Customer Reviews

Death of a Perfect Man

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'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!

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.

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.

Gornell excels at engaging the reader's senses, allowing them to taste, touch, smell and feel her setting. Marvelous!

Jada Beaudine has left Puget Sound after her husband Terry was killed in a shocking boating accident and is headed to Atlanta to get away from the memories and live near Terry's family. However, she makes a wrong turn in the Mojave desert in California and finds herself almost out of gas and her anxiety escalates.In the middle of nowhere Jada stops at a peculiar place, the "Red Rock Inn & Cafe" and the owner Irina persuades her to stay the night. By morning an unusual murder has taken place and she is dragged into it; soon after another murder occurs. But Jada never realizes that she has been followed from Puget Sound by some quirky characters with their own devious plans.

Helping to solve murders is not new for Jada but her intuition soon tells her that she could very will be the next victim.

Gornell captures the feel of the barren desert and the isolated cafe so realistically. Her story grips you from the first to last page. Every character is diverse, plausible and contribute something unique to the story line. 'Death of a Perfect Man' is concise and exciting with an awesome plot. You will find this book hard to put down - a real page turner.