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The Next Right Thing
Twenty-seven-year-old Rena Moretti has lived her life the only way she knows how: by being a good girl and avoiding scrutiny. As the by-product of an illicit affair gone wrong, she figures she doesn’t have much room for error. A budding journalist with an ambition for big things, Rena is comfortable in her own skin, enjoying the simple pleasures of her comfy apartment and the confidence of her best friend. But when Rena becomes the victim of a random hit-and-run accident, her life gets turned upside down on all fronts.
After the accident, everyone wants Rena to make a safe return to the life she had before—but Rena is increasingly convinced she has to do the exact opposite if she wants to find any closure. She becomes obsessed with a young man that she’s convinced was involved in her crime, but in pursuit of connection, Rena is dragged into the criminal dealings of a local gang.
The Next Right Thing is a moral crime thriller which proves to be equal parts dangerous and thought provoking. Bringing with it victims of crime, countless moral dilemmas, and an elusive gang leader. Rena must now decide whether the right thing is always the best thing. In this page turner, readers will follow along as Rena chooses to overcome her fears and finds inside her a bravery she never knew. But can she make the right choice before it’s too late?
After the accident, everyone wants Rena to make a safe return to the life she had before—but Rena is increasingly convinced she has to do the exact opposite if she wants to find any closure. She becomes obsessed with a young man that she’s convinced was involved in her crime, but in pursuit of connection, Rena is dragged into the criminal dealings of a local gang.
The Next Right Thing is a moral crime thriller which proves to be equal parts dangerous and thought provoking. Bringing with it victims of crime, countless moral dilemmas, and an elusive gang leader. Rena must now decide whether the right thing is always the best thing. In this page turner, readers will follow along as Rena chooses to overcome her fears and finds inside her a bravery she never knew. But can she make the right choice before it’s too late?
180 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2021
3 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Céline Perron
11 books35 followersCéline was born in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario and now lives in a small community outside of Ottawa, Ontario. In 2018 she graduated post-secondary with a Master of Arts Degree in Criminology. In addition to writing, she works full-time. Visit her on Instagram @celineperronwriter or on her website at www.celineperron.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 11, 2021
When a hit-and-run car accident sends the aspiring journalist, Rena Moretti, to the hospital, a ghostly image of a guilty man in the street crowd haunts Rena throughout her painful recovery. But with Rachel, her upbeat physician friend, and Peter, her rugged, ex-army physical therapist by her side, she begins to knit the fractured pieces of her life together.
But when that same man crosses her path again, the once timid Rena surprises herself and her friends by confronting him in an alley. Their explosive argument leads to an investigation that goes far beyond a hit-and-run crime. While her friends become scared for her safety, Rena's dogged pursuit of the truth puts her on a tragic, high-speed collision with organized crime.
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But when that same man crosses her path again, the once timid Rena surprises herself and her friends by confronting him in an alley. Their explosive argument leads to an investigation that goes far beyond a hit-and-run crime. While her friends become scared for her safety, Rena's dogged pursuit of the truth puts her on a tragic, high-speed collision with organized crime.
Check it out
March 10, 2021
Absolutely fantastic read! I’m normally not a crime reader but I was absolutely captivated by this read! I cried so much reading this! Love and recommend to all my book lover friends
March 14, 2021
As a psychology major in University, I've always been fascinated by true-crime, so by extension, my preferred fiction reads are thrillers and mysteries. This book did not disappoint. It's a quick read because the pages keep turning to find out what happened next. It's intriguing, exciting, and exactly what I look for in an entertaining read.
April 8, 2021
A book with a strong female character, a thought-provoking exposure of moral dilemmas, wrapped in an intriguing web of complications. Céline Perron offers a crime thriller which shows how quickly things can go wrong, and how hard it can be to go back once your life has changed.
Rena Moretti starts out as a good girl, who dreams of doing big things. She enjoys life to the fullest, until she becomes the victim of a random hit-and-run accident. From there, things take a different turn, as Rena tries to uncover what really happened.
I liked how the author focused the story on Rena, yet she managed to create a powerful backdrop at the same time. Throughout the book, we are invited to discover a world where crime, loose morals, and dangerous individuals feel right at home. Will Rena find out who wanted to hurt her, and why? You will have to read the book to find out.
It was comforting to see a female lead who chooses to overcome her fears, opting for bravery instead. Even though this is a crime thriller, you cannot help but notice the emotional influence of trauma. The secondary characters, such as Rachel, are well-developed and they help the story come together.
A beautifully-written crime thriller, which will have you turn one page after the other. With a strong female character at the center, it offers an intriguing story, and I consider it to be a great debut book. I appreciated the way the author has presented moral dilemmas, leaving the reader eager to find out whether Rena had the strength of character to do the right thing or not. Excellent read!
Rena Moretti starts out as a good girl, who dreams of doing big things. She enjoys life to the fullest, until she becomes the victim of a random hit-and-run accident. From there, things take a different turn, as Rena tries to uncover what really happened.
I liked how the author focused the story on Rena, yet she managed to create a powerful backdrop at the same time. Throughout the book, we are invited to discover a world where crime, loose morals, and dangerous individuals feel right at home. Will Rena find out who wanted to hurt her, and why? You will have to read the book to find out.
It was comforting to see a female lead who chooses to overcome her fears, opting for bravery instead. Even though this is a crime thriller, you cannot help but notice the emotional influence of trauma. The secondary characters, such as Rachel, are well-developed and they help the story come together.
A beautifully-written crime thriller, which will have you turn one page after the other. With a strong female character at the center, it offers an intriguing story, and I consider it to be a great debut book. I appreciated the way the author has presented moral dilemmas, leaving the reader eager to find out whether Rena had the strength of character to do the right thing or not. Excellent read!
April 7, 2021
Perron delves into the complexities of justice, abandonment, past trauma, and courage to do the right in this engrossing crime thriller.
For twenty-seven-year-old Rena, life as a journalist is awfully busy but promising nonetheless. She loves her simple apartment, her time with her best friend, and the challenge of her job. But when she becomes the victim of a random hit-and-run, her life turns upside down. With a long road to physical recovery, Rena finds herself becoming obsessed with a stranger, whom she believes to be involved in her accident.
Unraveling answers lead the increasingly unsettled Rena into the dangerous underworld of a ruthless mafia boss. She must decide whether the right thing is always the best thing.
Perron plunges readers into a layered world of underworld and secrets as Rena, in her pursuit of justice, finds herself examining the thin boundaries between right and wrong and what it means to be humane. The unexpected plot developments keep the reader invested, and Perron’s portrayal of Rena as a young woman struggling with present and past trauma is convincing.
The skillful combination of immersive storyline, deeply realized characters, sharp social commentary, and expert storytelling make for a memorable reading experience.
Lovers of well-constructed, thought-provoking crime fiction will want to take a look.
For twenty-seven-year-old Rena, life as a journalist is awfully busy but promising nonetheless. She loves her simple apartment, her time with her best friend, and the challenge of her job. But when she becomes the victim of a random hit-and-run, her life turns upside down. With a long road to physical recovery, Rena finds herself becoming obsessed with a stranger, whom she believes to be involved in her accident.
Unraveling answers lead the increasingly unsettled Rena into the dangerous underworld of a ruthless mafia boss. She must decide whether the right thing is always the best thing.
Perron plunges readers into a layered world of underworld and secrets as Rena, in her pursuit of justice, finds herself examining the thin boundaries between right and wrong and what it means to be humane. The unexpected plot developments keep the reader invested, and Perron’s portrayal of Rena as a young woman struggling with present and past trauma is convincing.
The skillful combination of immersive storyline, deeply realized characters, sharp social commentary, and expert storytelling make for a memorable reading experience.
Lovers of well-constructed, thought-provoking crime fiction will want to take a look.
August 14, 2021
I was fortunate enough to be sent an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After being injured in a hit and run Rena is preoccupied with thoughts of a man who stood out in the crowd, he looked like he felt guilty. In her persuit of the truth she uncovers the criminal dealings of a local gang with a very dangerous boss.
This book was an absolute page turner. A bit of a slow start forms into a riveting story of how to do the “right thing” and how not everyone’s version looks the same. Rena is such a lovely relatable character and her friendship with Rachel is brilliant to see in a thriller. I also loved the depiction of her step mum Stacey who, although not in the story much, is such a supportive character. No female rivalries is always lovely to see. This book does fall into some clichés with the handsome stranger but it’s still a great fun read that I would recommend to anyone!
After being injured in a hit and run Rena is preoccupied with thoughts of a man who stood out in the crowd, he looked like he felt guilty. In her persuit of the truth she uncovers the criminal dealings of a local gang with a very dangerous boss.
This book was an absolute page turner. A bit of a slow start forms into a riveting story of how to do the “right thing” and how not everyone’s version looks the same. Rena is such a lovely relatable character and her friendship with Rachel is brilliant to see in a thriller. I also loved the depiction of her step mum Stacey who, although not in the story much, is such a supportive character. No female rivalries is always lovely to see. This book does fall into some clichés with the handsome stranger but it’s still a great fun read that I would recommend to anyone!
April 1, 2021
The Next Right Thing by Celine Perron
🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is the first thriller I’ve read in a while, and it was set in Canada. Ottawa if you want to get specific, and it was a solid 4 stars. I liked the main character for the most part (thought she did several really not believable things in my opinion but that’s on her).
What I didn’t love is that the story wrapped up pretty suddenly for me, and I remember reading that you can’t have too many lucky things happen to a character in a story, and this girl runs into everyone she needs to find in a huge city all the time. Small town okay but Ottawa has a population of 1.4 million so her three times running into people she doesn’t know but needed to find felt a bit far fetched.
We I did love were the side characters. The protective BFF Rachel, and the tough and cute physio therapist were fun, but as always we saw less of them once the action started. I did like the story and it was suspenseful but I wish there had been more to it.
I thought this was a great debut book for Celine Perron and I’m excited to see what she comes up with next.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is the first thriller I’ve read in a while, and it was set in Canada. Ottawa if you want to get specific, and it was a solid 4 stars. I liked the main character for the most part (thought she did several really not believable things in my opinion but that’s on her).
What I didn’t love is that the story wrapped up pretty suddenly for me, and I remember reading that you can’t have too many lucky things happen to a character in a story, and this girl runs into everyone she needs to find in a huge city all the time. Small town okay but Ottawa has a population of 1.4 million so her three times running into people she doesn’t know but needed to find felt a bit far fetched.
We I did love were the side characters. The protective BFF Rachel, and the tough and cute physio therapist were fun, but as always we saw less of them once the action started. I did like the story and it was suspenseful but I wish there had been more to it.
I thought this was a great debut book for Celine Perron and I’m excited to see what she comes up with next.
August 20, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, once I started I could not put it down!
I loved Rena’s character as she is so driven to find out the truth which makes you more driven to find out the truth also!
Her best friend Rachel is honestly me in book form, the way she’s so protective over Rena is how I am with my loved ones and her personality really shines while reading.
I liked the romance aspects they put in with Rena and some characters … it spiced things up a lot!
Lastly the storyline was amazing, it had me clutching my phone while reading as I was scared when reaching the ending.
A MUST READ!
I loved Rena’s character as she is so driven to find out the truth which makes you more driven to find out the truth also!
Her best friend Rachel is honestly me in book form, the way she’s so protective over Rena is how I am with my loved ones and her personality really shines while reading.
I liked the romance aspects they put in with Rena and some characters … it spiced things up a lot!
Lastly the storyline was amazing, it had me clutching my phone while reading as I was scared when reaching the ending.
A MUST READ!
August 19, 2021
A thrilling book that evaluates the concept of what exactly the 'right thing' is.
Rena, normally a reserved bookworm is pulled into a world of crime when she tries to find the culprit from her accident.
She clambers down a deep hole of research and tries to piece together the evidence to free her newfound friend, Will, a handsome man caught between a rock and a hard place.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend!
The only thing I wanted more from this, was just a little extra work to take Asher down, the elucid crime boss. His downfall felt a little anticlimactic. But it wasn't enough for me to not enjoy it as a whole
Rena, normally a reserved bookworm is pulled into a world of crime when she tries to find the culprit from her accident.
She clambers down a deep hole of research and tries to piece together the evidence to free her newfound friend, Will, a handsome man caught between a rock and a hard place.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend!
The only thing I wanted more from this, was just a little extra work to take Asher down, the elucid crime boss. His downfall felt a little anticlimactic. But it wasn't enough for me to not enjoy it as a whole
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2021
This book will make you take a look at your own morals.Rena Moretti had to make a choice, could she stand up and do the right thing while trying to heal emotionally and physically in her own life. Putting her life on the line for another, she found solace in her own life, which we all seek. Would you have the strength of character to do the right thing. I truly enjoyed this book, I hope you will too.
March 15, 2021
This book is really good! It has a great story with well developed characters. It left me wanting to know more and read more about these characters. I can tell that the writer had a good handle on this world. I wish it would have been longer!
April 6, 2021
What a great book! The characters are captivating and well developed. You become one with the main character Rena and look at not only your friendships, relationships but morals as well - what would I do if put in Rena’s situation. This book examines a scary reality of crime that happens in today’s society. Looking forward to reading future books by Perron.
March 8, 2021
If your a crime/thriller lover you must get your hands on this book. This page turner has the readers captivated in the story of Rena and her pursuit to finding out what happened on one of the worst days of her life. ( I read this book until past midnight. literally!! ) All T's are tied from start to finish. Experience leaving this world to someone else nightmare and embark on a journey of self closure.
October 6, 2021
Rena Moretti lives a seemingly picture-perfect life as she is beginning her career as a journalist she has a great job with opportunities to grow, a nice apartment and a wonderful best friend.
Everything changes one day when, on her way back to the office, she is struck by a hit and run driver. Even though she is badly injured, one image from the accident sticks in her mind: a young witness who was standing back in the crowd as she was taken away by ambulance.
As she works on her recovery and slowly returns to normal, her encounter with this man seems anything but random. She becomes obsessed with finding out who he is and what he knows. What she learns from him gives her anything but the closure she was looking for. She must decide whether to see things through or not.
The Next Right Thing is not only a crime thriller, but a thought-provoking look at right and wrong. Rena often wonders: is the right thing truly the best thing? And what does it even mean in the grand scheme of things? She wonders what if everyone is just doing the best they can under any given circumstances.
This novel was a fast-paced page turner that provided a surprisingly profound look at life at the same time. The thought of things not being as simple as right and wrong, but the intentions behind them also mattering, stayed with me long after I finished this book. * thank you to the author for providing me a copy to review!
Everything changes one day when, on her way back to the office, she is struck by a hit and run driver. Even though she is badly injured, one image from the accident sticks in her mind: a young witness who was standing back in the crowd as she was taken away by ambulance.
As she works on her recovery and slowly returns to normal, her encounter with this man seems anything but random. She becomes obsessed with finding out who he is and what he knows. What she learns from him gives her anything but the closure she was looking for. She must decide whether to see things through or not.
The Next Right Thing is not only a crime thriller, but a thought-provoking look at right and wrong. Rena often wonders: is the right thing truly the best thing? And what does it even mean in the grand scheme of things? She wonders what if everyone is just doing the best they can under any given circumstances.
This novel was a fast-paced page turner that provided a surprisingly profound look at life at the same time. The thought of things not being as simple as right and wrong, but the intentions behind them also mattering, stayed with me long after I finished this book. * thank you to the author for providing me a copy to review!
September 20, 2021
This is a really heartfelt story. I felt invested in Rena’s story from the beginning with how she dealt with the trauma and trying to figure out What had happened, along with how she interacted with her friends.
I especially liked Rachel as a side character. She is always so supportive; not overly defensive or sensitive like many characters in other books are. There were a few lines that even made me laugh out loud!
There were times when The plot seemed to drag, and there were instances where the narration would switch tenses, but overall, “The Next Right Thing” is a beautifully written and emotional book. I hope to read more by Celine Perron!
I especially liked Rachel as a side character. She is always so supportive; not overly defensive or sensitive like many characters in other books are. There were a few lines that even made me laugh out loud!
There were times when The plot seemed to drag, and there were instances where the narration would switch tenses, but overall, “The Next Right Thing” is a beautifully written and emotional book. I hope to read more by Celine Perron!
September 26, 2025
The story was OK but there was so many grammatical errors!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews