“The Perfect Stranger” by Megan Miranda

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of “The Perfect Stranger” by Megan Miranda. The genres of this novel are mystery,thriller and women’s fiction. The story takes place in Boston and rural Pennsylvania. Leah Stevens, a journalist is forced to leave Boston after there is a scandal with her newspaper and source.She also has an order of protection issued against her. Leah follows her friend Emma to rural Pennsylvania and starts a new life as a teacher, hoping to leave her secrets behind. Leah had met Emma 8 years before and Emma offers Leah a place to live. Emma seems to have many secrets as well. It isn’t long before there is a murder at the lake of a woman that looks very much like Leah. Around the same time Emma disappears. Leah is concerned that Emma hasn’t been back at their house. after finding a necklace on the ground that belonged to Emma ,and turns to the police. Kyle Donovan is the police detective on this case. When asked, Leah is not sure of Emma’s birthdate, or where she works. There is no evidence that Emma exists, except back in Boston, where the person who knows Emma has an order of protection against Leah. It appears that everyone has secrets in Pennsylvania, including Leah’s students. There is another body found in Emmas’s car,(which is a stolen car)in the lake. It seems that the dead man was Emma’s boyfriend. Again, what happened to Emma.? The police now view Leah as a suspect and fear that she has lied about Emma exisiting. Kyle, the detective is investigating Leah’s past life in Boston. The story had me on edge. There are twists and turns,and the ending is unexpected. I like the way Megan Miranda sets the stage and descriptions of the characters, and places in the novel. I would recommend this as an intriguing and exciting read.