Synopses & Reviews
A shy, agoraphobic ghost writer must complete a celebrity biography on her own after the suspicious death of her partner in a stunning standalone by the beloved Linda Barnes.
Mousy, timid, 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, the negotiating, the public schmoozing. But Ems dependence on Teddy runs deeper than just the job — Teddy is her bridge to the world and the only 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 and strength to interview Malcolm the way Teddy would have. She finds Malcolm at once friendlier, more intimidating, and far sexier than she had imagined. But Em soon senses trouble between Malcolm and one of his former stars, the washed-up Brooklyn Pierce, and she hears whispers of skeletons in the Malcolm family closet. And then the police begin looking into the accident that killed Teddy, and Ems control on her life — tenuous at best — is threatened.
In this stunning breakout novel from the beloved author of the Carlotta Carlyle mystery series, Linda Barnes slowly winds the strings tighter and tighter, leading the reader ever more deeply into the complex lives of her characters with pitch-perfect pacing and mesmerizing prose.
Review
“Linda Barnes reaches new heights with her novel The Perfect Ghost, a tale of celebrity and the dangers the desire for it can bring. Em, the flawed and fascinating protagonist of this literary mystery, is wily and driven, perhaps too driven, as she barrels down a twisty road leading to a spectacular and unexpected ending. Bravo.” B.A. Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of The Art Forger
Review
“A delicious twist…Em's dramatic story of rebirth, addressed to Teddy in absentia, unfolds with the fitting precision of a stage play…An outstanding effort from Barnes.” Booklist (starred review)
About the Author
Linda Barnes is the author of sixteen previous novels, including her Carlotta Carlyle mystery series. Her work has won the Anthony and American Mystery awards, and received numerous nominations for the Edgar and Shamus awards. Born in Detroit, she now lives in the Boston area with her husband and son.