I finished reading about 20% in I could not get on with it sadly. I think the chapters flick between the characters too much and it didn’t hook me in.

Her perfect Girl by Nicky Downes is a fast place mystery thriller surrounding the events of the abduction and subsequent murder of their little girl Charley Dean. Charley’s parents Emma and Robert are social pariahs, with most people talking down to or about them, while the parents are so wrapped in grief, they just go through the motions of being alive. The police haven’t found the killer and leads are cold, until six months later and another six year old has been murdered, Samantha Porter. Who is next?

I really liked the beginning of the book. From the first page I was hooked, quickly become drawn into this mystery thriller, with suspects everywhere. The development of the characters were good, and you feel the Deans heartbreak. The ending was rushed and it just felt disjointed. This is where it went from a four to three.

You also get the point of view of the killer, who cuts the girls hair off in an obsession to make a wig that’s just for “her”. Who is his obsession? And why choose the girls he did?
This book is great for people that want a fast moving story. The book left a few minor questions for me at the end, and other than feeling a bit rushed, I enjoyed the book.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I found it so hard to put it down once I started. You won't regret picking this book up!

It is the first time I have read anything by this author. 'The Perfect Girl' was in my opinion not the psychological thriller I was expecting from the blurb but more of a crime novel which was disappointing.

Written from the perspectives of not only the police investigating team and the parents of the missing girl, but also that of the murderer. An intense storyline that unfolds in a large number of chapters, probably intended be short and sharp and therefore add to the urgency. For me though it just made the novel feel disjointed. To be honest I found the format spoilt the read for me.

Although not for me, I imagine ' The Perfect Girl' will appeal to fans of the genre and style. It is with thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley that this title was made available for me to read and review.

Her Perfect Girl by Nicky Downs is a phycological thriller. The story Starts with the disappearance of Charley Dean who is staying with her grandmother and when her grandmother calls Charley and she does not answer she goes looking for her. Charley has snuck out to the park to play on the swings without telling her grandmother, as her parents went to a concert. Charley is only six and when she is found murdered her parents Emma and Robert’s nightmare has just begun as they fall apart. Then another six-year-old goes missing and the police are quickly on the case and realise after finding her murdered it must be the same killer as both girls' hair has been chopped off.

The story is every parent's nightmare and is professionally written intense and will keep you on the edge of your seat as you read this thought-provoking story that has plenty of twists and turns. It is an emotional book, but the chapters are short, and the team of investigators work well together. An awesome crime thriller. The storyline is dark and twisted, while the characters are real and raw. My only problem was the ending fell flat for me but overall, a relevant story. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way through. I've never read anything from the author before but I will certainly check out others.

I love this author and this book of hers is just amazing. Beautifully written and brilliantly plotted. Tense and suspenseful. A wonderfully addictive read.

This was a great psychological thriller, suspense, murder mystery. We have a child that goes missing and then found dead and then another, both are scalped which leads investigator to believe the murders are by the same person. I will be keep ing an eye out for Nicky Downes books from here on.

"Her Perfect Girl" by Nicky Downes is a gripping and dark thriller that dives deep into the lives of the victims' family members and the investigators tasked with solving the case. The character growth throughout the novel is both profound and heart-wrenching. Written from the perspectives of those most affected by the crimes, the book masterfully portrays how the characters navigate their grief and ultimately contribute to the police investigation. This unique approach not only adds depth to the narrative but also highlights the emotional toll such cases take on everyone involved.

The plot is highly engaging, with numerous twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Despite the large number of chapters, each being only a page or two in length, the story progresses swiftly and maintains a steady pace. This structure allows for a quick yet immersive reading experience. However, just as you start to connect with a character, the chapter often ends, and the perspective shifts to another point of view. While this can be somewhat jarring, it also keeps the suspense high and the reader constantly guessing.

Nicky Downes expertly conveys the themes of loss, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of justice. The impact of the crimes on both the victims' families and the investigators is portrayed with raw honesty, making "Her Perfect Girl" a compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Overall, "Her Perfect Girl" is a chilling and intense novel that offers a unique perspective on crime and its aftermath. It's a must-read for those who enjoy thrillers that delve into the darker aspects of human nature.

Thank you to Nicky Downes and Storm Publishing for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Murder? Absolutely! Plot Twists? For sure! Gripping, page turning thriller. 5 stars and I couldn't put it down!

I admit, I struggled reading this book. The sentences and paragraphs all seemed too short, which bothered me and took me out of the experience. The story is told from multiple points of view which I usually enjoy, but in this case, there seemed to be too many that were not necessary to the storyline. The book was full of information that didn't really add value to the story and made the book much too long. I did find the plot intriguing and I think I would have enjoyed it more without all of the extra characters and information.
I received a free copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I find it difficult to read about the death and particularly the murder of a young child. Once past this reluctance I found the book interesting. There were some areas of the story that I felt didn't contribute greatly to the whole story and therefore slowed the pace down a bit but generally a good read.

This book would have gotten a higher rating from me but I felt like it was longer than it should have been. Some POV chapters were unnecessary especially with one of the PCs where her wife and her lost a baby. I felt like that didn’t contribute any important plot information. I was very intrigued in the beginning but then was bored after a few chapters. Almost at the end is when things started to get interesting again. I think I would have liked to see the wig maker brought to justice instead of how things ended. I was satisfied with the reveal of the wig maker’s reasoning for his crimes but I do wish we could have gotten just a little more information before everything went down.

I don’t know if I would recommend this to anyone because it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. It will depend if the person is curious to read this story.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

Plenty of mystery and red herrings in this crime/mystery novel and some rounded out characters with interesting back stories. The first three quarters of the story kept me motivated to keep reading and find out how it would conclude. I liked the way the chapters focused on a variety of characters, not just the married couple. The final quarter of the book felt rushed to me and it was almost like a first draft, lacking the finesse of the previous chapters.

I found a lot of chapters stated that a character arrived home or an event happened at 6pm for some reason.

This book is very impactful and interesting. It is so captivating from the first pages, and I couldn't stop reading it.
The chapters are short, and the characters are really very well explained and developed. I couldn't decide on a specific character, they all have their essence and their very defined personalities.

This story always maintains suspense and you think that any of the characters are to blame.
I really liked having discovered this author through this book.
I will sincerely continue reading her stories, she is really very good at her writing.

The nightmare of every parent, their child is missing. A small girl with flowing gold hair, was that the attraction for the killer? The police are looking at all angles when another child is gone. Someone knows something in this small town or do they?
The story is told in multiple POVs which I enjoyed. We had an insight into the parents, the police and the killer himself.
Pieces of this puzzle slowly came together and the story picked up speed...or maybe I just couldn't put it down until I knew why.
Great story and my first read by this author, I look forward to more.

I’ve read lots of thrillers and this is the type I normally like. Short chapter, fast paced, multiple POV’s. Who’s hiding something? This book offers all of that but I just didn’t enjoy the characters. Which is often the case in this genre. I also felt that some details could have been left out and it not distract from the story. It may be my impatience but I always want to quickly get to the heart of the matter and in this book in that instance I was a bit let down. The predictably factor was there but that comes with reading a lot in the genre. This is still a solid, quick, and engaging story.

Phenomenal work! Completely addictive. Highly recommend and will be purchasing for my libraries. Can't wait to read what comes next!

Her Perfect Girl
by Nicky Downes
Pub Date: Jul 12 2024

Her Perfect Girl is a gripping page-turner that will have you racing to the twisty end. A well paced story that evolves around every parent's worst nightmare. It was told by several point of views. All in all it's a great book with very hard subjects. I highly recommend reading it!

Synopsis: Pictures of the missing girl Charly Dean are plastered across every newspaper and television screen in the country until a dog walker discovers her body in the woods. A chilling detail at the crime scene leads the local police to believe they have a serial killer on their hands, and he’s just getting started. A murder that shocks a small town…A killer with unfinished business…

Thank you #NetGalley, #StormPublishing & #HerPerfectGirl for an E-ARC of this book.

This is the kind of book that you crawl into bed a little early with a few snacks and dare anyone to talk to you. Gripping, perfectly timed twists to throw you off, building frustration and questions. Just dont plan on stopping until you finish.