3.75 stars

Unsurprisingly, _The Perfect Daughter_ does not feature a perfect daughter. Instead, and quite interestingly, it stars Penny Isabella Francone, who has D.I.D. and who seems to have committed a truly gruesome murder.

After the initial scene setting up this information, the novel centers on these ideas: (1) interacting with Penny's alters to piece together what REALLY happened on the night of the murder, (2) watching Penny's mom - Grace - and Aunt Annie (MVP right here) try to amateur detective their way through all kinds of leads and ideas, (3) learning about Dr. Mitch's personal life, and (4) wondering what exactly is happening with Penny's brothers. There's a lot in play, but it's well integrated (apt but unfortunate word choice) and clearly articulated overall.

I did wish for faster pacing, for less wild coincidences and unbelievable responses/actions from some characters, and for a less didactic approach to mental illness. While I think the epilogue is well intentioned, it left me feeling like the approach here was a little outdated.

Overall, this is an enjoyable thriller, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Palmer.

Another great book by DJ Palmer! As a mom you understand Grace’s determination to help her daughter. There are many twists and turns in getting to the end. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, a new turn would occur! The characters were very well developed and very well written. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. I took a chance on DJ Palmer after the death of his father. As an avid ready of his fathers I was a bit skeptic at first but was quickly made a fan! Thank you DJ Palmer for interacting with your fans and giving us a chance to do these Advance Reader Reviews!

Great read by a new author for me. The plot is well written and enticing to the reader. The author writes in a way that makes the reader feel like part of The story.

Wow! What a story! The Perfect Daughter is the perfect thriller that keeps you guessing from start to finish. The story centers around Penny, who has dissociative identity disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder. Penny is accused of killing her biological mother after she is found covered in her blood. Penny's adopted mother Grace is certain that her daughter is not a murderer but how can she prove it when Penny, herself, has no memory of the night in question.
DJ Palmer has written another amazing story. His characters come alive with his words and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat. The twists and turns left me surprised with the ending. I did not see that coming at all.
I couldn't put this book down because I had to know how this was going to end. I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading more books from DJ Palmer.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of the book.  The opinions are my own.

I have ready Mr Palmer's other books and this one didn't disappoint at all! It was so good!!! Grace's world is rocked when the police arrive at her house to let her know that her daughter has been arrested for a murder. Grace can't believe Penny did that! Grace knew when she found Penny abandoned i the park she was a miracle--now she had a daughter. Grovwing up there was instances which brought questions about Penny's past. Then throw in the mix Penny has other personalities and you have a true thrilling twisty story. This was a book that I couldn't put down and couldn't wait to find out how it ended. I highly recommend this amazing book--which I think it's his best book! This is a must read and his others as well!! Thank you NetGalley for an ARC i exchange for an honest review.

I love D.J. Palmer. I thought this was his best book yet. Characters were well developed and the story line was fluid and kept you guessing. The premise of someone with DID or multiple personality disorder was intriguing. It was a story of a mothers unwavering love and acceptance of a child who possibly was not very lovable. I thoroughly enjoyed this and particularly liked the fact that I didn't figure it out until the last couple of pages. Highly recommend.

Thanks for the ARC! This book was great - I had no idea of the ending and totally surprised. The multiple personalities were a little hard to follow so read more slowly, but really enjoyed the book. Another great one bu this author.

What an amazing book by DJ Palmer. When I realized that DJ Palmer was a pseudonym for Daniel Palmer, I was even more excited to read this book (having read all of Daniel Palmer's prior books). I could not put this book down.,...loved the characters and the writing style pulled me in from the first chapter. Cannot wait to recommend this suspenseful, twisty-turny book! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy.

Excellent read! This book about a teenager with multiple personality disorder accused of murder had mystery, twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I didn’t want to put it down. Great writing and storyline. Another amazing book from an amazing author.

As a member of Mr. Palmer’s Facebook group, I was able to download an early copy from Net Galley. Publishing in April 2021.

Penny suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID) (previously known as multiple personality disorder). Her alters include Eve (the protector), Chloe (the artist), Ruby (the British accent). Through a tragic set of events, Penny ended up in Edgewater, a prison “mental” hospital, where she met Dr. Mitch McHugh. Through Grace’s persistence (Penny’s adoptive mother), Dr. Mitch McHugh, and a few other characters, they were able to work their way through all the “clues” Penny (and her alters) were able to relate to Dr. McHugh to get to the truth. The “bad guy” in this story … you won’t believe who it turns out to be. A good psychological read for sure!

As a medical transcriptionist, I am very much interested in medical/psychological reads. I have to hand it to Mr. Palmer for taking the time to research this topic. I think he did an incredible job in the telling of this story, making it very real with very relatable characters. If you are like me and enjoy this sort of read, I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy of “The Perfect Daughter.”

The Perfect Daughter is a wonderful depiction of the way people are hateful and deceitful in life. I was amazed as a counseling student that the depiction of two different types of mental health issues was so accurate. I am recommending this book to all of my classmates. Way to go DJ Palmer for such a wonderful, exciting book.

Lots of twists and turns and had me guessing until almost the end.
Love D.J. Palmer's books because they are easy to read and they make me think all the time.
I learned what "DID" was, so not only did I enjoy the book, I learned also learned a few things.
I love books that keep me guessing and The Perfect Daughter is one that kept me guessing.
I highly recommend this book.

As always, D.J. Palmer delivers a book full of suspense, and keeps you engaged from start to finish. The story is fresh, and the writing is spectacular. Exploring the human mind, and multiple personality disorder of a troubled teenage girl - it is almost impossible to put this story down.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

Grace knew that adopting the girl she found abandoned in a park would have its challenges, but she never imagined she would be spending her days in a psychiatric hospital while her daughter awaited trial. The evidence is piling up against Penny, but Grace doesn't lose faith and knows there must be another explanation to all of this. As she searches for more clues, she uncovers dark secrets from the past that could change everything.

I went into this book unsure of how the topics of adoption and mental illness were going to be portrayed. Both are sensitive topics (I am an adoptee) and I was curious how they would be handled in a psychological thriller. While I didn't love the classic narrative of fate bringing together a traumatized child and doting, adoptive mother, I did appreciate that the plot acknowledged Penny's past and her complex feelings surrounding her story. I thought the discussions about mental health were much stronger, though I do not have any experience with Dissociative Identity Disorder. The portrayal was both clinical and humanizing.

The actual story was very intriguing. Just like with The New Husband, I was drawn in and turning the pages as fast as I could. The chapters from the older brother, Jack's perspective were a nice break from the third person narrative and offered a more personal perspective into what was happening. The characters were pretty developed, but I found myself connecting most with Penny and Dr. Mitch. They both had their unique struggles with mental health and I appreciated the glimpses into them and how those challenges influenced their present motivations.

I did not predict the plot twists at all. This is both good and bad for me. I love when I can't predict a plot twist, but I wished there had been a few more clues to hint at what happened. The last plot twist/revelation felt a bit unnecessary to me, but it did resolve some questions I had throughout the book. Overall, it is a strong psychological thriller that will force you to confront mental illness in a new way.

Holy crap. I have read a lot books but this one was over the top. This book kept me reading late in the night. Never knew someone could pack so much action in book. Never seen the twist that came at the end what a ending.

Loved this book. The action starts immediately, a knock on the door, your daughter has been arrested for homicide. From there this pulse pounder just starts heating up. Just when you think you have it figured out, boom, game changer. It's a brick wall you never saw coming.
Love the characters and the fast pace of the writing. Kept me engaged throughout.
Would highly recommend to anyone that is a fan of pulse pounding thrillers.

You are in for a wild ride with Mr Palmer's new book, The Perfect Daughter, Penny, A 17 year old, arrested for her her biological mother's homicide,, but did she do it or was it one of her alters.Penny has a condition called DID. The problem is, Penny does not recall murdering Rachel.

The book is told in 3 different POV's. Grace, Mitch, who is Penny's doctor and Jack.

The research that Mr. Palmer put into this book is extensive. He did a wonderful job switching between all of Penny's personalities and the backstory with her biological mother. I highly recommend this book!

Thos is a psychological thriller. A four year old is found crying in a park. A mother with two sons, who has always wanted a daughter finds her and fights to adopt her.
When the daughter's natural mother is found murdered, the daughter is blamed. While she is awaiting trial her adopted mother will do what she must to prove her daughter innocent.
The problem is proving which of the personalities that dwell within her daughter may be guilty. Thank goodness for family friends and a strong attorney.
Great story!

A teenager charged with murdering her biological mother! But which one of her several personalities is responsible for the crime? Thus begins the exploration into the psyche of Penny, a traumatized teen adopted by Grace, who is grieving the recent death of her husband and trying to keep her two sons from falling apart from the family losses while assisting Dr. Mitch in proving Penny’s innocence.
By far my favorite of DJs books! Characters are well developed and ‘real’, family bonds, struggles and relationships are at the core of this novel-you will not want to pass this one up!

The latest from DJ Palmer is definitely one of his best. I really loved the twists and it keeps you guessing up until the end. Highly recommend if you love a good mystery/thriller! I just wanted to keep reading and could not put it down.