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Perfect Ghost, The (2013)

by Linda Barnes(Favorite Author)

3.18 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1469275589 (ISBN13: 9781469275581)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Brilliance Audio

review 1: I found it difficult to remain interested in this book. I found the interview transcripts tedious to read, with too much content that was not relevant to the story. I wanted the author to cut to the chase.The first love scene was so incongruent with the characters and what had just happened that I had to read the opening lines twice to figure out what was really going on. Was Em dreaming? Why would Malcolm be at her door kissing her when he had just discovered her, an agorophobe who loves walking on the open beach, snooping and possibly stealing something incriminating?The end was, of course, a huge surprise. I love surprises. This one, however, was annoying. The story is told in first person, but no one would guess that the first person is lying to us. Also, it is hard to... more believe that someone so mousy can commit well planned murder so easily, someone so "innocent" can think nothing of murdering innocent parties such as Pierce and McKenna. In the final scene, she has transformed from mousy to cocky. Completely unbelievable.
review 2: A play within a play....Our narrator, Em, is taking over the writing of a biography of a famous actor turned director. She's taking over because her partner, before the start of the book, dies in a freak car accident.The director is filming a new version of Hamlet. He comes from an acting dynasty: his family thought the Barrymores their only competition. Hamlet, the play,is alluded to throughout the book, and offers the reason for the title.The narrator mentions several times different impressions and scenes from her childhood as a foster kid. The case for what she becomes because of that background is only loosely made, however. My other objection is that the evolution of the character didn't play as smoothly as it could. That is, in part, because it was a first person narrative.The writing itself is excellent. Very different from what I've read before: her Carlotta Carlyle series. But well worth reading nonetheless. less

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Reviews (see all)

melody

What a damned good read! I used to devour Linda Barnes' Carlotta Carlyle novels when I was much younger, and I was somewhat trepidatious about picking up this new novel, which has a cover like something you'd see on Oprah's book club. Luckily, Barnes didn't disappoint at all. Because of the nature of the story, I don't really want to say much in my review, because there's many points which would count as spoilers. I will suffice it to say that don't give up on the ultra-passive narrator early on, because things are not quite how they seem.

imrsmjc

Teddy and Em are a writing team. Teddy is the public face of the team and Em is the behind-the-scenes researcher. When Teddy is killed in a car accident, Em is left to finish their autobiography of a famous, reclusive director. The publisher doesn't think that Em is capable of finishing the book without Teddy but Em is determined to overcome her social phobia, finish Teddy's interview with the director and complete the book.

rumi

Meh...not impressed. Saw the ending by the middle of the book.

Sdavis

Easy to read interesting characters but a little predictable

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