Perfect Nightmare (novel)

Last updated
Perfect Nightmare
Perfect Nightmare (novel) by John Saul.jpg
Hardcover edition
Author John Saul
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Language English
Genre Novel
Publisher Ballantine Books
Publication date
August 23, 2005
Media typePrint (hardcover & paperback)
Pages365
ISBN 978-0-345-48604-2
Preceded by Black Creek Crossing  
Followed byIn the Dark of the Night 

Perfect Nightmare is a psychological thriller novel by John Saul, published by Ballantine Books on August 23, 2005. The novel follows the story of teenage Lindsay Marshall, who is abducted from her home while her family is in the process of selling it.

Contents

Plot

Every parent’s nightmare becomes reality for Kara Marshall when her daughter, Lindsay, vanishes from her bedroom during the night. The police suspect that the girl is just another moody teenage runaway, angry over leaving behind her school and friends because her family is moving. But Lindsay’s recent eerie claim, that someone invaded her room when the house was opened to prospective buyers, drives Kara to fear the worst: a nameless, faceless stalker has walked the halls of her home in search of more than a place to live.

Patrick Shields recognizes Kara’s pain, and carries plenty of his own since he lost his wife and two children in a devastating house fire. But more than grief draws Patrick and Kara together. He too senses the hand of a malevolent stranger in this tragedy. And as more people go missing from houses up for sale, Patrick’s suspicion, like Kara’s, blooms into horrified certainty.

Someone is trolling this peaceful community, undetected and undeterred, harvesting victims for a purpose no sane mind can fathom. Someone Kara and Patrick, alone and desperate, are determined to unmask. Someone who is even now watching, plotting, keeping a demented diary of unspeakable deeds, and waiting until the time is ripe for another fateful visit.

Reception

Critical reception for Perfect Nightmare was mixed. Publishers Weekly praised the novel, stating it was a "solid suspense". [1] Bookreporter listed Perfect Nightmare as one of their "recommended" reads, writing that "If you haven't read him lately... PERFECT NIGHTMARE would be the perfect place to start". [2] The Cullman Times wrote that some of the scenes were "raw and uncomfortable" and that the book's villain was "creepy". [3]

The Lincoln Journal Star criticized the book, stating that while Saul was "imaginative, terrible, full of surprises" it was "Too bad he makes you wade through bad literature to get to the good parts". [4] Kirkus Reviews also criticized Perfect Nightmare, writing that "Veteran suspense-monger Saul (Midnight Voices, 2002, etc.) manages to mess up the foolproof story of a family whose teenaged daughter is kidnapped". [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karin Slaughter</span> American crime writer (born 1971)

Karin Slaughter is an American crime writer. She has written 24 novels, which have sold more than 40 million copies and have been published in 120 countries. Her first novel, Blindsighted (2001), was published in 27 languages and made the Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Award shortlist for "Best Thriller Debut" of 2001.

<i>Black Creek Crossing</i> 2004 novel by John Saul

Black Creek Crossing is a thriller horror novel by John Saul, published by Ballantine Books on March 16, 2004. The novel follows the story of teenage Angel Sullivan, who moves into a new house in a new town with her family, and she learns of a brutal murder that occurred in her new home, and begins to think it may be haunted.

<i>Catch Me When I Fall</i> 2005 novel by Nicci French

Catch Me When I Fall (2005) is a psychological thriller novel by Nicci French, about a woman unknowingly afflicted with bipolar disorder, and how this sets her life on a spiral of self-destruction, as well as pitting her against a shadowy antagonist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Unger</span> American author

Lisa Unger is an American author of contemporary fiction, primarily psychological thrillers.

Michael Garnet Stewart is an American author.

Carole Berry is an American mystery fiction writer who is best known for her amateur sleuth series featuring New York City office temp worker Bonnie Indermill. Berry also has one suspense novel to her credit, titled Nightmare Point.

Tana French is an American-Irish writer and theatrical actress. She is a longtime resident of Dublin, Ireland. Her debut novel In the Woods (2007), a psychological mystery, won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards for best first novel. The Independent has referred to her as "the First Lady of Irish Crime".

<i>Fear</i> (anthology) 2010 horror anthology edited by R. L. Stine

Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror is a 2010 horror anthology edited by R. L. Stine. Thirteen different authors contributed stories to the anthology, including Meg Cabot, Heather Graham, F. Paul Wilson, and Stine himself. Stine began writing the anthology after the International Thriller Writers asked him to write a book with several stories. Critical reception for the short story collection was positive, with one reviewer stating the stories were highly suspenseful, inventive, easy to understand, and fast-paced.

<i>Midnight Voices</i> 2002 novel by John Saul

Midnight Voices is a thriller horror novel by John Saul, published by Ballantine Books on May 28, 2002. The novel follows the story of Caroline Evans, who moves with her new husband and children into a new building, which they begin to believe is haunted.

<i>The Devils Labyrinth</i> 2007 novel by John Saul

The Devil's Labyrinth is a thriller horror novel by John Saul, published by Ballantine Books on July 17, 2007. The novel follows the story of Ryan McIntyre, a teenage boy sent to a Catholic boarding school, where strange deaths and mysterious disappearances begin to occur upon his arrival.

<i>Faces of Fear</i> (Saul novel) 2008 novel by John Saul

Faces of Fear is a thriller horror novel by John Saul, published by Ballantine Books on August 12, 2008. The novel follows the story of teenage Alison Shaw, who finds a shocking background behind her mother's new husband, who is a plastic surgeon.

<i>House of Reckoning</i> 2009 thriller horror novel by John Saul

House of Reckoning is a thriller horror novel by John Saul, published by Ballantine Books on October 13, 2009. The novel follows the story of teenage Sarah Crane, who along with her friends unravels the shocking story behind an old mansion upon arriving in a new town.

<i>The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares</i> Book by Joyce Carol Oates

The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares is a collection of short stories and the title novella by Joyce Carol Oates. Published in 2011 by Mysterious Press, it contains several works that Oates worked on over a period of fifteen years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. T. Ellison</span> American writer

J. T. Ellison is a New York Times bestselling American author. She writes domestic noir and psychological thrillers, the latter starring Nashville Homicide Lt. Taylor Jackson and medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens. She also pens the "A Brit in the FBI" series with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. With over a million books in print, Ellison's work has been published in twenty-eight countries and sixteen languages. She is also the co-host of the Emmy Award-winning television series, A Word on Words, which airs on Nashville Public Television. Ellison is also the founder of Two Tales Press, an independent publishing house, and The Wine Vixen, a wine review website. She lives with her husband in Nashville, Tennessee.

<i>You Will Know Me</i> Novel by Megan Abbott

You Will Know Me is a murder mystery written by Megan Abbott, published July 26, 2016 by Little, Brown and Company. The book follows the Knox family after a family friend is killed in a hit-and-run car crash before the daughter's gymnastics competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beyond the Ice Limit</span> 2016 novel

Beyond The Ice Limit is a techno-thriller novel by American authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The book is a sequel to their 2000 book The Ice Limit and was published on May 17, 2016 by Grand Central Publishing. It is the fourth book in Preston and Child's Gideon Crew series.

<i>Out of Shadows</i> 2010 childrens historical novel by Jason Wallace

Out of Shadows is a 2010 children's historical novel by Jason Wallace, published by Andersen Press on 28 January 2010. Set in 1980s Zimbabwe, the story follows white teenager Robert Jacklin at a prestigious boarding school as he confronts bullying, anti-black racism, his own morality and the political instability of the time. His debut novel, it is partly inspired by Wallace's own experiences attending a boarding school in Zimbabwe after the civil war. The novel was rejected by publishers one hundred times before being published by Andersen Press. The novel received favourable reviews and won the 2010 Costa Book Award for Children's Book, the 2011 Branford Boase Award and the 2011 UKLA Book Award. It was also shortlisted for the 2010 Booktrust Teenage Prize and the 2011 Carnegie Medal.

<i>The Naturals</i> (book series) American book series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Naturals is a series of young adult novels by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Beginning with 2013's initial novel of the same name, the series follows the life of Cassie Hobbes, a 17-year-old girl who is contacted by the FBI to join a special program. The other members consist of Dean Redding (profiler),Lia Zhang, Micheal Townsend, and Sloane Tavish. Each one of them has a traumatic past, it's how they learned to have a certain skill used to help the FBI.

<i>Dragon Pearl</i> Novel written by Yoon Ha Lee

Dragon Pearl is a middle grade novel written by Yoon Ha Lee and published on January 15, 2019, by Disney Hyperion under their "Rick Riordan Presents" publishing imprint. The book is a mix of Korean mythology and science fiction as the main character travels the galaxy. A short story by Lee about the characters in the book was featured in the anthology book The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities.

<i>Missing You</i> (Coben novel) 2014 novel by Harlan Coben

Missing You is a suspense and thriller novel by American writer Harlan Coben, published in 2014. The novel has garnered attention for its intricate plot involving online dating, unsolved murder, and the emotional journey of its protagonist, NYPD Detective Kat Donovan. Missing You was nominated for 2014 Audie Award for Mystery.

References