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A Perfect Victim
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Claire’s world crumbled when her husband died in a fire. She’s trying to build a new life - and a business restoring historic houses. Then one of her clients is found dead in a burned building. The police suspect her of arson or murder, maybe both.
It’s her own fault. Finding the charred cabin in a remote corner of Louisiana’s bayou country revived horrible memories of her husband's death. She suffered a panic attack. Calling the sheriff hours later wasn't good enough.Worse, no one believes Claire's relationship with the late Frank Palmer was strictly business. After all, he spent his final days telling the world they were in love and planning to marry.
How do you win an argument with a dead man?
Claire's quest to prove her innocence before the police “prove” her guilt becomes an investigation into the victim's life. It takes her back in time, from New Orleans to rural Alabama, to the high country of New Mexico, where she comes face to face with the real killer. Forced to fight for her life, she realizes how much she wants to live.
Claire’s world crumbled when her husband died in a fire. She’s trying to build a new life - and a business restoring historic houses. Then one of her clients is found dead in a burned building. The police suspect her of arson or murder, maybe both.
It’s her own fault. Finding the charred cabin in a remote corner of Louisiana’s bayou country revived horrible memories of her husband's death. She suffered a panic attack. Calling the sheriff hours later wasn't good enough.Worse, no one believes Claire's relationship with the late Frank Palmer was strictly business. After all, he spent his final days telling the world they were in love and planning to marry.
How do you win an argument with a dead man?
Claire's quest to prove her innocence before the police “prove” her guilt becomes an investigation into the victim's life. It takes her back in time, from New Orleans to rural Alabama, to the high country of New Mexico, where she comes face to face with the real killer. Forced to fight for her life, she realizes how much she wants to live.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2013
About the author
Patricia Dusenbury
6 books8 followersWriting is my second career. I retired after working for decades as an economist/strategic planner and hope to atone for all those dry reports by writing mysteries that people read for pleasure.
Born and raised in the northeast, I was educated in the southeast, and lived in the east - New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia - until this summer when my husband and I picked up and moved to San Francisco.
Before I was a writer, I was a reader. I will always be a reader, and there are some books that I never want to be without. Those are in what I jokingly call my permanent collection, and I've added a shelf with that name here on goodreads. Those books are probably the best description of who I really am.
Born and raised in the northeast, I was educated in the southeast, and lived in the east - New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia - until this summer when my husband and I picked up and moved to San Francisco.
Before I was a writer, I was a reader. I will always be a reader, and there are some books that I never want to be without. Those are in what I jokingly call my permanent collection, and I've added a shelf with that name here on goodreads. Those books are probably the best description of who I really am.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 3, 2015
Claire is a widow who suffers from panic attacks since the death of her husband a year earlier. When one of her wealthy clients shows up dead in suspicious circumstances - and the bodies start piling up - Claire becomes a suspect and sets out to clear her name.
Claire is not a very likable character and seems to bring on a lot of her difficulties herself. However, she does grow on you as the story progresses. There are so many other characters to keep track of, but they all add interest - and I guess you have to have a large pool of suspects in a mystery. The plot is action-packed, especially toward the end, and the identity of the victim referred to in the book title comes as a surprise, as does the identity of the killer.
This one will keep you guessing.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
Claire is not a very likable character and seems to bring on a lot of her difficulties herself. However, she does grow on you as the story progresses. There are so many other characters to keep track of, but they all add interest - and I guess you have to have a large pool of suspects in a mystery. The plot is action-packed, especially toward the end, and the identity of the victim referred to in the book title comes as a surprise, as does the identity of the killer.
This one will keep you guessing.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
June 29, 2017
I was sent this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I quite enjoyed the book. The plot was well written, although I'm of too minds of the ending.
Claire Marshall is a renovator hired by Frank Palmer to work on his cabin. She's visiting her mother when her partner calls concerned about a cheque from Palmer. After sorting things out she flies back to New Orleans right into the middle of a murder investigation. Claire, is a well developed character who I'd like to have been able to slap or shake. Hard. Despite being told to stop trying to find the answers to the puzzle of the murder, she keeps sticking her nose in. Is it any wonder things go from bad to worse? The police suspect she has something to do with the murder, while other people also end up dead. Just when you think it's all over and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and just wrap things up, the author adds a bit more suspense to the mix. This is what I am of two minds about. This last bit of suspense really wasn't needed, and really didn't add anything to the story.
I enjoyed listening the the narrator; liked her voice, thought she did an excellent job. I'd be interested in more books by the author, and listening to more by the narrator.
Claire Marshall is a renovator hired by Frank Palmer to work on his cabin. She's visiting her mother when her partner calls concerned about a cheque from Palmer. After sorting things out she flies back to New Orleans right into the middle of a murder investigation. Claire, is a well developed character who I'd like to have been able to slap or shake. Hard. Despite being told to stop trying to find the answers to the puzzle of the murder, she keeps sticking her nose in. Is it any wonder things go from bad to worse? The police suspect she has something to do with the murder, while other people also end up dead. Just when you think it's all over and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and just wrap things up, the author adds a bit more suspense to the mix. This is what I am of two minds about. This last bit of suspense really wasn't needed, and really didn't add anything to the story.
I enjoyed listening the the narrator; liked her voice, thought she did an excellent job. I'd be interested in more books by the author, and listening to more by the narrator.
June 30, 2017
This was a really thought-out mystery, which I really enjoyed. There were a lot of twists and turns that really keep the reader engaged. I really liked the setting of the Louisiana Bayou, as that area fascinates me and always seems so mysterious. I also really loved the main character (Claire). I love that even though she is suffering from the loss of her husband and having panic attacks, she overcomes and is strong. I also love that she is a redhead working in construction (I'm also a redhead who worked in construction). Overall, a great mystery with lots of plot twists. I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to the next in the series.
September 29, 2017
I liked this book.Clair lost her husband to a fire.A few months later she is working with a partner fixing up houses.One of her clients is found dead and ,of course,Clair is blamed.As usual she takes on finding out what she can since the police force just seem interested in her.Schatzie Schaefers was a fine narrator.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”
July 9, 2017
Great Tale
The characters are very well developed and I would like to know what is going to happen next in their lives!
The characters are very well developed and I would like to know what is going to happen next in their lives!
December 18, 2019
A great book to read with suspense and intrigue!
March 10, 2015
I'm so glad I agreed to review this book. It was well worth the time. It was so good, I feel guilty having received a free copy.
I give A Perfect Victim 5 out of 5 stars, and I'm normally very stingy with stars.
I haven't read a lot of mysteries lately, I got bored with them years ago because so many of them seemed to follow a formula and were too predictable to be fun. This book however, kept me glued to my seat from cover to cover.
I won't recap the book, because it's a mystery and nobody wants spoilers with those. I will however say that the characters seemed very real and the situations they were in were very believable. The main character is a widow woman who suffers panic attacks. An underlying theme of the book is how she works her way out of being the helpless emotional cripple and becomes the strong woman she really is. She becomes one of the main suspects in a murder, and when she tries to find the culprit herself she gets herself in even deeper. Through her trials, she comes to grips with her personal demons.
I would recommend this book to readers from young adult up. It does elude to some bad life situations but there is nothing graphic. It does have a couple of foul words coming out of the mouth of one character, but I'm sure kids hear worse in school.
It looks like this book is the first of a series. I'm going to have to make time to read the next one and will be waiting to see the third come out.
I give A Perfect Victim 5 out of 5 stars, and I'm normally very stingy with stars.
I haven't read a lot of mysteries lately, I got bored with them years ago because so many of them seemed to follow a formula and were too predictable to be fun. This book however, kept me glued to my seat from cover to cover.
I won't recap the book, because it's a mystery and nobody wants spoilers with those. I will however say that the characters seemed very real and the situations they were in were very believable. The main character is a widow woman who suffers panic attacks. An underlying theme of the book is how she works her way out of being the helpless emotional cripple and becomes the strong woman she really is. She becomes one of the main suspects in a murder, and when she tries to find the culprit herself she gets herself in even deeper. Through her trials, she comes to grips with her personal demons.
I would recommend this book to readers from young adult up. It does elude to some bad life situations but there is nothing graphic. It does have a couple of foul words coming out of the mouth of one character, but I'm sure kids hear worse in school.
It looks like this book is the first of a series. I'm going to have to make time to read the next one and will be waiting to see the third come out.
October 19, 2014
Claire Marshall is scarred, but not on the outside. The world sees her as a composed, talented businesswoman with a knack for restorations. Inside, she’s a train wreck. Her panic attacks keep her a little off balance, and her meds only make things worse. Mike Robinson is an ex-MP now heading up the Homicide division of the New Orleans Police Department. He and Clair are on different sides—she has reported a cabin fire; he thinks she started it. The body found inside the structure just complicates the situation. Although the two of them take separate roads to solve the mystery of who did what to Frank Palmer, the victim, their paths inevitably cross. Is Claire really as fragile as she appears? Mike can’t quite decide. As for Claire, will she ever trust him enough to share her secrets? I loved this book, not only because it was set in the Big Easy (always intriguing), but because the characters had such depth. Claire’s emotional evolution was as fascinating as the plot, which had more twists and turns than a croc’s death roll. And it was a joy to watch as she discovered that while a scar may never disappear, it will fade. Great reading. Can’t wait to move on to the next book in the series.
November 20, 2014
Claire Marshall, traumatised by her husband's recent, terrible death, struggling to maintain a semblance of normality while establishing a successful renovation business, is thrown into the middle of what turns into a tangle of lies, deceit, fraud and murder. And she is in the frame. Seeking to prove her innocence while confronting personal demons, she comes close to losing it all.
This was a marvellously compelling read. Claire's personal struggles are so sympathetically and realistically handled and are woven into the story seamlessly as her trauma causes her to react in ways that make her look more and more like the chief suspect. Exposition is really well paced, and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat until the breathtaking conclusion. The author handles a cast of several characters integral to the story very well. The plotting and pacing are really tight and well done and there are some great twists.
I would recommend reading this book before reading the second instalment (Secrets Lies and Homicide). Though both stand alone, this first book gives extra background and depth to the characters that make reading the second one even more enjoyable. I will guarantee you will want to.get the second after reading this one. I can't wait for the third.
This was a marvellously compelling read. Claire's personal struggles are so sympathetically and realistically handled and are woven into the story seamlessly as her trauma causes her to react in ways that make her look more and more like the chief suspect. Exposition is really well paced, and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat until the breathtaking conclusion. The author handles a cast of several characters integral to the story very well. The plotting and pacing are really tight and well done and there are some great twists.
I would recommend reading this book before reading the second instalment (Secrets Lies and Homicide). Though both stand alone, this first book gives extra background and depth to the characters that make reading the second one even more enjoyable. I will guarantee you will want to.get the second after reading this one. I can't wait for the third.
January 6, 2014
Claire Marshall is working on rebuilding her life after her husband’s death. She owns a company which restores historic or older homes and is a workaholic. Frank Palmer is one of their newer clients and Claire needs to get a hold of him regarding some financial issues. Yet when she calls around, his friends and associates seem to be under the impression they were going to get married. Trying to get to the bottom of this, Claire travels out to his cabin and gets a nasty surprise. Now she’s a murder suspect and it’s up to her to follow the clues to the truth before she’s arrested. What’s worse…in tracking the truth she comes up against the real killer and she may not make it back alive. A PERFECT VICTIM is an engrossing mystery with twists and turns along the route to the truth. I liked Claire and I think her dogged determination is a testament to her character. She’s willing to follow the trail to the bitter and disturbing end, even with the personal risk to herself. Complex characters come to life in this suspenseful mystery and you’ll find yourself rooting out loud for Claire. I enjoyed A PERFECT VICTIM and would highly recommend it!
October 21, 2013
This was an excellent mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. Claire Marshall, whose late husband died in a fire while rescuing two trapped kids, owns a home-renovating company which specializes in older homes in the New Orleans area. She and her partner had contracted to renovate an old cottage owned by Frank Palmer, a local philanthropist who has donated to a local children's home. While Claire is visiting her mother in Michigan, she learns that Frank has told people in New Orleans that she is his fiancée and that they plan to marry soon. She returns home earlier than planned and tries to contact Frank to find out why he has been circulating such lies. When she drives out to his fishing shack on one of the bayous, she discovers that it has been destroyed by fire. The discovery triggers a panic attack which causes her to delay in reporting the fire. From that point onward the book really gets good. A body, assumed to be Frank's, is found in the ruins, and Claire finds herself as a murder suspect.
February 2, 2014
This was a free ebook from the author.
I really enjoyed the writing. I couldn't help pausing at points and admire a turn of phrase.
"Twenty yards off shore, waves rose from the choppy surface, each one crested with a pale line of foam. When a wave reached the shallows, it lifted and curled inward as if it had changed its mind and wanted to return to the depths, but those behind permitted no retreat."
"A peeling sign identified the two-story brick building as the Audubon View Apartments. Dark stains beneath dripping air conditioners said no one cared."
The plot was interesting, and although I suspected the twist because I have read so many mysteries, it was nicely done. It was also very thrilling in parts, especially at the end.
I understand that police are sceptics, but I do get tired of that aspect of the investigation.
I am interested enough in the characters to read more about them, if this is a series.
I really enjoyed the writing. I couldn't help pausing at points and admire a turn of phrase.
"Twenty yards off shore, waves rose from the choppy surface, each one crested with a pale line of foam. When a wave reached the shallows, it lifted and curled inward as if it had changed its mind and wanted to return to the depths, but those behind permitted no retreat."
"A peeling sign identified the two-story brick building as the Audubon View Apartments. Dark stains beneath dripping air conditioners said no one cared."
The plot was interesting, and although I suspected the twist because I have read so many mysteries, it was nicely done. It was also very thrilling in parts, especially at the end.
I understand that police are sceptics, but I do get tired of that aspect of the investigation.
I am interested enough in the characters to read more about them, if this is a series.
December 4, 2016
This suspenseful mystery drops us into the Louisiana Bayou with a local oyster-poacher who's about to blunder into the wrong place at the wrong time. From an explosive start it cuts to a business deal -- at least, restoration expert Claire Marshall hopes it's just a business deal. Her wealthy good-ol'-boy client has been making inappropriate moves. Now he's stopped his check for the work she's just done. When Claire tracks him down to find out what's going on, she discovers he's disappeared, leaving behind the startling news that they're secretly engaged. That inspired variation on romantic cliche is just one of many twists and turns in "The Perfect Victim." With its diverse and interesting characters, its roller-coaster plot, and its vivid depiction of pre-Katrina New Orleans (and beyond), this Epic Book Awards winner is a treat for mystery fans.
August 30, 2013
New Orleans and the Louisiana Bayou is the perfect setting for A Perfect Victim. The mystery here is as deeply layered as the bayou, secrets are hidden, and danger lurks around each bend. The characters are well rounded and the story unfolds at a good pace--enough intrigue to keep pages turning and enough description to satisfy.
I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery.
I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery.
October 15, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. The story was easy to follow and well written. The characters were easy to identify with. This story was quite refreshing as I've never read anything quite like it. This book I would reread again and as well recommend to be read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews