What do you think?
Rate this book
Perfect Couple
Sandra and Rowan are the perfect couple – or so it seems. Rowan's advertising agency is poised on the brink of success, while Sandy pursues her own busy career from home. They have two gorgeous daughters and a nice house. What more could they desire?
A hell of a lot, and it's ripping their relationship apart. A tropical holiday seems like the perfect opportunity to get things back on track. Instead, that's where the real dramas begin…
A hell of a lot, and it's ripping their relationship apart. A tropical holiday seems like the perfect opportunity to get things back on track. Instead, that's where the real dramas begin…
- GenresFiction
435 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2001
About the author
Derek Hansen
19 books46 followersDerek was born in London in June 1944 about the same time Hitler thought London was a great place to send his V1 flying bombs.
At the age of four he convinced his parents to emigrate and spent the next sixteen years in Auckland being called a Pommy and a wimp for playing soccer and not rugby.
His first published short story appeared in his grammar school yearbook.
Equipped with a million ideas for novels he approached the leading national newspaper for a traineeship and was told he was too undisciplined; approached publishers and was told he was too young; approached an advertising agency and was welcomed into their embrace – they knew a fast, facile, fashionably glib mind when they saw one.
His talent took him London in the sixties where his quirky style and commercial instincts brought a rapid rise through the ranks to the country’s top advertising agency, accumulating many international awards along the way.
Derek was lured to Australia by the usual inducements – money, sunshine, money, lifestyle, money, etc – and spent the next twenty-five years doing ads and wishing he was writing novels instead.
About the time Bryce Courtenay wrote The Power of One and Peter Carey wrote Bliss, Derek and his partners sold their advertising agency and three years later he was free to pursue his true writing ambitions.
Having spent a lifetime reducing masses of information to less than 100 words or thirty seconds of TV time, working in exactly the opposite direction did not come easy.
An idea for a novel can be written on a folded napkin. What follows takes thousands of tablecloths.
One day over lunch Derek had the bright idea of breaking his novel down into more easily managed bite-sized pieces and so the idea for the Lunch series was born.
Lunch with the Generals became an instant bestseller in Australasia and was sold into Britain, Scandinavia, France and Germany. Lunch with Mussolini followed but it was Sole Survivor that piqued American interest.
Simon and Schuster decided to publish an American edition and Kennedy-Marshall (Sixth Sense, Snow Falling on Cedars) bought the rights to the movie on behalf of Disney in a $US750,000 deal.
Three weeks before the movie was due to go into production, shooting began on Castaway with Tom Hanks. Two movies about a man on an island surrounded by salt water was deemed one too many, and Sole Survivor the movie bit the dust. How typical of Hollywood to choose to make the wrong movie.
Derek has subsequently published a further five novels and three collections of short stories, but nothing quite as quirky or funny as his latest novel, A Man You Can Bank On.
Derek is married, has two grown-up children and lives most of the time in Avalon on Pittwater, and some of the time in Doonan on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Kingfish, salmon, bonito, bream and flathead live just outside his back door and the surf rises a short walk from the front door.
Someone had to have this life and Derek is just so glad that someone is him.
At the age of four he convinced his parents to emigrate and spent the next sixteen years in Auckland being called a Pommy and a wimp for playing soccer and not rugby.
His first published short story appeared in his grammar school yearbook.
Equipped with a million ideas for novels he approached the leading national newspaper for a traineeship and was told he was too undisciplined; approached publishers and was told he was too young; approached an advertising agency and was welcomed into their embrace – they knew a fast, facile, fashionably glib mind when they saw one.
His talent took him London in the sixties where his quirky style and commercial instincts brought a rapid rise through the ranks to the country’s top advertising agency, accumulating many international awards along the way.
Derek was lured to Australia by the usual inducements – money, sunshine, money, lifestyle, money, etc – and spent the next twenty-five years doing ads and wishing he was writing novels instead.
About the time Bryce Courtenay wrote The Power of One and Peter Carey wrote Bliss, Derek and his partners sold their advertising agency and three years later he was free to pursue his true writing ambitions.
Having spent a lifetime reducing masses of information to less than 100 words or thirty seconds of TV time, working in exactly the opposite direction did not come easy.
An idea for a novel can be written on a folded napkin. What follows takes thousands of tablecloths.
One day over lunch Derek had the bright idea of breaking his novel down into more easily managed bite-sized pieces and so the idea for the Lunch series was born.
Lunch with the Generals became an instant bestseller in Australasia and was sold into Britain, Scandinavia, France and Germany. Lunch with Mussolini followed but it was Sole Survivor that piqued American interest.
Simon and Schuster decided to publish an American edition and Kennedy-Marshall (Sixth Sense, Snow Falling on Cedars) bought the rights to the movie on behalf of Disney in a $US750,000 deal.
Three weeks before the movie was due to go into production, shooting began on Castaway with Tom Hanks. Two movies about a man on an island surrounded by salt water was deemed one too many, and Sole Survivor the movie bit the dust. How typical of Hollywood to choose to make the wrong movie.
Derek has subsequently published a further five novels and three collections of short stories, but nothing quite as quirky or funny as his latest novel, A Man You Can Bank On.
Derek is married, has two grown-up children and lives most of the time in Avalon on Pittwater, and some of the time in Doonan on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Kingfish, salmon, bonito, bream and flathead live just outside his back door and the surf rises a short walk from the front door.
Someone had to have this life and Derek is just so glad that someone is him.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 24, 2013
Perfect Couple is the third stand-alone novel by Sydney author, Derek Hansen. Sandra and Rowan Madison seem like the perfect couple: Rowan has a promising advertising agency; Sandra a fulfilling physiotherapy career; they have a wonderful home in Mosman and two beautiful daughters; their friends all envy them. There’s trouble in paradise, however. Rowan’s under pressure to expand his business and Sandra is sick of his philandering ways. Hoping to inject back some of the magic into their marriage, Rowan takes Sandra to one of his Fiji resort accounts, combining business with pleasure. Sandra never dreams that an impulsive decision to succumb to her best friend’s sexual fantasy will spark an international incident. Hansen’s characters are realistic and have depth; his dialogue is clever and snappy; there is plenty of humour, and the plot has a few twists to keep it interesting and when the direction is obvious, the anticipation is delicious. Hansen’s expertise in the advertising industry is apparent. He touches on a wide range of subjects: advertising, physiotherapy, infertility, holiday sex, true friendship, pride, the rights of parents and children, custody, international adoptions, racism and politics. Hansen always spins a brilliant yarn.
January 22, 2023
After reading lots of quite bad reviews I thought I would give this a go.
I actually enjoyed it. One review said it was like an episode of days of lives, which it kind of is, but who doesn’t occasionally like a cheesy, slightly predictable easy read!
I actually enjoyed it. One review said it was like an episode of days of lives, which it kind of is, but who doesn’t occasionally like a cheesy, slightly predictable easy read!
June 12, 2018
Good story but not his best
November 16, 2024
I nearly gave this 2 stars but it had me interested enough to read it but ultimately it was disappointing.
October 2, 2016
Really 2.5 stars. Ended up being disappointing
June 5, 2014
Oh dear. What happened? Derek Hansen was quite possibly my all time favourite author. Note the was. I'd read the first two of his Lunch with... books and A Man you can bank on and absolutely loved them. Hansen was such a fantastic writer and I couldn't wait to read more of his work. Then I read this book. It was fine, good even, but I didn't feel that it was up to the standard of his other books.
My main problem to start with was that an author needs to have likeable characters; they can be bad guys but you still have to be able to like them. In this book I disliked both Sandra and Rowan so found I couldn't respect either of their decisions. It made me not particularly care what happened to them in the end. One particularly annoying feature about the edition itself was the a star wasn't used to show that we were on a new section, so I would continue reading thinking I was just moving onto the next page, when it was actually an entire new section.
Having said that his pacing was very good and it was easy to read so I finished it within a few days. I can't imagine wanting to read it again though.
My main problem to start with was that an author needs to have likeable characters; they can be bad guys but you still have to be able to like them. In this book I disliked both Sandra and Rowan so found I couldn't respect either of their decisions. It made me not particularly care what happened to them in the end. One particularly annoying feature about the edition itself was the a star wasn't used to show that we were on a new section, so I would continue reading thinking I was just moving onto the next page, when it was actually an entire new section.
Having said that his pacing was very good and it was easy to read so I finished it within a few days. I can't imagine wanting to read it again though.
May 25, 2013
OK I read another one of his books a few yrs ago which I really enjoyed but this book was not the same style at all the characters weren't very believable but I had to finish it to see what happened a bit sicky sweet at the end.
November 28, 2009
I nearly gave this 2 stars but it had me interested enough to read it but ultimately it was disappointing.
October 7, 2013
I usually rave about Hansen's writing, but this is his only novel that I haven't enjoyed.
October 25, 2012
I would give this book 2.5 really. It was ok, bit if a twist from the conventional but also predictable and boring.
December 26, 2012
Not the best Derek Hansen book I have read but reasonably entertaining and a nice holiday read.
December 31, 2013
Overall a good and enjoyable read. A bit "Days of our Lives" at times, with the plot twists that occurred. It did keep me guessing though, and I even found it to be un-put down able at times.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews