Customer Reviews

Whispers

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was pretty involved and very intriguing. Each of the sister's lives, not to mention all the other characters, really kept me in suspense. The fued between the Taggerts and the Hollands was interesting. The only reason I can't rate this book higher is because the sex gets to be too much. Everyone is constantly having sex and the graphic nature of it gets to be tedious and boring. Each encounter is the same and I found myself skimming the sex parts to get to the meat of the story. I mean, who cares? I enjoy a good mystery and this story has murder, suspense, romance, the works, but the sex is way overdone. This is the second Lisa Jackson book I have read and it seems as though she tries too hard to throw that in when in reality it is not necessary for a good story. Leaving a little to the imagination is a good thing sometimes.

Claire Holland has come home to Oregan after her marriage crumbles. After a summons from her father, Claire returns to find out that the truth about one night sixteen long years ago is finally going to come out. Not only that, but Claire has her own truth to deal with, including the boy whom she finally realized she loved, Kane Moran. After one passion filled night, Kane left town to join the army and Claire never saw him again.

Miranda Holland has her own secrets to keep, ones that she will guard religously. Only two people beside herself know what happened on the night Harley Taggert was killed. After getting pregnant by the boy she loved, Miranda thought she had it all. Although she knew she would have to put her career on hold, it was worth it to have the man she loved and a the baby that they made together. Now all the lies are about to come out and Miranda can only wait for the fall out.

Tessa Holland has been fighting her own demons for all the years that Miranda lied for her. Never being the strong one like Miranda, nor the smart one like Claire, Tessa knew she came up short. Messing up her life at an early age cost her much, but she knew that when all the truth came out, she would be the one at fault.

Kane Moran fell for Claire fast. It was a classic case of the princess and the peasant, but he only now realizes that she felt more than pity for him. Never having much, Kane knew that one day he would amount to something, and when he did, Dutch Holland, father to the three Holland girls, would pay for messing up his life. And it starts with writing the book of the Holland family, to stop Dutch from becoming govenor. Kane soon realizes that his love for Claire means more to him than any fame or revenge and all he can do is protect her and her family as best as he can.

Whispers is a very complex tale of so many lies that I don't know how the reader can keep track of them! These four characters will tug on your heartstrings and the other characters involved will make you sick. In her classic tale of romance and suspense, Lisa Jackson doesn't dissapoint!

Overall this is a very good story with an interesting plot and characters. However, as was stated by another reviewer, there are way too many repetitions of the same themes, and even the exact same words, over and over again. But even worse than that are the glaring discrepancies. Like this from Chapter 26 "He looked so deeply into her eyes she was certain he could see past her pain, past her lies, to the truth. The seconds ticked by in silence and finally Miranda opened her eyes." How the heck was he looking deeply into her eyes if her eyes were closed????? There are too many of these to list, but another example is that early in the book it is stated that Claire found out her husband was cheating on her when she was pregnant with her daughter, and late in the book it is stated that she found first found out when her daughter was two. Discrepancies like this spoil my enjoyment of the book.

However, I did really like the story. This is the first Lisa Jackson book that I have read and I definitely will read more of her work.

Perhaps what I most like about Lisa Jackson's prosaical style is that she's not desperately trying to write "The Great American Novel." Her yarns are about misguided love, heartbreaking betrayal, earth-shattering forbidden secrets, and characters that seem, regardless of their origin, akin to the reader. I began reading Lisa Jackson with "Hot Blooded," and it's sequel "Cold Blooded." I was so impressed with Jackson's ability to draw a reader into her story, I continued with "The Night Before," and am eagerly awaiting "The Morning After" in early 2004. While waiting, I happened across a copy of "Whispers" at Wal*Mart. Jackson notes at the beginning of the tale that this is a rewritten version of a previously-released novel. Having not read the first edition, I cannot say whether this new version is any better, but I was impressed with it nonetheless.

Other reviews summarize the story for you, so I won't waste your time or mine repeating it. If you've read other reviews, you know the novel is told from the point-of-view of Claire Holland, a recently-divorced single mother who has recently returned to her hometown in Oregon at the behest of her battle-ax of a father, as have her two sisters. What is most interesting about this is that Claire is the LEAST interesting of any other character! Perhaps it is just Jackson's keen sense of storytelling, but I found Claire's sisters to exhibit much more demonstrative, and often humorous, characteristics. Or perhaps Jackson has fooled me in that, by allowing a bland character like Claire to relate the story, you become more captivated in what she sees. Either way, Jackson has written a fun, frothy novel full of all the good stuff we're not supposed to like, but really do. Great summer reading, or just great to curl up with in your favorite spot for a few hours. Highly recommended.

Lisa Jackson's romantic suspense `Whispers', is the kind of book I most enjoy taking on a holiday. It is filled with suspense, an easy read, hard to put down but if I have to, I can get back into it easily. Jackson knows how to write the perfect `getaway' novel. She is in my personal top 10, of female authors I read.

As the letter in the beginning of the novel states, `Whispers' is a reprint of an earlier 1996 edition that has been revised and includes "new twists and turns". I believe I read the earlier version as I've read almost all of Jackson's books, but since I'm an avid reader I don't recall for sure. All I do know is that when I want a good read, I pick one of Lisa Jackson's suspenseful novels.

`Whispers' is the story of three Holland sisters, one of whom may be responsible for murdering Harley Taggert, their father's rival's son. Claire Holland returns to her family lake house after sixteen years and struggles to keep a secret that has haunted her. Kane Moran, journalist-turned-writer from the `wrong side of the tracks' (or lake) has also returned. With one purpose in mind. To write the book by getting to the truth and exposing the murderer of Harley Taggert.

In a modern day Romeo and Juliet-like plot, Kane and Claire may come from opposite sides of the bank, but their attraction is raw, appealing and undeniable. In fact, all the characters are developed expertly, the pacing is taut and the revelations make sense. That is what makes a great suspense novel. If you're looking for a solid read with crisp characters and dialogue, check out `Whispers'. You won't be disappointed. Kudos, Lisa!

~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Author of Divine Intervention

I am not quite finished with this book, but every time I come across another EXPLICIT love scene, (which get more frequent toward the end of the book)I want to scream. This book is a good mystery/family-saga kind of story, BUT be forewarned that the sex scenes are on a par with unwillingly watching a pornographic movie. It's pure garbage...and goes on & on. I cannot imagine an author sitting there writing about a woman's extremely private body parts, or how many times the men have erections (quite often, I might add).
Any little thought leads to an erection. Weston, on the phone, Kane at his desk......etc, etc, etc......... After awhile, it gets to be laughable.....
This book could have easily been 220 pages long & interesting, not 440 pages with repetitions and repeated encounters.
This is the first & last book I will ever read by this author. There are too many wonderful books out there & too little time to waste on this stuff. Ugh! This book deserves the Bulwer-Lytton Award for the worst phrasing & writing.

This was a pretty good book but I can't stand finding grammatical erros and repitition. It was pretty engrossing at the beginning and then I found myself just trying to get to the end to find out who had killed Jack, Harley and Hunter. Weston was a true sleazeball and I had difficulty believing that any of the Holland girls fell into his grips at times. I haven't decided if this book was good enough to move on to more Lisa Jackson books. May give something else a try.

This book has it all: mystery, suspense, romance.... I enjoyed reading it. I'd also reccommend Lisa Jackson's book Treasures. I haven't read any of her other books yet, but I am planning to. If you like the romance/suspense stories penned by Nora Roberts, you'll like Lisa Jackson.

I enjoyed the book at first, but once I really got into it, I found some of the same old information being repeated OVER and OVER. I was so tired of the same expressions, that I began writing them down to see how many more times they would be repeated! Dutch wishing he had "sired" sons, referring to Miranda as the "ice princess," hairs standing up on the back of characters' necks that felt "cold as death" etc. etc. A reader over the age of 12 can get it after the hundreth time that Miranda is icy, Claire is mediocre and Tessa has the wild streak. For Pete's sake!

I also agree with one of the other reviews that the sex scenes were ridiculous. How many times did we have to read the phrase "spread her legs??" And these girls were 15 - 18 years old during these "steamy" encounters. Weston was WAY overdone as a male pig, and the rivalry between the two families was a bit overbearing, as well.

I only gave it two stars because the storyline could have been a really good one without all of the other nonsense.

This book has everything to make a great book, love, hate, murder, and deceit.
The story begins with two families that are fueding, the Taggert's and the Holland's.
Dutch Holland has three daughters, Miranda, Claire, and Tessa.
Neal Taggert has two son, Weston, Harley, and a daughter Paige.
Harley want's to marry Claire, but the families are against it, and Claire thinks that Harley is still seeing his ex-girfriend Kendall.
Weston is the wild son, the athlete, popular, great at the comapny they own, but nothing pleases him.
The story starts with Harley's death after Claire breaks their engagement, and the cover-up of who killed him, or was it really suicide.
The story goes to the past and then back to the present.
Dutch Holland wants to run for mayor, but he is afraid his daughters may have been involved with the murder 16 yrs. ago.
This was such a great book, and there is so much more than I could put in a review.
The love affairs when they were all teenagers, the people that disappeared, the ones's who fought against their family's name to have love.
I liked the part when Lisa Jackson takes the story back 16 years, I think that could have been the whole book in itself.
I liked the book, hated for it to end.
Was really one of the better books that I have read lately, but Lisa Jackson always writes good books.