Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.8 stars

Grace and her family adopt a 4 year old girl they find in a park. Years later Penny is found covered in blood over the body of her birth mother. Penny suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Silly twist at end pulled down the rating for me. I also didn’t see the value in every few chapters written from one of the brothers POV.

From murder to multiple personalities and a family in chaos in a race for the truth, The Perfect Daughter was a quick, nail-biting read that kept me guessing right to the end.

What I Liked

• The exhaustive research of DID (dissociative identity disorder) and the empathetic and compassionate manner in which it was presented in this narrative.
• The final twist! I didn’t see it coming and still haven’t decided if its outrageousness was believable or impossible. I’m still thinking…
• The hope-filled epilogue.

What Surprised Me

• I have no idea why I pictured the character of Greg Navarro as Ted Cruz in my mind. Is this weird? Maybe. Is it relevant to this review? Probably not. Still, it needed to be said…

What I Struggled With

• The unlikability of most of the characters. Sometimes characters are so unlikeable that I love them and root for them. That was not the case in this book, and I can’t quite put my finger on why.
• The obvious inaccuracy surrounding the role of Dr. Mitch. He was an attending psychiatrist at a psychiatric facility who was also acting as a forensic psychologist….and family friend?

While The Perfect Daughter wasn’t a perfect read, I did enjoy it and feel that many readers will love it. It’s worth noting that it has received multiple five star reviews on Goodreads. You will be able to decide for yourself on April 20 when it hits bookstores.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was terrifying, twisty, and an absolute page-turner! What a mystery! This is what a thriller read should be like!

The plot was incredible, perfectly incorporating elements of a murder mystery but with a twist. Our victim seemingly has Disassociative Identity Disorder (DID), causing her to take up different personas triggered by memories. Having an unreliable narrator and being unable to see her thought process makes this all the scarier read! Could she be lying? Is this disorder real? Is she as big of a mastermind as the wife from Gone Girl? Or is she truly a young girl taking a unique form of coping to help her deal with the past? All these components come together to make this a terrific psychological thriller. The author does an amazing job describing mental illnesses, giving it the time and care it deserves. We are given enough context about such illnesses to help us understand the drastic ways in which multiple personalities factor into this form of mystery. The difficulties that came with separating fact from fiction and truly understanding the extend of DID made this a very suspenseful read!

I enjoyed this writing style, though it was a bit heavy on dialogue. The flashbacks added so much to the story and Jack’s film aspect offered a different perspective to the same case, making this very interactive and compelling to read. We also read through Grace’s and Dr. McHugh’s perspectives, leading us into the mind of a mother who would do anything to protect her daughter at all costs, as well as that of a psychiatrist with his own backstory, working to connect with the daughter and learn how she had come to living this way. Hints to our mystery are given throughout the story, leading us to make many predictions. Each time I form a new assumption, however, this book completely shatters them. The twists come out of nowhere, the secrets and suspense making this a crazy ride of a book! That ending completely caught me off guard leaving me completely shocked.

On a different note, I could easily appreciate the author for providing reasonable backings for every twist along the way. Though they were unpredictable and surprising, they made sense with the plot. It is also easy to understand the desperation by which Grace takes any tidbit of information to help redeem her daughter as not guilty. Her need to protect her daughter and prove that bringing her into their lives was good forces her to be optimistic at every opportunity. The character dynamics throughout were incredible and the constant reveals and reflections about their pasts added so much depth to this story.

Though I initially had trouble starting this book with its more complex premise, I picked this up as many readers seemed to like this. I am glad I did! This book sets its pace immediately with the first page, feeding us with surprises, trauma, sadness, and a need for justice.

In other words, this book is crazy in the best ways. 4.5 rounded up :)

A big thank you to NetGallery and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this amazing book!

This is my first D.J. Palmer book and I really enjoyed it. It’s a fast, easy read that was hard to put down. Penny Francone is accused of murdering her birth mother Rachel. She was found at the scene covered in blood with all signs pointing to her being the killer, but Penny doesn’t remember anything. She suffers from dissociative identity disorder with multiple personalities. Penny’s mother Grace is determined to figure out what really happened and keep her daughter from spending the rest of her life in prison. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. #ThePerfectDaughter

4/5

The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer is an exciting thriller. I was gripped from start to finish.

Grace experiences every parent’s worst nightmare when her daughter Penny is nowhere to be found and the police come to her front door. Thankfully Penny is alive and well, however she was found at the scene of a gruesome murder, covered in blood, holding the murder weapon. The victim? Penny’s biological mother, Rachel. To make matters worse, she refuses to respond to her name, she is insisting that her name is Eve.

Penny is sent to a mental facility while she awaits trial. Here, the family expands on her history with DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder. Throughout the book, each of Penny’s identities makes an appearance, yet the all maintain their innocence and lack of involvement in the murder.

Is Penny innocent? Does she have another alter ego who could have been capable of the crime? If she didn’t commit the murder then who did? And what did happen to poor Rachel the night of her death?

This gripping novel not only sheds light on a polarizing disorder, but also looks at a family dealing with grief, and another family is dealing with addiction. Palmer’s ability to face these issues with honesty is refreshing. I am excited to check out more of his books!

This was my second book by DJ Palmer. I have to say that The Perfect Daughter intrigued me from the first few chapters. I could not put it down. It was just different than anything I had read before. This book was a 4 star for me right up until the 65% mark. I found it getting rather repetitive with regard to the main character, Penny. I was ready for it to be over with by that point, honestly. The final twist at the end, or "whodunit", I did not see coming, and it was a little far fetched. 3.5-3.75 stars from me, and I wish I could give it higher, but it just got too repetitive.

This book was a page turner that I did not want to put down. There was so much suspense from the beginning. Thankful for the opportunity to red this before the release date

The Perfect Daughter is an interesting book to be because it deals with mental illness. Penny was adopted by Grace and her family. Penny was found alone at a park after her mother abandoned her. Penny suffers from DID. She has multiple personalities. One night Penny is found covered in blood of her birth mother Racheal. She is charged with murder and is awaiting sentencing in a psychiatric facility. Grace goes to every length possible to prove her daughter didn’t do it. #netgalley #goodreads

Wow. D.J. Palmer strikes again. From the first page to the last an intense ride. Shocking twists and turns after almost every page with and ending that’s mind blowing. This the perfect example of a psychological thriller.

This book does have a lot of mystery. We get many different point of views except the one you really want. I have to say I didn't see the ending coming and boy was it a great twist. I have friends who are clinicians and I asked them if DID is really they believe it but as with any illness there are people who fake it. This was an interesting read to find out the truth. So many people's lives and emotion are written in the pages of this book. If you like a good mystery than pick up this book.

*I received this free book from NetGalley and am leaving my honest opinion*

I thought that this book, The Perfect Daughter, was a good thriller read. After reading about the main characters and the different points of views, I was actually surprised by the ending of this story. This is one of those stories where it has you guessing until the very end on what actually happened. #The Perfect Daughter#NetGalley


*Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan for allowing me to read an e-copy for free in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

I was totally blown away by this intricate tale of family relationships, secrets, murder and mental illness! Penny was found in the park when she was only a small child, and Grace was determined to give her a good, stable home with her own children, Ryan and Jack. Life’s circumstances and Penny’s past got in the way of Grace’s plans for Penny when Penny’s biological mother is murdered and Penny is the primary suspect. Grace is hopeful that the doctor at the institution where Penny is imprisoned awaiting trial will be able to help her at the trial, determining that she was mentally ill when she killed her mother. The trial lawyer Navarro isn’t very hopeful, but he goes along with Grace’s ideas to allow Penny to testify. This book touched me in all of the right places and satisfied all of my reading addictions. With themes of dark secrets and unconditional love, this book was a complex story with clues left in unlikely places at unlikely times. In fact, once I finished the book, I sighed and told myself that now I have to read it again to look for all of the hidden clues about what was really happening in the background that led to the very satisfactory conclusion. I was totally enthralled and mesmerized by the story of Penny and by the family love that Jack and Grace showed to Penny, accepting her just as she was. There is also a sub-plot of Dr. Mitch’s son Adam and his addiction to opiates. Putting a more caring face on the doctor who is mostly all business was a necessary part of his characterization that made him more likable. The fact is that most of the characters were likable and all were three-dimensional and realistically portrayed. This is a spider-web of a story that drew me in and didn’t let me go, haunting my thoughts even after I completed it. Fans of the author and of psychological suspense will devour this book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Another winner by D.J. Palmer. So many twists to keep you guessing! Loved it!
Grace who already had two sons, always dreamed of having a daughter. When She finds a young girl wondering in the park alone at night, she brings her home and vows never to let her go. Penny, as the young girl is now called is a very unique child who has obviously had a traumatic life but refuses to speak of it. As a way of coping, she has developed several different personalities through DID and most are not aware of the others or time when she goes into these different alters. The trauma becomes even worse when she is found next to her dead bio mom, covered in her blood! There is no one else at the scene so the killer must be Penny!
Penny is sent to a mental hospital where a dr has become invested in recovering the memories of that night to find out what truly happened. As the alters reveal different sides of themselves, it is apparent that the night of the murder holds
the key to the past and through therapy, they work to make this young girl whole and uncover some deep rooted secrets!
Totally Enthralling!
Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Wow! This was a amazing read! The way the author has Four characters telling the story in a seamless way was intriguing and kept me glued to the book. Penny who has multiple personality disorder is the main character , but is she faking it? The author nailed this story! going to be one of the best reads for 2021!

D.J. Palmer has done it Once Again The Perfect Daughter is a slow Building Mystery that keeps engaging you with ever page the best D. J. Palmer to date!

I was lucky enough to review an advanced release copy (ARC via NetGalley & St.Martin’s Press) of one of my favorite authors new books “The Perfect Daughter” by D.J Palmer (available in stores April 2021)
For fans,like me,of Palmers prior novels “Saving Megan” and “The New Husband” this novel only ups the ante on Palmers edge of your seat questioning, anticipating stories.
Penny, a teenager with a DID (Dissociative identity disorder) finds herself covered in blood,arrested,and accused of murdering her birth mother.
Palmer weaves a story of Penny, mingled with legal and personal perspective into her loved ones thoughts and feeling as well of each of Pennys alters thoughts and feelings.
As someone who often guesses the ending before I am 45% though, this time I wasn’t clued in into 93%!!!
It will keep you guessing til the very bitter end.
“The Perfect Daughter” does not disappoint and is something to finally look forward to in 2021.

The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer. Perfectly Horrid Daughter is more accurate. The different POVs were hard to separate and were confusing. Unlikable characters, too much graphic abuse (yes, I am an animal lover) which turned my stomach. As much as I liked Mr Palmer's previous books, this one hit my triggers.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I really couldn’t get into this at all. It was written at a first grade level. If it wasn’t for the subject matter, I wouldn’t think it was a book for adults at all. Might be good for an adult learning to read.

The characters were so easy to connect with! They seemed relatable and real, making it easy to dive headfirst into this book and want to never put it down. The writing is powerful and you feel like you're living the story with the characters. I really liked the way he wrote the switches between each of the main character's personalities; it seemed real and believable, not totally dramatic and fictional. The story was very well written and as always, thrilling suspense for Mr. Palmer!

I just flew in from Outlierland wondering once again if I got the same book as everyone else. This is rated currently as an average 5 stars on NetGalley and 4.43 on Goodreads, and I, well, let's just say it didn't work for me.

Which is hugely disappointing because I received The New Husband in a Goodreads Giveaway and I devoured it in a matter of days, loving every minute of it. When I saw the author's newest up on NetGalley, I hit that request button and crossed every finger, thrilled when that approval email came through.

So much promise. Is it because this is a galley and The New Husband was a finished copy?

The story sounded great: Teenaged Penny is in a psychiatric ward awaiting trial for a brutal murder. She was covered in the victim's blood and was clinging to the knife used to kill her, so it seems like an open and shut case. But Penny's mother Grace is not so sure and the fact that she believes her daughter suffers from multiple personality disorder complicates things all the more. But if Penny--or one of her alters--didn't commit the murder, than who did? And who would want to frame an obviously sick girl?

Unfortunately, the book quickly ran into the cliche, with awful characters to boot. My problems in a nutshell:

~This book seemed to last for an eternity, and not in a this-book-is-so-good-I-never-want-it-to-end way. It seemed to take forever just to get to the 50% mark without anything happening. It was all very repetitious.

~This is nitpicky, but mascara is for eyelashes. It's eyeliner that's lining the eyes in the way described. Three times.

~The action was incredible. Not in the good way, but in the by-the-book definition of I don't believe any of this. I'm willing to suspend my disbelief, but only so far. Grace and her sidekick, Annie (Oakley) pretending they're better than the detectives assigned to the case and demanding DNA from the gangster they think "whodunnit" was the icing on the cake here.

~Cliched, well, everything. Troubled Goth girl who dresses in black and has pentagrams decorating her room and sets fire to things? Check. Seedy town (yeah, I'm familiar with the state, but still) with greasy-haired thug and his henchmen? Check. Run down, dysfunctional psychiatric "hospital" that should be shuttered by the authorities and every employee put in prison themselves? Check.

~Gross with the "let's get my daughter off in the same way as OJ" thought bubble.

~I didn't bother with the epilogue. Too much attention on Dr. Mitch and his backstory in the first place.

~Jack's POV chapters read like a creepy stalker.

~I don't mind unlikeable characters as long as they're fleshed out and interesting. Grace is annoying and her obsession with claiming Penny as her own in the first place was a little weird. I found the complete dismissal of the birthmother gross (because of course she's an unfit junkie. Check), but to say more on that would be entering spoiler territory. Her subsequent preference of Penny over her sons is also weird. Boy moms may wish for a daughter, but to place this desire over her family's concerns and well being is awkward. Especially when she only starts to acknowledge how her oldest son may be feeling at 80% through the book! She doesn't come across as a mother who would do anything to protect her family and save her daughter. By the time she's done harassing another mother and cancelling pizza orders, I want her locked up too.

Likewise, Penny/Grace/Eve/Chloe are drawn so thin and the personality changes happen so conveniently for the plot. I don't gain any sympathy for mental illness here; on the contrary, I'm sick of her character.

~The twist is less "gotcha!" and more "eyeroll."

Ok, by now I've probably overstayed my welcome and gone on too long, but I got really disappointed by a book I was highly anticipating that didn't live up to its predecessor. I'd highly recommend The New Husband. The Perfect Daughter, not so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this advance copy in exchange for a review.