Book Review | Dead Perfect by Noelle Holten


About the Book


A murdered woman…

When the body of a young woman is found in a local park, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she’s dealing with no ordinary killer. The murder victim has been disfigured; her outfit changed to resemble someone else. Someone Maggie knows all too well…her close friend Dr Kate Moloney.

A determined detective…

Maggie is determined to keep her friend safe, but with Kate already struggling with a threatening stalker, Maggie now fears Kate’s life is in real danger. Who else would want to harm Kate and why else would the killer be turning his victims into exact replicas – his living dolls?

Can Maggie find the depraved killer? Or will Kate become his next living doll?

Goodreads’ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dead Perfect is the perfect thrill-ride from beginning to end.

What I Loved

I loved that the pace stays fast throughout the novel, keeping the thrills coming turn after turn. The highs are enhanced periodically by little segments written from the point-of-view of the serial kidnapper/killer. These are creepy and scary, and I loved the atmosphere they provide in an otherwise police procedural.

I also love the attention to small details. Maggie, the main character and a police detective, has a little problem that has caused her to be reprimanded at work. Her temper becomes focused and fierce, intimidating her coworkers and friends alike. At various points in the story, this detail helps flesh out the character by rearing its ugly head. The effect can be seen subtly and realistically in the body language of the character it is directed towards.

Another small detail that I loved is when a character realizes that all the victims look like her. She looks in the mirror and goes through the full range of emotions that you would expect from someone who realizes her life has become a horror movie, and she fears that she is the unwilling star of the show. The scene is so finely detailed that I felt like I was looking in the mirror with her experiencing those same emotions.

To Read or Not to Read

If you love never-ending thrills and a character-driven story, Dead Perfect is the novel for you!

12 responses to “Book Review | Dead Perfect by Noelle Holten”

  1. Staci Troilo Avatar

    Sounds like a book I’d enjoy. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Tessa Avatar

      It is fast and thrilling ❤️

  2. Pink Roses Avatar

    My kind of book too, Tessa. Thanks for the review.

    1. Tessa Avatar

      Fast-paced thrillers are my favorite ❤️

  3. Teri Polen Avatar

    This sounds like a good one, Tessa. I’d be totally freaked out if I knew all the victims resembled me – ack!!

    1. Tessa Avatar

      That would be quite chilling. It would make me want to run for the hills.

  4. crimebookjunkie40 Avatar

    Incredible review! Thank you so much for reading Dead Perfect – so thrilled you got everything I was hoping to get across!

    Noelle 🥰

    1. Tessa Avatar

      I’m so glad. Those little details just made the story stand out to me and I loved it ❤️

  5. D. Wallace Peach Avatar

    Eek. This sounds creepy. For some reason I can handle monsters and gory battles, but psychopathic serial killers… they scare the heck out of me. Great review, Tessa.

    1. Tessa Avatar

      Lol. Humans are scarier than monsters, that’s for sure. ❤️

      1. D. Wallace Peach Avatar

        I totally agree! Sicko serial killers are Real!

  6. […] Book review | Dead Perfect by Noelle Holton (mystery/ 4-stars […]

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