I've always held a fascination for multiple personality disorders, often drawn to movies that explore this complex condition. Naturally, I was eager to delve into this book.

Penny grapples with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), alongside being implicated in a murder. Covered in blood with the murder weapon in hand, she's found at the scene of the crime. The narrative unfolds through Penny's perspective and flashbacks from her family's viewpoints. Penny's mother, Grace, collaborates with her psychiatrist and lawyer to construct her defence, offering insight into the legal process and the intricacies of DID.

While the story initially captivated me with its fast-paced and gripping narrative, the final quarter felt somewhat prolonged. The ending didn't entirely satisfy me, but I recognize that preferences vary.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this thriller and the unsettling feeling that I experienced throughout the book. I thought the multiple personalities were well done and provided an intriguing twist that created a downward spiral of disturbing reveals. The pages almost turned themselves and I couldn't put this one down!

The Perfect Daughter by DJ Palmer. Wow what a crazy suspenseful book! I highly recommend! Couldn’t put it down. Its full of twist that really take you for a ride! Well written. If you like thrillers then this is definitely for you! Happy Reading!

Those of us who review advance copies of books, we all have a title or two sitting on our NetGalley shelf that we don’t really want to read, knowing we requested it in a moment of poor bookish judgment. D.J. Palmer’s "The Perfect Daughter" is that book for me, along with one other that shall remain nameless until I actually get around to it.

And for the most part, I got exactly what I expected from a Palmer thriller – maybe a bit more. His story about a teenage girl accused of murder while suffering from multiple personality disorder is quite engaging and entertaining. Palmer tripped me up with a few twists, and – surprise, surprise – I was very wrong about the whodunit.

But the book loses points for the brutal scene with the cat. I’m not one to hold animal violence against an author, but this scene is so graphic and filled with suffering that I couldn’t take it. Skim reading didn’t even help. (Note to authors: if you’re going to kill an animal in your story, make it quick and as painless as possible.)

So three stars seems a fair rating for "The Perfect Daughter," though had it not been for the kitty death I may have leaned towards four. Consider your knuckles rapped, Mr. Palmer.


My sincerest appreciation to D.J. Palmer, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

Synopsis:

Grace's daughter is charged with murder and is staying at the local psychiatric hospital. Police had her fingerprints on the murder weapon & blood on her body & clothes, but no motive. Grace blames herself. Penny was adopted and her actions grew more disturbing as she grew, and different "personalities" emerged. It had to be a severe multiple personality disorder. One determined psychiatrist, Dr. Mitch McHugh, helped discover someone new inside Penny—a young girl named Abigail. Mitch thinks Abigail is the key to Penny’s past and to the murder. But as Grace and Mitch dig deeper, they uncover dark and shocking secrets that put all their lives in grave danger.

Review:

This is one of those books that keeps you guessing until the very end - i.e. my favourite kind!! This book was so hard to put down. I found myself picking it up at every chance wondering what was going to happen next. It's also one of those books the review has to be very limited to avoid spoiling any surprises!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the digital copy.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. The concept seemed interesting so I was looking forward to seeing how it would play out. The story was slow to begin with, and I found at times it did drag, but I feel like every few chapters there was a new revelation and something that had not been discovered quite yet. It’s not one of those thrillers that you need to pay attention to every little detail, all of the new information is given an explanation.

This book read like a movie or TV show in that I don’t think we really got into the characters heads. It was more like watching the story unravel from afar. It did work for this story, which was more of a plot driven book rather than character. It’s a thriller though, so it does work.

The ending had a few extra twists and turns, one that was definitely unexpected. I enjoyed the storytelling, sometimes I wished it went a little bit faster but it didn’t decrease my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

"The Perfect Daughter" by DJ Palmer is a wild ride! It's a gripping thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. Palmer masterfully blends family drama with suspense, creating a story that's both emotionally complex and thoroughly engaging. The characters are well-drawn, especially the protagonist, whose journey is both heart-wrenching and compelling. I'm giving it a solid 4 stars because it delivers on most fronts, though it doesn't completely redefine the genre. Definitely a must-read for thriller enthusiasts looking for a story that hooks you right from the start!

Penny has multiple personalities. Or does she?? When she is accused of an unthinkable crime, killing her birth mother, she is sent to a mental institution instead of to jail. There the doctors must figure out whether or not she really has multiple personalities, or if this is just and excuse to get away with the crime.

This is a pretty good thriller, centering on a young adopted child with multiple personalities and a murder that authorities believe she (or one of her personalities) committed. Lots of twists and turns here make for an engaging read. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

While the premise of a young girl diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder being charged with the murder of her biological mom was so intriguing, I found myself having a hard time finishing the story. Palmer should have focused more on the crime angle or more on the psychiatric side instead of trying to tackle both because there was a lot of unnecessary details.

What is it about multi personality disorder that captures our imagination? From books to movies, we are intrigued with characters who have split personalities.

Penny is the cherished adopted daughter of the Francone family. But she’s not just Penny. She’s also Ruby, Chloe, and Eve. When Penny is found covered in blood and holding a knife at the scene of her birth mother’s murder, her family and her doctor set out to prove Penny’s diagnosis of multiple personalities and her innocence.

This book is filled with twists and turns, suspects, and red herrings which makes it an enthralling thriller. The author treats mental health issues with respect instead of just using it as a cliched plot device or for shock value.

The story line is unique and uniquely told as this young girl will stand trial for murder that was committed by her hands but definitely not in her right mind. Her mother may have to move heaven and earth to save her, but she's not going to just watch her daughter go to jail.

It is full of twists and turns and will definitely have you hooked from the first chapter. There are many suspects but the end will leave you in complete surprise!

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!!

I ha ve liked everything I red From D>J. Palmer and this one was not an exception. It was such a great book.

I did not finish the book ahead of its publication date. At this point it has been so long since I read the book that I don't remember enough detail to provide an honest review.

I couldn't get through this one at all. DNFed at 35% and just couldn't make myself keep reading. Not for me.

*Thank you @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because rating 4 stars or less.*

This book puts the true meaning to a "slow burn." The premise of the plot was interesting: adopted girl with DID accused of murdering her birth mother, but there were just so many unnecessary details added throughout every aspect of this book. We don't need three pages devoted to discussing the cake the characters are eating. We don't need to get told about Annie's belt buckles and denim outfits each time she shows up in a chapter. By the epilogue I couldn't take it anymore and just skimmed through it for the sake of finally finishing this book.

Was really good but also predictable. Will continue to try DJ Palmer. If you haven’t read anything by them yet give them a try.

Wow! D.J. Palmer is one of my favorite writers because he has the ability to incorporate many issues such as mental illness and addiction in a family thriller all while keeping the perpetrator a complete secret. I really thought that I knew who the bad guy was but I was very, very wrong. One of Palmer’s best…….but they all are.



5 out of 5 stars



Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Now that is a psychological thriller! What a ride! I was guessing until the very end. There is a lot of dealing with mental illness and I found it interesting to read and the courtroom drama was crazy. I never saw the twist at the ending and it had my jaw dropping. A very entertaining read.