The Perfect Daughter: is she truly mentally ill or is she playing them all?

The Perfect Daughter by DJ Palmer is a thriller that explores the truth or lies behind a teenage girl’s Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Penny Francone is 16 years old and suffers from DID. She has three alters or personalities: Ruby, the one with the British accent, Chloe, the perfectionist who strives for straight A’s in school and then Eve, a spiteful, vicious and vindictive one. They all live in Penny or do they? Grace Francone’s world falls apart when her daughter, Penny, had been accused of murder. To some, her guilt is beyond any doubt as she was found alone in the victim’s apartment, covered in blood and holding the murder weapon. The victim’s identity and her secret relationship to Penny provides the perfect motive. With everything so cut and dry, All the jury needs to decide is where Penny will serve her sentence: a secure mental institution or a maximum-security prison. As Penny awaits trial in a state mental hospital, she is treated by Dr. Mitch McHugh, a psychiatrist who is battling his own demons. Fueled by Grace’s determination to understand the why behind her daughter’s terrible crime, they set out in search of the truth. Is Penny truly mental ill or is she playing them all? 

Last year, I read and reviewed DJ Palmer’s The New Husband and loved it. When the opportunity came to review his new release, I couldn’t wait. It was so worth it. The Perfect Daughter is another great book by DJ Palmer. Many in the psychiatric community don't believe that Dissociative Identity Disorder even exists and that the “alters” or split personalities is just the clever ploy of a highly manipulative mind of a psychopath. Mr. Palmer doesn’t shy away from the ins and outs of this horrifying crime and takes an honest look at DID and the possible reasons why the mind may split the way it does. He also delves into the stigma of mental illness and the snap judgment of those who do not understand the mentally ill. It is a haunting and terrifying story with twists and turns that no one will see coming. The story will keep you guessing and on your toes. You will be hooked from the opening chapter until the very end when the shocking truth is revealed. After reading The New Husband, I would expect nothing less from DJ Palmer. I highly recommend The Perfect Daughter. 

The Perfect Daughter will be available April 20, 2021 in hardcover, eBook and audiobook.