My enormous thanks to Hayley Barnes at Penguin Random House for sending me a surprise copy of Lauren North’s The Perfect Betrayal in return for an honest review.

Published by Penguin imprint Corgi, The Perfect Betrayal is already available in e-book and for pre-order in paperback through the publisher links.

The Perfect Betrayal

After the sudden death of her husband, Tess is drowning in grief. All she has left is her son, Jamie, and she’ll do anything to protect him – but she’s struggling to cope.

When grief counsellor Shelley knocks on their door, everything changes. Shelley is beautiful, confident and takes control when Tess can’t bear to face the outside world.

But when questions arise over her husband’s death and strange things start to happen, Tess begins to suspect that Shelley may have an ulterior motive. Tess knows she must do everything she can to keep Jamie safe – but who can she trust?

My Review of The Perfect Betrayal

Tess’s grief is all consuming following the death of her husband.

It’s always an anxious moment when you begin reading a new book by an author you know personally, like enormously and count as a friend. I’ve so enjoyed Lauren North’s women’s fiction as writer Laurie Ellingham that I wondered whether a new name and genre would work. Let me tell you, it most certainly does.

I thought The Perfect Betrayal was excellent. I had all the plot completely worked out, knew exactly what was happening to Tess and who was to blame – except, of course, I didn’t! I was brilliantly wrong footed by the deft plotting and clever writing, so that I was genuinely surprised and moved by Lauren North’s writing. I loved the time frame building from Mark’s death to Jamie’s birthday, juxtaposed against other elements that I won’t say too much about for fear of spoiling the story. I found The Perfect Betrayal both intelligently written and fascinating to read.

Aside from the fast paced and captivating plot, so many aspects of The Perfect Betrayal give depth to the story and enormous satisfaction to the reader. Tess’s grief, her relationships with those around her, and her terror as events escalate, weave an enthralling narrative. I think it is the attention to detail, frequently through Lauren North’s skilful appeal to the senses, that really brings the story alive. Coupled with a claustrophobic and condensed cast of characters, there’s a palpable tension here that gets the pulse racing and heart beat elevated.

I thought Tess was a brilliant creation. The balance between her grief and frailty and her strength and determination made her only too real a person, so that I experienced her emotions with her in quite a profound manner. I found both Ian and Shelley very disturbing individuals and trusted neither but you’ll have to read the book to find out whether I was right about them.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Perfect Betrayal. I genuinely believe Lauren North has shown that she can turn her hand to any genre with cracking success. This is a super book because the reader is manipulated by the story telling until they are as unsure what to believe as is Tess. The Perfect Betrayal is intriguing, entertaining and oh so satisfying to read. I really recommend it!

About Lauren North

Lauren North writes psychological suspense novels that delve into the darker side of relationships and families. She has a lifelong passion for writing, reading, and all things books. Lauren’s love of psychological suspense has grown since childhood and from her dark imagination of always wondering what’s the worst thing that could happen in every situation. Lauren studied psychology before moving to London where she lived and worked for many years. She now lives with her family in the Suffolk countryside.

You can follow Lauren on Twitter @Lauren_C_North and find her on Facebook.