The Perfect Daughter is a total head spin of a read. You never saw the ending coming!

When reading a DJ Palmer book, I can expect a nice twist or turn. Don’t get me wrong, this book did have one but not sure how well it was executed. I wanted to like this book more than I did. The pacing of the story was up and down. I felt it lulled in a lot of places. The story was good but I felt it dragged on a bit longer than it should have. At one point I almost DNF’d but I wanted to see how everything came together and trudged on. I did feel for the characters. The emotional rollercoaster ride everyone was on. The fighting spirit the mom had. Plus the emotions the author made you feel as you read. Who to trust? What actually happened?

As a whole, this is a good read. If you’ve read others by her, you will enjoy this. This one wasn’t one of my favorites but I do look forward to her next release! I give this 3 stars.

The Perfect Daughter is the first book by D.J. Palmer that I have read. I was intrigued by the premise and the plot, It definitely kept me reading, as the author crafted a carefully constructed mystery with exciting gradual reveals. Some plot elements seemed a bit far-fetched, however; hence my rating of 4 stars rather than 5.

This book was very intriguing. I honestly haven't read many with multiple personalities. The ones I have read really haven't had the other personalities featured as prominently as this story did.

Penny has tried very hard to turn her life around. There's mystery surrounding where she's come from, but she's done her best to create a life for herself. That all seems to disappear when's she is accused of committing a crime that she can't remember committing.

Grace is the only person who has faith in Penny. She's always the one advocating for her and pointing her in the right direction. When everything is turned upside down with the charges against Penny Grace is the only one willing to fight for her.

A moving and intriguing story. Would definitely like to experience more from this author.

This book reminded me of Baby Teeth. Creepy and gripping. Crazy how dark it got before anyone believed what was really happening.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
First and foremost, if you have never read a D.J. Palmer book, I don't know what you are waiting for. Pick one up, you will not be disappointed.
The Perfect Daughter tells the story of Penny, a 16 year old girl with DID (dissociative identity disorder), who is found covered in blood and holding the murder weapon. Arrested and sent to a psychiatric hospital to await trial, Penny's mother Grace, is doing everything possible to prove that Penny has a mental disorder and that she isn't legally responsible.
The Perfect Daughter has every element made for a perfect thriller. You have a brutal murder, a mentally unstable character, psychiatric hospital setting, and a family ripped apart. It has twists and turns that you won't see coming.

D.J. Palmer just keeps getting better and better! The Perfect Daughter was, well...PERFECT!

Thank you to the Publisher, Author and NetGalley for an early copy in return for my review.

At the beginning of the book, we have Penny who's been arrested in what seems a slam dunk case. She was discovered covered in blood, holding the knife over a brutally murdered woman. Her mother Grace insists that she's innocent despite all the evidence against her. Penny has multiple personality disorder and has divided the traumatic memories of her life between the personalities. Can Grace and the psychiatrist find out the truth before its too late?
This was such a great psychological thriller! I never knew what was going to happen next and how they were going to bring out her different personalities to discover the truth. I found it fascinating that each personality had no memory of the other.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Penny is a young girl found alone in a park and adopted by a family that already had two boys. Very little is known about her past and it slowly becomes obvious that she has a personality disorder.
Now she is being blamed for the death of her biological mother. She is being held in a psych facility awaiting trial and her adoptive mother is trying to get her free based on her diagnosis.
It is a fast paced thriller but the portrayal of dissociative disorder is off and that is annoying. Otherwise it is a great thriller.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Grace finds her daughter Penny abandoned at a park when she is a small child. Grace forms a bond with Penny, and she is adopted by Grace and her family. As Penny ages the family starts noticing different personality traits, to the point that Penny refers to herself as different people at times and even acts different. The family discovered Penny has DID and learns to try to cope with it. The book starts out with the police at Grace’s door telling her that they have arrested Penny for murder and once Grace learns who the victim is she finds she is shocked as it is Penny’s birth mother. Grace knows Penny would not hurt anyone, even in her dissociative states, but she has to prove it. Penny is in a mental hospital to determine her fitness for trial and Grace knows it is up to the doctor at the hospital to determine if Penny really has DID or if she is just faking as so many people think. Grace is determine to prove her daughters innocence at all costs.

I wanted to love this book, but it was not one of DJ Palmer’s best books. Grace was a bit annoying and reckless. Understanding that a mothers love will go far and beyond it just didn’t seem realistic at times. I also felt they dragged out the story a bit too long. The New Husband was a page turner for me, and it took me far longer to read this one. Now I will say the main character in The New Husband was annoying as well, and I think some of that comes from men trying to write women characters when they don’t know what its like to be a woman. I feel like male writers either need to do better and stop writing women as hysterical, irrational beings. If they cant do that then stop writing female character and stick to male characters. Or write women who can think rationally and are kick ass, and don’t put themselves in stupid situations.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

This book was edge of your seat great. It had me captivated from beginning to end. D.J. Palmer has an ability to make you forget everything around you!

I could NOT put this book down; I love a good fast paced thriller. There was always a catch which I love when its things you do not see coming and that keep you engaged the entire time.

I am mad that I waited so long to pick up this book, but it was quite the novel to read in one sitting out by the pool on a hot summer day and I would not have wanted to read it any other way.

The opening scene of this book starts with a mother discovering that her daughter has unexpectedly taken her car out for the night. A few moments later comes a knock on the door informing the mother that her teenage daughter has been arrested for the murder of a woman. After questioning the sanity of the daughter, she is then taken to a state mental hospital and is diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder). This is really all that you need to know going into the story. Buckle up and get ready for a twisty ride!

This book was quite the page turner and broke me out of my reading slump! I feel that it is also rare that we are given a book that discusses the true nature of DID and how families cope with the process and the psychology behind the disorder. I truly believe in not giving away details for mystery/thrillers so if you love a good page turning book full of surprises, pick this one up and allow yourself a day to binge it.

I now plan to read D.J. Palmer’s backlist and will now be on the lookout for any upcoming books he has coming out.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book!

This book grabbed me and would not let go. As I read, I was reminded of another of my favorite thrillers starring a young adult with mental issues, PRIMAL FEAR. Although THE PERFECT DAUGHTER is a completely different story, it had that same "make-your-heart-race" style of writing. Can't wait to read more from this author's new pen name!

THE PERFECT DAUGHTER BY DJ PALMER REVIEW
published 4/20/2021 by @stmartinspress
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i don’t want to say too much about this book so i don’t spoil the ending, but it was a very well written and surprising thriller.

i enjoy reading about mental health issues in books if it’s done well and doesn’t put down the person with mental illness. personally, i thought that this was well done. dissociative identity disorder is not diagnosed as much as it probably should be because many in the psychology field still don’t believe it exists. it, to me, is a fascinating disorder and i feel for any person who’s experienced it.

it was a tiny bit too long but i did enjoy the book. like i said, it’s a little hard to talk about without spoiling.

trigger warnings: ‼️a very graphic scene involving a cat on pages 120-122, hp and jkr references, bullying, ableism, drug use, graphic violence, abuse, mental health trauma, trauma, graphic murder, manipulation, miscarriage, prejudice

I thought this book was good, and had a great concept. There were just parts that seemed to drag on and others that felt like they were completed which is why I’m giving 3 stars!

I had trouble getting into the story since the characters were very plain. I wasn't interested in any of them. I didn't find this to be well written. The dialogue was stiff and unnatural.

I’ve shared that I’ve been incredibly interested in exploring the DID diagnosis and learning as much as I can about it. I recently finished the book When Rabbit Howls which is a deep dive into a woman diagnosed with DID and the trauma she suffered as a child. It is not a genetic disorder, it’s caused by repeated childhood trauma that occurs before the age of around 9-11.⁣⁣⁣
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All that being said, in this particular book the author seems to have done extensive research on the disorder (as far as what I know about it) and did seem to handle the topic with care. Overall the book had some twists and turns but I would not say this was a favorite of mine or one I would recommend. The writing was fine but it just didn’t hold my interest enough and I really struggle with using someone’s mental disorder as a form of entertainment. ⁣⁣⁣
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What do you think about using someone’s trauma or disorder as a form of entertainment? I really struggle with this topic for many reasons. As you know I’m a huge fan of true crime, but it’s not “entertainment” for me in a way that I don’t honor victims or try and learn from situations to be sure it doesn’t continue to occur. Also, the more the public hears about a case, especially one unsolved, the more eyes that are on it and someone who has pertinent information could still come forward. I’m always looking for justice in cold cases, and learning more about mental health and what can drive someone to commit a heinous crime. I’m trying to figure out if that’s what can be taken from a fiction book that uses a mental disorder as a plot point - are we learning to have understanding and compassion, or are we learning the wrong things and seeing people as monsters when they need help?

Actual star rating: 3.5

So, this book was just OK for me. And full transparency, I almost set it aside after reading a chapter with animal cruelty, but I pressed on. There had to be a lot of research done by the author into DID and other psychological afflictions which was very interesting to me, but unfortunately I was bored for 70% of this 😬. It was a unique storyline, but I wanted a bit more.

This was a fast paced and 'full on' storyline. There was a lot packed into it. Very interesting from the medical/therapist side and I definitely gained a good insight into personality disorders from this book. A very enjoyable read.

Highly recommended

Thank you Netgalley.

I received an early copy of this book from St Martin's Press.

The Perfect Daughter is the third book by DJ Palmer, and I went in with no expectations after not really caring for The Perfect Husband, but really liking Saving Megan. From the first chapter it starts off with a bang. Penny, a teenager who had been diagnosed with DID, has been arrested for murder. Through it all, you meet her other alters, and start wondering what is actually the truth. Without giving too much away, this book takes a lot a turns and changes your mind on a lot of things until the end. A good read, and well done portraying a character with mental illness like DID.