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thephdivabooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first Joseph Souza book and I was excited to read it because I know he has a lot of fans! Quick paced, intriguing mystery, and some good twists—it definitely lived up to the author’s hype.
The setting in a coastal town in Maine had me transported right out of the Midwest. While I saw the town as an adorable get away, leading lady Isla sees Shepherd’s Bay as the town she always dreamed of escaping, but never did. Returning home without a college degree and with all of her dreams slipping away, Isla married high school basketball star Ray and lives a life she always thought she didn’t want.
Now, with a high school-aged daughter of their own, Isla helps support their family by offering pricey haircuts to the wealthy clients of the salon she owns. But when Katie fails to return home one night, Isla quickly forgets her other worries. Katie isn’t at her friends’ houses, and Katie’s friend Willow is missing as well.
But when Katie shows up a few days later with no memory of what happened, things get even stranger. Where is Willow? And what happened to Katie during those missing days?
I loved all of the gossip in this small town. Afterall, that is the thing small towns do best—gossip spreads like wild fire through the residents, and secrets don’t stay buried for long!
Meanwhile the local police officer is of course Isla’s ex-boyfriend from high school—another classic small town phenomena! In a town where no one moves on, those pesky old relationships always seem to resurface. And Isla needs Karl’s help, so I’m sure you can guess where this is going…
I loved the juxtaposition between the socioeconomic status of the townspeople. The wealthy clients at the salon were in such stark contrast to Isla and Ray (and other characters) financial struggles. The conflict between the privileged and less privileged was a fascinating element to this mystery. I also loved the feeling that a dark force was at work within the small town of Shepherd’s Bay.
Well-plotted and twisty, this was a great mystery to lose myself in!
Thank you to Kensington Books and TLC Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.
The setting in a coastal town in Maine had me transported right out of the Midwest. While I saw the town as an adorable get away, leading lady Isla sees Shepherd’s Bay as the town she always dreamed of escaping, but never did. Returning home without a college degree and with all of her dreams slipping away, Isla married high school basketball star Ray and lives a life she always thought she didn’t want.
Now, with a high school-aged daughter of their own, Isla helps support their family by offering pricey haircuts to the wealthy clients of the salon she owns. But when Katie fails to return home one night, Isla quickly forgets her other worries. Katie isn’t at her friends’ houses, and Katie’s friend Willow is missing as well.
But when Katie shows up a few days later with no memory of what happened, things get even stranger. Where is Willow? And what happened to Katie during those missing days?
I loved all of the gossip in this small town. Afterall, that is the thing small towns do best—gossip spreads like wild fire through the residents, and secrets don’t stay buried for long!
Meanwhile the local police officer is of course Isla’s ex-boyfriend from high school—another classic small town phenomena! In a town where no one moves on, those pesky old relationships always seem to resurface. And Isla needs Karl’s help, so I’m sure you can guess where this is going…
I loved the juxtaposition between the socioeconomic status of the townspeople. The wealthy clients at the salon were in such stark contrast to Isla and Ray (and other characters) financial struggles. The conflict between the privileged and less privileged was a fascinating element to this mystery. I also loved the feeling that a dark force was at work within the small town of Shepherd’s Bay.
Well-plotted and twisty, this was a great mystery to lose myself in!
Thank you to Kensington Books and TLC Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.
samtastic87's review against another edition
4.0
This was a quick read that I just couldn’t put down! I found myself lost in this small Maine lobstering town, dreaming of living there, but also surely glad that I don’t. This book is full of twists and turns and will definitely keep you guessing until the very end. I love how all of these different characters tied into each other’s stories, and made for a web of crazy. This was my first Joseph Souza books, but definitely won’t be my last.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the arc of this book in return for my honest opinion.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the arc of this book in return for my honest opinion.
bookishwithwine's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a wild ride! Missing kids, drugs, murder, and sex all tied into one twisted story.
Isla is basically a single mom trying to provide for her kids emotionally and financially. While she is married to Ray, he's not worth much of anything! Her youngest child, Raisin/Ray, is a diabetic and always has to have his service dog Scout with him. Katie is a good student, good daughter, and never gets in trouble until she falls into step with newcomer Willow. I did not like Willow from the get go. So when both girls disappear, you just have this feeling that it has something to do with Willow.
I loved the mystery aspect of this book and the different points of views from Isla to the local sheriff who is also Isla's high school boyfriend Karl. I will tell you right now that Katie is found, but she can't remember anything. However as we get further into the book bits and pieces start coming back about the details leading up to the night.
Is this one on your radar? You won't believe the ending! I never saw it coming!
This one is available now!
Isla is basically a single mom trying to provide for her kids emotionally and financially. While she is married to Ray, he's not worth much of anything! Her youngest child, Raisin/Ray, is a diabetic and always has to have his service dog Scout with him. Katie is a good student, good daughter, and never gets in trouble until she falls into step with newcomer Willow. I did not like Willow from the get go. So when both girls disappear, you just have this feeling that it has something to do with Willow.
I loved the mystery aspect of this book and the different points of views from Isla to the local sheriff who is also Isla's high school boyfriend Karl. I will tell you right now that Katie is found, but she can't remember anything. However as we get further into the book bits and pieces start coming back about the details leading up to the night.
Is this one on your radar? You won't believe the ending! I never saw it coming!
This one is available now!
kbranfield's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
The Perfect Daughter by Joseph Souza is an intriguing mystery.
Isla Eaves once thought she would escape her small town of Shepherd's Bay, ME. But she returned home without finishing her college degree, and later married high school basketball star Ray. Now parents to high school junior Katie and eleven year old Raison, Isla is frustrated by Ray's inability to support their family. She keeps the family financially afloat through her beauty salon where she counts on the wealthy newcomers to pay top dollar for their haircuts. Adding to her stress is the addition of her Alzheimer stricken father to their household.
With so much going on at home, Isla is mildly concerned when Katie fails to return home from a party she attended with best friend, Willow Briggs. Her concern turns to fear when Isla discovers her daughter is not at any of her friends' houses and that Willow's parents have not seen the teenagers either. A couple of days later, Katie returns but suffering from a serious head injury, she cannot provide any information about what happened to her or where Willow might be. Will her memory return in time to save Willow?
Isla is unhappy in her marriage but she cannot bring herself to separate from Ray. She cannot count on him to provide financial or emotional support but she does not want to break up her family. Always close to her children, Isla is troubled that Katie started to pull away after becoming friends with Willow. She knows her daughter is keeping secrets yet Isla implicitly trusts her daughter. However, after Katie goes missing, she discovers that she knows very little about her life outside their home. Could her new friendship with Willow be the reason for whatever happened to the young women?
Katie is fascinated by Willow from the first time she sees the newcomer. A transplant from Los Angeles, her new friend is everything Katie is not. Willow is beautiful, graceful, talented and her parents are quite wealthy. The teenagers are often unsupervised at the Briggs' home and their evenings together are nowhere near as innocent as she portrays to her mom. Growing increasingly uneasy with Willow and her wealthy friends, will Katie be able to revert back to the life she had before befriending Willow?
Local police officer (and Isla's former high school boyfriend) Karl Bjornson is quite worried about the missing teenagers. He is working on the still unsolved disappearance of Dakota James, the son of a well to do single mom. Without any leads in Dakota's case, Karl cannot help but wonder whether there is a connection between the disappearances. Lacking experience in these types of investigations, Karl continues pressing Katie for new information that will hopefully lead to finding Willow. But will Katie reveal any new details about the night the girls went missing?
The Perfect Daughter is an engaging mystery with an interesting storyline. The coastal setting is the perfect backdrop for the inevitable conflict between the financially struggling townspeople and the wealthy transplants. The characters are three-dimensional with fascinating back stories. The investigation into what happened to Dakota, Katie and Willow is engrossing but a little slow moving. The plot is well-developed but the writing is occasionally a little stilted and some of the phrasing is slightly awkward. Although a bit predictable, Joseph Souza brings the mystery to a twist-filled conclusion.
The Perfect Daughter by Joseph Souza is an intriguing mystery.
Isla Eaves once thought she would escape her small town of Shepherd's Bay, ME. But she returned home without finishing her college degree, and later married high school basketball star Ray. Now parents to high school junior Katie and eleven year old Raison, Isla is frustrated by Ray's inability to support their family. She keeps the family financially afloat through her beauty salon where she counts on the wealthy newcomers to pay top dollar for their haircuts. Adding to her stress is the addition of her Alzheimer stricken father to their household.
With so much going on at home, Isla is mildly concerned when Katie fails to return home from a party she attended with best friend, Willow Briggs. Her concern turns to fear when Isla discovers her daughter is not at any of her friends' houses and that Willow's parents have not seen the teenagers either. A couple of days later, Katie returns but suffering from a serious head injury, she cannot provide any information about what happened to her or where Willow might be. Will her memory return in time to save Willow?
Isla is unhappy in her marriage but she cannot bring herself to separate from Ray. She cannot count on him to provide financial or emotional support but she does not want to break up her family. Always close to her children, Isla is troubled that Katie started to pull away after becoming friends with Willow. She knows her daughter is keeping secrets yet Isla implicitly trusts her daughter. However, after Katie goes missing, she discovers that she knows very little about her life outside their home. Could her new friendship with Willow be the reason for whatever happened to the young women?
Katie is fascinated by Willow from the first time she sees the newcomer. A transplant from Los Angeles, her new friend is everything Katie is not. Willow is beautiful, graceful, talented and her parents are quite wealthy. The teenagers are often unsupervised at the Briggs' home and their evenings together are nowhere near as innocent as she portrays to her mom. Growing increasingly uneasy with Willow and her wealthy friends, will Katie be able to revert back to the life she had before befriending Willow?
Local police officer (and Isla's former high school boyfriend) Karl Bjornson is quite worried about the missing teenagers. He is working on the still unsolved disappearance of Dakota James, the son of a well to do single mom. Without any leads in Dakota's case, Karl cannot help but wonder whether there is a connection between the disappearances. Lacking experience in these types of investigations, Karl continues pressing Katie for new information that will hopefully lead to finding Willow. But will Katie reveal any new details about the night the girls went missing?
The Perfect Daughter is an engaging mystery with an interesting storyline. The coastal setting is the perfect backdrop for the inevitable conflict between the financially struggling townspeople and the wealthy transplants. The characters are three-dimensional with fascinating back stories. The investigation into what happened to Dakota, Katie and Willow is engrossing but a little slow moving. The plot is well-developed but the writing is occasionally a little stilted and some of the phrasing is slightly awkward. Although a bit predictable, Joseph Souza brings the mystery to a twist-filled conclusion.
serrasa's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
erenreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
i feel sorry for all the hours i spent on this book. super slow paced, none of the turns exciting, incredibly repetitive. finished just bc i was stubborn not to dnf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Grief, Gore, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Pedophilia, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Gun violence
reaganblake's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mandylovestoread's review against another edition
3.0
The Perfect Daughter was a quick read, a twisty thriller that keeps you reading. Usually I would really love this type of story, maybe it is just the wrong book for my frame of mind right now. I can see most people loved this alot more than I did.
Shepherds Bay in Maine is full of secrets, a wealthy boy went missing a week earlier and now 2 girls have disappeared. Katie and Willow are high school kids who didn't come home after a night out celebrating a win. 2 days later Katie is found, battered and sore but alive - and without any memory of what happened. She tries to put the pieces together with her mother.
Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
Shepherds Bay in Maine is full of secrets, a wealthy boy went missing a week earlier and now 2 girls have disappeared. Katie and Willow are high school kids who didn't come home after a night out celebrating a win. 2 days later Katie is found, battered and sore but alive - and without any memory of what happened. She tries to put the pieces together with her mother.
Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
bookworm_88's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
booksbylaurenn's review against another edition
2.0
I was really excited about this book when I picked it up from the library but was ultimately let down. I figured out what happened by page 150 and it dragged on to the end for me. Took a long time for me to read it and I'm excited to move on.
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