The Audiobook:
The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker
Published July 2nd 2019 by Flatiron Books
Date read: April 30, 2021
The Characters:
Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
The Plot (from Goodreads):
Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita have worked at Truviv, Inc. for years. The sudden death of Truviv’s CEO means their boss, Ames, will likely take over the entire company. Each of the women has a different relationship with Ames, who has always been surrounded by whispers about how he treats women. Those whispers have been ignored, swept under the rug, hidden away by those in charge.
But the world has changed, and the women are watching this promotion differently. This time, when they find out Ames is making an inappropriate move on a colleague, they aren’t willing to let it go. This time, they’ve decided enough is enough.
Sloane and her colleagues’ decision to take a stand sets in motion a catastrophic shift in the office. Lies will be uncovered. Secrets will be exposed. And not everyone will survive. All of their lives—as women, colleagues, mothers, wives, friends, even adversaries—will change dramatically as a result.
The Twist:
Ames had raped Ardie and Rosalita.
Grace thought she was responsible for Ames’ death, because they had fought on the balcony and she told him to jump before storming off. After she left, though, Katherine also went out to the balcony and argued with Ames. When she tried to leave, he blocked her exit. Ardie showed up just in time and shoved him off Katherine. Ames was off balance on the edge, and it is implied that Katherine “helped” him fall.
The Ending:
Ames’ death is ruled a suicide.
The Review:
I adored this audiobook. Chandler Baker takes the real, relevant topic of the #metoo movement and successfully spins an especially compelling story in The Whisper Network.
While I loved the book, I don’t know if I would really classify it as a thriller. The story was interesting throughout, but the mystery itself was an extremely slow burn. I was very satisfied by the ending, though, and hadn’t completely guessed the perpetrator.
I really enjoyed how these women supported each other. A lot of the time women join the men in cutting each other down, so it’s important to stand up for one another, especially in the situation these women find themselves in.
Since this book has been around for a while, I’ll keep my review short. This one worked really well on audio, and the narrator was the perfect fit for the story. I loved her slight Southern accent–it fit the characters really well and in a way added to the suspense.
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