The Perfect Disguise

Jessie Hunt #10

by Blake Pierce

THE PERFECT DISGUISE is book #10 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, which begins with The Perfect Wife, a #1 bestseller (and free download) with over 500 five-star reviews.

When a demanding Hollywood starlet is murdered, Jessie must navigate her way through the murky world of film studios, casting directors, producers, agents, rival actors and an ecosystem of people who may have wanted her murdered.

After one shocking twist after another, the truth, Jessie finds, may be much more unexpected than anyone thinks.

Can Jessie, still wrestling with her own demons, enter the killer’s mind and stop him before he strikes again?

A fast-paced psychological suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding suspense, THE PERFECT DISGUISE is book #10 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 29, 2020

About the author

Blake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seven books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); and of the new KERI LOCKE mystery series.

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

Reviews

[Kat (Books are Comfort Food) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Great Jessie hunt novel taking place on sets in a Hollywood studio.

Jessie has resigned from the LAPD as a profiler contractor. The months preceding this decision have been hard physically and emotionally. Her boyfriend in the hospital and the dear loss of a true, genuine friend for which she holds herself responsible. Plus, trying (struggling) to be a steady role model for her half sister, Hannah, for which she is her legal guardian.

But ..... a call comes in from the police chief that they are in a bind and can she contract her services as a profiler on this one. Jessie doesn’t know how to do halfway so she dives in.

A once famous, now tanking actress, is murdered while trying to make a comeback. The actress is unlikeable and rather inhumane, leaving many cast mates in her wake, in therapy. The problem is in Hollywood, she has a line outside her door of people who’d like to whack her. This my friends, is the problem.

This book, while very good, felt more like a bridge book to reconnect book 9 with book 11. In fact, I read book 11 before I noticed I accidentally missed book 10.

I loved the letter from Garland Moses to Jessie and I definitely needed a Kleenex.

Overall, I loved the book, as I have the others in the series. The punch in this book wasn’t as hard, but if you are coming from book 9, you may well appreciate getting your blood pressure back down to a normal level.

If you haven’t read this series, I highly recommend it. It’s great, binge worthy and the lead character is another smart, intelligent woman not to be messed with!

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DON'T know why I keep reading this series. Clearly, I just like to punish myself. When I originally started this series (first book was free... for good reason... the entire series should be), I was all for the strong and compelling female lead. I loved how kick-ass she was and rooted for her. HOWEVER, as the series went on, I don't understand how an entire police department (LAPD) PLUS all of their division can be so incompetent that this relatively new profiler solves EVERY CRIME, finds EVERY LOOPHOLE, is the number one consultant on EVERY SINGLE CASE. Additionally, it makes no sense that as a 'criminal profiler' she would be so intricately involved in every single case. That's not how profilers work, even in LA. Anyway, all this to say, this series needs to end - she can't possibly survive everything - how her internal organs have not shut down / completely given up after everything she has been through, is ridiculous. Actually, as another point of contention, HOW is she hailed as the best profiler, how does everyone know her, what are the profilers in all the other LA-divisions doing, how does she manage to escape some of the 'most dangerous serial killers' - I know, she puts up a bit of a fight but STILL.... ?????? Whatever, I'm sure I'm going to keep reading this series, because I just need to see how it ends, though I imagine, by then, everyone in her life will be dead and she will either 'resign' as she keeps claiming or the Jessie Hunt-universe will just end by fluke earthquake or something - who even cares at this point?... I actually realized I posted this for the BP-JH series book #10 when it should have been for #9, but it doesn't even matter - this review would work for every single book from 2-10.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a decent addition to the series - another quick read. This book was not as good as some in the series, but not bad. A nice filler book for in-betweens read for me. This case started off well but did drag after a bit. The cliffhanger will keep me reading this series, but otherwise, I might have stopped after this book.

[Niki Shams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Om snabbmat var en bokserie, skulle det vara denna. Snabb, till poängen, inte mycket elegans eller målande språk. Men likförbannat lika beroendeframkallande som donkenpommes klockan 4 på lördagsmorgonen.

Gillar den egentligen inte. Men kan inte sluta läsa. Gör vad du vill med den informationen.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another quick and easy read! On to the next!

[ElaineY · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as some of the earlier books and I lasted until about 70% and couldn't be bothered to finish.

[Cathy Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another heart stopping Jessie Hunt Series. When this story opens up Jessie and her sister Hannah are living with Kat her friend and Navy Trooper and use to be over a special unit in a criminal hospital for dangerous criminals who she met when she was married to her husband Kyle who tried to kill her in the last Jessie Hunt Series #9 the Perfect Neighbor. She had been surprised by her husband in her own apartment and he had is sister who he threatened to kill and also kill her boyfriend and detective Ryan Hernandez. She ended up dislocating her shoulder trying to fight her ex, Kyle, who had stabbed Ryan and had shot him. She and her sister Hannah worked together to bring Kyle down and she ended up squeezing the life out of Kyle at least she tried so much so that they were not able to revive Kyle and he is now dead. We find out in Perfect Neighbor that as Garland Moses was doing a favor for Captain Decker because Jessie was still on the mend from pulling a lady from a burning house on her assignment from the Perfect Alibi. So Garland Moses is dead and Ryan are in a hospital in a coma so that he can heal so he has not spoken since he had been in the hospital. This Jessie Hunt episode was about the murder of a Hollywood starlet named Corrine who had so many enemies because she did not know how to treat people so they had a list of suspects and had to narrow it down. Decker asks Jessie to consult on the murder because the HHS was requested by the brash to help investigate this murder and since Decker was short staffed with Ryan in the hospital and Garland dead and she had resigned a week before he needed her help. So after going to Garland Moses house and reading what was on the under side of a paper weight in the form of a mug on his desk. with a tiny inscription which said, "Whoever kills one life kills the world entire and whoever saves one life saves the world entire." This inscription made her think what would Garland do and of course she knew what she had to do. She had to call Decker and let him know that she would help him and Detective Alan Trembley on the investigation. This how she is part of the investigation as profiler for the case of the Perfect Disguise. Loved this book but the thing is when I finish one book in her series I am ready for the next but since I have read all of the Jessie Hunt Books so far I am left to wait until next year to find out if and how she gets back on the force and definitely want to find out the progress of Ryan Hernandez and then there is what is happening with Hannah and her experiments in trying to see if she does have feeling or if something is wrong with her. I think you should read this book but if you have not read any of the Jessie Hunt books I would suggest you start with Book one in the series and you will understand why I am hooked on this Mystery Series by Blake Pierce. Good Reading.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all nine of the prior installments in the Jessie Hunt series, and this installment number 10 was the first time I was not totally thrilled. I get that Jessie Hunt has had many traumatizing and near death experiences in her life and that she is not just dealing with her own nightmares, but she has also taken in her half-sister, Hannah, who has lived through way too much trauma than a teenager should ever have. With that written, in the prior nine installments, Jessie Hunt has kept her strength and her expert profiler skills in the forefront and done some pretty superior work. In The Perfect Disguise, Jessie Hunt is pretty milquetoast. Her partner on this special assignment is Detective Alan Trembley, who prior to this was pretty inept. Perhaps he just needed a chance to shine, and The Perfect Disguise was that chance. Jessie's lack of patience is frustrating and there was no grand intuitiveness. I will read installment no. 11, but if Jessie Hunt does not perk up a bit here, I'll just move onto a new series.

[Chris Schneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read in this series. While is it chock full of references to previous stories, I could still follow it without background knowledge.

That said, it was okay. Certain writers I get a sense are hoping for movie deals in the way they write, and Pierce is one. Set in Hollywood with sexy women and dopey, nerdy, or corrupt men, most characters feel like a cardboard cut out stereotype. The storyline flows along well, although there is a sideline story about the main character's sister that goes nowhere-- probably a set up for the next book.

In the end, it is just another cop-centric story, where everyone else's life seems frivolous compared to the hard-boiled realities the noble detective has to face. A pragmatist's fantasy.

[alana · Rating 2 out of 5]

We've gotten used to a high-paced story in this series. This book disappoints in that way. Since Ryan is incapacitated, Jessie is paired with another detective and has to solve the murder of a famous actress.

I felt like lots of things were missing in this book and hoped for something more even without Ryan. So far this was probably the slowest book of the series. The next one sounds promising as the storyline that's been hinted at in the last two books seems to finally pick up.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE PERFECT DISGUISE was a more low-key book than the previous entry, but that felt necessary. Jessie and the supporting cast are transitioning to the next phase of the story. Jessie’s murderous ex-husband is no longer a factor. Ryan is recuperating in the hospital. And Jessie profiles criminals as a consultant rather than a full-time member of the LAPD.

Hannah is also transitioning as a character. Her chapters were my favorite. Since meeting Hannah, Jessie has worried that her half-sister has the potential to become a sociopath like their father. Jessie worries about that for herself, too. In DISGUISE, Hannah confronts her own suspicions about her mind and inhibitions. She puts herself in increasingly risky situations to test what she feels when a scenario’s risk increases. Blake Pierce is doing a great job getting inside her head to help her, and the reader, understand what, why, and how she’s thinking.

Jessie and Hannah have the potential to go in different directions. Jessie fears what she could become, but is fighting to stay on the side of justice and morality. Hannah has the potential to become the flip side of that coin. I’ve been wondering if she could become Jessie’s next major villain, one who antagonizes her over several books the way their father and his apprentice did. I’m hoping she doesn’t. Hannah, like Jessie, has been put through the wringer; she deserves a chance at a normal life. Jessie is offering one.

Part of me believes Hannah has the wits and cunning to be Jessie’s greatest rival yet. The rest of me wants both sisters to get happy endings. It’s what they deserve, even though both have more wringers in their future. DISGUISE is book 10 of 30-something and counting. I’m ready for another short break from the series—lots of other books to read—but I’m looking forward to returning to Jessie Hunt and her friends (and foes) next year.

[Infosleuth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivid descriptions make you feel as though you are right there with profiler Jessie Hunt and star-stuck Detective Alan Trembley as they investigate the murder of an actress. I felt like I was actually prowling around the studio soundstage and backlot with them. The motive and killer are difficult to figure out as multiple suspects, lies, rivalries, past criminal wrongdoing are woven throughout the novel. It kept me guessing until the end.

This book also continues events from the previous one but it works fine as a standalone. I really felt Jessie’s turmoil as she visits her detective boyfriend in hospital where he is fighting for his life. Her sister is also struggling, fearing that she may have a mental disorder. Her thoughts were rather chilling as she attempts to understand her own mind. Jessie herself is mourning her friend and mentor. This was so well-written I had a hard time putting it down. I’m definitely going to read more books in this series!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although "The Perfect Disguise" is a work of fiction it´s easy to relate to so many facts that happened in the movies industry in the past years, there´s the tycoon, the starlets, the use of sexual favors to get parts in a movie, deceit, lies and the list goes on. Blake Pierce put all of this together in a plot full of intrigue and layers upon layers of deceitful information that lead to more crimes underlying the death of a major star. As always he gave us another fast paced thriller that keeps you hooked from the beginning till the end. Looking forward for the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Josephine · Rating 3 out of 5]

On it's own, great. Relative to the rest of the series... not so much

Sort of feels like the writer is running out of steam. Or maybe, people close to the main protagonist to maim and kill. The case itself is interesting, but there isnt so much happening with character development. While we do get a chance to spend more time with Hannah, she comes off as 2 dimensional in a world full of rich characters. Same thing with Kat. Surely, we've spent enough time with her as readers for her to be more than an accessory for Jess.
Not yet giving up on the series, but it is definitely beginning to go the Stephanie Plum route.

[Anne G. Kasaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great series. Multiple storylines blend together seamlessly into a complex highly readable whole. Each character brings their own individual story to enhance the finished product.

Jessie is struggling with her grief over Garlands death and Ryan's life threatening injuries. Even though she has resigned from the LAPD she agrees to consult on a high profile case. Teamed with Trembly she must help find the killer of a high profile actress before someone else dies.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn on this book. I liked the plot especially because of the era of "me too". The characters are a little underdeveloped which I attribute to the fact that this isn't the first book in a series. I imagine it's a difficult line to walk when writing a series of books not to bore the readers who already know the characters and their history but to provide enough information for readers who pick up a book for the first time in a series without the benefit of previous books. Overall a quick interesting read with a lot of red herrings.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book might have been the hardest to get into, in the whole series. But I read others' reviews that it was a good connection between previous books and the next ones, so I tried it. Mindless reading/listening - yes. Was the plot with the witchy movie star exciting? Not really. Didn't hold my attention. But Cat and Hannah's relationship, Hannah's testing her boundaries, Ryan's health, and the bequeathing of a house - that was appealing. So I am hoping book 11 will be more exciting and bring the characters together or provide answers.

[Deanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This girl gets all her husband's money plus a house and still decides she wants to work? She's crazy. The motive here between movie star actresses seems weak for murder; maybe some form of social media bullying or catty girl behavior but murder? That's extreme. If Ryan pulls through with no lasting medical issues or brain damage, which he of course will, it will be so frustratingly unrealistic. How did I make it to #10 already?

[Christie Gerren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Perfect Disguise is book ten in this series. Like I have said before, if you are making it this far DO NOT give up! The series continues to get better and better with each book. When a demanding Hollywood starlet is found dead, who better to help investigate then Jessie Hunt herself. Jessie finds herself navigating the murky world of film studios, casting directors, producers, rival actors and much more all with the assistance of her new temporary partner. The stories just keep going, try to keep up with the crazy life of Jessie Hunt.

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Let's start at the beginning,"

Oh, my goodness!!! This was SO GOOD!

Such a great turn and twist of events and circumstances. And in the back of my head, I kept think, ok, but what about, ... even though all this other stuff was going on!

😬🥴🤪

I do feel like Blake "subtly" answered a very important question, and if you weren't paying attention, you would have missed it. I hope Jessie saw and heard it too. It made my heart happy and hopeful.

Next up, Book #11

[DIANA A BRODSCHOLL · Rating 4 out of 5]

time to get off this train

Now that I’m done with book 10, I’ve decided this is it for me. While the cases are interesting, the rehashing of events that formed Jesse Hunt, became too much. Too much time has been spent on the past with little on the future. It’s exhausting. I’m on to different pastures looking for stories that engage me again. 31 more Jesse Hunt books? I think not

[Hannah May · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

I have been thinking about this book since I finished the last one and it did not disappoint. I liked that. We got to see some of Ryan’s healing process. I like that we got to see you some views in Hannah‘s mind especially with her worries. I am excited to see what happens next, especially with that ending because oh my gosh was not expecting this new character to come into play. Will definitely be starting the next book as soon as possible.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesse is out of her depth when she needs to solve the murder of a hard to deal with Hollywood starlit. One surprise after another twists the plot till Jesse wonders if it will ever be straight enough to solve. But never fear of course Jesse finally gets a handle on it.
And Jesses private life is still in turmoil with her partner both at work and home is still in a coma.

[Amy Ewers-Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little different from the rest of the books, interesting choices in the character development but also understandable. I think as a profiler she doesn't think that so many unfortunate things would happen to her and her loved ones but they did. I'm interested to see where it goes next. So far I am loving this series.

[Penelope Sturm-Borkert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Wonderful! Jesse Hunt is a great char a year. I really enjoy the way the author hero vs all the characters to life. They are portrayed so realistically. I can't wait for the next book!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written psychological thriller that shall have you on the edge of your seat. I loved the plot and the characters, both having depth to them.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[ceejay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not impressed by this particular book compared to the other series before it. The other series had heart pumping actions. This story was flat. Lacked the ability to hold my interest. I hope the next book will be better.

[Juliana Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I have come to expect from a Jessie Hunt book

Best book ever written? No.
Good story with a character you want to follow? Yes.
This book follows the same format as the other books in the Jessie Hunt series. I’ve got the next one queued up in my Kindle.

[Mellissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book- annoying typos.

With a great book as this and being part of a series- seeing constant typos in the book is annoying and embarrassing. I love all the books in this series - expected better editing.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this series, however, this book was not my favorite. While it was still a face-paced read, the story was just okay. I did, however, love the surprise waiting for us on the last page! Looking forward to reading book 11!