Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Cara shouldn't have survived the attack, but at the last moment, a stranger snatched her to safety. In the hours that followed she told this Good Samaritan secrets she'd never told a soul. Not even her husband.

Cara finds herself caught up in a terrifying terrorist attack on the streets of London her certain death prevented by Amy, who drags her into a doorway and up a flight of stairs to a storeroom above Pret a Manager. In the darkness and desperate to survive Cara divulges to Amy her darkest secrets about her marriage, her husband, her affair.

In the aftermath, Cara is home, and safe. Which is when the anonymous threats begin. Someone knows things about her they shouldn't. Cara's Good Samaritan offers to help her to save her all over again. That night Cara made a friend for life, but what if she isn't a friend at all?

Each chapter was told from alternate point of view of Cara and Amy which I enjoyed. I don't want to give any spoilers, but the latter part of the book left me shocked, and the cliff hanger was so clever I didn't see it coming
.
I have to say that this book is a tour de force and I loved it. Fantastic.

I thought I had already read my best book of 2018. Wrong. This is it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for and advance copy for a fair and honest review.

A tale of love and obsession,some not very nice characters and a great deal of drama. A tense physiological thriller.

Wow what read, be careful who you let into your life and become your friend because Your Closest Friend might prove to be deadly

The story of two women who are thrown together during a terror attack, and the aftermath. Worth reading !

Told via alternative narration of Cara and Amy, this is a story of two women brought together during a terrorist attack, and who then go on to have a connection after sharing secrets while in hiding. Amy's action in saving Cara during the attack goes on to have dire consequences as she becomes obsessed with her new 'friend' and moves in to look after Cara's child. I enjoyed it, thought it was quite well written and suspenseful.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

What does a terrorist, a betrayal, a nanny, and a stalker have in common? Cara. This story is centred around Cara; mother to Mabel, and wife to Jeff. The story starts out with her witnessing a mass murder by a terrorist, where she is saved by Amy. From there her world is turned upside down, and she feels things spiralling out of control. Well worth the read!

This book is fabulous. It started out making me think I was going to read about post traumatic after a terrorist attack but turned into something totally different but just as intriguing. I thought the characterisation of the main protagonists was spot on and the use of different voices for different chapters made the story even better. A well plotted and excellently executed novel. I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.

Cara and Amy meet on the night of a terrorist attack - Amy saves Cara's life by getting her away from danger, and Cara ends up sharing a little too much information about her complicated life as the pair wait for the attack to end. However, this isn't the end for them, as Amy clearly feels a connection in the shared experience and wants to keep in contact. Initially, Cara doesn't feel the same way, but as the women grow closer, she becomes increasingly dependent on Amy. But is Amy really as trustworthy and supportive as she seems?
I found this book a little frustrating in places - probably because this is not a mystery. The reader knows exactly who is pulling the strings from a relatively early stage, which makes it slightly different to other psychological thrillers I've read recently, although not different enough in the grand scheme of things. Another rather annoying element is how openly Cara trusts Amy when she's given her absolutely no reason to do so - however, Cara comes across as a rather selfish character who accepts people into her life when it benefits her.
Looking back, it's not a great story but I finished this book really quickly and was eager to get to the end, so it must have been doing something right. Having read the acknowledgements, I can see the book has been optioned for a TV series, so it will be interesting to see how that works out.
A perfect 'read it in one day' holiday read, but nothing new or particularly challenging.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a unique story and nothing like anything I've read before. You are thrown into the middle of a terrorist attack at the beginning of the story and not knowing whether she is going to survive or not, Cara confides her deepest secrets to the young lady who plucked her to safety. Secrets that should have stayed hidden as they are now used against her.

The writing style is easy to read and flows really well with each chapter written from the perspectives of the 2 main characters - Cara and Amy - which works extremely well for this book and the story. I did feel there was a bit of a lull in the middle but it certainly makes up for it as we move towards the thrilling conclusion.

Never having read anything by these authors before (Paul Perry and Karen Gillece ), I will most certainly keep my eyes open in future and thank you to the Publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, and NetGalley for once again introducing me to yet another great book that would likely have passed me by.

A gripping contemporary thriller that begins in the middle of a terrorist attack but ends in even greater personal turmoil for Cara, the central character. The book is written as a two-hander with alternate chapters narrated by Cara and her fellow terror victim, Amy. The sense of dissatisfaction after the attack is intensified and mined through a series of manipulations and disorientation, and forms the basis of the pressure which builds throughout the plot. and creates a mounting sense of tension and suspense. Will Cara discover the cause of her increasing misery in time?

Cara is having such a bad day when Amy enters her life. The events that follow cause no end of problems to what appears to be a perfect family life. I really enjoyed this book and with plot twists and turns to keep you guessing. This is a very well written novel that had me gripped from the first page to the last. 10/10 for Karen Perry.

This is the second book I have read and enjoyed by these talented authors Paul Perry and Karen Gillece, Your Closest Friend is another fantastically written book. From the start I was hooked to the story, I read it in a few sittings and was even sat up in bed late at night finishing the last chapters.

One of the things I loved most about this book is that I genuinely had no idea which way the story would turn next, I had no idea of what would happen and so I became very immersed in the story and the characters are each fascinating in their own way.

Your Closest Friend is a book that really makes you feel involved and part of everything that is happening. This story is full of twists, turns and is a compelling psychological thriller that deserves to be read by many.

Thank you!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The novel starts off in a powerful way in the midst of a terror attack in London. Our protagonist, Cara is pulled clear of danger by Amy, who is sheltering in her workplace nearby.
As the days after the attack pass and life starts to get back to normal for Cara she is contacted by Amy who is keen to rekindle the bond that she feels the two women shared during their traumatic experience. Amy, however, is not all that she seems.
I really enjoyed this story. The first few pages describing the attack in London were powerfully written but didn't really resonate with me. I wondered if this book would be the psychological thriller that I was expecting. It Is!
This is a twisty, edge of the seat read and highly recommended.

Minimum-wage worker Amy saves comfortable middle-class Cara's life during a terrorist outrage. This shocking event leads to a spilling of secrets, more death and more secrets come out. Amy manipulates her way into Cara's life and home.
Gradually we learn the history which has lead to todays vulnerabilities and life choices.

This book is fast paced, exciting, with layers of uncertainty right till the end. I found the swapping of narrators confusing at first, but it grew on me since this technique allows us access to both lead characters inner thoughts.
I found this an enjoyable holiday read, and having treated people under extreme stress, and people with psychopathic personality disorders all too realistic.
Psychological warfare and manipulation, but who is the real victim here?

A real thriller the main characters were both very damaged especially Amy lots of different emotions and was a chilling read at times the ending was exiting all in all a great read

This book didn't work out for me. I prefer more mystery to the story, you know is she crazy or nor not? However, knowing right from the start that Amy has a screw loose just made this reading experience pretty boring ESPECIALLY since Cara didn't seem to get the hints about it. The ending, the very last chapters, however, is the best part of the books. If the book had been better, more thrilling and less annoying would I have liked the book so much more.

Following a terror attack that rocked London Cara spills her secrets to a stranger. What follows is dark and gritty with a good twist at the end. This book kept me interested throughout and I would definitely recommend to family and friends.

A great idea for the beginning and setting of a modern thriller/mystery novel. However parts of it were so unrealistic and unbelievable that I felt let down. If Karen had made things just a little more 'real life' like and her characters, at least one of them, more likeable, then I think she would be on to and even bigger success.

This book started off really well, I loved the premise of it, two women are irrevocably tied together due to their experience of being caught up in a terrorist attack in London. Amy pulls Cara to safety and the pair hide out in a storeroom until the attack seems to be over. During this time Cara confides in Amy, confessing some of her secrets in the knowledge that they won't ever meet up again. However, we learn that Amy has become obsessed with Cara and soon manages to inveigle herself into her life with the consequences becoming deadly.
I did enjoy the book, but felt it became slightly unbelievable and I found myself shouting at Cara, get a grip, open your eyes and stop behaving like such an eejit! It is scary how one person can wreak so much havoc on another person's life but if Cara had any kind of self awareness and stopped behaving so selfishly, she might have figured out what was going on sooner.
An enjoyable book but not the best I have read in the genre.

This book is a good read. Fast paced and full of action with an ending that I did not see coming. Amy and Cara narrate alternate chapters and everything is pieced together from their points of view. The only thing that I disliked about this book is that I could not warm to either if the main characters. I do not think that either Amy or Cara are likeable, nice people.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.