Book Review of The Perfect Victim by Pamela Foster: NaNoWriMo Day 25

People read books to get caught up in a character or a story.

The Perfect Victim by Pamela Foster begins with a birthday surprise that turns out to be much more than Mary or her friend could possibly imagine.

The Perfect Victim is a real-world horror story of love gone wrong. It is a compelling but frightening story that just might make you lose some sleep.

Before I delve more deeply into the review, here is some more about the book.

Here is the synopsis of the book:

When friend Anne “buys” the new deputy for loan officer Mary Brock at the local charity auction, neither she nor Mary know what has been brought into their lives.

At a little over six feet, slim, with wavy blond hair, Billy Joe Wilkins is enough to make most women dream of snuggling on the beach, the ocean’s waves crashing rhythmically.

Mary discovers — to her delirious delight — that Billy’s lovemaking more than fulfills the promise of the dream. But when his demands begin to include Mary’s complete domination, physically and emotionally, it all begins to seem more like a nightmare she can’t escape.

But Mary is trapped by her own feelings, reeling between what she knows she should do and what Billy says she must do. She becomes obsessed with escape.

And what about her son? What about Michael? He’s being caught in the middle of her emotional tug-of-war. Will he become a victim too?

Can Mary find the courage to take control of the situation?

Praise for The Perfect Victim

“Foster has the gift of painting a scene so remarkably vivid that it’s as though the reader has stepped through Alice’s looking glass and can see, feel, smell and even taste the world she’s created. She offers up characters who are just as vividly present as they reveal their hearts and souls with no reservations. She has one of the most unique writing voices.” ~ Lori Ericson, author of A Lovely County

You can read my 5-star review on Amazon

Ronda’s Review of The Perfect Victim

.I’ve read most of Pamela Foster’s books. She is one of my favorite writers, and extremely versatile.

The Perfect Victim is a book she wrote a number of years ago then set aside. Returning to it after successfully publishing several books, she said she made improvements and it is now in print.

Deep into character – AKA Deep point of view

Getting into a character’s mind so the reader feels involved is important. There are various “levels” of narration. The least engaged is where you as the reader feel the character is telling you a story, as in you’re listening to the telling.

As the author goes deeper, the reader experience likewise becomes more rich and engaged. These days, the deeper the better.

Deep point of view means being so deeply inside the mind of the character telling the story that there’s no filter between his/her thoughts and perception of the story’s action.

Here is an example of deep POV from Foster in The Perfect Victim. These are Mary’s perceptions from from when the new boyfriend Billy wants to buy her son an expensive pair of shoes.

Black angerbubbles up from my gut. Pain in my molars reminds me to unclench my jaws How dare he put me in this position?

There’s no separation between character and reader, no distinction between thoughts and reaction.

Immediacy

This story has an immediacy most books don’t. A big reason for this is that Foster wrote it entirely in present tense.

Here is the opening:

A brew of perfume arises from pulse-points hot with anticipation , the air heady with the estrogen-rich excitement of a girl’s night out.

Let me tell you,, while writing in present tense amps up the immediacy and urgency of a tale, this is not easy to sustain over time. One slip into past tense and the spell is broken.

Emotion

Foster is a whiz at conveying emotion in her books. Here’s just one example. It takes place with best friend Ann wants to warn Mary about her new boyfriend:

I nod, concentrate on breathing, keep my mouth shut so the fear doesn’t fly out into the room.

Terror

I’m not kidding when I call this book “real world horror.” The situations that come up for single mom Mary as she enters a new relationship are frightening.

The story is likely to trigger fear or panic if you’ve ever had issues with a control freak or alcoholic.

Billy keeps inserting himself into Mary’s life and she’s torn between sexual desire and fear because of his control.

Adult content alert

This is a sexually explicit book with a few F bombs and some other coarse language. I mention this so you’re not surprised. .

Empowerment

Emotionally charged, frightening at times, t his is ultimately a tale of empowerment at great personal cost.

About Pamela Foster

Pamela Foster grew up in the redwoods of northern California where her family has raised all manner of mischief for eight generations. She’s lived on the banks of the Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii, on the edge of the Mexican Caribbean, in the prickly-sticklies of the Arizona high desert, and on the tropical coast of Panama. She now lives in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas with her husband and his retired PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder) service dog.

When she’s not writing-or teaching writing workshops-Foster volunteers her time to raise public awareness of PTSD and its effects, speaking at Veteran’s Centers and civic groups and facilitating the Northwest Arkansas chapter of INTERACT, a support group for families of veterans.

How to order The Perfect victim

You can order from Pen-L Publishing or buy on Amazon.

NaNoWriMo Day 25 Update

This is an intense writing day for me, and I am loving every minute of writing They All Died Smiling. I blew past the 45,000 word mark a while ago. I should make the 50,000 word goal by Thursday, the 27th.