Whispers (Mass Market Paperback)

by Lisa Jackson (Author)
Key Phrases: Lisa Jackson, Dutch Holland, Harley Taggert (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In a letter to readers, Jackson (Cold Blooded, etc.) declares this a "spanking brand new edition" of her 1999 romantic suspense novel, complete with new twists and a new ending. As such, it should generate plenty of excitement among her fans, but new readers may be put off by the book's overabundance of sex and violence. After being approached to run for Governor of Oregon, Dutch Holland vows to lay the skeletons of his past to rest. He soon learns, however, that they won't go away so easily. Sixteen years earlier, his rival's younger son, Harley Taggert, was murdered, and Dutch believes one of his own daughters may have been responsible. Now, journalist Kane Moran has returned home to crack open the case and write a book about it, despite the fact that his actions may hurt his old crush, single mom Claire Holland, Dutch's daughter. Harley's brother, Weston Taggert, a typical animal-abusing sexual deviant, also hates Dutch and would do anything to discredit the Hollands. The relationship between Kane, a lowborn, abused bad boy, and the unreachable, well-off Claire follows a familiar path, but the pages practically sizzle when they're together. Stock secondary characters and predictable family dramas leech away some of the suspense, but Jackson livens up her story with a final, dizzying twist.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
It's been 16 years since Claire St John fled in terror from the family home on Lake Arrowhead - 16 years since her fiance's tragic death and the shocking secret she promised never to reveal. Now she returns home to face a past she's tried to forget.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 447 pages
• Publisher: Zebra; Revised edition (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821776037
• ISBN-13: 978-0821776032
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #78,885 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #21 in

  Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( J ) > Jackson, Lisa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars intriguing..., November 26, 2001

By	lusty22 "avid reader" (VT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whispers (Paperback)

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.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complex tale of lies and betrayal...., July 6, 2003

By	iheartjackbauer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whispers (Paperback)

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!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Fluff, August 17, 2003

By	i didn't ask (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

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.