The Perfect Husband [Paperback]

Lisa Gardner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1997

What would you do if the man of your dreams hides the soul of a killer?

Jim Beckett was everything she'd ever dreamed of...But two years after Tess married the decorated cop and bore his child, she helped put him behind bars for savagely murdering ten women. Even locked up in a maximum security prison, he vowed he would come after her and make her pay. Now the cunning killer has escaped—and the most dangerous game of all begins....

After a lifetime of fear, Tess will do something she's never done before. She's going to learn to protect her daughter and fight back, with the help of a burned-out ex-marine. As the largest manhunt four states have ever seen mobilizes to catch Beckett, the clock winds down to the terrifying reunion between husband and wife. And Tess knows that this time, her only choices are to kill—or be killed.

Lisa Gardner sold her first novel when she was 20 years old. In 1993 she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in international relations. She lives in Rhode Island, where she is at work on her next novel of suspense.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A streamlined bang-up addition to the oeuvre of Tami Hoag, Karen Robards, Elizabeth Powell and, these days, even Nora Roberts." —Publishers Weekly

"A dark, powerful tale of nerve-shattering suspense."—Tami Hoag

"A chilling story of revenge and betrayal, with one of the creepiest villains I've ever read."—Iris Johansen, author of The Ugly Duckling

"An unforgettably evil villain and a throat-gripping climax make The Perfect Husband a real page-turner!"—Tess Gerritsen, author of Harvest

"I loved this book! I was up till 2 a.m. finishing it!"—Karen Robards, author of Walking After Midnight and Hunter's Moon

"Nail-biting suspense...a taut roller coaster of a story that kept me up very, very late."—Kay Hooper, author of Amanda and After Caroline

"A superlative read, with vivid characters, faultless procedure, and a villain who will whisper in the dark evertime you turn off the light."—Eileen Dreyer, author of Brain Dead

From the Publisher

Praise for The Perfect Husband:

"A streamlined bang-up addition to the oeuvre of Tami Hoag, Karen Robards, Elizabeth Powell and, these days, even Nora Roberts." --Publishers Weekly

"A dark, powerful tale of nerve-shattering suspense."
--Tami Hoag

"A chilling story of revenge and betrayal, with one of the creepiest villains I've ever read."
--Iris Johansen, New York Times-bestselling author of The Ugly Duckling

"An unforgettably evil villain and a throat-gripping climax make The Perfect Husband a real page-turner!"
--Tess Gerritsen, New York Times-bestselling author of Harvest

"I loved this book! I was up till 2 a.m. finishing it!"
--Karen Robards, New York Times-bestselling author of Walking After Midnight and Hunter's Moon

"Nail-biting suspense...a taut roller coaster of a story that kept me up very, very late."
--Kay Hooper, nationally bestselling author of Amanda and After Caroline

"A superlative read, with vivid characters, faultless procedure, and a villain who will whisper in the dark evertime you turn off the light."
--Eileen Dreyer, nationally bestselling author of Brain Dead

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First edition (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553576801
• ISBN-13: 978-0553576801
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (206 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times #1 bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, cutting edge forensics and twisted plots into a streak of thirteen bestselling suspense novels, including her most recent release, Catch Me.

Readers are invited to get in on the fun by entering the annual "Kill a Friend, Maim a Mate" Sweepstakes, where they can nominate the person of their choice to die in Lisa's latest novel. Every year, one Lucky Stiff is selected for Literary Immortality. It's cheaper than therapy, and you get a great book besides. For more details, simply visit Lisa's website.

Lisa lives in New England with her family, as well as two highly spoiled dogs and one extremely neurotic three-legged cat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You will be spellbound...., April 20, 2003

By 

iheartjackbauer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Perfect Husband (Paperback)

Theresa Matthews never knew what hit her when she met Officer Jim Beckett. All she did know was that someone in her life finally loved her. With no complaints, Theresa did everything Jim asked of her. She kept a perfect home, cooked meals on time, and gave him a baby daughter that he appeared to love. Hiding behind his cruel facade, Theresa discovered an evil man with no soul. A killer that she was a part of stopping. After two years of running, and a new identity, Tess Williams emerges. When Jim escapes from prison, Tess find J.T. Dillon, an burntout ex-mercenary whom she talks into training her for one month. All Tess wants is to be able to protect her daughter from the monster that has sworn to return to kill her.

J.T. Dillon has his own demons to fight, and he doesn't need the responsiblity of protecting Tess. Finding his way through a hellish childhood, J.T. came out scarred, especially since he knew that he didn't protect his younger sister, Marion, from their father. Now, after two weeks training with Tess, everything with Beckett comes to head and J.T. knows that he will not lose another woman that he loves.

The Perfect Husband is an exceptional story about a pyshcopath who is not only sly, but intelligent as well. Continually escaping authorities, Beckett knows that no one will ever be able to catch him. Gardner does an extrodinary job of portraying a killer. The romance that was mixed in was intense and erotic, but didn't take away from the suspense of the story.

Pick it up!

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A thrilling, haunting read ..., September 9, 2001

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Perfect Husband (Paperback)

With Halloween just around the corner, I have to say this is the perfect spooky novel to read during a nighttime thunderstorm! I did do that ~~ read while waiting for my fiance to get home from work ~~ and every creak and moan in the house seems to house Jim Beckett waiting to kill me! Regardless of the hauntings, I still couldn't put this book down. This is my first Lisa Gardner novel and she does have me hooked now!!

Jim Beckett is the husband every woman dreams of having ~~ or so Tess thought. When she turned him in for being a serial killer, Tess takes her daughter Sam and run. Only, Beckett finds her and leads the reader on a merry chase through gruesome murders and mind games. It is a bold novel ~~ and one that will keep you up all night just to finish it. Then it's also one that will keep you up all night listening to every creak and moan in the house. It also explores the mindset of a killer and why he married Tess ~~ and why he chases after her after getting out of prison. It's a terrifying look inside an abuser's mind.

If you're brave enough to read this, I dare you to. If you haven't read Lisa Gardner before, I highly recommend you reading this author. She is talented and will ensare you with her stories. It's a great spooky read and a perfect gift for that Halloween lover in you!

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing story but doesn't flow well, December 15, 1999

By 

J. Evans (Worcester, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Perfect Husband (Paperback)

I enjoyed the concept of the story of a frightened woman trying to take charge of her life in preparation for a meeting with her serial killer psycho husband, but I found the realtionship between Tess and JT to be pretty shallow and odd. I find it hard to believe that a woman with such a background of violence in relationships would be attracted to a hot-headed drunkard mercenary. I also felt that although the plot could have been really great, that the characters were not developed enough for the reader to care too much about their fates. In short, a decent read but don't expect too much