What do you think?
Rate this book
Scars of Perfection
They promised success. They delivered pain.
Sixteen girls vanished. One common a cosmetic surgery clinic. Private investigator Lauren Kutyna is hired to find answers, but the deeper she digs, the more dangerous the truth becomes. Caught between corrupt corporations, a shadowy conspiracy, and the enigmatic Detective Hunter, Lauren must unravel a web of deceit before she becomes the next victim. The scars of perfection run deep, and the price of beauty may be too high to pay.
Discover the dark side of beauty now.
Sixteen girls vanished. One common a cosmetic surgery clinic. Private investigator Lauren Kutyna is hired to find answers, but the deeper she digs, the more dangerous the truth becomes. Caught between corrupt corporations, a shadowy conspiracy, and the enigmatic Detective Hunter, Lauren must unravel a web of deceit before she becomes the next victim. The scars of perfection run deep, and the price of beauty may be too high to pay.
Discover the dark side of beauty now.
82 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2025
About the author
Keyla Damaer
63 books28 followersKeyla Damaer, an independent author since 2017, has made writing her lifelong passion, and she explored it by travelling part of the world. Her passion for storytelling is evident in her works, which are characterised by their imaginative worlds and complex characters.
Born and raised in Rome, Keyla currently resides in the Eternal City with her husband.
You can find her on her website: https://keyladamaer.com
Born and raised in Rome, Keyla currently resides in the Eternal City with her husband.
You can find her on her website: https://keyladamaer.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 28, 2025
A great short story to introduce a strong, believable character into the world of crime and corruption.
Girls missing, police at a seeming standstill however it is Lauren, a PI, who makes a break through.
A great read, well paced and engaging.
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book
Girls missing, police at a seeming standstill however it is Lauren, a PI, who makes a break through.
A great read, well paced and engaging.
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book
July 1, 2025
Keyla Damaer’s Scars of Perfection is a fast-paced, entertaining introduction to intrepid private investigator Lauren Kutyna, who depends on guile, martial arts, and a few friends to solve crimes in a future where humans live on worlds like Mars and the moons of Jupiter. The story of this novella builds slowly, then the pace picks up with lots of action and snappy dialogue.
A highlight of Damaer’s writing is her vivid descriptions of surroundings and some of the characters, replete with details such as scents and speech patterns, which imparted a you-are-there feeling. Given the level of detail in many respects, I was disappointed that Lauren was hardly described at all. However, there was a monochrome sketch of a woman at the start of each chapter. Assuming that was Lauren, it gives readers some idea of her appearance, but I would have liked to know more about her, given she’s the protagonist. The only other significant issue I noticed was a smattering of errors, especially in the first half of the book. But they weren’t too obtrusive, and I give Damaer extra credit for providing the link to a web site where errors can be reported.
The story was wrapped up in tidy fashion, with a hint of what may lie ahead for Lauren. I think that sci-fi fans who like strong female protagonists will love this book and others in the series.
NOTE: This book is for Mature readers due to language and mature subject matter (sex trafficking, sexual assault).
A highlight of Damaer’s writing is her vivid descriptions of surroundings and some of the characters, replete with details such as scents and speech patterns, which imparted a you-are-there feeling. Given the level of detail in many respects, I was disappointed that Lauren was hardly described at all. However, there was a monochrome sketch of a woman at the start of each chapter. Assuming that was Lauren, it gives readers some idea of her appearance, but I would have liked to know more about her, given she’s the protagonist. The only other significant issue I noticed was a smattering of errors, especially in the first half of the book. But they weren’t too obtrusive, and I give Damaer extra credit for providing the link to a web site where errors can be reported.
The story was wrapped up in tidy fashion, with a hint of what may lie ahead for Lauren. I think that sci-fi fans who like strong female protagonists will love this book and others in the series.
NOTE: This book is for Mature readers due to language and mature subject matter (sex trafficking, sexual assault).
May 5, 2025
Scars of Perfection is the first book in Keyla Damaer’s series called “The Vigilante’s Code.” I found it to be a tightly woven, entertaining, and fast-paced space-age read that should keep readers wanting to read further books involving Lauren Kutyna and Detective Hunter.
Kutyna is a scrappy private investigator who is trying to solve the case of numerous girls who are missing. The commonality with all these girls is that they’re linked to a shady and scary cosmetic surgery clinic. Both Kutyna and Hunter, who have a run-in with one another at the start, want the same thing – to solve the case. But there is distrust between them from the get-go, along with obvious physical attraction toward one another. I found that part of the story to be a bit predictable.
The prose is fast-moving and there isn’t a lot of backstory on either of the main characters. The protagonist has a sarcastic, cynical viewpoint throughout, and her sidekick Hunter is a world-weary guy who has his own private reason for taking down this cosmetic surgery clinic, an operation that is frightening and has futuristic elements to it that could scarily come true.
At the end of this e-book, Damaer includes a generous portion of her next book in the series, The Infidelity Case, giving readers something to look forward to if they enjoyed book one.
Kutyna is a scrappy private investigator who is trying to solve the case of numerous girls who are missing. The commonality with all these girls is that they’re linked to a shady and scary cosmetic surgery clinic. Both Kutyna and Hunter, who have a run-in with one another at the start, want the same thing – to solve the case. But there is distrust between them from the get-go, along with obvious physical attraction toward one another. I found that part of the story to be a bit predictable.
The prose is fast-moving and there isn’t a lot of backstory on either of the main characters. The protagonist has a sarcastic, cynical viewpoint throughout, and her sidekick Hunter is a world-weary guy who has his own private reason for taking down this cosmetic surgery clinic, an operation that is frightening and has futuristic elements to it that could scarily come true.
At the end of this e-book, Damaer includes a generous portion of her next book in the series, The Infidelity Case, giving readers something to look forward to if they enjoyed book one.
April 30, 2025
Compelling sci-fi detective series
I can tell from this novella that this will be an excellent sci-fi detective series. PI Lauren Kutyna is a compelling hard nosed detective in a futuristic world with space colonies, space stations, spaceships, etc., but also contemporary sounding enough to be relatable and, unfortunately, this future world has all the same problems as our world with crime, corruption, and human imperfections and failings. What a great setting for a mystery detective series.
Kutyna is likable but has rough edges, though she tries to do the right thing. She has been dealt some tough breaks in her life and is trying to survive. I also like the side characters who help with, one a friend it seems and one (Detective Hunter) who may become one – time will tell!
The series sort of reminds me of far less cozy Hallmark mystery series with the lead female private investigator and the male detective with underlying tension between them. So it was familiar feeling, but add a sci-fi twist as well and you have the makings of a great series. Looking forward to more!
I can tell from this novella that this will be an excellent sci-fi detective series. PI Lauren Kutyna is a compelling hard nosed detective in a futuristic world with space colonies, space stations, spaceships, etc., but also contemporary sounding enough to be relatable and, unfortunately, this future world has all the same problems as our world with crime, corruption, and human imperfections and failings. What a great setting for a mystery detective series.
Kutyna is likable but has rough edges, though she tries to do the right thing. She has been dealt some tough breaks in her life and is trying to survive. I also like the side characters who help with, one a friend it seems and one (Detective Hunter) who may become one – time will tell!
The series sort of reminds me of far less cozy Hallmark mystery series with the lead female private investigator and the male detective with underlying tension between them. So it was familiar feeling, but add a sci-fi twist as well and you have the makings of a great series. Looking forward to more!
May 15, 2025
I enjoyed reading this quick and easy read. It is a SciFi set in the near future and the protagonist is a female private investigator called Kutyna with a desire to find and seek justice for women gone missing. It is the first in the series The Vigilante’s Code and the first I read. She uncovers a common theme that all the women had appointments at a suss AF beauty clinic that claims to take years off your life. I liked this element because I see this kind of service where the world is heading - the quest to stay younger and live longer.
There is also a semi-romantic subplot with Detective Hunter which left me wanting to see more of. They share the common goal of finding the missing girls and bringing the powers that be to justice. Without spoiling too much the case leads them to Farrington, a formidable villain but would have liked to know more back story about him.
All in all, an entertaining read, well paced with some feminist themes. I hope to read more in the series and Damaer keeps writing and developing her craft.
There is also a semi-romantic subplot with Detective Hunter which left me wanting to see more of. They share the common goal of finding the missing girls and bringing the powers that be to justice. Without spoiling too much the case leads them to Farrington, a formidable villain but would have liked to know more back story about him.
All in all, an entertaining read, well paced with some feminist themes. I hope to read more in the series and Damaer keeps writing and developing her craft.
April 21, 2025
“Scars of Perfection” by Keyla Damaer is a great story, and I’ll happily look forward to reading the second book in the series.
I like the place, the people, the adventure, and the writing. Another author would have turned this into hundreds of pages of slow prose, painstakingly detailing everything about the world, even when doing so wouldn’t have been necessary to the story.
Instead, this author gracefully tucked in an important detail here or there, while not interfering with the action. The benefit to this of course is that we’ll get many more adventures featuring this likeable hero.
Put another way, why would another author choose to be tedious, when here is an example of devoting your attention to writing a better story. We still see the characters develop, the adventure unfold, and the place reveal itself, but it’s done with subtlety so that you don’t even realize you’re learning because you’re being entertained at the time.
I like the place, the people, the adventure, and the writing. Another author would have turned this into hundreds of pages of slow prose, painstakingly detailing everything about the world, even when doing so wouldn’t have been necessary to the story.
Instead, this author gracefully tucked in an important detail here or there, while not interfering with the action. The benefit to this of course is that we’ll get many more adventures featuring this likeable hero.
Put another way, why would another author choose to be tedious, when here is an example of devoting your attention to writing a better story. We still see the characters develop, the adventure unfold, and the place reveal itself, but it’s done with subtlety so that you don’t even realize you’re learning because you’re being entertained at the time.
June 10, 2025
Gripping from the first page, Scars of Perfection dives deep into the haunting price of beauty and power. Lauren Kutyna is a fierce, unforgettable protagonist, and the plot twists had me breathless. Sharp, suspenseful, and chillingly real—this book exposes the dark underbelly of perfection. I couldn’t put it down.
February 27, 2025
18 girls missing. Enter PI Lauren Kutyna. All is not cut and dry especially when she comes in conflict with detective Hunter. But Lauren will not give in and uses some outside help to follow leads. But time is running out. A very good short story and a surprise ending. Well worth reading.
April 14, 2025
Teenage girls who attend a beauty clinic go missing PI Lauren Kutyna has been hired to find one of them.
What she finds takes us on a race against time to find and rescue these girls.
An entertaining read
What she finds takes us on a race against time to find and rescue these girls.
An entertaining read
April 15, 2025
More new characters and a new location. An interesting case which I found more engaging than the prequel.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews