A review by mbkarapcik
The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan

3.0

Concert pianist Zoe Maisey becomes involved in an accident that sends her to jail. Once she completes her sentence a few years later, she tries to assimilate into a new life with her mother, new stepfather, stepbrother, and baby sister. On the night of a very important recital, her mother dies, and the mystery of who killed her begins from there.

This book earned a higher rating–I gave it a three on Goodreads. It deserves a 3.75 out of five because I enjoyed it but feel like it’s misclassified. It reads more like an intense family drama with some thriller-type elements than straight suspense. One of the twists was surprising but not outrageously shocking.

I feel, too, like some loose ends were not tied up and others were wrapped up too neatly. Also, one storyline seemed a little too implausible to be much more than fiction. Ultimately, this is a tale of redemption for a handful of characters and a come-uppance for others.

I’m interested in reading a few of her other novels because I like her writing style and think some of her descriptions sounded very poetic. Unfortunately, the library is not open, so I cannot borrow any of her books right now. (Since that time, we can use curbside pickup–which limits what I can get because I like to browse.) Ugh! And I don’t love that the downloadable books disappear within a certain time frame! (I’ve become accustomed to electronic books but still prefer the paper copies.)

Anyway, I would get more into the plot, but the way it unfolds should kept under wraps.