“The Perfect Son” by Freida McFadden

Erika Cass, a mother of two, confesses to murder in a police investigation. Who was the victim? Was she the real murderer or was she covering her son Liam? Only Erika knows her son’s hidden sociopathic tendencies and what her son is capable of. “The Perfect Son” wastes no time and moves straight into the narrative with this prologue. 

Liam takes interest in a girl from his class and when Erika learns about it, she knows it is going to be trouble. But, before she could react, the girl goes missing and Liam is the last person to see her alive. The novel explores the theme of sociopath vs psychopath with this premise with enough twists and turns to keep you hooked. 

With limited characters, Freida McFadden builds up the suspense in a manner that the novel sustains the momentum until the very end. Though we foresee the twist at the end, the pace at which the narrative unfolds makes us oversee this shortcoming. The novel is strewn with plot deflections which add to the mystery quotient but the novel never goes off track into the sidetracks. The multiple POV narrative makes the novel even more interesting with consistent high points.

Reminiscent of her previous novels, “The Perfect Son” also survives on the shock value with unsettling themes. Nevertheless, a worthy read!