This is one of those books you devour in one sitting. It's not particularly original or ground-breaking but it is nonetheless a well-executed psychological thriller that builds up sufficient tension and suspense to keep you turning the pages. The opening scenes of a terrorist attack are very well written and because I never read the blurb beforehand I didn't expect what came next. There are a few episodes where you wonder why Cara doesn't just come clean about what is happening but on the whole it is a plausible and well-plotted book.

Quite a good thriller. Certainly worth a read. This is the first I've read by this author and I will read another one.

A friendship bourne from a terrorist attack sounds like just what is needed - who better to understand what you have been through. But what if the friendship isn’t quite what it seems...? Add in a struggling marriage, an affair, an unco-operative step-daughter and a secret to get a story filled with intrigue and plenty of twists and turns. I loved the pace of the book and the characters and enjoyed seeing the plot unfolding.

This is a contemporary psychological thriller set in London. The novel is told in the first person by two narrators, Cara and Amy, in alternating chapters. They meet accidentally during a terrorist attack on the streets of London, chillingly reminiscent of events at Westminster Bridge and Borough Market. The traumatising nature of their encounter leads Cara, the elder of the two, to reveal secrets to Amy, who has pulled her out of the way of a gun. Amy becomes obsessed with Cara and the resultant narrative is the tale of this obsession and its inevitable spiralling descent into a terror for Cara that is far more personal and immediate than the terror on the streets. I was gripped by the tale which was well paced. Some scenes in particular were very cinematographic. I found Amy's voice (and the voice of Connie that she hears in her head) far more convincing than that of Cara. Cara is supposedly a successful London radio producer and a loving mother of 5 year old Mabel but she comes across as naïve and selfish. I was interested to find out that Karen Perry, the author, is the pen name for two writers working together, Paul Perry and Karen Gillece. I do wonder if they each wrote one of the characters in this book. I would read other books by the duo but there are only so many psychological thrillers I can take at a time.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher via Net galley in return for an honest review.

A psychological thriller that gripped me till the last page and then still managed a surprise at the end! Cara and Amy meet one fateful night during a terrorist attack in London, forcing them to spend the night together in the dark. .They are not the only things hidden that night as both have past secrets and Cara shares a little too much not realising the devastation this will unleash. When it's safe to leave they part company with Cara returning home and so the tension and unravelling of her life begins. Who is her closest friend? All eventually becomes clear - or does it? A real page turner that is difficult to put down.

Well this novel is definitely a knuckle-clencher. Full of well-drawn, complicated characters and an opening which will have even the most jaded psychological thriller reader gripped, Karen Perry does an awfully good job of rationing out their revelations, even to the last page.
Very smoothly written and descriptions of situations and surroundings beautifully balanced (economical yet vivid), they are writers enjoying mastery of their craft.
I look forward to the next one.

I enjoyed this book and read it within in a week ..... the Book kicks off in London during a terrorist attack and secrets are deluged right at the start leaving the reader unsure of the real truth and what secrets have been told . Its a complex tale of love and betrayal and will keep you gripped to the last page.

I was never quite sure how the ending was going to play out and the book really keeps you guessing ....

The book tells the tale of Cara and Amy and the story flips between the two throughout the book in a strong psychological thriller, this is the first I have read from this author and i shall be looking out for the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley, for review copy this is my honest review

Many Thanks to my good friend, Mark Fearn, for recommending this fab read to me. He knew I would really enjoy this ~ and I did!
I have read another of this author's books and was really pleased to hear about this new publication by her.
It's a tense, nail biting story which kept me glued to its pages for a fast addictive read. It took me just a day to race through, most take me between 3 and 7 days to so you can tell I loved this one! Highly recommended.

A gripping read from the very first page, loved how the characters were brought together to a very satisfying end, reminded me a little of single white female, all the way until the little twist on the final page, a really great read

Told alternately by Cara and Amy who meet on the night of a terrorist attack in London. Cara is saved by Amy and as they wait for the ordeal to be over Cara confides in Amy, telling her about her life, family etc. Afterwards the go their separate ways but then meet up again. Cara asks Amy to live in with her and look after he daughter as her husband is away. Easy to read with an unexpected ending.

Spoilers in review - don't read until you've finished.

The central female characters here are well-developed and the writing is fast-paced. It was interestingly set in the context of a city gripped by terror attacks and at a heightened sense of alarm, which added to the general tension and sense of unease throughout. . Certainly I finished this pretty rapidly, which suggests it was a page-turner, but I was left unconvinced by the plot, in that the protagonist was made to be wilfully blind to who her true enemy was. Several times she briefly considered her tormentor and then, with no reason, dismissed the idea, thus lessening the impact of the reveal.

The twist wasn't really a twist, unless the reader is as captivated and convinced by the morality of Cara as her husband appears to be- to me she seemed pretty corrupt right from the start, so the last page didn't surprise me. That said, I wish reviewers or marketing folk wouldn't insist that 'you'll never see the twist coming!' because all that does is cause me to mistrust everything or speculate on every possible scenario no matter how unlikely (The dog did it! It was a coincidence! The baby killed him!) and then I'm always underwhelmed by the ending :)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Cara and Amy are caught up in a terrorist attack in London. While they are hiding, a slightly drunk Cara tells Amy lots of her secrets, believing she'll never see her again after that night. Amy, however, has different ideas. She develops an obsession with Cara and finds ways of becoming a part of her life. And, of course, she knows all Cara's secrets...… This is a real page turner, which will keep you on the edge of your seat. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This is a well written, compelling psychological thriller with enough twists and red herrings along the way to keep you guessing, It held my attention from the first page to the very last when I finished it and thought ....... OH!

If you are looking for a real page turner that will set your pulse racing then I highly recommend this.

Your closest Friend is a tense if predictable thriller that I did enjoy.
Cara is the main character at the start of this thriller the pace is fast as we find Cara on a high after an illicit meeting with her ex husband and finds herself in the middle of a terrorist attack on the streets of London. She finds she is very close to death when someone drags her to safety. Whilst hiding out with the young girl Amy, she confides all her secrets to her never imagining she would see this girl again. But Amy does manage to gain contact with Cara and manages to squeeze herself into her families life and creates an obsession with Cara.
Although this thriller sets off at a right old pace it unfortunately didn't keep to hat and did slow down a lot after the first third and although I enjoyed it, I found it to be quite predictable and the ending to be not as good as good as it could have been.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. Wow this was a rollercoaster. Very well written and thought out storyline. The characters in this book where great. I didn’t want this book to end, it had me wanting more. Will definately recommend this book.

On her way home after a illicit meeting with her ex husband,Cara Jameson finds herself caught up in a terror attack on the streets of London.She is staring down the barrel of a gun when suddenly a hand reaches out and drags her into a stairwell.She finds herself spending a number of hours trapped in a shop storeroom with a young woman called Amy.Fearing that the terrorists could burst in at any moment and kill them,they end up sharing secrets about themselves,some of which Cars hasn't even shared with her husband.Eventually they emerge and go their separate ways having formed a bond due to the trauma that they have shared.

Cara tries to put the experience behind her but she is plagued by worry and guilt,unsure of how much information she shared in those hours of darkness.As Cara`s perfect life and marriage start to crumble around her,Amy reappears - set on pursuing a friendship.

But Amy isn't what she seems,and she is prepared to do anything to get what she wants,and she wants Cara....

After a opening chapter that has heart pounding,terrifyingly realistic descriptions of a terror attack on the streets of London,the story continues in chapters that alternate between Cara and Amy`s points of view.I struggled to feel any sympathy for Cara as the story unfolded because she was so selfish and self centred.For a supposedly intelligent woman she made some seriously stupid decisions.Why would a parent ask someone they hardly knew to take care of their apparently beloved child? Why did she take so long to wonder if maybe Amy was behind her sudden problems? She was quick enough to suspect everyone else in her life,I kept expecting her to start having suspicions about her five year old daughter Mabel who was my favourite character in this book.Poor kid,stuck with a psychopathic Nanny,a neglectful mother and a father who was always away on business.I liked Mabel`s older step Sister Olivia because of her obvious dislike of Cara,I wish there had been more heated confrontations between the two characters.As for obsessive,delusional,manipulative Amy,she gave the chills everytime she appeared in the story especially during her interactions with Mabel.To a certain extent her motivations where understandable but there was no excuse for her actions and behaviour.I know there isn't always a reason for a person's thoughts and behaviour but I would have liked there to have been more background information on why she thought and acted the way she did.

The beginning and final confrontation where gripping and intense, but despite the author added a couple of attempts at misleading the reader,the identity of Your Closest Friend is fairly obvious.Despite the totally unexpected last line,I was rather disappointed with how the story ended.Although I struggled at times,I did enjoy this book enough to finish it and would happily read more books by this author in the future.

This book starts really well with a terrorist attack on the streets of London, but it didn't hold my attention, it became quite predictable, there is bit of a twist at the end though. It is well written, and interesting.

This is a fabulous read....you can devour it in one session or allow yourself time to think through wha.t may happen next. It starts off in London, a drink with a 'friend' when Cara gets caught up in a terrorist attack. It's scarily realistically and Cara meets her saviours, Amy.
The story then sees her life spiral as the secrets she held start coming back to haunt her. This is a great story, well written and engaging. Believable characters and a great plot. What I liked most was its originality, although it's not an uncommon tale of obsession, it is of its time and that what makes it so good.

A terrorist attack in London brings together two unlikely friends, radio producer, Cara, and sandwich shop assistant, Amy. In the time they hide together from the attackers, Cara tells Amy her deepest secrets. Amy draws them close and protects them, feeling deeply drawn to Cara. Slowly, bit by bit, the web of deception surrounding the two women is unravelled leading to unforeseen consequences.
I was enthralled by this tale, despite feeling frustrated by the trust Cara puts in Amy so early on. The tale is quite clearly laid out. You know who the 'bad' one is, despite small red herrings but just wait for a little bombshell at the end. This book is really worth a read.

This is the first book I have read by Karen Perry and I thought at first it was a bit slow going but not for long!! It soon turned out to be a great psychological thriller of a book, intense in places and quite predictable i thought but still a good read. I will look to reading more by this author.