at one point I thought that almost every single character either killed Rachel or was an accomplice to Penny killing Rachel, so that makes it kind of difficult to like and connect with a character.

The plot was medium to slow paced, and I do feel like at times I was wishing the story were a little faster. But ultimately, it balanced out and the information in those slow spots ended up being vital to the ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. 5 stars, recommended to anyone who likes legal and medical thrillers.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and DJ Palmer for the review copy (and the box of swag!) All opinions in this review are my own.

Grace has just had her worst nightmare come true - her adopted teenage daughter Penny is found standing over a dead body (Penny's birth mother) holding the murder weapon. What makes it even harder is the fact that Penny isn't your average teenage girl. Penny has been diagnosed with Dissociate Identity Disorder (previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder). Grace knows that docile Penny could not have committed the murder - but could one of her alters have done it?

Penny is sent to a criminal psychiatric facility while awaiting trial, and one of her alters takes over. Grace knows she only has until the trial to prove that Penny has DID (one of her doctors doesn't agree) and find out what really happened that night. Luckily, Penny has a new doctor on her case. He is willing to try some out-of-the-box techniques to try to pull out the different alters - and maybe even figure out what happened to Penny that caused the fracture of her personality in the first place.

As a psychologist, I was extremely excited to read this book. DID is a highly controversial diagnosis in the mental health field and I feel that negative portrayals in media have contributed to this rift (as well as the general public's lack of understanding of what DID really is, what it looks like, and how it is treated). On the whole, I thought this book did a pretty good job portraying DID, albeit in a sensational scenario, but I felt that it was a more comprehensive view of what DID can look and sound like, and the goal of treatment. There were certain things that I didn't necessarily agree with, but I also recognized that some steps needed to be taken to further the story. I enjoyed the wild ride and plan to check out other books by this author in the future :)

Wow! This book was completely fascinating, not only from a psychological perspective, but also a legal one! I would have liked if it dived a bit deeper in how exactly would you prosecute or defend someone with multiple personalities? Especially if only one of the personalities was "on trial".

My biggest critique about the book was that I predicted the twists before they happened - in one case really early in the book, and that's always disappointing. The other thing that would have been helpful is at the beginning of each chapter, there was a sub-title of who's point-of-view that chapter was written from. So "Dr. Mitch" or "Jack" or "Penny" or "Grace" or whatever. Mostly the Jack chapters had me thinking "Wait, who's this? Oh right it's Jack."

But overall the plot had me sucked in, and I definitely want to read more from DJ Palmer!

Wow! D.J. Palmer has crafted another amazing thrill ride of a book! I really enjoyed The New Husband and I knew this book wouldn’t disappoint. I kept guessing every step of the way whether Penny was truly guilty or just an innocent victim of her multiple personality disorder. I could barely put this book down. I highly recommend reading this book if you want a non stop well plotted thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to provide my honest feedback.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Netgalley, and DJ Palmer for this book in exchange for an honest review. This was an honest did she do it or not type of book. Did she have DID? You’ll have to read it to find out. I really enjoyed this book and enjoyed the characters. I give it 🌟🌟🌟🌟. A must read and so far I have not been disappointed in any of his books.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Netgalley, and DJ Palmer for this book in exchange for an honest review. This was an honest did she do it or not type of book. Did she have DID? You’ll have to read it to find out. I really enjoyed this book and enjoyed the characters. I give it 🌟🌟🌟🌟. A must read and so far I have not been disappointed in any of his books.

This book was so riveting that I couldn't put it down. I kept saying one more chapter, but before I knew it, I was at the end. I love the twists & turns throughout the book. Penny (aka Eve, aka Ruby, aka Chloe) was such an interesting character. I felt like the author did an excellent job with researching multiple personality disorders. Grace (Penny's adopted mom), Jack & Ryan (Penny's adopted brothers), Annie (Grace's sister-in-law), Dr. Mitch, & others were also good characters that made the story well rounded. I highly recommend reading this book if you enjoy suspense.

OMG I just finished reading The Perfect Daughter and my mind is truly blown!!!!!!!!!!!! 70% in I thought I might have the killer right but nope I was dead wrong!!!! DJ Palmer is a mastermind at writing thrillers!!!!!! He is one of those rare authors that can shock any thriller fan with the way his stories turn out. Some thriller books you can figure it out especially if you're a thriller fanatic but not DJ Palmer's books!!!!!!!!! I highly recommend this book to all thriller fans & everyone else too. Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my early copy

The Perfect Daughter was amazing! I love D. J. Palmer's writing and this storyline was right up my alley.

"Is she Ruby? Is she Penny? Is she Chloe? Or is she lying...?"

This book opens up with 16-year old Penny being charged with the murder of a stranger. She was found in the victim's house covered in blood and holding the murder weapon. Open-and-shut case, right? Not so much. Penny has apparent mental instabilities possibly caused by a trauma from her childhood so she has been locked up in a psychiatric hospital awaiting trial. It seems that Penny has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID - formally known as Multiple Personality Disorder). Does she really have DID though? Or is she a psychopath who is really good at manipulating people?

Penny's mom, Grace, is willing to do whatever it takes to help her daughter. Grace works with psychiatrist Mitch McHugh to extract all of the information they can from Penny and her alters about the night of the murder.

I was immediately drawn into the characters and storyline of this book. It started out intense and didn't let up. I just had to know all the answers! Grace and her sister-in-law, Annie were a bad-ass duo who definitely did some questionable and dangerous things in order to help Penny. I also loved the journal entry aspect coming from Penny's brother, Jack. He is working on making a film about these events so he writes directly to Penny. Jack's part upped the creepy aspect of this book!

Psychology has always been something that interested me so when I read the synopsis and saw that Penny may have DID, I was intrigued and it did not disappoint! I really enjoyed reading all about Penny and her alters throughout The Perfect Daughter. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers, but especially to those who would enjoy this psychological aspect!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc of The Perfect Daughter in exchange for my honest opinion!

The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer was full of twists, turns and the kind of intense scenes that have you questioning your predictions and unable to put the book down! The character development was strong, the story line believable and engaging. I definitely recommend this book.

D. J. Palmer does it again! This is the 3rd book I've read by this author, and I have yet to be disappointed. This is another solid psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Like its predecessor, Saving Meghan, The Perfect Daughter is centered around an often hotly debated psychiatric condition: multiple personality disorder (with Saving Meghan it was Munchausen/Munchausen by Proxy). As someone who studied psychology in college this was very entertaining to read, and felt very authentic. The subject matter was, in my opinion, handled very realistically.

This was a solid 4 stars for me. It was a very tight, well-written story with all the twists and turns and questions and uncertainties I've come to expect from this author. While I ultimately wasn't *shocked* by the final reveal, it wasn't something I had figured out immediately. It was a very enjoyable ride, and I will definitely continue to keep up with this author!

Wow, my head is spinning after reading this excellent thriller from D.J. Palmer.

Teenager Penny Francone has been arrested for murder. Found at the scene and covered in the victims blood, it seems a slam dunk case. But Penny suffers from Disassociative Identity Disorder, also known as Multiple Personality Disorder. She has no recollection of being at the scene or the murder. Is one of her “alters” responsible or is Penny making the whole thing up and the real culprit?

The adopted daughter of Grace and the late Arthur and sister to Jack and Ryan, Penny was the daughter Grace always wanted and never had. The daughter of a drug addict, Penny found her when she was four years of age, abandoned in a park and took her in. She is convinced her daughter is innocent.

Penny is placed in a secure psychiatric hospital, Edgewater State Psychiatric Hospital while the case is being built. Under the care of a new doctor there, Dr Mitch McHugh, a man with his own troubles and a son who is an addict, he sets out to try and prove whether Penny does indeed have DID or is a manipulative psychopath.

This one will have your head spinning(in a good way). An unreliable narrator in Penny, you are left trying to piece together her memories from different alters, trying to make sense and time of them. As the trial date draws nearer and Grace and her family try to prove Penny’s innocence, there are many story arcs that very cleverly interweave and somehow all end up making sense in the end.

A real page turner and a non sensationalist look at the well trodden “split personality” disorder subject, this is a brilliant story and read. I was on edge from pretty much the first page until last. Very well written characters, some red herrings and some very intricate story telling, this is an author at the top of their game and they have knocked it out of the park with this one. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

The Perfect Daughter is a psychological thriller that will definitely keep you guessing from the beginning all the way to the shocking conclusion! The premise of a mentally ill teenager accused of killing her biological mother was very intriguing and kept my interest throughout the book.

DJ Palmer’s latest novel was an addictive, fast paced psychological thriller. I couldn’t stop reading and finished it within 24 hours of starting. The novel follows Penny Francone, a teenager with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) who is arrested at the scene of a murder covered in blood with very little memory of what happened.

Penny’s mom, Grace, and older brother, Jack, alternate in narrating the novel. We learn about Penny’s adoptions, the first presentation of her mental health condition, and the fallout from her arrest, including more than a year in a mental hospital/prison where we primarily encounter Eve, Penny’s toughest and most rebellious alter along with small glimpses of her other alters, British free-spirited Ruby, and perfectionist Chloe. However, doctors who have seen Penny are split in whether they believe she truly had DID or whether she is very intelligent and manipulative and has invented her alters in order to act out her desired behaviors free from punishment. Is Penny lying about what she remembers and her mental health condition? Either way, did she commit murder and why?

Overall, I would give this novel 4.5 stars. I particularly enjoyed the authors detailed and (from what I can tell) fairly balanced and realistic presentation of DID, which shows up fairly frequently in psychological thrillers but not usually in a very compassionate or accurate way. I also thought the mystery was very intriguing and I raced through the book, encountering twists I both did and did not see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy.

This book by D.J. Palmer is absolutely amazing. It is thrilling, full of the jaw dropping moments, page turning, and keeps you up late into the night wanting.....no, 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜......to know what’s coming next. The characters are absolutely perfect their roles and the plot line completely engulfs you and makes you a part of the story. Five stars does not do this incredibly written book justice. Once again, 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗿 has created a beyond 5 stars, out of this world thrilling novel that will leave you begging for more instantly. Fabulously done and thank you, St. Martin's Press, for letting me review this incredible novel!⁣

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Author/Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

WOW! What an amazing novel! I was hooked from beginning to end. The writing is excellent, the story flowed well, the characters, especially Penny, are skillfully crafted and developed. You could not only relate to them, you found yourself completely invested in every one of their stories! Definitely full of suspense and mystery and twists the reader won't see coming. DJ Palmer is a master storyteller! BRAVO!

The Perfect Daughter was an intriguing book as the exploration of multi-personalities has always interested me since reading Sybil in high school. Since the 70’s, mental health counselors and advocates have made great strides in understanding a multitude of mental health disorders and their treatment.

Midway through the book, my interest waned as so much info seemed repetitive. I am not sure how much Ryan’s chapters needed to be a part of the book or the plot line. His part seemed extra and not necessary for the plot to work.

The ending of the book seemed to wrap up quickly. So much time through incarceration and then the trial moves quickly. Satisfactory ending makes the read worthwhile. Glad I read the book, but not none of my favorite reads.