The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Confronted by a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs to get out of Boston when she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey, who has just left a troubled relationship. Emmy proposes they move to rural Pennsylvania, where Leah can get a teaching position and both women can start again. But their new start is threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted by the lake, and Emmy disappears days later.

Determined to find Emmy, Leah cooperates with Kyle Donovan, a handsome young police officer on the case. As they investigate her friend’s life for clues, Leah begins to wonder: did she ever really know Emmy at all? With no friends, family, or a digital footprint, the police begin to suspect that there is no Emmy Grey. Soon Leah’s credibility is at stake, and she is forced to revisit her past: the article that ruined her career. To save herself, Leah must uncover the truth about Emmy Grey—and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.

Everyone in this rural Pennsylvanian town has something to hide—including Leah herself. How do you uncover the truth when you are busy hiding your own?"

My Thoughts:

When I think of this book the first word that comes to mind is page-turner!  I started reading this book and was finished it with it in a matter of days which doesn't always happen (even though I would like it to).  I just couldn't stop reading as I always felt compelled to see what was going to happen next.  My favorite thing about this book was that feeling that I never knew quite what was going on.  As I was reading I wasn't sure who Leah could trust and who she couldn't.  There were just constant questions and I was never sure of any of the character's motivations which it made it that much more interesting.  It also made it that much harder to put down!  It almost felt like there were two mysteries within this book.  The mystery of what was happening in the present and also the mystery of what had happened in Leah's past.  I enjoyed how we were given parts of Leah's past in pieces throughout the book.  It added to the suspense and had me questioning Leah's motivations as well.  I hit a point in this book where I just knew that I wasn't going to stop reading as I had to see how it would all end.  I will say that it was a pretty satisfying conclusion even though I had started guessing pieces of it.  It ended up being a really solid read for me - an easy four stars!

This is now the second book that I've read and enjoyed by this author.  The first book I read of hers was a young adult novel and I enjoyed that one just as much as this one.  I'm excited that I have other books of hers to look forward to!  This was a really great standalone thriller which is a type of book that I just don't read enough of.  I'm a series girl for the majority of the books I choose but books like this make me want to stretch and read more standalones!  I love a book that keeps me reading late into the night and this one definitely did!  I think that fans of both suspense and thrillers should give this book a try!  I can easily recommend it and am looking forward to reading more by this author because of it!

Bottom Line:  A suspenseful read that I couldn't put down!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.  Thoughts on it are my own.