Husband, friend, colleague.... killer?

This is the second book featuring London Herald journalist Sophie Kent - I haven’t read the first, Breaking Dead, but you don’t need to in order to enjoy the second, though I probably missed out on a bit of continuity as far as the protagonist, Sophie, is concerned.

Here, Sophie is grieving the untimely death of her beloved younger brother Tommy - homeless, drug addicted - and struggling to uncover what really happened to him. Meanwhile, the drowned body of a lawyer is discovered and Sophie’s good friend and colleague, Charlie Swift, is implicated in her murder. Sophie can’t believe he could be capable of such a thing, but as Charlie disappears and evidence begins to stack up that he is not the man she had thought him to be, danger comes frighteningly close to home.

Then there’s Charlie’s social-media-savvy second wife Emily, who seems at times more intent on promoting her blog than finding her husband. But is Emily, too, all she seems?

Her investigations lead Sophie into the murky depths of Charlie’s past and the inner workings of a sinister religious cult. (Love a sinister religious cult.)

Deftly plotted and unpredictable, and at times very dark, this was one of those books which I really didn’t want to stop reading and could easily have finished in a day, were it not for pesky real-life responsibilities like going to work. Sophie is an engaging and satisfyingly complex heroine who definitely has some issues and doesn’t always make sensible choices, but also has tenacity and a toughness that belies her fragile exterior. Her brother Tommy’s addiction and mental health issues were, I thought, sensitively handled and realistically depicted by the author, and this was refreshing to see.

Some way in, I did get a vague inkling of where things might be going with Charlie’s storyline - but it was very vague indeed and the resolution was genuinely surprising.

All in all a brilliant read which certainly encourages me to seek out the previous Sophie Kent novel, and I will look out eagerly for more in this series in the future.

In this fast paced mystery by Corrie Jackson, The "Perfect on Paper" couple Charlie and Emily seem to have it all. Then Charlie is charged with a horrific murder and Emily suddenly doubts everything she knows about her husband. Gripping, fast paced, and well plotted!

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Wowza! The plot twists in this book will keep your head spinning. Just when you think you figured it out another one hits you.

While it was an roller coaster of a read it did not seem realistic but that's okay for a lot of readers. It is realistic enough for a novel but it did bug me at some points.

I felt that the ending was completely unexpected and out of left field. Even after more than a week later I am not really sure what I think about it.

If you enjoy a thriller with a lot of plot twist, this book is for you.

The Perfect Victim by Corrie Jackson is the second book in the Sophie Kent series. I didn’t know that it was part of a series until after I read the book. I did enjoy the book though so I guess starting with book two wasn’t an issue for me.

The book begins on a fast pace with the discovery of a body. Sophie Kent, a journalist, is at the scene trying to get the story. However, what first seems like a random crime gets more complicated when Sophie’s friend, a fellow journalist, is implicated in the murder. Things get more tangled when Sophie finds herself fighting to stay alive as she also tried to figure out what was happening.

I have always been interested in investigative journalism though I haven’t read a lot of books that have journalists as the main characters. This is one of the first things that I liked about the book. Interestingly, it is also the one thing that niggled at my mind a bit as I read this book. Of course, journalistic investigations are different from regular cop procedural. They do take some getting used to though.

The book is filled with twists. The murder case attracted a lot of media attention so there was press circus going on. In the midst of the circus, there is Sophie trying to solve the mystery and also Charlie’s wife who is trying to clear his name. There were some sections of the book that were pretty unexpected. They were uncomfortable for me to read and just a bit weird to make sense of but this is totally a personal issue. I also like the fact that the book had a cultic angle to it.

The final twist and ending was unpredictable. I thought the plotline was obvious. I knew the identity of the villain and the motives, or so I thought. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The reveal was shocking. I mean, it just never crossed my mind. I definitely think that it was perfect for this book.

I recommend The Perfect Victim by Corrie Jackson for anyone looking for a different kind of crime thriller with journalists taking the lead and working with investigators to get the story and as the cops catch the killer.

*thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffr­e for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

2.5 stars.
I found it so hard to get into this book. I was so close to giving up a few times but I kept going, in hopes that it got better, which it, thankfully did a bit. I cant pinpoint exactly what I disliked about it, but I did find parts of it boring and uninteresting. Though, having said that, there did seem to be alot happening, but in a good way. I found around the 40% mark it started to get more interesting. The fact that I actually did finish it and didnt abandon it, says that there were enough good parts. I dont think its the book thats really the issue, but more that it just wasnt really for me. Id recommend that if you like the sound of this story from the description, then give it a go, you will either like it or leave it but its worth giving a go.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for a review.
I thought that this was a smart and sexy thiller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book.
I didn’t know when I requested a copy of this book that it was the 2nd in a series but, the author did a great job giving the reader the basic and necessary information so if they didn’t read the 1st book in the series, they wouldn’t be confused or lost.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone and I would definitely read the next book in this series.

Excellent plot. Kept me on a roller coaster ride the whole time. Makes you wonder what secrets do others keep in their marriages.

I've gone off the usual "who dunnit" style books recently, but was drawn to this by the cover and synopsis. When a body washes up, journalist Sophie Kent becomes set on solving the crime. Even more so when her friend Charlie is main suspect in the murder.
It's gripping, shocking and the ending leaves you gasping. Really loved this book

Sophie Kent is a journalist whose friend and colleague Charlie Swift is a murder suspect. Charlie and his wife Emily appear to be a loving couple, and Emily, whose blog and instagram sites have a huge following, wants their marriage to be as perfect-picture as her fantasy.

Sophie desperately wants Charlie to be innocent, but as he fails to come forward and details accumulate, both Sophie, friend and confidante, and Emily, the steadfast wife, begin to see fault-lines opening everywhere.

Intense and suspenseful, I didn't see where this one was going and had a number of surprises along the way. Corrie Jackson deftly moves back and forth from the present, to the weeks before the murder, and to Charlie's childhood. This could have been complicated and confusing, but somehow worked.

The Perfect Victim keeps you wondering exactly who the perfect victim is. I changed my mind more than once. Jackson's twists and turns kept me enthralled.

Read in Oct.; blog review scheduled for Nov. 6

NetGalley/Bonnier Zaffre

Crime/Psychological Suspense. Nov. 16, 2017. Print length: 448 pages.

Didn't see the end coming! I did not know that this was the second in a series. I don't think the first was necessary to read this one though. The characters were great. The story line kept me on the edge of my seat.

I normally enjoy a long book but this novel, although well written, did drag a little. There was an awful lot of scene-setting and the whole plot could have been tighter and more focused if this was reduced. The story was quite good, but there were an awful lot of 'bit-player' characters which I found distracting. But on the whole, a good entertaining read.

This was truly well written I couldn't put it down! The author has the characters so weaved into each others lives it will keep you in a choke hold to the very last page! Talk about a butterfly effect! Kudos!

Blimey I think Corrie Jackson may be the new queen of the twist in crime fiction, The Perfect Victim was pure drama and just when you thought you’d grasped the truth you got sent down another dastardly dark alley (figuratively and literally) and just ended up turned around some more. Excellent plotting. Huge brownie points for keeping me guessing for far longer than any other mystery novel this year so far.

I loved the first Sophie Kent book – it was absolute class as is the character – but in The Perfect Victim things are taken up a notch – that touch of glamour remains but through a glass darkly as Sophie struggles not just with her own demons but it seems everyone else’s as well. Her long term friend is suspected of murder, his wife is acting strangely, Sophie herself is trying to come to terms with many things and it is beautifully written HIGHLY addictive and genuinely unpredictable.

There are a lot of books that explore the dark facade beneath the most pitch perfect seeming relationships but I think this one does that better than many – Emily and Charlie seem like a dream couple but what goes on beneath the surface you would never guess. As Sophie struggles to adjust to a new reality, you feel every moment of it, the emotional depth Corrie Jackson brings to her characters is in the top tier of crime writing today and she is only on book 2 so I can’t even begin to imagine where we might end up next. No pressure or anything but I can’t wait for more.

As a fan of crime fiction and series crime fiction in particular I’m always looking for my next must read obsession. Well here is one right here. Hugely talented, I’d say this author is one to watch for the next few years.

Full of heart, darkly disturbing, thought provoking and honestly authentic.

Highly Recommended.

This is the first novel I have read by Jackson and I absolutely loved it! Fast paced and thrilling, the story certainly kept me on my toes! Full of twists and turns which had me hooked right to the end. Thoroughly recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy in return for an honest review.

This book actually turned very frustrating for me very quickly it was very all over the place from the get go and that is already a turn off for me I want to instantly be captured by the book but not in this case. I couldn't make it past 7 chapters! I really wanted to love this book and was excited to read it the description sound fantastic but it was just to all over the place for me.

Great book. Loved the plot and characters. I would recommend this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Corrie Jackson, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

Husband, friend, colleague . . . killer? Charlie and Emily Swift are the Instagram-perfect couple: gorgeous, successful and in love. But then Charlie is named as the prime suspect in a gruesome murder and Emily's world falls apart. Desperate for answers, she turns to Charlie's troubled best friend, London Herald journalist, Sophie Kent. Sophie knows police have the wrong man - she trusts Charlie with her life. Then Charlie flees. Sophie puts her reputation on the line to clear his name. But as she's drawn deeper into Charlie and Emily's unraveling marriage, she realizes that there is nothing perfect about the Swifts. As she begins to question Charlie's innocence, something happens that blows the investigation - and their friendship - apart. Now Sophie isn't just fighting for justice, she's fighting for her life.

Husband/wife whodunit murders/murderers make the best thriller novels. This was my first Jackson novel, and I absolutely loved it. Her writing was captivating, the plot engaging, and there were enough mystery elements to keep me guessing until the very end. This was an emotionally thrilling read that was based in realism. What would you do if your husband was suspected of a brutal murder? Jackson's writing was so encompassing, I felt as if I were in the character's shoes. That's not an easy feat!

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a thriller with LOADS of twists!

What would you do if your husband, the man of your dreams, the person you trust more than anyone else in the world was a suspect in a brutal murder? Emily refuses to believe her husband, Charlie could be involved in the murder and she turns to her husbands old friend, journalist Sophie Kent. Sophie also know the police are wrong, she’s known Charlie forever and cannot believe he’s capable of killing anyone. Then Charlie does a runner, leaving everyone, Sophie most of all to wonder if she’s made a terrible mistake in judgement. This story had so many twists and turns, it almost made me dizzy. It left me wondering how well I really know my own friends