I'd rank this book closer to 3.5 stars. The story itself is just so incredibly heartbreaking and outrageous. The book felt slightly jumbled between the timeline of events and the concentration on the Facebook posts. The book did provide a lot of information that wasn't really focused on in the media coverage, but it felt like the story would grind to a halt for pages of "now this is what her Facebook showed at the time" example posts. I'm a huge true crime buff so it wasn't as troublesome to me. I understand that these books are incredibly difficult to write well, but it would probably be a DNF to someone looking for a better story.

This was a well-written, objective book that gave information from both sides and perspectives. It gave new information that I was unaware of in this case and was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I went into the book not knowing what it was about. I had not heard about Chris Watts and what he did. Overall this book tells the story of how Shannan meets Chris and their lives together until the night that Chris decided to murder her and their 3 children. The story is well written with a lot of information. I like reading crime books and this one did not disappoint.

I know John Glatt is a prolific true crime writer, but this book fell a little flat for me. Perhaps it’s because the Watts family had such an online presence before the murders and the saturation of the case in the media following them, but I felt this book was mostly a transcript of Facebook posts, text messages, police videos, and media stories. I don’t feel there was anything “new” presented.

The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder was a good read by John Glatt. In this book the author reveals details about the tragedy of what happened to Chris Watts family. They seem to be the perfect family on social media but there are a darkness that no one knew about.

I'm a huge true crime fan, so this one came as a bit of a disappointment. The first half was superb and made me excited for the rest of the book. I learned some things about their backgrounds I had never heard before.

The second half, on the other hand, was basically just a summary of events after the crime and there was no new or shocking information.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the ARC ebook in return for my honest review.

I am addicted to this case. The poor little girls. The poor woman who just would have been happy moving on In my opinion. I wonder how watts’s mind works, how he could have this idea and react the way he did. I have read, listened and watched this case. This book did. Wonderful job speaking about the case.

I was so excited for this book (as much as one can be for true crime). I did not follow it in the news so I was excited to learn more. I am an avid true crime reader but true crime books aren't exactly "quality literature" so I do keep that in mind.

I really enjoyed the first quarter of the book where it gave backgrounds on Chris and Shanann. The next part felt like a chronological detail of all Shanann's postings on Facebook. "On July 15, Shanann posted a picture of her girls and talked about how she loved them." And it continued, and continued.

The second half of the book was about the murders and the trial in which Shanann is painted as a control freak who essentially was lying about her perfect life on Facebook.

Also, there was soooo much information on Thrive in there.

I was really disappointed with this book but I would definitely pick up another John Glatt book.

I really enjoy true crime podcasts which made me think I would love reading true crime. This book was very well written but it is the story of a deeply shocking tragedy. I hadn’t heard of this story before reading it but I did know that Chris Watts murdered his entire family. His wife Shanann was describes as a natural born seller and amazing mother. She told Thrive and had Chris using all the products which resulted in him dropping from 245 to eventually 180. Shanann alienated Chris’s family and told him what to do from day one. It doesn’t matter if she was an overbearing partner because everyone has their issues she didn’t deserve what happened to her and her
three children. This story is so heartbreaking and doesn’t shed much light on why Chris did what he did, just gives us a picture of their lives before tragedy happened.

I can still remember watching the coverage of the Watts family murders on the news, watching the TV specials, and even watching the Lifetime movie. What I didn't expect was for this to be a book that I couldn't put down. I will admit it is hard to review a true crime book., but this is a book that is well-researched and provides more information on a tragedy that shocked the world.

The first half of this book is just a summary of Shanann’s social media accounts and makes it seem like the author is blaming her for her own murder - she was controlling, she belittled her husband, etc. It’s not until the last section do we see what a psychopath Chris Watts is. He murdered his pregnant wife and two daughters. It was sickening to read what a “controlling” wife Shanann was when we know how it ends for her and her children.

#netgalley #arc #truecrime #bookstagram #chriswatts #shannanwatts #wattsfamilymurders #bookreview #theperfectfather #johnglatt ok. Oof. So. If you know ANYTHING about this murder. Or. Devoured it like I did because #truecrimelover then you were invested in this one. All of it. Blow by blow. This book. I was hopeful. I feel like it’s been too soon for an accurate portrayal but 🤷‍♀️ who knows. So. Thanks to #netgalley I received this book for an honest review. Here’s my thing. I’m team Shannan. All the way. I don’t think she was this controlling bitch that people claim. This one felt very heavy leaning towards the #watts side of the family and I. Personally it’s disgusting for me. I don’t think Chris is a victim in this. It was a hard read for me. I don’t value the opinions of his family. It was just sad. So. If you think shannan was an evil doer then please read the book. It is phenomenally written for you. If you think that Shannan was just a normal wife. Living life. Trying. Then. Don’t read this one. We all have our views about this case. And. Pending yours. This book may or may not be right for you. #booklover #bookstagrammer #itried #imsorry

Unfortunately, I could not get into this book. The book test, which is kind of like a litmus test for books, is when I read to page 50. If I'm not 'feeling' a book at that point, I set it down. There are truly 'too many books, and too little time.' I wouldn't hesitate, however, to read another book by this author. I was really interested in the story and would be interested in seeing what Glatt puts out next.

Chilling, haunting, unputdownable. A true crime that focuses on a real life monster. I found this book hard to read a times but so very amazing with details that will have you checking you locks. John Glatt is my favorite true crime writer and this newest novel did not disappoint.

If you follow true crime even lightly, you’ll have heard Chris Watts’ name. The Perfect Father is the story of Chris Watts and the murder of his family by his hands.

I’m quite picky about the true crime books I read, and I tend to be a harsh critic with them. However, I really enjoyed Glatt’s book.

Glatt presents the lives of both Chris and Shannan since they were children up until the murders. He gives a very clear picture of their lives together before the murders and I found it fascinating.

Though Shannan is a victim and Glatt’s pretty clear about that, he doesn’t white-wash her history and shows all sides of Shannan, as she was a flawed person just like we all are. Some people were quite offended by his portrayal of Shannan, I found it refreshing. Shannan was real and she deserves a book that highlights her positives and doesn’t ignore her less-than-perfect attributes. Nothing Shannan could possibly absolve Chris of her murder or the murder of her children, and that doesn’t change when we realize that she was not a perfect woman.

Chris is presented in an equally fair manner. Glatt gives just the facts and evidence, with no sensationalism or opinions. His mistress, Nicole, is also discussed similarly, so you’re free to make your own determination.

That being said, this book is really just a quick overview. If you already know about both Nic(k)oles, the cocaine addiction, and the bedsheets, this likely isn’t detailed enough for you to learn more. For the people who read true crime, but you don’t know much about this case, this would probably be perfect for you.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author John Glatt for providing me with an ARC of the title The Perfect Father!

Wow, wow, wow. If you haven't heard the name Chris Watts, I'm sorry but you have to live under a rock! This story shook the world, and this quick and disturbing read delivered the rest of the details I was dying for. As soon as I saw this circulating the book world, I knew I wanted to read it. Badly. It did not disappoint at ALL! I loved that the author started at the beginning so that you were able to watch as Chris slowly dove into madness.

What a wild read. I loved it. Thanks again for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

“The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder” (2020) is a stunning and devastating portrayal of a crime that captured the attention of the national and international global media. Shanann Watts disappeared with her two daughters from her Frederick, Colorado home on August 13, 2018. Days later, a gruesome discovery followed at the Anadarko Petroleum facility where Chris Watts worked. British American journalist John Glatt explored this horrific crime and its impact on others. Over two decades, this NYT bestselling author has written over 30 books mainly of the True Crime genre.

As upstanding members of their elite community Chris and Shanann Watts resembled a perfect all-American family. The postings on Shanann’s social media accounts described only extreme happiness and stability in her marriage and family life. She was employed as a top sales associate for “Thrive” a multi-marketing company that sold weight-loss and dietary supplements. While the seemingly endless positive “glowing” posts may have been a marketing strategy to sell these products, (some of her family members had blocked Shanann’s posts) there was nothing to indicate the serious problems that the Watts family experienced.

While Shanann likely had a dominating and controlling personality, Chris didn’t seem to mind, and always deferred to his wife’s judgment, even after Shanann announced their daughters Bella (2013) and Celeste (2015) wouldn’t be permitted further to visits with his parents. Despite a bankruptcy filing (2015) the couple continued to live beyond their means: in a custom 5 bedroom home, drove luxury cars and insisted on the very “best” of everything which led to increased and excessive credit card debt.

It was when Chris began a secret romance with a co-worker at Anadarko, the façade of his storybook marriage began to crumble as he began to imagine another life without his family. Although he claimed to love his pregnant wife and daughters what happened to them is totally beyond all comprehension. As Watts was interviewed by law enforcement officials, Agent Graham Coders carefully explained to him that "his story didn’t add up, and he would need to explain what actually happened…” This highly skilled investigator coaxed Watts into revealing the terrible and shocking truth of what he had done. It was also interesting to note that no psychological assessment/profile pertaining to Chris Watts was requested or provided to the court. Glatt included little known facts of law enforcement personnel suffering from PTSD symptoms related to the case. Chris Watts is serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin. **With thanks to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.

A haunting read, The Perfect Father tell of the horrific crimes perpetrated against Shanann Watt and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste by the man that was supposed to love and protect them, her husband, their father Chris Watt. This is definitely not for the faint hearted but if you read true crime this is one to read

This book is about the horrific murder of a family at the hands of the person they should have been able to trust the most, and it is a well-hashed-out picture of the case, as well as the aftermath and the life before the crime. I found a lot of new information out, and the narrative approach makes this book horrible to read but also incredibly compelling, and I thought it gave a lot of insight into the families and people that the murders affected. With that being said, there was a fundamental issue that resulted in my lower rating.

Presenting both sides of the story is absolutely vital in true crime, but there's absolutely zero reason to present the story as though the murder was somehow justified regarding how 'controlling' Shannan was in respect to Chris. Regardless of how 'controlling' a partner is, there is the option for divorce over murder unless the relationship is beyond abusive, and to kill your children as well is something beyond justification. When a divorce is still an option, that option should be taken over suffocating your pregnant partner and your children, then stuffing their bodies into shrubbery and oil tanks. To try and justify the reprehensible act of killing someone over taking REASONABLE action isn't something I can support, and so I really need to point out that the author could have changed the way that this was presented- there's no reason to excuse someone killing their family, especially as it happens so often. While it may not have been the intention, a disclaimer at the least needs to be presented.

A devastating story of a man who brutally murdered his entire family. This true crime novel strives to be in depth, covering the events before and after the murders. Unfortunately the tone of the story seems to align with the murderer- casting. The story is a quick read but a difficult one due to the subject matter. Lovers of true crime stories will appreciate the authors effort to bring this story to the public. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.