Sand Castles [Mass Market Paperback]

Antoinette Stockenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 2002

Wendy Hodene wants for nothing except, like every woman, extra closet space. But even that whim lies within reach when she and her devoted husband Jim win the lottery and launch a renovation of the cozy, antique New England home that has been in the family for generations. Wendy is certain life can't get any better than this, until a surprise comes her way--surprise that will change her world forever.

At first, winning the lottery jackpot seems to be the answer to the Hodenes' unspoken prayers. Now they can secure their son's college education, pay off debts--perhaps even splurge a little. But the sudden windfall will drastically alter the most reliable reassuring aspects of Wendy's life, as well as the people who master most in it. Now everything hangs in the balance: her home, her child, her marriage. It isn't long before Wendy realizes that the mans he thought she knew best has become a virtual stranger, and that a mans he hardly knows at all holds the key to her husband's startling past--and her family's precarious future...

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Winning the lottery is just about everyone's fantasy, and when Wendy Hodene's husband, Jim, wins more than $10 million in a Powerball jackpot, life seems just about perfect. But then the past unexpectedly catches up with Jim, and Wendy suddenly realizes that her safe, secure life has been built on nothing more solid than sand. Well-drawn, sympathetic characters, exceptional writing, and an intriguing premise that puts a new spin on a classic plot combine to produce a riveting story of selfishness, betrayal, and love that readers will find hard to put down. Stockenberg (Tidewater) is a RITA Award-winning author and is noted for her compelling, emotionally involving stories, sometimes with a paranormal twist.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Imagine that you're a happily married wife and mother. Your life is very nearly perfect. One day your husband tells you that he has won the lottery. Now you are millionaires. How would you react? How would your life change? Would you want it to? These are the questions facing Wendy Hodene. Wendy is firmly planted in reality, but her husband has big plans. Although the money starts to come between husband and wife, winning the lottery will change Wendy's life in an unexpected and truly devastating way. Meanwhile, Zack Tompkins' beautiful, fragile sister is certain after seeing the newspaper picture of the lottery winner that he is the man who deserted her more than a decade ago. Zack offers to check it out, and is more than surprised when his sister's belief is confirmed. Not sure what to do about it, he hires on as a member of the construction crew working on the Hodene house. Then when Zack meets Wendy, he's even more confused. Moral dilemmas abound in this intriguing and compelling tale. Maria Hatton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (May 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312981546
• ISBN-13: 978-0312981549
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,771,172 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

USA Today bestselling novelist Antoinette Stockenberg grew up wanting be a cowgirl and have her own horse (her great-grandfather bred horses for the carriage trade back in the old country), but the geography just didn't work out: there weren't many ranches in Chicago. Her other, more doable dream was to write books, and after stints as secretary, programmer, teacher, grad student, boatyard hand, office manager and magazine writer (in that order), she achieved that goal, writing over a dozen novels, several of them with paranormal elements. One of them is the RITA award-winning EMILY'S GHOST.

Stockenberg's books have been published in eleven languages and are often set in quaint New England harbor towns, always with a dose of humor. She writes about complex family relationships and the fallout that old, unearthed secrets can have on them. Sometimes there's an old murder. Sometimes there's an old ghost. Sometimes once-lovers find one another after half a lifetime apart.

Her work has been compared to writers as diverse as LaVyrle Spencer, Nora Roberts, and Mary Stewart by critics and authors alike, and her novels have appeared on bestseller lists in USA Today as well as the national bookstore chains. Her website features sample chapters, numerous reviews, and many photos. www.antoinettestockenberg.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars powerful suspense thriller, May 12, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sand Castles (Mass Market Paperback)

Eight co-workers including Jim Hodene win the Powerball lottery of eighty-seven million dollars. Jim knows that his victory insures the financial present and future for his family, making them secure beyond their wildest dreams. Though the constant solicitations bug Jim and Wendy, she is particularly pleased to see her dream of expanding their house begin.

Zina Hayward insists that the lottery winner shown in the newspaper is her runaway husband Jimmy. Her brother Zack Tompkins thinks Zina is nuts as she has been since Jimmy left her and she began collecting the stray cats. Now he thinks she has gone even deeper into the loony bin with this wishful thinking about the lottery winner. Unable to dissuade her from her belief and worried about her mental state, Zack agrees to check out whether the lottery winner is his missing brother-in-law. To stealthily accomplish this task, Zack accepts a job with the Hodene house construction crew. As Zack begins to uncover the truth, Wendy also learns new ugly things about her spouse who is not the paragon she though he was. However, what she learns may prove deadly.

Antoinette Stockenberg shows her ability to provide a powerful suspense thriller with the exciting SAND CASTLES. The characters are a superb group especially the key foursome whose motives feel real even those of Jim and Zina. Though the plot is filled with twists and turns, readers will know what is going to happen next, but will not mind at all. Fans of taut thrillers with a pinch of romance will want to read Ms. Stockenberg's strong intrigue.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prompted me to go back and read Stockenberg's previous books, August 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Sand Castles (Mass Market Paperback)

Ms. Stockenberg is a maestro when it comes to creating realistic characters...I am certain I'll run into Wendy at the grocery store tomorrow! This book has it all--suspense, heartbreak, romance--and a setting that makes me want to pack up and move to New England tomorrow!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SHE DID IT AGAIN !, June 19, 2002

By 

Reader from Illinois - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sand Castles (Mass Market Paperback)

Antoinette Stockenberg has captured my heart again with Sand Castles. I found the story of Wendy, Zack, Zina, and Jim fast moving and could not put it down - I believe I finished this one in record time. Again, I can't wait for her next book. Kudos to Ms. Stockenberg.