The Perfect Marriage

The Perfect Marriage is a thriller that maintains many of the traits of the genre. It takes a “whodunnit” mystery approach, as it first appears that Adam is innocent and that the real killer is unknown. Through red herrings (false clues), the book steers the reader in the wrong direction. Various characters are suspected, at one point or another, of having killed Kelly/Jenna: her husband, Scott; Sarah’s legal assistant, Anne; and Jesse Hook, a customer at the restaurant where Kelly/Jenna worked who had an unhealthy obsession with her. These red herrings help to attract attention away from the real killer, Sarah, creating a surprising plot twist at the conclusion.

Although The Perfect Marriage upholds certain conceits of the thriller genre—false clues, a race against the clock, increasing suspense and tension, plot twists—it also subverts some traits of the genre. The narrative point of view is one example. The book is told from alternating points of view: One chapter is told from Adam’s viewpoint, the next is told from Sarah’s, and so on. These first-person insights create the appearance of gaining full access to Sarah’s and Adam’s thoughts. However, the