The Perfect Woman [Paperback]

James Andrus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2010

One Man's Obsession. . .

Pharmacy clerk William Dremmel is hooked--on drugging pretty young women and lulling them into slow, blissfully quiet deaths. Then he packs his victims in luggage--a nod to the cops that he works alone. Dremmel's no fool, he's also a college professor. He just likes using his intellect for darker purposes. . ..

Is Another Man's Anguish. . .

Haunted by his own daughter's unsolved disappearance, Detective John Stallings is committed to finding runaways and busting their abductors. When a series of girls is found dead and stuffed into duffle bags, he's consumed with capturing "The Bagman"--at the risk of his marriage, his career, and possibly his tough-as-nails partner, Patty Levine. . .

And Neither Intends To Give Up

As The Bagman grows more brazen in his crimes, the clues line up. But when he draws terrifyingly close to Patty, Stallings is determined to play by his own rules--and they won't be pretty--or quiet. . .

"One of the best cop novels to come along in years. Hard-hitting, fast-paced, yet heart-felt, Perfect Woman gives us a portrayal of policing as gritty and realistic as the best nonfiction. And what a great hero, Det. John Stallings. . . . We need more cops (and thriller characters) like him!" --Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author

"This book moves with deadly speed and the assured hand of a writer who knows his stuff." --Michael Connelly, New York Times bestselling author

"An insider's view of how a true police investigation unfolds. It's as close a look at police work as you can get." --Elmore Leonard, New York Times bestselling author

"A perfect thriller for Hollywood to grab. The author's police experience and knowledge of the turf keeps the police action highly visual and at a boiling point throughout." --Joseph Wambaugh

"The Perfect Woman delivers perfect suspense. You won't be able to put this book down!" --Kevin O'Brien, New York Times bestselling author

"One of the best cop novels to come along in years. Hard-hitting, fast-paced, yet heart-felt, Perfect Woman gives us a portrayal of policing as gritty and realistic as the best nonfiction. And what a great hero, Det. John Stallings. . . . We need more cops (and thriller characters) like him!" --Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: P Mass Paper; 1 edition (April 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786022159
• ISBN-13: 978-0786022151
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #232,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As a law-enforcement officer I often read police novels and notice more what's missing than what's on the page. When I started writing this series featuring Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Detective John Stallings ,it was my hope to show police officers as more than just robots that enforce the law. No, you can't go on the job without thinking about your family just like you can't go home without bringing a little bit of the job with you, no matter how hard you try. John stallings is like a detective I know; Honest, ethical and clueless when it comes to relationships.

The investigation of a potential serial killer is an entirely different dynamic than a standard homicide. Not only is there the drive to solve a murder but the pressure to prevent another. The confluence of administration, media, investigation and family can create a pressure cooker few cops can survive. Someone always loses. Sometimes it's the neglected child, sometimes it's the investigation and sometimes it's the spouse who sits at home and wonders why this particular investigation appears to be more important than home life.

As a career law enforcement officer, I rarely watch TV crime shows. This is not an indictment of how well written or acted they may be, but more an odd feeling of how different my life is from the cops on TV. That's why I am so gratified when I get an e-mail from a reader who is a real life cop and gets what I'm trying to say in these series of books.

The next book in the series is due for release in the Fall of 2011. It will follow the investigation of a killer as well as clues to Stallings' missing daughter which emerge during the case.

Thank you for taking the time to check out the books in this short commentary. For more information please visit www.James Andrus books.com. I really appreciate the fan e-mail I've received and make every effort to answer it personally.


Best,

James Andrus

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leaves Just Enough to the imagination --- that is, until the next installment!, June 14, 2010

By 

Bookreporter (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Perfect Woman (Paperback)

James Andrus is the pen name of an active law enforcement officer working in the Southeast. As a result, his debut novel is infused with a real-world, over-the-shoulder view into the gritty, often politically incorrect world of criminal investigation and law enforcement. Set in a Jacksonville, Florida, that has all of its warts on display, THE PERFECT WOMAN combines a chilling plotline with memorable characters, both good and bad, who command and demand undivided attention from first page to last.

Detective John Stallings, the primary protagonist of THE PERFECT WOMAN, is a 16-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Stallings is assigned to the missing persons division, specializing in juveniles, runaways or otherwise. His presence in that department is motivated in no small part by the fact that his own daughter, Jeanie, is the subject of an unsolved missing person investigation. Her disappearance takes its toll on his family, as does his work schedule; the man is driven by --- almost obsessed with --- his job, even as he tries to be the best husband and father he can be. But a case that ends for Stallings at a down heel motel also sparks the beginning of a new case. Stallings makes a grisly discovery that results in his transfer --- with Patty Levine, his partner --- to homicide for the purpose of apprehending a chilling killer who quickly becomes known as the Bag Man.

The reader is introduced to the Bag Man almost immediately. He is William Dremmel, a classic underachiever whose part-time jobs at a community college and in a pharmacy provide him with plenty of opportunities not only to hide in plain sight but also to select and entrap his victims. Dremmel, who lives with and is nominally the caretaker of his disabled mother, is fascinated by the effects that pharmaceutical drugs have upon women of a certain age and body type who he chillingly refers to as his "girlfriends." Andrus, who draws his story from real cases, presents a chilling portrait here. Dremmel obviously knows right from wrong --- he takes great and clever pains not to get caught --- but it is obvious from the beginning that the boy is off his feed.

The addicting element of THE PERFECT WOMAN, however, is the investigation. Stallings is hamstrung to some extent by the glory-hogging detective in charge of the investigation, as well as an internal affairs investigator who has had it in for him for years. Stallings and the team rely on doggedness and determination to find and then follow Dremmel's trail. Some of their evidence is obtained through forensic science, some on expended shoe leather, and some on luck. With regard to the latter, nothing falls into the detectives' laps. Some clues materialize as the result of Stallings's habit of paying forward on the street; his reputation as a very tough but fair cop who is trustworthy holds him in good stead. Other leads don't seem like leads at all but for Stallings's street savvy. Add an interesting supporting cast, down to the most minor player, and you have what may well be the first great beach read of this summer.

THE PERFECT WOMAN is complete in itself, but Andrus leaves enough lines dangling in the water at its conclusion to hook readers into anticipating the next Stallings book. Let's hope that we don't have to wait an entire year for its publication.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Police procedural that reads like reality..., June 30, 2010

By 

Paul R. Laska (Palm City, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Perfect Woman (Kindle Edition)

James Andruss's first book is a wonderful police procedural. Not only does it accurately show how detectives work through a major case, but it accurately captures the inner aspects of a cop shop - the little jokes played on one another, the petty jealousies and personality problems, the personal frailties of the cops and their own lives. He also captures the feel for NE Florida, the unique makeup of Jacksonville among all of Florida, and makes one feel like being there...

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Avid Reader, April 19, 2010

By 

Avid Reader "Barbara" (Jupiter, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Perfect Woman (Kindle Edition)

I enjoyed The Perfect Woman. It was fast past, realistic and held my attention throughout the story. I hope there will be a follow up.