The Perfect Teacher

by Kelly Golden

‘WOW!!!!!!! I can't even begin to tell you how obsessed I became!!! … I could barely put it down to eat ... I absolutely INHALED every word. I stayed up sooooooo late … and OMG now I am just sitting here in disbelief!!! WHAT AN ENDING!! WHAT A TWIST!! I LOVED IT!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon Reviewer

My daughter is missing. I know her teacher took her. And I know why…

When I see the new teacher standing by the school gates, my heart stops. I’d know her anywhere, because thirty years ago, Georgia Smith was my best friend… until one terrible day she wasn’t.

‘Miss Smith is perfect,’ says my beautiful girl Jenna as she climbs out the car. But I know Jenna’s wrong, and I drive home with fear running down my spine. What did Miss Smith do to make Jenna think that?

I’m still shaking at the end of the school day when I realise Jenna should be home by now, and then I feel it in my

Jenna is gone. Miss Smith took her. My baby girl is in terrible danger…

And it’s all my fault.

An absolutely 100% gripping psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist to keep you reading all night. Perfect for fans of The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and anything by Louise Candlish or TM Logan.
What everyone’s saying about The Perfect Teacher:
‘Seriously, LOVED IT! ❤️❤️❤️… made me cry three times … left me grinning like a crazy person after all the emotional crying this rollercoaster of a book made me do… gripping … emotional … unforgettable.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ @this.human.reads

‘OMG, I couldn't put this down! … it was all brilliant … kept me on the edge of my seat … just brilliant … just made me read faster as I honestly needed to find out … had me hooked from the off!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ @myloveofreading

‘Immediately hooked… one of my favourite thrillers of the year… flawless… I didn’t want it to end, and when it did I wanted to start again… brilliant… I really didn’t know who was telling the truth… So many things are perfect about this book... I felt a lot of emotions… 5 stars, but it deserves more… unforgettable.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ @theglitzqueen

‘Wowza! What a read! 5 stars! … had me totally glued to the pages... I couldn't put it down and read this in a one huge gulp ... None of my housework got done! And OMG that ending?!! Seriously what a jaw-dropping twist! Love, love, love!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon Reviewer

‘Utterly addictive… I just couldn’t put it down… hooked from the beginning… a one-sitting read for me… literally had everything… I would definitely highly recommend!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ @PRDGRe

420 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 22, 2024

Reviews

[Rachel Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sloooow Everything

I depend on reviews so I hope this review finds someone who is thinking of reading this book. I slogged through it. The plot unfolds so slowly that is it tough to keep up, even for someone like me who is an avid reader.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the most confusing books I have read in a long time. Basically divided into before, after and now. There were several people telling the story, but there was no indication of who was talking at the time, leaving you trying to figure it out. You have to read 200 pages before you are able to say, oh, now it makes some sense. Even after that major twist, you will still struggle with the next 200 pages. Did the book hook me? Yes. Did I continue to read it, even though very confused? Yes. Draw from that whatever you might.

[Beth Carle · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the premise of this story was fine, the writing was subpar. Too many narrators but all had the same voice so the reader can’t really tell one from another. In addition, I kept reading, waiting for this “mind-blowing twist”, but nope, no twist, just 200 pages more than necessary. There were several times I thought of putting it in the DNF pile—no small consideration for me since I have rarely started a book and not finished it. This one, however, was awfully close to being a DNF.

[Shannon Duffek · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a let down

I did not like this book. It was so hard to follow.....I could never figure out whose narrative was whose. Very confusing to follow and I only finished it because I hate to not finish what I've started. It was neither "unputdownable" nor a thriller. With all the good reviews, i was beginning to think I was reading a different book all-together.

[Cindy Wingard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this book and had a very difficult time following the story and which character was talking. I found myself going back to previous chapters to try to figure out what was going on. I’m an avid reader and enjoy most books, but this one was a tough read.

[Sally · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everyone is unlikeable, the plot is convoluted and messy, and it’s about 150 pages too long.

[CammieOH · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF!

[Debbie vicksman · Rating 2 out of 5]

One star for me because I made it all the way through the book. One star for the story. I found the multiple narrators to be very confusing. I am sure I must have missed somethings. I kept going I would understand everything, but it was difficult. I did get the one huge twist, but I think it was not clearly followed up. I would not call this a thriller at all. More of a snoozer.

[JANE · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me

Kept trying but I could not get engaged with this book. The plot was so boring and repetitive. Have up in the end

[Tammy Sensibaugh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this because it was free on my kindle and I am a teacher. Poor character development and a slow to develop plot. Don’t waste your time reading it!

[Susan H Page · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much jumping back and forth. Had to figure out which character was telling the story each time. Disappointed

[Katherine Hayward Pérez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Teacher is the second Kelly Golden novel I have reviewed after her 2020 novel The Perfect Girl.

The first sentence of her new book really made me want to continue. I felt shock and sadness but also fely immediately hooked because of the words and the visuals. The POVs are alternating throughout the book, and they are in an imaginative order.

Georgia is, and was, a terrible person : so manipulative. At other times, and in outward appearance, she seemed so calm and controlled that I felt uneasy. Yet I still wanted to continue. The parents also made me feel uneasy, particularly the father/grandfather: I thought he was very. strict and set in his ways. I thought the mother was very shy and compliant. I felt almost a sense of fear from her throughout the book: a fear to speak up, to be herself. Or maybe her personailty was what her husband had molded it to be. That was disconcerting, yet intriguing.

The family is very complex and I liked the fact there were twins. I love any book with twins as I am one.

I felt Ash and Ava (the twins) were well fleshed out. In fact, all the characters were. The house and farm where the entire family lived was big and at times I felt it was cosy, at others it was haunting.

I felt thoroughly involved in the police investigations and search. In some books, I feel pulled out of scenes like this, but in this book they were interesting, and I felt the need to find out what was going to happen.

The entire book had me asking "What really happened?"

The school was so atmospheric and it had me thinking back to my own experiences of Sixth Form. The Sixth Form experience with lessons, exams, friendships and more is so realistic.

I liked the fact that there were so many traditions in the family: living in the same house for so long, going to the same school.

The Perfect Teacher is one of my favourite thrillers of the year, and the writing is flawless. I felt like I didn't want it to end, and when it did I wanted to start again. This happens only with books that are brilliant and memorable.

The Perfect Teacher is perfectly respresentative of a messed up family, of a messed up teacher. At times, I'd ask myself who was the most troubled. I really didn't know who was telling the truth at any one time, or who to believe.

Everyone has truths and secrets in this book: I also wondered which was a truth and which was a secret.

So many things are perfect about this book: the plot, the characters, the setting the writing style and pace are, too. Kelly Golden combines well-chosen words and imagery to make The Perfect Teacher so immersive.

I loved Kelly's novel The Perfect Girl for these reasons, and love this, too. It will have you thinking about who you thought your supposed "perfect teacher" was/is. I felt a lot of emotions: fear, intrigue, sadness, happiness, curiosity, mistrust, unease and this only happens to me if the writing is true-to-life and relateable. After one book, I knew that Kelly Golden had a talent for this type of story, but after two I can definitely confirm it.

There's still one Kelly Golden book I would like to review, and I hope that she writes more in the future.

Thanks to Kelly Golden and KG for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars, but it deserves more. The Perfect Teacher is an unforgettable novel.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like an onion. There are layers upon layers, and peeling each layer back makes you cry. I hope you like onions because this one was the crunchiest, the juiciest, the freshest, the best onion to devour in a long time.

When I was at 12%, I had written it down in my notes that this might be one of the most perfect teacher books out there. The teacher is a woman. Usually the bad guys, the bad teachers are men. But then again, this one isn’t bad, is she? She is perfect.
When I was close to 70%: it’s not 70% yet and my heart is already broken, in more than one way, and more than once. The book has made me cry three times already and I still have over 30% of the book ahead of me.

I loved the shifting POV/timelines. Each chapter has a different POV and a different timeline, and it is never disclosed who is the owner of the pov and what time exactly is it – yes, the past is past, but which past, how long ago did this past happen? This was not your regular dual timeline read, far from it. This was more like a time machine read, and as it turns out, it was a major part of the plot.

I thought I had read the most horrible family ever written when I read the 2nd book in the Kingsley series by Kaira Rouda. Turns out, I was wrong, this might be an even more horrible family.

And then, the ending. I despise sugary sweet happy endings. This one? Not a happy one, but a good one, and it left me grinning like a crazy person after all the emotional crying this rollercoaster of a book made me do.

P.S. Just a quick note, I’m sure it will be added to the final version of the book, but I felt like I needed to put it out there. Trigger warnings. Those were not needed for me, but I know that it’s a big deal for many. So, here we go: self-harm, suicide, bullying.

[Misfits farm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankie’s daughter Jenna hasn’t come home from school, however she is 16 and more than capable of sorting herself out. Other than to her helicopter mother who still calls her “ her baby”. On investigating further Frankie finds out that the school has hired her arch nemesis from when she was at school, someone the whole family steered away from. Frankie is now convinced that Georgia Smith has a hand in Jenna’s disappearance, putting into action what she threatened years ago.

Alternate chapters take the reader Now, After and Before written from differing perspectives-on differing timelines. Sounds confusing but it really isn't, it's easy to follow. “After” is someone in prison, we are not quite sure who or why until later in the book and “Now” being mostly from Frankie’s perspective. This gives an interesting POV which varies and kept me hooked right the way through. The chapters are short and snappy and there is that “ just one more chapter” feeling as I wanted to find out more. A family that despite the generations live in close quarters and so enveloped in each other's lives so that the past is quickly regenerated in their minds. A family that is rather dysfunctional in many ways, some wanting to live just in their own space and time. A very cleverly thought out, well planned plot written to perfection. There is something special about this book. It's gripping, it’s proficient and profound. Stunning, gripping, breath-taking.
(There are mentions of self harm, suicide and bullying)

[Zelda FeatzReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

. This book is a captivating thriller that explores the complexities of teacher-student relationships and the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. The story centres around Miss Smith, a dedicated teacher at a prestigious private school. She is admired by her students and respected by her colleagues, but beneath her composed exterior lies a troubled past that threatens to unravel her carefully constructed life.
Kelly Golden's writing style is engaging and suspenseful, drawing you into the character’s world of academia and intrigue. The narrative is skilfully crafted, with well-paced plot twists that keep you guessing until the final pages. As the story unfolds, Miss Smith finds herself entangled in a dangerous game of manipulation and obsession. Golden navigates themes of power dynamics and psychological suspense, creating a sense of unease that permeates every chapter.
Reading "The Perfect Teacher" made me feel a mix of apprehension and curiosity, as I became invested in Miss Smith’s struggle to maintain control amidst mounting pressure and threats from her past.
One of the standout elements of the book is the character development. Miss Smith is a complex protagonist whose vulnerabilities and strengths are authentically portrayed. Her journey from confidence to vulnerability is compelling and relatable.
I particularly enjoyed how Golden weaves together different narrative threads, keeping you guessing while gradually revealing the hidden truths that haunt this woman’s life. The author's attention to detail and atmospheric descriptions enriches the reading experience, adding depth to the story's setting.
https://featzreviews.com/the-perfect-...

[Patrice Gotting - #prdgreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts: now everyone knows I love a psychological thriller, this one was so cleverly done that I’m struggling to get my thoughts into words.

Jenna has a new favourite teacher, she sees her, she talks to her, she listens to her. But more importantly she gives her a safe space to hide when things get too much. What we don’t know at the time is that Miss Smith had history with Jenna’s mum and let me tell you it is a very tangled web, but untangling it will have you totally engrossed & just when you think you’ve got to the bottom of it there’s more.. there’s always more!

This story was told from multiple perspectives across multiple timelines & you’d think it would get confusing, but it doesn’t, it all comes together so seamlessly, I was hooked from the beginning which made this a one sitting read for me.

The characters were likeable, even the ones that I don’t think we were supposed to like, the teenagers were realistic and believable and the chapters were short and snappy, this one literally had everything, the only negative for me which is more of a personal preference than anything else was that the book as a whole was maybe just a little too long, at over 400 pages.

I would definitely highly recommend this one though and I will be looking out for Kelly’s next release in the future.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I read a lot of psychological thrillers and have to confirm that I never get bored, even when the themes, ideas and narratives are often similar.
I generally go in blind, just to avoid any possible spoilers and so went into this one thinking that ifit would be another bad teacher, abusing power.
Well, I wasn't too far wrong, but the way this was written was something else entirely!

I loved the ever changing pov's and timelines which rather than confusing, enhanced the tense atmosphere created and filled me with intrigue and questions.

I also loved how this gradually unravelled - at each point giving us more clues as to the personality and backstory, but never giving enough to reveal too much of the plot at one time.
I like to be kept guessing and this one delivered just that, with me having no clue right up until the final few pages.

The settings within this were perfect.
With the nostalgic feel of the school scenes - these brought back so many memories for me - to the farm which at times felt safe and homely - but then things would shift and I felt it's creepy presence.

This was really well written and had me gripped from start to finish.
The first that I've read by this author, but definitely won't be the last!

[Esther Bultitude · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if your worst enemy… was your daughter’s new teacher?

Thirty years ago, Georgia Smith was my best friend. Then one terrible day, everything changed.

I’ll never forget her beautiful face, twisted with hate, the last time I saw her. But I never thought I’d have to see it again.

Georgia is back.

She’s my daughter’s new favourite teacher.

And now my baby girl is gone...

A tense thriller with multiple timelines from before, after and now. Each POV never quite got to ‘the event’ so it kept you guessing to the very end.

There were various characters I really disliked - Georgia for one and Fran’s father for another. He was awful - misogynistic and gaslighting - her poor mother!! I don’t know how she put up with it for that long.

The whole family set up was strange too - all living together and having certain times to do certain things - all a bit controlling if you ask me - but that added to reasons that could be related to Jenna’s disappearance rather than the mysterious Miss Smith…

With Georgia’s backstory running parallel throughout you really can’t trust anyone!

I did find the timelines really confusing and I lost where I was in the end 😬

[JD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a strange and twisted read. It was a bit messy, and the storyline was somewhat difficult to follow, but i eventually caught up. There were so many layers to this story, and the author did well to give the reader enough background to understand motives, emotion, and the like.
I wasn't hugely fond of the nicknames and misleading confusing back and forth approach, still trying to work out if it made the story more thrilling or not. I found Georgia's character the most likeable, and despite the writers best attempts and justifying Frances, I found her quite intolerable. Some parts were repetitive, and as a previous review suggests, there is no real segregation in the "voice" of each character we hear from, so it's hard to define them. Frances repeated the same things over and over again... I was frustrated but pushed through.
Felt very much like a drama with *warning* references to suicide and depression, physical, emotional, financial abuse, rape etc. 3 stars for the ending and keeping my engagement waiting to find out what was on that bloody tape.

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the blurb said this book was perfect for lovers of athe Housemaid, they were not messing about. This is a deeply thrilling psychological thriller, with layers upon layers of depth, detail and so many nooks and crannies for little secrets to hide.
From the start, you are swept up in a story that tells you about something we all experience - someone we dislike, but it is rare to have someone you truly, with ever fibre of your being hate. This is the case here. The author gives us so much hate, from the teacher, that we can feel it like lasers from the eyes of the teacher, dripping like venom from her mouth. Then things take a crazy turn, and we are thrown into a whirlwind or emotions, darkness and lots of suspense and accusations. There is definitely darkness in this story, so do be prepared, and it is written well, so you will feel it in your bones. The writing style is excellent and the ending is brilliant. A must read thriller.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review of The Perfect Teacher by Kelly Golden

This is an exciting psychological thriller to read and I got into it straight away and was hooked from the start. There were a lot of chapters to read but they were mainly short chapters. It was a ‘now’ and ‘then’ story telling you in each chapter what it was. It was a very gripping story with the start of the story going back thirty years and a death being involved, a good story of revenge with a thrilling twist in it. The plotting was excellent and the writing was superb.


Blurb :

What if your worst enemy… was your daughter’s new teacher?

Thirty years ago, Georgia Smith was my best friend. Then one terrible day, everything changed.

I’ll never forget her beautiful face, twisted with hate, the last time I saw her. But I never thought I’d have to see it again.

Georgia is back.

She’s my daughter’s new favourite teacher.

And now my baby girl is gone...

[Vix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me angry - but against the evil characters, it totally drew me in.

There's a great twist half-way through, I was so shocked and it really connects you with a character. I enjoyed the different narratives and it all tied together at the end. I was infuriated by the grandfather and can't believe they couldn't see how badly he was treating his wife and children.

There is still something that bugged me by the end, I feel like someone got away a little too lightly. I didn't understand a decision that was made either.

It covers some brutal subjects (TW: self-harm, rape, suicide), but in a really interesting way - looking at how the impact of decisions can filter across relationships and also down the generations.

Overall, an intense read looking at how trauma can affect us all differently and whether we face up to it or lie to ourselves.

*I received a complementary copy of the e-book from RandomThingsTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise of this novel had me hooked just from reading the blurb. I just knew that I had to read it and I was not disappointed! Georgia Smith was my best friend over thirty years ago until a terrible day and everything changed. I thought I would never see her again and now she is a teacher at my teenage daughters school and now my precious daughter is missing. The story develops at a slow pace and quickly picks up speed as the hunt to find Jenna intensifies. The family in the story are a complicated bunch and they are all hiding secrets and lies so it is like a present that just keeps giving as you unwrap each lie and secret to piece it all together. My pulse was racing so fast as the plot came to a unexpected head. The teacher is definitely like no other teacher I have known and it has been quite a good head spinning physcological thriller.

[Coffee Book Bliss · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars!
I liked the blurb. Anything where children are involved in a school setting is always a bit nerve racking for me as being a mother, it is difficult to comprehend or imagine that anything and everything can happen to your child, especially in their second home i.e.. school.
The book has a very nice pace throughout with some amazing twists in between.
POV keeps changing between before and after which also contains surprises.
I liked the story overall but felt that there were too many characters, too much happening and little awareness. Like you couldn’t fully gather the past and present, the present that they were handling and past actions happening. I am not even able to describe how much of a jumble it felt.
It could have been more detailed. And the main character more aware or smart.
Though I would say that the ending is worth it.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit of a longer book/story than I'm used to reading on my Kindle app, but it looked intriguing, so I gave it a shot. I was curious and uncomfortable right from the start. There was a main mystery introduced, but then there were also several connections and/or off-shoots that were also mentioned and taking place. The story felt kind of slow-moving, but there was a lot to be pieced together, and I had so many questions. The pace started to pick up and as the main mystery continued to unravel, the connections and off-shoots kept growing in intensity and feeding into the main one. I was thoroughly enjoying the how I felt as I continued to piece together every twist and turn. The ending was quite satisfying and did well with tying up all of the threads of this thriller. I will definitely check out more books by this author.

[Alicia Puglia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would potentially give this book 2.5 stars, but mostly for the ending. I typically read a book in one or two sittings and this book took a week. I almost gave up many times due to the absolute disjointed writing style and complete confusion surrounding which character was narrating each chapter. The author needs to be clearer on writing the characters thoughts as I was confused as to if they were speaking aloud to another character or talking to themselves in their heads. This unfortunately happened in almost every chapter in the book. Along with all of this, it was a longer read at over 400 pages, which if it was a true psychological thriller I would have been happy with, but this was pedantic at best.

[Terri Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was slow to bring you in due to the before, now, and after chapters. However, once you caught on, it quickly pulled you in to the story. The theme of this psychological thriller is lies, both the ones we tell and the ones we tell ourselves… in the authors words “the impact of lies, especially the lies we tell ourselves. I don’t believe all lies begin with a conscious choice, and these can be the hardest to recognise and set right. And lies kept within a family… If you don’t want to keep them, you’re out, and that can feel like an impossible decision to take. But in the long run, what is right, and what will make you happier?”
This had enough twist and turns to keep you reading. There were a few unexpected turns. I enjoyed the read.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overprotective mum Frances is lying to her husband. She has found out he is having an affair. A lot of her own life has gone bizarrely wrong. Her Teenage daughter Jenna, is a concern. There is slow changes in her demeanour and attitude. Jenna goes missing after the appearance of the new teacher Georgia, who Frances knows from her past and knows the secrets about her which could explode her life.
Told from three points of view with before and after this was a cleverly woven read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is some mention of self harm and bullying and it’s handled sensitively. This is my first read from this author and it won’t be my

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book turned out to be a very good read, and once I got into it I really enjoyed the twists of the story and the characters. However, I’ve only given ‘The Perfect Teacher’ 3 stars as I found it so hard to get into. When I first started reading I found it so confusing to follow and I had to force myself to stick with it and keep reading, and a few times I did nearly give up with it.

The chapters are ‘now’, and ‘after’ which confused me, and at the beginning I found it hard to figure out whose POV I was reading from. I did stick with it though, and once the story unfolded a little, it was a lot easier to follow.

[mrsbookburnee Niamh Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a psychological thriller that you can get your teeth into, you need this! And you need strong teeth as there is a lot to unravel.

I loved this book, I was completely engrossed and the twists kept me hooked, the different POVs and timelines really added to the story, without becoming confusing.

The characters the author created were interesting, they certainly showed how messed up families can be!

This is the authors second book and she is now an autobuy author for me. I’m excited to see who the next ‘perfect’ person will be!

This is out now, add it your TBR