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Jane comes to and doesn't know who she is. All she knows is that she has blood on the front of her dress and she has thousands of dollars in her pockets but she doesn't know her name, nor does she know what she likes. She has no memory of who she is. And why she was standing alone on the busy streets of Boston. Amnesia. A scary psychological disorder ~~ and when she turned herself into the police, they sent her to the hospital and one of the psychologists on staff told her that something really stressful must have happened to her to block out who she is.
Jane's husband rescues her ~~ and Jane tenetatively explores her life again ~~ trying to figure out who she is and why she has lost her memory but she ends up being drugged. And the story keeps getting more suspenseful ~~ you know something is going to happen, but just not what. It's great! And Fielding keeps you enthralled as you turn every page.
If you are looking for a good read to sink into ~~ this book is it. Just be prepared not to have the ability to put the book down ~~ you won't be able to till the last page is turned. It's a great mystery and very suspenseful. Fielding has yet to disappoint me!
2-25-03
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This book is quick-paced from page one, has great style, both in writing and innuendo and is a suspenseful book that leaves you breathless. And despite that being a tired cliche, I really did find myself holding my breath while reading this book!! As far as mystery goes, it's a real teaser.
I gave the book four stars because of the hokey Electra Complex quality that was inserted in the novel. I found it to be a tad melodramatic and even took a breath long enough to roll my eyes at the whole idea.
Ugh, I wish I could say more, but don't want to give away the ending!!
If Joy Fielding is around much longer, Mary Higgins Clark is gonna have a real problem on her hands. Though I love MHC. Kudos to both authors.
Omigawwwwd, read this book!!
This book is quick-paced from page one, has great style, both in writing and innuendo and is a suspenseful book that leaves you breathless. And despite that being a tired cliche, I really did find myself holding my breath while reading this book! As far as mystery goes, it's a real teaser.
I gave the book four stars because of the hokey Electra Complex quality that was inserted in the novel. I found it to be a tad melodramatic and even took a breath long enough to roll my eyes at the whole idea.
I wish I could say more, but don't want to give away the ending! If Joy Fielding is around much longer, Mary Higgins Clark is going to have a real problem on her hands. Though I love MHC. Kudos to both authors. By no means great literature - I just love to be thrilled.
Happily married with a beautiful daughter, Bonnie Wheeler thinks she has it made ~~ till her husband's ex-wife was murdered and she became the prime suspect in a whirlwind murder investigation. Then everything in Bonnie's pristine world falls apart ~~ people aren't who they seem to be. Her father and brother ~~ the two men she was estranged from for so long ~~ reappears in her life, causing her to question her upbringing. Rod, her loving husband, is always working early and late at the TV station where he works, and his children suddenly become her responsibility when their mother died ~~ and so on. Fielding takes you on a whirlwind ride through Bonnie's hunt for justice and the truth as she runs from the murderer.
This is a quick read ~~ don't read it if you don't have hours to spare because you cannot put this book down at all!! Just like Grand Avenue, it is a book with a twist at the end ~~ just when you figure out who the murderer is ~~ you're caught off guard. This is a spooky book because it is realistic as well. Enjoy this book with the lights on and the curtains pulled ~~ and the doors locked! It makes for a great reading on those upcoming long winter nights...
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The book starts out with Donna Cressy fighting for the custody of her children. Her ex-husband Victor was painting a different sort of picture of Donna to get custody of the children. Then Fielding writes of the beginning of the marriage and it's downfall. Victor Cressy is the man who twists every single conversation that Donna carries with him into a raging psychological battle till you, the reader, begs for mercy! Donna begins to feel battered down and beaten ~~ not by flying fists but by the mental anguish she was going through. Nothing she did ever pleased the guy. So finally, she decided to end the marriage and the book gets even more interesting ~~ Victor told her that if she ever left him, he'd obliterate her. And he tried his best.
Fielding writes so convincingly of a broken marriage and a woman's fight for survival and fight for belief in herself. She writes so convincingly of Donna's plight when Victor kidnaps the children ~~ her fear and anger and helplessness. This book is every mother's nightmare. It is also every wife's nightmare.
I would not read this book at the beach or in front of the fireplace ~~ I would read it in bed with the covers over my head. This is a fright worse than monsters underneath the bed ~~ it could happen to you if it hasn't! And Fielding takes you right into a nightmarish marriage and its aftermath. She is well-known for her stories and the white-knuckle grip on the sheets, couch or wherever till the last page is turned. She won't fail you in this book!
2-7-03
The story revolves around a young woman, Donna Edmunds, who works for an advertising agency. She meets a very handsome man, Victor Cressy, at a company party, and he wines and dines her in dramatic fashion, sweeping her off her feet. Finding him to be a fantastic and attentive lover, as well, he is the man of her dreams. When he proposes two months later, she accepts, thinking that she has died and gone to heaven. What she does not know is that she in on her way to living a hell on earth. You see, Victor Cressy is a sociopath.
At first, the change in Victor and their relationship was imperceptible. It began subtly with a question here, a question there, a suggestion here, a suggestion there. It then escalated to demands that had to be met, assertions of imagined slights, rules that had to be obeyed. Victor separated Donna from her old friends and family, until her isolation was total. It finally culminated in a control so complete that Donna, as a person in her own right, no longer existed. The cycle of extreme and profound psychological abuse had attained its goal. The old Donna was merely a memory, as the new Donna was too afraid to say anything, do anything, or opine on anything. Instead, a Stepford wife with two children had replaced her.
In reality, Donna was a woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown, an enigma to all who would meet her, asserting herself in bizarre ways which were only a cry for help . One day, Donna meets a man who recognizes her profound despair and treats her as a human being. She begins an affair with him, which enables her to reach deep into herself and come to terms with her life and her marriage. She asks Victor for a divorce and custody of the children.
The court scenes for the ensuing divorce and custody action are wonderfully drawn, as they are the setting for explaining the deterioration of the marriage. The points of truths in their respective accounts are told from different perspectives in a three dimensional, well fleshed narrative that is tautly drawn. One gets a very definite sense of the psychological horror of the marriage and the reason for Donna's almost total annihilation of self.
The divorce is granted, but she retains custody of the children. Donna soon finds out that even though she won, she lost, just as Victor had promised. Five months after the divorce, with the visitation arrangements in place, all had been going smoothly. Victor seemed to have adjusted to the situation and, when they met, treated her with civility. One weekend, he picked up the children, as usual, and admonished them to kiss their mother goodbye. It was not until they failed to return as promised, that she realized the import of his admonishment. Victor had merely lulled her into a false sense of complacency. In reality, her nightmare was far from over and was, in fact, just beginning.
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Fielding does a great job of painting the profiles of each of the "Grand Dames" Chris, Barbara, Susan & Vicki. We get to know each friend, her strengths and weaknesses, her role in the dynamics of this circle of friends. The first chapter of the novel sets the reader up for suspense, not letting us know who the narrator is, and blantantly telling us, that amongst this close-knit group of women, 2 will die-one horribly, and one will betray, is not really a friend at all.
As the pages progress, Fielding takes the reader around many twists and turns, helping us to learn the characters even more and getting the mind reeling as to what will happen to fulfill the destiny we are told from the beginning. The character development is excellent, and the twists and turns highly entertaining, but I felt the ending was a let down and somewhat out of tune with most of the novel. The conclusions wrapped up a bit too quickly and were not quite convincing enough. It was a page turner, and a fun read-would make a great beach read.
Susan, Vicki, Barbara and Chris (or the Grand Dames as they are called) all live on the same street and all have daughters the same age. They form a very strong friendship but each one lives a completely different life. Chris lives with an abusive husband, Barbara is obsessed with her looks and will do anything to remain "young", Susan is balancing college (later in the book career) and raising a family with a very difficult daughter, and Vicki is the hot shot attorney who put work before her family.
We find out at the beginning of the book that one of these women will be murdered and one of them is not really a friend, we just don't know who.
I really enjoyed reading this book and was very sorry to see it end. I loved the characters and the friendship that these women shared. I look forward to reading more books by Joy Fielding and I would highly recommend Grand Avenue to everyone.
Ms. Fielding is a gifted writer and she's very effectively brought these four friends to life in this emotional and intense page-turner. It's definitely a 'Grand Read'!!
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Mattie, who has pretended to be oblivious to Jake's regular infidelity, discovers that she has ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease and has only a short time to live. Jake, who has recently moved out of the home, returns with a guilty conscience and feels that he must take care of Mattie and their daughter, Kim. Family members are dealing with their own turmoil. Kim is experiencing great difficulties in school. Jake, the ever-strong successful lawyer is struggling with Mattie's illness and a childhood that continues to haunt. Joy Fielding was able to take the troubled marriage between Mattie and Jake Hart and explore how their union was forged, what factors kept them together, and what was tearing them apart. The Hart family is on the edge; Fielding explores the feelings in a realistic and heartfelt manner.
Characters that are alive and realistic occupy space in The First Time. The novel is engrossing and realistic throughout. Keep a few Kleenex's handy; you will likely shed a tear before the final page is turned! The First Time was my first experience with Joy Fielding; I will definitely be back for more!
There are moments of stunning and surprising pure beauty. Many times, I had to stop reading, put the book down and take a breather. Other times I had to go back and re-read a scene several times, unable to absorb it all the first time, or maybe just reluctant to let the moment pass. This book is "that" good.
The story revolves around the family of Mattie, Jake and Kim; their laughter, tears and fear. You fall in love with them, follow all of their daily actions and thoughts, never becoming bored or uninterested in a single detail. Mattie is in a seemingly unhappy and trapped marriage, her husband seeks comfort in other women, and their daughter Kim is struggling with being 15 and growing up. When Mattie finds she is stricken with ALS, a fatal disease, it changes everyone's perspective and lives. Somehow, they must figure out all their feelings for one another while time is running out.
I must say this is the best book I've read in a long time, and I don't imagine another one to take its place for awhile. This book is powerful, graceful, touching and real. I can't give it high enough marks. It is a novel that must be read. I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page, late into the evening. Read it now, and you won't be disappointed.
You will be completely involved in Mattie Hart's life from the opening line when she is thinking of ways to kill her philandering husband to the unthinkable request she makes of her mother. You will be struck by the inner strength this woman brings to her life as well as to that of her family and deeply touched by the graphic description of a terminal illness.
Jake Hart, her husband, is an interesting creation. He doesn't love his wife, never has. He only married her because she was pregnant and Jake always likes to do the right thing. He constantly cheats on Mattie throughout their sixteen years of marriage and has never said "I love you" to her. So what's to like about a man like this? Amazingly, Fielding is able to present a side of Jake that touches every emotional note and leaves you rooting for this multi-faceted character.
From a comical steak-throwing spree in a Chicago grocery store to a wildly romantic chase through a Paris airport, Mattie and Jake's story will leave you breathless. Add to the mix their daughter Kim who is experiencing her first sexual misadventure and Mattie's mother who could never love her daughter like she needed to be loved.
THE FIRST TIME explores the ties that bind and the power of love to overcome the deepest wounds people can inflict upon one another. Inspiring and highly emotional, this book is one that touches the heart with its realism and poignant moments.
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Kate's sister JoLynn opens the paper one morning and decides she will fall in love and marry the serial killer who's handsome picture is plastered all over the front page. His trial is moving along and JoLynn decides to meet with him to give him her support.
The rest is totally absurd with little merit. I find it hard to believe the same author wrote both of these books. The one redeeming aspect is that this author excels at creating living, breathing, characters, even the ones that behave in the most unbelievable manner. Kelsana 4/23/02
(pg 420 Florida Mystery)
I recently rediscovered this author after bypassing her on the shelves. In the past I read "See Jane Run" and highly recommend it to all I talk books to. I then read her latest '
Whispers and Lies" another mind tingling read. This book leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The main character is a family therapist and it seems Fielding has given her the most dysfunctional family in the world. Kate has a mother who is either losing her mind
or plotting to kill her neighbors in the senior citizen complex. Her sister Jo Lynn who has airhead down to an art, opens the morning paper and decides her true love is the serial
killer on trail for killing nine woman. While we are at it, throw in a perfect daughter who worships her mother like an idol, the out of control teenager who has no feelings for anyone but herself and the husband who hovers on the sidelines. With all this going on, the plot is lame and the ending did nothing to support the story. Every great author has a bad day and I hope this is Fielding's. I have her many great things about this author and will give her another chance. Rating 7
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What a sad assortment of characters...spineless, indecisive, wishy washy Terry, annoying, grate on your nerves, Allison and a melange of unsavory males who are always lurking right outside Terry's window or making crank calls. I'm only grateful that this was obtained from the library and not an actual purchase. If anyone feels compelled to read it, I'd suggest you take the same route
Right away I knew this book wasn't going to reach that high, as I disliked the main character, Terry, from the start. Allison wasn't much better -- I found her annoying at best. There's a part when Terry ponders 'listen to your instincts' and, as a reader, you want to yell WHAT DO YOUR INSTINCTS SAY ABOUT A 40-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO HANGS OUT WITH 20-SOMETHING DRINKERS AND DRUGGIES?
Ranting over, the book isn't bad, but unbelievable. When the "surprise" twist at the end finally happens, you think "A-HA!" for about a minute, then realize this is just as boring as the first 280 pages.
If you are a fan of Fielding, don't hold this book against her. If you've never read a book by her before, don't read this one first. It will turn you against her writing and she has some great stories out there. Read those instead.
Soon things in Alison life don't add up and Terry suspects that she isn't telling her the truth about her intentions. Terry paranoia gets the best of her as phone calls from a man start and someone always seems to be lurking in the shadows of her place. After Terry reads Alison diary, she is sure that Alison is a threat to her.
This book takes you on a roller coaster ride from start to finish, twisting and turning and throwing everything you thought upside down. Enjoy the ride!
The story revolves around a young woman, Donna Edmunds, who works for an advertising agency. She meets a very handsome man, Victor Cressy, at a company party, and he wines and dines her in dramatic fashion, sweeping her off her feet. Finding him to be a fantastic and attentive lover, as well, he is the man of her dreams. When he proposes two months later, she accepts, thinking that she has died and gone to heaven. What she does not know is that she in on her way to living a hell on earth. You see, Victor Cressy is a sociopath.
At first, the change in Victor and their relationship was imperceptible. It began subtly with a question here, a question there, a suggestion here, a suggestion there. It then escalated to demands that had to be met, assertions of imagined slights, rules that had to be obeyed. Victor separated Donna from her old friends and family, until her isolation was total. It finally culminated in a control so complete that Donna, as a person in her own right, no longer existed. The cycle of extreme and profound psychological abuse had attained its goal. The old Donna was merely a memory, as the new Donna was too afraid to say anything, do anything, or opine on anything. Instead, a Stepford wife with two children had replaced her.
In reality, Donna was a woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown, an enigma to all who would meet her, asserting herself in bizarre ways which were only a cry for help . One day, Donna meets a man who recognizes her profound despair and treats her as a human being. She begins an affair with him, which enables her to reach deep into herself and come to terms with her life and her marriage. She asks Victor for a divorce and custody of the children.
The court scenes for the ensuing divorce and custody action are wonderfully drawn, as they are the setting for explaining the deterioration of the marriage. The points of truths in their respective accounts are told from different perspectives in a three dimensional, well fleshed narrative that is tautly drawn. One gets a very definite sense of the psychological horror of the marriage and the reason for Donna's almost total annihilation of self.
The divorce is granted, but she retains custody of the children. Donna soon finds out that even though she won, she lost, just as Victor had promised. Five months after the divorce, with the visitation arrangements in place, all had been going smoothly. Victor seemed to have adjusted to the situation and, when they met, treated her with civility. One weekend, he picked up the children, as usual, and admonished them to kiss their mother goodbye. It was not until they failed to return as promised, that she realized the import of his admonishment. Victor had merely lulled her into a false sense of complacency. In reality, her nightmare was far from over and was, in fact, just beginning.