A good thriller that fans of Kubica and Gillian Flynn will love. Good pacing, I especially liked the way she tried to get her students to provide her clues for the crime.

This is the second book from Megan Miranda. I really enjoyed “All the Missing Girls”. It was one of the most unusual books I have ever read. This book is different although you can recognize the unique writhing style. I really liked this one, too.

Former reporter Leah has lost her job. She just wants to leave her mistakes and misjudgments behind. When she ran into an old friend one night which offers hers spontaneously to move into rural Pennsylvania with her she is happy to agree. Leah and Emmy used to live together for a few months after college. Then the lost contact for 8 years but Leah always felt deeply connected to Emmy.

In this little town in Pennsylvania Leah does her best to blend in. But she has the feeling that somebody is stalking her. Then a young woman is found almost beaten to dead and soon afterwards a second body turns up in a nearby lake. Then Leah realized that she has not seen Emmy for days and can’t track her whereabouts. She reports her missing and suddenly has to face the fact that she knows literally nothing about her friend.

The author weaves a dark and complex story. There are a lot of flashbacks which explains what happened back in Boston with the story Leah wrote and what went wrong. Her characters are not very likable, especially Leah. She is sullen and secretive. But that did not bother me. I don’t have to connect or like the characters in a book. I enjoyed the slow building tension, how with every new piece of information the story became more and more mysterious and that everybody was so unreliable. And I also liked the ending.

I will definitely look out for Megan Miranda’s next book.

<i>I received an ARC from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 1/2 Stars
Miranda's All the Missing Girls was an exceptional read. The Perfect Stranger was a much different book. The plot line was on the unbelievable side and the characters were hard to connect with. There were definitely moments, but unfortunately they didn't carry all the way through and the ending fell flat.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Leah Stevens, a journalist who has recently relocated from Boston to rural western Pennsylvania to escape the mess she’s made of her life. Starting over with a teaching position, she hopes to leave her failure behind her. Leah moves in with a friend that she’s recently reconnected with, Emmy. She and Emmy lived together for a few months right after Leah graduated from college, when she became a new person and began to form the structure of her adult life. After not seeing Emmy for eight years, she suddenly reappears just when Leah seemingly needs her most. But then a dead body is found by the lake and this small rural town in western Pennsylvania starts to feel a little less safe. And as the bodies, and the secrets, start piling up, with Emmy missing and Leah left to connect the dots, the truth unravels and Leah learns that the danger really is everywhere.
AHH Overall, my gosh, I loved this book. I was addicted, on the edge of my seat, didn’t want to put it down. I found myself continually looking around trying to “find the danger” when I wasn’t reading. Leah as a character was great. She’s on the edge of losing it and she gets so deep into this that the reader even starts to question if Emmy is real or not. I loved the mind-games that this book plays with the reader, the danger really is everywhere and Leah is in much more trouble than she could have ever imagined. The way that the author presents the different relationships within this book I found to be really interesting too. Leah realizes later on in the book and its true but relationships are all about perspective. Your specific perspective of that person and what they present to your relationship could only be one facet of them as a person and of their lives, which I found to be a thought-provoking aspect to this story. This was a great and interesting book with great plot twists and a constant threat of danger. This is going to be a must read for this summer, I would definitely recommend!

"A journalist sets out to find a missing friend, a friend who may never have existed at all."

That single line from the blurb right there had me hooked! I love the way people's minds work and I just hoped this was one of those deep dark psychological thrillers.

Well it was, but the ending was slightly - off- for me. It could have been a lot more grand after all the hype and build up.

There is A LOT going on here, sometimes it's a little overwhelming keeping everything fresh and straight. I was expecting it to mess with my head but not THAT way. I don't like being confused, I like being entertained and curious.

The family is weird and the main character is not my favorite. Some of her moments had me shaking my head at her. I just couldn't really relate. I did feel sorry for her and the way her mother was.

It took me a while to finish this story which isn't like me. It was good, not great but good.

My rating 3/5 stars

It's unfair to set the bar high, but I loved, loved All,that Missing Girls. This story didn't catch me and keep me reading constantly. Not say it's not good. It was full of thrills and suspense like I've come to expect from these psychological thrillers. I still very much recommend. Thank you for the opportunity to read.

This is the first book I've read by this author. How well do we really know someone? What if that someone isn't who we thought they were. The entire time you know them, it's only who they allow you to know. What happens when they disappear and you are left to solve the puzzle without all the pieces?

I really enjoyed this story. I thought Megan did a fantastic job of building a plot and characters. It didn't take long to draw me into the story. I read it in less than a day and couldn't put the book down. I had to figure out WHO Emmy really was and how she was connected to all the characters. The pieces of the puzzle finally came together and I was surprised by the things I didn't pick up on!

Two girls, Leah and Emmy...both have secrets and things they really need to cover up.

Former friends who have not seen each other in a few years...get reconnected and decide to start new lives together in rural Pennsylvania. Both needing to escape. Leah, a journalist, wants to escape a restraining order for one thing....Emmy, an abusive relationship.

They both take jobs with different schedules and don't see each other all that much. Emmy doesn't have a cell phone because she is trying to avoid any contact with her ex. Leah finds a few days have gone by when she realizes her friend hasn't been getting her sticky notes messages she leaves for here in the house to let her know rent is due, etc....she does become worried but not too much as they really don't keep tabs on one another.

Soon we learn that a horrific crime has taken place and a women has been assaulted by the lake where they rent the house they live in. At first Leah fears it is Emmy, but, it is revealed that the woman is not Emmy and actually looks a whole lot like Leah!

A very thrilling plot develops as the character and true nature of each woman is revealed. I enjoyed the read and was excited to receive a copy of this follow up novel by Megan Miranda, after having read and loved her earlier novel, All the Missing Girls. I wouldn't say I enjoyed this one quite as much...but still, I would recommend it and think it's a good escape and investment of my reading time.

A really well woven mystery with some characters I did not like all that much. It happens. Thank you Netgalley for a digital edition to read in exchange for an honest review. I think Miranda is a really good writer and would want to read other novels by her.

Another great mystery from Megan Miranda. I read this book while traveling to Japan and couldn't put it down even upon my arrival. Definitely worth a read.

Having read All The Missing Girls I was eager to get a copy of The Perfect stranger.

I think Megan Miranda weaves a very complicated plot. It takes quiet a while to get all of the important characters introduced. Once that is accomplished the role each plays in the story is presented. The story starts in the present with Leah and Emmy finding each other after an eight year separation and becoming roommates again.

No one is what they originally appear to be, even our main character.

Leah is damaged. She is a lost soul in some ways. She is deeply ashamed of how things ended in Boston. She is very secretive with people about her life before becoming a teacher in a small Pennsylvania town. She keeps to herself until an injured girl is found down by the lake. The girl looks remarkably like Leah. The police think Leah could be the intended victim.

Emmy appears to be Leah's one true friend, someone who knows her whole story. She is eager to reconnect with Leah and join her in the small rural town in Pennsylvania. The two seldom see each other, Emmy works nights and Leah works days. When Emmy disappears, Leah is thrown into yet another questionable investigation.

Detective Kyle Donovan is the lead investigator on the case. Can she trust him with her truth, or will the truth put her in more danger?

If you like a good mystery/thriller, this book fits the bill. Pick it up, you won't be disappointed.

Leah’s career as a journalist is pretty much over, and all she can is hope that no one else will get wind of what she did. Not quite sure what to do, it seems like kismet when she runs into her old roommate Emmy at a bar one night. Emmy is looking to escape a stalkery ex-boyfriend, and when she suggests that they both walk away from their lives and start over somewhere that one will know them or their pasts, Leah is on board.

A few months after they settle in to a little house in a small town in the middle of western Pennsylvania, a woman is murdered, and Emmy disappears. Leah’s past as an investigative journalist draws her into the story, looking for clues in both the murder and Emmy’s disappearance. Before she knows it, things begin to unravel and she had no idea which end is up. Is Emmy’s disappearance related to the other woman’s murder? Can Leah keep her past in the past while trying to solve this mystery? Is anything at all what it seems?

Megan Miranda’s last book All the Missing Girls was one of my top ten favorite reads last year. It was so different and so freakin’ good that I jumped at the chance to read and review The Perfect Stranger. Without a doubt, this book was one of my most anticipated reads this year. Now, I won’t say that I’m disappointed because it is a very good book and there are lots of things I liked about it. But it wasn’t All the Missing Girls.

It was, however, very clever with an intricate plot wrought with all sorts of twists and turns. Leah is an unreliable narrator, which complicates things even further. There is quite a lot going on with her that we aren’t privy to in the beginning, and we know even less about her friend Emmy. I didn’t necessarily dislike Leah, but I didn’t like her either. And Emmy…well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself.

And it was an intricate and well-laid plot that kept me on my toes, never quite sure of the truth, always suspecting that there was something I didn’t know that would turn the story around. Smart. Very smart.

So, no. It wasn’t All the Missing Girls. And you know what? I’m not sure it’s fair to expect it to be. It’s not an easy thing to hit it out of the park the first time, much less over and over again. Maybe it didn’t wow me at the same level, but it definitely cemented Megan Miranda as a go-to author for me.

I might be the only person who didn't read Megan Miranda's debut novel, All the Missing Girls. After hearing such great things about that book I jumped at the chance to preview The Perfect Stranger.

Leah moves to a small town to escape her past as a journalist in Boston, that is slowly revealed to us through out the book. After a murder near her house, her roommate, Emmy, goes missing prompting investigations by both the police and Leah herself.

Wow! Once this book started moving I could not stop myself from reading, frantically trying to figure out what was going on. Over the course of the 300 pages I had so many theories, and all of them dashed. The ending was unexpected and a nice twist considering I thought this would fall into the Gone Girl/Girl on the Train trend.

I would recommend this book to any one who loves a good thriller/mystery novel. I'm currently in a bit of a book hangover and want more! Now excuse me I need to go clear a giant spot on my TBR shelf to make room for the rest of Megan Miranda's work.

This book seemed to take me "forever" to read it, and I didn't quite "get" it ... it left me feeling a little bit disappointed.

Rec'd arc from Netgalley.

I read an ARC of Miranda's first adult novel, ALL THE MISSING GIRLS, a while back now and enjoyed it, even though it left my head a little tilted and my brain a little fuzzy. (I've linked to my review above.) So when I got the notification that she'd come out with a new book, I jumped at the chance to see this ARC as well. She's proven to be an author not afraid of taking chances, and being willing to play with the rules of the writing game. I like that.
The trouble is, when you walk in knowing that, it's very difficult to surprise your readers.

Leah Stevens is running away from her former life, and finds a partner in an old friend from the days after college, Emmy Grey. They leave Boston and find a new home in western Pennsylvania (amusing, since my family comes from there!) and it isn't until Emmy goes missing that Leah begins to see all the strings that have come together.

But all of this becomes telegraphed, because we're looking for it. Any character who might be out of place. Everyone initial considered suspicious by the characters in the novel are almost assuredly innocent. I had about five ideas of where the plot was going by the time I got halfway through, and some conglomeration of them happened. There was very little surprise, other than the occasional "Ohhhh. Okay, so that's what you did." There was never a moment of "OH MY GOD WAIT WHAT?!" that you'd really hope for in a thriller like this, especially from an author like Miranda.

And maybe readers who are new to Miranda, who haven't read MISSING GIRLS, will get that moment. Maybe this won't be as obvious to everyone else. But I found it sadly predictable, though nonetheless entertaining.

That's the important thing to mention. Miranda weaves a fantastic tale, and tells it wonderfully. The characters were real and interesting (though I find the romantic interlude a little abrupt and unnecessary, as much as I like him), the drama never lagged, there was always something new to twist the plot along. Even for me as I saw the moves coming, there was never a point where I just sighed at the book and said "come ON now, can't we just get to something else interesting?" The pace is perfect.

However, this comes with a downfall: because the characters are so real, it begins to feel like we've only gotten a portion of the story to be told. There is so much that just gets tossed out for a single scene, and never brought up again. The final climactic scene wasn't nearly as tense as I expected it to be, and we're left with a non-answer of an ending. Not disappointing, just a little unsatisfying.

If I'm truly honest with myself, this is a 3.5* book, but as these things don't allow for such ratings, I'm willing to bump it up for 4--which seems fair, as that's the exact same rating I gave the last book of hers I read. And my opinion of Miranda as a writer remains the same.

I'll be interested to see where she goes in the future with her work.

Rating: ***1/2 (Almost Recommended)
rounded to 4 for Goodreads, et al.

“The Perfect Stranger” really is a great novel for a rainy weekend – full of suspense and, in its own way, ghosts. I loved it.

Leah Stevens has taken a job in a small Pennsylvania town on a whim, following her former best friend Emmy, after being forced to quit as a journalist in Boston. When a woman turns up badly beaten and Emmy disappears, things begin to get worse for Leah. It appears that Emmy wasn’t who she said she was. And she left nothing behind, meaning Leah may be on the hook for the strange happenings around town.

The author beautifully weaves a dark atmosphere, a deep feeling of waiting for the other show to drop. The novel has enough suspense and enough suspects to keep you confused and guessing throughout the whole thing. And since the question is, “What is real?” it’s even more confusing and thrilling. You can’t trust anyone.

The plot is complicated, but moves nicely and the author does a good job of explaining everything so that it’s not confusing.

I loved that Leah was flawed in her own way, because it added that extra layer of mystery. Reading he story, you can’t fully trust her, but you like her, too. She means so well, but she’s not perfect and, because of that, makes some mistakes. Big ones.

I thought the ending was really satisfying as well. It ties up everything while leaving just a little opening to debate the rights and wrongs of the choices each characters makes. I like that it made me think and kept me guessing all the way to the last pages.

I’ll definitely be picking up more from this author.

**** 4/5: Loved it

A brain-busting thriller, The Perfect Stranger is another intricate plot from Megan Miranda.



Recommended readers:

Fans of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, Paula Hawkin’s The Girl on the Train
If you like psychological thrillers and Megan Miranda's first All the Missing Girls
If you want a brain-busting, page-turner
Here's my Rankings:

4/5 for characters
3/5 for plot
3.5/5 overall
REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:

Leah Stephens has moved to rural Pennsylvania and renting a house with a friend, Emmy Gray, she recently reunited with. It's the perfect way to get a fresh start after Leah tries to rebuild from a public and dangerous article she published. But when a murder happens down the road and Leah disappears, Leah is stuck in the middle of an investigation.

A little more straight forward than the reverse-plot of Miranda's first thriller (which was a definitely 4+ stars), The Perfect Stranger is still cleverly written with an intricate plot. You'll never know who to trust and if Leah can get to the bottom of her dangerous past and through the confusion of her current situation. Both Megan Miranda's thrillers are must-reads!

We also loved: All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

Available now: The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda

It appears that I am one of the few humans on earth who have not read "All the Missing Girls" which is apparently a HUGE hit and fan favorite from last year, written by this author. Because I have not read it, I came into this book with no expectations.

Honestly, this book was just okay for me. At times it was compelling and at times it dragged, flashing back and forth in time in a confusing way. The ending just didn't quite do it for me either.

All that being said, I have heard such great things about All the Missing Girls that I do plan to read that and other books this author writes in the future.

I really enjoyed Megan Miranda's previous novel "All the Missing Girls". After reading the description of "The Perfect Stranger", I was looking forward to reading it as well.

"A journalist sets out to find a missing friend, a friend who may never have existed at all."

Leah Stevens runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey at the perfect time. She needs to get out of Boston after her career as a journalist takes a nosedive and Emmy wants to get away from a toxic relationship. It's the answer to both of their problems. They move to rural Pennsylvania, a place where they can both start over. Leah starts her job as a teacher and Emmy seems to work a few odd jobs here and there. Leah tells her mother she quit her job and is moving to Pennsylvania to teach. But she doesn't tell her mother the real reason she quit her job....

"My God, Leah, What did you do?"

Leah and Emmy settle in. They don't see each other a lot during the week as Emmy often works the night shift. She doesn't have a cell phone either, so Leah has to leave her post-it notes if she has a message for her. When Leah realizes that the notes haven't been moved at all, she realizes it's been a couple of days since she has seen her. Because of their different schedules, it's not completely out of the ordinary so she tries not to worry.

The next day on her way to school, Leah comes upon a police roadblock....

A woman has been attacked.

Leah immediately worries that it's Emmy who's hurt. Thankfully it's not. But things get even stranger when she sees a picture of the woman who was attacked...The woman's name is Bethany Jarvitz, and she looks a LOT like Leah.

Now the police and Detective "easy on the eyes" Donovan, want to talk to Leah about this man. Leah tells the police about the phone calls she has been getting, nuisance calls from someone who didn't seem to get the hint. She figured the calls were harmless.

"You think you're too good for us, Leah?"

The police want more information but Leah is hesitant to get involved. She doesn't want her name attached to anything. She has her own secrets. But when Emmy still hasn't shown up after four days, Leah knows she needs the detectives help and she'll have to help him too. When he starts asking questions, Leah realizes there's a lot she doesn't know. She isn't even sure where Emmy works.

Does she REALLY know Emmy at all?

As excited as I was to read this, I had a hard time getting into the story. A few of the decisions Leah made really annoyed me and I had a hard time connecting with her. There really was a lot going on. I started feeling like things weren't coming together and I was a bit confused.

In the end I thought this was a decent read, I guess I was just hoping for more. But of course, this is just my opinion and there will probably be many other readers who will really enjoy this book. While I definitely didn't like this one as much as All the Missing Girls, I still look forward to reading more from Megan Miranda.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Megan Miranda for providing an advanced copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

THE PERFECT STRANGER by Megan Miranda is the best suspenseful thriller I’ve read this year. I really liked the protagonist, even though I didn’t always trust her. That’s why this book is a favorite – it kept me doubtful and suspicious until the end. The author hit many of my preferences with the backwoods setting to the journalist turned high school teacher. Vivid imagery makes the setting come alive in sight, sound, and creepiness.

Leah Stevens messed up big time at her dream job as a journalist. She feels she did the right thing, but everyone else thinks she crossed the line. Now she’s stuck in the middle of nowhere teaching for a living, all because her former roommate, Emmy, had a hair-brained idea for them to pool their resources once again. Leah is now the city girl in the middle of the woods in a cabin with enough outside noises to keep her jumpy. She has a semi-tough way of maneuvering around a situation without being flawless that keeps the reader on their toes right along with her.

When Emmy goes missing, Leah must reach out to the police. She meets Kyle Donovan, who asks too many questions. Questions that Leah can’t, or won’t, answer to maintain her privacy. But she wants to find Emmy, so she’ll give a little to get something back. When another woman turns up dead, Leah’s urgency to find Emmy increases, and her willingness to cooperate with the police implicates more than she wishes.

Some of my favorite parts of this novel are Leah’s interactions with her high school students. They’re a curious lot and their BS meters are set on high alert when it comes to Ms. Stevens. But Leah also has a way of getting information that’s sneaky and ingenious. One thing Leah understands is people and what makes them tick. Her journalism background gives her the investigative edge she needs.

This is the type of book where you suspect everyone of lying or misrepresentation. Sometimes I reread sections just to be sure I didn’t miss anything. For a while, I suspected something about Leah that never panned out, but I was sure I was right, and the surprises were fun, even when I realized my guesses were wrong. Most of the time when I read a book like this I’m yelling at the main character for being so gullible. Or, I’m wondering how she could have missed that clue. Leah is special. I was with her every step of the way, getting surprised, nervous and scared right along with her.

THE PERFECT STRANGER is listed as a follow-up to ALL THE MISSING GIRLS. If there’s a connection, it was seamless to someone who hasn’t read that book. I think they meant it was the follow-up to her mega hit, rather than a tie between the books. For those who prefer books with romance, there is a romance within these pages. It’s not the focus, but it adds to the characterization.

I’m hooked on author Megan Miranda’s craftsmanship. I visualized everything that happened as if I was there, but I never felt overwhelmed or bored by lengthy descriptions. I literally thought about the plot constantly when I was away from it, and I was tempted to cancel everything to devour the book instead.

Is this novel perfect? No – I don’t think any novel can be perfect to every person’s predilections. There are a few lulls, or places where I got confused and had to reread. I would have liked more insight into Leah’s future. But, I think that’s a testament to this author’s talent, because I didn’t want the novel to end. Leah also didn’t always react exactly like I thought she would or should, but that kept me guessing. I believe this book is as perfect as one can be to match my reading preferences. I was captivated and will be reading everything Megan Miranda writes, including her young adult novels.

THE PERFECT STRANGER is a nail-biter with fascinating characterization. It’s the rare author that skillfully consumes my thoughts in-between reading. This is one of those books where you’re not sure you want to know what happens next, yet you can’t stop reading long enough to debate it. Author Megan Miranda has a gift that’s creatively articulated. I’ve already eagerly added ALL THE MISSING GIRLS to my print TBR pile.

Review by Dorine, courtesy of The Zest Quest.