Death of a Perfect Man [Paperback]

M. M. Gornell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2009

Jada Beaudine has lost her husband Terry in a tragic and mysterious boating accident--and she badly needs a change. She leaves her home in Puget Sound to get away from the horror, the memories, and the relentless glare of publicity that surrounded her husband's death. Alone, she drives south and by the second evening finds herself taking a wrong turn in the stark Mojave high desert of interior Southern California. While mesmerized by the bigger-than-life beauty of a desert sunset, she nearly runs out of gas in the middle of nowhere. Amid mounting apprehension, she manages to find the odd "Red Rock Inn & Café," a lost, creepy old resort from some other place and time--where, Irina, a strange emerald-eyed woman materializes and convinces her to stay the night. She'll check out early in the morning and be on her way, right? But by morning, events unravel quickly and Jada finds herself pulled straight into the scene of a bizarre murder. As she reluctantly tries to make sense of this murder, it's soon followed by yet another. And all the while, Jada is being followed by people with varied, surprising and even sinister agendas of their own. Yes, she may have a knack for solving murders-as psychic Irina seems to know-but in this off-kilter scenario, Jada has her own powerful hunch that the next victim will be her. And every time she tries to leave this otherworldly place, she finds that somehow she can't...

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Aberdeen Bay (April 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1608300072
• ISBN-13: 978-1608300075
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,498,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Madeline (M.M.) Gornell has three published mystery novels--PSWA awarding winning Uncle Si's Secret, Death of a Perfect Man, and Reticence of Ravens--her first Route 66 mystery. Reticence of Ravens was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer 2011 fiction Prize, the da Vinci Eye (cover art), and the Montaigne Medal (most thought provoking book).

She continues to be inspired by historic Route 66, and expects 2012 release dates for Lies of Convenience, a tale that fictionally connects murder, truths untold, and Chicago's Lake Michigan with California's high desert on the opposite end of the Mother Road, and Pronouncements of Ravens, a sequel to Reticence of Ravens.

She is a lifetime lover of mysteries, and an admitted anglophile. Besides reading and writing, she is also a potter with a fondness for stoneware and reduction firing. M.M. lives with her husband and assorted canines in the Mojave high desert near the internationally revered Route 66. You can visit her online at her website http://www.mmgornell.com, or her BLOG http://www.mmgornell.wordpress.com, or email her directly at [e-mail].

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great ending!, October 5, 2009

By 

Martha A. Cheves (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death of a Perfect Man (Paperback)

'The pump was indeed antique, and it would be a miracle if it functioned. An old beat-up white station wagon with several flat tires sat dejectedly by the office entrance. "Red Rock Inn Limousine" had been painted on its side ages earlier; now the words, in faded black letters were barely recognizable.... Someone tapped on her car window... "Gas?" A thin-faced middle-aged looking woman with longish brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail appeared from nowhere... Finally the woman said, "You should stop driving now. I have a vacancy. I'll fix you a sandwich." Then she added. "I'm psychic, sometimes."'

Jada Beaudine's husband was lost in a boating accident leaving her with a large insurance payout. The insurance company doesn't buy the death of Terry Beaudine and sends their best man Lyle Elliott to follow Jada and be present when she connects with her still living husband.

After putting up with police and insurance investigators for a year, Jada decided to move from Seattle to Atlanta in hopes of starting a new life for herself. While driving into the Mojave, Jada stopped for gas at the an old resort called the "Red Rock Inn & Cafe." Due to the lateness and her being physically tired, she decided to check in for the night. But as morning approaches, Jada is drug into the murder of Nick Williams, "the Perfect Man." For Jada, the nightmare begins again as she helps to solve this murder as well as the murder and murder attempts that follow. Plus, in the wake of these new mysteries, Jada still has to contend with the insurance investigator, a white car that's following her and whoever is responsible for the attempts on her own life.

M. M. Gornell has done it to me again. As I read Death of a Perfect Man, I found myself being convinced that I knew who the murderer had to be and why, only to find myself doubting my theory. It wasn't until the last few pages that I was able to understand who the murder was and why. Gornell is truly a "Perry Mason" writer!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing plot, October 1, 2009

By 

J. M. Orenduff "The Pot Thief" (New Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death of a Perfect Man (Paperback)

I tend to make quick decisions about a book. If I like the first few paragraphs, chances are I'll read the book. But Death of a Perfect Man may be the first book I've ever been inclined to read based on the preface. It was obvious then that M. M. Gornell loves the desert, and as a lifelong desert rat myself, I had to dive in. What followed is a story with enough twists and turns to supply several seasons of Dynasty with enough left over for Dallas and Santa Barbara to boot. Except these characters are better and stranger than even Hollywood can dream up. Multiple psychics, blackmailers, and characters who aren't who you think they are fit right in at the Red Rock Inn & Café, a sorry collection of shacks that somehow begins to feel charming because of the woman who owns it and the young man who works there. But it also a place of danger where Jada Beaudine, fleeing from the memory of her husband's death in a boating accident, stumbles on a murder and is enlisted - against her better judgment - to assist the local sheriff in the investigation. Romance between unlikely pairs, dark family secrets, and not one but multiple people tracking Jada make for an intriguing plot, especially because the stalkers' paths continue to cross, and the multiple points of view are handled deftly by Gornell. The author's love for the desert is obvious, as is her ability to create interesting characters and weave an intricate plot.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful description and interesting characters, June 21, 2009

By 

jvimawriter (Santa Clarita, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death of a Perfect Man (Paperback)

The scenic descriptions in this novel take you straight into the heart of the desert. You feel as if you are there watching the spectacular sunsets and sunrises. All of the characters are clearly drawn--some quirky, some sad and some brimming with cheerful optimism. A definite summer read.