Talk (Hardcover) [Hardcover]

Laura Van Wormer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1998

Sensational talk-show diva Jessica Wright has become the woman all of America is watching. He nightly show is as entertaining and deliciously outrageous as she is. She's shown everyone -- including the network brass -- that a woman can dominate the prime time schedule.

But among her admirers is someone who seems to know everything about her, from her favorite food to the contents the layout of the studio well enough to leave gifts without being noticed.

Jessica's nightmare begins when this admirer turns stalker. Cunning and unpredictable, he moves closer to her, waiting for the chance to make his final declaration. As he gets bolder, the police and FBI dig through Jessica's past, looking for clues. But no one, not authorities, colleagues or her closest friends, could have predicted the stalker's explosive next move....

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Popular TV talk-show host Jessica Wright finds herself stalked by an obsessed fan in this workaday romantic thriller from Van Wormer (Just for the Summer). Despite tough security, the creep infiltrates the television studio where she works, as well as her vacation house, where he leaves unsettling notes, a mysterious gift and, finally, the dead body of Jessica's secretary. Then he kidnaps Jessica. The convoluted plot initially moves briskly but then gets bogged down in the details of the abduction. Juxtaposed against the kidnapping story is the budding romance between Jessica, a recovering alcoholic, and news producer Will Rafferty, eventually a suspected accomplice in the crime. Van Wormer, a practiced talk-show guest and the "novelizer" of several TV serials, puts her behind-the-scenes experience to good use, showing the tense balletics inherent in live broadcast. When Jessica writes her autobiography, Van Wormer, who is also a former editor at Doubleday, takes the opportunity to introduce tidbits about the publicity aspect of publishing. Despite the urgent atmosphere that permeates this fast-paced thriller, however, it falls short on character development. Three key female characters introduced in earlier novels play major roles here, but it's difficult to tell these tough, attractive, driven career women apart. Agent, Loretta Barrett; editor, Diane Moggy; author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Americans love to watch talk shows, and host Jessica Wright leads the ratings game. She's warm, friendly, and candid about her past and perfectly willing to share her descent into alcoholism and degradation in her soon-to-be-released autobiography, Talk. In her rise to fame, Jessica gained the friendship of Alexandra Waring, the network anchor, and her relationship with Alexandra's coanchor, Will Rafferty, seems to be heating up, but there's trouble ahead: one of her fans, Leopold, has been courting her via letters for months, and now he's sending her gifts and asking her not to wear revealing clothing on her show. Jessica dismisses him as a nuisance until the gifts and notes start appearing on the set. As security is beefed up, Leopold ups the ante. First, he murders someone he perceives as a "threat" to his beloved, and then he comes up with a plan that will shock the nation. Van Wormer's latest romantic thriller features characters from her earlier works, Riverside Drive (1989) and West End (1990), and has enough intrigue, drama, and tangled relationships to give Jerry Springer pause. This hot summer read will appeal to fans of Joy Fielding and Nora Roberts. Melanie Duncan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 378 pages
• Publisher: Mira; 1st edition (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551663171
• ISBN-13: 978-1551663173
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,816,681 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Quick Reading Order Lists:

"The Alexandra Chronicles": 1)Riverside Drive 2)West End 3)Any Given Moment 4)Talk 5)Exposé 6 )The Last Lover 7)Trouble Becomes Her 8)The Bad Witness 9)The Kill Fee 10)Mr. Murder 11)Riverside Park

"The Sally Harrington Mysteries": 1)Exposé 2)The Last Lover 3)Trouble Becomes Her 4)The Bad Witness 5)The Kill Fee 6)Mr. Murder

The "Stand Alone" Novels: 1)Benedict Canyon 2)Jury Duty 3)Just for the Summer

Best-selling author Laura Van Wormer has been a force in fiction since the publication of "Riverside Drive" in 1988. She is the author of thirteen novels. Her engrossing plots, memorable characters and insider knowledge of the media professions have won praise from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, and People.

After graduating from Darien High School in Connecticut Laura spent a year at the University of Arizona before transferring to Syracuse University, from where she received a B.S. in Public Communications from the S.I. Newhouse School and minored in English.

Upon graduation Laura went to New York looking for a job in television but landed a job instead as secretary to the editor-in-chief of Doubleday & Company. "Every day my head was spinning," Laura says. "Everyone from Leon Uris to William F. Buckley, Jr., Victoria Holt to Phyllis Whitney, Edna O'Brien to Stephen King, Arthur and Alex Hailey to Allen Drury were all publishing with Doubleday at that time."

Laura rose through the editorial ranks somewhat specializing in celebrity and mass media-related books. Caught in a deadline crunch one year, Doubleday and 20th Century Fox flew Laura out to the West Coast to create a book based on the hit series, "Dynasty". Upon her return to New York an offer was made to create a book for the rival show, "Dallas". Laura ended up taking the assignment and leaving Doubleday to write her first novel.

The novel ended up taking four years. To keep body and soul together Laura became "The Official Dallas Historian" (!) and created a game for Lorimar based on the show. She then took on "Knots Landing", wrote copy for the back of jigsaw puzzles and created a game.

Finally she finished her first novel, "Riverside Drive", published in 1988, which is currently in its 5th edition. She has been a full time writer ever since.

Laura is a longtime member of the Authors Guild of America, and also (because of "Jury Duty" and the Sally Harrington mysteries) the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Connecticut, New York and Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story - Van Wormer doesn't hold back!, January 22, 2001

By 

"marble" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Talk (Mass Market Paperback)

I read Talk after I read Expose, and now I'm in the process of ordering more of Van Wormer's books. Talk was a great story. I appreciate how Van Wormer develops her characters, and how likeable yet diverse they are. The lead character, for instance, is a recovering alcholic. Her love interest is a possible suspect in the mystery, and "Alexandra Eyes" has her own secrets. When Jessica is kidnapped, she ends up rescuing and helping one of her kidnappers who was badly injured. I didn't feel compassion for him until the end of the book, when the plot comes together. And as for Leopold ... well you'll have to draw your own conclusions. It's an entertaining read. I want more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Super Duper Talk Show Mystery!, December 14, 2000

By 

Brad Stonecipher - See all my reviews

This review is from: Talk (Mass Market Paperback)

I recently read "Just For The Summer" by Laura Van Wormer and thought that that novel was horribly slow-moving and dull. But I later learned that "Just For The Summer" was the novel where Mrs. Wormer began her transition from romance to romantic suspense. So I decided to give "Talk" a try. I was very happy that I did because it was great. Talk show host, Jessica Wright, is being stalked by an obsessive fan. He sends Jessica threatening letters and notes promising to be there for her "always". It starts to get way out of hand when this stalker kills Jessica's secretary, Bea. Next Jessica is kidnapped at a local party/ function! It is up to her lover and friend, Will, her producer, Cassy, the FBI and local police to try and save Jessica before her life is claimed buy a nutcase who will do anything, absolutely anything, for Jessica! I already have Expose, Mrs. Van Wormer's next romantic suspense novel, in my possession and I'm looking forward to reading it greatly!

Brad Stonecipher

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Attending A West End Reunion, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Talk (Hardcover) (Hardcover)

This romantic mystery/thriller stands by itself as a well-structured story with the unusual twist of devoting the last fourth of the novel to the "fallout" from the kidnapping, instead of just ending with Jessica's rescue. But, the book is also a bonus for readers of Van Wormer's past novels. They have already spent a great deal of time with the main characters and so reading it is almost like attending a reunion, and "catching up." Let's hope that future books will also feature Cassy, Alexandra, Jessica and all of "The DBS Gang."