Lying with Strangers [Kindle Edition]

James Grippando (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Beautiful doctor Peyton Shields, head resident at Boston's Children's Hospital, and handsome lawyer husband Kevin Stokes would appear to have bright futures at the start of Grippando's stand-alone, which falls short of the standard of the author's Jack Swyteck series (When Darkness Falls, etc.). Mutual suspicions of infidelity and the fundamental failure of either partner to trust the other pave the way for the misunderstandings that make Peyton and Kevin ripe pickings for a psycho obsessed with Peyton. First Peyton nearly dies during a snowy accident that only she believes was deliberate. Then she and Kevin are ensnared in a web of escalating circumstances that drive them further apart. The soap opera plot will disappoint those expecting something meatier, and even the two lead characters play stock roles (the strong, independent woman; the dissatisfied, jealous husband). The result is a thriller that doesn't offer many thrills, even when Grippando takes the wraps off some late surprises. This title was first released in 2006 by Bookspan as a Madison Park Press book club exclusive. (May)
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From Booklist

Taking a break from the Jack Swyteck legal-thriller series, Grippando offers up a stand-alone thriller that is as tautly constructed as his fine early novels, including as The Abduction (1998) and Found Money (1999). Peyton Shields is a resident at a Boston hospital. Driving home one night during a snowstorm, she is run off the road by another car. Authorities are treating the incident like an accident, but Peyton is convinced it was a deliberate attack. Problem is, she can't convince anyone else, not even her husband. When other, equally frightening things begin to happen to her, Peyton realizes she is alone against a nameless but exceedingly determined stalker. Grippando excels at the ordinary-person-in-extraordinary-circumstances story, and this one uses the premise expertly, building enough suspense to keep readers looking in dark corners and over their shoulders. Fans of the Swyteck series shouldn't look askance at this stand-alone; it's every bit as strong as the series novels. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 289 KB
• Publisher: HarperCollins e-books; Reprint edition (October 13, 2009)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000QTE9ZM
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,126 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

After twelve years as a trial lawyer with Miami's most prestigious law firm, James Grippando is now a national best-selling author of thirteen suspenseful thrillers in as many years, including Lying with Strangers, When Darkness Falls, Got the Look, Hear No Evil, Last to Die, Beyond Suspicion, A King's Ransom, Under Cover of Darkness, Found Money, The Abduction, The Informant and The Pardon. His first novel for young adults, Leapholes, was published in 2006, as well as his first short-story, Operation Northwoods, which appeared in the critically acclaimed Thriller anthology. His novels are enjoyed worldwide in twenty-four languages.

James's first job out of law school plunged him headlong into death penalty cases. That experience was an inspiration for his 1994 debut novel, The Pardon, a legal thriller that critics heralded as a "bona fide blockbuster." Beyond Suspicion (2002) was the long-awaited sequel to that first novel, and it launched an exciting new series that features Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck and that critics have heralded as "John Grisham meets Robert Ludlum."

As a lawyer, James was an avid writer. His numerous scholarly articles appeared in some of nation's top law reviews, and they are frequently cited with approval by the courts. His trial practice ranged from complex corporate litigation to class actions on behalf of chicken farmers. As a frequent volunteer in Florida's guardian ad litem program, he helped provide legal representation to neglected children in family court proceedings. He was a faculty member with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at Nova Southeast University. He was named by Florida Trend Magazine as one of Florida's emerging leaders, and in 2006 he received the Distinguished Author Award from Scranton University. His alma mater is the University of Florida, where he graduated second in his undergraduate class and earned his law degree with honors. He now serves Of Counsel to David Boies' law firm, Boies Schiller & Flexner, LLP.

James lives and writes in Coral Gables, Florida, and he is married to Tiffany, who has been his unofficial editor since book one.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Frustration, Unhealthy Competition, and the Nature of Love, May 17, 2007

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 110,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lying with Strangers (Hardcover)

High achievers are often happy only when they stand atop the mound of people they have overcome. Lying with Strangers has much than its quota of such self-absorbed people.

At the center of the story, we have the perfect woman, Dr. Peyton Shields. She's bright, beautiful, married, and on the fast track in her profession as she starts her internship at Boston Children's Hospital after graduating from Harvard Medical School. The rest of the major characters find themselves overwhelmed by Peyton . . . including her husband, her old boy friend, and her stalker. Many men want to be the career stars in their marriages. That opportunity isn't likely to be fulfilled for Kevin Stokes whose career isn't doing well as he follows Peyton to where her career can flourish. Kevin finds himself being attracted to another woman and a chance for a new career. The ex-boy friend simply feels used. The stalker has convinced himself that Peyton wants him sexually, and he's frustrated by her come-ons in a chat room.

As the story evolves, Peyton and Kevin realize how little they know about each other and their marriage. But deadly peril makes it critical that they pull together. Will they?

How will Peyton get rid of the stalker? Usually, the more attention you pay to them . . . the worse it gets. But what if you don't realize you have a stalker?

The plot has many unexpected twists and turns that will keep some women up late at night checking for prowlers and burglars. I found myself wondering how the conflict set up by the plot would be resolved, but didn't feel like the threat implied in the plot was a serious one.

Those who like legal thrillers will enjoy some good insights into the difficulties of sustaining a defense for co-defendants.

But ultimately, it's a book that doesn't do enough to develop its characters, to create suspense that readers will feel in their guts, and to lure readers into caring about the characters.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful, May 19, 2007

By 

' Groovin' guy "music historian" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lying with Strangers (Hardcover)

This book is a great "rainy day" book.

I read it and found myself nodding off in the first few pages. My ex-mother-in-law had a copy of it by the couch, well needless to say I had a great nap.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Thrill Ride!, September 4, 2006

By 

Donna B (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lying with Strangers (Hardcover)

I decided to read "Lying With Strangers" by James Grippando because of the praises that James Patterson has given his books. Patterson's praises certainly hold up as Grippando shows all the signs of entering the realm of the best mystery writers today--like Harlan Coben, James Patterson, Dean Koontz and many more.

The book starts out with a bang as Dr. Peyton Shields is run off the road by a stalker she doesn't even realize is stalking her while her husband is out of town on business having an affair with a colleague. Kevin Stokes, Peyton's husband, is riddled with guilt, but doesn't tell his wife about the tryst. And so begins a series of keeping secrets coupled with circumstances that appear one way, but truly are not. When Peyton believes her husband really isn't being faithful, she goes out with an ex-boyfriend and his friends, gets very drunk, and wakes up the next day in his bed. From there, the book twists and turns leaving the reader to wonder what will happen next after Peyton and Kevin are indicted for murder and secrets are revealed.

Although I figured out who the culprit was behind Peyton's trials and tribulations, I did find myself doubting my decision until the very end. Grippando's writing and his way of having the characters keep secrets from the reader make this an exciting read for any mystery buff. He is definitely an author to watch.