The Perfect Daughter: An addictive psychological thriller full of shocking twists

by Lorna Dounaeva

"Cassie Didn’t Come Home Last Night"

My neighbour's announcement cuts through the party atmosphere at my annual Easter barbecue.

I’ve known Jackie for sixteen years. Our daughters used to be best friends, but in recent months they’ve grown apart. My Sabrina is studious and driven, while Cassie is impulsive and attention-seeking, prone to drama. And yet, the news of Cassie’s disappearance fills me with a terrible sense of dread.

I see the accusation in Jackie’s eyes, and I don’t like it. Why hasn’t she gone to the police? And why does she look at us with such suspicion? She thinks someone here knows what’s happened to Cassie. And from the way she settles on my sofa, I can tell she’s not leaving until she learns the truth.

Lorna Dounaeva’s novels include The Wife’s Mistake and The Christmas Present. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers like The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, you won’t want to miss these gripping reads.
Perfect for fans of K.L. Slater, Daniel Hurst, and Freida McFadden.


More books by Lorna Dounaeva

The Christmas Present
The Beach
The Perfect Housemate
The Wife's Mistake
The Family Trap
The Perfect Family
The Wrong Twin
The Girl in the Woods
The Perfect Girl


The McBride Vendetta Psychological Thriller Series

FRY
Angel Dust
Cold Bath Lane
The Wedding (Short story)
The Girl Who Caught Fire
The Bitter End

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2025

About the author

Lorna Dounaeva is a politics graduate who worked for the British Home Office before turning to crime fiction. She writes dark domestic thrillers and is especially fond of female villains. She lives in the Orkney islands with her Ukrainian husband and his parents, three children, a crafty cat and a happy dog.

Reviews

[Deborah Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay Book

The story is full of the relationships between friends and neighbors. Not all is as rosy as it seems though. Not enough of a good ending for me.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a wholesome neighbourhood, secrets, a missing girl, and betrayals.
A good read! I liked the twist near the end and also liked the realistic portrayal of life throughout the plot.

[Melissa Suslowicz Bartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!!!! I loved that twisty ending. That was what made this book for me. At first I wasn’t sure how I was going like this book as it took a little bit to get going but once it did I couldn’t put it down. I’m new to this author so that could’ve been the reason why. It’s hard reading someone new as each author has their own style that you need to get used to. Now let’s talk about the characters. I felt a few of them were mean as heck and if I ran into them on the street I might want to have a knock down brawl with them. On the other hand there were also characters that were super nice but to a fault and way too trusting. When you combined all these characters together though it made for a great read. Next up plot. Who doesn’t love a missing teenager book? I know I do. You never know what to expect. Teenagers are so unpredictable. Last but not least that speechless ending. So I’m not going say too much more as I don’t want to give anything away. It definitely did not disappoint. The whole book was wonderful and I will be reading this author again. I can’t wait for the next one.

[Rusty Cat Games · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorna Dounaeva’s The Perfect Daughter is a tense, unsettling psychological thriller that keeps you hooked from the very first page. The novel masterfully plays with themes of trust, parenting, and family secrets, weaving a story that is as chilling as it is compelling.

The twists are expertly executed, keeping you guessing until the very end. Just when you think you have everything figured out, the rug is pulled from under you, delivering a shocking and satisfying conclusion.

If you love psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators, mind-bending twists, and a creeping sense of dread, The Perfect Daughter is a must-read. Highly recommended!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Daughter is a great book! Full of suspense with twists and turns! This book brought out many emotions from me and kept my mind wondering! Nicole thought her life was perfect, until secrets are revealed and truths are told! I couldn't put the book down because I needed to know what was happening next! Definitely a page turner! It'll keep you in your head while you question events that happen in this book!!! Definitely recommend!!! Lorna is an amazing writer and it shows in every book! Look forward to her next release!! Go ahead and get this one in your TBR list!

[Catherine Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever I see a typo in a book, it upsets me because someone isn’t doing their job. In the paperback on page 286, Martyn’s name is suddenly spelled Martin. Not a big deal, but it bugged me.
Now, to the book itself - a solid 3. I was kind of glad when I finished it. To me, there were no big twists and turns. Not sure I’ll necessarily race to read any of the author’s other books.

[marjorie birney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book

This is something a teenager who is troubled should read to see how things happen. I felt so sorry for the parents and what they were going through. Not my usual type of book to read but it was interestingly good for a change. I've read others by this author but this is different. I enjoyed it regardless.

[MS J M MONROE · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow start but gripping read

I enjoyed this book but it did take a while to get going. It’s probably me but I struggled with who was who to start with. Definitely worth your time though. I liked the ending.

[Wendy Del Toro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this entire book very bland and boring. There was no tension, it lacked atmosphere. The "killer" was predictable early on. No big surprises or shocks. I would have preferred some conflict and a cliched psycho killer with a stale motive than what actually happened.

[Maureen kilgannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart breaking

This is the second book that I read by this author. It is a tragedy for any teenagers to go through at their young lives. It was a dynamic and heart breaking story for any parent to go through any crisis. It was a well written book

[- · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mmm okay I guess. I think it had a good idea but the book being called “The Perfect Daughter” gave away the ending immediately. So the “twists” weren’t really there. It also pissed me off that Nicole let Riley back into the house…..

[robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slow start to this one, but it did get more gripping about halfway in. It was predictable and the outcome was no surprise to me. I did enjoy it though, and will look for other titles by this author.

[Heather Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

It was a good read, but a little predictable.
I really hated how it ended, I wanted things to happen that my way, but I am not the author.

[M.W. Huffman]

Intriguing

This book kept my rapt attention. It is an interesting study of human nature. It kept me awake at night guessing what would happen next.

[Ellen Beauchaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellbinding book.

This book kept me reading nonstop. It was one of the best books I've read in a while. I totally recommend this thriller.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had trouble keeping track of the people

[Karen Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, awesome writing!

So full of twists and turns that it's hard to put the book down! I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone, so if you love thrillers, read this book.

[Valerie Lacross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, some twists, some secrets discovered within the neighborhood “where’s Cassie”
I liked the ending, it gave the book closure

[jordyn ⋆｡°✩ · Rating 2 out of 5]

didn’t really do it for me tbh

[Pat Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this it’s a thriller which I into at the moment would recommend