‘What you see isn’t always what you get…’
– The Perfect Place
[ About The Perfect Place ]
Elle Littlewood can barely believe her luck when her producer tells her about the chance to get her hands on a dilapidated chateau in Aix-En-Provence, France for a rock bottom price. It seems too good to be true, but as a home interiors influencer, she knows this would make incredible content.
Lately, Elle has noticed the cracks start to show. Her life is the envy of thousands, and her social media posts show a beautiful, accomplished woman. Yet this wasn’t always the case. If they knew the truth about her past, they would never look at Elle the same way again.
Elle needs this house. She doesn’t care that it comes with huge strings attached. And when people get in her way, there’s nothing Elle won’t do to protect her brand. After all, she’s survived by doing things that people could never imagine – and knows she would do them again.
[ My Review ]
The Perfect Place by Amanda Cassidy published with Canelo Crime August 1st and is described as ‘a dark, voyeuristic and utterly captivating crime thriller.’ Set in the French countryside, The Perfect Place exposes the reality of life as a successful influencer when the pressure is on and the numbers are not going in the right direction.
Elle Littlewood is an interiors content creator with over 1.2 million followers on Instagram who all demand beautiful and inspiring content. Elle’s Dream Home, her page, has taken on a life of its own following the success of her vlog at the recent Glamour Online Media Awards but with this success comes expectation and Elle is feeling the pressure. Alongside her digital marketing expert, Sue Anderson, the pair have built a lucrative business but Sue is watching the online trends and has seen a shift. The online community who search for Elle’s type of content now ‘wanted renovations. Elaborate renovations, international, budget-less projects. They wanted dazzling locations, memorable moments, showstopping drama. Windmills, lighthouses, chateaus…’ So Sue comes up with a plan, an exciting ‘outside-the-box’ solution. Sue knows what the sponsors are demanding and she is all too aware that she will lose her golden egg, aka Elle, if this outrageous plan doesn’t work, but first she needs to persuade Elle. Sue knows how to pull Elle’s strings, she knows Elle’s desires and also knows how far Elle is willing to go to protect her empire but will Sue’s suggestion push Elle too far?
Elle Littlewood has transformed herself over the years, creating a luxurious and curated life that looks picture perfect. But Elle is carrying a secret close to her heart, one that she knows, if revealed, could destroy all that she holds dear. When Sue suggests a French adventure, Elle is initially hesitant. Elle knows that her online stats are dwindling. She knows something drastic is required to keep her on the pedestal that she has fought so hard for. But how far is Elle prepared to go to keep herself in vogue while also keeping her past where it belongs, in the past?
Amanda Cassidy has a genuine interest in the mechanics of the algorithms associated with the digital world. Having worked in the media for many years, and with her experiences of travelling in France, Amanda has created this dark tale set in the most beautiful location. The Perfect Place is based on quite an intriguing concept, a particular kind of legitimate French home-purchasing scheme that is really quite bizarre. We all dream of owning a French chateau someday but how many of us ever do and how far would we be willing to go to get it? The behaviour of many of the characters is, at times, a little irrational. They are not particularly pleasant and are all quite self-absorbed with differing agendas. I did find the ending somewhat rushed leaving me a little frustrated with a few unanswered questions.
Overall The Perfect Place is an engaging, well-paced and entertaining murder mystery, a perfect holiday novel, but I would suggest you go in with a very open mind and just enjoy the ride.
[ Bio ]
Amanda Cassidy is a freelance journalist, commissioning editor, former Sky News reporter, and author. She has been shortlisted for the Irish Journalist of the Year Awards, the Headline Media writing awards and more recently has been shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger for her debut novel, Breaking. She’s a frequent contributor to national radio, print and television and holds a BA in French and Italian from Trinity College Dublin. When she’s not on a plane, you’ll find her in her cottage in Dublin where she lives with her husband and three young children.
Website ~ https://amandacassidy.ie/
X ~ @amandacasssidy
