Title: Whisper Network
Author: Chandler Baker
Published: July 2019, Flatiron Books
Format: ARC E-copy, 320 pages
Source: Netgalley
Summary:
Four women learn
their boss (a man who’s always been surrounded by rumors about how he
treats women) is next in line to be CEO—what will happen when they
decide enough is enough?
Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita
are four women who have worked at Truviv, Inc., for years. The sudden
death of Truviv’s CEO means their boss, Ames, will likely take over the
entire company. Ames is a complicated man, a man they’ve all known for a
long time, a man who’s always been surrounded by…whispers. Whispers
that have always been ignored by those in charge. But the world has
changed, and the women are watching Ames’s latest promotion differently.
This time, they’ve decided enough is enough.
Sloane and her
colleagues set in motion a catastrophic shift within every floor and
department of the Truviv offices. All four women’s lives—as women,
colleagues, mothers, wives, friends, even adversaries—will change
dramatically as a result.
“If only you had listened to us,” they tell us on page one, “none of this would have happened.”
My thoughts: Is there a particular reason why you are drawn to certain books? I have to say when I hear a book being compared to books I have loved in the past, I definitely am drawn to them. So it was a no-brainer when I heard this book being compared to Big Little Lies, one of my favorite books that I would want to read it.
This book did take a little while to get into, but once I did get into it, I did like it. I think likening it to Big Little Lies, and knowing it was fiction, helped to keep me hooked. In the beginning it was hard to keep the characters separate, but by the end I was able to work out who was who and while I didn’t necessarily like all of the characters, I still liked the book.
I loved the way the story was told. It wasn’t just a straight narrative but rather interspersed throughout were depositions, police questioning, newspaper articles and responses to those articles. It helped keep things interesting, build up the suspense and keep the story moving forward. I love when authors use different techniques in their stories like this!
This was a good book. It certainly isn’t one to rush through, but it was one that every time I did pick it up, I was eager to see where it took me. While I wouldn’t classify it as a straight thriller as it has been billed, anyone who enjoys a mystery within literary fiction would enjoy this.
