Add me to the list of those who loved All the Missing Girls. So, it was with excitement and trepidation that I picked up The Perfect Stranger, Miranda’s sophomore effort.

She doesn't disappoint. While not as amazing as ATMG, it's an engrossing read. Since I finished this on baseball’s opening day, I'll use a baseball analogy. If ATMG was a grand slam, this is a home run. There are three components necessary for a successful book - good writing, strong character development and a convincing plot. Miranda gets the first two spot on. My minor quibbles with this book rested with the story line.

Leah is a newspaper reporter. She has done something that has forced her resignation. You aren't told what initially. She and a friend decide to leave Boston to start over in a small town in western Pennsylvania. Leah takes a job as a high school teacher. Not long after, her friend, Emmy, disappears. And once Leah thinks to report her missing, she realizes how little she really knows about her friend.

I love Miranda’s writing, the way she gets the details just right. Talking about her students - “they were a species in transition: coming in as kids, voices breaking, angles sharpening, and leaving as something different altogether. Curves and muscle and the unfamiliar force behind both; the other parts of them desperately trying to play catch up.” I'm one of those folks that highlights passages in a book. But I typically don't do it for mysteries, just more “serious literature”. But I found myself highlighting a lot of passages. It was just that well written.

Miranda also does a wonderful job with Leah. You get a real sense of her - her mistakes, her strengths and weaknesses, and her reporter’s sense of a story. Since this is told from Leah’s point of view, the other characters aren't as fully developed. But that goes to the whole purpose of the story - what do we really know about our friends, families and lovers?

There is a sense of urgency here from the beginning; that tingling nerves on edge feeling while you're reading this. My issues with the book came towards the end, as Miranda resolves the story. I won't outline them as that would be a spoiler. But rest assured they are minor and don't take away from the enjoyment of this book.

My thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.

A fascinating read - full of plot twists and surprises. Leah set out to find her missing roommate, Emmy, and is stonewalled at every turn by Emmy's lack of history. This is more of an intellectual thriller - researching the clues to find out what is really happening. The writing is excellent the story is well paced. I liked the way Miranda handled the crime scenes relating the horror with a minimum of gore. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster through NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so convoluted and hard to follow. I think she was trying to weave a masterful web of suspense, but fell short by making it too complicated and then having to tie together so many threads. Leah is trying to rebuild her life after a professional disaster that leaves her fleeing everything she knows with her friend Emmy by her side. in her new idyllic town things start to go south and Leah is caught in the middle, trying to decide how much of her past she needs to reveal.

Once I figured out what was going on in this book it was a good read. It does take a while to get into and I was confused the whole beginning of this book but I stuck with it and it did get better. If the author simplified this this would have been an easier to understand and more interesting read.

I was so excited to read this one - I read a lot of thrillers last year and All the Missing Girls was one of my favorites. So I am forced a bit to compare the two and tell you that I liked All the Missing Girls more but that this one was still really good and I couldn't put it down once I started! I also admit that I am pretty hard to impress in this genre but Megan Miranda has a definite skill to make the thriller genre feel unique and I love the multi-layered and complex female narrators that she wrote for both of these books. The entire time I couldn't figure out if liked or hated Leah - it was hard to get into her head but I appreciated that complexity. I can't wait to read more by this author!

The Perfect Stranger comes out next week on April 11, 2017 and you can purchase HERE. You can read my review of All the Missing Girls HERE. I definitely recommend both of these if you are a fan of thriller/mysteries!

In Boston, they don't really do a good job of warning you about the winter. The postcards look snow-covered and beautiful, the streets still filled with people, the wisps of cold air and the wool coats and waterproof boots all part of the charm, the allure. They don't tell you that most of the time, it's pure misery. Waiting for the bus, walking to the T stop, the persistent dry cough that permeates through the office. The bathrooms and office lobbies covered in melted snow. And us, slowly thawing out inside. The chapped lips, the red noses, the dry skin around our knuckles, and the way the sweaters itch across our collarbones. How you want nothing more than to stay in. The things you do to stay warm.

And then there's the gray. How the sky cover goes dark in the late fall and seems to stay that way until early spring, always ready for snow or rain. How the cold seems to hover in a fog, like a mirage, just off the ground. And everyone bundles up in layer after layer because you all have to walk everywhere, the puffs of white escaping like smoke as you elbow past one another.

And nobody seems to notice you. You could be anyone under the down jacket and scarf wrapped over your mouth, your hat pulled down over your ears and your hair. A wolf in sheep's clothing. A sheep in wolf's. And this is why, no matter how many people are out on a street, this does not make for more witnesses but somehow less. It could be anyone. Anyone standing on their toes, peering in the window.

Another great book by Megan Miranda. All the Missing Girls was the first book I read of hers, and this follow up did not disappoint!
Psychological suspense that kept me constantly wondering.. who is Emmy? Was Leah crazy? Is Emmy real? Who was the killer?
I will definitely read more from this author.

The heavily anticipated follow up to Miranda's debut "All the Missing Girls" is here and I am not exactly wowed. See that's the thing about sophomore novels, we place entirely too much pressure on both the author and the expected novel and we are most time left disappointed.

"The Perfect Stranger" did not do it for me. It felt entirely too unreal and forced. It is very suspenseful but it had some eye-rolling/ dull moments for me. I finished the book, but it isn't necessarily a book I would recommend. I guess it would be a nice beach read, but overall, it did not do anything for me.

not a structural puzzle box like her first book but still has plenty of uncanny, great storytelling

Gripping! Snatched me up at the very beginning and dragged me along for the ride. Fascinating view inside the mind of a girl who would do anything to survive.

Very gripping read. Thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters in this book. The author had me believing that the main character was actually crazy and had made up having a roommate. Another great book and I will definitely be recommending to my library patrons.

This is the second book I have read now by Megen Miranda and most definitely will not be my last. I found this book to be riveting. I could not wait to get to the end of this mystery. I am one who usually guesses the end of the movie or book about a quarter of the way through but this one took me by suprise.

I found this book to be a little hard to follow towards the end. I was so confused about who was who, who did what, etc. I would probably read more of this author, but this was not one of my favorites.

Thanks Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and Megan Miranda for this ARC. This author is pretty perfect in my book. Her characters interact so well, and her storylines intertwined well. This story had me guessing if the main character, Leah, actually had a friend called Emmy, or just het imagination. I loved how in the end, the twist with Paige and Aaron.

Book blurb...

In the masterful follow-up to the runaway hit All the Missing Girls—a “fiendishly plotted thriller” (Publishers Weekly)—a journalist sets out to find a missing friend, a friend who may never have existed at all.

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.

Everyone in this rural Pennsylvanian town has something to hide—including Leah herself. How do you uncover the truth when you are busy hiding your own?

My thoughts…

Having read the author’s other title, All The Missing Girls, last year, which was cleverly written backwards (that’s the best way to describe the struture. You’ll have to read that book for yourself) I was looking forward to this new novel, The Perfect Stranger.

I was not disappointed. The plot was not at all predictable (which is important for me, especially in this ‘domestic noir’ genre that is now so prevalent) and kept me intrigued all the way to the end.

The concept had me questioning…. Not only about how you might report a friend missing when there is no evidence that the friend even actually exists, but also, how can this situation even exist in such an internet intensive world?

The story is written in first person, mostly present day, and the plot was complicated, so you might need serious reading sessions to help you keep track. The character, Lea Stevens, has a past she's trying to avoid by trusting a friend! But is Lea’s past stealing her future? Fascinating.

This book kept me so completely off-kilter the entire time. For the first half of the book I was CERTAIN that I knew what was going on, and then I had the rug pulled completely out from underneath me. Dark and atmospheric, the book is populated with untrustworthy characters (including narrator Leah, who has her own skeletons) and interwoven clues. Definitely recommend this one!

*3.5 stars*

Like so many other readers, I was completely mesmerized by Megan Miranda’s story told in reverse, All the Missing Girls. So imagine my excitement at the mere thought of a follow-up, let alone actually holding it in my hands.

I know it’s unrealistic to expect an author that hits one out of the park to repeat that same performance the next time they’re up at bat, but sometimes that doesn’t stop this crazy mind of mine from wanting to experience that same level of book nirvana. This time, I tried my best to be realistic. I consciously checked my hopes at the door and went in with an open mind.

With a dreary and borderline depressing undertone, Megan Miranda weaves a tale with an enviable level of intrigue and a cast of characters on a seemingly downward spiral of madness. There were so many times I felt like I had no idea who to trust. Likable for the most part, but definitely untrustworthy . . . right?

A small town in western Pennsylvania has turned into a cesspool of people looking for a fresh start. Men and women, from different walks of life, looking to leave behind their mistakes and troubled pasts for a new existence. A former reporter, turned high-school teacher, Leah’s just looking to blend into the background. Two dead bodies and her missing roommate, Emmy, have the reverse effect though. Searching for answers forces her to unravel Emmy’s past and in turn, her own . . . or is it just her mind that’s unraveling?

As a suspense reader, I absolutely loved the way the author baited me along with little snippets of memories and sly little tricks to conceal the truth. That need-to-know desperation and constant questioning she managed to drum up, kept me turning the pages . . . for the majority of the book, at least. My attention started to wane a bit in the back half of the story, if I'm being totally honest. What at first was exciting and mysterious, took on a little bit of a stale note. It took a little longer than necessary to see who was really behind the mask.

It became pretty apparent to me, as the ending loomed, there was only one of two ways the story could go — veer into crazy territory, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, or take the easy way out.

In my opinion, the author played it a little bit safe. The conclusion felt too simple for all of the buildup. I wanted more of an explanation. More of a confrontation. Something more jarring. What happened to the bold ending the storyline promised? To a scrutinizing eye, do all of the pieces really fit together?

Megan Miranda's latest release, The Perfect Stranger, will make for an excellent beach read this summer. While it doesn't have the punch of All The Missing Girls, I was still caught up in the story and characters, especially in the second half of the novel. This is a slower-paced thriller, which isn't for everyone, but really hooked me by the halfway point. I love the quiet, sleepy Pennsylvanian town that Megan created, especially since I grew up in Pennsylvania!

There are quite a few mini-mysteries going on in this novel: what exactly happened in Leah's past, and the strange mystery surrounding Emmy being the two biggest. While I figured out certain aspects fairly early on, other parts of the mystery definitely caught me off guard twoards the end!

Leah is an interesting character, albeit occasionally annoying, and you really get to know her as the plot progresses. She's a strong woman that doesn't give up, and the whole storyline brings up some interesting questions. Does the end justify the means? Can you ever really "start over" somewhere new, in a new life? Kyle, the police officer assigned to Emmy's missing persons case, is one of the weak links in the story. He seemed to be written to be a likable, good guy....but I wasn't a fan. I do wish his character had been flushed out a bit more. And then there is Emmy, always in the background, a big question mark that is slowly unraveled.

My absolutely favorite part of The Perfect Stranger was the last chapter! I won't say anything to spoil the ending, but it was definitely a perfect way to end the book.

If you like mysteries/thrillers that take place in quiet, sleepy communities that hide their secrets well, you'll probably enjoy The Perfect Stranger.

This was not as good as Megan Miranda's last book but was a good read. I quickly became invested in the characters but wanted there to be some more depth in the storyline. Overall a good read.

The Perfect Stranger is the second and latest adult book by Megan Miranda. Excellent story. Ms Miranda keeps the reader guessing throughout, wondering about "our" heroine. Lots of twists. Looking forward to the next offering from Ms Miranda. I was given an early copy to review.