Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsPage turning mystery with a shocking twist
Reviewed in Australia on 19 October 2021
3.5 stars
The Perfect Daughter is the latest standalone novel by Alex Stone. This is my first read by this author.
When Jess brings home her new boyfriend, Adam its the first time she has dared defy her mother. Jess's life has been tightly controlled by her mother since her father left in early childhood. When Adam goes missing, things begin unravel. Is Jess really as perfect as she seems?
At the heart this book is about relationships, specifically mother-daughters. Jess is a likeable, strong and realistic character who I was cheering on the whole book. Her relationship with her mother was complex and layered. I felt the author portrayed this well. I could both hate and empathize with the mother character.
The book is told in dual timelines. The current which focuses on the aftermath of Adam's disappearance and the past where we get to see Jess and Adam's relationship as it begins and develops. I enjoyed the back and forth and felt this helped to build suspense.
The ending has an interesting and shocking twist that I didn't see coming. The end wrapped up most things but left one minor unanswered question which I would have liked to know. The ending was satisfying otherwise.
Overall, this was a solid, easy to read page turner. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys complex family/domestic mysteries.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of this book.
