(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When journalist Leah Stevens refuses to name an important source, she finds herself without a job.  At loose ends, she decides to leave Boston and start over somewhere else.  A chance encounter with Emmy Grey, an old roommate who is on the run from a violent ex-boyfriend, ignites a brilliant idea—Leah and Emmy can relocate together to rural Pennsylvania.  There, they can start new lives in a place where no one knows either of them.  

Almost as soon as the women arrive in Pennsylvania the plan begins to go awry.  When Emmy disappears and people start turning up dead, Leah scrabbles to figure out what in the world is going on.  No matter how completely she describes Emmy, the local police can't find any trace of Leah's roommate.  It's like she never existed at all.  Desperate to prove Emmy's existence, thereby clearing her own name and showing Detective Kyle Donahue that she's not crazy, Leah launches her own investigation.  As she digs into Emmy's past, she's forced to confront surprising truths about her friend and about herself.  With her own neck on the line, Leah must untangle a sordid web before hers is the next body being pulled from the lake.

I love me a psychological thriller that keeps me constantly off-balance.  The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda certainly did.  The chilling, atmospheric tale kept me guessing throughout its many twists and turns.  So compelling is this novel that I simply couldn't read it fast enough.  I sped through it in one day, desperate to find out what was going to happen.  If you're into the psychological thrillers that are all the rage these days (and I totally am), you'll likely eat this one up.  Although it gets confusing at times, overall The Perfect Stranger is a satisfying page-turner that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat.  I loved it.

(Readalikes:  I can't think of any specific titles.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find