Review by Mrunalpatki -- An Imperfect Crime

Mrunalpatki · Post by **Mrunalpatki** » 16 Aug 2020, 22:20

[Following is a volunteer review of "An Imperfect Crime" by Fred G. Baker.]

4 out of 4 stars

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“A promise made is a debt unpaid.”

Two struggling writer friends, Simpson and Brown, hatch the perfect plot to make their next novel a bestseller. The catch--their plot is too perfect for someone else. Simpson, who is executed for Brown’s murder, keeps believing in his innocence and that Brown will show up before the trial ends. Only he doesn’t.

I loved An Imperfect Crime and rated it a perfect 4 out of 4 stars because from page one to the end-page 262, I was hooked. There wasn't anything I'd want to change in the book. The story is told in the third person and spans two years from 2013 to 2015, divided into 28 chapters, mainly located in Phoenix, Arizona, and some chapters in Mexico.

Police Detective Lori Sanchez is a fierce, aggressive, and tenacious--precisely what is expected of a woman police officer. Father Montero is a helpful soul looking to keep his promise to the deceased Simpson, to find out why Brown never turned up.

It gets intense from here, three more disappearances related to Simpson are discovered during his trial. The tale moves back and forth between what must’ve happened to Brown, how the other disappearances happened, and the current state of affairs. There are so many plot twists, and it’s dizzying. There’s a timeline made for the readers by Father Montero on page 68; I loved it. It brought the story up to speed. It cleared things up.

Fred G Baker’s characters keep having celebratory lunches and dinners at local hangouts quite a few times during the investigation; I’m guessing, to lighten the otherwise intense story. I salivated over some grilled chicken and salsa and chips. I appreciate the author’s efforts here to keep the law-enforcing department realistic.

Another bit I liked in the story was the re-enactment detective Sanchez did towards the end of the story of how things must have happened, leading to the crime. Again another effort by the writer to help readers understand the mind of a criminal.

Readers looking to solve the crime themselves might probably guess the criminal pretty early in the story. But the real game is in answering the questions, how, why, and where the criminal did what they did. The pieces fit together well in the end, and I finished the book with a hugely satisfying exhale.

And yet I would caution, scenes of physical abuse and gang-based abuses have been mentioned and described. Readers sensitive to reading about such crimes need to skip this book.

To list the negatives, I thought there were too many new character names dropped (from the police department - to the members of a gang), it was hard to keep track, but it in no way hindered my reading experience. The editing was professional too.

Crime and mystery fans will enjoy this book because to quote the author - this is going to get interesting and not in a good way.

Happy Reading!

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An Imperfect Crime
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Honest-reviewer · Post by **Honest-reviewer** » 20 Aug 2020, 12:11

This book seems fascinating! I definitely want to give this a try. Thanks for your brilliant review!

Mrunalpatki · Post by **Mrunalpatki** » 20 Aug 2020, 22:13

Honest-reviewer wrote: ↑20 Aug 2020, 12:11 This book seems fascinating! I definitely want to give this a try. Thanks for your brilliant review!

I

t is a fascinating mystery. Enjoy the read! Thanks for the appreciation.

jenny delacruz · Post by **jenny delacruz** » 21 Aug 2020, 04:36

Sounds really interesting and thrilling. The plot is fresh and new. I don't think I've encountered a story like this where a priest is helping an officer to solve a crime because of a promise. I enjoyed reading your review, Mrunalpatki. Thank you.

Mrunalpatki · Post by **Mrunalpatki** » 21 Aug 2020, 09:59

jennydelacruz wrote: ↑21 Aug 2020, 04:36 Sounds really interesting and thrilling. The plot is fresh and new. I don't think I've encountered a story like this where a priest is helping an officer to solve a crime because of a promise. I enjoyed reading your review, Mrunalpatki. Thank you.

It is a unique story indeed. Thank you for the kind words.

Miks_solon · Post by **Miks_solon** » 22 Aug 2020, 04:56

I agree with your points. I have already read the story and I must say, it was very compelling story. Nice review!

book_fanatic_ · Post by **book_fanatic_** » 22 Aug 2020, 05:47

Sounds like an intense plot. I would surely give this one a try. Thanks for the beautiful review.

Mrunalpatki · Post by **Mrunalpatki** » 22 Aug 2020, 21:42

Miks_solon wrote: ↑22 Aug 2020, 04:56 I agree with your points. I have already read the story and I must say, it was very compelling story. Nice review!

Thank you for the comments. I am glad you agree.