This is my first time reading anything by Karen Perry. The book started off very well and described in detail the horror that the lead character, Cara, was in the midst of before being plucked to safety by a complete stranger, Amy. Such is her plight and state of mind that Cara unburdens herself to Amy, telling her secrets that she has not even shared with her husband. When the coast is clear and the girls can safely leave, Cara is certain that her secrets are safe and that she will never see Amy again. However, some time later and the secrets threaten to surface with Cara being threatened. With everything around her crumbling, Cara is relieved when Amy reaches out to her after all a friendly face is just what is needed at this point in time. Soon she is welcoming her into all aspects of her life. However, is this a decision Cara will live to regret.

Told in alternating chapters between Cara and Amy this book will have you hooked from the very beginning.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Karen Perry's novel, "Your Closest Friend", is an enthralling mystery that keeps readers on their toes. Perry skillfully builds the suspense and intrigue with a tantalizing set-up in the first few pages of the novel. We learn that Cara has been rescued from a horrific scene by a mysterious stranger, and since then, she can't shake the feeling that she has been targeted by a sinister force.

The strength of the novel lies in Perry's believable characterization and vivid descriptions. As the tension between Cara and her rescuer intensifies, we are left to wonder whether Amy is Cara's ally or her enemy. With its twisty plot and absorbing atmosphere, this is a suspenseful, compelling read. It is sure to keep you turning pages late into the night.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

This was my first book by this author and it did not disappoint. Tense and gripping from the start. My only complaint is the lack of sleep from not being able to put it down.

This was a great read, dark and disturbing and basically what you want in a book. Really enjoyed this one, super well written.

This was the first book I read by this author and I have to admit I really loved it. I was hooked from the first sentence and found it hard to put it away to get some sleep. The details and descriptions were fantastic and very immersive. I'll be picking up other books by the author for sure.

My heart sinks when I open a book and the first line reveals present-tense narrative. I hate it. It's just, oh I don't know, so….narrow.

But, but, but, it soon…very soon…became apparent I jolly well had to get over myself because I was clawed in and gripped like a vice from the get-go.

Perry really knows how to tighten those tension screws after an explosive start, almost quite literally, when the story opens with a terrorist attack in London, and Cara finds herself saved from almost certain death by a stranger (Amy). It's not the near-death experience that then changes Cara's life forever. It's the secrets she shared with her saviour in the hours shielding themselves from the carnage outside. And what happens afterwards when she's home, safe and well...or so she thinks.

The story is narrated in the first person by Cara and Amy, alternately. It's a story of obsession, misunderstanding, deceit and lies, regrets, infidelity. Perry does an excellent job of keep you on the edge of your seat and then just when you think you can relax, pow!

Has this got all the right psychological thriller ingredients? Oh yes, with bells on. It has suspense, a fast pace, darkness, a good plot and, if, like me, you haven't read this author before, a motivation to read more by her. And….only a handful of errors, which, these days, is the best you can hope for.

"She saved your life.
One hot, humid night in London, Cara is caught up in a wave of terror and chaos. Until a hand reaches out - and a stranger pulls her to safety.

She knows your darkest secrets.
Taking refuge with her unlikely rescuer, Cara shares more of herself with Amy than she ever has with anyone, including her husband. But after the hours of darkness are over, she can't remember exactly what secrets she revealed.

Cara attempts to put it all behind her. But cracks begin to show in her life and marriage, and she starts to receive anonymous threats.

She's your closest friend.
As Cara's life begins to skid out of control, Amy reappears, offering to help.
Amy is only person Cara can turn to, who knows her hidden side. Amy saved her that night.

But what if the biggest threat to Cara is the stranger she's invited into her home?
She's your worst nightmare."

This book is a brilliant psychological thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The suspense was there right from the start with the terrorist attack, and it did not let up right until the end. There were the usual suspects of who could be making Cara's world fall apart, and I was suspicious of all of them!
The book was scary in places, very disturbing in others, sinister when it needed to be, and ultimately a great night-time read. Only one star dropped because I did not like the last chapter and thought the book would have been better without it, but just my personal opinion.

I've not read any books by this author before so didn't know what to expect. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more of them.
When Cara is in the middle of a shoot-out and certain she's about to die she opens up to a stranger and tells her things she'd never told anyone. The stranger, Amy, then saves her life. Soon after Cara starts getting blackmailed. Once again, Amy comes to her rescue but is she really cara's new best friend the one that holds every skeleton in Cara's closet or the type of friend nobody wants?
You'll have to read it to find out.

I am in charge of the senior library and work with a group of Reading Ambassadors from 16-18 to ensure that our boarding school library is modernised and meets the need of both our senior students and staff. It has been great to have the chance to talk about these books with our seniors and discuss what they want and need on their shelves. I was drawn to his book because I thought it would be something different from the usual school library fare and draw the students in with a tempting storyline and lots to discuss.
This book was a really enjoyable read with strong characters and a real sense of time and place. I enjoyed the ways that it maintained a cracking pace that kept me turning its pages and ensured that I had much to discuss with them after finishing. It was not only a lively and enjoyable novel but had lots of contemporary themes for our book group to pick up and spend hours discussing too.
I think it's important to choose books that interest as well as challenge our students and I can see this book being very popular with students and staff alike; this will be an excellent purchase as it has everything that we look for in a great read - a tempting premise, fantastic characters and a plot that keeps you gripped until you close its final page.

This is a well written thriller which strangely unnerved me.. I found the characters difficult to connect to and the plot was unrealistic in parts. However, I would still read more by Karen Perry. Sadly the subject matter didn't grip me this time but it could be a hit for other readers.

I found this to be formulaic and the plot just didn't grab me, so I didn't finish the book. I found it predictable and therefore will not be leaving a review online as it wouldn't be fair considering I threw the towel in after about 40%.

Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Absolutely enjoyed from start to finish, u didn't want the book to end. Highly recommended, if you like books that keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat.

I love a good ol' psychological thriller and this did not disappoint. Your Closest Friend has the makings of the perfect novel; a clever setting, unlikely characters and a plot line like a rollercoaster. Brilliant stuff

Having just read the reviews from others to see what they had to say about this I have to agree with the most recent reviewer. The book was O.K. but the fatal flaw was that neither of the two main characters, Cara and Amy, were very likeable and in all honesty not that interesting. So overall I lost a bit of the thrill with this as I didn't really get to care about how it unfolded for either of them.
I liked the writing style and there was enough in the plot after a powerful beginning but the characters was where it fell down for me. I stuck with it but at times it was a bit of a struggle. 3 stars from me.
As ever, thanks for the preview copy.

This book is technically very well written. It lives up to the hype of being a twisty, suspenseful thriller. But try as I might I simply could not find myself liking any of the characters. As I wasn't invested in the fate of anyone in the story I found I was less than sympathetic with the actions they took and the consequences of those actions.

The story was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end but not interesting enough to be memorable.

This book is disturbing and I haven’t yet decided if it’s disturbing in a good way or a bad way. For a thriller book disturbing is obviously a good thing but whether it was too disturbing for my personally I will have to wait and see. Overall I would try something else by this author.

This is the first book I have read by this author and at first I thought it was a bit slow going but it soon changed into a fab twisty thriller. It was a little predictable in places but still worth a read.
Thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars

This has a really gripping beginning, and had me hooked from the first page. Radio producer Cara is on her way home when she finds herself caught up in a terrorist attack and is pulled into the safety of a coffee shop by a stranger, Amy.
Frightened, in shock, and still a little drunk from her evening out, in the hours they are hiding, Cara finds herself confiding her darkest secrets to Amy.
This sets the ball in motion for a twisty thriller, told from both Amy and Cara’s points of view.
The writing is really strong, and each scene adds to the slightly surreal, claustrophobic nature of the story. It’s a clever tale, and really intriguing. I got so frustrated with Cara at times, for not being able to see what was under her nose – proof of a storyteller that knows how to keep her reader engaged!
It’s a good, solid, well written thriller, and I’d definitely read more by this author.