• Picture Perfect

  • The Jodi Arias Story: a Beautiful Photographer, Her Mormon Lover, and a Brutal Murder
  • By: Shanna Hogan
  • Narrated by: Emily Durante
  • Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (295 ratings)

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Picture Perfect  By  cover art

Picture Perfect

By: Shanna Hogan
Narrated by: Emily Durante
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Publisher's summary

Travis Alexander was a handsome, hard-working, practicing Mormon who lived in Mesa, Arizona. His good looks and easygoing manner made him popular with everyone, especially the ladies. So when he was found with a bullet wound in the face and his throat slashed, the brutal murder sent shock waves throughout his community. Who could have done something so sinister?

But soon a suspect was singled out-Jodi Arias. A beautiful, aspiring photographer, Jodi had been in a long-distance relationship with Travis the year before. But Travis wasn't interested in a serious commitment; he was seeing several women during that time. When he broke up with her, that didn't stop Jodi from leaving California, moving to just a few miles away from Travis's home, and inserting herself into his daily life.

Investigators found one piece of startling evidence in Travis's home that implicated Jodi. But in a bizarre turn of events, Jodi would claim self-defense. Was she a victim - or a devious femme fatale?

©2013 Shanna Hogan (P)2013 Tantor

What listeners say about Picture Perfect

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Didn't know Siri now read books.

What made the experience of listening to Picture Perfect the most enjoyable?

The story was great. Well written and fast paced.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Picture Perfect?

The trial was fascinating, as was the defendants gradual change of story when she realized nobody believed her original story.

What aspect of Emily Durante’s performance would you have changed?

I prefer more theatrics when listening to this kind of story. Emily sounded pretty robotic and it took me some time to get over the fact this was going to be a rigid reading with little emotion in the reader's voice.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Better than HLN's book

If you could sum up Picture Perfect in three words, what would they be?

Don't tease crazies

What did you like best about this story?

Well as this is true crime I can't say I liked anything best, however I did like this account better than HLN's Author Jane Mitchell.

What three words best describe Emily Durante’s voice?

Fifteen girlish okay

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Nope, just think if Travis would have followed his own lead being as though he was a " mormon elder" and sex before marriage is a no go he would be alive today. Jody Arias was treated like trash and thrown away and being as though she was crazy this was the outcome.

Any additional comments?

I wish there was a detailed account of Arias's life for a better understanding of why she was so insane and more information on this case is general. This book is not nearly as bad as 50% of the reviews led me to believe, I followed the case and I think this book was pretty spot on, its the best book on this case out for now.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

How hard is it to pronounce 'one hundred'?!?!?!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The person reading this is so bad it ruined the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

n/a

Would you be willing to try another one of Emily Durante’s performances?

HELL NO.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The story was well written but the woman reading it was so bad that if it were narrated by Siri, it would have sounded better

Any additional comments?

Emily, find a new career or learn how to read.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Verdict Watch

A short TV news update on the status of the punishment phase in the Jodi Arias trial, as well as a few extra audiobook credits, led me to Picture Perfect. Having followed the trial and all its sex, lies, and audiotapes, and knowing the ending to this sad story has yet to be written, I was interested in seeing Shanna Hogan's take on it all. Ms. Hogan appeared often as a guest commentator on Jane Velez-Mitchell's show during HLNs wall to wall coverage of the trial.

(JVM also published a book on the trial. Exposed: The Secret Life of Jodi Arias is a not-quite objective detailing of the life of the young murderess. I say that because the book reads like the unabridged version of JVMs on-air rants about Arias. Having said that, I am quick to add that I agree with most of what she wrote about Arias and I enjoyed the book.)

Picture Perfect is well written. The mood of the book is not as dark and heavy as the terrible crime it tells of. I found that to be a good balance for me, as the reader/listener; it kept the story from becoming too horribly oppressive.

The facts are in keeping with those brought out in the trial. I especially appreciated when the author put "meat to the bones," so to speak. This book obviously is more than a trial transcript. Not only does the author give us details about the two major players in the story, she also brings life to the secondary characters, the friends, co-workers, and family of Travis Alexander.

The author elegantly side-stepped the all-too-obvious temptation to include details of the many, varied, and sometimes unusual sexual activities engaged in by Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander. Thank you, Shanna Hogan, for sparing us, your readers, from the explicit text messages and, particularly, the phone-sex tape.

I found just one problem with Picture Perfect -- the non-ending. Yes, the jury found Jodi Arias guilty of first degree murder. Yes, the death penalty is on the table. And Arias has been sentenced to...? Nothing...yet. Court is scheduled for sometime in September, unless that changes, again!

I can, on one hand understand why Ms. Hogan rushed to publish. I'm sure she wanted to avoid becoming just one more book about a love affair gone so wrong. On the other hand, had she waited for the last bang of the gavel and given us the rest of the story, her obvious talent would have elevated Picture Perfect above the rest that is sure to come.

All in all, a good and easy listen. Well done.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Picture imperfect.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The story is written as it played out in the media. Nothing was "news" for me however I noticed the book reports that Jodi attended Travis' funeral; when in fact she did not. She had only attended his memorial service. Second, I noticed Shannon Hogan referencing "the shower floor" when relating details of Travis' murder when in fact, "the bathroom floor" was accurate.

Was Picture Perfect worth the listening time?

No

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Unrequited Love Gone Really Wrong

Like many people I was very interested in this case. More so after the verdict. Subsequently I read everything out there just trying to figure out what went wrong. It was more than obvious that 'mind games' were involved. Of course many folk had to attribute this type of of behavior and eventual outcome to upbringing, abuse, control issues, mental illness etc. but to be sure I really do not think that anyone will ever really know.

This is an interesting read, Shanna Hogan is a very accomplished journalist and although she has not, to date written many books, all of them have won praise and several major awards. Personally I found 'Picture Perfect' a little lacking. Perhaps laden with a little too much supposition. I am wondering who was interviewed and whether most of this was compiled from statements already in the press.

In fairness to Ms. Hogan, Emily Durante's performance does not do this book justice. Regrettably her voice sounds very robotic. In fact I thought that it was my iPhone Siri who had taken a second job!

Glad that I read it though as it was still quite entertaining.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good story, worth the time and money

I enjoyed this book a lot. There was an enormous amount of time spent "setting the stage" that tended to feel repetitive but I still think it was a good purchase. The narrator had a great voice. Because the book was so long, her pronunciation of the word 'Jodi" started to wear on me. Can't say that it was a flaw, it may have just been my perception. I searched a lot about the story on google and the pictures online added to my interest.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

takes "don't speak ill of the dead" to an extreme

Jodi Arias is a sociopathic monster who absolutely deserves to be locked up forever. She in no way was justified in killing Travis Alexander. Murdering people is never okay, and nothing Travis did to her even comes close to beginning to justify her killing him. She's a monster.

That being said, Travis wasn't the perfect sweet baby angel the author paints him to be. He absolutely was somewhat emotionally abusive and manipulative toward Jodi and other women in his life. He didn't deserve to be murdered, but he also wasn't a perfect guiltless person.

The author describes him as this lovely cheerful ball of sunshine who was a gift to all those who met him. For example, if he came to a restaurant where I worked and asked if flexing his bicep would reduce the wait time for a table, and tried to get me to touch his ass (as one anecdote about how funny and wonderful and hilarious and perfect he is describes him as doing) I'd on a good day ask him to leave because that's sexual harassment and on a bad day, slap him and kick him out for sexual harassment.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Oh Jodi!

What did you like best about Picture Perfect? What did you like least?

The book included much information not heard on HLN, a little more info on the neurosis of Travis and Jodi's craziness.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Picture Perfect?

Most memorable was the beginning. explanations of how this craziness began.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yep

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Meh

Travis was a lying player. Didnt deserve to die of course, but he was a “mormon” lol, yet played many woman….

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1 person found this helpful