Watching Vanessa [Hardcover]

Patricia M. Tiffin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1997

Kate Greerson has taken an instant dislike to her friend Vanessa's lover, Jake. It's nothing she can explain, just a feeling. But no one else in their circle of girlfriends seems concerned, until Vanessa gets anonymous phone calls. Chilling threats. A terrifying break-in. And the feeling that someone is watching.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this mishmash of a first novel, the personal lives of four friends encompass most of the ailments of the 1990s, including spousal abuse, alcoholism, divorce, maxed-out credit cards, infertility, and men stalking women. During one of the regular lunches Kate, the narrator, has with her three best friends, Vanessa tells the others about her wonderful new boyfriend. Although Kate's instant dislike of him is chalked up by her friends to jealousy and her growing problems with alcohol, Kate's suspicions are borne out. Jake Romano is purely bad news for any woman. The friends decide to give Jake a taste of his own medicine, with nearly disastrous consequences, but the adroit use of pepper spray saves the day. Better editing would have eliminated several of the subplots, giving the book more focus. Uninspired writing plus one-dimensional characters make this an unnecessary purchase.
-?Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Kate's struggle with alcoholism and her observations of a college professor who is being stalked by a deadly man builds fine tension and realistic action in Tiffin's strong story. As narrator Kate battles her own demons, she discovers her success or failure may influence and direct the course of terror against her good friend. The plot is complex and the outcome unexpected in Tiffin's thriller. -- Midwest Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 340 pages
• Publisher: Baskerville Publishers; 1ST edition (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880909545
• ISBN-13: 978-1880909546
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,360,860 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant read!, February 1, 2001

By 

Debra Freeman (Guelph, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Watching Vanessa (Mass Market Paperback)

I thought this book was excellent. The plot was full of suspense, and each character brought out a different emotion. A truly entertaining book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Thriller!, November 27, 2000

By 

"marycarrieh" (Northeastern United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Watching Vanessa (Mass Market Paperback)

Watching Vanessa is an outstanding thriller with a fully realized, multicultural cast of characters. The protagonist, Kate, is a carefully-drawn portrait of a woman whose perceptions are clouded by alcohol, but whose loyalty to her friends remains fierce. The title character, Vanessa, is fascinating, a multidimensional African American heroine with complex vulnerabilities (I was reminded of Barbara Neely's Blanche and Jane Harvard's Toni Isaccs, among others) and a dynamic personality. Most importantly, the book shows the power of women's friendship in the context of a page-turning thriller. Great work from Patricia Tiffin--I'd love to see another book from her with Vanessa as the lead character!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding first book, April 8, 2000

By 

Mary Kernan (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Watching Vanessa (Hardcover)

I was blown away by this outstanding book. It is so well written, that I journeyed along with Kate in her downward alcoholic spiral and felt her every emotional upheaval. Kudos to Patricia Tiffin on her first book.