From the Bookshelf of What's the Name of That Book???…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Ralph Truitt, a wealthy man from Wisconsin, has sent away for a wife. The woman who arrives, however, is not what he is expecting. Catherine may have sent a photograph of someone else, but she is lovely and perfect. And she is plotting to kill him.
When I read the review of this book in BookPage I thought this would be much darker and that Catherine's plot would be the big secret (the review compared the author to Poe). However, the reader knows about her plot after only a couple of chapters. The ...more
When I read the review of this book in BookPage I thought this would be much darker and that Catherine's plot would be the big secret (the review compared the author to Poe). However, the reader knows about her plot after only a couple of chapters. The ...more
I consider this 3 and a half stars. I liked this book & I’m trying to put my finger on why – because it was mostly unpleasant, & the characters were not particularly sympathetic. The book begins with Ralph Truitt waiting on a train station platform for his “mail order bride.” After the loss of his wife & child in his young years, Ralph has been alone for 20 years & finally advertises for “a reliable wife.” The woman who responds is Catherine Land, a courtesan who has decided she can’t live witho
...more
I'm vacillating between "liked it" and "really liked it."
Pros: dark, no-holds-barred look at love, lust, jealousy, hatred, and despair. Intriguing plot, and a satisfying ending. The afterword by the author was quite interesting - one of the better parts of the entire book, actually.
Cons: somewhat overwrought and indulgent prose, no likable characters, and the descriptions of people, events, and acts become repetitious.
It took me awhile to get into the book, but once the story moves to St. Louis ...more
Pros: dark, no-holds-barred look at love, lust, jealousy, hatred, and despair. Intriguing plot, and a satisfying ending. The afterword by the author was quite interesting - one of the better parts of the entire book, actually.
Cons: somewhat overwrought and indulgent prose, no likable characters, and the descriptions of people, events, and acts become repetitious.
It took me awhile to get into the book, but once the story moves to St. Louis ...more
I had such high hopes for this book but was really disappointed. A mail-order bride travels to Wisconsin in 1907(?) with intentions to murder her husband but he also is not exactly what he seems. It sounds so intriguing but this book fell flat for me. I didn't care for any of the characters; they were cold, awful people. And the characters (and author's) obsession with sex drobe me crazy. All of the characters had an unhealthy obsession with sex or used sex to manipulate people. Okay fine but th
...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jan 28, 2010
Sarah
added it
Daphne DuMaurier meets the Cohen brothers.
I can't believe I read this whole book. Only a man could have written this. Allow me to present Exhibit A:
"It was his own masculinity he was making love to, which drove him as he rode inside her, rapture at his own skill, his own pleasures, the tenderness, the savagery, ripping through her as though for the first time."
Ew. GROSS. ...more
"It was his own masculinity he was making love to, which drove him as he rode inside her, rapture at his own skill, his own pleasures, the tenderness, the savagery, ripping through her as though for the first time."
Ew. GROSS. ...more
Amazing story. Twists and turns, depth and desire. I liked this book even more than I thought I would. I became attached to the characters, and wanted the best for them, even when they didn't deserve it.
Highly recommended. Haven't read a book with this level of craft in a long time. Kudos to the author for being a true storyteller. ...more
Highly recommended. Haven't read a book with this level of craft in a long time. Kudos to the author for being a true storyteller. ...more
An odd book. It had characters filled with dishonesty, infidelity, and insanity. And who are they attracted to? Other characters who lie, cheat, and do evil/crazy things. Yet, it was a very read-able book which pulled me into all these loops of love and hate and what an individual is willing to do to gain love and money.
Such great promise but it was written in such a repetitive, over-wrought style that I could not take it seriously.
Jun 02, 2009
Pam
marked it as to-read
Mar 04, 2010
Ruth Soz
marked it as to-read
Oct 12, 2010
Miranda
marked it as to-read
Dec 13, 2010
Cindy
marked it as to-read
Oct 04, 2014
Elizabeth
marked it as to-read
