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blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I grabbed THE PERFECT GHOST off a library shelf thinking I was getting a ghost story. Not so. This is a mystery/psychological thriller that is darker than it appears at first glance. The characters are not very likable, but the mystery is intriguing enough. I didn't, however, care for the ending. While it surprised me, it didn't feel very satisfying. THE PERFECT GHOST is engrossing and compelling, but also depressing. It kept me reading, but I can't say I loved it.
mirable's review against another edition
4.0
Library Journal review:
Barnes, Linda. The Perfect Ghost. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Apr. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9781250023636. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250023643. M
Shy Em Moore is the perfect ghostwriter, taking her gregarious partner Teddy’s interviews and turning them into cohesive “autobiographies” for celebrities. When Teddy dies suddenly in a car crash, Em is determined to finish their current project about Hollywood legend Garrett Malcolm. Em keeps up a running monolog to Teddy as she is swept up by Garrett’s charismatic personality, moving into his home—ostensibly to finish the interviews—and then his bed. Parallels to Shakespeare’s life and works, particularly Hamlet, are strongly drawn: the play within a play, ghost of the father, treachery, betrayal, eavesdropping and familial skeletons resonate throughout. Nothing is truly what it seems in this world populated with ghosts, both literary and figurative.
VERDICT: In this standalone (and Barnes’s first book in five years) by the multiple award-winning author of the Carlotta Carlyle mysteries (Flashpoint), the fast-paced action, compelling characters, alternating interview fragments, police reports, and Em’s first-person narration will keep readers up long into the night, waiting for the full revelation of the particulars, which include a sharply surprising and satisfying twist. [See Prepub Alert, 11/4/12; library marketing] —Charli Osborne, Oxford P.L., MI
Barnes, Linda. The Perfect Ghost. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Apr. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9781250023636. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250023643. M
Shy Em Moore is the perfect ghostwriter, taking her gregarious partner Teddy’s interviews and turning them into cohesive “autobiographies” for celebrities. When Teddy dies suddenly in a car crash, Em is determined to finish their current project about Hollywood legend Garrett Malcolm. Em keeps up a running monolog to Teddy as she is swept up by Garrett’s charismatic personality, moving into his home—ostensibly to finish the interviews—and then his bed. Parallels to Shakespeare’s life and works, particularly Hamlet, are strongly drawn: the play within a play, ghost of the father, treachery, betrayal, eavesdropping and familial skeletons resonate throughout. Nothing is truly what it seems in this world populated with ghosts, both literary and figurative.
VERDICT: In this standalone (and Barnes’s first book in five years) by the multiple award-winning author of the Carlotta Carlyle mysteries (Flashpoint), the fast-paced action, compelling characters, alternating interview fragments, police reports, and Em’s first-person narration will keep readers up long into the night, waiting for the full revelation of the particulars, which include a sharply surprising and satisfying twist. [See Prepub Alert, 11/4/12; library marketing] —Charli Osborne, Oxford P.L., MI
kbranfield's review
4.0
4.5 stars. With The Perfect Ghost, Linda Barnes delivers a flawless mystery that is full of unexpected twists and turns. The characters are meticulously detailed and full of hidden depths. The clues are subtle and even in retrospect, the jaw dropping and stunning conclusion is impossible to predict. Please click HERE to read my review in its entirety.
jajorgen's review against another edition
4.0
My review posted to MADreads
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/madreads/silent-no-more
Though she'd already been writing for while, Linda Barnes broke out in the late 80s when she became part of the wave of women mystery writers that included Marcia Muller, Sara Paretsky and Sue Grafton. Barnes' protagonist was Carlotta Carlyle, a fledgling private investigator in Boston who also worked as a cab driver to make ends meet. Carlotta was 6'4" tall, an ex-cop and a force to be reckoned with. The complete opposite of the woman who takes center stage in Linda Barnes' new standalone novel.
Em Moore is just thisclose to being an agorophobic. She is the silent half of a successful writing team named T. E. Blakemore. T.E. Blakemore is the "as told to" co-author of a slew of successful celebrity autobiographies. Em's collaborator on those "as told to" books is Teddy Blake. While introverted Em does most of the actual writing, the more outgoing Teddy conducts the interviews and does the legwork. Their partnership has worked. But now Teddy has been killed in a car accident and Em fears that she will lose the chance to finish the biography they'd been working on (and the advance that came with it).
The subject of their current biography is hollywood director Malcolm Garrett. The Garretts are acting royalty and Malcolm has lived up to the family name (think Scorsese or Tarantino if they'd come from Barrymore family). In recent years, since the death of his wife, Malcolm has become more reclusive. The chance to finish the book - and perhaps cement her own career - is one that Em cannot let go, no matter how difficult it will be. Pursuing her goal will push Em far, far out of her comfort zone and force her to confront the mystery of Teddy's death as well as the dark secrets Malcolm Garrett would rather keep hidden. Along the way she (and the reader) will discover that Em has hidden depths.
Em's quiet narration works well to slowly build the story and tension in this change-of-pace outing from Barnes. Though I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Carlotta, I'm happy to see that Barnes is exploring new mystery avenues. Can't wait to see what she writes next.
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/madreads/silent-no-more
Though she'd already been writing for while, Linda Barnes broke out in the late 80s when she became part of the wave of women mystery writers that included Marcia Muller, Sara Paretsky and Sue Grafton. Barnes' protagonist was Carlotta Carlyle, a fledgling private investigator in Boston who also worked as a cab driver to make ends meet. Carlotta was 6'4" tall, an ex-cop and a force to be reckoned with. The complete opposite of the woman who takes center stage in Linda Barnes' new standalone novel.
Em Moore is just thisclose to being an agorophobic. She is the silent half of a successful writing team named T. E. Blakemore. T.E. Blakemore is the "as told to" co-author of a slew of successful celebrity autobiographies. Em's collaborator on those "as told to" books is Teddy Blake. While introverted Em does most of the actual writing, the more outgoing Teddy conducts the interviews and does the legwork. Their partnership has worked. But now Teddy has been killed in a car accident and Em fears that she will lose the chance to finish the biography they'd been working on (and the advance that came with it).
The subject of their current biography is hollywood director Malcolm Garrett. The Garretts are acting royalty and Malcolm has lived up to the family name (think Scorsese or Tarantino if they'd come from Barrymore family). In recent years, since the death of his wife, Malcolm has become more reclusive. The chance to finish the book - and perhaps cement her own career - is one that Em cannot let go, no matter how difficult it will be. Pursuing her goal will push Em far, far out of her comfort zone and force her to confront the mystery of Teddy's death as well as the dark secrets Malcolm Garrett would rather keep hidden. Along the way she (and the reader) will discover that Em has hidden depths.
Em's quiet narration works well to slowly build the story and tension in this change-of-pace outing from Barnes. Though I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Carlotta, I'm happy to see that Barnes is exploring new mystery avenues. Can't wait to see what she writes next.
iheartchickens's review against another edition
2.0
This book had such an interesting premise, but I found it slow going. Most of the POV is first person, a young woman who ghost writes biographies. Her partner does the interviewing and she the writing. Just before the book starts, he is killed in a car accident and she is writing to him. They were almost done with the autobiography (because they're ghost writers) of a famous actor/director with only a few more interviews needed.
She had a difficult childhood and is agoraphobic. So reading her first person POV is slow, kind of dull and stressful. I read half way through and was not interested in reading the entire book but curious about the ending. So I started on the last chapter and read backwards. It was much more interesting! I found out what happened and skipped much of the last half of the book.
She had a difficult childhood and is agoraphobic. So reading her first person POV is slow, kind of dull and stressful. I read half way through and was not interested in reading the entire book but curious about the ending. So I started on the last chapter and read backwards. It was much more interesting! I found out what happened and skipped much of the last half of the book.
leonore_book's review against another edition
3.0
Having never read anything by this author I must say I was impressed. It held my attention and the end was a shock to me. I will have to read more by this author.
sus7's review against another edition
2.0
I thought narrator was a twit and a ninny, then found out she was even worse than that. I didn't like the format of tape recording transcription chapters. Kind of a boring book.
jonetta's review against another edition
4.0
The set up
Em Moore is one half of the ghost writing team of T.E. Blakemoore. She and her writing partner, Teddy Blake are working on the autobiography of a legendary actor and director, Garrett Malcolm. Teddy was just killed in a car accident and the emotionally and socially inept Em is left to finish the project.
The issues
Em is very close to being labeled an agoraphobic (fear of public places) and suffers from panic attacks. Teddy was the interviewer and she did the writing. Everyone (her publisher, Garrett) is concerned about her ability to finish the project without Teddy.
The mystery
Teddy may have discovered some information he wasn't supposed to know about the complex world of Garrett Malcolm. Was his crash really an accident and who might have something to hide?
What works
The story is told through Em's voice so events are captured through her lens but you can also see them differently not matter what her perspective. This is a really skillful piece of writing where the first person narrative permits you to actually experience alternate points of view because of Em's naïveté. Characters initially seem flat and one dimensional but later begin to take on vibrancy and color. I didn't know where the story was going and though sometimes it was a bumpy journey it was compelling.
Anything special
The story is told using three formats: Em's musings to the dead Teddy, almost as if she were writing in her journal; Teddy's interviews with the people in Garrett's world as background for the book; and the police report updates to the chief by the detective investigating Teddy's accident.
What didn't work
The beginning was a bit bumpy for me because of the story format. I didn't know who anyone was, where the story was beginning, etc. BUT! If you hang in there, the payoff is huge.
Bottom line
This was one of the more fascinating stories I've read in a while. While the format slowed me down in the beginning, it really ended up being a brilliant device to tell this story. The ending was incredible and could only be pulled off in how it was delivered. It's a humdinger. This is my first book by Linda Barnes and it's definitely not my last. A fine piece of writing.
Em Moore is one half of the ghost writing team of T.E. Blakemoore. She and her writing partner, Teddy Blake are working on the autobiography of a legendary actor and director, Garrett Malcolm. Teddy was just killed in a car accident and the emotionally and socially inept Em is left to finish the project.
The issues
Em is very close to being labeled an agoraphobic (fear of public places) and suffers from panic attacks. Teddy was the interviewer and she did the writing. Everyone (her publisher, Garrett) is concerned about her ability to finish the project without Teddy.
The mystery
Teddy may have discovered some information he wasn't supposed to know about the complex world of Garrett Malcolm. Was his crash really an accident and who might have something to hide?
What works
The story is told through Em's voice so events are captured through her lens but you can also see them differently not matter what her perspective. This is a really skillful piece of writing where the first person narrative permits you to actually experience alternate points of view because of Em's naïveté. Characters initially seem flat and one dimensional but later begin to take on vibrancy and color. I didn't know where the story was going and though sometimes it was a bumpy journey it was compelling.
Anything special
The story is told using three formats: Em's musings to the dead Teddy, almost as if she were writing in her journal; Teddy's interviews with the people in Garrett's world as background for the book; and the police report updates to the chief by the detective investigating Teddy's accident.
What didn't work
The beginning was a bit bumpy for me because of the story format. I didn't know who anyone was, where the story was beginning, etc. BUT! If you hang in there, the payoff is huge.
Bottom line
This was one of the more fascinating stories I've read in a while. While the format slowed me down in the beginning, it really ended up being a brilliant device to tell this story. The ending was incredible and could only be pulled off in how it was delivered. It's a humdinger. This is my first book by Linda Barnes and it's definitely not my last. A fine piece of writing.
introvertreader's review
3.0
It had so much potential however I think it lost it somewhere..... Honestly it did not live up to my expectations.......
Mousy and shy to the point of agoraphobic, Em Moore is the writing half of a celebrity biography team. Her charismatic partner, Teddy, does the interviewing and the public schmoozing. But Em's dependence on Teddy runs deeper than just the job—Teddy is her bridge to the world and the main source of love in her life. So when Teddy dies in a car accident, Em is devastated, alone in a world she doesn't understand. The only way she can honor his memory and cope with his loss is to finish the interviews for their current book—an "autobiography" of renowned and reclusive film director Garrett Malcolm.
Ensconced in a small cottage near Malcolm's Cape Cod home, Em slowly builds the courage to interview Malcolm the way Teddy would have. She finds Malcolm at once friendlier, more intimidating, and much sexier than she had imagined. But Em soon starts hearing whispers of skeletons in the Malcolm family closet. And then the police begin looking into the accident that killed Teddy, and Em's control on her life—tenuous at best—is threatened.
Mousy and shy to the point of agoraphobic, Em Moore is the writing half of a celebrity biography team. Her charismatic partner, Teddy, does the interviewing and the public schmoozing. But Em's dependence on Teddy runs deeper than just the job—Teddy is her bridge to the world and the main source of love in her life. So when Teddy dies in a car accident, Em is devastated, alone in a world she doesn't understand. The only way she can honor his memory and cope with his loss is to finish the interviews for their current book—an "autobiography" of renowned and reclusive film director Garrett Malcolm.
Ensconced in a small cottage near Malcolm's Cape Cod home, Em slowly builds the courage to interview Malcolm the way Teddy would have. She finds Malcolm at once friendlier, more intimidating, and much sexier than she had imagined. But Em soon starts hearing whispers of skeletons in the Malcolm family closet. And then the police begin looking into the accident that killed Teddy, and Em's control on her life—tenuous at best—is threatened.
eandrews80's review against another edition
3.0
This is a 2-star book that earned an extra for its genuinely shocking surprise ending.
Mousy, anxious, paranoid Em Moore is one half of a biography writing team. When her partner suddenly dies in a car crash, she must take over and finish a series of interviews with famed film and theater director Garrett Malcolm. When Em arrives in Cape Cod to work with Garrett, she becomes embroiled in a tangle of Malcolm family secrets that may have something to do with her partner's death.
I didn't find this story particularly interesting, and Em is a seriously unlikeable, anxious mess of a main character. (And I say that as an anxious person with great sympathy for that particular affliction.) That said, if you love a good surprise ending, this is worth a look.
Mousy, anxious, paranoid Em Moore is one half of a biography writing team. When her partner suddenly dies in a car crash, she must take over and finish a series of interviews with famed film and theater director Garrett Malcolm. When Em arrives in Cape Cod to work with Garrett, she becomes embroiled in a tangle of Malcolm family secrets that may have something to do with her partner's death.
I didn't find this story particularly interesting, and Em is a seriously unlikeable, anxious mess of a main character. (And I say that as an anxious person with great sympathy for that particular affliction.) That said, if you love a good surprise ending, this is worth a look.