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A Perfect Husband

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The "New York Times" bestselling true-crime writer chronicles the highly-publicized story of novelist Michael Peterson, who was convicted of first-degree murder for beating his wife to death in 2001 in order to collect her life insurance. Original.

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 2004

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About the author

Aphrodite Jones

13 books402 followers
Aphrodite Jones is an award-winning American reporter and author who writes about murder. Her knack for detail allows her to dissect bizarre murder cases and bring readers into the heart of darkness. Now, the author has taken her career to TV as the executive producer and TV host of the ID series, True Crime with Aphrodite Jones, which airs on Investigation Discovery.
Jones is now filming her sixth season, uncovering secrets about riveting cases across America. The series follows Jones, who's written a string of best-selling true crime books, as she unravels new mysteries lurking behind cases that shocked America: O.J. Simpson, Scott Peterson, Jon Benet Ramsey, Phil Spector, and the list goes on.

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5 stars
205 (25%)
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271 (34%)
3 stars
220 (27%)
2 stars
75 (9%)
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19 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
Profile Image for Michelle.
108 reviews8 followers
May 13, 2012
I read this as a follow up after seeing the documentary The Staircase. The Staircase was told very much from the defendant's point of view, so it was very enlightening to read the prosecution's side. That being said, it was not a well-written book and I was tempted to pull out my red pen and edit the poorly written story. If it hadn't been a library book, I might have done so! :)
Profile Image for Joanna Elm.
Author 3 books151 followers
September 9, 2018
The husband of the title in this true crime account is novelist and former newspaper columnist, Michael Peterson -- and if that name sounds familiar it’s because he’s the star of the 13-episode Netflix true crime docu-series, The Staircase. You won’t necessarily know, even by watching to the end of The Staircase whether Peterson is actually innocent, or guilty of murdering his wife, Kathleen.

He told cops she died after falling down the stairs of their mansion in Durham, North Carolina. Cops and prosecutors said he killed her. Peterson has maintained his innocence since his wife’s death in 2001, and The Staircase pretty much presents a side of him that makes one think it unlikely he could have killed his wife. The French TV director and crew of the docu-series were embedded with Peterson and his defense attorneys for several years so it’s not unreasonable to think they may have favored his side of the story.

In this account, Aphrodite Jone presents a much needed counterpoint to the portrait of defendant Peterson in the TV docu-series, The Staircase.

The true-crime story in A Perfect Husband is based on, among other things, Jones’s interviews with neighbors and friends who knew Peterson and his first wife Patty when they were living as expats in Germany. At that time, Peterson and his wife were friends with another American expat, Elizabeth Ratliff who also happened to die in a fall down a staircase. Oh, wow!

The recollections of these neighbors and friends absolutely do not jibe with the glowing praise heaped on Peterson in the docu-series by his adopted daughters Martha and Margaret who are … ? You guessed it, the orphaned daughters of Liz Ratliff.

Oh what a tangled web! Which doesn’t get any easier to untangle upon reading A Perfect Husband which is chock full of insights not shown in the Tv series. Jones has also used police reports, the autopsy reports, transcripts from Peterson’s trial for first degree murder, and material from her interviews with Kathleen’s sisters, and the prosecutor and his assistant to establish the couple’s financial difficulties and Peterson’s secret life as a closeted bi-sexual who was arranging meetings with male prostitutes while married to Kathleen.

Interestingly, a chapter towards the end of the book lists all the characteristics of a sociopath, but leaves them hanging there without tying them into anything the author has written or discovered about Michael Peterson. I assume at this point the author is saying draw your own conclusion, dear reader.

For an astonishing insight into the American justice system, it’s worth setting aside the time to watch the entire 13 episodes — something I’ve blogged about on my website here at
https://www.joannaelm.com/whos-the-re...
and here at
https://www.joannaelm.com/the-stairca...

As a documentary that gives you a clear picture of the defendant at the heart of the murder mystery, it leaves something to be desired. That void is filled by Aphrodite Jones in this book.
Profile Image for Joe.
28 reviews5 followers
October 19, 2011
Read the book, then watched the documentary on TV. The husband is nothing more than a pathetic pile of social sewage. The book was easy to read and you'll get disgusted with the husband as you keep reading the book.
Profile Image for J.H. Moncrieff.
Author 33 books259 followers
August 12, 2016
Rated M for meh.

It's okay, but could easily be 100 pages shorter. It doesn't help to know this guy is now off, awaiting a new trial.

Note to future criminals: if you get away with killing someone in your life, don't do it again. Seriously. How dumb are you?
119 reviews
December 7, 2013
It is always hard for me to believe people out there are this evil. It is something we all need to be reminded of. Aphrodite Jones books I have enjoyed in the past; so, I figured this might be good. This one reminds me of the Mitchel case so much. It was unbelievable how normal this man could be for long periods of time. You normally expect murderers to be creepy, weird and odd to others. I found the story to be shocking and surprising.
Profile Image for Denise Wallace.
Author 7 books30 followers
December 14, 2016
A fascinating inside look at a marriage and the lengths some will go to when cornered.
Profile Image for Stefanie Robinson.
2,394 reviews17 followers
March 6, 2025
Michael Peterson was convicted of the murder of his second wife, Kathleen Peterson in 2003. The murder occurred in 2001. There has been much debate about the evidence collected in this case, as well as the mysterious death of a family friend in Germany. The friend died in a very similar manner to Kathleen. The theories put forth in this case were crazy, specifically the owl theory. I won't go into too many details for those of you who haven't read this book or watched the documentary about this, but just be prepared to make some faces and roll some eyes. If you are interested in his point of view, he published a book called Behind The Staircase about his trial and imprisonment.

I am going with a theme for March and May-all true crime books. I have got to get some of these read and off my shelf, so this is a fun way to do that. If you aren't interested in true crime, ignore me for those two months. This was one of the better Aphrodite Jones books that I have read. I really enjoyed hearing her speak a little bit at Crime Con in Nashville last summer and decided to give some of her books another chance. This wasn't as dry as the first one that I read, and I felt that the research was well done. This case has been back in the headlines since the release of the Staircase documentary on Netflix, though there is also one on Hulu. This case has also been featured on Dateline and a slew of other shows. One thing I have learned in my years of true crime interest is: NEVER MARRY A MAN NAMED PETERSON. Michael, Scott, and Drew. Three reasons to support my ban on Peterson marrying. (No offense to those who are named Peterson and are not murders.)
Profile Image for Wade.
750 reviews26 followers
November 28, 2021
“It was already like a mystery, like a true crime novel.”

“They say it’s an accident, and we say it’s murder.”

“From all appearances, they had the perfect household, the perfect family, the perfect marriage. But as the old say goes…appearances can be very deceiving.”

After watching the one sided true crime docuseries “The Staircase” on Netflix, I was curious to read more about it and see what the producers left out. “A Perfect Husband” by Aphrodite Jones was the perfect companion piece that fills in a lot of the story. And while “The Staircase” does a good job leaving you with some reasonable doubt with its focus on the defense, “A Perfect Husband” will answer any of those doubts. Aphrodite Jones does an excellent job presenting all of the details in an easy to read and captivating way. I thought before that Michael Peterson was guilty; but now I am sure of it. Sad and scary that he is not currently in jail.
12 reviews
August 15, 2010
I am a huge fan of true crime and was very familiar with this case even before I picked up the book. It falls into the category of guilty pleasure for me - won't win any literary awards but I still managed to learn more tidbits. The case itself falls into the "truth is stranger than fiction" category and I find the details fascinating. If you get creeped out easily, avoid.
Profile Image for Erin.
124 reviews
June 11, 2019
This is a good supplement to The Staircase documentary on Netflix. There are several things that were not presented in that documentary that may make you think differently about this case.
290 reviews
Read
February 13, 2009
I can not figure out why I continued with this book... probably that morbid curiousity I have.
I had heard many good things about this author but I found her to be a cheap copy of Ann Rule...who I enjoy very much and is a professional and obviously does very thorough research...this author didn't.
Ironically there was an hour program on TV last night that I thought I would watch since I had just finished the book. Within three minutes I turned the show off..the police interview with the perp was pathetic..perp acting so "poor me" "victim" I wanted to puke. Book going into the Goodwill pile and is not recommended.
I learned I will not read any more books by this author.
Profile Image for Jenn.
1,647 reviews33 followers
April 24, 2023
Wonder why it originally said I started this a month in the future? Not a big deal but very strange. I had already watched the special on this so knew the story well. But it did cover a number of things differently. I didn’t remember the reason for the new trial. That Duane guy certainly threw a wrench in everyone’s plans with his made up testimonies. Did Michael do it? Did he beat his wife to death? Hell yeah. How else do you explain the massive damage to her head? He’s a sociopath, that’s for sure. Aphrodite sure writes a great tale and I’d love to read more by her.
Profile Image for Camille Wilson.
253 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2020
Although interesting in a prurient sort of way, this book was slopped together and, in my opinion, poorly written. The reader is left confused about how the private, inner thoughts of the key players are known, especially the victim's, Kathleen Hunt Atwater Peterson.Whether or not one ultimately agrees with the verdict, there is one thing that is crystal clear by the end of the book. Michael Peterson is a creepy, manipulative guy!
Profile Image for Shell Martin.
29 reviews1 follower
September 17, 2018
Nicely written book. Way better than I had expected.

It starts off very objective (or trying to be objective...) which I really liked...but the bias is not so tamped down by the end. At any rate, I still liked it much more than I had anticipated. I know these books on the case see Michael Peterson as guilty, but they don't provide any real proof except emotional bias (feelings have NO IQ...), which do circumstantially SEEM strong. There needs to be more explained though, like a motive and what type of weapon was used (we find out it couldn't have been the blow-poke, which the defense failed to find in the house, even with THREE search warrants (yet it was found in the house during the trial in 2003...all cobwebby & buggy...). We also know that the blood splatter specialist turned out to be a charlatan and fraud...Duane Deavers...AFTER the books on the case had been published, so that knocks down his trumped up findings.

Kathleen Peterson (don't confuse her with Kathleen (Savio) Peterson who was murdered on 2/29/2004 in Bolingbrook, IL (this murder was on 12/9/2001 in Durham, NC...) was indeed beaten to death, but by WHO? I just don't think it was by Michael Peterson, thou'. His 9-1-1 call seems legit to me and with all his faults (and the books provide us with many unknown personal facts about Peterson that portray him as a right asshole!) but taken into consideration, I still don't believe he is a cold-blooded murderer.

That 1985 staircase death of Liz Ratliff in Germany sure does make him seem more guilty than one would see him as IF it hadn't happened, but I think strange things had happened to make him look 100% complicit...things that are way more stranger than fiction...so much so, no one would believe the truth even if it WAS the truth.

When one watches the many docos on this case (all amazingly and mostly all called "The Staircase"...), they mostly see the "good" side of Michael Peterson...which makes him look (mostly) innocent and perpetually perplexed. Reading the books, one learns of horrible things in his past that make one WANT to see him as some kind of psycho, but an asshole and a psycho are not the same thing. People seem to forget about the trails of chaos most psychos, when sussed out, leave behind. A killer and a Class A SOB are two different things. In the end, the difference DOES matter.

Anyway, pretty solidly written book...author has a nice writing style I didn't expect because I don't really agree with her that much but it makes me want to read her other books now in lieu of dismissing her. In the end, Michael Peterson served some time (even though he is probably NOT the killer) and is free due to an Alford Plea but I don't think many will believe he is an innocent man. They sure don't believe Scott Peterson and Drew Peterson are innocent, so why would they believe Michael Peterson (the writer) was? And the owl "theory" is a VERY interesting twist many quickly scoff at BUT small owl feathers WERE found on Kathleen and her head wounds did have a pitch-fork and raptor type shape. It would be so weird IF it had really been an owl or if one had an explanation of WHY it looked like an owl attack. Most wouldn't believe it if explained so it will probably be kept unsaid. The truth is not wanted in 2018...
Profile Image for Joyce.
636 reviews
February 19, 2019
Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

I do not like the way this book was written. Aphrodite Jones wrote this book like a novel and I just don’t see how she knew people’s feelings and private conversations. It just seemed fake. I kept thinking how does she know this? I would have liked the book to be more about facts and less like a novel.

One thing I did learn is that there were signs of domestic abuse with Kathleen. There were signs but people missed them. If people dug a bit more into that they would find some more evidence of coercive control and domestic abuse. Freaking Margaret and Martha are under his spell but if we could just get them to flip and tell the whole story we’d hear stories about what really went on behind closed doors with Patricia and Kathleen. And Patricia...what is wrong with her? Same thing. She was coercively controlled by him too. What about any of his previous girlfriends? Someone should dig up some information from previous girlfriends.

Writing was mediocre but it was good, worth reading and he is so guilty!!!!
7 reviews
August 24, 2018
Narcissist & Murderer

Aphrodisiac Jones did a very good job of bringing out so many of the facts in the murder of Kathleen Peterson. Kathleen wanted to be needed at the time she became close to Peterson. Little did she know how used she would become by this dangerous, deranged man. It was odd to me that he could attempt to influence he police as to what happened in both staircase murders, and at the same time making it clear he was not there.
Regarding his lifestyle, why didn't Caitlin question immediately as to why this could be important in the case, and why didn't they explain the extent of it. She thought it was a new fact and assumed it was something from the past.
Also, there should have been fingerprint & blood testing on the supposedly long lost fire poker just to prove if it had family fingerprints on it.
Profile Image for Jeff.
203 reviews4 followers
March 6, 2019
Very good book, a solid four stars. The book is "dated" however. A lot transpired with this case and Michael after this book was written. Google it. Netflix has a documentary, 13 parts, The Staircase, about these events. It was done from the defenses point of view though. Several important issues aren't mentioned in the film.


On the other hand, the book favors the deceased wife, which I believe is more factual. Read this book, Google the updates, and watch the documentary, knowing that it is biased.
Profile Image for Katie Fleming.
85 reviews1 follower
March 1, 2021
Holy repetative.
There was a few times within the four or five page chapters, Aphrodite would just repeat the exact same sentence three seprate ways. It was beyond repetitive and things that were said within the first few chapters were repeated multiple times in later chapters. A few new tidbits were told that I hadn't known from the case, but honestly just watch "The Staircase" on Netflix, much more worth your time & probably less agonizing.

I read the updates and had to stop because it was just REPEATING stuff from the final chapters. WHY?
Profile Image for Khris Sellin.
789 reviews7 followers
July 25, 2018
Yes, I have a gazillion books in my "must read" pile, but I had to stop everything to read this and the Diane Fanning book about Michael Murderer Peterson, because since this "new" "documentary" about the case came out on Netflix, I couldn't believe I was hearing people say they thought he was innocent! No!
Manipulative, controlling, narcissistic, sociopathic murderer. Period. May he never know a moment's peace.
Profile Image for Krista.
782 reviews
February 17, 2015
Another true crime book about the Michael Peterson case. This one reveals the oddness surrounding Peterson's sons, and it has (just a warning) photos of his deceased friend at the time of her exhumation. (That's right, 18 years after her death.) Interesting enough, but as I said about another Peterson book, not as fascinating as the documentary, "The Staircase."
1 review
June 17, 2018
Review

This was a so so book on the death of Mrs. Peterson, but Mr. Peterson is now out of prison 8 years later. I think his lawyer just kind of day on his ass and did not really do his job. As to if he really did it, I still do not know. I know the blood guy Diane was found to lie about his work and a man in prison was released because of false reports.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
216 reviews7 followers
July 4, 2012
It took a long time for me to get through this and I don't know why. To me the most upsetting part was the systematic isolation of the victim's daughter from her siblings. She was made to feel like a monster for wanting justice for her mother. I hope she's found peace.
2 reviews
March 28, 2015
I haven't read the book yet, but I'm a huge fan of Aphrodite Jones so I give 5 stars to Aphrodite as an author and her accomplishments. I'm going to start it today and I'll rate and comment when I'm finished.
Profile Image for Angie and the Daily Book Dose.
225 reviews18 followers
May 14, 2017
A very different take away than the documentary THE STAIRCASE. This is a take on the MIchael Peterson case. The book was not bad, and I did learn a few things that I'd never heard before. Overall it was not overtly exploitative, and the book does not really question the guilt of Peterson.
Profile Image for Bridget.
15 reviews
October 28, 2011
a little long and drawn out, could have been done shorter and with more excitement. But I still like Ms. Jones's books.
Profile Image for Marianne Stehr.
1,219 reviews7 followers
July 7, 2013
this did not keep my interest and I gave up on it half way through
Profile Image for Theresa.
340 reviews9 followers
August 23, 2013
Well written true murder story that left me in doubt of his guilt right up to the middle of the book.
1 review1 follower
April 2, 2016
Wonderful

I found this book to be a real page turner, even though I knew the outcome, it was still very interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews

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