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The Perfect Life
The Perfect Life
May 14, 2025 9:22 PM

Author:Nuala Ellwood

The Perfect Life

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO BE SOMEONE ELSE?

Vanessa has always found it easy to pretend to be somebody different, somebody better. When things get tough in her real life, all she has to do is throw on some nicer clothes, adopt a new accent and she can escape.

That's how it started: looking round houses she couldn't possibly afford. Harmless fun really. Until it wasn't.

Because a man who lived in one of those houses is dead.

And everyone thinks Vanessa killed him...

______________________

Praise for Nuala Ellwood

'A gripping, poignant novel ... I read it in one sitting' Rosamund Lupton

'A clever, twisty plot that takes psychological mind games to a new level. Nuala Ellwood has done it again!' Jane Corry

'This book will take all your expectations and upend them, making you question everything you thought you knew' Emma Kavanagh

'Brilliantly compulsive and with one hell of a twist! I was consumed until the final heartbreaking page' Claire Douglas

'Absolutely brilliant - exciting, clever, it deserves to be a bestseller' Priscilla Masters

Reviews

A clever, twisty plot that takes psychological mind games to a new level. Nuala Ellwood has done it again!

—— Jane Corry, on 'The Day of the Accident'

Brilliantly compulsive and with one hell of a twist! I was consumed until the final heartbreaking page

—— Claire Douglas, on 'The Day of the Accident'

A stunning book. Compelling, unsettling and powerful this is a book that will stay with me for a long time

—— C. L. Taylor, on 'The Day of the Accident'

With a twist that'll make you want to read the entire book in one afternoon, we don't blame you if you struggle to put this one down!

—— Crafts Beautiful Magazine

Explosive . . . If you like true crime, you'll devour this chilling story of revenge

—— Woman's Weekly

Deliciously dark, wickedly observed with a protagonist who will haunt you in the best way. Utterly gripping, chillingly compelling - you won't read another story quite like Bella's.

—— Miranda Dickinson , -

Loved this fascinating tale of how a woman's pain turns to rage and then murder. Based on the real life adventures of serial killer Belle Gunness, this book is a dark, thrilling ride into a world of revenge. Oh so satisfying.

—— Julie Owen Moylan , -

Triflers Need Not Apply is a perfect read for any crime fiction fan. A chilling immersion into the mind of a serial killer - dark, seductive and addictive. A truly gripping read.

—— Lia Middleton , -

Based on a true story, with dark humour throughout, you will be hooked

—— Prima

Extraordinary. Bruce does a marvellous job of reimagining this real-life murderer, without excusing her crimes

—— The Times

This gory fictionalisation of her story is also a great character study

—— Best

Clever and pacy . . . To think of [Bella] only as a cruel murderer is too two-dimensional and doesn't do her, or Camilla's writing, justice

—— Belfast Telegraph

Chilling. Camilla Bruce's adept reimagining of this compelling historical figure is difficult to forget

—— Gazette and Herald

You'll veer between pity and loathing for the main character, with perhaps a touch of horrified admiration at times

—— The Hunsbury Handbook

I absolutely loved That Night . . . A fantastic read. It's my kind of page turner - perfectly calibrated psychological suspense

—— Shari Lapena

OH MY GOD! Had me absolutely gripped. It's such a stressful read (in a really good way). Claustrophobic and tense and completely absorbing. Just brilliant

—— Jane Fallon

I inhaled the entire thing in one day and I DO NOT know how she does it. What an absolute corker

—— Lindsey Kelk

That Night crept into my every waking thought. A claustrophobic, twisty novel that will have you asking "what would I do?"

—— Lia Louis

Brilliantly addictive and dark

—— Russell Kane

Praise for Gillian McAllister

—— -

I read it in a breathless day and a half. I loved every page

—— Lisa Jewell

As tense as a piano string

—— Sunday Times

An exceptional thriller with a thumping, emotional heart

—— Heat

Addictive, clever, twisty

—— Sun

I loved this gripping and thought-provoking read

—— B. A. Paris

Tense, compelling, with a clever grand reveal

—— Daily Mail

One of the best courtroom dramas I've ever read

—— Cara Hunter

Kept me glued to every page

—— Good Housekeeping

Gripping, cleverly-constructed, and heart-wrenching. Truly original

—— Paula Daly

Intelligent. Compulsive. Heart-wrenching. Unforgettable

—— Jane Corry

Brilliantly written

—— Fiona Barton

A thrilling mystery with a strong emotional heart

—— Woman & Home

Ingeniously constructed, with real flesh-and-blood characters and cliff-hanging suspense

—— Louise Candlish
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