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

THE PERFECT WITNESS follows the story of Daniel, a young man haunted by the memories of watching his friend get attacked at ten years old. Now 30, Daniel can no longer ignore the past, as his memories of that night increasingly surface. With his new girlfriend Poppy, Daniel resolves to find out the truth of what happened to Ryan Collins all those years ago.

THE PERFECT WITNESS is a propulsive thriller, revving the gas from the beginning of the story and not letting up until the final page. Readers will find themselves sucked into the world of Daniel and Poppy, as Daniel tries to discover the truth within the memories he has tried so hard to suppress. THE PERFECT WITNESS is very plot-driven, which keeps the action moving at a fast clip, but I did sometimes wish to know a bit more about the interiority of the characters and to have their reactions and motivations a bit more fleshed out. All in all, however, THE PERFECT WITNESS is an engaging read and will be sure to be a big hit with lovers of psychological thrillers. 3.5 stars.

This was an interesting story about memory and how much being in the present can impact your life. I enjoyed the 'relationships formed along the way, each character seemed to offer something different but important to the journey. There was enough suspense to keep you going and you really felt like you were alongside them on this walk and journey to his truth.

In The Perfect Witness we meet Daniel, a man who has been plagued by his memory. He can remember everything that has ever happened to him and the memories come every day hard and fast. For some we may think this is a gift, but when some of those memories are haunting they make life nearly crippling for Daniel. As he sets out on a journey to validate his memory and in hopes to heal himself we learn more about why Daniel is the way he is and that we all need a special someone to see us and believe in us, just as we are.

Overall I enjoyed the read, there were a few holes in the story that I was able to patch together, but it didn't take away from the story. I enjoyed imagining the setting of the story and I thought Susanna Beard did a good job being descriptive in her story telling.

Then: Ten year old Daniel witnessed his friend being murdered by the boy's father, and dumped him in the canal. Terrified of his friend's father, scared he won't be believed by the police, Daniel convinces himself it was all a nightmare.

Now: Daniel is plagued with memories of that night. The frightened scream. The splash of something heavy hitting the water, What really happened that night? Daniel has to find out the truth. His new friend, Poppy, promises to help him.

Is it really worth opening a can of worms to discover the truth? Daniel did, as he wanted the memories of that day fleshed out. His new friend, Poppy, agrees to help him, along with her rescue dog Beans. I really enjoyed this story. It was a bit different to what I usually read. Some parts in the first half of the book seemed to drag on for a bit. I liked the main characters and the bond they made along the way.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #SusannaBeard for my ARC of #ThePerfectWitness in exchange for an honest review.

When Daniel sets out in a journey to walk the canals in the UK, he plans on trying to determine whether a horrifying memory from his childhood was real.

Poppy, dealing with the death of her grandmother, needs to take a break. She decides to raise money for Alzheimer’s by going on an adventure to walk the canals.

Eventually Daniel and Poppy run into each other on the canals, growing closer as Daniel explains why he is on his adventure.

As Daniel and Poppy’s stories intertwine, they discover not only the truth about Daniel’s memory, but also about themselves. Together they face some pretty scary stuff, but it just brings them together in the best ways.

I really loved this book! It was the perfect mix of thriller, romance, and a story of someone growing into themselves and figuring out who they are-I loved it!

My thanks to Susanna and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Perfect Witness before the publication date.

Susanna has set much of the story around the slow paced life of the mainly friendly people who traverse the waterways and towpaths in England.

The main character, Daniel, is a shy, gauche young man who seems to zone out of his surroundings, which is puzzling and annoying to those around him who do not understand the issues which he has with memories.
In a short space of time he loses his job, is dumped by his girlfriend and given notice to quit by his landlord.
This adds to his anxieties, leaving him unable to see a way forward. Then he decides to spend the summer walking the towpaths of the canals in search for the answers he needs.

Poppy is a gentle, caring person who works in an animal shelter and at home, helps to care for her aging grandmother. When her grandmother dies, Poppy decides to walk the towpaths on the canals to raise funds for Alzheimers Research.
It is there that Daniel and Poppy meet and join forces on Daniel’s quest for the truth.

Is There Such A Thing….?
What happens when someone is the perfect witness. The witness to a crime that is recalled in excruciating detail, every single thing in perfect technicolour. Is that possible? Daniel is such a witness and is plagued by his memories. With the help of Poppy and a chance meeting his torture may end but will it dredge up more potential problems? Are things best left as they are? A carefully written mystery with a credible cast and some difficult issues handled with empathy and with care.

I like Daniel, an endearing, believable, vulnerable character who has the misfortune to loose his job, girlfriend and home. This is mainly due to his mysterious, haunting past which though unknown to the reader, is constantly lurking in the background and in his thoughts. Not knowing what happened to him when he was younger heightens the suspense.
I enjoyed reading this, an intensely emotional and satisfying read.

Split between the then and the now this phycological thriller is a right good page turner.

When Daniel was only Ten years old he saw his. Best friend being brutally murdered by his father and dumped into the canal. Terrified that the same would befall him Daniel never went to the police and convinced himself that it was all a horrible nightmare.

But Daniel has been plagued by the events of that night and tormented with the thoughts that keep replaying in his head. Daniel has to try and put this to bed once and for all and has to find out what happened that fateful night.

So Daniel and his girlfriend Poppy set out to uncover the truth but the more questions that they ask the more that they dredge up and the more horrific things they find out. Is the past destined to repeat itself or can Daniel and Poppy manage to set the demons of the past to bed and finally get justice for Daniels best friend.

Daniel lives in his memories and has a hard time navigating everyday life when those very detailed thoughts of something tragic that happened when he was 20 years old haunt him. He struggles trying to understand why his brain is different than everyone else’s and that most just look at him oddly as he recalls dates from his life and exactly where he was and what he was doing. After hitting rock bottom he decides to on a walking journey to see if he can find pieces of what he saw that fateful day. And so the story unfolds having him meet a quirky Poppy and her dog ( who are also on a walking journey this one for Alzheimer’s research), a few long boaters, the man he was searching for and a professor who lets him know he is not going crazy.

I enjoyed this read, a few parts at the beginning I found dragged on a bit but I enjoyed once he started his journey and Poppy came more into play . I liked how the 2 main characters were both coping with issues associated with our brains and who they function…..

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I would recommend this book to friends and my book club..

For me, less a true psychological thriller and more a late coming-of-age, but compelling all the same. There are some really chilling moments, and Daniel is a character you start to root for pretty quickly. Still a comfort read, where goodness prevails, with hopefulness and realness attached as well.

Highly recommend.

P.S. Thanks to #Netgalley for the DRC.

Ten year old Daniel sees his friend murdered by the boys father and thrown into the canal scared he won't be believed he tells himself it's all been a nightmare.
Memories of that day give him sleepless nights so now his an adult he wants answers.When he meets Poppy while on his journey for answers she decides to help him find out what really happened that day.But is it really worth them asking questions that could lead to them getting hurt or worse?
Well written and a great plot made this a great read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for the ARC.

This was a good read that was well written with an intriguing storyline and well developed characters. there were some sensitive issues in this storyline such as child abuse, mental health and so on but this was done in a really gentle way with a sensitive approach by the author. It was a compelling read with some level of twists although I did guess some of them others were unpredictable. It was still a great read though.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
When Daniel was nine, he experienced an event so traumatic his memory constantly runs on a loop, playing the scene over and over in his mind. He remembers his life vividly after that, making him afraid to do virtually anything, plus suffering from debilitating panic attacks, which makes him lonely and sometimes suicidal. He decides to take a camping trip, hoping to revisit the trauma and maybe solve his mental problems. He meets a love!y young woman who has just lost her grandmother to Alzheimer's along with her beloved dog. The three form a deep connection.
This is a lovely story with a satisfying, hopeful ending.

Good character development of Daniel and Poppy. A bit predictable until the last pages. Susanna Beard has done it again. Sensitive approach to mental illness, child abuse etc which are always tough topics.

I was looking for a good suspenseful book to read and i came across The perfect witness. I thought here we go this will be perfect. I was 25% in when I knew that i would not be able to finish it. I just could not get into the book or the characters.

This really reminded me of "everything I never told you", it had that same complicated familial dynamic coupled with a great mystery that was both heartbreaking and jaw-dropping.

Those of us approaching middle age start to feel frightened when we can remember where we put our keys or the purpose for walking into a certain room in the house. We start making notes for ourselves in fear of losing our minds! Not Daniel, the protagonist in this psychological thriller. What frightens Daniel is that he can’t forget.

Criminal investigators and the judicial system often take into account eyewitness testimony in solving crimes. Cross-examining lawyers attempt to show that it is unreliable. But what if a crime occurred and the only eye-witness was a perfect one? What if he was able to accurately recall specific events from his past - near or far? What if he couldn’t forget? That would make him the perfect witness.

You’ll read about Daniel - a boy who witnessed a crime when he was ten years old. He remembers it every day of his life. Now 19 years later, circumstances have brought him to the place where he needs to tell someone what happened that day. Alone and misunderstood for most of his life, David accidentally meets Poppy walking the canal paths who wants to be his friend and wants him to know that she believes in him. The author explores the relief that acknowledgement and validation brings to anyone who is struggling. Sometimes we don’t need a diagnosis, but rather validation and acceptance.

Poppy helps Daniel see that his brain is special and that his memories are true and correct and it does more in a few days than any single thing in his life. How ironic that Poppy has a clear understanding of what it means to forget and she’s the lifeline to someone who can’t forget. Although this wasn’t the nail-biting psychological thriller I was used to, nor was it the intense emotional ride that I am used to, it was still an interesting read. It made me aware of the importance of listening and validating rather than offering help and diagnosing. It also made me more committed to see others for who they are, not what they appear to be. Most of all, it reminded me that we are all suffering and have within us the gift of empathy and the ability to listen. I’m glad I read this quick mystery highlighting a very real phenomenon.

I was gifted this advance copy by Susanna Beard, Joffe Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.