Perfect People

Written by Peter James

Narrated by Clare Corbett

If it was the only way of having a child . . . would you do it? A riveting thriller from the internationally bestselling author of the Roy Grace series.



After the tragic loss of their young son to a rare genetic disorder, John and Naomi discover they both carry a rogue gene. Having another child by conventional means is too much risk to bear.



When they find geneticist Dr. Leo Dettore it seems like the answer to their prayers. Every aspect of the child can be chosen and manufactured, from height and eye color to intelligence and sporting prowess. But realizing the danger too late, Naomi is already pregnant when they understand the nightmare world they are entering . . .



A world of perfect people.



Utterly gripping and frighteningly plausible, Perfect People is a shocking thriller about what happens when humans play God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Mar 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781666101768

Peter James

PETER JAMES is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author best known for his crime thrillers featuring Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, who Queen Camilla recently named as her favourite fictional detective. Praised by critics and much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern-day policing, he has won more than 40 awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger. His books have sold over 23 million copies worldwide, achieved 21 Sunday Times No 1s, and have been translated into 38 languages. His Roy Grace novels are currently filming their 6th season for the hit ITV drama, Grace, starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper and available to view on ITVX and on Britbox. Seven of his novels have been adapted into hit stage plays, with his most recent, Picture You Dead, now on national tour in the UK. His plays have have been named as “The most successful stage franchise since Agatha Christie.

Reviews for Perfect People

[daftboy1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a good book bit different. Sci Fi meets the future of medicine
A couple desperate for a healthy baby called John and Naomi go to see a Specialist in the hope of producing a healthy baby.
They get more than they bargained for. They have twins a boy and a girl Luke and Pheobe who are born with a very advanced brain. At 3 years old they are a lot more intelligent and stronger than most teenagers.
There is a religious nutter trying to kill all of these advanced children.
Luke and Phoebe are rescued/kidnapped and taken to a secret location.
John and Naomi go to meet them but don't get to bring them home.
9 years later out of the blue the children meet up with their Parents again they now look like a really old couple due to the ageing gene.

Good and different book this.

[brokenangelkisses · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

‘Perfect People’ is a stand-alone story by popular crime writer, Peter James, in which the political is made, and remains, intensely personal.

What’s it about?

Having lost their four year old son to a rare genetic disease, John and Naomi Klaesson seek out controversial geneticist Leo Dettore in an attempt to ensure their next child is born healthy, without the terrible disease they both carry in their genes.

As they talk to him about their options, John and Naomi are initially certain that they don’t want a “designer” baby, just a healthy one, but as the incredible list of options continues, they can’t resist making one or two tweaks.

As Naomi’s pregnancy progresses, the couple realise that Dr Dettore has not been completely honest with them. What agenda was he following? What, exactly, is Naomi carrying?

Their desperate search for answers seems destined to fail when Dr Dettore is killed and a religious cult claim responsibility. What’s more, the cult is determined to punish all wrongdoers and destroy the children they claim are “the devil’s spawn”. Can Naomi and John protect their family? Will they want to? What, exactly, was Dr Dettore up to?

What’s it like?

Emotional. Exaggerated (hopefully!) Dramatic.

The first part of the book involves a lot of discussion around the rights, wrongs and possibilities of genetic manipulation of embryos to create “designer” babies. Dr Dettore is convincingly passionate about his cause, and he does raise some interesting points, but Naomi and John are determined to keep their child as ordinary as possible, little realising that this particular horse will definitely be leaving the stable, with or without their informed consent...

Creepy children

It’s surely no secret, given the cover art, that Naomi and John end up having two children, rather than the one they ordered. The children are wonderfully creepy in ways that John is unable to believe, even when his rational mind knows of no other possible explanation.

As their mother, Naomi suffers the brunt of the children’s strangeness, and is not afraid to give voice to her unhappiness. I liked this aspect of the story and the way her personal distaste sometimes contrasts with John’s bursts of scientific excitement.

John himself is both scientifically bright and personally a bit dim. When he realises that Dr Dettore can’t be making any money from his designer babies sideline, he wonders almost idly why the doctor really does it, but never seems worried until the first hiccup with Naomi’s pregnancy. Given that altruism was always an unlikely answer, I think John should have been more concerned about Dr Dettore’s motives, but he is definitely a person who looks for the silver lining, and this trait does help him to have an easier relationship with his children.

But the worst is yet to come, when the children disappear...

Final thoughts

I found the talky part interesting and also liked Naomi’s realistic (maybe I mean pessimistic!) attitude towards her challenging children, but the ending left me a little frustrated. It seemed a tad moralistic, and while there is an effective personal ending to the story, the scientific vision Dr Dettore initially outlines remains a theory.

The religious cult were a bit of a distraction, but James creates them as genuine individuals rather than simply lunatics, which does make them much more compelling as a threat and as a concern. How can we as a society ensure individuals are not radicalised at vulnerable points in their life? Although I liked the way James creates a creepy atmosphere at times, his greatest strength is in the convincing emotional natures of his characters.

If you are prepared to suspend disbelief on a few matters, this is an entertaining tale that will certainly leave you thinking about the directions genetic research could take us in.

[keyboardscoffee · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was very much looking forward to this book and I'm very sad to say it disappointed me. I can't explain why without ruining a bit of the book, but it definitely did not hold up to the image I had in my head for it.

I still appreciated the plot line though (except for the end which kind of threw me a bit and left me sitting there going...w...t...f...). I think genetically modified kids is a hot topic and certainly creates a lot of discussion. And a lot of fights. I can understand why Naomi and Jonathan would consider it when their reasoning is explained to you, but a huge part of me was still against it.

The characters themselves were okay. About half way through the book Naomi got incredibly annoying for me, but I've never been a mother so I don't know how I would react given the situations she was put in. Jonathan was a little flat. His scientist side showed more than his father or husband side which made him come off as a little cold. He never really seemed to be in the forefront but that might be because most of the chapters were from Naomi's point of view. The majority of the other characters fade in and out and you don't really get a good sense of who they are.

My favourite part about this book, of course, is the cover. It's absolutely stunning and one of the first reasons I picked up this book. Whoever designed it, bravo!

[helen.mcbay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Having read and enjoyed all of Peter's Roy Grace novels I thought I would give his stand alone novel, Perfect People a go.
I struggled to get through the first 50 pages; I don't know if this is because I am not very scientifically minded or if not much was really happening. However, I ploughed on and am glad I did. The novel picked up pace after this with loads going on to keep the pages turning especially in the latter stages of the book.
This book took Peter James 10 years to write and he has quite obviously done a lot of research into genetics and 'designer babies.' What this book essentially does through the telling of the story is highlight the pros and cons of genetic engineering. It is a book which will make you think of these negatives and positives. The ending of the book was certainly thought provoking...I did not see that one coming!
I think that this would be an ideal book for reading groups as whether or not people enjoy the book the issues raised in the book is guaranteed to lead to a varied and lively discussion/debate.

[stroudley-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There were times when I found this book to be quite chilling, particularly as it becomes clear - step by step - that things are not turning out as the couple expect. The story takes a slightly James Bond-esque turn towards the end, but the ending is startling and disturbing, and brings together a number of loose threads rather neatly.

[dannn_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another great read from Peter James - he never disappoints me. This book deals with genetic engineering and it is inevitable that something will go wrong. The ending is unusual and not what I was expecting.
Thoroughly enjoyable!

[cookiedemon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm partial to Peter James' `Roy Grace' detective books but the summary for this one had me hooked, as did the eerie looking cover. With a Peter James book you're pretty much guaranteed a stellar read, so I was curious to know just how good this standalone thriller/sci-fi book would be. It definitely took me by surprise and though it couldn't be more different from his detective books, I found myself gripped by both the premise and the plot.

I won't summarise the novel as that has been done more than adequately enough already, but I will say that the subject matter is controversial yet the writing is pulled off brilliantly. As a reader you do have to suspend your belief on occasions', though the matter of genetics and designer babies is certainly becoming more of a prominent subject in today's society so it does make you think about what could happen and what you would do if you were in the same situation.

Parts of this book genuinely gave me chills, the underlying feeling all the way through is that nothing is quite what it seems and to be careful what you wish for because you just might get it- and then some! As a reader you begin to understand that the `perfect people' created in this novel aren't really 'normal' by societies standards and wonder what they will do next.

Though I really enjoyed this book, I can concede that it has a few flaws which is what prevented me from giving it the full five stars, though for entertainment value alone that could have been the case. Some of the parent's rather laissez faire reactions to their children's extraordinary abilities caused me to roll my eyes on occaision- particularly the fathers! I also found Naomi's behaviour to veer dangerously out of character towards the end of the novel and generally I couldn't really feel any sort of connection towards either of the parents as they weren't particularly likeable people. My main sticking point was the abrupt ending though- whilst it was carefully crafted to be quick and leave the reader going: "noooo!" I did think that it could have been drawn out just a teeny bit more than it was after investing so much time in the book.

Nevertheless, despite these little gripes, I really did enjoy this novel and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced read with a plot that definitely makes you think.

*This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk*

[emigre_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

unpredictable book. a tale of genetic engineering gone wrong. grabbed me from the start and have to say the ending is unexpected yet made perfect sense.