Whispers

Rating:
Summary: Excellent storytelling
Review: In Oregon, sixteen years ago someone killed Harley Taggert. Influential business mogul Dutch Holland bribed law enforcement officials to close the case because he feared one of his three daughters is the murderer event though he no idea which one committed the act.

Dutch plans to run for governor and wants all family secrets out in the open. He calls his three adult children to his home and asks who killed Harley. DA lawyer Miranda denies any involvement. Mother of two children Claire, recovering from a divorce from a pervert-rapist spouse, also says she had nothing to do with the homicide. The youngest Tessa the rebel tells her dad to stick it. Expecting no more, Dutch hires private detective Frank Petrillo to investigate at the same time that local bad boy turned international journalist Kane Moran has come home to write a book about the murder.

This is an improved rewrite of a solid romantic suspense tale released in the nineties that shows sometimes if it isn't broke, it still may be worth bettering it. Lisa Jackson shows how confident and clever she has become as an author as motives are stronger and easier to understand leading to a more powerful and deeper cast as well as a different climax. Fans of the author and those who enjoy a taut romantic suspense thriller will shout aloud how good this one is, but as a bonus get a copy of the very well written mid 1990s version (don't say a word about storage) to see the maturity of a rising star.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Excellent storytelling
Review: In Oregon, sixteen years ago someone killed Harley Taggert. Influential business mogul Dutch Holland bribed law enforcement officials to close the case because he feared one of his three daughters is the murderer event though he no idea which one committed the act.

Dutch plans to run for governor and wants all family secrets out in the open. He calls his three adult children to his home and asks who killed Harley. DA lawyer Miranda denies any involvement. Mother of two children Claire, recovering from a divorce from a pervert-rapist spouse, also says she had nothing to do with the homicide. The youngest Tessa the rebel tells her dad to stick it. Expecting no more, Dutch hires private detective Frank Petrillo to investigate at the same time that local bad boy turned international journalist Kane Moran has come home to write a book about the murder.

This is an improved rewrite of a solid romantic suspense tale released in the nineties that shows sometimes if it isn't broke, it still may be worth bettering it. Lisa Jackson shows how confident and clever she has become as an author as motives are stronger and easier to understand leading to a more powerful and deeper cast as well as a different climax. Fans of the author and those who enjoy a taut romantic suspense thriller will shout aloud how good this one is, but as a bonus get a copy of the very well written mid 1990s version (don't say a word about storage) to see the maturity of a rising star.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Good story, but she really needs an editor
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Good story, but she really needs an editor
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Fluff
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Fluff
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Fluff
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: intriguing...
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Okay book
Review: 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.