The Perfect Fake

I thoroughly enjoyed this stand-alone book, as well as any in the Suspicion series that Barber Parker has written. It is obvious she carefully researched the locales as well as ancient map writing (I hate it when there is a good plot ... and then it is ruined by sloppy research/unbelievable events & locales). Great plot. Romance is in the background, so you are not distracted by steamy/unnecessary scenes. Nice twists, action, etc. This book does what a good book should do -- take the reader away into another world. I highly recommend it.

I have read all of Parker's books, beginning with Suspicion of Innocence (1994). Although I have enjoyed them all, this one was the best of the lot. Parker did an excellent job with the Italian venue. The plot was convoluted enough to keep me thinking---which most books cannot accomplish. It's always a pleasure to read an intelligent author like Parker who refuses to bend to the dumbed-down pulp fiction trash that so many other authors have succumbed to. Go to it Barbara. I look forward to your next one.

There is not a writer who creates a tantalizing hero like Barbara Parker. ( I admit to being a fan, having read every single one of her books from the Suspicion series through BLOOD RELATIONS. In THE PERFECT FAKE, Tom has a dark past, or so people think, including his former girlfriend. Inside, he's noble and adores his sister, Rose, who owns a map shop. Tom works there, too, and in order to solve a brutal crime, he has to create a map. 'Nuff said, don't want to spoil your read, but the old world research Barbara Parker has done to create this lifelike tale is amazing. I eagerly await Barbara Parker's next novel.

If you like reading mysteries about old books or ancient symbols, then you will enjoy this change of pace....a forgery of an old map. This is an exciting fast-paced suspense with some likeable characters and creepy villains. The story starts in Florida and then heads out to sea and then off to London and the Italian Alps. There's plenty of intrigue, a touch of romance, and quite a bit of interesting information on ancient map making.

I own all of Barbara Parker's book -- at first I was a little disapointed to find this one a stand-alone. Well, until I started to read it. Then I was captivated by Tom Fairchild's dilemma -- can he create the "perfect fake?" I liked the multiple settings -- Miami, London, Italy; the clever ways in which quite a number of plot lines are resolved,the intelligence of the characters (the Weasel excepted -- I really hated him), and my introduction to the fascinating world of antique maps and their collectors. Perhpas the characters are not as richly complicated as those in Parker's "Suspicion of" series, but a really good caper (as this is) should, I think, command a willing suspension of disbelief -- The Perfect Fake is a delightful read.