Bakers Dozen 2013: 1

Well I hope everyone has had an amazing holiday.  Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope that everyone has taken the time to sit with family and cherish the small things.

Moving on, I'm doing a 2013 bakers dozen edition.  I planned on starting it early December but unfortunately procrastination got the better of me so be prepared for a slew of posts.

Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding

So I'm going to start this one out with Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding.  This is the first book that I had ever read from this author and it was a psychological thriller/mystery.  At the time that I read this I was still working at the book store so it has been about 9 years since I last read the book and I don't have this in my possession, but it still one of those book that seems to have left a lasting impression on me.  In fact I remember when I went to a book store with my sister I saw this book in the bargain book section and convinced her to buy it.

The book is about forty-year-old nurse Terry Painter who lives alone in her house after her mother passed away.  A young and vibrant girl Alison Simms rents a cottage from her and the two women become fast friends.  Terry suddenly finds herself going out, having makeovers and even flirting, but soon she becomes paranoid about her new friend.  She soon discovers stuff about Alison which thrusts her paranoia even farther.

In this novel there are so many twists and turns that if you don't pay attention to what's going on you might actually miss some important details.  The first time I read the ending I found it shocking but when I went back and re-read certain parts I picked up on clues that the author cleverly left for readers to pick up on.  And I also had my manager from the book store (who told me I had to read the book) to discuss the book about so it helped me figure out details much quicker.

I remember this book sticking with me so strongly because for one, it was much different from what I normally read (even though I read mostly romance I do actually like reading other genres also), and two I had to read this a little slower than what I normally will read a book, just because there was so many subtle hints about what was going on.

I definitely enjoyed this book and a big part of me wished that I had purchased a copy when I had the chance because I would go back to this book and re-read it when ever the mood would strike me.