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

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

Human Resources Video Narrator

Yikes did Siri read this thing? I actually looked her up to see is she’s Mormon, due to the very sympathetic reading of such aspects. She’s done over 300 audiobooks so I think she’s just numb to it, all emotion was dredged up long ago on romance novels.

Perceptively and precisely written

this was a book that was wonderfully written. It was unbiased. It was very black-and-white and gave the facts as they were. it’s such a sad and horrible and someone’s life and it’s hard to believe that someone is capable of such monstrosity. 

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.

Love

I really loved this book. However I was really annoyed with the narrator and how she spoke, I feel like she’s trying to replicate the way Siri speaks, why? I have no idea. but this is a good book! I would highly recommend for all my true crime lovers, if you can just get past the horrible Siri like narrator.

Captivating

So we'll read I could not stop listening !
Very informative ! Learned if inside things I never knew ! Highly recommended ✅A++

Interesting read, includes lots of details to the case

Well written, provided luring and interesting details that are very precise to the actual case. I liked how she wrote the life of the main characters before, during and after the death of Travis, giving readers background info of Jodi and Travis and their relationship and details that led to the murdering of T.A. And the trials follows the murder.

Great Read

Very well written. I was not able to follow the trial, so this was very informative and easy to follow.

Excellent Narration

The narration really helped get through some of the more factually heavy areas of this book, which I felt was a well-rounded assessment of the case with a great deal of relevant background information.

Hogan didn't weigh in too heavily throughout, leaving her personal feelings on Arias to the conclusion - this, I feel, was a fantastic touch. She set the scene, presented the evidence and the provided anecdotes where they accompanied the narrative, and wrapped the story up very nearly. A great true crime read (and listen)!

Narrator sounds mechanical at times

The woman reading this story almost sounds robotic at times and not human. Good story and well researched though.

Reminder of the trial

I hesitated purchasing this since the coverage several years ago disturbed me for weeks afterwards. Now I remember why - Jodi Arias is a true sociopath. I am amazed that some actually believe her lies. It is frustrating but at least she was convicted.