The Perfect Daughter: A Novel

Written by D.J. Palmer

Narrated by Dan Bittner and January LaVoy

"January LaVoy, woman of a thousand voices, is a great match for this twisty thriller about a teen with multiple personality disorder...LaVoy creates striking characters in fierce Grace and the troubled doctor, while giving Penny and her many alters distinct yet complementary voices. Narrator Dan Bittner voices journal entries by Penny's brother, Jack, which contextualize events in an earnest, vulnerable tone as he begs listeners to try to understand his sister." -- AudioFile Magazine

A thriller that explores the truth or lies behind a teenage girl's multiple personality disorder, from D.J. Palmer, the author of The New Husband.

Meet Ruby, who speaks with a British accent.
Then there’s Chloe, a perfectionist who strives for straight A’s in school.
And along comes Eve, who is spiteful and vicious.
All of them live inside Penny…
Or do they?

Penny Francone, age sixteen, is a murderer. Her guilt is beyond doubt: she was found alone in the victim’s apartment, covered in blood, holding the murder weapon. The victim’s identity and her secret relationship to Penny give Penny the perfect motive, sealing the deal. All the jury needs to decide now is where Penny will serve out her sentence. Will she be found not guilty by reason of insanity, as her lawyer intends to argue? Or will she get a life sentence in a maximum-security prison?

Already reeling from tragedy after the sudden passing of her beloved husband a few years before, now Grace is on her knees, grateful that Massachusetts doesn't allow the death penalty.

As Penny awaits trial in a state mental hospital, she is treated by Dr. Mitchell McHugh, a psychiatrist battling demons of his own. Grace’s determination to understand the why behind her daughter’s terrible crime fuels Mitch’s resolve to help the Francone family. Together, they set out in search of the truth about Penny, but discover instead a shocking hidden history of secrets, lies, and betrayals that threatens to consume them all.

The perfect daughter. Is she fooling them all?

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Apr 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781250788139

D.J. Palmer

D.J. PALMER is the author of numerous critically acclaimed suspense novels, including The New Husband, Saving Meghan, and The Perfect Daughter. He received his master’s degree from Boston University and after a career in e-commerce he shifted gears to writing full time. He lives by the ocean in Massachusetts where he is working on his current novel. Besides writing, DJ enjoys yoga, songwriting, and family time with his two children and his ever faithful dog.

Reviews for The Perfect Daughter

[Lara Pretorius · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a great book! Super well written and engrossing! I highly recommend a listen! Narrators did a wonderful job! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did ?

[Jane Jacks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good premise but a sloppily written ending. Good narration especially for the alters.

[Starr Cram · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I saw this book at my local Sam’s Club one day and read the prologue on the back cover, I thought “Wow, sounds like a great book” I had it saved in a list of books I wanted to read, normally I’d read something Fantasy related but I COULD NOT put this book down. I followed whole heartedly Penny’s story. I loved this story so much and have already recommended it several times!! 10/10 for me.

[Darcia Helle · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Loved the narration, which is, I'm sorry to say, about all I loved.

The Perfect Daughter has a fascinating premise that initially hooked me, but I just didn’t like the overall plot execution.

The story revolves around an adopted teenager who has DID (dissociative identity disorder), once called MPD (multiple personality disorder). DID is known to result from extreme childhood trauma and/or abuse. Yet Penny’s adoptive parents, social workers, and psychiatrists show no interest in learning this child’s history in order to help her, even long before the murder. Everyone blissfully goes on as if Penny is a normal kid with some minor mental health quirks. As if her past is of no interest or, worse, irrelevant. Their lack of concern about this child’s origin is mind boggling.

I badly wanted more of Penny’s origin story and much less of the repetitive family drama, including the subplot concerning the psychiatrist’s personal life, which felt like nothing more than a ploy to toss another hot topic into the plot.

None of the characters are likable. Grace, Penny’s adoptive mother, clearly wanted this perfect daughter at the expense of everyone else in her life. Husband and sons be damned, she would have this daughter regardless of their needs. And don’t even get me started on the sons, especially Ryan.

Much of the way the plot plays out is a stretch, if not completely implausible.

The ending, with the big reveal, made me roll my eyes and groan. I mean, just no.

Also, be forewarned there are a few pages of graphic animal abuse that made me physically cringe.

And, finally, I didn’t love the way DID was pitted against the possibility of borderline personality disorder, with the former marking Penny as worth saving, and the latter marking her as evil and beyond redemption.