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.

I really enjoy Megan Miranda's suspense novels. All the Missing Girls is excellent, and this followup is very good as well.

Journalist Leah Stevens is in trouble. She has been served with a restraining order and is facing a possible lawsuit. She becomes reacquainted with a former roommate she hasn't seen in eight years, Emmy Gray, and together they decide to move to Pennsylvania to get a new start. Not long after arriving in Pennsylvania, a woman resembling Leah is assaulted, and Emmy disappears a few days later. As police investigate Emmy's disappearance, they struggle to find even the most minor information about Emmy. It begins to appear that Emmy Gray might never have existed. In order to clear herself, Leah must find out the truth about Emmy and come to terms with her past.

What a good novel! Read carefully and don't miss the clues along the way. Megan Miranda is truly a gifted writer.

A thrilling read that will keep readers guessing who done it.

Ever since I finished reading All The Missing Girls last year I've been an instant fan of Megan Miranda's writing style. She was on my list of favorite 2016 discoveries and you might already guess I added her newest thriller The Perfect Stranger to my list of most anticipated 2017 releases as soon as I heard about it. And even though I normally read my ARCs closer to the publish date, I just couldn't resist temptation when I got my copy. I read The Perfect Stranger for the first time back in January and it ended up being my very first 5 star read of 2017. Because even though my expectations were set high after her thriller debut last year, Megan Miranda managed to outdo herself with her newest story. Well written, fast-paced, lots of plot twists, suspense, interesting characters... In short an excellent psychological thriller! I decided to wait with my review and reread The Perfect Stranger closer to the publish date, and I have to say I enjoyed the story just as much the second time around. I found myself hooked right from the first page and she is without doubt one of my new favorite authors of the genre. The way the author is able to build suspense, add plot twists and slowly reveal more about the characters is simply impressive. It's unreliable characters at its best and it took me a long time to figure out what was the truth behind it all as everyone seemed to be having something to hide. There's no 'backwards' plot this time for those who didn't enjoy that aspect of All The Missing Girls, so if you like the genre there really is no excuse to not grab a copy of The Perfect Stranger. Trust me, you won't regret it!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

First, All the Missing Girls was an absolute amazing book in my mind - I loved how the plot developed backwards in time. So while I probably didn't love this one quite as much, this was a great read - Miranda's writing is just suburb.

Leah, a journalist with a Boston newspaper, is forced to quit her job. When an old roommate, Emmy, offers her a chance for a clean start as a teacher in Western Pennsylvania, she picks up and moves to a remote cabin in the woods. When Emmy goes missing, Leah discovers that she knows very little of anything of her old friend.

The author is so skilled at giving us possibly unreliable narrators in situations that feel so real and scary. Another winner!

This was an amazingly twisted, paranoid read and I devoured it in one sitting. Miranda keeps you guessing all throughout the story. Has Leah had a psychotic break with reality? Are her delusions fact based or all in her head? There were so many twists and turns in this novel it was hard to keep up. All the stars for Megan Miranda. I will happily read whatever you write! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Miranda's previous book All the Missing Girls and was really looking forward to her follow-up. I have to say I didn't enjoy this one quite as much, perhaps due to the shifts in time. Some of the revelations felt a bit too contrived.. I did like the characters and , enjoyed might not be the perfect word, perhaps was intrigued to be in their company for a few hours.

I have to admit, I wasn't as entranced with this book , as I was All the Missing Girls, and in fact I put it down twice, as it is so much slower than other books I've been reading, before finally making headway with it and getting into the story. It is more of a slow-burn of a thriller, versus a catch you by the seat of your pants one. But once the set up is complete, THEN the story really takes off and you're rapidly turning the pages, to see which ending the author will give you (as they are readily apparent by the middle of the book). If you have not read the previous book, then this would be a great book for Spring Break, to finish while the kids are out playing, and you have the time it needs! If you have read the previous book, this is still a worthwhile read, but it just isn't the same, 'have you running to tell everyone you know about it' escape as the previous book, so do be warned!

A well-written thriller, but perhaps a bit too much going on for me, and I didn't feel everything quite came together at the end. I liked the unreliable narrator though!

Leah thought that she knew everything about her friend Emmi. They both desperately needed a fresh start and chose a small town to do so. Suddenly a young woman is found assaulted and the woman looks remarkably like Leah. Added to that Emmi has not been home in days and Leah suspects foul play. With the help of a newly transferred detective she uncovers much more than she bargained for.

I absolutely loved this book! The story is scarily plausible and kept me at the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. It was so suspenseful that it had me intrigued and I was drawn in from the very beginning. This is an amazing novel that every mystery lover will enjoy.

Miranda is a fantastic, top-notch writer! I devoured The Perfect Stranger in two days – it would have been one, but I had to go to work. Miranda knows how to keep readers engaged from the beginning to the end. Her plot is constantly moving and at lighting speed (so pay attention). Miranda is also masterful at providing the right amount of details – nothing less, nothing more. Her characters are well developed and as a reader you get to know them quite well. The Perfect Stranger is full of layers that will keep you intrigued, guessing and doubting your assumptions. Like most readers, I absolutely loved her first (adult) novel, All the Missing Girls. If you have not read this masterpiece (written cleverly in reverse), I don’t know what you are waiting for! Megan, I am so happy you decided to write for adults – I just hate I now have to wait a while for a new book. :-(

The Perfect Stranger is the follow up to Megan Miranda's All the Missing GIrls, a novel that had everybody hooked with it's reverse timeline and intricate plot twists. In The Perfect Stranger, Megan Miranda tells the story with the usual chronological timeline (with a few flashbacks thrown in). I'm sure the question everyone wants answered is: Was this as good (or better) than All the missing Girls? In my opinion, no.
Maybe expectations were a bit high with this follow up. I just felt like nothing ever actually happened. What was the mystery we were trying to solve? I never really engaged in the plot, and honestly couldn't understand the actions of the main character, Leah Stevens, most of the time. The "plot twists" were very minor and very easy to cast aside. In a book with more action, they would not have even been noticeable. The ending was almost completely uneventful, as well. Overall, not the most impressive follow up unfortunately.

This was a compelling, fast-paced read that made more of an impression on me than All the Missing Girls. This could be because Miranda explores a single relationship in great depth (the friendship between Leah and Emmy), and because the characters are more mature and have more life experience. For instance, I really enjoyed all the references to Leah's career as a journalist, and how she uses those reporter skills as events unfold.

There were definitely parallels with other books in this genre. For instance, we saw a feisty female crime reporter in Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn; or a woman who reinvents herself as a teacher in The Passenger by Lisa Lutz (view spoiler). However, the old material is used in new ways, and I ended up enjoying it more than either of those titles.

I felt the classroom scenes dragged, but they were the only parts that did. There were also one or two aspects of the plot that didn't quite convince me - for instance, we are drip fed information about why Leah felt she had to run away from Boston, but it didn't give me enough to go on and even by the end I felt that I needed more background, or more on the legal details.

Overall, though, this is a great choice for anyone who enjoys suspense novels.

I am grateful to NetGalley and to Simon & Schuster for the chance to review an advance copy of this title.

Last year I read Megan Miranda's ingenious All The Missing Girls. It was cleverly written. Backwards. Like the movie Memento. I very much enjoyed the novel but the logical part of my brain tried to piece everything together chronologically and I was a little concerned it didn't entirely flow as it should have.

The book - Miranda's first non young adult novel - was very well received though and her second book has been eagerly awaited.

One of Miranda's talents is being able to flesh out the plot without letting readers in on the characters' secrets. It's obvious we're supposed to become suspicious of Leah and I pondered on the notion of a split personality / dissociative identity disorder from the get-go. And there's really nothing in the narrative that gives it away - either way.

We've really only got Leah's word that there's an Emmy... and her identity becomes murkier and less evident as time goes on.

“I was an adolescent when I first started to see myself as two people. The feeling that you are at all times both subject and object. That I was both walking down the hall and watching myself walk down the hall.” p72

And...

“When something had happened, some crack, some slip, and the other Leah, the one underneath, the one who lived with Emmy for a summer—the who was was not as put together or as solid and unchanging—would become visible....” p 88

This is a book about secrets. Leah has her own... an investigation into a number of incidents which resulted in her move and loss of her job as a reporter. Interestingly she feels blameless and has no regrets and Miranda does a good job in eking out why.

There's the mysterious Emmy who manages to beguile Leah each time she's entered her life. I was initially agog at the idea of Leah moving in with Emmy on meeting her (first time around) but had to remind myself what it's like to be young and desperate. And without literal baggage.

Then there's Leah's doppelgänger, the victim of an attack... possibly by someone Leah knows. And also in the mix are Leah's students, some of whom know more about her life than they should.

I enjoyed the plot itself and the 'whodunnit' element, but it was also interesting to watch Leah's growth. We learn she was an excellent student but things fell apart when she didn't get the job she expected after University. She recovered, obviously but then she feels she needs to hide her latest failure (losing her job) from her high-achieving sister and her mother - who worked hard to give her daughters every opportunity and had heightened expectations as a result.

“I was unprepared for the shock of failure—it had never happened before.” p 63

And later when her world was less about herself, the realisation...

“I had believed everyone was something are than they were....I had cast my life and assigned the roles, manufacturing all of them into the people I wanted them to be.” pp 242-243

I very much enjoyed this well-written and well-paced book by Miranda and loved the characters she offers we readers. They're complex but real and ultimately very likeable.

Well-crafted thriller! When Leah needs a fresh start to leave her old job in Boston, friend Emmy suggests they move to rural Pennsylvania where they can each start over with new lives. But when things start to go wrong, Leah begins to wonder if Emmy is really who she believes she is. Too many coincidences and secrets collide, leaving leah to question her own sanity as she must confront her own demons to find the truth behind the lies. I couldn't put this one down!

I did enjoy this one and it definitely had twists I didn't see coming. I could easily recommend this to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers.