Customer Reviews

The Other Woman

5 star:		(225)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I must admit I was kind of scared to read this one. I attempted to read "Theives Paradise" but I could not get into it. But I loved many of his other novels.

The narrator, who is dedicated news producer, describes her marriage as strong and loving. She works nights, weekends, holidays, birthdays and all of the other very important dates. Her husband Charles is a middle school teacher - lots of free time. Her world turns upside down when she receives a call from a David Lawrence-the antagonist- who has been trying desparately to track her down. You see... his wife has been having an affair with her husband. Things begin to get ugly. Yet, the unique part of EJD story is the relationship between the narrator and David Lawrence. There is passion, lust, excitment, pain and craziness that is shared between these two couples as they try to save their marriages and find themselves. I definately was not prepared for what happened next.

EJD....excellant. It was wonderfully written. I really enjoyed the relationship between the narrator and her friend. David Lawrence was my favorite character.

Peace and Blessings!!

I usually eschew "popular novels" like the plague, because so many of them are formulaic messes churned out by people who should never be let near a word-processor, but I have to give Dickey his props -- the brother can write. It's especially impressive that Dickey, a man, was able to tell his story from the POV of the betrayed wife, and make it sound totally convincing. No mean feat.

"The Other Woman" brings us a young African-American woman (the book wraps us up so totally from the first page that we don't realize until the end that we never learn her name) who supposedly has it all, or most of it -- a prestige job as a news editor, a '64 Mustang and a handsome husband named Charles. She works nights and holidays; he works days as a middle school teacher, and they're too busy to have a family. But she's totally devoted to him, when she has time from her job, and he's devoted to her, or so she thinks. But a message from an unknown individual named David Lawrence blows her complacency to smithereens: he tells her their respective spouses have been cheating on them both.

Shocked and furious, the wife confronts Charles, who admits it all but says it's over. But she doesn't believe him, and David isn't about to let it go. His manhood has been insulted, and he's out for blood. Charles and Jessica, David's wife, a phys ed teacher at Charles's school, have been careless enough to leave all the sordid details in e-mails and instant messages; he hacks into Jessica's account, prints out the evidence, and everything hits the fan. Meanwhile, Charles' wife is about to show him that two can play at this dirty game, and the mess replicates exponentially.

Dickey is completely convincing in showing us the pain and confusion of the wife, and also the shame and conniving of Charles, the headstrong cluelessness of Jessica, and David's rage and lust for revenge. It's hard to determine who is the more contemptible -- Charles, who leaves Jessica hemorrhaging in a hotel room following a miscarriage while he runs home to his wife in a state of denial; or David, who sends the evidence of Charles's and Jessica's affair to their co-workers, students and the students' parents, effectively destroying both their careers. Jessica, meanwhile, is a pathetic individual, thinking she's found her soulmate in Charles and brought up cruelly short. And the book's very title, "The Other Woman", makes us wonder who actually is the other woman -- the wife thinks Jessica is the other woman, until she herself becomes the other woman, and Jessica accuses David of being so wrapped up in his career and neglecting her in the process, that his job is the other woman. How the whole mess gets sorted out in the end, I'm not saying -- suffice to say that messes like this one leave their sorry residue around to taint every life they touch.

"The Other Woman" is a riveting novel of sex, betrayal, marriage, friendship, and how lies and deception can undo it all. Dickey is a born storyteller, and this book is a compelling read.

I was completely FLOORED by this book. I am a fan of EJD, have read all of his work, and I think that this is quite possibly the best book that he has ever written.

I knew that the book focused on infidelity; obvious from the title. But I was completely unprepared for how events unfolded.
I was expecting fights, unhappiness, SOME level of drama prior to the infidelity; but there was none. What I was faced with was a seemingly happily married couple who seemed to be totally in sync--sexually, spiritually, financially. Until our narrator--who remains unnamed throughout--is contacted by the husband of the Other Woman. His name is David Lawrence--and he informs our narrator that her husband is sleeping with his wife.

What follows is a tale of revenge, betrayal and tragedy that the reader probably doesn't expect. What makes this tale so unique is that since the reader is seeing everything through the eyes of our narrator, all we see is a great relationship--until the Phone Call. And then we see a relationship unravel; and we find ourselves also the unwitting partner in a marriage who sees everything as being wonderful when it most certainly is not. We are truly the partner who "thought everything was fine," while the miserable other half seeks solace in another.

This book actually made me cry, and took me completely by surprise. It is quite possibly Mr. Dickey at the top of his game.

The Other Woman is an intense surge of raw pain skating on the energy, passion, and vows of an anemic marriage. Our backdrop is busy, vibrant Los Angeles, where our unnamed narrator is an over worked television producer who plays her saxophone at sunset to steady her angst. She knows that her home life and her work life are like two trains headed towards one another on the same track. Her husband of four years, Charles, is a middle-school teacher. She and Charles have sparring schedules that has the narrator sleeping while Charles is teaching, and Charles with lots of time on his hands while the narrator is chasing spitfire news at night. She works long hours, all holidays, every anniversary, and both of their birthdays. Do you see the ensuing problem here?

Our antagonist, a gothic, handsome painter named David Lawrence, is hungry for revenge, revenge against Charles. When the story begins, David is relentlessly searching for the narrator. When the two inevitably meet, our narrator's life is marred forever. Thus the adventure begins. David's savage demeanor and primal energy clutches the narrator. She and David unwillingly become intertwined souls, as he pulls her deep into his pool of erotic violence. "...He says, `We're already biologically linked.' `Biologically linked?' `With your husband and my wife ........, we've already shared body fluids."

This unpredictable wheel of betrayal, vengeance, and lust unravels with clever dialogue, witty metaphors, and a strong storyline. The Other Woman is a story of aching souls, orgasms of pain, and scents of sorrow. I was most impressed with how realistic, intense, and focused the situation and emotions are in the story. I was actually spent reading the narrators thoughts, the marital murmurs, and the streams of conscious. It's a thick story that lands effortlessly.

Reviewed by KaTrina Love
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Eric Jerome Dickey is finally starting to get his due. He has weathered the unfortunate label of "black author" and has simply become known as an author, and a very good one. His characters are mostly black, true, and there are even some real "African-Americans" in THE OTHER WOMAN (there's an Ethiopian immigrant, for one) but the concerns he writes about in THE OTHER WOMAN can affect anyone, of any race. Still, I don't think that anyone can write about them quite the way Dickey can.

THE OTHER WOMAN is told from the point of view of Freckles, a television newswriter who is married to Charles, a middle school teacher. Their situation is, I think, fairly common: they both work, they're on somewhat different schedules, and they are all too often like ships passing (and occasionally and hurriedly bumping) in the night. Things aren't bad between them, not by any means, but they're maybe a little too ... complacent. They're in a content and comfortable, if not exciting, groove.

That at least is what Freckles believes until she begins receiving frantic calls from David Lawrence. Lawrence has a tale to tell: his wife, Jessica, is having a torrid affair with Charles. Freckles confronts Charles, who admits the affair but downplays his emotional involvement, even as he is confronted with the truth that the affair has been carried out over the course of eight months. Lawrence has proof in the form of instant messages between the two lovers that are explosive in their content. Lawrence, perhaps the most complex character in THE OTHER WOMAN, has an agenda of his own. Hurting and humiliated, he uses Freckles as an instrument of revenge against both his wife and her paramour. The conclusion is explosive but no less shocking in its inevitability.

Dickey does an incredible job here. I don't think I've ever read a novel by a male writer who has done such an excellent job of getting into a woman's psyche. I'm not sure if I can describe this correctly, but here it goes. There are those areas of a woman's emotions that a man has some difficulty understanding. Dickey gets the description of those emotions just right. But where a man would ordinarily try to explain those and break them down to be understood, Dickey does not. Dickey, in the literary sense, understands what Wynton Marsalis has stated in the musical sense: that what is not played is often as important as what is played. This doesn't mean Dickey neglects the guys, however. The guys react as males will do. Do they ever.

One other thing. Dickey does not exactly shirk away from graphic sexual descriptions. While he is not subtle in his descriptions, however, he is never gratuitous. THE OTHER WOMAN reads as if Dickey spent some quality time talking with women about what they want and want they need. Oh, one other thing. If there is a sudden run on the Altoids 12-packs at the local Sam's Club, it's because of THE OTHER WOMAN. And gentlemen, an extensive field study I conducted recently indicates that it works both ways, if you're interested in giving as good as you get.

THE OTHER WOMAN is a book about women and men --- and is for both. Dickey just gets better and better at what he does and is finally getting the widespread recognition he deserves. This is one book that everyone needs to check out, for many reasons.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

EJD has superseded my expectations with "The Other Woman." The nameless narrator is emotional, driven, and imperfect. She is realistic in her actions and thoughts. The book leaves you wanting to know more. Wanting to know where these characters are in a few years? Still having problems? Or have they changed, and grown? I guess that's what makes a book great, when the readers are left wanting more, when they feel like they know the characters and are genuinely interested in their future. Well....Eric Jerome Dickey has certainly left me as well as my book club members wanting more. "The Other Woman" is definitely his best work to date. If you've never read a EJD book before, read this one first! If you've read them all, then run out and get this one! You won't be disappointed! I Promise!!

After reading several books by national bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey, this reviewer believes that THE OTHER WOMAN is possibly Dickey's best work to date. Dickey's name has become almost synonymous with "drama" as all of his novels have had the potent ingredient: relationship conflict, a.k.a drama. However, with The Other Woman, Dickey has challenged himself as an author to go beyond his normal recipe for a good book. With this novel, he chose to really stimulate the reader's literary palate with extra spices and several interesting twists.

The main character, known only as "Freckles" works as a television producer and is the epitome of a career woman. She's always "on duty" working nights and weekends, but loves her husband Charles, a handsome schoolteacher. With the exception of a hectic work schedule, "Freckles" has a seemingly normal life and a pretty good marriage. However, when a stranger named David Lawrence keeps calling the station and her cell phone in attempts to reach her, the "normal life" picture becomes cloudy. Finally when she actually speaks to Mr. Lawrence he reveals that his wife Jessica has been having an affair with her husband, Charles. For clarification, Freckles asks, "What is your name again?"

"David Lawrence"

"And your wife is..."

"F___ing your husband" (page 35)

And so begins a really bad day.

In a state of shock and disbelief, Freckles immediately leaves work and rushes home to confront her husband. After going from throwing around blame to being remorseful, Charles admits to his "mistake" and quickly adds that it is over. Although the marriage seems to be unraveling, Charles wants things to go back to the way they once were. Freckles, like an investigative reporter, wants the explicit details.

In a fit of rage, she tries to leave, backing her car out of the garage while the garage door is closed. Her best friend Yvette comes to her rescue. After drinking a kamikaze mixture of liquor and smoking "magical vegetation" Freckles finds herself calling David Lawrence. The next day, on a quest to find out more information about her husband's affair, she agrees to meet with David. Surprised by his good looks and his eclectic artist persona, Freckles is somehow drawn to David. Sooner than later, the two have passionate, revenge sex. But this is not the only twist in this interesting web of deception. How the events transpire will leave readers spellbound.

David brings out the musician in Freckles while plans of revenge take their course. Jessica and Charles have a secret between them, but it is a secret that not everyone involved can handle, bringing the novel to a tragic, unpredictable end.

With emotionally charged characters and staccato-style passages Dickey has created a deliciously, memorable tale. Some readers may be put off by a nameless character. However, this is simply another one of Dickey's steps away from the normal recipe. If you're not afraid to try something a little different, this novel will leave your reading appetite extremely satisfied. In fact, you'll be wanting dessert.

Joan Burke Stanford,
Readincolor Reviewers

I read TOW in 3 days and still have the bags under my eyes to prove it. lol. It is always amazing how Mr. Dickey writes. One has to keep reminding him/herself that a man is writing this because he delves into the female pysche so well. "Freckles" pulls us into her world and we experience her emotions with her. Anger. Betrayal. Deception. Vengeance. Lust. Love. Regret. Confusion.

David Lawrence is one bad mutha (shut yo mouth!) for real. The cat did not play. There are enought twists and turns in this book that will have the reader's mind reeling. We go inside the affair and see the layers of infidelity peeled from various points of views. Just when you think one thing is resolved? BAM! The climax hits and it is something else!

TOW will leave you wondering what happened to these tormented souls and wanting more. I've read nearly every book Mr. Dickey has written and he continues to bring IT with each work. Continued success, EJD. Peace. CLB.

The unnamed protagonist and her husband Charles were once blissfully in love and two against the world. Now, the demands of her reporting career have helped them drift apart in this novel of love, betrayal, and revenge. When she keeps receiving strange messages at work, she finally calls the man responsible and finds out that Charles is having an affair with his wife.

In her grief and rage, she confronts Charles, who admits to the affair, but says that it's over and Jessica never mattered to him. While searching for reasons and clues to their relationship, she stumbles into her own affair with David, Jessica's husband. So, the trick is from here to find out who's using who! The story comes to a crashing, revengeful ending that will have you holding your breath - don't read ahead! Another great part of the book is her relationship with her best friend - I don't know how Eric Jerome Dickey knows so much about female relationships, but he's got the dynamics dead on.

The dialogue flows throughout with lots of sexual references and street language which I think helped me to get into the characters better - I really knew what they were thinking and feeling.

This was my first EJD novel, and for the most part I found it riveting and realistic, however I also felt it could have been much better for this reader. I was constantly hoping the main character Freckles, would exude more class and dignity so I could cheer for her more. I totally lost what little respect I had for her character towards the end, and that made it a chore for me to finish this novel.