I quite enjoyed this story of Daniel's struggle with his traumatic memories and his gradual recovery with the help of Poppy. Couple of bits of the story didn't hang together as well as they could, but it was ok.

This book gives really weird vibes right from the beginning with a middle-aged man being attracted to a teenager. I could not of been less "into" these characters and this book was a slog.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm obsessed with true crime so although this is fiction it was very believable. I don't want to give too much away but you will not be disappointed

This book was ok, slow start a mom who is finally able to focus her all to her job to the CIA to catch the well known alias neighbor. This book had its suspense moments for sure

This book centered around an interesting topic - memories. How they affect us day to day, esp when you can literally remember everything.
While it was a bit hard to follow at times and I didn’t personally relate much with the main characters, this is still a solid read with an interesting plot twist

Susanna Beard skillfully explores the darker recesses of the human condition in her engrossing new psychological thriller, The Perfect Witness.

Daniel is a man who seems to have it all: a loving girlfriend, a good job and a beautiful home. But beneath the surface, Daniel is a troubled man who is still haunted by a shocking event he had witnessed twenty years ago that still plagues and terrifies him two decades on. Daniel can still hear the sound of a frightened scream and the splash of a heavy object hitting the water. He has tried his hardest, but the image of his friend being murdered by his father refuses to be erased from his psyche.

Held hostage by his memories, Daniel begins to go slowly mad and his obsession leads him to lose everything. The only way Daniel can move forward with his life is to put the past to rest and try to uncover what really happened that fateful night. As he begins to trawl England’s canals in search of the boat entrenched in his memory, is Daniel ready for what he’s about to uncover? Will he be able to draw a line under his past? Or will solving this mystery endanger the life of the only person he trusts?

Susanna Beard’s The Perfect Witness is a cleverly constructed thriller that grabs readers from the get go and keeps them on edge until the final shocking twist. Susanna Beard expertly blends tension, menace, foreboding and suspense in an addictive chiller that will keep readers turning the pages late into the night unable to put this book down.

Dark, intelligent and terrifying, Susanna Beard’s The Perfect Witness is an enjoyable thriller fans of The Girl on the Train and Before I Go to Sleep will love.

This one didn't work for me and I was unable to finish. It was a bit too slow and something about the writing style was hard for me to get immersed in

This book was so good! I want to see more from this author in the future!! I couldn't put this book down. What a page turner!!!

This book gets off to a slow start but I stuck with it to see how the story developed, and I loved Poppy and Daniel as characters - both were well crafted. The ending was predictable and wrapped up super quickly; it’s an okay read but not one I would be hasty to recommend, as I think the plot (while interesting) could have been executed better!

The Perfect Witness is the story of Daniel who has an excellent memory but is struggling with life in general. He's lost his job, lost his apartment, also lost his girlfriend. Everything he is experiencing now has to do with what he witnessed as a 10 year old. Finally getting the courage to go to the police to report what he saw, they don't take him seriously.

Poppy meets Daniel walking the canal paths and would like to be his friend. As they get to know one another he shares what he saw with her and she believes him. This is the turning point for Daniel. He has finally found someone that believes in him. Poppy helps Daniel see that his brain is special and encourages him, something that has been lacking in the past.

Daniel and Poppy decide to search for the man he remembers. Poppy falls and loses her memory for a bit. This only helps her to appreciate her grandmother's illness with an understanding most people lack. As they search for the man from Daniel's memory things become more dangerous for them both.

The story dragged a bit for me at the beginning. I was getting annoyed at the pity party Daniel was having. But the story turned itself around and became more interesting once he met Poppy. This was a fast read and worth it as the story unfolds.

Daniel is at rock bottom. He lost his job, girlfriend and home within days. Living back with his parents he decides on an adventure instigated by a memory from his past. Well written that you feel you are on the paths of the canal with Daniel. A dark backstory that comes alive again.

I did not finish this title. Perhaps this will be a better read for another reviewer. I would not recommend this title, personally.

How are you able to live knowing that you've witness something unusual and became the perfect witness of a long forgotten crime?

I like the story because I somehow relate to the character in the story, because I do also remember little things from my past, on what did we wear and what we are talking about something. I don't have special minds like Daniel had but knowing that there is someone out there is also like that feels terrifying and at the same time fascinating.

The story could be good and I'm left hanging on the ending. I was hoping it could be have a little more to the ending. It was a good story, slow burn but definitely can keep you up all night and made you think twice about your surroundings..

<b> “Do you think your plan to find this man could be more like ... a quest to find the truth about yourself?” </b>

<i>Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!</i>

Daniel was certainly an interesting protagonist and it was cool to see how that one traumatizing event shaped and essentially ruined his life. He not only remembered it perfectly but his mind would always replay it. I wish his investigating had more actual searching and snooping around. It felt repetitive for him to ask locals the same thing and get similar vague answers so when things were finally happening, it felt rushed. I wished the mystery was more twisted and thrilling instead of how straightforward it actually was.

I was waiting to see how Poppy and Daniel’s stories were connected, even making guesses in my head. Slight <spoiler> but I’m glad Poppy actually wasn’t intertwined in the mystery. She was just conveniently and coincidentally there which felt really unique since strangers in thrillers are usually connected in some way. </spoiler> I also liked their cute friendship at the start but I wish I had a little more at the end right before the acknowledgements came ... iykyk

This is probably just not my type of book. I tend to not linger when I am not hooked because I have so much to read. I did force finish it but it’s not for me. Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Perfect Witness.

Daniel is not having a good time. He’s lost his job, his girlfriend, and his accommodation, all in the space of 24 hours. After living with his parents for a while, he decides to walk the Canals, in search of a narrow boat from years ago that he is convinced (due to his amazing memory) that a murder occurred on when he was 10.

I didn’t really enjoy this book. There was a lot of canal walking, talking to boat occupants, descriptions of scenery etc. The last 10% or so of the book was where all the action happened. I have to admit, I skipped some of the middle as it did not hold my attention after a while. Definitely not my cup of tea. Just 1 star sadly.

I throughly enjoyed this book. It was a fast read and enjoyable-I find myself relating to Daniel a lot- as I too have depression and anxiety.

This book is very original and had a different plot than I was expecting. Daniel is plagued by his memories of a traumatic experience that he had at 10 years old. These memories haunt him and prevent him from living the life he wishes to lead. Frustrated, Daniel embarks on a journey to find out the truth of his memories and along the way meets Poppy, Poppy makes Daniel feel normal and understood for the first time in his life. Daniel and Poppy continue Daniel's journey together, but soon realize finding out the truth may be more than they bargained for.

This is my first book with this author and this book is truly amazing book. Very well written alot of twist and kept me guessing until the end. Thank you for giving me a opportunity to read this book

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing style was very different and took some getting used to. A recommended read.