Such a Perfect Wife

February 25, 2019
Bestseller White’s highly entertaining eighth Bailey Weggins novel (after 2017’s Even if It Kills Her) takes Bailey on assignment for the online magazine Crime Beat to Lake George, N.Y., to look into the disappearance of 34-year-old Shannon Blaine. Shannon and her husband, Cody, a successful beverage distributor, seem to have had a perfect life—happily married, two darling children, respected in their idyllic community. As the police investigate where and how Shannon vanished one day on her morning run, Bailey seeks to learn what may have recently changed in the Blaine family. The one significant thing that Bailey uncovers is Shannon’s recommitting herself to the Catholic Church. Bailey teams with local reporter Alice Hatfield, and both find cracks in the Blaines’ lives that could have been a factor. The ethical and tenacious Bailey soon earns the respect of the local police, who come to see her as an ally rather than an intruder. Readers will cheer her every step of the way. Agent: Sandra Dijkstra, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.

March 1, 2019
Intrepid--and stylish!--crime reporter Bailey Weggins finds herself on the front line of a murder investigation in White's (The Gutsy Girl Handbook: Your Manifesto for Success, 2018, etc.) latest.When news of missing jogger Shannon Blaine goes viral, Bailey heads to upstate New York to investigate and report for online magazine Crime Beat. Beautiful Shannon appears to have led an ideal life; she had a handsome, successful husband, two adorable kids, a condo in Florida, and a schedule flexible enough for the ritual of her daily jog. But of course there were also some red flags. She had recently started attending Catholic services after years of lapse, and her best friend noted that she seemed "kind of off" when they spoke early on the day of her disappearance. Then Bailey and local reporter Alice Hatfield get an anonymous tip that sends them to an abandoned Catholic retreat center where they discover Shannon's body--as well as two others--wrapped in trash bags and hidden in a closet. Racing against time as the story cools, Bailey must discover the truth behind Shannon's perfect facade--before the murderer decides to get rid of loose ends. There's not much depth to White's mystery or to Bailey, though she does suffer some loss during the course of the book, but it's fun and fast-paced, easy to read. Bailey is, in many ways, a 21st-century descendant of Edna Buchanan's crime reporter Britt Montero, who ran around Miami for her true-crime scoops. The setting may be colder, but like Britt, Bailey is fearless, determined, and always fashionable.A grown-up Nancy Drew for grown-up girl detectives.

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Starred review from April 1, 2019

Shannon Blaine leaves her Lake George, NY, home to go jogging one morning, and disappears. Because she's a beautiful blonde wife and mother, the search draws some media attention. When Bailey Weggins agrees to cover the disappearance for an online magazine, she feels the adrenaline rush of investigating a case again and teams up with Alice Hatfield, a local reporter. The two quickly develop a grudging respect for each other, and when Bailey receives an anonymous call, she trusts Alice enough to ask her to accompany her to an old retreat center. They then discover Shannon's body but also the bodies of two other people. Once the news breaks, Bailey and Alice realize that they might have drawn the attention of a serial killer. However, both reporters are determined to uncover the truth in this riveting mystery with layers of stories and crimes. A strong feeling of menace runs throughout this intricately plotted eighth book in the series, following Even If It Kills Her. VERDICT Readers who appreciate investigative reporters caught up in dramatic stories, such as James Ziskin's "Ellie Stone" series or Thomas Kies's "Geneva Chase" mysteries, will savor this intense page-turner that never lets up.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2019
Crime reporter Bailey Weggins is known for becoming more involved in her stories than is healthy, as happens again when she covers the disappearance of a perfect wife for new online publication Crime Beat. Soon after 34-year-old Shannon Blaine vanishes on her routine morning run in Galena, Illinois, Bailey gets a voice-distorted call from the presumed perpetrator hinting at Shannon's location. So Bailey checks it out, joined by local reporter Alice Hatfield, with whom she's formed a relationship based on mutual respect. The two woman find three bodies, raising the possibility of a serial killer and, shockingly, raising suspicion that Shannon's husband, Cody, could be the culprit. When Alice finds a scary clue online and wants to wait to tell Bailey about it at dinner, mystery fans' apprehension will skyrocket, as the compelling plot, with multiple suspects, thunders to a conclusion. At the same time, Bailey worries about her live-in boyfriend, Beau Regan, who's in Colombia on business, adding nuance to their relationship and its possible future. One of the stronger entries in an always-entertaining series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)