Huge thanks to Alice Hunter and Avon for providing an eARC via NetGalley; this is my honest review.

Alice Hunter delivers an absolute knockout with The Perfect Psychopath - a taut, chilling psychological thriller that had me completely under its spell. From the first page, this book crawled under my skin and stayed there, dripping with dread and emotional weight.

Dr Eleanor Spencer is exactly the kind of protagonist I gravitate towards - composed, intelligent, and harbouring deep, secret fractures. Her role as a psychologist gives this book a fascinating edge: we’re watching someone trained to understand minds struggle to maintain her grip on her own. The trauma of her sister’s disappearance years ago casts a long shadow, and when women begin vanishing again, that shadow starts to take on teeth.

The inclusion of Lucas Hayne - a convicted serial killer who may or may not be taunting Ellie with clues - is perfectly executed. Their interactions are razor-sharp and unsettling. The power dynamics, the psychological warfare, the tension between what is said and what is suggested - it’s all brilliantly crafted. I felt like I was in the room with them, afraid to breathe.

What elevates this above other thrillers is the emotional intelligence running beneath the horror. Hunter understands that grief, guilt, and fear are their own prisons. The twist, when it comes, feels both shocking and inevitable - a gut punch that made me sit still for a long while after finishing.

This is a story about control, memory, and how trauma echoes through time. But it’s also about strength - about facing the most terrifying parts of yourself and surviving.

The Perfect Psychopath by Alice Hunter is a dark and twisty psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. The story follows Dr. Eleanor Spencer, a prison psychologist haunted by her sister’s disappearance, who gets pulled into a new murder investigation. When a woman is found dead wearing Grace’s necklace, Ellie is forced to confront her past and work with Lucas, a convicted serial killer who might hold the key to everything.
I loved the premise and the creepy, slow-burn tension throughout the book. The twists were shocking, especially near the end, and kept me flipping the pages. However, I struggled to connect with any of the characters and found the pacing a bit too slow at times. Still, the writing is strong and the mystery kept me intrigued. It’s a good read for fans of psychological thrillers.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

Yes it's a fantastic read. I would love to see it as a movie someday. Multi POV's, serial killers, psychopaths, Silence of the Lambs vibes only Lucas (a serial killer) didn't eat his victims- he's a sociopath who loves playing cat and mouse with people, a narcissist that's oh so charming. The twists are so good, you have to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the UK publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Alice Hunter book, although I have been looking at her 'Serial Killers' series for a while now. I definitely saw enough in this book to encourage me to pick this up, too.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book in particular. I thought the characterisation was very strong and I was intrigued in the different strands of the story.

However, the ending wasnt my favourite unfortunately, as I felt important details were kept from the reader until the end to add shock factor, but it undid a lot of the good work done earlier in the book.

First I want to thank Avon Books UK and Netgalley for this e-ARC

This is my first book by this author and it won’t be my last! This book was amazing! I was instantly hooked and pretty much read this in one sitting.

The writing was fantastic, I instantly fell in love with the authors writing style. This book was a wild ride and the twists and turns were amazingly done. I definitely didn’t see any of these twists coming.

The characters, the storyline, the writing it all just gelled together so well and it was perfect.

Definitely would recommend this book!

Alice Hunter knows how to deliver a twist that will knock you sideways.

This psychological thriller will have you on the edge of your seat, desperately flying through the pages to find out the truth. I devoured this book so fast.

I had my theories, feeling like I was a detective myself, thinking I was able to guess who the killer was. I should have known that I would be wrong.

Hunter beautifully tangles a prison psychologist, a detective and a serial killer together to create a nail biting story reminiscent of Kiss The Girls.

Through multiple pov you get to know Ellie - Dr Eleanor Spencer, prison psychologist; DS Sarah Knight who is investigating a murder; and the killer. The shocking news of a murdered woman starts a journey to hunt for the killer.

This is a must read!

Thank you to Avon books for this advanced copy.

Yes, I liked the ending. Some super twists that had me gasping but everything before that was just okay.
Good premise. Great writing. But I didn't really like any of the characters. Just didn't connect to them.
A decent thriller read with lots of psychopathic nuggets of information to make my brain happy.

I felt like I was getting whiplash when it came to this book with all of the twists and turns. I was all for it!! It is a slow burn and I don’t mind it but this book overdid it, I went from enjoying the build-up to now wanting it to end, but then also loving the rest of it almost 80% into the book. But the inner true crime lover in me was low-key wishing I can watch this one on an actual screen, I know I am not the only one.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

3.5 stars
This is a good psychological thriller, but is a slow burner.
Ellie is a psychologist who works with prisoners and there's one in particular who features heavily in this book, Lucas.
Ellie's sister Grace has been missing for five years and both her and her Mum have been affected by this.
DS Sarah Knight contacts Ellie out of the blue, and tells her that a woman has been murdered and she had a necklace belonging to Grace.
DS Knight tells Ellie that they think this means Grace is dead, but they haven't found her body.
Ellie works with the Police and tries to get information from Lucas as he indicates he knows about the recent murders, and Grace.
This is a good read but not one of my favourites from Alice Hunter.
Thanks to Avon Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Dr. Eleanor Spence is a respected forensic psychologist working in a prison with serial killers. She finds herself drawn into an active murder investigation with links to her missing sister. When convicted serial killer Lucas Haynes suggests the killers identity hides in her past she needs to quickly try and uncover the truth.

I have read the majority of Alice Hunter’s books and also enjoy stories focused on psychopaths and serial killers, especially from a forensic psychologist perspective fascinating, so I was excited to read this. The story is told in a few different voices which I liked. I also enjoyed the mixed media and conversations which were with Lucas, finding that this added an extra layer of intrigue. Unfortunately though, I found I didn’t fully connect with Ellie as a main character, as she didn’t feel that likeable and sometimes came across as annoying.

Even though I really enjoyed the premise of this, I found most of the story a slow burn, which meant that I didn’t find it that gripping or suspenseful. Saying that, there were some good twists and an interesting ending. Even though this wasn’t the fastest paced book it ended up being a solid thriller and I look forward to seeing what she writes next. 3.5 stars rounded down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

A very clever psychological thriller, great characters, two strong female characters lead the story, Dr Eleanor Spencer, known as Ellie, is a forensic psychologist working in a prison, and DS Sarah Knight, a detective working on the murder cases,
Ellie’s sister disappeared 5 years ago, the police are no closer to finding her, Ellie fears her sister is dead. The police feel the murders of several women recently may be linked to Grave’s disappearance, they have asked Ellie for her help from inside the prison, she is drawn into the investigation, she knows she is putting herself and her career at risk, as she digs into the mind of a serial killer.
There is murder, mystery and suspense with a few good twists which keep the reader guessing. A little unbelievable in places, but overall an enjoyable read.
Many thanks to Net Galley & Avon Books UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. This is my first book by author,

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the eARC.

A fun popcorn thriller. I liked this book, I predicted some twists but not all. Would recommend to others.

Great slow burn as we follow Dr Eleanor Spencer who keeps her missing sister secret as she interviews serial killers and psychopaths at her day job at the local prison. When women again begin turning up dead with ritual links to former murders committed by one of her current patients, it’s a race against time to figure it out.

This book introduced lots of suspects and asked lots of questions, leading to genuine surprise at the end when everything was revealed. Not always easy to do.

My thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Perfect Psychopath’ written by Alice Hunter in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Dr Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Spencer is a forensic psychologist and delivers sessions to offenders in HMP Westgate. Her sister Grace has been missing for five years and although her body has never been found DS Sarah Knight believes she’s dead. She asks for Ellie’s help in the investigation when a woman is found wearing Grace’s necklace.

‘The Perfect Psychopath’ is a psychological thriller with a dark and menacing plot. The story is told in alternate chapters by the main female characters Dr Eleanor Spencer and DS Sarah Knight, with an occasional input from the killer. This is a slow burn that I initially found difficult to keep involved in and although it became more enthralling towards the end I didn’t enjoy it as much as ‘Bad Apple’ and ‘The Serial Killer’ series. It’s worth reading for the twists and turns, the increasing tension, and the final unexpected twist that I didn’t see coming.

I was eager to dive into “The Perfect Psychopath”. The premise immediately grabbed my attention: a respected psychologist, Dr. Eleanor Spencer, caught in a web of serial murders that seem connected to her own past, especially her sister’s mysterious disappearance. The idea of a killer knowing more than he should, and Ellie turning to a notorious inmate to get inside the mind of a monster, sounded like a recipe for a gripping psychological thriller.
Overall, I found the book to be a slow burn, taking its time to develop the characters and the plot. While that didn’t bother me too much, I did feel at times I struggled to connect deeply with the characters. Ellie, the main protagonist, is a well-respected forensic psychologist working in prison, and her internal struggles are compelling, but I felt some of her motivations and reactions could have been explored more fully to give her greater depth.
The storyline kept me turning pages, especially as the bodies started piling up and the connections to Ellie’s sister’s disappearance became more apparent. The dual perspectives—Ellie’s investigations and DS Sarah Knight’s detective work—added layers to the narrative and helped maintain a good pace. I especially appreciated the prison setting, which felt authentic and well-drawn, adding a gritty realism to the suspense.
That said, I did find some elements a bit of a stretch. For example, Ellie’s sudden lapses in memory or her seeming forgetfulness about key details related to the case felt a little too convenient and not sufficiently explained. It was a bit frustrating because it detracted from the plausibility and left some plot points feeling unresolved.
The characters, in general, lacked a bit of depth for my taste. None of them really came alive in a way that made me feel fully invested, which slightly diminished the overall tension. Additionally, while there were some good twists that kept me guessing until the end, I felt the story could have been more intense and emotionally charged, something I typically look for in a psychological thriller.
Despite these minor critiques, I enjoyed the premise and the suspenseful build-up. Hunter’s writing style is engaging, and I appreciated the exploration of the dark minds behind these crimes. It’s not my favourite of her books, but I still found it a worthwhile read, especially if you enjoy a slower-paced, character-driven mystery with some clever twists.

Maybe more mystery than thriller….I found it took me a while to get into and was a slow burner but did have a good final part of the book and on the whole was readable

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Perfect Psychopath in exchange for a review.

THE PERFECT PSYCHOPATH HIDES IN PLAIN SIGHT

This book had me gripped, and asking so many questions from the start. Who? Why? How? How are all of these puzzle pieces connected? I found it so interesting to get the story from both Ellie, and Sarah's POV, especially with Ellie delving into the minds of killers through her job.

I could not have predicted who the killer was, and was genuinely shocked by the revelation as it seemingly came out of nowhere but made sense once you knew his real identity. I enjoyed the way we were drip-fed information throughout, so you never really knew if you had the whole story as facts were revealed.

However for me, the final 'twist' did not make much sense, and makes Ellie very much seem like an unreliable narrator. Although throughout there are clearly a lot of memories she has repressed, and I feel like this should have been addressed further in some way. It also makes me question why her husband did not say anything sooner when he knew what happened?

Overall, I did really enjoy the book, I just wish the ending was different!

This is the fourth book that I have read from this author and each one is brilliant. Dr Eleanor Spencer is a brilliant psychologist and she enjoys to try and work out what makes a serial killer. Lucas is in for life and when murdered woman start to turn up a detective from her past asks her to try and see if she can get him to help them. What she doesn't expect is just how much she and people around her will soon wish she hadn't agreed..
Fast paced throughout and enough to keep you guessing.

This was a great read filled with lots of secrets and suspense. It starts off at a steady pace but definitely cranks up along the way.
The story unfolds from POVs from Ellie and Sarah as well as the killers, newspaper extracts add to the tension and you're left wondering who to root for.
The ending did catch me off guard, and I loved it.
A recommended thriller read, perfect as a holiday read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for the Arc.

‘The Perfect Psychopath’ by Alice Hunter tells the story of prison psychologist Dr Eleanor Spencer, who turns to one of her patients - serial killer Lucas Hayne - for insights into solving the mystery of disappearing young women, somehow connected to her long-missing sister.

While the premise of the novel was interesting, I didn’t find the book as gripping as I had hoped, and failed to become invested enough in the characters to really get immersed in the story. I can only give it 2.5 stars, even though I’m glad I persevered to the final revelations. I’ve seen many reviewers raving about this author and hope others enjoy this one more than I did.

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Avon Books UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.