The Perfect Wife

By: Blake Pierce

Narrated by: Laura Bannister

Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's Summary

Criminal profiler in training (and newlywed) Jessie Hunt, 29, discovers that dark secrets lurk in her new suburban town; when a body turns up dead, she finds herself caught in the crosshairs of her newfound friends, her husband’s secrets, her serial killer caseload - and the secrets of her own dark past.

In The Perfect Wife, criminal profiler in training Jessie Hunt is sure she's finally put the darkness of her childhood behind her. She and her husband, Kyle, just moved from a cramped downtown Los Angeles apartment into a Westport Beach mansion. Kyle's promotion has them swimming in money. And Jessie is on the verge of getting her master's degree in forensic psychology, the last step in her dream of becoming a criminal profiler. 

But soon after their arrival, Jessie begins to notice a series of strange developments. The neighbors - and their au pairs - all seem to be hiding secrets. The mysterious yacht club Kyle is desperate to join is rife with cheating spouses and with troubling rules of its own. And the notorious serial killer being held at the psychiatric hospital where Jessie is completing her degree seems to know more about her life than is normal - or safe. 

As her world starts to unravel, Jessie begins to question everything around her - including her own sanity. Has she truly uncovered a disturbing conspiracy buried within a sunny, wealthy Southern California beach town? Does the mass murderer she's studying really somehow know the origin of her private nightmares? 

Or has her tortured past finally come back to claim her?

A fast-paced psychological suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding suspense, The Perfect Wife is audiobook one in a riveting new series that will leave you listening late into the night.

©2018 Blake Pierce (P)2018 Blake Pierce

A touch of “Silence of the Lambs” and Stepford Wives/Illuminati

I liked this book, although there was quite a bit going on with the protagonist’s character development — but I assume it’s just to set the stage for series. Jessie is finishing-up her Master’s degree in criminal profiling but is also starting a new life with her husband in the suburbs of L.A. and they join this exclusive country club that seems super sketch — but mostly just for the wives. Throughout the story Jessie makes many visits to see a notorious serial killer in a high security facility as part of her project to get her degree. All this while trying to figure out why the country club they belong to is so strange. But as I said there is a lot going on so all the aspects and details were just dipped into, likely to set the stage for the next books which I will definitely listen to. Entertaining all around, I think subsequent books will flow much better from here.

10 people found this helpful

Another horrible book

It may have sounded plausible with better narration. The narrator was just like a robot. The story was outlandish in its plot. Almost like a news article, no emotion, no character development made throughout the story. I was annoyed at every single character. Never getting any more books from this author or the narrator.

8 people found this helpful

Twisted ...

I recently started listening to Blake Pierce and really enjoy his writing style. This is the first book in the Jessie Hunt series. Jessie is 28, married and working on her Masters Degree on forensic psychology. This is a subject she is well acquainted with but you won't find out exactly how until almost the end of the book. Unfortunately for her, she didn't leave all the evil in her past.
Another reviewer said this is like Silence of the Lambs with a little Stepford Wives and I couldn't agree more. Ok, the women aren't replaced but many allow themselves to be manipulated for the sake of lifestyle.
This book is a fast, fun twisted story. Not completely plausible but thoroughly entertaining. I have already purchased The Perfect Block, the second book in this series, .
Laura Bannister does a very good job narrating. When the book first began I didn't think I was going to like her narration but as I listened I decided that she was actually a good choice.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book ( and Pierce's Kate Wise series).
If you found this review helpful please indicate so.
Thank You.

17 people found this helpful

Decent story line, narration was rough!

The overall story line was decent although somewhat predictable. The narrator made the story very difficult to get through. She was very monotone with little inflection. When she did use inflection, it was usually in the wrong spot.

8 people found this helpful

Reader

I like Blake Pierce and how he writes but I do not like how Laura Bannister reads. Listening to her there never is a period. She doesn’t seem to be the ending.

6 people found this helpful

Narrator got on my nerves

I honestly cannot say whether or not this is a good book. What little I heard did not grab my attention.I don’t enjoy singling out an individual, but this narrator just doesn’t cut it. She’s so boring I couldn’t even get to the end of the first chapter.

6 people found this helpful

The narration was painful

I’ve never left a review on a book before and I really felt compelled to share my painful experience.
It was as if the narrator didn’t use punctuation.
It was almost as if she read the book as bullet points with such a monotone voice I really felt I missed things that were going on. I can’t even tell you if the storyline was good or not.
I had to exchange it so I have no idea how it ends. I couldn’t take another minute of that voice. I think I would rather listen to Fran Drescher narrative it.
I may download the book to read it, but I won’t download another book narrated by Laura Bannister again. I already looked and most of what I saw that he wrote she narrates.

1 person found this helpful

Loved it!

The end was a real shocker. Narrator was good - modulating her voice just enough for each character to distinguish but not so much that it drew your attention away from the story. Will definitely look forward to book 2.

1 person found this helpful

great!

This was a really different take on a genre that seems to have been done a thousand times. It has lots of different twists and "the husband " part is not actually the most interesting part of the story. Cant wait for the next one!

1 person found this helpful

great story

the story is great but the narrator is horrible. I enjoyed the story though. :)

Hard going

It was very slow going to get into, nothing really grips you until well over half way through, and I guessed the ending. The narrator wasn't great, too slow and not very animated. But overall fairly good, would probably listen to the next one.

1 person found this helpful

really good.

great twist and turns. ending was good but think saw it coming or is there a follow up???

Great story difficult narration

I thought this was an interesting story and good cliff hangar for the next book, but sadly I won’t be buying it because the narrators voice is difficult to listen to-a but annoying really

Narrator was AWFUL!

Absolutely diabolical! I got this for free on the kindle so I added narration so I could listen at bedtime.
I ended up reading more than listening because the narrator was AWFUL!! Soooooo bad! I can’t believe she’s narrated several books! She’s got an “ERMEGERD!” accent. Half the words I couldn’t understand, she sounded a LOT like the comic book guy from The Simpson’s.
I’m going to have to return the audio for a refund, I can’t justify parting money for this trash.

1 person found this helpful

Brill book

Such a good story, the second one is brill too!
it's all just so catchy and real, i feel like I'm there!