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Perfect Paperback – June 8, 2008

by Harry Kraus (Author)

4.1 103 ratings

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Wendi Stratford's job as an accident reconstructionist is just one more enviable reflection of her ideal life. She's got it all---perfect career, perfect looks, perfect husband, perfect home, perfect faith. There's just one problem: it's all a sham, right down to her bleached-blonde hair. So Wendi hatches an impulsive and exhilarating plan to break free of the lie she's been living---only to watch her hopes die in a terrible accident. But as she sifts through the wreckage, Wendi comes to a shocking conclusion. This was no accident. The quest is on to learn the truth, but the truth could be deadly. And now someone is leaving Wendi clues at accident scenes, clues that could lead her straight into a killer's hands. With her life on the line, Wendi must find strength in a faith that until now had been merely an accessory to her storybook life. With engaging characters swept into a millrace of mystery and suspense, Harry Kraus' new novel is. . .perfect.

Length

336
Pages
Language

EN
English
Publisher

Zondervan
Publication date

2008
June 8
Reading age

18 years and up
Dimensions

8.4 x 0.9 x 5.4
inches
ISBN-10

031027284X
ISBN-13

978-0310272847
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In surgeon-cum-novelist Kraus's cloudy medical thriller, protagonist Wendi Stratford is a self-described professional Christian: she has the perfect house, haircut and church (where Daddy is the pastor). Her husband also seems perfect, a man so meticulous that he carries three pens in his white physician's coat and knots his silk ties so that the longer tail hangs exactly two centimeters below the shorter one. Wendi is tired of hiding her real self behind a plastic facade, but when she lays aside her mask, tragedies begin to occur all around her. This raises one of the novel's more provocative questions: does God punish people for their sins? Kraus clearly knows his way around an OR, and intimate medical details give the story's less plausible plot twists some heft. Kraus also presents thoughtful ruminations on sin, guilt and forgiveness with some finesse. However, as suspense, this novel falls far short. The first half is devoted to character development for Wendi and her immediate family, but none of those nuances extend to the characters who become central in the more plot-driven second half, especially the stock villain. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

In surgeon-cum-novelist Kraus's cloudy medical thriller, protagonist Wendi Stratford is a self-described 'professional Christian': she has the perfect house, haircut and church (where Daddy is the pastor). Her husband also seems perfect, a man so meticulous that he carries three pens in his white physician's coat and knots his silk ties so that the longer tail hangs exactly two centimeters below the shorter one. Wendi is tired of hiding her real self behind a plastic facade, but when she lays aside her mask, tragedies begin to occur all around her. This raises one of the novel's more provocative questions: does God punish people for their sins? Kraus clearly knows his way around an OR, and intimate medical details give the story's less plausible plot twists some heft. Kraus also presents thoughtful ruminations on sin, guilt and forgiveness with some finesse. However, as suspense, this novel falls far short. The first half is devoted to character development for Wendi and her immediate family, but none of those nuances extend to the characters who become central in the more plot-driven second half, especially the stock villain. (June) -- Publisher's Weekly

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zondervan; First Edition (June 8, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 031027284X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0310272847
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.39 x 0.87 x 5.39 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,163,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,035 in Religious Mysteries (Books)
- #10,932 in Christian Mystery & Suspense
- #88,877 in Suspense Thrillers

Customer Reviews:
4.1 103 ratings

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About the authors

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Harry Lee Kraus
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Harry Kraus
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As a board-certified surgeon, Harry Kraus has divided his professional life between Virginia and East Africa. His novel, "Could I Have This Dance?" was the number one CBA bestseller in the contemporary category. His novels are laced with his signature of medical realism. He has been both an ACFW Book of the Year and Christie Award for Inspirational Fiction finalist.
Harry loves miniature Schnauzers and motorcycles and is passionate about spreading the good news of GRACE. In addition to his love of writing fiction, he has written three non-fiction books: "Breathing Grace," "The Cure," and "Domesticated Jesus."
Visit his website: www.harrykraus.com for information about books and to read his blog: Field Notes.
Visit his blog: www.3menwalkintoablog.com
You can join Harry Kraus Readers Group on Facebook and become Harry's FB friend. His listing is Harry Lee Kraus.
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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5

103 global ratings

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Jane Daly

Kept me reading until late at night

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2018

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This is so far the best Harry Kraus novel. I loved the story of Wendi's perfect life - how many of us want to throw away our fake smile and false identity and run away to Jamaica? This book pulled me in with lots of drama, plot twists, and unexpected endings. I highly recommend it!

One person found this helpful

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Trinity Rose

Very good read

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2015

Verified Purchase

Perfect by Harry Kraus is a really good book, but I didn’t like the ending. I really enjoyed most of the book though.
Wendi is really good at her job, as an accident reconstructionist. She can read the cars, roads and know how fast someone was going. If they were braking or going faster etc.. She knows her job well.
Wendi is tried of being the perfect daughter, wife, doctors wife and plans to change her life. She makes many very bad decisions, but in the end they all work out.
Perfect shows us that when you build a web of deciect you will get caught. This book has many, many webs. Also when you think your life is horrible it may be you that is wrong or going through a bad time, not because you have a bad life.
Perfect is really interesting, but not a favorite. I do recommend that you read it though.

This is my own book and no one asked me to review it.

2 people found this helpful

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fredw1

I Kept Thinking it Would Get Better

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2017

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I kept thinking the story would get moving, so finished the book. Unfortunately, it didn't for me. The alleged main plot (the accident that Wendi investigates) probably takes up 10 pages. The subplots (family drama) take up the rest. If readers are looking for an treatise on Christian guilt and redemption, woven into a fictional story, they will like this book. I got tired of the "the guilty daughter of the minister who must keep up appearances" theme (which seems to show up in every chapter) very quickly; however, I did want to see what the accident investigation revealed.

The book switches between the first person (Wendi's point of view) to the third person, with only a bold first letter of the paragraph making the distinction. It's not too difficult to follow, but other authors have made this transition more clear. There were a few places where the publisher used hard hyphens instead of soft hyphens, so single words are hyphenated in the middle of a page.

I debated between two and three stars for this book, and finally conceded that it was probably middle of the pack among the books I've read.

One person found this helpful

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AReader

Really Good

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2010

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I loved this book. I wasn't sure where the story was going or if I was going to enjoy it, but I gave it try... I'm glad I did. The story took a unpredictable sequence of events that kept me glued to the book while at the same time preserving a very important message throughout the book (I won't spoil it by telling what). I hope other readers enjoy this book as much as I did... Read on my friends!!

One person found this helpful

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Cindy T.

OMG I'm impressed

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2010

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I have read a few of the "free" Kindle book offers and a few have failed my interest.
However, this book, is PERFECT! The author gripped my attention within the first few
pages and I could NOT put it down!! I was surprised by every twist and turn and the
outcome had me in shock. I was a little saddened in the end but would I read this again?
Heck yea! Do I recommend it? You betcha :)

One person found this helpful

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An appreciative reader

Realism With a Healthy Dollop of Grace

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2018

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I admit, the first few chapters made me wonder if reading on would perhaps be sinful for me, given the sensitive topic of temptation regarding adultery. Having decided to persevere due to my previous enjoyment, both of Harry Kraus's work and Zondervan publications, I'm glad I did.

The storyline is strong and a bit unpredictable, with interesting medical and accident science insights. Perhaps the best takeaways are the insight this story gives into the way guilt and a covenant of works can destroy relationships and take a high toll in the cost lives. I really appreciated seeing how Grace can tap the worst of perfectionists on the shoulder and soften a heart to produce the 'rest' we are designed to do our best work in.

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2010

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i bought this book when it was free a few weeks ago and i loved it! it was definetly very good especially for being free... but i think its still worth the $6 it is now. its about a "perfect" family that keeps up this image of having no problems whatsoever, when in reality, they have more problems then most families. the husband ends up having an affair with his co-worker & the wife feels like she cant keep the image any longer & decides she wants to run away her slightly younger piano teacher. but right after she tells the piano teacher her plans... he gets in an accident & has amnesia. so the rest of the story is her trying to figure out whos trying to kill her.

4 people found this helpful

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DivaStarMom

First book by Harry Kraus!

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2011

Verified Purchase

I just finished "Perfect" and the title is quite fitting, I must say. This is my first read by Harry Kraus and I can now say that I am most definitely a fan. The twists and turns of the book seriously had me on edge. I loved the plot and the loved the evolution of the characters. A must read!!!

One person found this helpful

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