Customer Reviews

Hush: A Novel

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

In Kate White's "Hush," forty-four year old Lake Warren's life is going downhill. Her husband of fifteen years, Jack, has left her, and he is suing for custody of their two children. To make matters worse, Lake has reason to believe that someone at the Park Avenue Fertility Center, where she works as a marketing consultant, may be up to no good. One night, Lake makes a mistake in judgment that may have catastrophic consequences. She winds up at the scene of a murder, although she does not actually see the killer. Fearing that Jack will use her involvement as ammunition in their custody battle, she decides not to reveal the truth to the authorities. If the detectives investigating the case find out that Lake has withheld information, they may prosecute her for obstruction of justice, or even worse, accuse her of committing the crime herself.

This is a competently written, albeit formulaic, thriller in which White covers all of the usual bullet points: Beautiful damsel in distress turns sleuth. When she is threatened, she wonders if her nasty soon-to-be ex-husband is responsible--or perhaps the aforementioned killer, believing that Lake knows more than she is revealing, is trying to frighten her. Unexpectedly, a new man enters Lake's life who just might be the cure for what ails her.

Although the plot is hardly original, White does a capable job of generating enough suspense to keep us turning the pages. In addition, she makes us care about Lake's predicament, insuring that we will stick around to see how she extricates herself from this gigantic mess. "Hush" is a quick, painless, and undemanding read, perfect for an afternoon or two of escapist pleasure.

Read a great review of this book describing it as a smart thriller and was very disappointed. Although the stories of women encountering infertility were poignant and rang with some truth, mostly however I found this novel dumb and predictable. What I cannot figure out is how this book was published with so many editorial problems. Three characters in a row, in unconnected dialogue exclaim that they must "dash" as they are leaving ... Really?

When you think the worst has happened, how will you cope with something even more malevolent? These are questions for our heroine Lake Warren. Finding out that her estranged husband Jack is suing for custody of their children seemingly pales when, after a one-night stand with a colleague, Lake finds him murdered in the bed. And from there, things turn even more deadly.

She knows that her presence at the victim's apartment will arouse suspicion, so she doesn't turn to the police...Her custody case and all. But as everything spirals out of control and she finds herself smack in the middle of a dark mystery at the fertility clinic where she works, she feels totally alone. And who can she trust? Everyone she knows could be part of some scandalous dealings at the clinic.

From the first sentences in this story, I was hooked. Lake was a well-drawn and believable character who just kept stepping into the midst of one kind of jeopardy or another. As each character entered the storyline, I found myself wary of each one. Even the kindest of characters was suspect in my mind...the story unfolded in such a way as to enhance the suspense and save the telling details until the very end. Flipping pages as rapidly as possible, I finally reached the satisfying conclusion.

When it comes to thrillers, Hush: A Novel was definitely a winner, and so is Kate White. Five stars for the suspense, the thrill rides, and the vivid characters that brought the plot to a grand finale.

Marketing consultant Lake Warren is going through a messy divorce. With her children at camp, she decides to let off a little steam with one-night-stand with a doctor at the fertility clinic where she's been consulting. But when the doctor is murdered while she sleeps on his porch, Lake realizes that her divorce will turn messier if she is implicated in the death. So, rather than call the police, she runs. When someone shaves her cat and tries to have her murdered, she's horrified, but not enough that she can undo the lie that has led her into a deeper and deeper hole. And then there are the rumors that there's something fishy going on at the fertility clinic.

I confess that I had a hard time with a character who's so self-absorbed that she decides it's a good idea not to bother reporting a murder, lies about her actions to the police, continues to lie when she's being threatened, and imputes all sorts of meaning into the cat-shaving (is this where the "Hush" title comes from?) and breeches patient confidentiality with no concern other than the chance she might get caught. A number of times, I nearly gave up on reading this book because Lake was so frustrating. At some point, however, the book turned around. I would have liked to see Lake having at least some moral qualms about searching patient records, but she went from a victim to a person who at least attempted to take matters into her own hands.

Author Kate White sets her story in upper-middle-class New York city. Fancy dining, out-of-town summer homes, all-summer-long camp for the children, and the huge dollars to be made from persuading women that they might become pregnant no matter how old they might be all ring true. Self-absorbed Lake also rings true, but not in a way I found especially admirable.

One thing I liked about this book right off the bat was that it jumped right into the story from page one. I didn't have to wait long for things to get rolling. Another thing I liked was having a fertility clinic be in the center of this mystery. This worked for me because it was something different that I haven't seen too much in murder mysteries. Fertility clinics are big business right now and this story brings up issues that women today may be facing when using fertility clinics. I found the story to be suspenseful and believable even though I didn't always agree with the decisions made by Lake Warren, the main character. Speaking of the main character, I did like her immediately and felt she was a strong female character that I began pulling for right away. There was a wide range of supporting characters that gave the story many interesting angles, but not too many that it mucked it up. As the story progressed I found myself changing my mind as to who I thought the killer might be many different times. All in all, the story moved along nicely and I didn't feel like there were any slow spots that dragged for me. I was also pleased with the ending. The title of this book is a small word but in this story, Lake discovers that sometimes keeping quiet is harder than you ever thought.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good suspenseful mystery without all of the blood and guts of some hard core murder mysteries. I enjoyed the story without being afraid to turn the lights out at night. That's the kind of mystery I like.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately: too busy to read much, and stuck in so-so books when I did have the time. Then Kate White's Hush came along and saved me. The book features Lake Warren as a newly separated media consultant, currently working on a campaign for a fertility clinic. Her husband is suddenly interested in getting full custody of the kids, and she's been warned not to give him any ammunition to use against her in court. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but with her son and daughter away at sleep-away camp and a flirtatious doctor coming on to her, one thing leads to another.....

The climax isn't quite what she expected. One arguably unwise decision later and she's caught in a nightmare, and her particular circumstances make asking for help out of the question. It gets worse from there. The author does a great job of separating Lake from any possible avenue of escape, and in ways that are perfectly credible, while expertly ratcheting up the tension. The kids are out of sight and thus vulnerable, adding a further layer of concern. And neither she nor we know whom she can trust. My only complaints are minor. Lake's birthmark is mentioned often enough that it's surprising it doesn't turn out to be relevant to the plot. And in my edition there is a teaser before the first chapter, an excerpt from the later stages of the story. I would have much preferred going into the book without that hint of things to come. Otherwise, simply excellent. This is a breathless, well-crafted read.

-- Debra Hamel

I've read all the Bailey Weggins books that Kate White has written, and I wasn't sure if I would like this one featuring a totally different protagonist. This novel is set in New York City and involves a 40-something soon-to-be-divorced mother of two named Lake Warren (why can't these characters have normal names??). Lake is a marketing consultant who's been hired by a Manhattan-based fertility clinic. Feeling lonely and unsettled because of the breakup of her marriage, Lake lets her guard down one night and has passionate sex with a playboy doctor who works at the clinic. While Lake is still in the doctor's apartment, he is brutally murdered. Lake doesn't witness the crime, but she knows if she opens up to anyone about her one-night stand, she'll become a prime suspect in the case--and she'll probably lose custody of her kids, too.

I really like Kate White's style of writing. I think she's got a lot of talent and she certainly knows how to write a page turner. The main character, Lake, is far from perfect, but that's what I liked about her. The story is riveting throughout--I could actually feel Lake's terror, and even though I'm not a mom, I could understand her fear of losing her kids. Things do get a little out of hand at the end of the book, and I was kind of disappointed at how it all wrapped up. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a light but absorbing mystery, you can't go wrong with this one.

Lake Warren is in the prime of her life with a lot to be thankful for. She has a nice home, two children she is crazy about, and a career she loves. She should be happy, right? In fact, she was feeling pretty good in spite of being in the midst of a divorce and custody fight with her jerk of an ex.

She was feeling so good, in fact, that when sexy Dr. Keaton --- from the fertility clinic where she's working as a marketing consultant --- invites her to his place after a group dinner, she goes willingly. After all, she's separated from her husband and free to do as she chooses. Why not have a little fun? She deserves it. Unfortunately, the evening turns out to be more on the terrifying side than the fun side.

After a night of passionate love-making, Lake falls asleep while basking in the afterglow. When she wakes up, however, she is in for a shock. The dashing Dr. Keaton has been murdered in his own bed, and Lake has no idea what happened. All she knows is that she needs to get the heck out of there and fast. Normally she would have called the police, but even she knows that she will be the prime suspect; in light of her custody battle, she can't afford even a shadow of impropriety. Rather than see her face splashed across the newspapers when the story breaks, Lake grabs her clothes and purse and makes an extremely hasty exit.

Luckily the kids are away at camp, and Lake has a few hours to pull herself together before she has to be at work. She isn't in the office long before the news breaks of the murder. Terrified that she will give herself away, she does her best to keep it together in front of her co-workers and the cops. Everything rests on not getting involved in the case, even though she's up to her neck in it.

Strange things begin to happen, and Lake knows she has to get to the bottom of this horrific crime in order to save her sanity and possibly her own life. Someone isn't happy with Lake, and they are making that painfully obvious. But who is it and why? As Lake delves into the mystery, she begins to realize that something isn't quite kosher at the clinic. Without any medical knowledge, it's hard for her to figure out what may be amiss --- but where there's a will, there's a way.

At least Lake isn't completely alone in all this. She meets hotter-than-hot reporter Kit Archer, and they join forces. He is eager for a story, and Lake just wants to stay alive. It's obvious they are getting close to something big, but the closer they get, the more harrowing her life becomes.

HUSH is a riveting read with twists and turns galore. Lake's concern for her children tugged at my heartstrings, and I found myself rooting for her to prevail against her soon-to-be ex to solve Dr. Keaton's murder and to live a happy, independent life with a new love who is worthy of her. Lake is an intelligent, tenacious and likable character who I truly connected with and rooted for all the way. This stand-alone thriller kept me enthralled and guessing from beginning to end with some pleasant surprises tucked into the pages. While I've enjoyed all of Kate White's novels, she has risen to a new level with this one. You won't want to miss it.

Another awesome Kate White book!!! I am ready for another one, but know it would be a while. Does anyone know of any similar writers?

"Lake opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. her breath seemed dead-bolted in her chest. She knew she needed to get closer, to check if Keaton was alive. But she couldn't move." [p.37]


....With that kind of writing this book had me turning the pages and not wanting to stop reading until I had finished the story. I really needed to know who killed Keaton and why. At the beginning I liked Lake and could totally commiserate with her in regards to having a vindictive ex-spouse. But as the book progressed I wondered if her actions were really what any of us would have done had we been in her shoes. The further into the story I read, the more improbable the plot became. About 3/4 of the way into the story, my desire to know the outcome sort of petered out and I was getting a bit weary of all the running, strange phone calls, and Lake's ability not to fall apart. Come on....she woke up to a man who had his throat slashed. I'd be calling someone!!! After all of the time I invested in reading this story I was the most disappointed in the way the author conveniently wrapped everything up within the last 18 pages. It almost felt like the author realized that she didn't want to go past 341 pages so she better tie up all the loose ends, make Lake into a hero, and call it good.

Recommend? I'm on the fence... it didn't knock my socks off, but it wasn't terrible either. So what to say? If you enjoy thrillers and have liked Kate White's work in the past then I believe you will enjoy this one. I would certainly read another book by White because I never judge an author by one body of work.