Product Description

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Joy Fielding tells the story of an ambitious journalist whose foray into the mind of a killer puts her own family in jeopardy.

Charley Webb is a beautiful single mother who writes a successful and controversial column for the Palm Beach Post. She's spent years building an emotional wall against scathing critics, snooty neighbors, and her disapproving family. But when she receives a letter from Jill Rohmer, a young woman serving time on death row for the murders of three small children, her boundaries slowly begin to fade. Jill wants Charley to write her biography so that she can share the many hidden truths about the case that failed to surface during her trial. Seeing this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Charley begins her jour-ney into the mind of this deeply troubled woman.

Her path takes a twisted turn, however, when the anonymous letters she's recently received from an angry reader evolve into threats, targeting her son and daughter. As Charley races against time to save her family, she begins to understand the value of her seemingly intru-sive neighbors, friends, and relatives. As she discovers, this network of flawed but loving people might just be her only hope of getting out alive.

Filled with complex characters and a plot rich with intrigue, Charley's Web is Joy Fielding at her heart-skipping, mesmerizing best.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #192707 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Jill Rohmer, a convicted child killer with a borderline personality disorder, lures Charlotte Charley Webb, a popular columnist for the Palm Beach Post and single mom, into a web of danger and deceit in this spine-tingler from bestseller Fielding (Heartstopper). When Jill invites Charley to collaborate on the true story of what really happened to the three children she was convicted of murdering, Charley at first thinks it sounds like a great idea. Her sister Anne is, after all, a bestselling romance author, so why couldn't Charley have a nonfiction bestseller? Charley meets with Jill's attractive lawyer, Alex Prescott, who secures a book contract. After committing to the project, Charley begins dating Alex. Then Charley learns Jill had an accomplice, someone on the loose whom Jill calls Jack. Fielding pulls out all the stops as the identity of the ruthless murderer becomes obvious, and Charley must race against time to catch the horrible Jack and save his next target—her son. (Mar.)
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From Booklist
Fresh off the solid thriller Heartstopper (2007), prolific, perennially best-selling Fielding delivers another suspenseful tale. Feisty Charley Webb is forever stirring up controversy with her popular column for the Palm Beach Post. But while her career is going great guns, her personal life is something of a struggle. She’s raising two children on her own, her satirical columns about her neighbors’ hobbies and opinions have not made her very popular in her residential community, and she has only recently reestablished a relationship with her mother, who abandoned the family when Charley was eight. When she is asked to write a biography of notorious female serial killer Jill Rohmer, whose victims were children, she sees it as a chance to take her career to the next level. However, she is unprepared for the emotional toll that her interviews with the wily felon will exact, and she begins to receive a series of e-mails threatening harm to her own children. Despite the repetitive and, at times, inane dialogue, Fielding turns her latest page-turner into a chillingly tense read while creating another winning lead in the smart-mouthed Charley. --Joanne Wilkinson

Review
Globe and Mail Bestseller

“Charley’s Web is well-written, highly accessible fiction”
— The Winnipeg Free Press

“[Charotte Webb is] a classic Joy Fielding character.”
— The Globe and Mail

Customer Reviews

THERE'S NOT MUCH THAT FRIGHTENS CHARLEY, BUT.....
Charley Webb is a successful single mom with what many might consider a dream job - she writes a column for the Palm Beach Post. What those who may envy her position may not realize is that along with the column comes not only kudos but also a lot of criticism. To date Charley has handled this well.

After unhappy, almost traumatic experiences, with those who are supposed to be near and dear she has isolated herself emotionally. So, when she hears from Jill Rohmer, a woman on Death Row convicted of murdering three young children, Charley thinks she can handle talking to her plus the idea of penning Jill's biography is pretty appealing. It would be the first literary effort for Charley and maybe a bestseller.

In all probability she didn't realize just how tricky dealing with a sick criminal mind can be because she soon discovers that Jill had an accomplice in the killings, a man equally deluded and dangerous. He is referred to as Jack but where he is or who he actually is Charley does not know.

What she does know and what terrifies her are the anonymous letters she begins to receive and the threats to her son.

Another can't-stop-listening-to thriller from Joy Fielding, and one more award worthy voice performance by the always remarkable Susan Ericksen.

- Gail Cooke

Fielding has done it again
And now I have to wait another whole year for her "latest." I finished CHARLEY'S WEB earlier this afternoon, and my heart is still beating fast. The author is a master at creating credible psychological suspense. Fielding's characters are flawed -- I didn't particularly admire Charley, certainly did not like her long-lost/recently found mother, etc., but as usual I could not put the book down. Fielding's characters STAY with you, and even if the mystery wanes, one is drawn to the characters. Suspense is the name of her game, and no one can build it, and certainly end it, like Joy Fielding.

pleasantly surprised
After a series of books that weren't very good (Lost, Puppet, Heartstopper) I wasn't expecting much from this one. I read this book in one day - it was very entertaining. I think it's her best book since Whispers & Lies. I liked the main character. I didn't think it would happen, but I'm glad she finally wrote about a character who had a great relationship with her kids. I wish the book was a little bit longer - I wanted to read more about Charley's father and sisters.

Joy Fielding has been one of my favorite authors for many years. I'm so happy she still continues to write good books. I'm looking forward to the next book.