The Perfect Marriage

The Perfect Marriage is a thriller that maintains many of the traits of the genre. It takes a “whodunnit” mystery approach, as it first appears that Adam is innocent and that the real killer is unknown. Through red herrings (false clues), the book steers the reader in the wrong direction. Various characters are suspected, at one point or another, of having killed Kelly/Jenna: her husband, Scott; Sarah’s legal assistant, Anne; and Jesse Hook, a customer at the restaurant where Kelly/Jenna worked who had an unhealthy obsession with her. These red herrings help to attract attention away from the real killer, Sarah, creating a surprising plot twist at the conclusion.

Although The Perfect Marriage upholds certain conceits of the thriller genre—false clues, a race against the clock, increasing suspense and tension, plot twists—it also subverts some traits of the genre. The narrative point of view is one example. The book is told from alternating points of view: One chapter is told from Adam’s viewpoint, the next is told from Sarah’s, and so on. These first-person insights create the appearance of gaining full access to Sarah’s and Adam’s thoughts. However, the trope of the unreliable narrator is used instead, as Sarah’s internal thoughts continually hide the fact that she is Kelly/Jenna’s murderer and is framing Adam.

It is only at the end of the book that the reader learns that Sarah has been an unreliable narrator, withholding key facts about the events. While unreliable narrators do appear in the thriller genre, this is an extreme example. The alternating viewpoints are also less common in thrillers, especially in a detective-style “whodunnit,” which is often told primarily from the detective’s viewpoint. While it initially seems like Sarah has taken on the mantle of detective in the book, it is later revealed that she is not seeking to unveil the facts but to suppress them.

These alternating viewpoints between Sarah and Adam also enable the narrative to delve deeply into a thematic exploration of gender roles, as both husband and wife can offer direct and indirect insights into the dynamics of their marriage. The Perfect Marriage raises significant questions about marriage and traditional gender roles and power dynamics. Traditionally, men have been the breadwinners and women have been the caretakers. Even in modern society, men continue to earn more than women. As a couple, Adam and Sarah subvert these traditional gender roles. Sarah is career-focused, successful, and not very interested in family. Adam is far less successful, earns less, and is eager to start a family. The book challenges traditional ideologies about what a successful marriage can look like.

At the same time, the book is a cautionary tale and an examination of the consequences of subverting traditional power dynamics and gender roles in a marriage. Eleanor represents this ideological argument, blaming Sarah’s career-minded focus for Adam’s affair. As controversial as Eleanor’s claims may be, she represents a point of view that still exists in modern society, advocating that women should take care of their husband’s needs first and foremost, and any career aspirations should be secondary. Sarah’s character is the narrative’s counterpoint, as Sarah is fiercely successful and independent, but a dubious role model to aspire to, given her murderous tendencies.