I’ve read quite a few Daniel Hurst books and always really enjoy them. I loved this book, it was full of surprises and I would definitely recommend it.

Darcy is a nurse who works for a private nursing company and provides care for people in their homes. Her colleague Pippa has to wake Darcy up every day and make her coffee while Darcy gets organised for work. Darcy is grateful to Pippa for her help but gets tired of Pippa always asking her if she is okay.

Darcy and Pippa go to work for a couple called Adrian and Scarlett - Scarlett has brain damage after a fall at home and has huge problems with memory loss. From the minute they enter the house Darcy has a feeling of unease and senses that there is something untoward going on in the house. She also has doubts about the cause of Scarlett’s accident.

This book was full of twists and turns and every time
I thought I knew where it was going it took me by surprise again.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A medical thriller with twists you won’t see coming! Daniel Hurst knocks it out of the park with ‘The Perfect Nurse’. The nurse in question is Darcy who has been recently assigned to take care of a patient named Scarlett who has advanced dementia. As Darcy’s friend and fellow nurse Pippa drives her to their first day with the new patient, Darcy feels a sense of foreboding that tells her something isn’t quite right about the house they pull up to or the man and wife inside.

Despite her ongoing battle of sleeping without medication and not being able to shut her brain off at night, Darcy feels like there is something more to Scarlett’s story and takes it upon herself to start investigating. Just when she is convinced that Adrian is not who he seems and he may be the one responsible for his wife’s accident; a shocking twist takes the story down a whole new path. Everything Darcy thought she knew rapidly brings to a whole new light. All the crazy things happening in Darcy‘s life must be explained by the face of a man she recognized in the street days before. Soon her and Pippa work together to find the mysterious man that can hopefully fill in the puzzle pieces around Darcy‘s memory loss.

Once Darcy finds this mystery man, she realizes that memory loss is the least of her worries. The flashbacks of her past become vividly clear when Darcy is in the fight for her life. The story ends abruptly once Darcy realizes she needs to put her pass behind her once and for all, and make a fresh start somewhere else.

Daniel Hurst is a very good writer. His stories are engaging and keep you turning the page. I read this one in less than a day and never grew board with the story until the very end. The abrupt ending and predictable outcome were a little disappointing, but overall I really enjoyed the book. I did not think too hard trying to keep up and Hearst leaves no stones unturned. After all the build up in the story, the ending seemed rushed And unless there is plans for a second book, I’m not sure Darcy’s story will ever feel properly wrapped up. Regardless this is a solid four star book.

This felt like a much slower start than I'd expect from the author but I definitely got into it once the pace picked up a bit. I know nothing about nursing so was completely fascinated an dmore than happy to believe this was all completely possible and not at all far fetched lol. I really enjoyed it. The usual high quality writing and clever twists

If you are looking for an epic shock and awe plot twist this book is for you! While there was a bit of repetition and what felt at the time like a slow buildup the first few chapters. It all made 100% sense by the middle of the book. This book takes off and brings the thrill, excitement and mystery and will have you questioning everything until the very end.

Thank you Net Galley and Bookouture for the ARC of The Perfect Nurse!

I am a nurse but not really into nursing itself lol but i love thrillers. This book was pretty good.

★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

A nurse who isn't as she appears...do you trust her?

It's no secret that I am a huge Daniel Hurst fan. I've devoured everything I've read of his in record time and loved (mostly) them all. And then along comes the perfect nurse...which is anything but.

Now I've been in a reading slump for months so I wasn't surprised when I found myself struggling to get into the storyline and connect with the characters. But I pushed on through. Because I know what Daniel Hurst is capable of and that I wouldn't be sorry if I just ploughed on. But then I come across another couple of reviews which highlight the same concerns I had.

1. that it was waaaaay too slow from the start when Hurst's thrillers have been non-stop thrill rides from the first page!

2. a bit too repetitious (I get it, she wears a uniform) but it seems to spend more time on the floor if this story is anything to go by.

3. I'm all for popcorn thrillers with somewhat far fetched tales (after all, it is just fiction) but this one just pushed the limits of believability a little too far. I guess the fact that nothing happened untul around chapter 25 didn't help either!

4. the setting. I read British authors because I prefer British set thrillers. I'm not keen on when they take their stories to foreign climes. If I wanted to read a book set in America then I would read an American author. But that's just a preference and not a major issue here.

Now...that's out of the way, let's get down to the rest of it. On the surface, it's an OK thriller. Not one of his best by any means but by the time the reveal came and the action began, waking me from my coma, things did start to pick up. Of course by then it was too little too late for this book but hey, it had potential.

Seriously, I liked the concept behind the bigger picture and I feel it would have played out so much better presented differently and with a far more likeable main character. Darcy was irritating and I couldn't care less about what happened to her in all honesty. The prologue shows her burning her uniform (yes, the same one that seemed to have permanent residence on her floor) no longer wanting to be a nurse. The question is, why? And so we go down the rabbit hole in pursuit of the answer. What made her so disillusioned by her chosen profession that she wanted nothing more to do with it? Well, we've a long way to find out because none of the first half sheds any light nor is it very enlightening about much at all.

Darcy and her friend Pippa have been charged wit the care of middle aged Scarlett who had an accident at home in which has caused her to lose her memory or memories, though she does have some lucid moments from time to time. But it isn't long before Darcy gets a weird vibe from husband Adrian and begins to think that all is not as it seems with the couple. And so she sets about determined to prove their nefarious subterfuge despite Pippa's best efforts to dissuade her. But Darcy is determined...though nothing will prepare her for the shocks she is about to uncover.

So true to Hurst fashion, there are the usual twist upon twists but sadly not of the same calibre as his other offerings. I admit, I did enjoy it once the pace picked up and the thrills got better but like I said it was too little too late for this one.

I intend reading the second book shortly so I hope that one is faster paced and more exciting. And hopefully, Darcy is more likeable this time round.

I would like to thank #DanielHurst, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ThePerfectNurse in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Another great read by Daniel Hurst.

The nurse, starts of a bit slow but soon gathers speed and it's fast paced, full of twists and hard to put down!

This was my first Daniel Hurst read; I had opted to apply for this because of the title and cover. I have not read any medical thrillers because that is my professional field and I feared I would pick them apart a bit too much...and that was the case here, slightly. While it was somewhat fast-paced, I found myself sighing and hoping it would just get on with it, often. The FMC was annoying with how suspicious she was, all. the. time.

Now, the plot twist had my head spinning, I annotated along the way throughout my read and the words that poured from me aren’t appropriate for the review. I did not see it coming, and it took me a bit to pick my jaw up off the floor. Because of the plot twist, I am interested in reading the next book in the series...but it will not be added to my immediate TBR.



3.75 / 5

Read 06.28.2024
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy/early read opportunity!!

Wow. I’m impressed. I didn’t see this coming at all. AT ALL. Wow. The amount of detail… and story building… it was brilliant! What a unique plot, with some particular twists and turns making this not another nurse story! I LOVED it and can’t wait for the next installment! I hope it follows the other character…haha.
This is a somewhat new author to me and so far, I’m impressed with what I’m reading! The character depth is something I see often lacking but not here! Major kudos to Daniel Hurst!!

I know when I start any Daniel Hurst books that I will be thoroughly entertained, and this was no different. It has Hurst's signature style, easy to read, and fast paced, with twists to make the reader keep guessing throughout.
This was such a fun read. I love medical thrillers lately, and this book is a great one to add to the pile.
There are some elements that are a little implausible, but if you can get past them, you will really enjoy this.

'Oh Darcy...what have you done?' was basically my first thought after reading the prologue. I was very intrigued and the story did deliver. It was a bit slow moving at times; Darcy's got a lot of internal struggles, questions herself and her actions a whole lot! I have to say it was a bit different than Daniel Hurst's other books. This was my first one to go through as an e-book - I really enjoy listening to the audiobooks. Looking forward to book 2 to find out what other peculiar situation Darcy finds herself into.

I want to thank the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Daniel Hurst does it again! I’m not sure what he puts in his books but it’s amazing and grips you from the very first page. His reads are easy, yet keep your mind working until the end. I found this read a little more suspenseful than the other few that I have read of his. I liked the beginning of the nurse burning their belongings and then the story starts off to figure out why they are in trouble. Thank you for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved every Daniel Hurst book I have read and this was no exception. I went into this completely blind and tried to stop myself trying to guess the twists etc and I was SHOOK. I never would have guessed that the story would go in the direction that it did.

This book was fast paced and while the main character definitely makes some questionable decisions, I found myself sympathising with her at times.

I was pleased when I realised this is the start of a series and cant wait to read the next part of the story.

This was an easy and quick read but there were some plot holes/loose ends that go unanswered e.g. why did Scarlett tell Darcy to lock the door? I felt that the ending was pretty anti climatic too but I'd still recommend this for someone looking for a simple read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the DRC

The main character is so annoying, creating problems when there shouldn’t be any. Why is she suspicious of Adrian? He has done literally nothing to warrant that. He’s literally just going about his daily routine and trying to take care of his sick wife. But of course it will end up being true because this is a “thriller” novel. Not that I’m going to find out because this is a DNF for me at 25%. I am so utterly bored. “A total addictive and unputdownable psychological thriller,” it says on the cover. What a load of shit. There is absolutely nothing thrilling about this book at all.

Daniel Hurst is a new-to-me author with many books to his name. He’s like other favorites, Freida McFadden and Kiersten Modglin, who must write 24 hours a day to keep churning out a constant stream of books. I'm not complaining!

Here is the latest from Daniel:

‘My name is Darcy, I’m your nurse and I’m here to help you.’ I repeat the words I’ve said so many times. Except this time, I don’t mean it…

If you saw me walking down the street, you’d think I was pretty ordinary — I wear the typical crisp, white nursing uniform, my hands are scrubbed clean and you’d have no reason to believe I was anything other than a good citizen. A good nurse.

But looks can be deceiving. You shouldn’t trust me — because I don’t even know if I can trust myself.

Now I stare at the reflection in the mirror — dark smudges under my eyes and blood on my hands — listening for the sound of police sirens.

Because the truth is I had to do something terrible. I broke all the rules a nurse should follow. I wanted someone gone so badly. And now they’re dead because of me.

I’m looking over my shoulder everywhere I go because I’m sure someone knows my secret. Then when my home is broken into I know one simple truth: this isn’t over yet…

It’s only the beginning.

The police are the least of my worries now. But to save myself, am I going to have to kill again?

This book was a fun read. This was my first time reading this author despite several recommended books and it won’t be my last! There were several unexpected turns that caught my attention and made me not want to put the book down! 4/5 stars because I wish the ending would have been a little more detailed but definitely recommend this book!

This was my first Daniel Hurst book and it took me a while to get through. Initially the writing seemed all over the place and the story was a little far fetched. It did get better about halfway through the book and I am glad I went ahead and finished it. It was okay but not great. I will definitely read another book by this author, but I feel this one is not his best.

For those new to Hurst's work, I recommend going into it without prior knowledge for an enjoyable and fast-paced read. In "The Perfect Nurse," a sense of foreboding lingers from the start, culminating in a surprising reveal at the book's conclusion.
If you appreciate unexpected plot twists, this story delivers one that may require some suspension of disbelief. While the writing is straightforward, focusing on essential details, it contributes to a seamless narrative flow.
In summary, readers can expect an entertaining book with a memorable twist that keeps you engaged until the very end.

I read Daniel's The Doctor series and loved it. This one has a similar feel since it is part of a series. Often many of these mysteries/thrillers have the same feel, but this one stood out. This one felt different and the twist completely surprised me - I did not even guess in the slightest. It made me want to start the second one right away - which I did!