A fantastic Psychological thriller.
London and Daniel is in a job he has no passion for, after getting a post-it note from his boss Jeremy to see him in the office he is giving a month notice to leave, Amber his girlfriend has even gave up on him and to make matters worse his landlord gives him a month notice to leave his flat. Left with three problems to sort out the only person he could turn to is his sister Lauren.
throughout this book it becomes very dark that will freak you out.
I kept turning page after page saying just one more chapter and its a very hard book to put down.
Earning full ratings from me, I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly this was not the book for me. It was so hard to try to stay interested and care about the MC. I was excited to see where the investigation went, but the pacing was just to slow to get me there. If you don’t mind a slow paced read (it’s just not something I enjoy) and thriller/investigation books give this one a try!

The Perfect Witness by Susanna Beard was an excellent book.
When, Daniel loses his job and his girlfriend and now his apartment. What else can go wrong in his life?
Now he is plagued with memories of when he was just ten years old, he witnessed his close friend being murdered by his friends father and then dumped in the canal. He was scared, if he told anyone including the local Police they would not believe him!.....So this stays with him a secret that is buried deep in his memory forever.

Now, all grown up, every time Daniel closes his eyes the memory resurfaces.........A sound of a slash of water when something heavy hits it, iThis sound always wakes him up..........

Is it a dream?

or

Did it really happen all those years ago?

If I say something now......will people believe me......But Daniel is an adult now?!

Daniel has to find out the truth on what happened to his friend all those years ago! But How?

But, Some things are better left hidden deep in your memory and not to be .opened!

Is Daniel safe as he starts to open his deepest memories of when he was just a young lad!

Wow, this book was excellent and had lots of twists and turns throughout that will have you hooked from the beginning till the end of this new book by Susanne.

I highly recommend this book! Excellent!

Big thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Susanna Beard for my ARC of The Perfect Witness in exchange for an honest review

This isn't a high octane, action packed type thriller. It's got quite a slow pace and there isn't much of a tense atmosphere or anything like that. However, it is a really engaging mystery story none the less. I absolutely fell in love with the main characters and the unique attributes that they had added an interesting little twist to the story. I also loved the really unique setting of the canal and the path and the little boating community. I've read so many thrillers but have never come across one in that setting before so it was such a nice change from the creepy neighbour etc. The story is beautifully written and it's so well articulated that you can almost feel the water splashing up at you and feel the breeze as you are reading the story. There's a couple of twists and it is an enjoyable story. I'm still not entirely sure about the comic aspect but I guess it is the event that kicks the whole thing off so possibly not the most realistic of events but it gets the story started which is the main thing. It literally is a laid back, chilled out, story that flows at much the same pace as the house boats it's describing. It was a really nice change to have the focus be more on the character journey and struggle rather than on gore or shock value. Perfect for one of those lazy afternoons in the sun

Sweet novel that draws together a thoughtful perspective on the unexpected joys of journeying. However the crime section felt as though it was loosely structured to give a body to the rest of the setting and had a disappointingly predictable end. It was a happy book but also created a lot of questions and not all the parts seemed necessary but that said it would be a more intriguing alternative to your typical summer romance holiday read.

Blog review at: https://drizzleofjoyblog.wordpress.com/2022/03/18/the-perfect-witness/

Ten year old Daniel is at a car boot sale with his father. He buys some comics and in so doing appears to annoy a man. Sometime later Daniel bumps into a classmate, Ryan, who invites him on to his canal boat. To his horror the man appears and tries to attack him. He escapes but Ryan doesn't and the last thing Daniel sees is Ryan taking a beating from the man who is his father. Later that day he spots the man dumping something in the canal.

Fast forward almost 20 years and Daniel is having a bad day. He loses his job, his flat and his girlfriend all in the one day. His life and personality have been badly affected by what he witnessed all those years ago. He decides to try to find out what happened and sets off to walk the canal paths in search of Ryan's father.

I enjoyed this book which I think has been wrongly marketed. It's described as a thriller but in fact the best thing about it is the touching romance which develops between Daniel and Poppy who he meets on his quest. That and the character development are what makes this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

An interesting and compelling psychological thriller where we follow the story of Daniel. I was completely engaged in Daniel’s memories. I applaud the author for the way she took to ensure the reader was able to picture the memories and the story.

Daniel is a man who is haunted by his memories. Within 24 hours he lost so much, his job, his girlfriend, his home. Struggling with mental health issues and the haunting memories of what he witnessed when he was 10 years old. The memories of his friend being murdered by the father of the friend and than dumped. Daniel can’t escape it. He lived in fear of the boy’s father, afraid no one would believe. Daniel spent years telling himself it was nothing but a nightmare, that those memories weren’t real.

Daniel seems to have HSAM; highly superior autobiographical memory, a condition where he is able to accurately recall every detail of events in his life. He meets Poppy, his new girlfriend who shows him support, understanding and encourages him to seek the truth.

The emotional rollercoaster is intense. How events or the memories a child carries throughout life can mold them as they become adults. Daniel walks a journey to right what he knows in his memories is not truly a nightmare as he tries to convince himself of but real events. I enjoyed reading as Daniel goes into his memories, the suspense behind what truly happened, watching him grow from there. The strong female characters who stand up to him and guide him.
I recommend this book to those who are into psychological thrillers that take a unique approach ..using memories.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley/Joffe Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Definitely recommend! I was so engrossed in Daniel’s memories, the attention to detail the author took to really paint the picture was smooth and not excessive. I hated what happened to Ryan and really hoped Daniel could find peace and justice for the both of them. Sometimes we need to remember that children’s memories can affect them more than we think.

The women in this novel were so strong and always encouraging to Daniel to keep his chin up. Lauren and Poppy were complete opposites but definitely the women he needed in his life to help guide him. Also, my heart melted at Beans! Please adopt dogs if you can.

Such an easy read and really appreciated the glossary at the end for US readers because some of the words I had to look up. Thank you to Susanna Beard who is a brilliant writer, Joffe Books and Net Galley for the ARC.

#ThePerfectWitness #SusannaBeard #JoffeBooks #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC.
Unfortunately after several attempts, I could not get into this book. I stopped reading around 25%. I didn't like any of the characters and wasn't willing to find out what happened to them, particularly the main character of Daniel. The writing style just wasn't for me.

When Daniel was 10 years old he believes he’s witnessed a murder. As he grows up he finds it difficult to cope with every day life constantly being held back by this memory. This book tells the story of Daniel’s journey to get to the root of why this particular memory is holding him back. Did he really witness this or is his mind playing tricks on him? I found myself completely engrossed in this story and felt as though I was walking right alongside Daniel. The author gives incredible descriptions and detail throughout the book. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to #netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

This wasn't what I'd consider a psychological thriller, as the blurb led me to believe. There is a lot of predictability, and I never really felt invested in or connected to the characters. The mental health angle is handled well. The pace was a bit too slow, until Daniel met Poppy. But it was a little too late by then. Beans was definitely the star of this book.

The main theme of the book was memory which was framed around a mystery/crime.
I found the characters very likeable and I was keen to found out what happened. The underlying concern concept was really interesting but It did feel like there was a bit too much going on at times.
I would have liked to have found out more about Daniel’s condition and what triggered it… there seemed to be a suggestion that the crime he witnessed was the cause but it was never confirmed. I also felt the ending was a little rushed.

Daniel is going through a bad patch. Within 24 hours he lost his job, his girl and was given notice on his flat. As he was already suffering with mental health issues, this was the final straw and he had to confide all his fears and worries to his sister Lauren. Daniel feels that all his woes stem from his ability to recall in the minutest detail all his memories, and, as some of them are deeply disturbing, that this is the root of his mental issues.

I found the writing of this story to be very naive, and because of that it was lacking in any real depth of plot. The first half of the book was slow and repetitive, and it wasn’t until Daniel met up with Poppy that the story became more interesting. Sadly the poor characterisation added nothing to the book.

I feel this book deserves 2*, plus 1* for Beans who was the star of the story!

Thank you NetGalley.

One event will change your life forever. Daniel has never been really good around people so he is surprised that he even has a girlfriend but that is all about to change. He has lost his job, his girlfriend has broken up with him and now he has no apartment. There is only one person that understands him Lauren has always been there for him but he is afraid to burden her with his problems. Daniel hasn't been able to move on from his childhood he knows that his friend was killed but he has tried to block it. He realises that he has nothing and that he needs to get some help before things get even worse.
He knows that he needs to find out the truth about his friend Ryan and what happened to him all those years ago. He decides to start walking the canals in the hope of finding the boat that Ryan lived on. Things don't go to plan. he is mugged but he finds a new friend.
Molly can't believe that her gran is gone she knew that it was coming but she misses her so much. She decides to do a walk in memory of her gran and to raise some money as well. Her three legged dog Beans joins her on the trip. But it isn't plain sailing either as she gets terrible blisters and needs to rest for a couple of days that is when she meets Daniel.
They find that they enjoy each other's company and once Daniel tells her why he is doing this walk she knows that she has to join him in finding the answers that he is looking for.
She believes Daniel and she hopes that he does find someone to help him with his problem she knows that he is perfectly normal.
Will they find the boat that they have been looking for? Will Daniel find out the truth about his friend Ryan?
A great read. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Within a twenty-four hour span, Daniel loses his job and his girlfriend and his apartment. He has a strange medical/mental condition where he can recall personal memories perfectly. Repeatedly. Vividly. Without even wanting to. It makes life difficult. Panic attacks are regular occurrences. Sleep is not. Dealing well with other people isn't a thing that happens easily -- aside from his younger sister who also has difficulty dealing with him at times. He's a mess.

One such memory is the possible murder and disposal of a childhood friend. It has haunted him for almost twenty years and in an attempt to put his life back together and function properly, Daniel decides to revisit this memory and try to piece together what actually happened.

It's definitely a slow burn of a book. We don't find out the details of the memory until a quarter of the way through. He doesn't meet Poppy -- the girlfriend in the description -- until the 56% mark. The reader meets her before then, but it takes a while for the two to cross paths while they're walking and camping along the canal. He's doing it because that is where he last saw Ryan. She's doing it in memory of her recently deceased grandmother who suffered from Alzheimer's.

The two click with each other instantly. They tell each other everything and, much to Daniel's surprise, she doesn't shy away from him and his memories. In fact,, she wants to help him.

The cover and description states that this is a "psychological thriller." I suppose it is, in its own way. Daniel is definitely haunted by what he believes he remembers and that, on its own, is psychological. It is not, however, what I generally think of when I see "psychological thriller." I expect some sort of serial killer and/or constant danger. A bit of danger, yes. Daniel is, after all, chasing after a man believed to have killed his own child ... but nearly as constant as I was expecting.

It was a nice surprise.

I enjoyed getting to know Daniel and Poppy and Beans without the constant panic and angst and threat. They were the focus of the story and, for the most part, the memories took a back burner ... just as Daniel had always hoped that some day they would.

"It's when we can't remember that we begin to feel frightened. When our memories vanish, we fear we're losing our minds. But not Daniel. What frightens Daniel is that he can't forget."

**no spoilers**

This book is definitely an easy read. I do, however, feel like the ending was rushed. It was also like rom-com. I wasn't looking for a romantic comedy. I did not feel like I was being psychologically thrilled.
That passage makes you feel like you are about to go into the grips of terror. However, everything is summed up nice and tidy. Then, put a bow on it. I can't help, but feel let down. I expected more.

This is my first review. I will always give my honest opinion. Thanks to Netgalley for this book.

Susanna Beard pulled me with her very descriptive details in The Perfect Witness. I was able to finish this in only a couple hours due to the short length. The relationship between Poppy and Daniel was a great addition to the plot, but the beginning was a little slower to get into until Poppy’s character came into play.

I was surprised by this book, as it was not the fast paced dark and scary thriller I was expecting. In fact it was quite a slow burn of a story, The central characters of Daniel and Poppy were carefully and sympathetically drawn and as a reader you find yourself rooting for their relationship and their individual journeys.
Daniel is gifted (or cursed) with total recall of everything that has ever happened to him and it is initially his struggle with this that is destroying his life.
The story is set mainly along the canal paths of England and the descriptions of the countryside and the canal folk are vivid and enthralling.
Although there were some exciting moments, overall I felt the story was more of a quest than a psychological thriller. With a charming romance thrown in for good measure.

This was a new author for me and she will be on my must read list in the future. The book started out slow with introducing her main character, but, after I read a few chapters I understood why. Daniel cannot forget anything that has happened to him since he was 10 years old. Not one single minute. Unfortunately this includes watching his friend be beaten and murdered by his Dad. Daniel set out on a walking quest along the canals to find his friends Dad and bring him to justice. He is met along his journey by a charming young lady who joined him. They made a good team, unfortunately, many perils came their way. I won't go further than that because don't want to spoil this. Some unexpected twists, helpful people along the canals and......well that's it, you've got to pick up the book and read the rest.

Very interesting read! The contrast to have a person that cannot forget anything versus the horrible possibilities of memory loss, as a result from Alzheimer’s and concussions, was enlightening. I loved the connections it made. The realization that our memories are essentially what makes us who we are. Really nice slow-burn novel.