Product Description

Jane Whittaker has awakened to a nightmare. She doesn't know her name, her age . . .or even what she looks like. Frightened and confused, she wanders the streets of Boston wearing a blood-soaked dress-and carrying $10,000 in her pocket. Her life has become a vacuum--her past vanished. . .or stolen. And all that remains is a handsome, unsettling stranger who claims to be her husband, whispered rumors about a dead child whom she cannot recall. . .and a terrifying premonition that something truly horrible is about to occur.

Jane Whittaker has awakened to a nightmare. She doesn't know her name, her age . . .or even what she looks like. Frightened and confused, she wanders the streets of Boston wearing a blood-soaked dress-and carrying $10,000 in her pocket. Her life has become a vacuum--her past vanished. . .or stolen. And all that remains is a handsome, unsettling stranger who claims to be her husband, whispered rumors about a dead child whom she cannot recall. . .and a terrifying premonition that something truly horrible is about to occur.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1111055 in Books
• Published on: 1991-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 364 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Finely tuned and convincing, Fielding's ( Kiss Mommy Goodbye ) latest novel of romantic suspense opens on a chilling note: Boston housewife Jane Whittaker finds herself on a downtown street, her pockets stuffed with a large number of crisp $100 bills, the front of her dress soaked with blood. She has no idea of her identity. Though shaken and terrified, she proceeds with logic. After 24 hours of shrewd calculation, she finds a policeman and is taken to a hospital for tests. By chance, she is reunited there with her husband, Michael, a prominent pediatric surgeon. Caring and supportive, Michael feels that Jane will regain her memory soon. He assures Jane that their seven-year-old daughter is staying with his parents and that she must accept the ministrations of their solicitous housekeeper, Paula. But the atmosphere is ominous: Michael has unexplained stitches on his forehead; Jane feels constantly drugged; Paula refuses to let Jane see her friends. Increasingly uneasy, Jane flees, but is soon found by Michael and a new cycle of terror begins. Fielding handles her material with finesse; suspense is maintained at a high level, and the narrative is enriched by Jane's bracing sense of humor and a cast of sharply drawn, articulate characters. Literary Guild main selection; movie option to Pathe Studios.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Prolific and popular novelist Fielding ( Good Intentions, LJ 7/89) has a special talent for writing taut, suspenseful--yet eminently believable--tales about women in crisis. Here, Jane finds herself in downtown Boston, her dress covered with blood, nearly $10,000 in her coat pocket, and absolutely no idea of who she is. She seeks help at Boston City Hospital, where she discovers that she is the wife of handsome Michael Whittaker, a renowned surgeon. The doctor seems to be the perfect husband, and as Jane learns the details of their ideal life together she is unable to understand her suspicions of him. However, as Jane's amnesia persists, it becomes clear that her model husband is threatening her sanity in order to conceal a sinister secret. With realistic characters and nimble pacing, Fielding pulls the reader down a path of psychological suspense which ultimately leads to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Literary Guild main selection.
- Rebecca House Stankowski, Purdue Univ. Calu met, Hammond, Ind.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Suspenseful...Dizzing...Shocking and horrifying...An absorbing mystery...A drama that hits home." -- -- Cincinnati Enquirer

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Customer Reviews

Gaslighting!
One late afternoon, a young woman finds herself wandering around the shopping centre of her town, with no idea of who she is, where she is or how she happened to get there. She discovers to her horror that the expensive but simple dress she is wearing under her coat, is covered with blood and that nearly $10,000 in hundred dollar bills, is stuffed carelessly into her pockets. Overcoming her initial fright with a huge effort, she books into a hotel for the night but feels herself growing progressively more shaky and in danger of losing control, so she reports herself to a police station. The police send her to a public hospital for examination by a psychiatrist and while she is being examined, a staff member recognizes her as Jane Whittaker, the wife of a prominent and well respected pediatrician, Dr Michael Whittaker. Her husband shows great concern for her welfare and takes her home to be cared for by a housekeeper who, under Michael's instructions, keeps her constantly sedated. Michael does a great job of "gaslighting" her to the point that she willingly accepts the sedation, believing his story that she is violent, has an uncontrollable temper and was responsible for the deaths of her own daughter and mother. It's a terrifying scenario, the reason for which I luckily did not guess, which made it even more horrifying.

What an amazing read :-)
This book is one of the best I've read. I actually re-read it every couple of years or so (my copy is so old, it has a different cover to this one). It gets you right from page one and doesn't let go. I personally didn't see the end coming, but I've read almost all of Joy's books and this is the best by far. It's so good and if you are a fan of a good thriller, this is what you are looking for. I highly recommend it. It's one of the few books I've read from front to back without stopping (except bathroom breaks).

Nonstop, heart-pounding...an easy 5 stars.
In the last 6-1/2 hours, my blood pressure has probably risen to unbelievable heights. I've been frightened and perplexed, I literally gasped for breath more than a few times, and I'm probably doomed to weeks of nightmares. I feel like I just ran a marathon. In other words, I read this book.

I wanted to scream to Jane exactly what she should do next, as if I were actually living in her character. I could feel her frustration and helplessness. Then, at the horrifying moment when Jane learns the truth-all of the truth!-her reactions are vivid, poignant, and absolutely realistic. I really appreciated that, and after reading only my second of Joy Fielding's offerings I have a great respect for this portion of the book.

This packs a wallop like few others I've seen. The villain of this piece is far creepier and more rage-worthy than anything Stephen King has invented. No loose ends and no disappointments, either.

Run, don't walk, to the bookstore for this one!