Dennis's Reviews > The Perfect Wife

JP Delaney is original, that is for sure! I recently read his previous novels, Believe Me and The Girl Before, and I had major opinions about both. With his upcoming The Perfect Wife going into the realm of science-fiction, Delaney is able to break the mold of his previous domestic thrillers and have a new one in its own world. The story centers around the protagonist Abbie basically being resurrected, using the power of her husband Tim's robotics company. Tim's wife Abbie died five years ago, but with his money and power, Tim's company was able to change modern science, and bring her back. Of course, this Abbie is different and molded from the memories her husband was able to program into her. Abbie seems to have lost particular moments in her memory—where/how she died, how was the actual status of her relationship—Abbie can't seem to remember anything. As Abbie begins to piece moments of her old life back together, she starts seeing the mystery behind her past that some wish stayed hidden.

I give JP Delaney a lot of kudos for tailoring a science-fiction/domestic thriller, without coming off unbelievable or childish. The Perfect Wife is a strong mystery/thriller, and you actually end up forgetting about the world of robots, and accepting it for face value in this story. The Perfect Wife talks a lot about the autism spectrum, and I found out that the author's son is on the spectrum, which is why this story is so important to him. I really enjoyed learning more about that aspect in the story, and am curious to learn more. This is my biggest takeaway from the novel, and I'm grateful to have had a peek into this reality. If you've enjoyed Delaney's previous novels, you'll definitely enjoy this one as well.