A laudable effort of bringing a mental health issue and addiction into a single book. The characters with all their flaws and goodness are a big asset to this heavy theme. The initial part of the book is quite slow with quite a lot of repetitions, but gets rectified in the final third. The suspense was awesome. Superb.

This book checked all of the boxes for me!!!! Here we find the ultimate unreliable narrator in Penny, a young woman with DID (dissociative identity disorder). I was a little worried about how the author would incorporate a troubling, severe mental disorder into a mystery/thriller. I needn’t have worried. The author, having done exhaustive research, presented the disease in an empathetic and genuine way, showing how it is often mistreated, misunderstood and even ignored.

What a fascinating book! Not only was it a page turner, but it was my favorite mix - a riveting story combined with real learning from the writers extensive research. The characters were rendered colorfully, you could feel their emotions as they worked toward understanding Penny’s potentially multiple personalities in their attempts to save her from a murder charge. The story kept getting deeper and windier as the book progressed, cementing your attention and focus to make sure you don’t miss a thing. You know you’re reading a good book when thoughts of the characters and storyline invade your non-reading thoughts, I couldn’t wait to get back to it!

I really wanted to love this book, but I had some issues with it.

I think my main problem is that the story rested hard on a big reveal--one that likely would not be not be a reveal to anyone who's familiar with other books/movies about DID. While I appreciated this book's nuanced take on DID disorder, it cannot escape the shadow of other stories about the condition which all seem to have a common trope--that at the end of the story the person with DID reveals something particularly awful that happened during their childhood that ultimately caused their reality to fracture.

**SPOLIERS**

In this story, we're lead to believe that every time Penny disassociates, that's she's flashing back to the scene of the murder. But I never believed those scenes. As a result of my past media conditioning, every time she "flashed back" I simply thought, "oh, here's another flashback to her childhood." Unfortunately this made all of the "let's make her disassociate to solve the murder" adventures kind of a slog to get through (and, of course, the "These were ACTUALLY memories from her childhood" a less than thrilling reveal.)

This was shame, because I thought the murder mystery part of the story was compelling. I was indeed surprised by the final reveal of the murderer and thought the courtroom scene was well done. I thought Grace was a solid character and found Mitch's chapters interesting (although his son's drug troubles started to feel like a very large subplot.) Sadly, I really disliked the chapters from the brother's perspective, which felt like shifting perspective simply for the sake of shifting perspective.

I think perhaps this book was just not a good match for my tastes. While I'm not an expert on DID, I have read a lot of stories about it and know DID tropes well and found it ineffective when this book tried to play against those tropes.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another fabulous book not to be missed by DJ Palmer. Filled with twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat! Truly fascinating, and well researched book dealing with multiple personality disorders set in a psychiatric hospital. DJ Palmer’s writing is so rich in detail that you will be turning the pages of this book into the wee hours of the night! This is one book not to be missed!!

⚓️Penny, a teenage girl with a multiple personality disorder is charged with the horrific murder of her birth mother, Rachel.

⚓️Grace—Penny’s mom, will stop at nothing to prove that her adopted daughter is innocent. Working closely with Penny’s Attorney and Doctor, they must navigate the evidence Penny — Eve — Ruby —and Chloe present during therapy and interviews before the trial begins.

⚓️With 4 very different personalities living within one young girl, the memories of what really happened that night are a mystery they must solve to save this young girl from a life in prison.

⚓️Who killed Rachel Boyd? Is Penny innocent? Or did one of her alternate personalities kill her birth mother? Will she pay the price for murder, or is someone else responsible??

⚓️This is a fast paced psychological thriller has all of the gripping components to keep you racing to the end, and when you get there you won’t be disappointed!

⚓️The author’s writing was well researched and the character’s mental health was portrayed very realistically. The different personalities of this young girl kept me very invested in the book!

⭐️This book will be on sale April 20th, 2021. Pre-order now at your fave book spot. You are DEFINITELY going to want to add this to your TBR!!!

⭐️A special thanks to @djpalmerauthor @netgalley and @stmartinspress for providing me an early copy!

Another GREAT read by D.J. Palmer!
Had me sucked in from the first page!
Never saw the ending coming and that is great writing!
Will always recommend a book by D.J. Palmer and will be sure to tell others about this coming book in April! Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC and a great one at that!!

This book and every other book by DJ Palmer is a must read. The Perfect Daughter is a complex step into mental health and will be eye opening for so many people. I really enjoyed this book, a must read!

What if your daughter had a dark side?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story of a young girl arrested for a terrible crime. Her adoptive mother knows that the daughter she loves couldn't be guilty... but what if another part of her personality was? I think that books describing alternate personalities tend to get cheesy very quickly, and this book did a good job of avoiding that. The story is intriguing, and I didn't see the twist coming. Overall, an entertaining read!

Wow! The Perfect Daughter is one complex, compelling novel, and a little hard to review. This story was truly unique, which is hard to achieve in my experience. At the center of the novel is a teenaged girl named Penny. Penny was abandoned as a young child, and subsequently adopted by Grace and her husband, already parents to two young sons (Jack and Ryan). Everyone is thrilled to add Penny to the family, but over time they begin noticing things amiss with Penny. Eventually, they discover that Penny has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), also known as multiple personality disorder. The family soon becomes familiar with Penny's alters Eve, Ruby, and Chloe, all distinct personalities.

As the story begins, Penny is being arrested at the scene of a violent murder, covered in the victim's blood and holding the murder weapon. It certainly looks like an open and shut case, but Penny is refusing to talk and her DID diagnosis complicates matters. Why would Penny commit such a seemingly senseless act? Did one of her alters take over? Or could someone else be involved somehow. Grace is determined to prove Penny innocent and never wavers in her support. Jack is trying to make sense of things by filming a documentary about life with Penny, but Ryan is certain Penny is guilty and refuses to communicate with her or help his mother prove her innocence. Grace hasn't had much luck with psychiatrists, but when Penny is institutionalized, she is assigned to Dr. Mitch McHugh, who has an open mind and is willing to consider alternative explanations. Grace and Dr. McHugh join forces to keep Penny out of prison.

This novel was a major page-turner for me. It's a complicated mystery, but author, D. J. Palmer is masterful at weaving the many strands together into a beautiful tapestry. Clearly, Palmer did a mountain of research into DID and presents a sympathetic picture of Penny and the impact of her disorder on her family. Penny (and her alters) is a complex character, and Grace is so sympathetic as she fights to save her daughter. The other POV in the novel is that of Jack as he develops his documentary. Best of all, for me, was the way everything came together in the end. Other readers may see the ending coming, but not me!!! I loved it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest review. D. J. Palmer has another winner with The Perfect Daughter, slated for publication on April 20, 2021.

D.J. Palmer goes the extra mile in describing a young girl with dissociative identity disorder (DID), the term used today to describe individuals with multiple personalities. The girl, Penny, was adopted at age 4 and shortly afterwards, her alters, Chloe, Eve, and Ruby began making their appearances. Now, at 17 and charged with the murder of her biological mother, Penny's family is desperate to find out if Penny is destined for a life in prison.
Penny's mother, Grace, and her two sons are faced with numerous challenges and are unable to find much hope in the prison system. Even with a well trained psychiatrist who is new to the area, there's suspicion that the DID diagnosis could be a manipulative defense.
The story line rings true and Palmer does a fantastic job drawing the reader in to the drama.
I received an advance Kindle copy in exchange for an honest review and I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity. The Perfect Daughter is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. Another amazing book by D.J. Palmer! Great character development and loved the way everything unfolded in this book. Talk about a turbulent ride! Kept me reading late into the night (lol). D.J. Palmer is my new favorite Mystery/Thriller author. Highly recommend!

Oh my goodness this book was SOOOO good. At first I was a little skeptical on how the other was going to show us Penny and her multiple personalities but the author did an amazing job!

I was on my toes the entire time reading this and literally was screaming at the twists. That's how you know it's a good book.

Probably one of my new favorites!

When Penny was four, Grace found her alone, abandoned in the park. Once they found her mother, she gave up her parental rights to avoid charges against her, and Grace adopted sweet little Penny into her family. Little did she know that in the teenage years, Penny would be on trial for killing her birth mother. There is one other thing too. Penny has multiple personalities, and you never know which you will get. Her new therapist at the state psychiatric hospital Mitch, sees primarily Eve, the strong willed and dark side of Penny. Penny doesn’t remember anything from that night, could one of her selves have killed Rachel?

Talk about an unexpected gem! I enjoyed The New Husband, it was a solid 4 star read, but damn this book! I was not at all expecting this book. I am fascinated by the idea of multiple personalities, so I was excited to read it, but the way Palmer wove the different personalities together was absolutely fantastic. It was like I could see and feel the shift from Eve to her other selves while she was sitting with Mitch. This thriller seriously has it all, amazing and compelling characters, unreliable narrators, mental health discussions, and a twist I didn’t expect! I don’t want to say too much but I promise you, this is a book you want to pick up when it comes out on April 20th!

The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer is a thriller that delves into the complexities of multiple personality disorder. Teenage girl, Penny, is locked up in a psychiatric facility, owned by the state, to try to keep her out of jail. Penny is charged with the murder of a stranger, she was at the scene, covered in blood, with the murder weapon. Penny’s adoptive mom, Grace, knows her daughter is innocent. Penny came into their lives when she was abandoned in a park, and found by Grace and her son Jack. Penny’s past remained a mystery, but as she grew, her different, sometimes disturbing, personalities started to come through. Many doctors believed she was faking, in order to trick others into believing she was not responsible for the murder. But Grace persisted. When another psychiatrist in the facility discovers a ‘new’ alter, Grace finally hopes this will be the clue they need to unlock the truth of what really happened the night of the murder.

This novel was complex, it was so well written, it flowed beautifully. The explanation of Disassociative Identity Disorder (DID) was flawless, from the change between alters, to their very different characteristics. The line between the truth and lies was thin, and it held your attention from beginning to end. The twist at the end was shocking. The secrets and betrayal exposed felt like a punch in your gut, you can’t help but empathize with Grace and her family. The multilayered characters, were well-defined, there was an emotional bond that couldn’t be broken. The love between the family members was solid, even though Penny’s brother Ryan was a ticking time bomb. This is dark, addictive, complex and will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

This is the third book I’ve read by D.J. Palmer, I have enjoyed them all, but this one is my definite favorite. The author is so well versed with the portrayal of Penny and her mental health disorder, it was impressive. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a true psychological thriller that will shock you at the end.

I would like to thank Netgalley, St Martin’s Press, and D.J. Palmer for an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Penny is found covered in blood at a murder scene. She had multiple personalities and remembers nothing. Her mother hires an attorney and fights for her daughter.

There are many interesting plot twists in this novel.

D.J. Palmer's two previous novels were wonderful psychological thrillers, and their newest book, "The Perfect Daughter" did not disappoint! Teenager Penny Francone has just been arrested for the murder of her birth mother. Rachel, only she has no memory of it whatsoever. Diagnosed several years earlier as having Dissociative Identity Disorder (or multiple personality disorder), Penny is awaiting trial in the state's psychiatric hospital, and her adoptive mother Grace, is set to prove that Penny didn't have any awareness of what she was doing due to her diagnosis., and an unawareness of the actions of her alter personalities. The new psychiatrist at the hospital, not necessarily committed to Penny's DID diagnosis begins working with her and through appearances of several of her alters during sessions, Penny's alters make several references that lead Dr. McHugh and Grace to believe that there may have been someone else there when Rachel was killed. Does Penny really have DID, or is she a highly skilled psychopath as the previous psychiatrist at the state hospital had suggested?

"The Perfect Daughter" is a fast-paced read- I had a hard time putting it down! And the ending will blow you away with its twists and turns! I look forward to more by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review. "The Perfect Daughter": is scheduled to be released on 4/20/21.

This book was one wild ride! Grace and Arthur were so very happy when Penny came into their lives. Penny was found abandoned. As Penny grew older she showed signs of multiple personalities. They took her to psychiatrists but the doctors didn't believe Penny. Penny is charged with the murder of a stranger and is put in a psychiatric hospital until trial. Can Grace and the Doctor find out what is going on with Penny and save her? This was such a great thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

The Perfect Daughter, the latest from D. J. Palmer, was not as good as his previous books, both of which I really enjoyed.

A very brief look at what this story is all about - Grace never dreamt she would visit her teenaged daughter Penny in the locked ward of a psychiatric hospital, charged with a shocking and brutal murder.

It was several days from the time I finished the book before I sat down to begin writing this review and I cannot remember how it ended. There is very little in my memory about this book. Was there a twist? I do not know and that leads me to the obvious conclusion that this story did not leave a lasting impact. And it also makes me feel like a terrible reviewer for not being able to share more with you, my fellow readers.

I do remember thinking that the story started off promising enough, but it just did not pull off the surprise and suspense I like in these types of books. In the beginning, I found myself wondering one thing – what really happened? Where was this story going to go? There was not much action and a couple storylines that I could not figure out why they were included. This book lacked the feel of a mystery but was still interesting because of the multiple personality aspect.

Loved this book. I couldn’t put the book down. Attention getter from the beginning to the end. Highly recommend. One of my favorite reads. I will be looking to read other books from this author. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC