Wow. And not a good wow. A 'how did this even get close to publication?!' wow. This book is literally crammed full of some of the most unlikely events I've ever come across in a thriller and I've read some pretty outlandish thrillers.
A girl turns up claiming to be a man's daughter from a one-night stand eighteen years ago and his wife is all 'hey, move in with us until we find out either way!' and it gets more stupid with every chapter. There's a couple of attempted murders, an actual murder, a catfish, a couple of hostages, some pyromania, a LOT of secrets, an emphasis on rheumatoid arthritis which you think will become an important part of the story but it never does, a chequered past, a wanted criminal, an abandoned pub... It was just too much. And for a story so obsessed with fire, it fizzled out terribly.
I didn't care for the characters, I didn't buy any of the plot, the inconsistencies with personal pronouns was nothing short of irritating and for the most part, I couldn't follow any of the dialogue because it always seemed to refer to something not touched upon, as if it hadn't been re-edited since some changes were made. It definitely had a hook in that I was so stunned by how incoherent and ridiculous it was that I couldn't put it down until I'd seen how on earth the author managed to tie it together. Did he manage it? I'm not convinced.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jake Cross and Bookouture for this ARC.

I do love a good psychological thriller, and this one was pretty good. The ending was a bit predictable, but made the story more interesting in my opinion.

I'll be picking up more Jake Cross books after this!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book had me wishing I didn't have a life. Once I started it I didn't want to put it down. With that being said, I also found parts of it predictable, but not so much that I didn't want to see where the plot line was going. And thank goodness I didn't, because the twists and turns towards the end kept me guessing. A solid four stars from me, and a bunch of five stars reviews from others. At $2.99 for the Kindle Edition, you can't go wrong.

Description from Amazon:

You let her in. You’ll wish you hadn’t.

Following a whirlwind romance, Rose and Chris’s marriage has been unshakeable for twenty years. But when teenager Katie turns up on their doorstep, blonde, wide-eyed and beautiful, their perfect life threatens to crumble to pieces. Because Katie says she’s Chris’s long-lost daughter, the product of a forgotten summer fling.

The couple is still reeling from shock when Katie tells them she has nowhere to go. The couple is her only hope. Kind-hearted Rose invites Katie to stay, despite Chris’s protests. The poor girl has only just lost her mother – they can’t leave her out on the street.

But soon after Katie moves in, strange things start happening. Someone crashes into a neighbour’s fence. An unexplained fire starts in the couple’s kitchen. And a family friend coming to visit disappears on the way to the house. Chris insists Katie has to go. But it’s Chris who won’t explain where he was at the time their friend went missing…

The couple’s dream life seems to be turning into a nightmare. With dark secrets about Chris’s history with Katie’s mother coming to light, Rose no longer knows who to trust. Soon, she isn’t sure whether she’s invited a dangerous stranger into her home, or whether she’s been living with one all along…

A chilling thriller that will make you question everything you think you know about your loved ones. Fans of The Woman in the Window, Then She Was Gone and The Perfect Child won’t be able to put this book down.

Was not that great of a book. Well written on the characters but didn’t grab my attention. Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this book.

Imagine you've been married for years, have a happy wife and daughter and things, for the most part, are going really well. Then a stranger enters your life and tells you she's your daughter from a one time thing many years ago. What do you do? Especially if this stranger is odd, acts a bit dangerously and may even be a threat to you and your family. Now what?

Perfect Stranger gives us some serious things to think about. It's not your typical, run-of-the-mill thriller, and it definitely has some twists that make it worth the read.

Overall, great book, great story.

This book promised to be a good read. There were many parts of it that were well written but there were also some rather surreal happenings, inconsistencies and just plain unbelievable developments to the plot. I know this is fiction but the story just seemed to run away with itself and become rather fantastical. I ended up feeling confused and several times remarked out loud 'This is nonsense!'
The premise, of a unknown daughter who emerges into a family, where a DNA paternity test reveals she is Chris's daughter, is a believable and sound one. Rose's reactions (Rose is Chris's wife) are often not believable and Julia, the 'real' daughter doesn't quite come across as believable either.
The parts where Chris, who is a microbiologist, is in the lab, are good and there are occasions where the dry humour made me laugh (mainly around Lionel Parrott, lab assistant), but the rest of it is just plain bizarre.
Katie is completely deranged. Hope that doesn't spoil the plot for anyone. Gold star to you if you can understand the surreal connections made in this book. I am afraid my mind wasn't up to the task. Thanks however to Jake Cross, the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

Jake Cross' books always impress me. He has an amazing talent. As usual, this book had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't stop reading. There's some insane twists in this book that you won't believe! read this now!

Chris and Rose have the perfect marriage. Living in Sheffield with their daughter Julia. Chris works in the labs at one of the local hospitals.
On an evening out they are accosted in their car for a robbery but a stranger coming along stops anything further happening.
The woman is Katie. She Chris long lost daughter he knew nothing about. Whilst Chris is shocked, Rose welcomes Katie into the home.
The story is set over a week. The plot contains many twists and is a very easy read. At times you lurch between whether you believe Chris or Katie.
Once again Bookoutre has published a fantastic book. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy.

A quick book to read while in between thrillers. This would be a cool movie or series. I feel like it would play out better that way versus the novel.

First, I want to thank Jake Cross, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Jake Cross was blessed with an incredible gift writing psychological thrillers. His newest book Perfect Stranger is a must-read book. This is a book that will leave you speechless and in shock. As I was reading it in my head I could see it being shown as a movie on Lifetime Channel. He captured everything from mystery, suspense, intense drama, secrets, lies, infidelity, twists and turns, coming out, investigations, etc.

A warning to readers this book may contain triggers for some. These would be suicide, physical and verbal abuse, parental neglect, severe mental illness, etc.

Kudos to the graphic artist who created the cover! It was pure genius! It totally represented Katie and the house in my eyes. The cover, title and the saying on the front cover made me want to know more about the book.

In the acknowledgements I like how he thanks everyone at Bookouture for their sheer brilliance. I smiled when he specifically mentioned Noelle and Kim for giving him great advice and back-slaps and reality checks at the same time.

The funny thing as I was reading this there was one thing that kept popping into my head. That one thing was be careful who you have a one night stands with. It could bite you in the booty big time later on!

I could tell by his writing style that James was extremely passionate about his characters and storylines. Especially Katie. One thing I loved with her was her character progression where at the very end you saw all of her true colors shine through! They were nothing I had ever read about in the past! I was totally shocked and blown away. Rarely does that happen.

I love how Jake Cross mind worked on this story! I am an instant fan of his and would gladly review for him again in a heartbeat.

The premise of Perfect Stranger is a fascinating one: Katie, a teenaged girl, shows up on the doorstep of Chris and Rose, a happily married couple, claiming that she is actually Chris's daughter - the result of a very brief (one day) affair. Chris and Rose have a teen daughter of their own, Julia. The family of three opens their home to Katie, who is down on her luck to say the least. In the age of DNA testing for all, this is certainly an interesting plot line. More slow burn suspense, than turn pager, I found this to be an extraordinary glimpse into the lives of ordinary (very kind and trusting!) people, who are suddenly thrust into a world of deceit, crime, and peril. A creepy good read!

Thank you NetGalley Jake Cross, and Bookouture, for the ARC, in exchange for me honest opinion, Greatly appreciated.

What a brilliant thriller. I loved the concept of this book and feel I questioned each character individually throughout. Each character was complex enough to draw me in. I read this in a very short period of time and when I wasn't reading I felt myself being drawn back in, wondering about something that was happening in the book and perhaps the way it would end. Perhaps a little predictable, hence 4 rather than 5 stars, but does not take away from my enjoyment at all.

This is my first book by this author and certainly will not be my last. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone who loves a thriller.

This is a great psychological thriller that makes you question everything that happens.
Rose and Chris are happily married with a teenage daughter, but then a young girl turns up claiming to be Chris' daughter.
Chris is wary at first but Rose encourages him to get a DNA test done and take it from there.
Things start moving a bit too quickly though as Katie needs somewhere to stay so Rose offers her their sofa.
Strange things start to happen around the family but Katie is the perfect pillar of support for the family so no questions are asked.
A slow burner to start with and then it really gets going.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

If you are looking for a fast paced thriller, this might not be your cup of tea, but it goes without a doubt that the story is intriguing and captivating. The author has the ability to confuse you and bring things to the book you don't see how they will connect with the rest, but in the end it all makes perfect sense. 

I do not mind that a thriller starts slowly as long as it delivers in the end and it certainly did for me.

I have to admit that I smelled a rat already in the beginning but I never dreamt it would develop the way it did. :)

The characters are a bit all over the place, but I think it fits the story perfectly. Who would not be confused or upset when they would find themselves in this situation?

Are people born with evil streaks? Yes, some are I guess and it gets worse and worse by the way they are treated. Sometimes revenge is the only way out for them. 

You'd better be warned. Is the enemy the person knocking on your door disguised as an innocent stranger or as the person sleeping next to you for the last 16 years? 

Who can you trust? Who should you be wary of?

A fascinating story sprinkled with a bit of humour. 4 stars.

Thank you, Jake Cross and Bookouture (via Netgalley)

Rose and Chris have had a happy marriage of almost twenty years. They have a teen daughter Julia and things couldn't be gong any better. One day, however, Katie, an older teen, shows up on their doorstep claiming to be Chris's daughter. What's more, is that she needs someplace to stay.

Chris did have a fling just before Rose, and now that the product of said event is there, what is he to do. Well, Rose cannot turn Katie away and welcomes her into their home. This is in consternation to what Chris wants. Sadly, Katie has lost her mother, and now she becomes an intimate part of Chris and Rose's family.

There is no peace, however, as strange events begin occurring. When daughter Julia's friend disappears en route to their home, things strangely begin to click into place. Quite naturally, Rose Rose begins to wonder if it was wise to let Katie move in, but also whether or not Chris could be connected to everything going on around them. Is Chris the trusted man Rose has been happily married to all of these years?

Jake Cross is a new name to me and I am glad that I got a chance to read this book. It is well-written and has a few twists and turns that kept me eagerly turning the pages. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

The perfect stranger had me immediately hooked and intrigued from the first page... an addictive and gripping thriller full of secrets and a roller coaster ride that will stay with you long after the very last page!
I don’t want to give too much information away, but I highly recommend.

A big thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

Wow - loved this !!! - Absolutely gripping - couldn't put this down - very twisty turny - I read this in one go on a very torrid, torrential rain day cuddled under a blanket - highly recommend - a great way to spend a day !!!

If you like your psychological thrillers - this is a must-read

Can't wait to read more from this author

When Chris and his wife Rose are confronted by a teenaged girl named Katie, who tells them she could be Chris’s daughter from a one night stand seventeen years ago, the couple are shocked.

While awaiting the results of a paternity test, Chris reluctantly invites Katie to stay with them and their daughter Julia. But is Katie all she seems? Her stepfather was murdered, and the main suspect has been spotted in Chris’s neighbourhood...

First off, let me start by saying I don't like to leave negative reviews, but this book drove me mad. There were so many errors and inconsistencies, the characters were like cardboard cutouts and universally irritating, and there was a lot of repetition.

Katie, Chris and Rose’s daughter, doesn't think to question why they have a strange girl her age staying with them until she's already been there a week. Chris's wife Rose asks THREE TIMES when he's going to tell the rest of the family about Katie potentially being his daughter - and it's not done to suggest she's gently nagging him either, each time it's as though it's the first time it's come up, and each time he gets the same answer. It's as though the author simply forgot they'd already posed the question.

The explanations Katie comes up with for things are ludicrous too, and they’re just lapped up by the family. NO ONE QUESTIONS ANYTHING IN THIS BOOK. It’s so annoying - especially when it's something as huge and life changing as a young girl turning up claiming to be your long lost daughter. A throwaway comment from Rose about Chris and Katie sharing DNA doesn’t elicit any kind of acknowledgement from their daughter Julia, who doesn’t know that Katie may be her dad’s daughter at that point. Clearly a slip by the author which wasn't picked up in the editing (as was Katie being referred to as "him" on one occasion). Plus even though there’s red flag after red flag, they all carry on writing off Katie’s behaviour as grief. Even when they know she’s lying about her burns, they make excuses for her - there's not a hint of suspicion for ages, and they don't know whether she's who she says she is at that point, so they're just blindly trusting a stranger who they know is lying?? No one challenges her on anything, or feels uneasy about the lies. It’s just ludicrous. The reactions of the characters in general is just so off. Rose in particular has no qualms about a strange girl turning up and announcing that she’s her husband’s long lost daughter. and not only that, defends her behaviour every time she does something strange or wrong.

The book needed a thorough editing, too. Some of the sentences didn’t even make sense: “A woman whose essence imbibed those who came into her circle”. Um, what? Imbibed used in totally the wrong context and not picked up by an editor? The whole thing was just sloppy and, I have to say, boring. The plot just didn’t seem to advance, I hated the cardboard cut-out characters, and the lack of any realistic responses just made this book irritating to read. I was so over it by the time I got to the end that I didn’t even care who was who and who’d done what any more. If I wasn't reading this for NetGalley, I would have given up halfway through for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. (Sorry it's not a better one!)

Wow, what an amazing psychological thriller! I absolutely loved reading this book, I was gripped within the first few pages, I was compelled to keep reading to know more, I had so many questions that I needed the answers for! If I had the time I would have read this in one sitting but unfortunately life gets in the way!

I found the pace of the book was perfect, it didn't seem to drag or speed up so much that I was confused about what was going on. While I was reading there were some great twists that I was not expecting at all, I had it in my mind that a certain someone was lying a lot throughout the book. When I thought I had it figured it out the tables turned and I ended up with so many different theories about the ending.

As I started to get to the end of the book the plot started to thicken, I was shocked but all my questions were starting to be answered. I really liked how the book tied up any loose ends and it concluded the story really well, I didn't sit there wishing there was more because I had unanswered questions, which is one thing I dislike!

Overall, this book was compelling, very well written & hard to put down.

I would 100% recommend this book if you enjoy reading psychological thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture & Jake Cross for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the description of Perfect Stranger, I thought this was going to be a great read. It seemed very interesting by the description, but I just couldn't connect with the story. The story just didn't flow the way I thought it would. I couldn't connect with the characters they seemed to be very hostile for a couple that seemed to love each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this opportunity!