One of those books that you have to devour in a very few sittings with an insidious plot that really gets under your skin. The storyline mirrors so many issues from random shootings in London streets to fractured family life with an ending that nothing prepares you for. Disturbingly plausible and rather sad in equal measures. Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin - Michael Joseph for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

A twisted tale of complicated relationships. Dark, descriptive and enthralling. A satisfying and completely unexpected ending. Definitely worth reading

Cara is caught up in terror Chaos until a hand reaches out and pulls her to safety .
Amy reappears and help but who is the person who has come in front door .
Thank you to Netgalley

It is not often I can truthfully say ‘I did not see that coming’… but I didn’t.
The story revolves around Cara and her family. When Cara is caught up in a terrorist attack, she is saved by obsessive Amy. Trapped in a small room the two bond and share secrets but after being released, Cara realises that she may had said too much.
Cara employs Amy to live in and look after her daughter while her husband is working away and it is during this stay that Amy shows her true colours.
Some parts I found stretched belief but overall this book keptme guessing (incorrectly) right to the very end.

Imagine sharing your darkest secret with a stranger - a girl who will do anything to keep you close.

Cara and Amy meet on the evening of a terror attack in London. Cara is in the street, she freezes when an attacker is coming towards her, but Amy pulls her to safety. Hiding and waiting for the attack to be over, Cara confides in Amy about her family and her personal life. Now, with the ordeal over, Amy and Cara go their separate ways. Cara knows her secrets are safe as she will never see Amy again. Or will she?

This is a tense, fast paced, action packed, edge of your seat read. The chapters are told in alteriating chapters by Cara and Amy. It's also dark, realistic and powerful. This is a well written book. The characters are believable. The final twist I never saw coming.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author Karen Perry for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

after an illicit drink with an ex, a tipsy cara is returning home to her husband and young daughter when she stumbles into the path of a terrorist intent on killing or maiming anyone he comes across. before he can shoot, cara is pulled into a building by amy and they hide whilst the rampage continues outside. during this period cara confesses many secrets from her life believing she will never see amy again. once they believe the coast is clear the two leave the building and become separated in the aftermath of the atrocity that has occurred. cara never expects to hear from amy again however, this is not the case and so starts amy’s dark obsession with cara and her efforts to infiltrate cara’s life with far fetching effects.

i thoroughly enjoyed this book. amy is creepy and incredibly needy which makes for a dangerous sociopath.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Poison Bed by Karen Perry

A tense psychological thriller, with an unforeseen climax

Karen Perry’s latest thriller has a close interweaving of the lives of Cara and Amy who meeti one evening during a terrifying terrorist attack.

But Cara’s rescue by Amy is just the lead-in to an ever-increasing nightmare for Cara whose life gets more and more out of control. Perry’s handling of obsession, lust, betrayals and subsequent murders is so skilful it produces a gripping, intense thriller which kept me interested in the story and turning the pages, waiting for the next development. The identity and motivation of the Closest Friend is cunningly developed through many twist and turns.

This fascinating book will satisfy Perry’s many established readers and bring her many new ones. I look forward to reading more by the talented author.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

First time reading this author and I'm a fan!! (so much so that I immediately put a hold on another Perry book [book:Girl Unknown|35423930]which I just got my hands on today!!)

This is a tightly woven thriller that completely sucked me in from the first chapter.

It all starts with a terror attack in London-saved by a stranger. Hiding in fear, you share your darkest secrets and desires, thinking this is the end. But it's actually only the beginning of a different kind of nightmare...one that will make you question everything you read moving forward.

What's real, what's not? Who's the crazy one, or are they both?

Oh what a tangled web is woven here! The characters felt real, the tension was gripping, and that ending was perfection.

Highly, highly recommend!!!

My thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Enjoyed the book loved the way it was written. A gripping tale with a huge twist at the end.
Pulls at the heartstring in places, but lots of thinking to do throughout lots of clues but then twists as well.
Loved it kept me gripped to the end.

Your Closest Friend is a fast paced psychological thriller that has you hooked from the very first chapter .I love books like these ! The story is about Cara and Amy who are caught up in a terrorist attack in London ,Amy pulls Cara to safety and that is the beginning of Cara's life falling apart and into danger .this book is a real page turner and has a shock reveal at the end .Fabulous ................Many thanks to the Publishers ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review ,

Wow, what a dark and chilling read, I loved it.! Your Closest Friend has characters which are not necessarily likeable but you really want to know what happens to them. I was absolutly riveted and just could not put this book down. If you like your thrillers tense, gripping with lots of twists and turns then this is the book for you. Highly recommended and I look forward to reading more from Karen Perry.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin UK Michael Joseph and Karen Perry for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous book.

You Closest Friend is a tale of obsession, and the lengths to which people will go to satisfy their needs. While I got engrossed in this one easily enough, I found it a bit far fetched at times. I got frustrated with the main characters and it ended up that I couldn’t engage with them. This was a good book, but I didn’t love it.

This is a story full of twists and turns. It is a story of grief, loss, betrayal, lust and murder among other things. Kept me gripped throughout.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of the book. It was a chilling read, which kept me up at night to finish. I found that it had a bit of a slow start, but it soon picked up. The ending was very good. Well done, great read and highly recommend

The opening chapter of this book shivers down my spine, and it kept me hooked throughout. A psychological thriller about Cara and Amy, two very different characters who meet in the most unlikely circumstances. During a moment of terror, Cara confides in Amy some of her deep secrets, thinking she wouldn’t see Amy again after their brief encounter Cara didn’t think too much about it. Just a few days later, Amy contacts Cara, and a terrifying obsession begins.
A fantastic story, which kept me reading into the night.

Your Closest Friend is a very readable psychological thriller. Cara, a radio producer with a young daughter, is caught up in a terrorist attack when she is out in London one evening . She is pulled into a building by a younger woman Amy who saves her life. Stuck in a dark store room, terrified that the terrorists are about to move in, she confides her deepest secrets to Amy. They part at the end of the evening without exchanging details but unknown to Cara, Amy has already decided they are destined to be friends or more. She manages to track Cara down and before long she is living with Cara, helping her out with her daughter while Cara's husband Jeff is working in Berlin. Bit by bit Amy insinuates herself into Cara's life with devastating consequences. The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Cara and Amy so you get to know both characters quite well. Cara is a frustrating character, you want to shake her and get her to realise what's going on. Amy is very damaged, manipulative and dangerous. The tension builds up nicely throughout the book and although it is mostly very clear what is going on, this doesn't stop you being drawn into the story. My only reservation is that some of the characters are very thinly drawn especially Mabel, Cara's daughter and Olivia, her step daughter. There is very little interaction really between Mabel and her mother and I didn't get a sense of her as a character at all. However on the whole I enjoyed the novel. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

If you like your thrillers but dark and have some skin creeping moments then this is for you, that's how i found it. Several people thrown together by a act of terrorism in Parsons Green. Cara who seemed to have it all a loving husband a happy daughter and a good job. She also has a ex who well best you read about him. Then there is Amy works in a Pretzs coffee shop with Neal and she rescues Cara in the middle of the attack, she is the other star in this story but not such a comfortable life. The twists and surprises continue right till the end of this well written and crafted thriller with the edge of my seat worn out some more. I can't think of another thriller if this sort that I have found as good as this one and hope you feel the same as you take the gamble and show your worth
I had this book from NetGalley for a honest review.

A really twisted plot which develops at the perfect pace. Cara has put herself in a very difficult situation with Amy which affects her work and home lives. A gripping story that made me think about how easy this scenario with Amy could happen.
Well written and keeps you on your toes throughout trying to work out what will be the next move and feeling all the time for Cara and her family.
A great psychological thriller that I highly recommend to all readers of this genre.

..
‘Your Closest Friend’ by Karen Perry published by Penguin UK( Micheal Joseph) on June 1st

So....life is good, you have a wonderful hubby, beautiful daughter and a great radio producer career...but theres this man, the one you TRULY loved, he’s outta your mind though BUT you meet him just once for a drink years later.....you leave the pub and part, you then walk into what you think is a ‘film set’...... but its not, its a terror attack on the streets of London ( based on London Bridge/Borough attacks)....your in shock, you cant move, your going to be shot and probably killed.....and then someone grips you and drags you into a ‘Pret’....you and her and one other run to a safe room and hide....the ‘other’ decides to go it alone and leaves, you are left with this woman.....you tell her, in your fear and anxiety, your darkest secrets, fears and desires until its safe for you to leave.....all is as well as can be, you will never see her again....you have survived a terrible terror attack and this woman helped.......................this woman is psychotic...your problems are about to double, treble and multi multiply as the woman.....well she comes into your life, every bit of it and is obsessed, darkly, scarily and nastily obsessed.......oh, and then your problems start...
Enough to tempt you? Seriously seriously good book, dark, intriguing, scary, realistic, powerful and engrossing........the characters are real with a capital R and the story is, well its just a 100% riveting read
I could gush on for pages about how good this book is but wont, guarantee you will love it, truly great fiction
10/10 5 big stars

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I thought it was well written and I found the last half to three quarters gripping. The first half is really just setting the scene and although I read it quickly it was more a means to finish the book quicker. In fact I even considered giving up at one point as I wasn't really interested in the characters as for various reasons I didn't find either Amy or Cara likeable. However a plot twist changes all that and I was gripped til the end. However I did find the last chapter a bit of a let down and just reaffirmed my dislike of the characters!