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Tom Fairchild is faced with a moral dilemma; can he do the wrong thing for the right reasons? He is given an opportunity to turn his life around after a series of setbacks (to put it mildly) but it comes at a price. Fairchild is an ex-con who is doing all he needs to do in trying to live the straight and narrow path. He makes sure that he sees his parole office regularly, holds a steady job working at his sister's antique map store, and freelances as a graphic designer. Tom is a good guy who just happened to ruin his life after breaking into someone's home in order to get back his property. That event has branded him for life as a screw-up to most people in town. He knows that he has blown a lot of good opportunities in his life, but that is in his past. A one-of-a-kind antique map on loan for an exhibition is ruined after the man holding it open in his arms just happened to get murdered, spilling blood all over it. The map's owner, real-estate mogul Stuart Barlowe, is in a panic. He needs to have that map, but it can't be restored. Barlowe saw some convincing facsimiles of some antique maps Tom created as a promotion for his sister's store and wants Tom to create not a forgery – after all that would be bad – but a convincing duplicate. The money Barlowe offers Tom could help him complete all Tom needs to do to pay restitution for his crimes and make his life better for him and his sister, who took him in. Tom accepts the job knowing full well that he has not been given the full story and he's right. It turns into a matter of life and death. And so, the adventure begins. Barbara Parker takes a break from her popular lawyer series to bring in a light-hearted action adventure that starts in Miami and ends in a showdown in Italy. The main character is likeable enough, although THE PERFECT FAKE has elements of predictability when it comes to Tom's romantic interest as well as the intrigue involved regarding the map. This book does not provide the high expectations other over-hyped books have received. The plot is pretty much straightforward though a bit disappointing, especially when it comes to certain unlikely twists at the end. Take the book for what it is and just enjoy the ride. Parker writes a good story here, just not a great one.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, March 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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