Customer Reviews

Perfect Family

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought Perfect Family because it was on sale at my book club. I had never heard of the author or the title, just took a chance...kind of like "book roulette". Every once in a while my gambling pays off. This is one of those times. I could not put this book down. I stayed up WAY too late three nights in a row because I was so involved and wanted to find out whodunnit and why. The characters are all unique but interesting in their own ways (except for maybe Jasper, the father, he was kind of vague to me). We know at the beginning of the book that the youngest sister drowns, what we don't know is why or really how. It is a twisted and disturbing journey leading to the big finish. The end of the book is enlightening and well wrapped up. No loose strings hanging which is the mark of a good book in my eyes. If you are looking for a unique page turner for your summer vacation I can't recommend Perfect Family highly enough.

In Vermont twentyish single mom Pony Carteret drowns while skinny-dipping at her affluent family's vacation home. While the local police investigate the drowning death, the Carteret brood back in Hartford argues over what happened to her and why and who will take in her infant son Andrew since they do not know the name of the father. Pony's widower father Jasper and her oldest sister Tinker are mostly interested in burying the scandal, but for now the latter takes in the child.


That same day that Pony died, she pleaded with her older brother William to come up to the Vermont house to talk where they argued. William feels guilty that he left her there, wondering if the accident or suicide was caused by her being distraught or homicide by her lover, her family, or someone else related to why Pony met with him. He needs to know so he investigates starting from the picture of their late mom taken with another man who is not their father. Meanwhile middle daughter Mira meets Keith at the funeral and begins seeing him; he persuades Mira and Tinker that their brother and their late sister were more than friendly siblings.

Filled with plenty of twists especially when William turns amateur sleuth, the aptly titled PERFECT FAMILY is a wonderful tale of a wealthy New England dysfunctional clan. The story line is character driven by the siblings, the patriarch and William's girlfriend; however, the key player their late mom never seems fully developed though all dynamic lines flow through her as even long dead she remains the hub of the Carteret family. Fans will appreciate Pam Lewis' entertaining thriller as the secrets keep on coming out.

Harriet Klausner

This is a good summer read. FYI, my definition of a good summer read is a
book that is not to complex to follow and definatly not cheesy. This book fits nicely in that category. I knew the ending early on in this book however I felt the author could have tried to hide it a little longer than he/she did. I would not purchase it but I would get from the library.

I've passed this book along to four other family members so far and we all agree it's one of the best books we've read in a long time. Tons of interesting characters, a great family story and it's a real page turner. I almost wish I had saved this one for our vacation. I am seriously looking forward to this author's next book.

these characters are still running around in my head and I like that, when the book makes an impression, the characters are alive and I am moved with them

I enjoyed Pam Lewis' first book, Speak Softly, She Can Hear You, so I was excited to see she had a new book recently released.


In this novel, Perfect Family , 24- year old Pony telephones her oldest brother William, to the family lake house in Vermont. The two siblings have a disagreement and William leaves. Later Pony is found dead, drowned in the lake, with her infant left nearby. Pony's father assumes it was an accident, but William is not so sure, and he sets out to find out what really happened.

The author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep your interest. I did figure out how the story would end, but despite that, I'm still glad I read the book.

When a young single mother is found drowned at the family summer home, everyone is naturally stunned. Not only was Pony Carteret a strong swimmer, but she had left her year-old son Andrew alone on the lawn. Plus, she'd summoned her brother William to the home only hours earlier, on the pretense of having something important to tell him...which she never did.

In the aftermath of Pony's death, the Carterets struggle with both their grief and their confusion. What really happened in the water that evening? Who was little Andrew's father, and why didn't Pony ever name him? Of course, as the Carterets try to answer questions, they end up raising even more -- some which go back as far as many of them can recall, upending everything they thought they knew about themselves as a family and as individuals.

Originally, I picked up this book because the author sets much of it in West Hartford, CT, near my hometown, and it's always fun to read about real places you know well. I was pleased to find the book a well-written mystery on its own, full of three-dimensional characters I was interested in learning more about.

I'll be looking forward to reading another of Ms. Lewis' books!

Perfect Family is almost too real! Pam Lewis is a genius writing about people, she has totally believable dialogue, and there are enough twists and turns to keep you turning the page.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. I especially loved the ambiance and the well-drawn depth of the the characters. I was born and brougnt up in Massachusetts and am very familiar with Hartford. I regonized the characters as people I have known. A very realistic and engrossing book.

This was a book that I couldn't put down. The characters were real. The story was intriguing. My only complaint is that as a reader of mysteries, everything was so obvious. I never felt surprised when something was revealed.