Whispers and Lies : A Novel [Large Print] [Paperback]

Joy Fielding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 27, 2003

Terry Painter enjoys her quiet life in tranquil Delray, Florida, where the single, forty-year-old nurse lives alone in the house she inherited from her mother. When young, vibrant Alison Simms rents the cottage on her property, the two women strike up a fast friendship -- and Terry is swept into a fantastic new life: dinners out, shopping, makeovers, even flirting with the handsome son of one of her elderly patients. But nothing about her newfound companion is as it appears, as Terry discovers when Alison's closely guarded past comes to light. Now Terry is locked into a race to reclaim her own life -- before she opens the door any further to the stranger she thought she knew...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An ending worthy of Hitchcock rewards readers able to weather the false clues and emotional angst of Fielding's latest page-turner. Once again, the bestselling author (Grand Avenue; The First Time; Missing Pieces; etc.) tests the complex ties that bind friends and family, and keeps readers wondering when those same ties might turn deadly. Since Terry Painter's mother died five years before, the single 40-year-old nurse has been renting out the cottage behind her Florida home. When an appealing young woman calling herself Alison Simms arrives from out of town, Terry offers her not only the cottage but also her friendship. Alison pries into Terry's personal belongings, brings home rude young men, tells lies about her job and family and pops up everywhere unexpectedly and uninvited, while Terry's inner critic, in a voice sounding much like her mother's, fuels her suspicions. Threatening phone calls from a man who seems to know a lot about Terry and the tenant who occupied the cottage before Alison add to her growing paranoia. Despite these worries, Terry finds time to get involved with the son of one of her patients, an elderly woman named Myra. Careless, friendly Alison and responsible, guarded Terry are a study in contrasts, but as the novel progresses, Fielding makes it clear that they both have secrets to hide. The brutal denouement will shake readers lulled by the tale's cozy trappings, but those familiar with Patricia Highsmith's particular brand of sinister storytelling will recognize the mayhem Fielding so cunningly unleashes.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Veteran novelist Fielding, whose previous book (Grand Avenue [BKL Ag 01]) was a domestic melodrama, delivers another page-turner, this time a suspense novel with a shocking plot twist. Nurse Terry Painter is so kind she is considered a godsend by her elderly patients. When she rents out the cottage behind her house to a new tenant, Alison Simms, Terry begins to feel that her benevolent nature has made her an easy target. Alison seems especially interested in Terry's financial standing, and her extensive questioning makes Terry uneasy. Furthermore, every time they get together for a meal, Terry seems to become violently ill. Is someone tampering with her food? She is also being harassed by a mysterious caller who seems to think she knows the whereabouts of a previous tenant. When Alison's creepy brother comes to visit, Terry becomes afraid for her own life. As Terry plans a retaliatory strike against those who would harm her, Fielding delivers a plot turn so surprising that all previous events are thrown into question. The author keeps the tension high and the pages turning, creating a chillingly paranoid atmosphere. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (February 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743253388
• ISBN-13: 978-0743253383
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,770,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joy Fielding is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Still Life, Charley's Web, Heartstopper, See Jane Run, and other acclaimed novels. She divides her time between Toronto and Palm Beach, Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This book left me feeling depressed, March 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Whispers and Lies: A Novel (Hardcover)

This was the third book I have read by Joy Fielding. I loved See Jane Run and Grand Avenue, so I had high hopes for Whispers and Lies.

Right away I knew this book wasn't going to reach that high, as I disliked the main character, Terry, from the start. Allison wasn't much better -- I found her annoying at best. There's a part when Terry ponders 'listen to your instincts' and, as a reader, you want to yell WHAT DO YOUR INSTINCTS SAY ABOUT A 40-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO HANGS OUT WITH 20-SOMETHING DRINKERS AND DRUGGIES?

Ranting over, the book isn't bad, but unbelievable. When the "surprise" twist at the end finally happens, you think "A-HA!" for about a minute, then realize this is just as boring as the first 280 pages.

If you are a fan of Fielding, don't hold this book against her. If you've never read a book by her before, don't read this one first. It will turn you against her writing and she has some great stories out there. Read those instead.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I liked this book in the beginning and HATED it in the end., August 23, 2002

By 

mamareadssomuch "mamareadssomuch" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whispers and Lies: A Novel (Hardcover)

While this book was quite a pageturner (I read it in one night), it's ending was quite a twist and really bothered me. It was well written and grabbed the reader's attention and for that I give it 3 stars. BUT ~ the direction in which the book went was terrible and I was upset for hours after I finished it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Dreadful, July 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Whispers and Lies: A Novel (Hardcover)

Oh woe is me. Just when you think this book can't get any worse, it does. Silly, predictable, filled with cliches and oftentimes I cringed in embarrassment that such drivel could actually be published.

What a sad assortment of characters...spineless, indecisive, wishy washy Terry, annoying, grate on your nerves, Allison and a melange of unsavory males who are always lurking right outside Terry's window or making crank calls. I'm only grateful that this was obtained from the library and not an actual purchase. If anyone feels compelled to read it, I'd suggest you take the same route