I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good fast read. A very engaging psychological thriller. The characters are well developed but they all have their secrets that are not revealed in the beginning of the book.

The main character, Leah, was a journalist who left town for a fresh start. Her reasons for leaving are not revealed right away. The reader has to piece the information together little by little as the story is told. This style of writing kept me wanted to read another chapter so I could find out what happened.

If you liked “Single White Female” you will like this book.

What an engrossing mystery. I honestly had no idea where it was going and most of the turns surprised me up till its excellent ending. After her life unravels, Leah moves to Pennsylvania leaving everything behind. She is not alone, her friend Emmy is the catalyst for the move. Now Leah is slowly rebuilding her life but, when Emmy disappears, she starts to question everything. We don't immediately learn what's going on. Instead, the author teases out the backstory in little pieces. Why Leah is how she is and why she's running away. Emmy becomes real seen through Leah's eyes but, is Leah really seeing Emmy as she is or is she projecting a picture in her mind? The writing is fantastic, the plot never lags or slows down and Leah is so real that she pops off the page. As a former journalist, she is not a clueless victim and she actually learns many facts that even the police ignore. If you like twisty mysteries, you will really enjoy this novel.

This book proves that Miranda is not a one hit wonder. This story moves with extreme speed through twists and turns and terror. It left me guessing throughout the first half as the full scope of the story seeps into our psyche. I was able to figure out where things were heading pretty early in the second half, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment at all. I'm already anticipating the next book from this new star.

Leah Stevens job as a journalist was on the line as she continued to protect her source on a story and ended up with a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit. Not knowing what to do with herself Leah ends up running into an old friend, Emmy Grey, right at Leah’s lowest time. Emmy proposes the pair move to somewhere new and each gain a new start in life.

Heading off to western Pennsylvania with Emmy, Leah finds herself taking a completely different job as a teacher at the local small town school. Emmy however is still her normal free spirit self and working odd jobs and coming and going at all hours. When a woman is attacked and the suspect having connections to Leah an investigation is opened and Leah realizes Emmy hasn’t been home in several days so Leah has the police begin looking into her disappearance.

Last year I read Megan Miranda’s All the Missing Girls and completely loved the story so when offered a chance to review The Perfect Stranger I immediately knew I had to read this one. After finishing I am certainly happy to be giving another review on another great thriller from Megan Miranda. As with her first book it took no time at all to become completely engaged in the story and characters and not want to put this book down.

With Leah having a background in journalism but losing that job she made the perfect mix of a strong and smart but yet slightly tormented female lead that I quickly became entranced with following her story. The book started right off with the action and never stopped as the story added twists and turns and other crimes and dilemmas for the reader to try to follow and solve. Never a dull moment and really enjoyed reading this one and look forward to picking up any future thrillers from this author.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Last year, I read All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda and couldn’t get into it; I felt confused and mixed up throughout the plot and it didn’t allow me to really get into the story. When #cjsreads decided to take on Megan Miranda’s newest novel, The Perfect Stranger for one of our April reads, I wanted this one to feel different; unfortunately, I consistently struggled with this one as well!

The novel opens with a teacher, Leah, realizing her roommate (and old friend), Emmy, has gone missing. Simultaneously, a woman winds up brutally beaten by their home and police become involved. Leah finds herself tied to the woman by the lake, her missing roommate and soon becomes a target of police questioning. Leah must try and find out the truth about Emmy while battling her own personal demons.

Similar to the last novel I read by Miranda, I felt like way too much was going on. There is the beating by the lake, the missing roommate, a dark past and a romantic relationship with a police officer. I felt as if maybe the author had focused on one of these things, it would have made the plot easier to follow. Instead, I found that all of these things were fighting for the limelight and everything felt jumbled.

I also struggled with the pace of this one; it read very slowly. I prefer a faster paced read and this one seemed to steadily climb and then settle. I didn’t find there was a real climax to the story. I couldn't connect with the characters.

This one was not for me.

4 mysterious stars!! This one will have you guessing the whole way through!

I am not even going to give a back story to this one because you just need to feel it for yourself and just like the last book this author wrote, the back story is the whole story.

I enjoyed how this book took you from past to present often. And the beginning of this book had me reeled right in. I was excited! Who doesn't love a good mystery?!?! Man I didn't know heads from tails here. Usually I have a pretty good grip on what is going on but I'm pretty sure I changed my theory about every chapter. I had no idea who to trust and even if I could trust Leah. I also enjoyed the bit of romance that was thrown in and of course who it was.

The middle of this book just lacked some for me. It was very descriptive and gave info but it lost me and had me repeatedly putting the book down. But then about 70% it was back and I was ready. I was being thrown little bits to reel me back in. The ending was great!! The author is very good at drawing you the picture she wants you to see.

**I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley and in return gave my honest review**

My Thoughts: How well do we know our friends? Considering most of our adult friends are met outside of their circle of family, is it possible that everything they have told us is lies. Is it possible that one of our friends is actually a complete stranger? These questions are only a few the protagonist in Megan Miranda's new novel, The Perfect Stranger, starts to ask herself when her longtime friend, Emmy, goes missing.

The Perfect Stranger was an amazingly suspenseful novel that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Filled with completely satisfying twists and turns, this story captivated my attention through to the end. The plot was mapped out very well. At the end, I discovered all the little breadcrumbs Miranda had left for me along the way to her fantastic ending. I found the characters to be very developed and believable. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by how this story was not only plausible in real life, but scary. It made me realize I may be just a little too trusting sometimes.

Would I Recommend: Absolutely! It's a great read; one I found myself breezing through in a day because I couldn't put it down. Not having read any of her previous books, The Perfect Stranger has made me a fan and now I want to read her earlier writings. The setting of this book would make it a great vacation read, so with summer coming around, I suggest picking up a copy!

Here is a review by Jennifer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1969378261

A totally engrossing book that had me captured and captivated with each page I turned! Fast paced and a total compulsive read---I just loved it!!! thank you for the advance reading of this title prior to publication.

Three and a half stars: A book with a strong, suspenseful mystery, but it falters with wordiness and story lines that don't fit well into the story.

Leah has settled into her new teaching job in rural Pennsylvania after a disastrous article she printed in Boston ruined her career. She was grateful to reconnect with Emmy, her roommate from eight years ago and make a new start. Everything is going well when disaster strikes. A young woman is found beaten nearly to death by the lake. An anonymous phone call accuses one of Leah's coworkers. When the police come asking questions, Leah's instinct is to hide, but then when she realizes Emmy has gone missing, she is forced to work with the cops. Once the investigation begins to find Emmy, there are nothing but dead ends, leaving the police wondering if Emmy existed at all. Leah is determined to find the truth, but the more she digs, the more she realizes that she didn't know Emmy at all. Can Leah uncover the truth?

What I Liked:
*I know that I am not alone in wondering if Ms. Miranda can match the brilliance she achieved with All the Missing Girls. While Ms. Miranda proved with this book that she is not a fluke, she is indeed a talented writer, this book didn't quite live up to its predecessor. However, this novel is suspenseful with a strong mystery that kept me reading well past my bedtime. If you want a compelling mystery, this is one to check out.
*I loved immersing myself into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Emmy. There were so many twists and turns, and unexpected developments. I wasn't sure where it would all lead, and I questioned the reliability of the narrator. I loved the suspense and the many directions this story took.
*I liked the way the author wove in the details from Leah's past, especially when it came to the events that led to her leaving Boston. Sometimes utilizing flashbacks disrupts the flow of the story, but that wasn't the case with this book. The uncovering of events in Leah's past helped to establish her character, and helped the reader to understand her motivations.
*I appreciated that the ending concluded the story without a cliffhanger or a jarring ending. Most of the questions are answered. No head scratching, confusing ending with this one.
And The Not So Much:
*The first half of the story flew by. The writing was terrific, the suspense thick, and the story was tight. Then something happens in the latter half. The pace begins to drag as the author went off on these wordy, self analyzation sections that got to be distracting. I found myself quickly tiring of all of Leah's new self discoveries.
*Speaking of Leah, I struggled with her. I could not connect or even sympathize with her because I wasn't sure if she was reliable. Then as the story unfolded, I just never liked her. I did finally appreciate her tenacity and the way she dug to find the truth, but in the end, I thought she was a weak character, and that ruined the enjoyment of the story for me.
*I was frustrated at the inclusion of several story lines that were left unfinished and they didn't end up adding much to the mystery. For instance, I didn't like how the whole story line regarding Paige and Aaron from Leah's past ended. I was left wanting to know so much more, and it really had no part in the story other than to provide information as to Leah's character. I wished that this story line had been further fleshed out. I also didn't understand why there wasn't further explanation regarding Emmy's behavior. Finally, what was the deal with her student, was he troubled or what?
*There is a bit of a romance, but I disliked it because it started out as lust and sex and I never felt like there was any substance to it. I could have done without the romance entirely. It adds nothing to the story.
The Perfect Stranger is a book that left me conflicted. I was immediately drawn into the book by the strong and interesting mystery, but as the story progressed, I was frustrated by wordiness, unfinished story lines and a main character that I couldn't connect or sympathize with. I enjoyed the book, but it didn't measure up to All the Missing Girls. Still, Ms. Miranda is a talented writer, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I really enjoyed All The Missing Girls last summer have been eagerly awaiting The Perfect Stranger since I heard the news about it.

The character, Leah, had the air of an unreliable narrator about her. As I said in my Goodreads review- “you just can’t be too sure she’s telling the truth or telling ‘her’ truth”.



What I Liked:

The cover. Gorgeous.

The mystery. It all starts off one way, but you begin to see that this will not be simple. There are tentacles curling many ways and encompassing many characters.

When Leah figures some things out. Leah’s on the run and the why behind it is slowly revealed. But there is even more to the story which Leah figures out.



Bottom line: This is def on par with All The Missing Girls and might be even better!



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

**The Perfect Stranger is an April #FuturisticFriday selection from Traveling With T**

This book had me riveted throughout. For that reason alone, I have to give it 5 stars. The narrative slowly built, giving out little tidbits of information for the readers to draw their own conclusions. Was Leah crazy? Was Emmy real? Was Leah the unwitting victim of Emmy, someone she thought was her friend? My opinion went back and forth with all the various scenarios as the plot constantly changed, the possibilities endless.

I never give spoilers - I'll just say be prepared not to put this book down until you have all the answers!

This will go live on my blog on April 25. Kellyvision.wordpress.com

Leah's roommate is missing and she's not sure how long she's been gone, because they are on opposite schedules. And even worse, someone who looks like Leah was attacked and seriously injured. Things couldn't get worse---until the police start to think maybe the roommate isn't actually real.

This is a complicated book and hopefully readers will have the patience to go with it. I spent a goodly chunk of the book unsure about what was going on. So if you need a straightforward narrative, this is not your huckleberry.

I loved her first mystery and this didn't quite measure up. (It may be that the gimmick of telling the story in reverse was awesome and there was no gimmick here.)

I did enjoy this but it wasn't the must-read that her first one was.

I liked this book MUCH better than her previous All the Missing Girls. All the Missing girls was written backwards, starting with the ending really removed all anticipation. I tried this one in hopes that it was different, and I was glad I gave Miranda another chance.
This one is a great psychological thriller. As I read, I tried to figure out the plot twist but I didn't see this ending coming! Reminded me of The Girl on the Train in pace and suspense. At the ending, all the pieces fall together and you're left satisfied. 5 stars

I think I went into The Perfect Stranger with the wrong expectations. I thought it was going to be really suspenseful and have a big twist. I spent my time trying to figure out what the big twist would be and I think in the process the smaller twists and turns of the story were not fully appreciated. This was a good mystery, but I still find myself slightly disappointed at the lack of thrill and suspense.

The book focused a lot on character development and thus the pace seemed a little slow to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love a well-done character driven story and this definitely fits that description, but again, I wanted suspense and a quicker pace. While I wouldn’t categorize some passages as flashbacks, there is a lot of Leah explaining events from her past and things are revealed to the reader slowly. While I felt this was done effectively, the reveals were never really shocking enough to pull my focus off The Big Twist I was (mistakenly) waiting for. I think if you go into this just expecting what the synopsis tells you, you will find this a well done mystery.

I thought Leah was a pretty compelling character. Though the story is told from her 1st person POV, I never really felt like I could get a handle on her. Is she telling the truth? Is she just super paranoid? Is she secretly a sociopath? Is she in danger. Is she the danger? I still don’t know if I can say she was a likable character, but I don’t think that’s the point. The other characters were interesting, but I don’t feel like we got to know any of them well enough to really care about them one way or the other. I thought the relationship between Leah and Kyle was kind of messed up, but I can also see why it would work.

Overall, The Perfect Stranger was a good mystery, but I was left a little disappointed that it wasn’t as suspenseful or shocking as I was expecting. The mystery of Leah trying to figure out the truth about Emmy and the murders was well done, but there were some other side plots that I felt there were loose ends on. I found the ending a little anti-climactic, as well, and would have appreciated an epilogue. I do think fans of character-driven mysteries would really enjoy it, though, as long as that’s what they are expecting.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars

This was a great thriller! With every turn of the page you will come up with a new idea of what’s going on but you will be wrong…again. Leah is a great but unreliable main character with plenty of flaws of her own to keep you wondering. Emmy is the perfect is-she-or-isn’t-she-the-villain that you suspect but then don’t. There are a few subplots and secondary characters that all support the mysteries involved in the book but to me the flow of the book was a bit off.
There are a lot of twists and turns and at times, I was confused. All of Leah’s inner dialogue and self-analyzing about her ultimate search for truth got to be a little tedious at times. This is especially true when it was purposely vague…this happened a lot and was a little annoying. I really enjoyed the story but felt that all the storylines were not pulled together in a very cohesive way and that the ending was anticlimactic. 3.5/5 stars

Leah Stevens leaves Boston to live with Emma in Pennsylvania. She is a teacher who finds a woman who resembles her has been found dead by the lake near her home. At the same time, she can't seem to get in touch with her roommate, Emmy. As the death of the woman found and the disappearance of Emma beings to correlate, Leah needs to determine if she will cooperate with the police or keep her mouth shut so her own sordid path doesn't catch up with her. How much can she keep hidden before it messes with her sanity? While the investigation continues she begins to wonder if Emma actually exists or if she's just a figment of her imagination.

A wonderful unreliable narrator of a novel. Shown through Leah's world only, we can only wonder if she's completely out of sorts or if what she believes to be true is actually what is happening. I wondered a multitude of times if she was just completely insane or if someone was just screwing with her over and over again. This is what kept me turning page after page after page. While atmospherically it was fantastic, I was a little underwhelmed with the ending. There were so many avenues it could have gone in that I was anxious to see where it would end. This is definitely a good sign of the writing by the author. What.Is.Going.ON?! A book I would definitely recommend. I just wanted a tiny bit more from the characters that led up to the ending. Get in. Get your Miranda rights. ;)

After finishing All the Missing Girls, I wasn't sure that Megan Miranda could top herself. I was so, so wrong. The Perfect Stranger spoke to me on several levels. The main character, Leah, is a teacher, as am I. This book so wonderfully illustrates the double lives that teachers play--one at school, one outside. While my life isn't quite as intense as Leah's, it's not often you find a writer that can so easily write the different roles we play. That alone made me love this book.

Moving from that, the compassion Megan helps us feel for these totally unlovable characters is remarkable. Several times through the story I found myself at odds with my feelings--why am I sympathizing with this person who has done such terrible things? I couldn't help it!

I would recommend this book to anyone in need a of good mind-twisting-crime-who dun it!

Confronted by a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs to get out of Boston when she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey, who has just left a troubled relationship. Emmy proposes they move to rural Pennsylvania, where Leah can get a teaching position and both women can start again. But their new start is threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted by the lake, and Emmy disappears days later.

Determined to find Emmy, Leah cooperates with Kyle Donovan, a handsome young police officer on the case. As they investigate her friend’s life for clues, Leah begins to wonder: did she ever really know Emmy at all? With no friends, family, or a digital footprint, the police begin to suspect that there is no Emmy Grey. Soon Leah’s credibility is at stake, and she is forced to revisit her past: the article that ruined her career. To save herself, Leah must uncover the truth about Emmy Grey—and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.

My Thoughts: The Perfect Stranger was one of those books that had me taking voluminous notes, not sure which details I uncovered that would help me later, as it was clear from the start that many secrets and lies would shake out as we followed the various threads to the end.

First, I was intrigued by the character of Emmy Grey, who may have been someone else entirely. Or perhaps she only existed in the mind of Leah Stevens, through whose eyes we saw most of the events of the story. After all, she leaves no evidence of her existence behind when she goes. Everything is in someone else’s name: in Leah’s name.

How did the attack of a woman who resembled Leah connect to Emmy Grey or even to Leah?

Finding out more kept me reading, and even as each twist and turn led me to still another theory, I knew that the identity of Emmy Grey would be at the heart of it all. Themes of trust were also at the center of the mystery. Who could Leah trust, from her old lover in Boston to Emmy herself?

And what about Detective Kyle Donovan, who seems so forthcoming in the beginning, and then shuts down? Will he finally trust Leah enough to help her?

Twisted threads take us back and forth, with bits and pieces revealed until a startling connection leads us to the very beginning and to the moment of truth. To the place where we finally discover who Emmy is…and to the secrets she had hoped to outrun. 5 stars.***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.