4.5 Stars

Alex Appleby is a successful dressmaker. but she is a broken woman. Her husband has left her and her children no longer speak to her. She is part of a support group as she is suffering from adult-onset anorexia. One of the participants in the group is Carrie, a woman dying of cancer. Alex has taken Carrie under her wing and Carrie is now like a daughter to her.

The friendship goes far, far deeper as it becomes a case of "Operation Protect Carrie" as Carrie has suddenly been receiving threatening packages that Alex has been hiding from her. Is Carrie in danger, and now Alex too? What is in Carrie's past that puts her in danger now? What about Alex? There are things about her past that she is hiding, even at the cost of her own health.

The Perfect Friend is a book full of twists and turns. I have to admit to being very curious about Alex's altruistic motives from the very start. Alex, in her very private thoughts, was a liar, ruled by deceit. Every time I thought I had a bead on the truth behind Alex's life, I began to doubt Carrie's. I was completely thrown about! Talk about a psychological thriller! This book is that and much, much more. It is truly a "bitter taste of betrayal, secrets and lies".

I was truly left reeling after finishing this book. Every time I thought I figured out what was happening with the story, I discovered that I was wrong. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough as I was trying to unravel the mysteries. This is Barbara Copperthwaite's fifth psychological thriller and she did a marvelous job at keeping me on my toes.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Date of publication: July 5, 2018 ( )

Great story!!

When I first read the synopsis, I was unaware that the setting of the story was in the UK. Wow. What a wonderful book! Not everything is what it seems to be, but I think that is half the fun. You get to wonder who is the real deal. Lots of twists and turns to keep you intrigued. Well done!!! ( )

This was quite an interesting psychological thriller! I loved all the twists, turns and lies! So many lies! I look forward to reading another Barbara Copperthwaite book! Excellent read! ( )