A chance encounter with a stranger during a terrorist attack finds Cara in a vulnerable state. A bond forms and without thinking twice she reveals her deepest secrets to this girl who has rescued her from almost certain death. In the cold light of day, once normality has returned Cara regrets being so open but doesn’t believe she will see the girl again. Amy, however has other ideas and believes they now share something unique and sets about rekindling their friendship. As the story slowly unwinds the relationship becomes more uncomfortable amid further revelations and difficulties in Cara’s life. A slow burning psychological thriller that is in some ways believable but in others leaves the reader frustrated regarding the naivety of Cara and the decisions she makes. Nevertheless a well told story that had me hooked.

I'm sad to say thar after being excited by the premise of this book, it didn't match up unfortunately. After a really good start, it all went a bit predictable.

What a gripping read that was! It had me hooked from the start until the finish.
Some really great characters throughout the plot.
A chance meeting as a terrorist attack happens; Cara and Amy are held up in a room, whilst the streets are alive with bullets. To make the time pass, they both open up to each other. Not knowing that this would change for of their lives and families forever.

The book was compelling. The infatuation of one woman with another made for a tremendously good read. It really made me think how careful you need to me when forming friendships and how quickly they can turn to something sinister. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down. Fabulous read.

This took me quite some time to get into it; it didn’t help that I was stressing about going away on holiday and had just read the destination is still high alert for terrorist attacks so once I read the first few pages I decided to put in down in favour of something a little more ‘fluffy’.

However, once I got past the first few chapters I really got into the book and couldn’t put it down. A real psychological thriller that you think you know every twist and turn but it turns out, you don’t! The characters are pretty believable though I do wonder whether Amy is a little far-fetched (wouldn’t more have been done state-side?) also, the little girl wouldn’t still be at nursery aged 5 if they were really based in the UK.

I’d personally have liked a little more narrative at the end but it was a good ending nonetheless and I was surprised at the ending!

Definitely worth a read - a well thought out book that didn’t disappoint.

I found this a little 'Single White Female' and a bit disturbing how someone could latch on to a person having met them for a brief time even if it was in an extreme set of circumstances.

I didn't warm to the characters but did want to find out what happened so diminished the book.

In an age of ever present terrorist threats I felt this book really resonated with that fear. A pacy read that I really enjoyed

"Your Closest Friend" is a straightforward thriller, an excellent example of the genre and highly recommended to people who like the twists and turns of recent hits like "Gone Girl" and "The Girl on the Train"

I really struggled with Your Closest Friend which disappointed me as I was looking forward to reading it. I love a book that hooks me in but for me this bored me and I ended up giving up.

I thought from the blurb that I would like this book - but I didn't. It began well, but after that I felt it was too predictable with some unconvincing characters, an over dramatic and drawn out.plot that failed to grip me.

his book grabbed me from the first few pages with its shockingly terrifying depiction of a terror attack on a London street. Cara, our protagonist, is caught up in the attack when heading home after drinks in a bar and she quickly realises she is in grave danger. The next thing she knows she is being bundled into a coffee shop and is taking refuge in the store-room. Terrifying events are taking place on the streets outside and the utter fear that she feels causes her to reveal dark and destructive secrets to the woman who rescued her; Amy. When the night is over she doesn’t think that she will see Amy again and her secrets are safe, but Amy feels a connection with Cara and wants to be part of her life.

This is a book with mystery at is heart. It is glorious to read a book that makes you constantly search out answers and it is even better when these things are hinted at and kept tantalizingly out of reach. Questions like; ‘what is the secret that Cara told Amy?’, ‘why does Amy want to be so close to Cara?’ and ‘who was Cara with the night of the terror attack?’ kept me furiously turning the pages. Clever writing kept me off kilter and I didn’t quite know what was going to happen. On the surface everything seemed fine but there was something that made me feel something was dreadfully wrong, but then; had I misjudged it?

Your Closest Friend has an incredibly modern premise – it felt very current and now and incredibly believable. Cara and Amy are both wonderful characters who are flawed and not entirely likeable which just added to the tension. Despite their flaws I really cared about what happened to them and the chapters depicting Amy’s past in particular were wonderfully written and utterly compelling. I found her to be an incredibly interesting character and her inner voice was compelling to read. I sympathised with her at times and wanted to know more about her psyche.

What I found really interesting and exciting to read though was the exploration of infatuation and how damaging it can be. It is hard to say too much about this without ruining things but this combined with secrets, lies and mistruths created a perfect melting pot of devastation. Throw in some threat and deception and this is a great and thrilling read.

Karen Perry is fast becoming a favourite author of mine. I read Can You Keep A Secret last year and really loved it and found Your Closest Friend to be another solid book. It is wonderfully and cleverly plotted with great characterisation and really draws you in. It is a bit of a roller-coaster ride and is a great psychological thriller.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from the authentically described terrible event that triggers the story, through the build up to the final, dramatic conclusion, and final twist delivered almost as a postscript. Well written, and pacy, with convincing characters. Excellent.

Your Closest Friend......Who is he? She?

After surviving a London terror attack, Cara finds herself with a new friend, Amy. Is she her closest friend? Or is it Finn, the ex she'd secretly met up with on the night of the attack?

Tense and intense. I definitely recommend this.

A terrorist attack brings Cara and Amy together. In a moment of madness Cara spills her darkest regrets and fears to Amy.

What follows is an unsettling friendship that Amy forces on Cara.

Psychological thriller at it's best.

More ups and downs than the big dipper, this book kept me guessing right until the end.

Will be looking for more books by Perry.

Brilliantly entertaining read that I couldn’t put down. It was one of those addictive stories.

Amy hauled Cara to safety during a terrorist attack in London. Along with one of Amy’s colleagues they stay in a storeroom above Pret a Manger. The colleague leaves and is murdered by the terrorists. The two women stay and Cara reveals her innermost secrets to Amy.

Cara and Amy tell the story in alternate chapters and there is no mystery as to who is manipulating the situation. However, the plot is clever and wicked in parts with some excellent twists including a great ending.

Although I felt I should like Cara I found her selfish and one of those people who want the best of all worlds without consequences.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin UK, Michael Joseph and Karen Perry for my ARC in return from my honest review.

Excellent read. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book. Maybe a little far fetched at times but mostly quite believable. With a lot of references to PTSD and mental health issues, I found the characters very true to form of 21st century society.

I loved the idea behind this book, very believable in today’s world. But sadly, after the early chapters it just didn’t capture and hold my attention.

It’s a not for me book, but may well be for you. Thanks for the arc.

This started as an interesting book however didn't keep up the interest. Towards the half of the book, especially right after Part 2 it start to feel a bit too long and difficult to concentrate.
As we knew the characters and their intentions, there was nothing to keep the plot flowing. Unfortunately I had to skim read until the end and I don't think I have missed too much.
The writing isn't bad and there are still good scenes in the book, and old love interest coming back to life, the terror threats and it's reflections, being unloved and lonely...etc. However Amy and Cara didn't come as deep characters and the plot doesn't grip you as it should in a thriller.
Thanks for NetGalley and publisher a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely a book that stays with you! Could not put it down!

Highly recommended if you enjoy suspense genre! Thank you for my review copy, which I received through Net Galley.

When Cara finds herself in the middle of a terrorist attack and being pulled to safety to a room with Amy she is so relieved that she ends up telling this complete stranger her deepest secrets. Cara starts getting strange text messages from "Your Closest Friend (YCF)" and she believes they are from her ex from years before that she has recently bumped back into. Over the next few weeks, her life starts falling apart, especially when an old naked photo is sent to her boss, work colleagues and her husband. The text messages from "YCF" starts turning nasty. The realisation of who they are from ends with her fighting to protect her daughter and step-daughter and even her own life.

I really enjoyed reading this as it tells the story from Cara's view, oblivious to whats really going on and from Amy view with her obsessive, manipulative ways. It shows how delusions and obsessions can push people to to drastic measures. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity of reading this.