Author: Robyn Harding
Genre: Suspense Thriller
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: August 10, 2021
Order Link: Amazon
My Rating: 5 Secret Hearts
Special thanks to Gallery Books for an arc of this book.
The bestselling author of the The Swap—praised by Samantha M. Bailey, author of Woman on the Edge, as “wickedly delicious, addictive, utterly compelling”—explores what happens when a seemingly perfect family is pushed to the edge by cruel, vindictive, and increasingly dangerous attacks.
Review:
The perfect family lives in a perfect house with a perfect car parked in a perfect driveway in a perfect neighborhood so they must live the perfect life, right? Oh, but looks can be deceiving. Inside is a family in turmoil. Thomas Adler, his wife Viv and children seventeen year old Tarryn and college age Eli all have some dark secrets . . . all hidden from each other. Thomas is being blackmailed, Viv is a closet kleptomaniac who believes her husband is cheating on her, Tarryn is playing around in some dark rooms online and Eli suffered a dramatic event that caused him to drop out of college. And yet, they all keep up appearances to the outside world and each other. Just perfect, right? So what happens when their home and refuge comes under attack from outsiders - at first the house is egged during the night. Then someone sets their bushes on fire. Then someone breaks in and leaves a gross message. Are they harmless pranks by kids? Or is something more sinister happening? Is someone targeting one of them because of their secrets?
Robyn Harding has penned an edgy, compelling story about the power of family . . . and the danger in secrets. The story unfolds through all four family members points of view in alternating chapters. While readers are privy to each members secrets, they are not. It's fascinating being in each character's head as they wonder if they could be the real target or if another family member has brought this plague down on the family. Through crisp writing, Harding drives a steady pace that escalates as the story progresses and violence escalates. The Perfect Family is a gripping, complex, multi-layered thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended to fans of mystery, suspense and/or thrillers.
Synopsis:
Thomas and Viv Adler have a picture-perfect family. Affluent and attractive, with two well-mannered kids almost out of the nest, they live in a beautifully restored Craftsman house in a well-to-do neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. Their jobs are secure; their children are thriving; the world is their oyster.
Until one morning, when they wake up to find that their house and car have been pelted with eggs. Thomas dismisses it as the work of a few out-of-control kids, but when a smoke bomb is tossed on their front lawn, and the tires on their BMW are punctured, he begins to worry. The family installs surveillance cameras but they show nothing but grainy images of shadowy figures in hoodies. Unable to identify the perpetrators, they are helpless as the assaults escalate. The police assure them that this is just the work of bored teenagers. But no one in the Adler family believes it. After all, each of them has a secret—kept not only from the outside world but from each other.
Seventeen-year-old Tarryn is dabbling in a seedy online world; her older brother, Eli, has dropped out of college and refuses to tell his parents why; and Thomas and Viv have their own secrets that began as harmless fun and relief from the pressures of everyday life, but have grown into something darker and more dangerous. As the Adlers grapple with their guilt, fear, and shame, the assaults grow deadly. Their “perfect” façade is crumbling, and it may be too late for any of them to do anything about it in this addictive and twisty suspense novel that will keep you turning pages until its explosive ending.
Until one morning, when they wake up to find that their house and car have been pelted with eggs. Thomas dismisses it as the work of a few out-of-control kids, but when a smoke bomb is tossed on their front lawn, and the tires on their BMW are punctured, he begins to worry. The family installs surveillance cameras but they show nothing but grainy images of shadowy figures in hoodies. Unable to identify the perpetrators, they are helpless as the assaults escalate. The police assure them that this is just the work of bored teenagers. But no one in the Adler family believes it. After all, each of them has a secret—kept not only from the outside world but from each other.
Seventeen-year-old Tarryn is dabbling in a seedy online world; her older brother, Eli, has dropped out of college and refuses to tell his parents why; and Thomas and Viv have their own secrets that began as harmless fun and relief from the pressures of everyday life, but have grown into something darker and more dangerous. As the Adlers grapple with their guilt, fear, and shame, the assaults grow deadly. Their “perfect” façade is crumbling, and it may be too late for any of them to do anything about it in this addictive and twisty suspense novel that will keep you turning pages until its explosive ending.
Robyn Harding is the author of several books and has written and executive produced an independent film. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and two children.
To learn more about Robyn's books visit: http://www.robynharding.com. Or follow her on Instagram: @rhardingwriter
or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobynH...
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