A perfect family doesn’t stay perfect by accident. It stays perfect because someone makes sure the story never changes.
Brigit thought she knew her husband’s past—at least the version he’d lived with all his life. But when she finds an altered medical record tied to his childhood, one detail refuses to sit still. And once she notices it, she can’t unsee it.
She does the simplest thing in the she asks a question.
That’s when the answers stop coming. Files go missing. Messages don’t land. “Official” explanations appear fully formed, as if the system has been waiting for her to speak. And the harder she pushes, the more she realizes she isn’t arguing with one person.
She’s arguing with a machine.
Because this isn’t just about what happened back then. It’s about what happens now—when reputations are protected, narratives are rewritten, and the truth becomes something you can be disciplined for.
Someone is watching the story unfold. Someone is shaping what’s allowed to be true. And if Brigit keeps digging, she may learn the worst rule of
In a perfect family, the truth is the first thing you’re not allowed to touch.
Perfect Family is a psychological thriller about control, silence, and the quiet violence of being rewritten—where love becomes leverage, institutions become weapons, and the most dangerous lies are the ones that look official.
Ideal for readers who
Psychological & domestic suspense Gaslighting and “who controls the narrative?” tension Evidence trails, missing records, and institutional pressure Slow-burn dread that escalates into relentless momentum
A psychological thriller of control, silence, and family secrets. I was hooked after a few pages and could not put it down. How far will a family go to keep their secrets?
My only complaint was the couple have 2 children that are mentioned a few times but through most of the story the parents are out together or apart searching for the truth and at those times the question for me was, "where are the children?" Also, on several occasions they would be together then all of a sudden they'd be apart.
Thanks again to Book Sirens for this ARC book and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
Received as a review copy from Booksirens, this an honest review.
Author Paulius Kajokas psychological thriller Perfect Family is a breathtaking, haunting and immersive dark story that paints that what we view of any family could in fact a carefully, crafted illusion that a darker story behind it. Right from the start, through the POVs of married couple Johnson and Bridgit; the author doesn't mince words of clearly showing the Johnson's family ( Harold, Rebecca and James Smith ), artfully manage "family" dinners like a grand performance of well trained illusionist. YOU see WHAT they wanted you to see... and nothing more. DON'T ask questions and most definitely DON'T challenge this family's idea of the truth. When Bridgit discovers an old hospital record concerning Johnson and what's happened as a child, she cannot ignore the troubling information that record clearly displays. But as Bridgit tries to unravel the truth of what caused her husbands "accident"; she finds herself comforting a family where his secret they fight tooth and nail to keep Bridgit from knowing the answer by destroying her career and personal sanity. Even Johnson, is roped in to plead on his parents' behalf to leave the past buried as it had been "accepted". As the real truth and a very sinister version of it clash and crash around each other; a darker portrait emerges that even Johnson realizes his childhood was beyond manipulated and without the love hey should have had. Winning this layered war against seasoned soldiers, means taking back personal identify and discovering that finally be able to say enough to their bullshit is like emerging out of the darkness and back into the light.
Thank you Book Sirens for an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Perfect Family by Paulius Kajokas.
This had potential but unfortunately fell flat for me. I think the story could have been told in at least half of time (it’s 595 pages!).
There was a lot of redundancy in the book and too much contrived intensity, especially at the end of each chapter.
In chapters 4 and 15 there were moments of POV changes midway through the chapter. As a reader this was confusing.
Johnson often thought things like “It was the voice she used with patients when she was trying not to show them how serious something was.” How would he know how she talks to patients?
Too many places smelled of lemon cleaner or stale coffee.
Brigit meets with Kessler in chapter 42 who refuses to be her lawyer. In chapter 62 she meets with Kessler, seemingly for the first time as the previous encounter is not mentioned, and he agrees to be her lawyer. There is a large portion of identical text which makes me think this was an editing error. See pages 279 and 428.
I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say I was waiting for a big reveal that never came. Somehow this both left me wanting less and wanting more. Would not recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This one pulled me in fast! Perfect Family by Paulius Kajokas had me hooked within the first few chapters and kept the suspense building the entire time.
The short chapters were a huge win for me — they kept the pacing tight and made it so easy to say “just one more chapter.” I also really appreciated how the multiple POVs were handled. Even with the perspective shifts, the story flowed smoothly and never felt confusing.
Overall, this is a gripping psychological thriller that really highlights the fallout when buried family secrets start to surface. If you enjoy fast-paced domestic thrillers, this is definitely worth the read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I liked the storyline behind this book. There were a few chapters that repeated instances where I thought they weren’t needed but it didn’t ruin the read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.