Perfect Wives, Perfect Lies by Jennifer Anne Gordon (Podium Entertainment)

The promise of a social media group turned toxic is a compelling hook for any thriller. Jennifer Anne Gordon places her protagonist, Becca, in the center of an online community that values performance over substance. It sounds like a sharp look at modern isolation, but the execution hits a wall early. The story struggles to find its footing, shifting between mourning and malice without a clear motive.

Mechanically, the plot feels heavy. The transition from minor online deception to felony crime is abrupt, lacking the gradual erosion of ethics that makes such a premise believable. The reader is asked to accept too much, too fast, without a solid foundation of character development.

The prose suffers from a lack of urgency. The style is overly descriptive where it should be sharp, causing the momentum to stall in the middle chapters. The human element, the grief of losing a child, is treated with sincerity, yet it feels disconnected from the escalating absurdity of the kidnapping plot.

Fiction should be an escape, not a chore. When the stakes are high but the tension is flat, the pages stop turning.

For those who like suburban malaise, avoid if you prefer pacing.

Read Next:

• Big Little Lies (Liane Moriarty)
• The Guest List (Lucy Foley)