The Perfect Father

The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder

By: John Glatt

Narrated by: Shaun Grindell

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

In the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, Shanann Watts was dropped off at her Frederick, Colorado, home by a colleague after returning from a business trip. It was the last time anyone would see her alive. By the next day, Shanann and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, had been reported missing, and her husband, Chris Watts, was appearing on the local news, pleading for his family's safe return.

But Chris Watts already knew that he would never see his family again. Less than 24 hours after his desperate plea, Watts made a shocking confession to police: He had strangled his pregnant wife to death and smothered their daughters, dumping their bodies at a nearby oil site. Heartbroken friends and neighbors watched in shock as the movie-star handsome, devoted family man they knew was arrested and charged with first degree murder.

The perfect mask Chris had presented to the world in his TV interviews and the family's Facebook accounts was slipping - and what lay beneath was a horrifying image of instability, infidelity, sexual ambivalence, and boiling rage.

In this first major account of the case, best-selling author and journalist John Glatt reveals the truth behind the tragedy and constructs a chilling portrait of one of the most shocking family annihilator cases of the 21st century.

©2020 John Glatt (P)2020 Tantor

The Facts

This is an excellent book the reviews saying that it’s biased or the author is victim shaming is utterly ridiculous! It’s an extremely accurate book and tells the facts and yes Shanann was bossy and yes Chris was passive those are the facts it’s not victim shaming if it’s true! It seems to me that authors who gloss over that are doing the victims an injustice if everything we’ve heard from Shananns family is true I’m sure she would like her story told as it was and she wasn’t some mousey little fragile girl no she was a fiery independent life loving mom and depicting her any other way is an injustice to her and her memory why do we insist upon canonizing people after death? It’s ridiculous! You won’t be disappointed at all I’ve read a lot of books on this case and this one is my favorite and the most accurate

Wonderful book

This case has always hurt my heart. I felt I knew them, I felt like they were my family. I feel everyone mourned their deaths. And I imagine what life would be if they were killed. What potential those babies had. Compared to another book I listened to about the case I would prefer this one as it provides a deep background and word by word of things that were said. It had facts I didn’t know, which surprised me as I studied this case deeply. Get this book..YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED!!! Rest In Peace. We love you and we miss you.

sad story

This book kept me up all night. chilling and such a heartbreaking story. May They RIP
This book gives great details about the case .

Very well written

While this is one of the saddest stories to hear, the author did an amazing job of highlighting the victims & utilizing facts to depict what happened. Such a tragic story & senseless acts by the convicted.

A horrible story

True devastating story but so devoid of emotion due to the narrator’s monotone delivery. I knew little about the case before listening to the story, but now I do, Got so tired of all the posts that Shanan had… yeah, I get it, she was a social media addict. The first part of the book could have been condensed into one or two chapters. I was horrified to hear how coldly Chris Watts killed and disposed of his little girls. So sad.

Evil personified

This is one of the most heart wrenching accounts I have heard in a long time. I had some knowledge of this case given the media coverage but found myself praying as narrator read. This man is a vile human being who has a special place in hell for his deeds

Straight forward

Covers the case in a pretty basic manner. I prefer “My Daddy is a Hero,” but they both have strengths and weaknesses. I learn how Chris was more involved with Thrive than I had known

Narrator is just fine. For some reason the British accent trying to be neutral drives me nuts. Every sentence ends on a down tone

May they rest in peace.

Good book, a lot of details never before heard.

This book is a good read. I would recommend it for sure. I heard a lot of things I have never heard before. Good research completed when doing this book.

Clear insight of Chris Watts

For the first time, I have a better comprehensive understanding of the Watts family dynamics.

Wow

We’ll written and accurate research. A really sad story! I would like to see a follow up on this.