Picture Perfect

The Jodi Arias Story: a Beautiful Photographer, Her Mormon Lover, and a Brutal Murder

By: Shanna Hogan

Narrated by: Emily Durante

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Travis Alexander was a handsome, hard-working, practicing Mormon who lived in Mesa, Arizona. His good looks and easygoing manner made him popular with everyone, especially the ladies. So when he was found with a bullet wound in the face and his throat slashed, the brutal murder sent shock waves throughout his community. Who could have done something so sinister?

But soon a suspect was singled out-Jodi Arias. A beautiful, aspiring photographer, Jodi had been in a long-distance relationship with Travis the year before. But Travis wasn't interested in a serious commitment; he was seeing several women during that time. When he broke up with her, that didn't stop Jodi from leaving California, moving to just a few miles away from Travis's home, and inserting herself into his daily life.

Investigators found one piece of startling evidence in Travis's home that implicated Jodi. But in a bizarre turn of events, Jodi would claim self-defense. Was she a victim - or a devious femme fatale?

©2013 Shanna Hogan (P)2013 Tantor

Human Resources Video Narrator

Yikes did Siri read this thing? I actually looked her up to see is she’s Mormon, due to the very sympathetic reading of such aspects. She’s done over 300 audiobooks so I think she’s just numb to it, all emotion was dredged up long ago on romance novels.

Perceptively and precisely written

this was a book that was wonderfully written. It was unbiased. It was very black-and-white and gave the facts as they were. it’s such a sad and horrible and someone’s life and it’s hard to believe that someone is capable of such monstrosity. 

How hard is it to pronounce 'one hundred'?!?!?!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The person reading this is so bad it ruined the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

n/a

Would you be willing to try another one of Emily Durante’s performances?

HELL NO.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The story was well written but the woman reading it was so bad that if it were narrated by Siri, it would have sounded better

Any additional comments?

Emily, find a new career or learn how to read.

Love

I really loved this book. However I was really annoyed with the narrator and how she spoke, I feel like she’s trying to replicate the way Siri speaks, why? I have no idea. but this is a good book! I would highly recommend for all my true crime lovers, if you can just get past the horrible Siri like narrator.

Better than HLN's book

If you could sum up Picture Perfect in three words, what would they be?

Don't tease crazies

What did you like best about this story?

Well as this is true crime I can't say I liked anything best, however I did like this account better than HLN's Author Jane Mitchell.

What three words best describe Emily Durante’s voice?

Fifteen girlish okay

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Nope, just think if Travis would have followed his own lead being as though he was a " mormon elder" and sex before marriage is a no go he would be alive today. Jody Arias was treated like trash and thrown away and being as though she was crazy this was the outcome.

Any additional comments?

I wish there was a detailed account of Arias's life for a better understanding of why she was so insane and more information on this case is general. This book is not nearly as bad as 50% of the reviews led me to believe, I followed the case and I think this book was pretty spot on, its the best book on this case out for now.

Judi?

Factual account.

The narrator said "Judi" throughout the entire book, It sounded like a computer generated voice,

Excellently Written

Though not a lot of new facts were written here. This book was an excellent and honest 360 of Jodi Arias, Travis Alexander and the trial of the decade (well almost.)

I recommend this book if you are looking for material on the case.

Unbiased

This is an unbiased account of the facts surrounding the murder. Very easy to read, very well written.

Not the best

They portrayed Jodie as evil (which she was) But Travis was this amazing man (which he was not). Wasn’t really thrilled with this read. Dragged on with too much of the godly man Travis was.

Narrator sounds mechanical at times

The woman reading this story almost sounds robotic at times and not human. Good story and well researched though.