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Jessie Hunt #1
The Perfect Wife
Book #1 from the series: A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller
🎧Listening Length = 8 hours and 20 minutes
Suburbia harbors dark secrets in this suspenseful listen! After moving to a swanky new neighborhood, Jessie, a criminal profiler in training, starts to notice things aren’t quite what they seem. Not to mention that the serial killer she’s studying forces her to confront nightmares from her own hidden past…
In THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book 1), 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?
Book #2-- THE PERFECT BLOCK/42616441 --is also now available!
A fast-paced psychological suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding suspense, THE PERFECT WIFE is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you listening late into the night.
🎧Listening Length = 8 hours and 20 minutes
Suburbia harbors dark secrets in this suspenseful listen! After moving to a swanky new neighborhood, Jessie, a criminal profiler in training, starts to notice things aren’t quite what they seem. Not to mention that the serial killer she’s studying forces her to confront nightmares from her own hidden past…
In THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book 1), 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?
Book #2-- THE PERFECT BLOCK/42616441 --is also now available!
A fast-paced psychological suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding suspense, THE PERFECT WIFE is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you listening late into the night.
Audiobook
First published November 13, 2018
25384 people are currently reading
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About the author
Blake Pierce
775 books5,842 followersBlake 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,508 reviews
September 2, 2019
Well, at least I got it for free.
November 22, 2020
The book started pretty slow yet intriguing with introduction of Bolton. But I think I was expecting something from the book.
There were lots of twists and turns or I say unnecessary twists and turns.
It is clear that the author tried to portray Jessie genius and smart but what I think was that she was dumb,stupid and naive.
There were lots of twists and turns or I say unnecessary twists and turns.
It is clear that the author tried to portray Jessie genius and smart but what I think was that she was dumb,stupid and naive.
April 25, 2019
Enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would; it was free on Amazon so I was skeptical….
It turned out to be a solid 3-star read (and I mean that in the best possible way!). The plot is fun and twisted and also completely ridiculous, but it still works. The writing is sometimes a bit clunky and could have used some editing (grammar and missing words especially), and the author is a bit too fond of showing off her research in the dialogue, but I still found it very enjoyable and relaxing (and who doesn't like to relax in the company of sociopaths and serial killers!)
It turned out to be a solid 3-star read (and I mean that in the best possible way!). The plot is fun and twisted and also completely ridiculous, but it still works. The writing is sometimes a bit clunky and could have used some editing (grammar and missing words especially), and the author is a bit too fond of showing off her research in the dialogue, but I still found it very enjoyable and relaxing (and who doesn't like to relax in the company of sociopaths and serial killers!)
June 23, 2019
Oh, my! What a gripping page-turner. If you like psychological thrillers, this is your next read. Twists and turns and the ultimate surprise. Enjoy!
August 8, 2019
For a criminal profiler in training, Jesse Hunt is amazingly clueless . Less than halfway through this book , it was obvious that there was something rotten in Westport Beach, but Jesse has no clue . Her perfect husband is behaving suspiciously and erratically. Her practicum supervisors are breaking all the rules for her , and the infamous serial killer she’s interviewing knows all about Jesse’s life , past and present . This plot is so transparent , and Jesse Is such a hapless protagonist, that I couldn’t finish The Perfect Wife .
May 22, 2024
Listened to this on audiobook, and omg, so good! I got so much done around the house because I just wanted to keep listening!! 🤩
October 24, 2023
In The Perfect Wife, Blake Pierce writes with the confidence and skill of a high school student in danger of flunking a class in basic composition and creativity. Imagine The Stepford Wives meet The Silence of the Lambs to make a lousy book longer.
In The Stepford Wives part of the book, yuppie couple Kyle and Jessie move from their LA apartment to an upscale suburb down the California coast. Kyle convinced Jessie the move would be good for his business and a better place to raise the children they both wanted. Jessie was not quite as enthusiastic, especially when she saw that the wives in their new town were all complacent conformists. Everyone’s life centered around a sinister country club with strange initiation rites. In The Silence of the Lambs part, Jessie was training to be a forensic psychologist and her interviews with a brilliant serial killer led her to unlock her own dark past and confront her suffocating present.
There are so many reasons not to read this book. First, the author’s manuscript was missing words in multiple places, showing a careless disregard for her work product and her readers. Second, she uses dialogue tags to excess, the sure sign of an amateur unable to convey what her characters are feeling or thinking without spelling it out — or of a writer with the ability but too lazy to write better. Third, The Stepford Wives part of her story was unbelievable, unoriginal, and unnecessary, except to extend the length of her book. The Silence of the Lambs part was uninspired and also unoriginal. Jessie and Crutchfield could not hold a candle to Clarice and Hannibal.
And finally, a spoiler alert: Anyone who has ever seen a movie on the Lifetime channel will be able to identify the book’s villain without even finishing the first page.
In The Stepford Wives part of the book, yuppie couple Kyle and Jessie move from their LA apartment to an upscale suburb down the California coast. Kyle convinced Jessie the move would be good for his business and a better place to raise the children they both wanted. Jessie was not quite as enthusiastic, especially when she saw that the wives in their new town were all complacent conformists. Everyone’s life centered around a sinister country club with strange initiation rites. In The Silence of the Lambs part, Jessie was training to be a forensic psychologist and her interviews with a brilliant serial killer led her to unlock her own dark past and confront her suffocating present.
There are so many reasons not to read this book. First, the author’s manuscript was missing words in multiple places, showing a careless disregard for her work product and her readers. Second, she uses dialogue tags to excess, the sure sign of an amateur unable to convey what her characters are feeling or thinking without spelling it out — or of a writer with the ability but too lazy to write better. Third, The Stepford Wives part of her story was unbelievable, unoriginal, and unnecessary, except to extend the length of her book. The Silence of the Lambs part was uninspired and also unoriginal. Jessie and Crutchfield could not hold a candle to Clarice and Hannibal.
And finally, a spoiler alert: Anyone who has ever seen a movie on the Lifetime channel will be able to identify the book’s villain without even finishing the first page.
November 12, 2024
Novela entretenida, para pasar un rato. Sin más. Leída por ser gratis en Kindle y me parecía que tenía buena pinta.
Jessie Hunt y Kyle Voss llevan dos años casados y, después de vivir en Los Ángeles, se han mudado a una zona residencial muy exclusiva, en la costa, pues a Kyle le han ofrecido llevar una sede de su empresa en la zona, con mejor sueldo y expectativas. Jessie está terminando sus estudios de psicología criminal y le queda solamente un semestre de prácticas.
Una vecina invita a Jessie a conocer a otras mujeres de la zona, todas abnegadas madres dedicadas a sus hijos. Se siente fuera de lugar.
Un amigo de él, le anima a que se hagan socios de un exclusivo y carisimo club náutico. Kyle se encuentra estupendamente en ese ambiente, sin embargo ella no lo puede soportar.
Por otra parte, ella empieza con sus prácticas de psicología criminal, yendo a entrevistar a un asesino en serie en un hospital de máxima seguridad.
Jessie tiene algo en su pasado, muy extraño, que percibimos, pero no sabemos lo que es.
La relación entre los dos se deteriora: él cada vez más involucrado en el club para captar clientes para su empresa de inversiones y ella cada vez más horrorizada del ambiente en el que se han metido. Además, Jessie descubre un hecho turbio en el club, que la aleja más de su marido.
En un momento dado, hay un crimen.
Y a partir de ahí, todo se precipita.
La parte final es de lo más peliculera.
Me ha gustado mucho una parte de la trama relativa a las prácticas de psicología criminal.
Esta novela es una primera entrega, aunque tiene su final. No continuaré con la saga, aunque a partir de aquí podría ponerse interesante.
Jessie Hunt y Kyle Voss llevan dos años casados y, después de vivir en Los Ángeles, se han mudado a una zona residencial muy exclusiva, en la costa, pues a Kyle le han ofrecido llevar una sede de su empresa en la zona, con mejor sueldo y expectativas. Jessie está terminando sus estudios de psicología criminal y le queda solamente un semestre de prácticas.
Una vecina invita a Jessie a conocer a otras mujeres de la zona, todas abnegadas madres dedicadas a sus hijos. Se siente fuera de lugar.
Un amigo de él, le anima a que se hagan socios de un exclusivo y carisimo club náutico. Kyle se encuentra estupendamente en ese ambiente, sin embargo ella no lo puede soportar.
Por otra parte, ella empieza con sus prácticas de psicología criminal, yendo a entrevistar a un asesino en serie en un hospital de máxima seguridad.
Jessie tiene algo en su pasado, muy extraño, que percibimos, pero no sabemos lo que es.
La relación entre los dos se deteriora: él cada vez más involucrado en el club para captar clientes para su empresa de inversiones y ella cada vez más horrorizada del ambiente en el que se han metido. Además, Jessie descubre un hecho turbio en el club, que la aleja más de su marido.
En un momento dado, hay un crimen.
Y a partir de ahí, todo se precipita.
La parte final es de lo más peliculera.
Me ha gustado mucho una parte de la trama relativa a las prácticas de psicología criminal.
Esta novela es una primera entrega, aunque tiene su final. No continuaré con la saga, aunque a partir de aquí podría ponerse interesante.
September 28, 2019
The perfect wife was such a fun read, the plot drew me in and kept me captivated throughout.
May 20, 2019
WOW. I REALLY didn't think I'd be posting this review so soon, since I started this read less than 24 hours ago, but I just finished and had to share. A fast, unputdownable read. It does so much of what I want a thriller to do...grabs me by the throat and pulls me in, makes my heart pound in shock and fear, convinces me that anyone can be my worst enemy, and gives me a glimpse into the evil that is around us.
1st in the Jessie Hunt psychological suspense series. Jessie is a master's degree candidate in the field of forensics psychology. She seems to have an unusual feel for the job, but will that help...or hurt her?
The Perfect Wife was the perfect end to my weekend. I will be picking up the next in the series.
1st in the Jessie Hunt psychological suspense series. Jessie is a master's degree candidate in the field of forensics psychology. She seems to have an unusual feel for the job, but will that help...or hurt her?
The Perfect Wife was the perfect end to my weekend. I will be picking up the next in the series.
May 14, 2025
Me ha gustado bastante, fue de menos a mas, con un final bastante correcto.
Me gusta la protagonista, con ese trauma oculto y del que nos van dando pinceladas y con un plot twist final muy bueno, que hace que quieras seguir conociendo mas de esa historia, de la cual me imagino que nos seguirán contando con cuenta gotas, como si fuera una historia secundaria respecto a las principales de los libros, ya que la serie son unos cuantos ya, creo que llevan treinta y tantos publicados 😲😲😲.
Valoración: 7.75/10
Sinopsis: La estudiante de perfilado de criminales Jessie Hunt está convencida de que por fin ha dejado atrás la oscuridad de su pasado. Su marido Kyle y ella se acaban de mudar de un diminuto apartamento en el centro de Los Ángeles a una mansión en Westport Beach. La promoción de Kyle les ha traído más dinero del que pudieran soñar, y Jessie está a punto de concluir satisfactoriamente su Masters en Psicología Forense, el último paso para manifestar su sueño de convertirse en perfiladora de criminales.
Sin embargo, poco después de su llegada, Jessie empieza a notar algunas cosas extrañas. Los vecinos—y sus niñeras—parecen ocultar secretos. El misterioso club de yates al que Kyle está deseando unirse está repleto de parejas infieles, y funciona con unas normas que son preocupantes. Y el célebre asesino en serie al que custodian en el hospital psiquiátrico donde Jessie está completando su diploma parece saber más sobre su vida de lo que resulta normal—o seguro.
A medida que su mundo empieza a resquebrajarse, Jessie empieza a cuestionarse todo lo que le rodea —incluida su propia salud mental. ¿Es cierto que ha descubierto una perturbadora conspiración enterrada dentro de una localidad costera del soleado, acomodado sur de California? ¿Acaso sabe el asesino en serie al que está estudiando el origen de sus pesadillas privadas?
¿O es que su pasado tortuoso ha regresado por fin para llevársela?
#10. Un libro que obtuviste gratis. Reto Popsugar 2025
Me gusta la protagonista, con ese trauma oculto y del que nos van dando pinceladas y con un plot twist final muy bueno, que hace que quieras seguir conociendo mas de esa historia, de la cual me imagino que nos seguirán contando con cuenta gotas, como si fuera una historia secundaria respecto a las principales de los libros, ya que la serie son unos cuantos ya, creo que llevan treinta y tantos publicados 😲😲😲.
Valoración: 7.75/10
Sinopsis: La estudiante de perfilado de criminales Jessie Hunt está convencida de que por fin ha dejado atrás la oscuridad de su pasado. Su marido Kyle y ella se acaban de mudar de un diminuto apartamento en el centro de Los Ángeles a una mansión en Westport Beach. La promoción de Kyle les ha traído más dinero del que pudieran soñar, y Jessie está a punto de concluir satisfactoriamente su Masters en Psicología Forense, el último paso para manifestar su sueño de convertirse en perfiladora de criminales.
Sin embargo, poco después de su llegada, Jessie empieza a notar algunas cosas extrañas. Los vecinos—y sus niñeras—parecen ocultar secretos. El misterioso club de yates al que Kyle está deseando unirse está repleto de parejas infieles, y funciona con unas normas que son preocupantes. Y el célebre asesino en serie al que custodian en el hospital psiquiátrico donde Jessie está completando su diploma parece saber más sobre su vida de lo que resulta normal—o seguro.
A medida que su mundo empieza a resquebrajarse, Jessie empieza a cuestionarse todo lo que le rodea —incluida su propia salud mental. ¿Es cierto que ha descubierto una perturbadora conspiración enterrada dentro de una localidad costera del soleado, acomodado sur de California? ¿Acaso sabe el asesino en serie al que está estudiando el origen de sus pesadillas privadas?
¿O es que su pasado tortuoso ha regresado por fin para llevársela?
#10. Un libro que obtuviste gratis. Reto Popsugar 2025
April 24, 2020
3.5
Thoroughly entertaining, would carry on the series
Thoroughly entertaining, would carry on the series
September 18, 2019
Not a great book.
I had many issues with this, foremost being a very very hollow story line which seemed to be stringed out just for the sake of providing a psycho thriller atmosphere and keeping the readers guessing . In the end it falls flat.
The heroine is not a very clever or intelligent person , perhaps it is because she has suffered so many adversities at a very young age.
A psycho serial killer behind bars - a la Hannibal - adds to the unbelievable plot line , and he behaves more like a kind uncle rather than the scary person he is supposed to be.
Adding to all this is the Stepford like society Jessica had moved to... And there are certain mysteries in her life still waiting to be solved at the end of the book.
Will continue with this ludicrous series because I am sort of slightly hooked to the impossible life of Jessie . And I am sure a physical attraction is inevitably creeping up between her and Ryan Hernandez .
Plus I want to know why she whines this much ...
A mixed review... Would have been 1 to 2 stars , but for the fact that this book kept me hooked despite its flimsy storyline .
I had many issues with this, foremost being a very very hollow story line which seemed to be stringed out just for the sake of providing a psycho thriller atmosphere and keeping the readers guessing . In the end it falls flat.
The heroine is not a very clever or intelligent person , perhaps it is because she has suffered so many adversities at a very young age.
A psycho serial killer behind bars - a la Hannibal - adds to the unbelievable plot line , and he behaves more like a kind uncle rather than the scary person he is supposed to be.
Adding to all this is the Stepford like society Jessica had moved to... And there are certain mysteries in her life still waiting to be solved at the end of the book.
Will continue with this ludicrous series because I am sort of slightly hooked to the impossible life of Jessie . And I am sure a physical attraction is inevitably creeping up between her and Ryan Hernandez .
Plus I want to know why she whines this much ...
A mixed review... Would have been 1 to 2 stars , but for the fact that this book kept me hooked despite its flimsy storyline .
May 2, 2021
I wanted to read an easy page turner and this fits that slot totally. And because it was available for free on Kindle.
The heroine studying to be a criminal profiler is amazingly clueless, naive to the point of being dumb and incredibly lucky- things just happen in her favour. The twists, some of them needless, pile in thick and fast. Guess that is what makes it a page turner. Her friends, the professor, the 'club' cronies, the asylum authorities are all single dimensional. I don't think I shall remember the characters or the story 6 months down the line. Or even why I read it.
The heroine studying to be a criminal profiler is amazingly clueless, naive to the point of being dumb and incredibly lucky- things just happen in her favour. The twists, some of them needless, pile in thick and fast. Guess that is what makes it a page turner. Her friends, the professor, the 'club' cronies, the asylum authorities are all single dimensional. I don't think I shall remember the characters or the story 6 months down the line. Or even why I read it.
May 2, 2019
This is definitely a girl's book. I quickly bored of the descriptions of hair styles, makeup and shoes. About halfway it got moving. The perpetrator was fairly obvious and we were given further circumstantial evidence towards the end but finally it was unequivocal. Nearly all the questions were answered by the end but some curiosities were introduced. A few were convenient for the plot. Some others were left unanswered for the sequel. I wont be bothering to seek their solution.
September 5, 2025
I don’t know why I picked this book up- probably a lapse in judgment or temporary brain fog. Regret is an understatement. The plot is so flimsy it feels like your friend is making up a story on the fly while half-asleep. Zero suspense, zero character development, just a straight-line sprint into disappointment. I actually forgot the book while still reading it. Do yourself a favor: don’t pick this one up… unless you’re studying how not to write suspense.
February 5, 2024
This thriller is about a woman with a secret past who is working for her masters in forensic psychology and recently moved with her husband out of the city. Her husband wants them both to join this high end club with questionable activities(the men have secret separate activities ). I did enjoy her interviews with a serial killer that element kept my interest. I need to limit plot details as I don’t want to give anything away. I found this story a bit far fetched, I guessed most of the ending but not all it did have a nice twist at the end. This was an ok read, stuck with it mostly because it was audio I listen to during work commute.
November 15, 2021
"But what kind of future is it if I can't even share my secrets with my own husband? And if he seems oblivious to me keeping them?"
Warning : Physical and verbal abuse. A distorted story-line.
**Minor spoilers ahead, which don't make much of a difference**
So, I hated the story and I hated the characters--
The author tried to make Jessica Hunt, the protagonist, look clever and smart. Well the truth is that she is a pathetic bore, definitely not so clever and an over-dramatic sort of a gal'.🙄🙄
Jessica's husband, Kyle is another dumbass who left a mark of 'an imbecile fool' in the story.😬
The only person that interested me was Bolton Crutchhfield.
A psycho serial killer who seems to be a part of Miss. Hunt's terrible past.
The book showed two different cases.
1. The mystery of the Desseo Club
2. The mystery of Bolton Crutchfield and his link with Jessica.
I'm not gonna elaborate either of the cases as it will consume everyone's time which is so not necessary as the ending ruined all the fun that was present in the first few chapters.
I would say that the book was extremely stretchy and that the author could have worked a bit more hard for the ending.😪
In chapter 22 we find out a Ukrainian waitress murdered or rather chocked in the cabin where Jessica was sleeping, ((she had passed out the previous night))
Jessica called Kyle, after which it was somewhat clear where the story would take us..
Kyle, who first indirectly blamed Jessica of murder made an alternative proposal to cover this all up, after which it was all very clear that Kyle was the evil mastermind behind all this, framing his wife of murder-- and yes, the dumb Jessica Hunt follows suit to her husband's decision.😩
In short, this is one of the most pathetic storyline I've ever read--
The ending was terrible, not exciting at ALL and yes, quite predictable.
I gave it three stars mostly because of the other part if the book.
Yes, for Bolton.
Bolton's part was exciting, and sent some shivers when he started revealing his self little by little.
We also get an in-depth of Jessica's past which is horrifying and how Bolton, has a secret link with it.
Being mentioned already-- the ending was pathetic.
A complete nonsense theory.
Dumb characters.
And no excitement at all..🤷🏻♀️
The thing that got me going and preventing me to DNF this book was the craving to see the end, even though it was predictable.🤡
There were many unwanted twists which consumed my time and yes, so many things happening at the same time surely confused the hell out of me.
No more words.🙅♀️
No emotions.🙅♀️
Three stars for Bolton Crutchfield and Jessica's past.
Not recommended unless you want a short read.
Warning : Physical and verbal abuse. A distorted story-line.
**Minor spoilers ahead, which don't make much of a difference**
So, I hated the story and I hated the characters--
The author tried to make Jessica Hunt, the protagonist, look clever and smart. Well the truth is that she is a pathetic bore, definitely not so clever and an over-dramatic sort of a gal'.🙄🙄
Jessica's husband, Kyle is another dumbass who left a mark of 'an imbecile fool' in the story.😬
The only person that interested me was Bolton Crutchhfield.
A psycho serial killer who seems to be a part of Miss. Hunt's terrible past.
The book showed two different cases.
1. The mystery of the Desseo Club
2. The mystery of Bolton Crutchfield and his link with Jessica.
I'm not gonna elaborate either of the cases as it will consume everyone's time which is so not necessary as the ending ruined all the fun that was present in the first few chapters.
I would say that the book was extremely stretchy and that the author could have worked a bit more hard for the ending.😪
In chapter 22 we find out a Ukrainian waitress murdered or rather chocked in the cabin where Jessica was sleeping, ((she had passed out the previous night))
Jessica called Kyle, after which it was somewhat clear where the story would take us..
Kyle, who first indirectly blamed Jessica of murder made an alternative proposal to cover this all up, after which it was all very clear that Kyle was the evil mastermind behind all this, framing his wife of murder-- and yes, the dumb Jessica Hunt follows suit to her husband's decision.😩
In short, this is one of the most pathetic storyline I've ever read--
The ending was terrible, not exciting at ALL and yes, quite predictable.
I gave it three stars mostly because of the other part if the book.
Yes, for Bolton.
Bolton's part was exciting, and sent some shivers when he started revealing his self little by little.
We also get an in-depth of Jessica's past which is horrifying and how Bolton, has a secret link with it.
Being mentioned already-- the ending was pathetic.
A complete nonsense theory.
Dumb characters.
And no excitement at all..🤷🏻♀️
The thing that got me going and preventing me to DNF this book was the craving to see the end, even though it was predictable.🤡
There were many unwanted twists which consumed my time and yes, so many things happening at the same time surely confused the hell out of me.
No more words.🙅♀️
No emotions.🙅♀️
Three stars for Bolton Crutchfield and Jessica's past.
Not recommended unless you want a short read.
June 27, 2019
It started out okay, but it was impossible to like the characters. It ended in way that, if it had been a good book, I’d have wanted to read the next one. It was so bad that I couldn’t care less about the second or third one. I’m just shocked at how high the ratings are for this inane book.
September 7, 2020
This was not a book, this was two books that had been Frankensteined into one book.
In one book, a young, up-and-coming couple move to suburbia from the big city, looking to start their family after the husband just got a great new job. Soon, they fall in with an exclusive club and discover that not all is as quaint as it seems in their town. This book is basically 'The Stepford Wives.'
In the second, a young woman training to be a forensic psychologist begins meeting with an extremely dangerous psychopath in his prison cell while he slowly reveals that he knows everything about her because he has a surprising link to her disturbed childhood. This book is basically 'Silence of the Lambs.'
That's two books, right? No. That all happened in this one. And it was just under 200 pages long.
The whole time I was reading I kept thinking, if the author had just picked one of these storylines to run with this could have been a solid book. The dialogue and descriptions weren't bad. Instead, for some reason, they went with both and it ended up being a clusterfuck that moved at a breakneck pace and just didn't work overall.
I'm not sure that I can properly review this without adding spoilers so here they are:
***SPOILERS***
Basically, in the span of what seemed like a few days, Jessie Hunt, the main character:
1. Moves to a new town with her husband
2. Get inducted into a secret society
3. Begins interviewing a dangerous psychopath in his cell in order to finish her practicum for forensic psychology.
4. Finds out that the secret club is actually a place for men to cheat on their wives and all of the wives know about it but don't do anything because they prefer to stay with their rich husbands.
5. Finds out that she is pregnant.
6. Finds her husband doing drugs a the club, almost divorces him.
7. Takes him back when he promises never to do it again.
8. They go to one last club party and she suddenly gets super woozy and passes out after fighting with a waitress that she thinks is flirting with her husband. When she wakes up on her friend's boat, she finds the waitress dead next to her. Her husband convinces her to dump the body overboard and pretend like it never happened.
9. She loses the baby.
10. After finding a way to finangle a private interview with the psycopath (she literally sneaks into the facility by shoving some paper into a door jam) she finds out what his connection her childhood is. It turns out that she was KIDNAPPED as a child for some undetermined amount of time and the man that took her killed three people in front of her everyday for however long he had her. Absolutely brutal murders. He finished it off after she attempted to escape by killing her own mother. She was eventually found by the police who didn't really believe her entire story and just assumed that she was making things up. The psycho that she has been interviewing in prison was the killer from her childhood's ward or whatever. Like he was teaching him to be a killer.
11. Discovers that the boat where she supposedly killed the waitress (though she has no memory of doing so) had a security camera. When she looks a the footage she finds out that it was her husband who killed the waitress and framed her for it so that he had something to blackmail her with.
12. Finds out that her husband has a loooong history of manipulating people and getting them arrested and stuff to get what he wants. Basically, he is also a psychopath.
13. Decides to confront him, he attacks her and she barely survives while being somehow stabbed with a firepoker (I don't think I've ever seen a firepoker sharp enough to actually stab someone. But okay). She manages to take him out and he gets arrested.
14. The book ends with her revealing that the killer that kidnapped her all those years ago was actually her father.
So. Okay. That's a lot. That's A LOT for under 200 pages. That's too much by far.
My biggest problem with this book was the reveal that Jessie had been kidnapped and mentally tortured as a child.
Like, in the side of the book about her being a forensic psychologist and interviewing the psychopath, that's a fine motivation and I get it. But it was revealed 80% of the way through the book and there had been NO INDICATION that she was suffering from any serious long-term trauma from this. She'd had a couple of bad dreams at this point that showed that something had happened to her, but the extent that she must have been traumatized....these things affect us in different ways, and I don't want to say that a person couldn't go on to live a happy life after something like that but....come on. She should be having anxiety attacks or something. Lets be real here. Your FATHER abducts you to a remote cabin for, again, no idea how long, kills three people in front of you every day (where was he even finding all of these people? "Lets go hiking in the woods where all those people keep dissappearing." "Okay!") then tops that off by brutalling killing your mother in front of you and you don't have any trauma beyond a couple of nightmares? COME ON.
If the author wanted that to be her trauma, they kinda needed to make the whole book about that.
Otherwise it just comes off as cheap and like it was shoved into the plot in order to, I don't know, make Jessie more sympathetic? Give her a reason for going back to school that day after she thinks she murdered someone?
This character never seemed to react to or properly process any of the shit that was happening to her, and like, fair enough, if that's the way that she is processing her trauma as an adult, but that was never really alluded to so it just made her comes across as cold and slightly insane.
After finishing this book, I looked up what the next book in the series is about only to find that there are 15 more books in this series, the first book was published 2 years ago. 15 books in two years and they also have other ongoing series. That detail kinda made the rushed nature of this one make sense.
In one book, a young, up-and-coming couple move to suburbia from the big city, looking to start their family after the husband just got a great new job. Soon, they fall in with an exclusive club and discover that not all is as quaint as it seems in their town. This book is basically 'The Stepford Wives.'
In the second, a young woman training to be a forensic psychologist begins meeting with an extremely dangerous psychopath in his prison cell while he slowly reveals that he knows everything about her because he has a surprising link to her disturbed childhood. This book is basically 'Silence of the Lambs.'
That's two books, right? No. That all happened in this one. And it was just under 200 pages long.
The whole time I was reading I kept thinking, if the author had just picked one of these storylines to run with this could have been a solid book. The dialogue and descriptions weren't bad. Instead, for some reason, they went with both and it ended up being a clusterfuck that moved at a breakneck pace and just didn't work overall.
I'm not sure that I can properly review this without adding spoilers so here they are:
***SPOILERS***
Basically, in the span of what seemed like a few days, Jessie Hunt, the main character:
1. Moves to a new town with her husband
2. Get inducted into a secret society
3. Begins interviewing a dangerous psychopath in his cell in order to finish her practicum for forensic psychology.
4. Finds out that the secret club is actually a place for men to cheat on their wives and all of the wives know about it but don't do anything because they prefer to stay with their rich husbands.
5. Finds out that she is pregnant.
6. Finds her husband doing drugs a the club, almost divorces him.
7. Takes him back when he promises never to do it again.
8. They go to one last club party and she suddenly gets super woozy and passes out after fighting with a waitress that she thinks is flirting with her husband. When she wakes up on her friend's boat, she finds the waitress dead next to her. Her husband convinces her to dump the body overboard and pretend like it never happened.
9. She loses the baby.
10. After finding a way to finangle a private interview with the psycopath (she literally sneaks into the facility by shoving some paper into a door jam) she finds out what his connection her childhood is. It turns out that she was KIDNAPPED as a child for some undetermined amount of time and the man that took her killed three people in front of her everyday for however long he had her. Absolutely brutal murders. He finished it off after she attempted to escape by killing her own mother. She was eventually found by the police who didn't really believe her entire story and just assumed that she was making things up. The psycho that she has been interviewing in prison was the killer from her childhood's ward or whatever. Like he was teaching him to be a killer.
11. Discovers that the boat where she supposedly killed the waitress (though she has no memory of doing so) had a security camera. When she looks a the footage she finds out that it was her husband who killed the waitress and framed her for it so that he had something to blackmail her with.
12. Finds out that her husband has a loooong history of manipulating people and getting them arrested and stuff to get what he wants. Basically, he is also a psychopath.
13. Decides to confront him, he attacks her and she barely survives while being somehow stabbed with a firepoker (I don't think I've ever seen a firepoker sharp enough to actually stab someone. But okay). She manages to take him out and he gets arrested.
14. The book ends with her revealing that the killer that kidnapped her all those years ago was actually her father.
So. Okay. That's a lot. That's A LOT for under 200 pages. That's too much by far.
My biggest problem with this book was the reveal that Jessie had been kidnapped and mentally tortured as a child.
Like, in the side of the book about her being a forensic psychologist and interviewing the psychopath, that's a fine motivation and I get it. But it was revealed 80% of the way through the book and there had been NO INDICATION that she was suffering from any serious long-term trauma from this. She'd had a couple of bad dreams at this point that showed that something had happened to her, but the extent that she must have been traumatized....these things affect us in different ways, and I don't want to say that a person couldn't go on to live a happy life after something like that but....come on. She should be having anxiety attacks or something. Lets be real here. Your FATHER abducts you to a remote cabin for, again, no idea how long, kills three people in front of you every day (where was he even finding all of these people? "Lets go hiking in the woods where all those people keep dissappearing." "Okay!") then tops that off by brutalling killing your mother in front of you and you don't have any trauma beyond a couple of nightmares? COME ON.
If the author wanted that to be her trauma, they kinda needed to make the whole book about that.
Otherwise it just comes off as cheap and like it was shoved into the plot in order to, I don't know, make Jessie more sympathetic? Give her a reason for going back to school that day after she thinks she murdered someone?
This character never seemed to react to or properly process any of the shit that was happening to her, and like, fair enough, if that's the way that she is processing her trauma as an adult, but that was never really alluded to so it just made her comes across as cold and slightly insane.
After finishing this book, I looked up what the next book in the series is about only to find that there are 15 more books in this series, the first book was published 2 years ago. 15 books in two years and they also have other ongoing series. That detail kinda made the rushed nature of this one make sense.
November 30, 2020
Book Club read #29, Feb 29 2020
3 stars for the book, 2 stars for the audio narration.
The Perfect Wife is first in the Jessie Hunt series, by a new-to-me author, Blake Pierce. I find no definite indication if Pierce is male or female, so I am very curious about that. I would guess male, and a very busy male at that. About 85 books in what looks to be 5 years, maybe? It reminds me of James Patterson churning out one book after another.
Jessie Hunt is an interesting character, married to an ambitious guy named Kyle. They have a new home in a new suburb, and she is studying to become a criminal profiler. Profiling is a favorite topic of mine so I was intrigued by where this led. Kyle is keen on joining a social club but Jessie, not so much. The wives all remind her of Stepford Wives. Turns out to be quite a side story there, but her marriage and her class assignment interviewing a serial killer are the main focus. I don't know if the loose ends and unanswered questions will be answered in book #2 or not, but I doubt I will try to find out.
I had both the free Kindle ebook and the audio from Hoopla, and listened to most of it. The narrator is horribly annoying with her Valley girl pronunciations. (And strange since Jessie did not grow up in California.) You didn't know Kyle, smile, and while were 2-syllable words until you hear her mangle them. Ky-ull, she says, whenever she is upset that he didn't call to say he'd be late. Or Ky-ull, I'm really not in the mood for that. Ugh.
3 stars for the book, 2 stars for the audio narration.
The Perfect Wife is first in the Jessie Hunt series, by a new-to-me author, Blake Pierce. I find no definite indication if Pierce is male or female, so I am very curious about that. I would guess male, and a very busy male at that. About 85 books in what looks to be 5 years, maybe? It reminds me of James Patterson churning out one book after another.
Jessie Hunt is an interesting character, married to an ambitious guy named Kyle. They have a new home in a new suburb, and she is studying to become a criminal profiler. Profiling is a favorite topic of mine so I was intrigued by where this led. Kyle is keen on joining a social club but Jessie, not so much. The wives all remind her of Stepford Wives. Turns out to be quite a side story there, but her marriage and her class assignment interviewing a serial killer are the main focus. I don't know if the loose ends and unanswered questions will be answered in book #2 or not, but I doubt I will try to find out.
I had both the free Kindle ebook and the audio from Hoopla, and listened to most of it. The narrator is horribly annoying with her Valley girl pronunciations. (And strange since Jessie did not grow up in California.) You didn't know Kyle, smile, and while were 2-syllable words until you hear her mangle them. Ky-ull, she says, whenever she is upset that he didn't call to say he'd be late. Or Ky-ull, I'm really not in the mood for that. Ugh.
October 5, 2019
Frankly, I am surprised by the number of 4 and 5 star reviews of this book. Unfortunately, because of this, I read to the 75% mark. Several times I asked myself WHY? are you reading this. The whole plot line is an insult to the intelligence of the reader. You could drive a Mack truck through the plot holes. Are we really supposed to believe that the protagonist is a masters level student who is so brilliant, but cannot figure out that her husband is reprehensible and doing her no favors by covering up her supposed murder of the country club hostess? And the whole serial killer interview by the masters level student is completely unbelievable. Do yourself a favor. Don't pick up this book at all. Clearly I was desperate for something to read for having slogged through 145 pages. TSTR -- too stupid to read.
August 24, 2019
I listened to this as audio book, so am not sure how much the audio affected my perspective, but I thought it was dumb, the main character annoying and contradictory- smart enough to become a criminologist but too dumb to see what was before her eyes.
September 18, 2019
Jessica Hunt along with her husband Kyle move in Westport Beach mansion which is pretty great considering Kyle's promotion and Jessica's training in becoming a criminal profiler. Friendly neighborhood, a safe society, everything feels like picture perfect close-knit community.
And then the problem finally becomes obvious. Every one of them is a member of this lavish club where they mostly spend all their times partying and socializing with insubstantial facts of their trivial life. But Jess from the very beginning suspected foul play, this club is surely much more than what was initially advertising so enthusiastically and it turns out that this place was a tomb of secrets where everyone knows the ropes except for her.
This book focuses other topics such as open marriages, depression and traumatic experiences, etc. Jessica Hunt is a sort of heroine that I personally admire. She is smart, wise beyond her age and perceptive of surrounding dangers, definitely a quick thinker when the push comes to shove. Apart from all the jazz about the club and its insane workings, Jess also interviews a serial killer who apparently knows everything tiny detail of her past something that she isn't allowed to discuss with anyone.
Now she has two different kinds of mysteries to solve. First finding out more about the yacht club and second how does a serial killer locked up in highly secured psychiatric hospital for many years knows about her macabre past?
Finding answers to both of these won't be easy because lines between trust and disloyalty is becoming obscure and she has more to loose than to gain.
The perfect wife is the first book in A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller series and I cannot wait to continue her journey as the ending in this book disclosed a detail of the past that will be the element of interest in the second book.
And then the problem finally becomes obvious. Every one of them is a member of this lavish club where they mostly spend all their times partying and socializing with insubstantial facts of their trivial life. But Jess from the very beginning suspected foul play, this club is surely much more than what was initially advertising so enthusiastically and it turns out that this place was a tomb of secrets where everyone knows the ropes except for her.
This book focuses other topics such as open marriages, depression and traumatic experiences, etc. Jessica Hunt is a sort of heroine that I personally admire. She is smart, wise beyond her age and perceptive of surrounding dangers, definitely a quick thinker when the push comes to shove. Apart from all the jazz about the club and its insane workings, Jess also interviews a serial killer who apparently knows everything tiny detail of her past something that she isn't allowed to discuss with anyone.
Now she has two different kinds of mysteries to solve. First finding out more about the yacht club and second how does a serial killer locked up in highly secured psychiatric hospital for many years knows about her macabre past?
Finding answers to both of these won't be easy because lines between trust and disloyalty is becoming obscure and she has more to loose than to gain.
The perfect wife is the first book in A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller series and I cannot wait to continue her journey as the ending in this book disclosed a detail of the past that will be the element of interest in the second book.
February 23, 2021
I love suburban crime set behind pristine gardens, clean cul-de-sacs and Cinnamon-flavoured kitchen but this The Perfect Wife missed the mark.
Not one of my best choices so far and the only consolation was that it was free on Amazon kindle and cover held such promise.
Read at your own peril. Couldn't have been that bad if I was able to read up to the end, right? Maybe I was hoping that the storyline would redeem itself.
Kayle and Jessie were a messed up couple with unlikeable neighbours and the end will have you at "WTF was that?".
Not one of my best choices so far and the only consolation was that it was free on Amazon kindle and cover held such promise.
Read at your own peril. Couldn't have been that bad if I was able to read up to the end, right? Maybe I was hoping that the storyline would redeem itself.
Kayle and Jessie were a messed up couple with unlikeable neighbours and the end will have you at "WTF was that?".
July 29, 2019
This book just didn't resonate on any level with me. I wanted to give it marks for depicting a story about how often one knows so little about one's partner/spouse but main character Jessie Hunt came across as stupid and naive. This was further exacerbated by the fact that she is about to get her Masters degree in criminal profiling. The last twist to the story also didn't present as a big reveal but rather as an abrupt conclusion.
December 30, 2019
This is a 4.5 star read.
Oh my gosh ...... that was a dang fine read!! A premise that leaves you gob-smacked with a thrilling conclusion.
Oh my gosh ...... that was a dang fine read!! A premise that leaves you gob-smacked with a thrilling conclusion.
August 12, 2019
A fun read, (yes, I said fun), because it is both a little over the top and pretty twisted with some very interesting characters that are just shy of being completely readable.
Jessie Hunt has just moved into an affluent neighborhood with her husband, his dream, not hers, but wouldn’t it be the perfect environment for children? When strange things begin to happen and everything is clearly not what it seems, Jessie focuses on her criminal profiler training with one of the most twisted murderers of all time. How does this monster know so much about her?
Secrets are revealed, innocents will die and all roads connect Jessie, one way or another.
Prepare to have your mind messed with in Blake Pierce’s THE PERFECT WIFE, a relatively quick read with just enough strangeness to be believable and pretty creepy.
Series: Jessie Hunt - Book 1
Publication Date: November 13, 2018
Publisher: Blake Pierce
Genre: Psychological suspense
Print Length: 211 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Jessie Hunt has just moved into an affluent neighborhood with her husband, his dream, not hers, but wouldn’t it be the perfect environment for children? When strange things begin to happen and everything is clearly not what it seems, Jessie focuses on her criminal profiler training with one of the most twisted murderers of all time. How does this monster know so much about her?
Secrets are revealed, innocents will die and all roads connect Jessie, one way or another.
Prepare to have your mind messed with in Blake Pierce’s THE PERFECT WIFE, a relatively quick read with just enough strangeness to be believable and pretty creepy.
Series: Jessie Hunt - Book 1
Publication Date: November 13, 2018
Publisher: Blake Pierce
Genre: Psychological suspense
Print Length: 211 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
February 6, 2023
It started out really bad, like really *really* bad. Writing was cringe and annoying. But then at the end I found myself enjoying it with all the plot twists.
I don't like how there was 5 million different sub plots, it was messy and confusing. I don't like how a lot was left unresolved, it felt like the book wasn't thought out properly.
It ended on a lame and predictable cliffhanger
But overall it was pretty okay.
I don't like how there was 5 million different sub plots, it was messy and confusing. I don't like how a lot was left unresolved, it felt like the book wasn't thought out properly.
It ended on a lame and predictable cliffhanger
But overall it was pretty okay.
August 7, 2019
This book just isn’t for me. Half way through and I just can’t take it anymore, not enough suspense or thriller. There is no fast paced anything and the main character is incredibly annoying with her constant self doubt... So far, it’s just a story about a girl who chose the wrong husband and has some kind of bad past. I tried to give it time, but I can’t read another chapter.
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