Customer Reviews

The Other Woman: A Novel of Suspense

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Competent writing and decent insight into Inside-the-Beltway-as-usual politics, but I was angry throughout the book that the heroine could be so dumb as to trust the person that she trusted. I did not realize Diamond is a pseudonym for a man, and an older one at that, which may explain giving a heroine brains in her credentials and not have her use them in reality, and it ruins what could otherwise have been a good read. Any woman writer would have known better. I agree with the review that said the heroine is a cardboard figure.

I have mixed feelings about this book. As I read more and more of Diana Diamond's books I begin to see a pattern. I also realize that each and every time I read them, I can figure out who the "culprit" is well before the book ends. That's not something that ranks high on my list at all. I prefer to ke totally surprised at the end. With that being said, I did enjoy this book. It has all the wonderful action, suspense, greed, and ambition one could hope to get in a thriller about the inner workings of the government.

At times the action was a bit overdone. And as with all her other books that I have read thus far, very few of the characters are likeable. In fact, the heroine of the story is one of my least favorite characters as she comes across as weak, scorned, and often self-righteous. I mean how can you really be angry with a married man who dumps you for his WIFE??

At any rate, I'm sure that if you want a nice, light, suspenseful read, you will enjoy this book.

Pam Leighton works for the Electric Energy Institute lobbying group that works to make sure no legislation inimical to the power companies is passed. The head of the corporation is John Duke who is Pam's lover and has been for two years. When John is being considered for a cabinet post as the Secretary of Energy his wife says she will support him using her political connections if he severs all ties to Pam and makes sure she leaves Washington D.C.

Pam moves to New York where she plans to write a tell-all book about the lobbying industry. She has the evidence to back up every claim she makes which makes certain Washington power brokers very nervous. They want the publication of the book stopped and they use all sorts of methods to intimidate Pam into giving up getting her book published. When a good woman dies because she helped Pam, the writer becomes even more determined to write her book even if she has to go to outrageous lengths to keep from getting killed.

THE OTHER WOMAN is a fascinating relationship thriller that has readers guessing who is spying on Pam and reporting back to the power brokers. The audience feels pity for John Duke, who broke many laws as chairman of the EEI not because he an evil man but because he is a weak person who allows his ambition and wife to make choices that destroy his happiness. Diana Diamond has written a novel that shows the ugly and illegal relationships between lobbyists and elected officials that come straight out of news headlines.

Harriet Klausner

Suspensful from cover to cover. Another of Diana Diamond's great stories. A book worth passing on.

The premise of "The Other Woman" could have been interesting, but the author failed to live up to the promises on the book jacket. If you threw every overdone action scene into a pot and stirred it, you would have "The Other Woman." "Heroine is dumped by powerful boyfriend and decides to write an expose implicating him and an entire industry." "Heroine is attacked on a freight elevator, but pushes her assailant to his death." "Publisher is injured while trying to save manuscript." "Heroine's hard drive is erased/stolen/destroyed, but all is not lost because Heroine has saved extra copies of files." "Boyfriend's former secretary is killed after helping with the book." "New publisher's daughter is kidnapped." "Heroine is pushed off a ferry." "Heroine is almost pushed off balcony, but her assailant/former publisher falls instead." Etc., etc. There are a few twists to the plot, but not enough to save the book.