‘The Perfect Daughter’ by Alex Stone is a psychological thriller from a new author to me. This cover and synopsis both grabbed me immediately and I knew I needed to read it.
Jess Harper has spent her whole life trying to make her mum, Abigail, happy and proud. And everything Jess does, from the clothes she wears, the job she has, the men she dates, are all approved by Abigail first.
The Perfect Boyfriend
So when Jess announces that she has a new man in her life – plumber Adam – Abigail is less than impressed. ‘A plumber? Really, Jessica….’ Adam encourages Jess to break free from her mum’s manipulation; can’t she see what’s happening?
The perfect mother
But Abigail is only doing these things to keep Jess safe, to protect her from getting hurt again… isn’t she?
Or the perfect liar?
Jess, caught in the middle, doesn’t know who to believe or trust. And then Adam vanishes without a trace.
Now Jess is the police’s prime suspect, and they want to know if Jess really is as perfect as she seems.
A story told in alternating chapters from the now and then, we see how Jess and Adam met and how Abigail affected their relationship. The mother-daughter relationship is a real claustrophobic, smothering one. Jess believes her mum just wants the best for her and to protect her, and then she finds Adam. A man who encourages her to follow her dreams and really cares for her. Until the day Adam is gone and she is alone, again, with her mum. Things go from bad to worse as the police think Jess is connected to his disappearance.
I was gripped immediately from the first chapter, Alex Stone knows how to hold a reader’s attention. The more the story unfolded, the more the toxicity of the relationship became apparent. The darkness running through this story had me on edge throughout.
A thought-provoking, thrilling read that highlights manipulation and coercive control in relationships. I enjoyed this so much I read it in two sittings, sat on the edge of my seat occasionally, as I got further into the book.
Alex Stone certainly has a knack for storytelling that left me totally satisfied with the story I had just read and I am looking forward to reading more from her.
Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the copy of the book.
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