Joelle's Bibliofile

The stories of two women are interwoven in Emily Liebert’s most recent domestic thriller Perfectly Famous. Ward DeFleur is a famous author who goes into hiding following a family tragedy, cutting off all ties to her former life. Bree Bennett is a recent divorcee looking to reboot her own writing career by finding Ward and exposing her story, hoping to eventually turn a series of articles into a book. What begins as an interesting premise for a mystery diverts into banal romance with some unrealistic dialog and awkward interaction. Both women lack clear motivations for their actions, and Bree’s irrational attraction to her literary subject is unconvincing. The most interesting parts of the book involve a subplot about Bree’s teenage daughter, Chloe, who is rebelling after her parents’ amicable split.  Unfortunately, no explanation or resolution about the mother-daughter relationship is satisfyingly explored. Liebert attempts to depict an increasing degree of danger for Bree as she chases down her story, but it comes across as artificial and fails to stimulate a genuine sense of peril. Unfortunately, the plot then goes from ploddingly predictable to jarringly irrational at its conclusion. The ending seems to be almost hijacked, tacked on as a last-ditch attempt to elicit surprise. What results is a disappointing and ultimately unrewarding experience—one that is somewhat insulting to today’s sophisticated mystery consumer.

Thanks to the author, Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.