| Title | : | The Perfect Death (Brannon House #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 204 |
| Publication | : | First published January 21, 2020 |
Kenzi Brannon loves the single life in California. She hasn't looked back since the day she walked away from her painful past.
Everything comes crashing down when Kenzi gets a call about her estranged sister's suicide. If that news isn't shocking enough, she also learns that she is now guardian to Ember, a niece she doesn’t even know.
Kenzi heads up north and finds herself in her family’s long-abandoned house. Neighbors whisper rumors of hauntings, but Kenzi has a more serious concern—mounting evidence points to her sister’s death not being self-inflicted.
When things in the house move seemingly on their own, Ember thinks it’s ghosts. But Kenzi fears something far more sinister. Could the person who killed her sister now be after her and her niece?
The Perfect Death (Brannon House #1) Reviews
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It was the perfect mix of fast-paced action and suspense. There are creepy, ghostly shadows to give it an unsettling atmosphere along with major traumatic life changes for Aunt Kenzi and her niece Ember as they struggle to understand why Ember's mother suddenly ended up dead. The abandoned house they move into is a mysterious character all by itself. The story's quick and easy to read. I did it in one sitting. This is the first book I've read by this author but I will certainly be searching for more.
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Great read! Surprise ending!
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Kenzi Brannon works for an agency that provides people with fake dates, fake fiancees, fake friends, etc., whatever they need in order to get through a public or family event with a minimum of stress and awkwardness. She's in the middle of a job, pretending to be a handsome and wealthy client's fake girlfriend, when she gets a call informing her that her estranged sister (whose name I can't remember) has committed suicide. As if that weren't enough of a shock, apparently her sister named her the guardian of Ember, her teenage niece. Although her sister's husband isn't Ember's biological father, he's been part of her life since she was two. Why leave Ember in the care of Kenzi, someone who barely knows her?
Thankfully, Kenzi's sister also left her their family's old home, because she wouldn't have the space to take Ember in otherwise. Unfortunately, the place has been abandoned for a few years and is a bit worse for the wear. Also, there are rumors it may be haunted. However, Kenzi has worse things to worry about, as she begins to suspect that her sister's death wasn't a suicide after all.
What the cover of this book promised: creepiness, atmosphere, suspense. What it delivered: bad and unnecessarily repetitive writing, and no creepiness or suspense whatsoever. Simply saying that a house is probably haunted and that at least one of the characters worries it's true isn't enough to make the house creepy. The author's few efforts at "creepy" moments were tepid at best.
The book switched between Kenzi and Ember's POVs, and unfortunately they sounded similar enough, both in terms of wording and the audiobook narration, that I tended to get confused. Sometimes they communicated the same information to readers (for example, that Kenzi was closer in age to Ember than to her own sister), so I wondered why the author bothered with separate POVs.
There were several moments that felt like they were building up to something more but then just fizzled out. For example, initially there was a lot of focus on Kenzi's rich and handsome fake date and the expensive necklace he just casually allowed her to keep. This hardly came up again, as Kenzi found herself dazzled by another handsome guy, one of the cops looking into Kenzi's sister's death. I suspect the author has plans for some sort of love triangle later in the series, especially considering the additional complication that popped up at the very end of the book, but putting that much emphasis on that first fake date and the necklace made it seem like those might be important in this book.
The mystery was horrible, so obvious that the only surprise was that all those clues weren't red herrings. It's really too bad that the book didn't live up to the promise of its cover. I don't plan to continue this series.
(Original review posted on
A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) -
I absolutely loved this! From the very first page I was hooked on this haunting and suspenseful story. There were several OMG moments and More then once I felt the hairs go up on the back of my neck. Throw in a little action, mystery and some great characters ( I love Kenzi and Ember) a haunted mansion style house, murder and some twists I did not see coming and you have a fantabulous thriller read. I just could not put this down!
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Great story. Got me hooked from beginning to end
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The Brannon House
The Perfect Death is the very first book that I have read by Stacy Claflin and let me tell you it will not be the last..shhh I have already downloaded a few more. I am new to this troupe as well. I can't wait to read more this one was fabulous and kept me sucked in right from the start -
It was free on Apple Books and entertaining enough to read during lunch. Characters were all cliches and stereotypes. Character motivations didn’t always make sense. I would not recommend this book but I also do not regret reading it. In a word, adequate.
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This is what I get for picking a free audio book.
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DNF at 33%
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This review was originally posted on
Books of My Heart
The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point).
Kindle freebie on November 16, 2020 (currently $4.99 and in Kindle Unlimited as of writing this post)
I liked Kenzi. She was smart, cool in the face of situations, and kind to others. She did a good job with getting to her niece and providing what she needed. She cared about what Ember wanted and let her be involved in the decisions. I did feel neither of them were quite concerned enough about their safety with a murderer out there.
Most of the characters other than the few main ones were cliche. I would have preferred more development or more gray scale rather than all good or all bad. This added to the unbelievable feel for me. The mystery plot was straight forward and expected. I can't believe they didn't think it was a murder initially!
The Perfect Death is the start of the new
Brannon House series. My favorite parts were the development of Kenzi and Ember. With the twist at the end, there is sure to be more along those lines in the next book, Family Secrets. It releases next week and I'm reviewing it on audio. -
I loved reading The Perfect Death - loved it!! Stacy Claflin is quite skilled at setting the scene and making the reader feel as if they're apart of the story. Who hasn't imagined that they've heard something and passed it off with a simple explanation? I know I sure have!
The Perfect Death was the perfect mix of fast-paced action and the edge of your seat thrills! What I enjoyed the most was how the story came full circle, yet still left high hopes for the next installment. Add to this the authenticity of each of the principal characters, there was zero confusion - they were either easy to love or else downright despise! My favorite character, was Kenzi, of course - what's not to love?! I got quite the kick out of her personality, and her job!
If I could offer up a couple pieces of advice... one, definitely read this and two, probably best to do so during the day! Learn from me... I read the majority of The Perfect Death during the night. I had to stop myself as thoughts of haunted houses, and the unlikely possibility of ghosts overcame my mind each time my erratic cat decided to make a noise in the other room! Needless to say, I raced through the last hour of the book with much anticipatory delight!
I would recommend this book to Stacy Claflin's already large fan base as well as anyone interested in diving into a fast-paced domestic thriller. I can already tell that the Brannon House books are going to be a hit! Many thanks go to the author, Stacy Claflin, for providing me with an advanced reader copy of The Perfect Death in exchange for an honest review. I simply cannot wait for book two!! -
Ms. Claflin has the ability to write a story that holds your attention especially when it is late at night and you are home alone. When the characters are in the process of moving into an old house that has been in the family for generations. Every time there is a creak or groan from that old house your heart beats a little faster and if someone happened to sneak up on you and said BOO! you would probably scream and pee your pants. That is just how enticing this new book is. I was pulled right into the lives of Ember a 15 year old that has just lost her mother to suicide, and her mother's sister Kenzi. Kenzi cannot believe it when she gets a call that her sister is dead and she has been named guardian of her niece Ember. As these two get to know each other strange things start happening that makes them wonder if Claire really did commit suicide. As I said above this story had me so nervous that I'm awfully glad I wasn't home alone. It is an excellent suspense with small touches of romance and I am so looking forward to another story, if there is one, please Ms. Claflin I want to know more! Lol don't worry this is a stand alone I would just like more.
I received a free download of this book, this review is totally my own honest opinion of a book I really enjoyed. -
The Perfect Death - a review by Rosemary Kenny
Mackenzie/'Kenzie', works as a professional escort/fake fiancée and lives in a small LA loft. While on a date with a rich singleton, she's devastated by a snooty female lawyer's call, to say her much older, estranged sister, Claire, has committed suicide at work and left her their late parents' house, her personal property - and her niece Ember to care for, which surprises Kenzie.
Moving into the long-empty, spooky house brings its own challenges, especially when things go bump in the night - and daytime too!
Ember finds a previously-locked attic door suddenly open when nobody's there - is the house haunted? What does she find in the attic?
What's Detective Felton's first name and how do Kenzie and Ember both have cause to find out?
Not your usual murder-mystery, but one that's sure to grip you firmly by the imagination and make you determined to find out, which intriguing clue leads finally to the shocking truth.
Get your copy of Stacy Claflin's Brannon's House Series Book 1, The Perfect Death today to see if you can work out whodunnit before anyone else! -
A superb beginning of a new series....If you like twists and turns, this is the new series/book for you! I couldn't imagine losing a sibling to suicide, much less beginning to wonder if there was foul play and even more sinister things afoot. Plus, Kenzi is now the unexpected guardian of her niece, Ember (aptly named BTW), after her sister's death. Kenzi tried to escape her painful past successfully, yet is drawn into web upon web in this new "present"...that may include ghosts. It's a gripping ride that you will embark upon as you follow the threads of history, deceit, protection, and safekeeping...even unexpected love. I received a free copy of this novel and am leaving an honest review. Enjoy!
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This was a wonderful, thrilling story. It kept your attention and you didn’t want to put it down. The ending came as a shock but perfect for the next book in the series. All the characters were so well written with great personalities. The story of Kenzi’s sister passing away and leaving her with her daughter, Ember, in her care was odd since they hardly knew each other. Also, it didn’t seem right for Kenzi’s sister to commit sucide. So Kenzi and Ember move into the Brannon house and start to get to know each other. The house has it’s stories too with strange sounds, doors opening and closing and just plain dusty and old. Great ending which is a great start to the next in the series. I highly recommend it.
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I enjoyed it
A good read. The characters are an interesting array of personalities and the premise of the story is quite interesting. The outcome is not surprising, but the final note had a fun little gotcha moment.
The writing is fluid and had a great blend for a romantic suspense. The vivid descriptions for the house and emotions had me tense and questioning events along with Kenzi and Ember. The buildup of the attic and basement and locked doors was intriguing and I can’t wait to read future books to get more answers. -
Is there a perfect crime? Not in this case. A suicide that seems to perfect. No reason, no rhyme. Kenzi is unexpectedly summoned to leave her life in LA to go back to where she grew up and raise her estranged sisters daughter after she commits suicide. Although she hadn’t spoken to her sister for years, she quickly learned that her death was no accident. With the help of her niece Ember, and an attractive detective the perfect death slowly unfolds.
A great summer read! I’m excited to read the next one! -
Okay, the only reason I got this book was because it had such good reviews on here. No offense to the YA crowd, but this book would be so so for teens. However, the writing was subpar and the plot so predictable. Good grief; I mean, it was obvious from the first few chapters that the lawyer was an antagonist, so it wasn’t much of a jump to tie her to the murder, especially since she found the body. 🙄 And the coincidences at the end just pushed the plot into horrible. If you are under the age of 13, this might be a good read. Otherwise, don’t waste your time.
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Neutral
The Perfect Death left me feeling “Meh.” I neither liked or disliked the story. The plot line was predictable for a who done it. The times of suspense dragged on so long (like describing how scared with EVERY step) that you just don’t care what was at the top. There were opportunities to make the story more in-depth but the author didn’t take them. The relationships between the characters were superficial. I probably will no read any more of the series. It just didn’t grab me enough. -
This book had some interesting parts, but overall it felt like just a set up for a sequel. The pacing was a little strange - the beginning was really interesting but then the whole middle section was a bit of a slog. This book left a lot of questions unanswered so the ending wasn’t very satisfying. If there is more to the second book, I would have preferred for this to have just been one book instead of stretching it out into 2 or more. For a series to work I think each book needs to have merit on its own and this just felt like the first couple of chapters in a longer book.
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OK....awesome!!
A fabulous start for a new series that I can't wait to read more of. There's murder and mystery with twists and turns....and a haunted murder house! I started this saying to myself that I would just read a few chapters before bed...HA HA HA, I was up until the wee hours finishing the book because I just didn't want to put it down. I won't say more as I don't want to give anything away but you will love this. -
The Perfect Death is the first book in the Brannon House series by Stacy Claflin.
Wow. I did not expect the book to end like it did.
I like how Kenzi stepped up and was willing to do what was best for her niece. It was an interesting story with some very spooky moments.
I can’t wait for the next book to come out to see how the relationships progress and learn more about the house.
I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
