After reading All the Missing Girls, it was only a question of time before I got my hands on Megan Miranda’s latest thriller. The Perfect Stranger is her second psychological suspense novel and had the unlucky fate to surpass its predecessor. While both stories are stand-alone novels, it is the originality and the masterful story-telling of All the Missing Girls that set the bar high for this new story. All the Missing Girls was a completely new and mind-baffling story that will probably always be used as a reference when authors will deliver their stories backwards, but Megan Miranda’s newest release is still a brilliantly-crafted, character-oriented mystery story that will keep you guessing till the end. This is the story of Leah Stevens as she leaves her reporter life in Boston due to a horrible incident in order to embrace a fresh new start in a small town alongside her trusted roommate, Emmy Grey. Things however don’t go as planned as Emmy disappears out of the blue and Leah starts to wonder how much she truly knew about her friend.
Megan Miranda is without a doubt a brilliant story-teller. Her writing alone warrants a round of applause as it manages to suck you right into the mind of Leah Stevens. Told in first person, the protagonist continuously pours out her thoughts and ideas as she confronts the people in her life. Whether it would be her mother and her incessant desire that her baby comes back home so that she could straighten Leah’s life or her friend who continuously wishes to hang out with her, Megan Miranda does a magnificent job in portraying a character who struggles to find and tell the truth when it really matters. An interestingly fluent way of integrating past events in the narrative is also present and gives readers an atmospheric and clear portrait of what Leah was once like and how things came to be. The story is also infused with bits emphasizing the journalistic traits that was once all she needed to take advantage of in order to make a living. The way the author manages to interweave the past with the present helped keep the intrigue at its highest throughout the story. It was always an uphill battle for answers as the author offers readers countless different possible scenarios to contemplate.
While the pacing felt slow at the beginning, the story will quickly find its upbeat tempo and will instate in you a deep craving for answers when you least expect it. The Perfect Stranger never felt linear and successfully delivers multiple subplots manipulated in the careful and ingenious hands of Megan Miranda. What was most stunning about this story was how every piece of the puzzle smoothly clicked together without ever feeling too big or too small. It’s how Leah Stevens interprets and understands these pieces that makes this book so much more fun to read and even more exciting to tag along with her. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed how Leah kept on struggling to learn from the past or to know if she should repeat mistakes she thought she’d never contemplate again. It’s impossible to not realize how complex and flawed her character turns out to be as you learn about her past and fully grasp her relationship with her roommate. Filled with zigzags that never manages to confuse you, The Perfect Stranger delivers a completely captivating and intriguing story of trust, truth and lies.
It would be a lie to say that my expectations were easy to lower. All the Missing Girls was a game changer and it was impossible to think that Megan Miranda wouldn’t try and outdo herself. The Perfect Stranger is however still a very solid and entertaining psychological suspense. There are plenty of twists and enough mystery to keep any reader wondering about the outcome. While the author offers readers numerous possibilities, some of which that Leah Stevens openly ponders herself, you are always brought to think about the alternatives that are not mentioned and make your own decisions on what to believe, or who to believe. As an ex-journalist, all the ‘maybes’ that were presented always seemed juicy and irresistible, and I believe it is what makes The Perfect Stranger such a compelling story. Trying to determine which facts are the truth and which ones were lies made this tale such a challenge. If you’re looking for a new author to follow in their writing adventures, Megan Miranda is definitely one to check out.
I WON THIS BOOK THROUGH A GIVEAWAY ON GOODREADS HOSTED BY SIMON & SCHUSTER CANADA!
LET IT BE KNOWN THAT WINNING A GIVEAWAY ON GOODREADS IS ACTUALLY POSSIBLE! 😀
Are you interested in The Perfect Stranger?
How about you read this book for yourself!
You can purchase your copy @Amazon Canada or @Chapters Indigo now!
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MY OVERALL RATING: ★★★★☆/
Roars and Echoes 
I shall have to read this author when I get some free reading time! Awesome review Lashaan!
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Thanks man! You should definitely check out what she can do, especially since you do enjoy some good thrillers! 😀
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I’ve never won a giveaway on Goodreads but it’s good to know I shouldn’t give up hope! I read All The Missing Girls and loved that one, I think the reverse story-telling was pulled of brilliantly and I’d love to read this one too. It sounds like it wasn’t a one-hit wonder but she’s a solid, reliable writer and one where you know you’ll just like all her novels.
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I always thought it was a myth! But I kept on entering them in case I’d actually win it unexpectedly. So glad to find out that they actually work! 😀 I definitely agree. The Perfect Stranger confirms that All the Missing Girls isn’t a one hit wonder. It’ll however often get compared to it, inevitably, though. Hopefully people will try and read it without comparing and try and appreciate its story! Thanks for reading!! 😀
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Fantastic review Lashaan! After reading both of these books, Miranda is definitely on my top ten list of suspense authors!
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Thank you so much Kim! I really do adore her writing style. I wonder what she has in store for us next! 😀
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Wow.. I love this review… so thorough and sounds like the book is a solid thriller with a strong character.
Since I am only this year really reading more crime mystery thrillers I am still getting to know the big players and the good, rave-worthy books, so it’s defo great to come across books that should be read! 🙂
Yay for the GR giveaway- Congrats!- I have once won a book via GR as well… that was a shocker… and probably a once in a lifetime happening 😀
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Oh, thank you so much Liz! I know that feeling of discovering a genre. It’s so much fun to dip your toe in the waters and try and spot the authors that will make you fall in love with the genre like no one else could. I don’t know if you’d prefer the “veterans” more than the “newbies insta-fame” ones, but I’d definitely put Megan Miranda in the latter category. Her first psychological suspense novel was pretty original too!
Oh man, congrats on that one! Since winning this book, I also managed to win……… The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone…. You know exactly what THAT book is about. I honestly didn’t expect to win that (I didn’t even get a notification that I won it). It just came in the mail and surprised me! But honestly… after Drew’s reviews, I’m actually pretty curious to see how I’ll like it. 😀 And.. well.. since winning that, I’ve entered so many giveaways but now I feel like I exhausted all my luck with Goodreads giveaways! Hahah 😀
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bwahahahahaha 😀 The Hatching! *burst out laughing quite loudly* To be honest, yes, I am interested in your review and have to admit that it does sound like a cool book… but… spiders, man!!! XD
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Hahahahah now you’re just making me want to hide this book in the deepest corner of my bookshelves!
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no, no, no… read it! If you’ll survive it, I know I will, too! XD You’re guinea pig in this case… sorry! XD hahaha
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Dammit hahahhaha
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Ah I’m glad this was a solid story and a good psychological thriller! Definitely sounds entertaining!
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Yes, yes, indeed! It was! 😀 Thank you so much for reading. 😉
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You’re welcome! 😀
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I like psychological thrillers and this sounds pretty interesting maybe I should give it a try! Great Review! 🙂
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Thank you so much for reading!! Both All the Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger are definitely worth checking out! 😀
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Great review for this book Lashaan. The Perfect Stranger sounds like a really interesting story, it’s just a shame it maybe didn’t live up to your expectations but I guess after reading and loving Megan Miranda’s first book your expectations were probably sky high. I guess you still enjoyed this one given you rated it four stars, and even if the pacing was slow it sounds like Leah was a very interesting character to follow in this story. 🙂
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Thanks Beth! 😀 I was able to lower those expectations as much as I could, but there’s no way you can control this. Her first book delivered something really original when it comes to story-telling structure (backwards narrative). While you know The Perfect Stranger doesn’t do that, you still know that Megan Miranda is capable of amazing things! 😀 This story is definitely a great psychological suspense, and anyone looking for just that will find it in this book. Thanks again for reading!! 😉
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That’s all right! 🙂 I don’t think expectations can be lowered or controlled, not when it’s a book you’re excited for or something. Besides it sounds like even though this book wasn’t quite what you hoped it was still a good one overall. That’s all right! 🙂
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Awesome review, Lashaan 🙂 I didn’t know this author but it definitely feels like I should!
I love clever stories and characters whose choices and thoughts feel real and not fabricated to suit the author’s purposes, which doesn’t seem to be the case here at all.
I’ll keep an eye on this one and others. It might actually get me into the thriller genre once and for all hahaha
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She’s a growing sensation in the whole thriller world. It’s definitely a great story, even her first psychological suspense, All the Missing Girls. Really curious to see what your first thriller is going to be and how you’re going to like it! 😀 Thanks again for reading Sophie!! 😉
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With all these good books, no wonder I can’t sit down and write. See, this is the problem!
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Bahahah I can imagine the struggle! The number of books I want to read right now just keeps on increasing at an exponential rate. If I was a writer, I would never be able to pick up a pen (or open a Word document)! 😛
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Yep, it makes me think I am more passionate about reading than writing.
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Oh, oh. But… the world (or maybe just me) need more of your writing!!! :O
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Haha; it’ll be limited to my blog for now. I’ve got lots of story ideas lined up, but the time . . . the time! Oy vey!
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Amazing review and I agree with you on everything. I liked this book and I think the best bit about it was how Miranda managed to make me doubt the MC. At some point I started thinking that Emily may not even be real but Leah’s imagination. It was a captivating read and like you said, although not the same with All the Missing Girls, it was a wonderful thriller.
Good to know that Goodreads Giveaways are real. I thought they were like the loto in Kenya. We hear about people winning them but never actually know any of the winners so there is always some doubt. Thanks for clearing that up as far as gooreads giveaways:-)
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Ohhh thank you so much Diana! 😀 I also wondered if Emily was a lie myself, but I kept on telling myself that it would be too easy of a twist and kept that option at the bottom of my list! 😛
Bahahahh I thought Goodreads giveaways were just a way to “enter” fictional giveaways just so that you’d spread the word on the existence of certain books to other Goodreads members and make them add it to their TBR! 😀 I’m pretty happy to personally find out that you could actually win something if the odds are with you!!
Thank you again for reading and checking this review out!! 😉
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