How far would you go for a friend? Would you allow your integrity, your reputation, your happiness and stability to go down the drain with a swirl of secrecy? Megan Miranda uses her protagonists and antagonists to peel away the layers of the reader's conscience, using the element of surprise to keep the reader involved. This story weaves past friendships, betrayal, and the element of truth to spin a tale you cannot forget. If you would go to any length for a friend, maybe the question isn't why, but why not? Why isn't that friend who you think they are, or who you've created them to be? A great read that keeps the reader invested until the very end, waiting to see just how far Leah will go to protect the one friend she thought knew her best.

The Perfect Stranger is a compelling psychological thriller, creepy in places. The story sucked me in from the start and it only let me go when I reached the last pages. I liked how Leah investigated the case along the police. She kept things to herself but in the end, she made sure the police knew all the relevant information. At the same time, I was never quite sure how reliable she was as a narrator. The plot twists and turns, keeping me on my toes from the first page. Apart from some little things I found difficult to believe, or unnecessary for the story, The Perfect Stranger is everything I look for in a thriller.

First of all, you do not need to have read Megan Miranda's earlier novel, All the Missing Girls, in order to understand and enjoy this one. The blurb calls this a sequel but it didn't feel like that at all.

Second of all, wow! I tore through this mystery at lightning speed. Couldn't wait to get back to it. Miranda truly sucks you in with the first person narrative of Leah Stevens, a disgraced journalist who is starting a new life in a small town as a teacher. Almost as soon as she arrives, however, she becomes connected to a murder - and then two. Her absentee roommate, Emmy, seems to have disappeared and no one can find her.

Did she even exist?

We have seen many thrillers recently (lots of them with "girl" in the title) which have unreliable narrators. So throughout the story, it was entirely plausible that Leah was on the edge of sanity and Emmy never was a real person. Leah's past, after all, contains a lot of contradictions and outright lies. I wasn't sure whether to believe her.

Leah wasn't exactly likable but neither was she a toxic protagonist along the lines of a Gillian Flynn novel. She wasn't perfect, like many typical investigators are in mysteries. She had a complicated past and a questionable present, and that put everything she said or claimed in quotation marks.

Highly recommended to anyone who likes mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

Last year, I received an ARC of Megan Miranda's debut, All the Missing Girls. I was impressed that a story told backwards could still be surprising at the end. But it wasn't just the creative delivery that made the story work, the writing was solid and the characters engaging, the kind you understand and root for, however flawed. Whereas I didn't love the wrap up, it was definitely one of the better mysteries I read last year.

The Perfect Stranger seemed like another solid mystery, but without that backwards narrative element that made All the Missing Girls stand out, would this one measure up? Yes. Yes, it would. The Perfect Stranger shows Megan Miranda doesn't need a cool gimmick to write a good story.

The main character, Leah, is one of those characters that hasn't always made the best decisions but not in a frustrating way. She isn't naive or helpless. Reckless, at times, but with good intentions. Maybe too good. What I liked most about her is that she is clever and it never feels like a stretch. I've read other thrillers where the main character tries to put the pieces together but it felt like the author couldn't figure out how to get from point A to point B (see White Lead). Not here though. Everything felt logical and well-plotted out.

At a couple points, I thought this was going a different way. It's hard to explain without giving anything away, as I think the misdirect is what made the mystery elements harder to pin down.

Definitely recommendable and definitely going to look forward to Megan Miranda's next book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Perfect Stranger. I loved All The Missing Girls and was excited to read this one. I was not disappointed as this one is full of twists and turns that kept me glued to each page. It begs the question do we ever truly know anyone?

Leah was a journalist before she moved to a small town and started over as a teacher. Her friend Emmy moved with her. They don't see each other often as they keep different hours. It takes Leah awhile to realize that Emmy has gone missing and once she reports this to the police, they don't find any evidence that Emmy ever existed. Leah has her own secrets and they are revealed one by one. I don't want to give away any spoilers so I will just close with the recommendation that this is one great read.

Don't think you know how it's going to end, because it's a great suspense. Loved the book and looking forward to reading more books by Megan Miranda

I'm between 3.5 and 4 stars here, so I'll round up for past performance.

Sometimes I think we put unfair pressure on authors. Let's say an author writes a book that blows you away. You eagerly anticipate their next book, sometimes you get impatient if it takes them too long to write another one, and then when you get the chance to read it, you expect this one to blow you away, too, right? (I know I'm not alone here.) But if it doesn't come close to the last book, at least in your mind, whose fault is that, yours or theirs?

I pondered this as I got ready to read Megan Miranda's The Perfect Stranger. Her last book, All the Missing Girls, was fantastic, both for the mystery itself and the unique way Miranda let the story unfold. The book even made my list of the best books I read in 2016. So needless to say, I tried very hard to ratchet back my expectations of her new book, because I didn't want to be disappointed just because I loved her last book so much.

Did she deliver? While The Perfect Stranger isn't perfect, it's a good, suspenseful read. And I think I might have liked it even more if I didn't read Miranda's last book and expect to be dazzled. If you go in knowing that, you'll hopefully enjoy it.

"I can only explain it this way: that I knew her deeply, if not thoroughly; that a four-month relationship can supersede all the boyfriends, all the friendships, that came after and lasted longer, that our friendship was born from the one time I'd stepped off track, done something unexpected that did not follow the predicted steps of my life. And for that reason, it shone brighter, and so did she."

Leah Stevens was a journalist in Boston who got a little too emotionally invested in an exposé she wrote. When she refused to reveal her source, and things related to her story unraveled, a restraining order was taken out against her and the newspaper she worked for was threatened with a lawsuit. Without a job and feeling utterly betrayed, she needed to get out of town—fast. She ran into an old friend, Emmy Grey, with whom she lived just after college.

On the run from a bad relationship, Emmy is desperate to leave Boston as well, so she involves Leah in her plan. The two head to a small town in Western Pennsylvania, where Leah gets a teaching job, and they can both keep off the grid. Leah and Emmy live on parallel schedules, and the two rarely if ever see each other for more than a few minutes, especially when Emmy starts dating someone new. But Leah keeps getting the sense that Emmy is still on her guard, that she's waiting for something to happen.

One night, a woman with a strong resemblance to Leah is assaulted and left for dead. A teacher who has shown a little too much interest in Leah is the suspect, which puts Leah a little more in the spotlight than she'd like, since her previous life has been kept a secret. But when Emmy disappears a few days later, Leah has no choice but to put herself out there and try to find out what happened to her friend.

Leah cooperates with the handsome young police officer who is assigned to the assault case, and tries to get him to help find Emmy. As the police investigate, she realizes that despite feeling tremendously close to Emmy, she never really knew her, which leads the police to suspect that Leah may be making the whole story up, that Emmy may not really exist, especially once they learn of Leah's past. But she knows the truth, and she is determined to find out just who Emmy was, and what happened to her, even if it means returning to the scene of her past transgressions, and possibly putting her own life and her own future at risk.

How well do we really know someone? How far would you go for a friend who has done a lot for you? Does one questionable action in our past doom us forever? The Perfect Stranger strives to answer all of those questions. It definitely keeps you guessing, because you aren't sure how reliable of a narrator Leah really is. The book's setting helps add to the tension, adding an almost moody feel to the whole thing.

As I mentioned earlier, there are things I didn't like about the book. There were a lot of things happening at once, and some of the storylines seemed unfinished, even unnecessary to the core of the plot. But Miranda really is an excellent writer, and knows how to slowly let details unfold so you stay hooked. So of course, what this means is, I'll eagerly await her next book, and remind myself to dial back my expectations again. (I never learn...)

NetGalley and Simon & Schuster provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

It did take a while for me to get into this book but once I did I had to finish it

How well do we really know someone? We know what they tell us and take it as fact. But what happens when they aren't who they say they are...when they disappear and all that's left is a puzzle to be pieced together. This is a great mystery that explores this and more.

Great book up all night reading,characters well developed

How well can you ever really know another person? This becomes a question of life and death when Leah Stevens, a disgraced reporter, leaves Boston, seemingly on a whim, with long-lost friend Emmy Grey and takes on a teaching position at a high school in western Pennsylvania. Anonymity and tranquility elude her, however, as she deals an attack on a woman near their isolated house, a stalker, a body found in a car submerged in the lake, inquisitive students and suspicious police officers. To make things even worse, doubts arise over Emmy's very existence; not many people at their new location have met her an she has no paper trail. Leah uses her reporting skills to investigate and solve this tangled web of doubt and deceit.

I read All the Missing Girls straight through, although I admit I had to get the hang of it. I never expected Ms. Miranda's second book to have the same grip. It does. I started it at bedtime, read until I fell asleep, and but for necessary chores, I read this straight through. It is the perfect blend of dialogue, description, tension, and gripping read in which you root for your favorite but with a tinge of doubt for her success. Wonderful

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of "The Perfect Stranger" by Megan Miranda. The genres of this novel are mystery,thriller and women's fiction. The story takes place in Boston and rural Pennsylvania. Leah Stevens, a journalist is forced to leave Boston after there is a scandal with her newspaper and source.She also has an order of protection issued against her. Leah follows her friend Emma to rural Pennsylvania and starts a new life as a teacher, hoping to leave her secrets behind. Leah had met Emma 8 years before and Emma offers Leah a place to live. Emma seems to have many secrets as well.
It isn't long before there is a murder at the lake of a woman that looks very much like Leah. Around the same time Emma disappears. Leah is concerned that Emma hasn't been back at their house. after finding a necklace on the ground that belonged to Emma ,and turns to the police. Kyle Donovan is the police detective on this case. When asked, Leah is not sure of Emma's birthdate, or where she works. There is no evidence that Emma exists, except back in Boston, where the person who knows Emma has an order of protection against Leah. It appears that everyone has secrets in Pennsylvania, including Leah's students.
There is another body found in Emmas's car,(which is a stolen car)in the lake. It seems that the dead man was Emma's boyfriend. Again, what happened to Emma.? The police now view Leah as a suspect and fear that she has lied about Emma exisiting. Kyle, the detective is investigating Leah's past life in Boston.
The story had me on edge. There are twists and turns,and the ending is unexpected. I like the way Megan Miranda sets the stage and descriptions of the characters, and places in the novel. I would recommend this as an intriguing and exciting read.

Thank you for the ARC. Very intriguing, I found myself on the edge of my seat more than once. Just when I was sure I was onto the guilty one here comes another candidate. Well done I've already started recommending this book to my family and friends.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of THE PERFECT STRANGER from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

A lost job, failed relationship and restraining spurs reporter Leah Stevens to leave Boston for a small town in Pennsylvania, where she hopes to start over as a teacher. Emmy, her mysterious former roommate, needing to leave an abusive boyfriend accompanies Leah. First, a woman with who resembles Leah is found nearly dead, beaten by an unknown assailant. The Emmy goes missing. Kyle, the handsome detective investigating the cases begins to question if Emmy is real, and if she is, why is there no proof of her. Anywhere.

I like the way Megan Miranda's dark and twisty mind concocts creepy characters and plots that make my mind wonder which way was up, down and all around. Leah is a strange character. Even after finishing the novel, I'm still not sure how must I trust the accuracy of her words. She isn't warm and fuzzy, not unlikable, but there isn't much that made me like her either. She seemed distrustful, almost paranoid of her students and most of the other characters. I did not trust her mental stability.

I enjoyed Miranda's engaging writing style, but I would have appreciated feeling heart pounding tension. Perhaps became I was more interested in whether Emmy was real, and less in Leah's fate, the quick pace didn't transfer into an emotional response.

THE PERFECT STRANGER is a creepy, page turner that will keep you guessing until the end and beyond.

This is the first novel I've read of Megan Miranda's and after reading 'The Perfect Stranger', I'm already rushing out to read her first and eagerly awaiting her future work. It's clear that Miranda sets the bar high for the suspense/thriller genre. Her writing is effortless and captivating, detailed without being too wordy or intelligible. 'The Perfect Stranger' is a clever and engaging read that quickly pulls readers into its depths while keeping them guessing at every turn. Multiple strong plot-lines create an incredibly engaging and complex set of layers full of surprises and interesting characters. This will be one of the must-read novels of 2017

This was possibly one of the worst books I've read recently... so bad I couldn't even finish it. The plot itself was intriguing, and had that been the only review element, I'd have likely given it 4 stars. Unfortunately, I found the lead character, Leah, to be so obnoxious that I just wasn't interested in reading one more page with her in it. She was angry about virtually everything that touched her boring little life, and complained constantly. When her roommate and friend appears to have met with foul play, she's mad that the police need to search her house. When her policeman / new lover arrives to lead the investigation, she's mad at him for choosing his career duties over her. She's basically mad at everyone. She ruined the entire story; so much so that I just gave up. Who needs constant irritation when reading a novel?? Not me! Don't bother with this unending melodrama and move on to another book. Very bad.

The Perfect Stranger
Megan Miranda
Four Stars
NetGalley

Megan Miranda has a knack for creating the perfect setting for her characters. A small rural community that is under stress from the sudden growth of "newcomers" in their small town from the new data tech company. Leah and Emmy landed in this small town by throwing a dart at a map. Sounds like a perfect adventure for two close friends who are starting over. New location. New career.
Murder. Submerged car belonging to Emmy. Doppelganger fatality. Deceitful friends. Creepy coach. Missing roommate. Sexy sheriff Kyle. Stalkers. A fantastic cover! A checklist for a great story! You will not be disappointed and I promise you will not able to put this one down. I read All the Missing Girls last year and now The Perfect Stranger has solidified Megan Miranda as one of my favorite authors.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Perfect Stranger for a fair review.

First, thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an e-book copy of this book for my enjoyment and review. Having read “All the Missing Girls” by Miranda, I was naturally looking forward to this second book. An excellent mystery involving 2 girls living together, Emmy Grey and Leah Stevens, in a cabin in rural Pennsylvania. Their pasts are both sketchy, but when Emmy disappears things become very complicated – and the book becomes un-put-downable. It is a true page-turner from beginning to end, and I am so glad I found Megan Miranda.

First of all, whomever does the cover art for Megan Miranda's books perfectly captures her story and paints a beautiful picture! I loved the chilling atmosphere in this novel and the way things slowly unraveled. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story kept me guessing. Miranda perfectly captures the seclusion, loneliness and confusion of the narrator, who sometimes proves to be unreliable herself. I will say there might have been one too many twists and turns at the very end and the last chapter especially felt a bit rushed. Overall I enjoyed this even more than All The Missing Girls - this author just keeps getting better.