The New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew returns with an electrifying new novel about how the past will always find us…“Literary suspense at its finest.”—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Baby“A wonderfully addictive book with virtuoso plotting and characters – for anyone who loved Girl on the Train, it’s a must read.” — Rosamund LuptonZoe Maisey is a … characters – for anyone who loved Girl on the Train, it’s a must read.”
— Rosamund Lupton
Zoe Maisey is a seventeen-year-old musical prodigy with a genius IQ. Three years ago, she was involved in a tragic incident that left three classmates dead. She served her time, and now her mother, Maria, is resolved to keep that devastating fact tucked far away from their new beginning, hiding the past even from her new husband and demanding Zoe do the same.
Tonight Zoe is giving a recital that Maria has been planning for months. It needs to be the performance of her life. But instead, by the end of the evening, Maria is dead.
In the aftermath, everyone—police, family, Zoe’s former solicitor, and Zoe herself—tries to piece together what happened. But as Zoe knows all too well, the truth is rarely straightforward, and the closer we are to someone, the less we may see.
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I enjoyed reading “The Perfect Girl” and found the story and premise to be engaging. Zoe, a child piano prodigy, is now living with her “Second Chance Family,” as her mother Maria has remarried following Zoe’s incarceration for the murder of her classmates. Zoe’s story — the death was accidental after she was drugged at a party. Zoe’s mother does not share her past with her new husband Chris or her stepbrother Lucas. When it is revealed unintentionally at a performance, it sets off a chain of events culminating in Maria’s murder. What ensues is a whodunit with a number of twists and turns. None of the characters in the book is particularly likable, and all have flaws, but in many ways this makes it more interesting. The book culminates with a surprise ending. Good read and kept my attention throughout.
The author can certainly write. Chapters were in different character’s POVs. This is not always done well, and if not written properly has no chance of carrying a novel. The author did a great job with this writing style. Many times this book touched my heart.
Looking for a suspenseful thriller? Then, this is a good read! Meet Zoe, a musical genius who has also spent time in jail for murder. Zoe now is living with her mom and step-dad and step-brother. This is her second chance life with her second chance family. Sounds perfect, but is it? Fast-paced enjoyable reads for fans of suspense!
Enjoyed. 3rd book I’ve read by this author and have enjoyed them all. Well written and researched.
I love the way this book is written! I gave it 4 stars only because it wasn’t as twisted as I thought it could be for the way it was written. Otherwise great book especially if you’re new to reading mysteries.
Suspenseful. Couldn’t put it down
Good who dun it.
This is a captivating and easy to read novel. I liked the characters and the way the book was written. It switches back and forth between the characters so you get each perspective. It was a little anticlimactic, so I have it four stars instead of five.
I did not finish it. I did not like it and got very bored with it.
Very suspenseful, and a great read.
This was thought provoking and a good story.
Zoe Maisey is a genius: a piano prodigy with an amazingly high IQ. She is also a killer. When she was fourteen, Zoe was responsible for the death of three fellow teens. Now, she and her mother have started over (their “Second Chance Life”) and Zoe is playing her first concert in her new life, along with her stepbrother, Lucas. But her performance is disrupted and Zoe flees the concert hall. And, by the end of the night, Zoe’s mother is dead. Zoe is alone, forced to confront a new world without her protector. Plus, who is responsible for her mother’s death?
This book grabbed me immediately; it sucks you in from the start and doesn’t let you go until it finishes, when you’re exhilarated and exhausted. It’s a fascinating, easy-to-read thriller with short chapters that tell us about the events surrounding the timeframe after Zoe’s concert, but also going back into the past via flashbacks from the characters. We hear from Zoe, her aunt, Tessa, Tessa’s husband, Richard, and Sam, Zoe’s lawyer from her “previous” life. Their narratives weave flawlessly into a tense and sometimes psychologically creepy tale that has you sitting spellbound, turning pages frantically, wanting to know what happens.
In theory, the action happens over a very short period of time, as Maria’s killer is unveiled, but the ability to go into the past with the characters extends the time and makes you tensely await each action. Macmillan’s characters are nuanced and deep–each with their own quirks, flaws, and motivations. Beyond the actual plotline of murder, there is a deep thread of discord and familial drama and angst running among our characters, who are certainly a flawed bunch. The book makes you question and ponder many things, including the topics of forgiveness, loyalty, marriage, and what really makes a family. I won’t forget either the exciting story or the characters themselves for some time.
Overall, while there were certainly a few things to quibble with with this one, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a tense but enjoyable thriller to escape into and certainly well worth the thread.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Librarything.