The Perfect Son

By: Lauren North

Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan, Jayne Entwistle, John Lee, Steve West

A disturbing and shocking debut novel of psychological suspense about a recently widowed mother, her young son, and the lengths she'll go to in order to keep him safe.

When Tess Clarke wakes up in the hospital the day after her son Jamie's eighth birthday, she's sure of these things: She's been stabbed, her son is missing, her brother-in-law and her grief counselor are involved. But no one is listening to her.

After her husband, Mark, died suddenly in a terrible accident a few months earlier, the only thing keeping Tess together is Jamie. As they struggle to make sense of their new life without Mark, they find joy in brief moments of normalcy like walking to school and watching television together. Life is hard without Mark, but Tess has Jamie, and that's what matters.

But there in the hospital, confused and surrounded by people who won't listen, Tess’s world falls apart. To save her son, she must piece together what happened between Mark's death and Jamie's birthday, but the truth might just be too much for her to bear.

Critic reviews

Praise for The Perfect Son

“[A] perfect summer thriller…The author’s ability to create a sense of escalating unease is one of her most notable achievements….The twist in The Perfect Son is a big one.”—The Columbus Dispatch

"[An] emotionally harrowing debut...an intimate, unbalancing mix of grief, paranoia, gaslighting, maternal protectiveness, and profound compassion."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A powerful, unpredictable debut thriller about a mother's attempt to reassemble her life from the shards of tragedy. Lauren North's skillful narrative casts everyone as a suspect and keeps the reader guessing until the final, emotion-packed pages."—David Bell, USA Today bestselling author of Layover

“The thriller is told in two alternating time periods that come together at the very end, with a very big twist.”—Betches.com

“A fast-paced psychological thriller.”—BookRiot

"A heart-rending evocation of grief that packs a devious punch. It left me reeling."—Lesley Kara, author of the international bestseller The Rumor

“As satisfyingly intriguing and page-turning as you could possibly want. An emotional read—the end is a shocker!”—Emma Curtis, author of When I Find You

“Beautifully written psychological suspense about the power of love after a life-changing loss. A sense of impending doom and foreboding gripped me from the first page….The ending is stunning and powerful.”—Mary Torjussen, author of The Girl I Used To Be

“A captivating, suspenseful thriller that draws you in--with a twist that will take your breath away.”—T.M. Logan, author of Lies

Tedious, trite, predictable

The plot is thin, at best, and the headline sums up my reaction to it. It was also repetitive. I won’t bother with anything else from this author.

Really creepy...

I notice the other reviewer saying the main character was" annoying" . Actually it was realistic, she was a nervous neurotic person and grieving plus her head was being messed with I expect she would be like that. Good Lord! It was a very good debut, dark and creepy throughout even when it was " light" it was still dark. You just know something is really bad and you aren't getting a picture of reality, but rather her reality. Recommended.

Pretty good

I figured out the big twist early on but wasn’t sure about the little twists. The plot is payed our well. It’s slow at first but picks up near the end. The main character is definitely over the top and comes across as annoying through a lot of the book. Her constant crying and wailing were a drawback for me, even if it moved the story along. It was interesting to watch it all unfold.

a drag

I kept waiting for something to happen but nothing ever did, A sleepy dissatisfied drag,

Not a thriller

This was definitely not a thriller and really depressing. I figured out the “big twist” 2-3 chapters in so it was a huge slog from there.