Thank you to @stmartinspress for my gifted copy of The Perfect Daughter (and fabulous gifts)! This highly anticipated thriller is out on April 20th, and the synopsis is in the comments.

There were lots of great thriller elements in this book: a brutal murder, a mental hospital, possible Dissociative Identity Disorder, and more. I thought they were balanced well, with no one thing sticking out more than the other. I loved the unreliable narrator in this book, I thought it was so well done!

This book kept me guessing - and this time, I didn’t see the big twist coming. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough once I realized what was going on! This may have been my first DJ Palmer book, but it certainly won’t be my last.

Huge amount of thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e arc of this book. The following opinions are my own.
Grace’s daughter Penny is a special girl. Or girls, to be more accurate. Penny has DID, which is Dissociative Identity Disorder. Multiple personalities, in other words. Penny also has another huge problem. She’s a suspected murderer.
This is a psychological thriller of the highest caliber. There are so many twists and turns throughout the story, none of which are predictable. This is a story that grabs you from the beginning and never lets go until the end. Definitely add to your TBR list! You won’t be disappointed.

D.J. Palmer is such a gifted author, and this one was such a gem! It kept me hooked the whole way through. So well written and amazing character development. Already looking forward to Palmer's next book, whatever it may be.

This was a twisty and suspenseful thriller with an underlying theme of mental illness. The main character has multiple personality disorder and when she is accused of murdering her birth mother, her therapist and family members have to tap into her alter personalities to sort out the truth of what really happened before she is sent away to prison forever. Well written and fast-paced. Could not put it down.

SUMMARY:
This is the unsettling story of Penny and her quest to be understood. When she is found, covered in blood, everyone assumes she’s guilty of murder. But is she? Her mother Grace certainly doesn’t believe it, and will stop at nothing to prove her innocence. But what will happen when she starts to dig into the events of that night, and of the past? Resolution? Answers? Or catastrophe?

PROS and CONS:
Wow this author really loves a medical mystery...he obviously has a passion for mental illness and the issues associated with it. However, his passion does take away from the story. I found myself somewhat distracted with the ins and out of dissociative identity disorder, taking away from the mystery that was unfolding.

READ IT?
I wouldn’t be in a huge rush, but YES - if you’re looking for an interesting medical mystery, give this one a try!

3 Stars

Such a good story with writing that makes the book fly by so much so that before you know it, you're halfway through. A book to devour, DJ Palmer explores crime, mental diagnosis, and an absolutely thrilling rollercoaster of clues. Well done.

This is an absolutely wonderful book for the lover of psychological thrillers. A superbly well crafted novel about a teenage girl with multiple personality disorder told in three narrative voices the author does an outstanding job of keeping separate.

The book opens with every parent’s nightmare. Your teenage daughter is not home, the car is gone without permission and there is no note explaining her absence. The knock on the door comes from the police and the harrowing quest for the truth begins. Further complicating this scenario, Grace Francone’s missing daughter suffers from DID, dissociative identity disorder. Penny has been charged with the murder of her biological mother and the evidence is overwhelming. Grace is Tiger Mom personified in her search to prove Penny’s innocence.

A more surprising ending than one could imagine. You won’t see it coming.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read another excellent ARC.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️. I was so excited to get an advanced copy of The Perfect Daughter in NetGalley because I absolutely loved The New Husband and gave it 5 stars. This one on the other hand was a little harder for me to rate and review. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. I actually thought the storyline was quite interesting with Penny’s multiple personalities and the mystery of Rachel’s murder. I liked trying to figure out whether Penny really killed her or not. I also liked reading Grace’s determination to help her daughter. She never gave up on her. It fell short for me about half way through, when it seemed to get repetitive. I felt like I kept reading but it wasn’t going anywhere. The ending had a big reveal but to be honest I suspected it about 3/4 of the way through the book so it wasn’t really a huge shocker to me. Overall I’m glad I took the time to read it, I just don’t think it was as good as the first book that I read by D.J Palmer.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Whew. This one made my head hurt- in a good way. The idea of multiple personalities has always been fascinating to me, in an “I can just barely wrap my head around it” kind of way. Even though you know from the beginning what is going on, I was still shocked each time a new piece of the puzzle fell into place, and I loved trying to figure out the how and why. And of course- that twist. 🤯 Definitely another solid read from DJ Palmer.

I received a digital advance copy of The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer through NetGalley. The Perfect Daughter is scheduled for release on April 20, 2021.

Penny is the perfect daughter. At least, she is the daughter that Grace always wanted, the abandoned girl that Grace rescued from a park when she was only four. As Penny grew up, it became clear that Penny was more than Grace knew, with various personalities appearing as she matures.

Teenage Penny is found at the scene of a gruesome murder. It is clear that Penny did the deed, as she is covered in blood and holding the murder weapon. What is less clear is which personality did it, or if Penny has faked them all.

As a character, Grace is a woman who will do anything to save her daughter from a life in prison. While this trait gives her character clarity in terms of motivation, it was also an issue as she has two sons that she is willing to push aside in order to help Penny. The parental devotion she shows to Penny is great, but I didn’t understand the lack of balance (or attempt to find balance) for the needs of all of her children. It begins to feel that Grace’s total devotion to Penny above all else is simply because she is the daughter she always wanted, which feels a bit icky for a parent.

The most interesting part of this novel for me was Penny and her apparent alters. It is clear that Palmer did extensive research on Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), including the debate that is still ongoing regarding its validity as a diagnosis.

What worked less well for me was the central question of this book. Penny’s doctors and family are very focused on figuring out if Penny truly has DID or instead suffers from borderline personality disorder or even psychopathy. While on its surface, this question seems innocent enough, a desire to find the truth, the novel presents it in a way that is far less innocent. In this novel the question really becomes is Penny suffering from a mental illness (DID) or is she evil (borderline personality disorder/ psychopathy)? The driving need to answer the question is not to find Penny’s truth, but to determine if she is worthy of saving and the continued love of her family.

This central question is presented early in the novel, with clips from her brother Jack as he is working on a documentary film following his search for Penny’s actual diagnosis. It took quite a while for me to figure out why this novel, and the central question in particular, were not sitting well with me. I finally realized it is this framing, that some mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, DID) are seen as “okay” and something that is not something the individual should be blamed or punished for, while others (sociopathy, psychopathy, etc.) mean that a person is inherently bad or evil. This framing is not unique to this novel, but is a reflection of our society as a whole. We have made progress in discussing and accepting some forms of mental illness, while we continue to see others as a very negative characteristic of the individuals who suffer from them. I think the current dividing line might be who is negatively impacted by the mental illness. Illnesses that primarily impact the individual with the illness (depression, for example) have moved into the realm of “acceptable,” while those that are more likely to have a direct negative impact on those around the ill individual remain “bad.” While I partially understand this divide, it still made this novel very difficult for me to read, as it asked me to wait for a diagnosis before I decided if Penny was a character I should feel sympathy for.

I am very curious if other readers had this same experience with The Perfect Daughter, and in general if anyone agrees with my take on the issue of mental illness as it is presented in the novel and the changing understanding of these illnesses in society as a whole. While I did struggle to enjoy the novel as a story, I do believe it could become an interesting focal point for continuing discussions.

A very interesting psychological thriller, which focuses on 16-year-old Penny Francone, who is found covered in blood, holding a bloody knife, near the body of her birth mother. The question then becomes whether Penny, who perhaps has DID (Disassociative Identity Disorder), has committed a savage and brutal murder — or has one of her alters? Or has someone else?

This is a multi-layered novel which expertly explores the trauma of a severe mental illness, as well as the effects on those family members around the afflicted person, especially Penny’s adoptive mother, Grace. It is a tense, complex read, and I applaud the author for the research done into DID and weaving it into a page-turner of a thriller. The characters were well-developed and likeable, though at times even though I admired Grace’s compassion for and do-anything willingness to help her daughter, her character seemed just a bit too much. And, I found that the backstory belonging to Dr. Mitch, Penny’s psychiatrist, did not really fit into the storyline all that well.

Nevertheless, I really did enjoy this read, which definitely kept me turning pages and guessing. There were plenty of twisty aspects throughout, and the ending was a surprise that tied many loose ends together well. I especially found interesting the intriguing insight it provided into a complex medical condition such as DID.

When sixteen year old Penny Francone is found holding a bloody knife, covered in blood and standing over the body of a dead woman she is arrested for murder. Penny claims to not remember what happened and while her adoptive parents are convinced that she couldn't kill anyone, they are concerned that she suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID) and one of her other personalities could know what happened. Penny is sent to a psychiatric hospital while awaiting trial where she is seen by a doctor, Mitch McHugh, experienced with DID patients. He will need to decide if Penny is truly suffering from DID or is a psychopath who is very good at fooling everyone, as the Prosecution will claim in court.

This is a very twisty psychological thriller. The author has researched the current thinking on DID and produced a realistic and plausible scenario where Penny's alters serve different purposes in her personality, with one being dominant and protecting the others. Penny's mother Grace is brilliant at supporting her daughter and assisting her lawyer and doctor in trying to unravel her condition. Her brother Jack, a film student making a film about Penny's case is also supportive and working in the background to find out more of Penny's history before her adoption. The climax of the novel is shocking as secrets and lies come tumbling out with a surprising twist making for very addictive reading!

This is my second read by D.J. Palmer, and it didn’t disappoint. We meet Grace & Arthur & their two sons, Jack & Ryan & adopted daughter, Penny. Penny has been placed in a psychiatric hospital following her suspected involvement in a homicide. Penny also has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Throughout the story we meet her alter personalities & learn more about her life pre-adoption. Could she have murdered someone, was it one of her alters, or someone else entirely? It is quite a ride & Palmer paces the story skillfully. Thanks to #netgalley #stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. #theperfectdaughter

Wow! The description of this book sounded fascinating and it did not disappoint. Teenager Penny Francone, covered in blood and holding the murder weapon is arrested for the brutal murder of her birth mother. All the evidence points to her guilt. Except Penny does not remember any of it. Penny suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), sometimes referred to as Multiple Personality Disorder. Grace, Penny’s adoptive mother doesn’t believe that Penny is capable of committing such a heinous crime and sets out to prove her innocence. What ensues is a roller coaster ride in which we meet three of Penny’s alters as Grace, with the help of Dr. Mitch, tries to figure out what really happened on the night of the murder. As the case unfolds in court readers will discover the truth is not at all what anyone expected. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Daughter by @djpalmerauthor

Thriller Suspense

{ Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my review copy}

This one had me guessing the whole time! Grace will protect her daughter at all costs. Penny is found at the Murder of Racheal Boyd ( her birth mother) covered in blood. But Penny has Dissociative Identity Disorder from trauma of her past. She doesn’t remember any thing or maybe one of her personality’s does? But how can they reach them, when protector Eve is here.

I loved Graces fight and will to believe her daughter at all costs. Fighting to find out all she can about what happened that night. There were lots of twist that kept me thinking. How can the weed through the truth and lies. I felt the truth of different therapist and Psychologist and how they have differing opinions about weather or not a person has DID and the real ness of the diagnosis or is it other things?
So many questions with this one, I loved that. So many things to see potentially going wrong!
4.5⭐️

I'm not sure when I read "Sybil: The True Story of a Woman Possessed by 16 Separate Personalities" by Flora Schreiber - sometime in the late 1970s, I suppose. It was the first time I'd ever heard the term "multiple personality" - an almost unbelievable disorder (I won't get into subsequent reports that the whole story was bogus - I have no way of verifying either side of that dispute). But the book certainly did make an impression on me, as well as spark interest in the subject. So it was, then, that I was delighted to be approved for a pre-release copy of this book to read and review (thanks to the publisher via NetGalley).

Of course, it's not a biography; rather, it's billed as a "thriller that explores the truth or lies behind a teenage girl's multiple personality disorder." And yeah, that got my attention. The drama begins when Grace Francone spots a little girl in a park, clearly alone and frightened. With no adults in sight, Grace calls the police, who take the child to the hospital. Grace and her pizzeria owner Arthur have two young sons, but Grace has long harbored a desire for a daughter. You guessed it: No one has claimed the girl from the park, and Grace manages to convince her family (and the proper authorities) to let the girl - now dubbed "Penny" - become their adopted daughter.

Everything seems fine - the brothers are way more delighted than I ever would have been to have a new sibling - until Penny's odd behavior results in a diagnosis of possible Dissociative Identity Disorder (a.k.a., the aforementioned multiple personalities). Even then, the family is perfectly understanding and accepting (mostly, it seems, because Grace insists that it be that way) until Grace gets a call saying her beloved Penny is in jail, charged with murder. Not only does she have ties to the victim, Penny is found covered in the victim's blood and holding the carving knife.

But no - just no, Grace insists. Now a widow (more on this comes to light as the story progresses), Grace turns into a ferocious feline - organizing with the precision of a drill sergeant a team who will do anything, and give up everything - to protect and defend her precious daughter, who ends up at a psychiatric facility at which she'll be evaluated to determine whether an insanity defense is a viable option. But that's not all bad; there, she meets a friendly psychiatrist she calls Dr. Mitch, who has mental issues of his own but has no problem confirming four "identities" - Penny, Eve, Chloe and Ruby - who inhabit the brain of the teenager they (mostly) know as Penny. What he cannot confirm, alas - at least not in a courtroom under oath, much to Grace's dispair - is that Penny really has DID, a detail that's critical to the defense.

So, Grace and her sister-in-law Annie set out to prove Penny's innocence despite warnings from Penny's attorney, the police, and Ryan, one of Grace's sons who seems to be harboring a few secrets of his own. From this point on, chapters shift between what Grace is doing, what the doctor is doing and progress reports on the film Grace's other son, Jack, is making about Penny's unusual life. I won't say it's all believable (far from it in several instances, in fact), and way-too-detailed and lengthy sections that made me feel more like I was being schooled on DID than entertained by a mind-gripping story (although I do give major kudos to the author for doing extensive research on the subject). Overall, though, it was captivating throughout, picking up steam toward the end as layers of fiction were peeled away to reveal an unexpected truth. All in all, quite enjoyable and definitely recommended.

A thriller centred around a teenager with a multiple personality disorder who is accused of murder....yes please! This is the kind of book I want to pick up. And this is the exact book I devoured. Holy moly folks, this book really was excellent! Definitely my favorite book by this author.

If you're a thriller fan, you'll enjoy this one. The ending was so unexpected I'm still thinking about it.

It started slowly but ended up at warp speed!

Penny Francone was found in a park when she was around four years old by her adoptive mother Grace. She did not say a word and looked so forlorn and lost that Grace’s heart just melted. She already had 2 sons - Jack and Ryan, but had always wanted a little girl. So after her birth mother, Rachel Boyd, agreed to give her up in exchange for avoiding a drug conviction and jumping through the hoops Grace and Arthur adopted the little girl whom they named Penny. Everything was fine until Penny reached adolescence and also made a new friend, Maria Descenza, who was a firebug. At that point the worried parents noticed some disturbing changes and eventually got a diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

Then, when she is 16, Penny is charged with murdering her birth mother. Someone called 911 and police found Penny covered in blood, clutching the murder weapon - a nasty big knife! She is sent to a secure psychiatric facility to await trial. Grace can’t believe her sweet daughter Penny could have done such a thing but she is up against her history with Maria and the fact that they came up with plans to kill people, including Rachel Boyd. Grace is convinced all that trouble is the work of Eve, one of Penny’s alters and sets about finding a lawyer and putting together a defence of insanity. A new doctor at the facility, Dr Mitch McHugh, gives Grace hope as he is at least open to the idea of DID although he needs a lot more time to reach a firm conclusion.

You know that click bait you see online - “you won’t believe what happens next!” That’s this book. Let’s be honest, the start is really quite slow but from the halfway point the puzzle pieces start to come together and by the time we get to the court case things are very interesting and move at lightning speed. Still, that slow start set the scene for what was to come and is necessary for the story. The author did a great job describing DID and it’s effects in a very sympathetic and compassionate manner. Was it all accurate? I have no idea but it certainly sounded plausible to me. I was very invested in the character of Penny/Eve/Ruby/Chloe, well the whole family really because they were so ordinary. They weren’t wealthy or intellectual or gorgeous. They were so very ordinary and I could really relate to them and their struggles. And I did find the whole story very interesting and in the end I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and D.J. Palmer for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.

A trigger warning for animal lovers, there is one nasty incident involving a cat

Perfect Daughter

Off hand I can’t remember a book I’ve read or at least retained about DID - Dissociative IdentifyDisorder but I did watch All My Children so I have some background on this mental health disorder.

D.J.Palmer did a fantastic job of researching Dissociative Identify Disorder as he was able to describe in great detail as each alter integrated into its host Penny Francone. Each alter was very important to this story and each held a piece of the puzzle, I think if this book was to be made into an audiobook it would be great to listen to.

Isabella was found at age 4 all alone in a playground, Grace came upon this little girl and did everything she could to give her a home and adopt her as the little girl she always wanted. The old saying, “find a Penny pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck” was just how Penny’s name came to be, especially since she didn’t respond to Isabella.

Fast forward years later, teenage years, Penny is arrested for murder but doesn’t remember a single thing about it. Was Penny there or was it her alter- Eve? Chloe? or Ruby? Instead of sitting in jail to await her trial, Penny is sent to Edgewater a psychiatric facility where she is assigned to a new Dr at the facility Mitch McHugh. Dr.McHugh is very talented in his field but upon reading the case notes on Penny, the Dr he predeceases has Penny as a psychotic sociopath. Grace, Pennys mom begs Dr.Hugh to examine Penny to make his own diagnosis, there’s no way Penny would survive in jail and she’s desperate or Penny’s defense to be by mental defect.

Mitch is determined to help Penny in every way he can but will be really be able to give her the diagnosis Grace so desperately longs for when he’s battling his own demons?

Mitch suffers from extreme depression and having a heroin addicted son only makes his depression worse. Feeingl like a failure, letting down his wife and son, how is Mitch going to be able to help Penny when he can’t even help himself?

D.J Palmer is a master at his craft, the way he researches every aspect of each character and weaves it into this book is nothing less then perfection. With shady guards, other dangerous patients, a murder investigation, abandonment, mental health disorders and drug addiction The Perfect Daughter kept me on the edge of my seat at all times. There was no sleep to be had reading this book.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for an honest review, I gave this book 5 stars.

Wow, i just finished this book and at the end the author says, “I hope I have exceeded your expectations.” Well, you certainly did! I was first interested in this book because my dad was a psychiatrist and I have an interest in mental illnesses so the multiple personalities drew me in. The story is one of a girl abandoned and taken in by a family with two older brothers. She is definitely a disruption. Problems arise linked to multiple personalities. There is drama, family dynamics, murder and a great climax. Bravo! A winner. #netGalley #DJPalmer #theperfectdaughter