The Perfect Witness by Susanna Beard (Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday)

 

Title: The Perfect Witness

Author: Susanna Beard

Publication: 30 March 2022

Format: Kindle eARC via NetGalley & Joffe Books

Amazon Description

Then
Ten-year-old Daniel witnesses his friend being murdered by the boy’s father, and dumped in a canal.

Terrified of his friend’s father, scared he won’t be believed by the police, Daniel convinces himself that it was all a nightmare.

Now
Daniel is plagued by memories of that night.

The frightened scream.
The splash of something heavy hitting the water.
What really happened that night?

Daniel has to find out the truth. His new girlfriend, Poppy, promises to help him.

But the more questions they ask the more they dredge up.

Some things are better left hidden under the surface.

Is a deadly past destined to repeat itself?

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

Within a twenty-four hour span, Daniel loses his job and his girlfriend and his apartment. He has a strange medical/mental condition where he can recall personal memories perfectly. Repeatedly. Vividly. Without even wanting to. It makes life difficult. Panic attacks are regular occurrences. Sleep is not. Dealing well with other people isn't a thing that happens easily -- aside from his younger sister who also has difficulty dealing with him at times. He's a mess.

One such memory is the possible murder and disposal of a childhood friend. It has haunted him for almost twenty years and in an attempt to put his life back together and function properly, Daniel decides to revisit this memory and try to piece together what actually happened. 

It's definitely a slow burn of a book. We don't find out the details of the memory until a quarter of the way through. He doesn't meet Poppy -- the girlfriend in the description -- until the 56% mark. The reader meets her before then, but it takes a while for the two to cross paths while they're walking and camping along the canal. He's doing it because that is where he last saw Ryan. She's doing it in memory of her recently deceased grandmother who suffered from Alzheimer's.

How strange - here she was, walking in honour of someone who couldn't remember, and she'd found someone who couldn't forget.

The two click with each other instantly. They tell each other everything and, much to Daniel's surprise, she doesn't shy away from him and his memories. In fact,, she wants to help him.

The cover and description states that this is a "psychological thriller." I suppose it is, in its own way. Daniel is definitely haunted by what he believes he remembers and that, on its own, is psychological. It is not, however, what I generally think of when I see "psychological thriller." I expect some sort of serial killer and/or constant danger. A bit of danger, yes. Daniel is, after all, chasing after a man believed to have killed his own child ... but nearly as constant as I was expecting.

It was a nice surprise. 

I enjoyed getting to know Daniel and Poppy and Beans without the constant panic and angst and threat. They were the focus of the story and, for the most part, the memories took a back burner ... just as Daniel had always hoped that some day they would.

 

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"First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros" is from the first paragraph or two of a book being read now (or in the future) and is hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. 

"Teaser Tuesday" at The Purple Booker asks for a random line or two from anywhere in the book currently being read.