Cover Image: THE PERFECT WITNESS

THE PERFECT WITNESS

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Member Reviews

This is a psychological thriller. It started off very slow but then the pace got faster. I loved the realness of the main character. This is a unique thriller that makes you think

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This was such a captivating mystery/thriller. Daniel, the main character, was such an interesting character and the author does such a great job at making Daniel's past trauma apparent in his current day to day life. You can feel his pain and trauma as a reader and watching him navigate that through this story while uncovering the truth, made for a really interesting read.

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"The Perfect Witness" by Susanna Beard is a gripping tale of suspense and intrigue that kept me guessing until the very end. The story's protagonist, Tess, is a complex and compelling character whose journey to uncover the truth about a mysterious murder will keep you on the edge of your seat. Beard's writing style is descriptive and emotive, making the story come alive in vivid detail. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a good mystery!

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Child trauma and mental health issues are not how I choose to entertain myself. That's not to say it's a bad book, it isn't. It's just not my kind of book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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I had really high hopes for this book, but sadly they did not live up to expectation. Unfortunately I gave up 1/2 way through.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The cover was simple, however the book itself was super fast paced and I did not want to put it down, I needed to know how it ended. I also loved the characters.

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This book was a real slow burner. But an excellent slow burner at that
I am not entirely sure if this book is meant to be part of a series. However; it read as a standalone perfectly
The book mainly centralises around mental health and the mental health of a ten year old child

There were, at some points, times when the book didn’t appear to flow. But the author picked it up and I was left hooked
I will read more by this author

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Cool concept and overall interesting book!

The main character, Daniel, is wonderful. He hit a hard part of life, he lost his job and gf, and also the place he lives. He has metal health problems like anxiety and depression, which I think were talked about and mentioned in a beautiful way!

The craziest part of Daniel is that he remembers. EVERY THING. It is totally insane, and just by keeping going with that mental load shows how amazing he is. His relationship with Poppy was another amazing part of the book!

I never felt the need to put down the book, I was enjoying it all the way!

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Unfortunately I am DNFing this book at 7%. After starting it earlier in the year. I have had no desire to pick it up again to continue.

Thank you netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Greg thriller suspense novel. Recommend

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When he was a ten year old child Daniel witnessed the murder of his friend by his friends father. Being terrified of his friends father and afraid that the police won't believe him, he decides to pretend it was all just a dream and never happened. In the present day, he has dreams of the memories from that night and his new girlfriend helps him to uncover what actually happened that night. The suspense of the plot was great and kept me intrigued til the very end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

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Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. A real fast paced thriller. Will get your heart racing on more than one occasion. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

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Arrrrrh.... I SO badly wanted to love this book. It had so much going for it.

Great bold cover ✔
Great premise ✔
Original storyline ✔

BUT for some reason I found this was a book that was easy to keep putting down but took some effort to keep picking up again.

At the age of 10 Daniel witnessed a horrific event, something that will then haunt him for the years to come, more so because he has what other could call a gift but for him it is a curse, he remembers EVERYTHING. Everything that has happened in his life in every full colour detail.

At the age of 29 Daniel decides it's time to confront what is haunting him and look further into what he witnessed as a child.

Now, whilst i didn't love the book I didn't hate it. Personally I think its marketed wrong as a thriller it's more of a coming of age love story that's more about facing fears and accepting yourself for who you are than a psychological thriller.

In my honest opinion, I think it should have been shorter. Without the drawn out and repetitive sections it would have had more pace to ot as it was quite slow paced alot of the time which made it hard going. It didnt really seem to be getting anywhere until over 50% by which point I was considering giving up entirely.

I'm glad I finished but I can't say it's one I'd recommend on to others.

2.5*

With thanks to netgalley and Joffe Books for the ARC.

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I really liked this one. The twist was good and the reading was smooth. I really enjoyed the writing and I will be looking at other books from this author.

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A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you NetGalley for providing this book for an honest review. This is the story of Daniel who has an excellent memory but is struggling to figure out if one is a memory or a dream. Daniel has lost everything in his life and he decides to pursue the truth of the memory that haunts him. The author did such a good job that I did sympathize with Daniel. I was so happy when he met Poppy and starting walking with her. There were definitely some moments that were a little unrealistic but I enjoyed the book.

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Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

THE PERFECT WITNESS by Susanna Beard is a domestic thriller about a man with perfect memories. Daniel isn't your everyday office worker. He suffers from a condition in which he can remember the smallest details from years ago. This has hindered his work, his relationships, and his whole life. He is also suffering from recurring nightmares of an event that happened when he was a child. One day, he decides to go to the police and report what he saw. But who would believe a memory of something that happened almost 20 years ago?

Here is a chilling excerpt from the Prologue:

"A boy's face, contorted with pain, his mouth stretched wide. The same every time, haunting, persisting. The image doesn't fade, the boy never ages. Any time, day or night, anywhere, he shows up.
Other memories break through sometimes. A boat, rocking on murky waters, ripples escaping from its heavy bow. A serpent, yellow eyes accusing, sinuous body tensed, ready to strike."

Overall, THE PERFECT WITNESS is a so-called thriller that ultimately doesn't have any thrills. I was drawn in by the premise about a man who couldn't forget any details. I thought that it would be interesting. Unfortunately, the plot was slow-moving on this one. It reminded me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in that it was more of a romance than a thriller. The most exciting part was a flashback. Even the climax itself was over in a split second. In the end, I was disappointed by this one. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you can check out this book, which is available now!

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*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Intriguing psychological thriller with a great premise. I found myself compelled/fascinated by Daniel's story!

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This is the first Susanna Beard book that I’d read and once I’d got used to the writing style, a novel mix of first and third person, I loved it.

Susanna Beard wasn't an author I'd ever read before, and whilst it took a while to get used to her writing style, I did enjoy this book. Personally, I found that it was a little bit jumpy, going from first to third person. I don't feel like it's as easy to read. However, I appreciate that this story may not have worked as well without this style of narrative.

I thought Daniel was great as a main character, and his anxiety and depression struggles are relatable to many. I felt that one of the best things about Daniel was his ability to push through these issues and persevere. I found, as someone who suffers mentally, that the author placed a validation on Daniel's emotions without being condescending or overbearing.

In the beginning, I did think this book was a slow read and I wasn’t sure if I would manage to finish it. However, as the book continued I found myself falling in love with Daniel, Poppy and Daniel's sister Lauren, and their relationships. I think this book, whilst still being a thriller, could teach many people a lot about acceptance and empathy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

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I enjoyed Daniel, Poppy and Bean's adventures walking the canal, I found that was when the story started to pick up pace. The beginning of the book I do get was about developing the characters but I found it to be very slow and a bit dragged out. There was not much suspense but the whole story about Daniel's memory was interesting as I had never read about that before. This was my first book by Susanna Beard and I will definitely be checking out others because I did enjoy her writing style

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