The Perfect Family (Signet Eclipse) (Paperback)

by Carla Cassidy (Author) "It was a perfect evening..." (more)
Key Phrases: bow killer, Detective Wilkerson, Jennifer Walsh, Cass Creek (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
If he can't have her, no one can

To one man, recent widow Marissa Jamison and her two children are the perfect family-and he will stop at nothing to make sure that they belong to him.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Signet (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451213904
• ISBN-13: 978-0451213907
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #191,814 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for Easy Reading, April 23, 2006

By	dessert - See all my reviews

I like the scenario set up here in which the serial murderer is motivated to kill. He is obsessed & envious with people around him who in his view have perfect families: devoted wife, adoring kids, nice house. He is desperately in need to acquire an instant perfect family himself and finds his target in Marissa Jamison, the perfect housewife.

Marissa is a widow having lost her husband, John, a fireman in a car accident about a year ago. She has doubts that it was an accident as the culprit was never caught. More importantly, no car skid marks were found at the accident scene that indicated a calculated move on the part of the culprit to kill her husband. One year on, she still had no clues as to the reason for the death of her husband. Until strange happenings take place around her.

The serial murderer presents "gifts" to Marissa in the form of dead bodies who were once in the way of Marissa as in those who have quarreled with her or had arguments with her. He believed that in doing those deeds, he would redeem himself as the perfect husband to Marissa by helping to get rid of irritants in her life to make her life even more perfect.

The police detectives, Luke & Sarah are baffled as to why strangers whom Marissa has briefly encountered in unpleasant exchanges start getting murdered. They are at their wits end to solve the murders until Sarah had a brain wave and embarks on a dangerous mission to capture the serial murderer in the act. But, for Sarah, her plans go awry.

I have to agree with some reviewers here that character development is quite scanty for the serial murderer, more attention to it would probably lead me to credit this with 5 stars. Perhaps the author was so thorough in developing the romances that she ignored the character development for the murderer.

Also, the romance between the 2 detectives Luke & Sarah was rather cliched, police partner falling for police partner. The author here could have tried to be more original. However, the romance between Marissa and her old school friend, Alex Kincaid, was original and in step with the development of the plot. The romance was cleverly deployed to start when the serial murderers began to give the plot a twist.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a nail biter!, January 31, 2006

By	Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Marissa is still recovering from the death of her husband a year ago. Just when she thinks her life might be on track - she has rekindled a relationship with a former boyfriend Alex - then strange things start to happen. A dead body in the park with a big read bow and a tag with the words "To Marissa; Love Blake" pops up and leads the cops to Marissa's door. Marissa is horrified - the dead girl is the same one that cursed her out after a near accident. Then a second body pops up with a red bow - another person she had an altercation with, and the cops think that whoever has done this is doing it for her. As she and Alex begin to develop a relationship, a madman is lurking in the shadows, watching her every move and is determined that if he cannot have Marissa, then no one can. Could he have even been behind her husband John's death too?

Though a little predictable, Cassidy does a great job of adding tension and creating build up which results in a cathartic release once all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. This is a great follow up to "Promise Him Anything," making Cassidy's romantic suspense novels must reads!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Impressed, October 10, 2006

By	Silver Screen (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

"The Perfect Family" was my first book by Carla Cassidy and although I am not a fan generally of the romance genre, I enjoyed Ms. Cassidy's romance-suspense effort.
The strongest part of the book, and what makes it all work, in my opinion, is her heroine. Marissa is very real, a widow with two young children, trying to find her life again a year after her husband's untimely death. Reconnecting with a former high school flame, and discovering that the spark is still very much there after many years, is dampened by individual known as Blake, who harbors an obsession with Marissa and is so intent on having her, that he is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way, or who upsets Marissa. Rather than being a somewhat stereotypical "victim" who wanders out alone with a serial killer on the loose, or who devises some intricate plot to lure the serial killer to her, Marissa does her best to let the police do the work, while she goes about her life, even among the phone calls, flower deliveries and messages left for her at the crime scenes. Her rediscovered love, Alex, is also a pleasant surprise, although their romance does feel a bit rushed.
The romance between the police detectives feels forced and not nearly as well developed as the one between Marissa and Alex. And this is the weakest point of "The Perfect Family", as other reviewers have pointed out. The character development of some central characters, including the stalker "Blake", leave a bit to be desired.
But all in all, I found Ms. Cassidy's book to be entertaining and definitely worth the read.
I will put her on my list of authors that I must read.