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A review by justinkhchen
The Perfect 10 by Eric O'Keefe
2.0
2.5 stars
Relentlessly vintage, The Perfect 10 is clearly echoing the thriller formula from a bygone era, by authors such as Ian Fleming or Dick Francis, featuring a handsome, all-capable, womanizing male protagonist, female characters who are conventionally attractive, lusting over the said male lead, and all taking place in ritzy settings such as polo match, grand hotel, and private yacht.
If detailed play-by-play polo matches and white-collar crime interests you, The Perfect 10 is a commendable execution delivering it alongside a decent murder mystery. Objectively speaking, I do find the novel drags (it's absurdly large cast didn't help the matter), weighted down by disposable scenes irrelevant to the primary plot, and the last act closes on unsatisfying note, leaving some threads unresolved. On the other hand, with it being a 2020 release featuring a story sets in current time, I do find its plainly archaic world view slightly disconcerting, I'd wished The Perfect 10 is more self-aware regarding its dated references and the upper class bubble, rather than just being stuck in the mentality of the 70s.
Ultimately, I'm clearly not the target audience for The Perfect 10; the crime feels very 'rich people problem' and unsympathetic, and the characterization painfully old-school (I groan when every female character is written as a willing participant to the male lead's seduction). So perhaps take me rating with a grain of salt.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Relentlessly vintage, The Perfect 10 is clearly echoing the thriller formula from a bygone era, by authors such as Ian Fleming or Dick Francis, featuring a handsome, all-capable, womanizing male protagonist, female characters who are conventionally attractive, lusting over the said male lead, and all taking place in ritzy settings such as polo match, grand hotel, and private yacht.
If detailed play-by-play polo matches and white-collar crime interests you, The Perfect 10 is a commendable execution delivering it alongside a decent murder mystery. Objectively speaking, I do find the novel drags (it's absurdly large cast didn't help the matter), weighted down by disposable scenes irrelevant to the primary plot, and the last act closes on unsatisfying note, leaving some threads unresolved. On the other hand, with it being a 2020 release featuring a story sets in current time, I do find its plainly archaic world view slightly disconcerting, I'd wished The Perfect 10 is more self-aware regarding its dated references and the upper class bubble, rather than just being stuck in the mentality of the 70s.
Ultimately, I'm clearly not the target audience for The Perfect 10; the crime feels very 'rich people problem' and unsympathetic, and the characterization painfully old-school (I groan when every female character is written as a willing participant to the male lead's seduction). So perhaps take me rating with a grain of salt.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**