I loved this so much - it combines the realities of the ‘post lean-in’ life of a working woman / mother, with a gripping story that keeps you guessing until the very last page. I loved the narrative, talking about how everything we’re being told about being this new breed of working woman translates in practice, when the world still hasn’t caught up. Highly recommended.

2.5 stars

I found this book a bit boring to be honest and had to force myself to keep reading to finish it. It redeemed itself in the last few chapters although I had guessed most of it a while before the ‘reveals’.

Sloane, Grace and Ardie are top flight lawyers who work hard and have the usual guilt associated with that. They have a boss, Ames, who is slightly obnoxious and thinks it’s ok to treat women the way he does. The CEO dies suddenly and Ames is tipped for the top - the girls see a bad situation about to get much much worse.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Four women, one death - just who is to blame?

This novel bills itself as a thriller but it really isn't. Yes there is a death, yes there is intrigue over who is responsible - and the responsibility itself is not entirely clear cut, but this is no thriller. We follow the four main female leads as they struggle with a decision. The CEO of the company they work for has died and the board are discussing a replacement. They hear a whisper of who it might be and make a decision that could be career ending for all of them. Couple this with a 'list' that is doing the rounds of the offices that contains a list of all the bad men in town and we have the roots of something fascinating. I didn't care so much for the women in the story - they came across as only thinly sketched and quite stereotypical and the men in the story are practically non existant the ones that are there are either the 'bad' men of the list or the long suffering husbands or ex husbands of the women and we hear absolutely nothing from their point of view at all. And the character who adds the dead guy the list does so because they had an affair that ended badly and I'm not entirely comfortable with that being a reason to add someone to a 'bad' list.

The chapters flick back and forth between the four main female characters so we get to follow their thought processes and their 'story' and are interspersed with depositions being taken by lawyers and police about the 'thing' that has happened and who is hiding what. I found this quite confusing and frustrating and found myself just wanting to skip forward and find out what exactly they were talking about.

I understand the 'me too' message behind this book and at least one of the female characters is a representation of how important that message is but I think some of the others just didn't have the justification for feeling like they were being taken advantage of, Maybe I didn't read the book closely enough to get that message because, I'll be honest it struggled to hold my interest. In the end I found that I just didn't care enough about what had happened.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If ever there was a story of our times, this is it. Beautifully drawn characters, a terrifyingly plausible plot. It's all scarily real. A cliche, perhaps, but I really couldn't put this down.

Not so much of a story, more a statement about sexual harassment in the work place and how the victims end up in more trouble if they come forward.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so hard to put down and I was desperate to know what happened next.
I liked all the characters except Katherine but for all different reasons. All were strong in their own ways without realising. Rosalita and Ardie were my two favourites, even though I guessed both big secrets.
I will definitely be reading more from this author and would recommend this book.

I received my copy of this ebook from the publisher via NetGalley but this has in no way influenced my review or opinion.

The Whisper Network is a book that every woman needs to read. Smack bang up to date with ongoing conversations and discussions following issues such as #MeToo, this book is about not staying silent. It shines a light on the reality of what the twenty-first-century woman has to deal with but also shows both sides of the coin, the fear of speaking out and as well as the consequences, both good and bad.

As a novel itself, the narrative swaps heads between four women; strong and both fragile at the same time, they are great figures to hang this story off, but my only problem is that I didn't really like any of them. Perhaps that's the point, but as a woman, I thought I would be in more of a position to ride along with the characters when I became slightly indifferent to them. The story that this novel tells is important, the craft of it, however, didn't quite sell it to me in that I found it a little bit of a struggle to read – it felt a bit slow at times – until the final reveal arrived, perhaps a little too late.

Nonetheless, this is a book I would recommend to everyone. It's a necessary voice that tells the story of just one example of a truly unnecessary issue.

I hate to say it but this book just didn't do it for me AT ALL. If I'm being totally honest - and I am - I very nearly DNF it. Didn't like any or relate to any of the characters and the story just seemed to drag on and and on. I GET the theme .....the current me-too controversy and whilst the writing was excellent (no quibbles on that side of things) it failed to hit the mark. I really really struggled to finish this and that's not like me. Another issue I had with the book (and there are many but I don't want to appear TOO harsh) was that on numerous occasions I just didn't know which character was ''speaking'' and I quite literally lost the plot between chapters/characters. So sorry - this was a dud for me, but maybe it IS just me?

The story of four women and how they react when their boss Ames is in line to become CEO of the company that they work for. Rumours (whispers) about how Ames treats women are rife and enough is enough.
The book is well written but I have to be honest and say that it wasn't really for me, mainly because I couldn't warm to any of the main characters.

I personally found this book quite difficult to read, it was a very slow burner at the start and I essentially found the first 3/4 relatively boring. However this is a book that is incredibly relevant at the moment with the Me Too movement being so prominent. This novel shines a light on the everyday sexism that women experience at work and for that I am extremely grateful, I just wish that the plot line had been more interesting.
I did manage to finish the book and the last 1/4 was better but I feel that the main consensus was that at work it is Men V Women and I don’t feel like this is a fair representation. Not all men are abusive and misogynistic in the work place.

This is such a great book that I feel like everyone needs to read.

The story follows four women; Sloane, Ardie and Grace, employees in different positions at a company called Truviv, Rosalita the cleaner. The CEO of the company, Desmond Bankole, passes away and tipped to become the new CEO is Ames Garrett.

The three ladies are worried about this as there are whispers about Ames having sexually assaulted quite a number of people some of these women being victims, and they decide to come forward with their stories.

What follows is the outcome, how women are treated when they come forward with an allegation, how women in business are treated by men and actually, by other women in the workplace too.

Each of the women's stories are so deep and it's very well written, with things like depositions and police statements peppered in between chapters.

I like the place where this book is coming from. There are many themes covered by the storytelling. Following the small group of female protagonists as sexual harassment is uncovered in their workplace, each protagonist affected differently but targeted because of their gender. One thing that I love about this book is the age of the main characters. They are not young, high flying professionals. They are well into their careers. They have already proven themselves to competent and diligent. They are not (I repeat not) all under the age of 40. 

Look, honestly, none of our heroines are perfect. But they don't have to be. It makes them more realistic. Their difficulties balancing work and home and self-care are exasperated with the need to also make sure that they are protecting themselves and their newer colleagues. It really is a lot. 

As always, no spoilers here. What I will say is that it is pretty clear from early on what the main climax of the tale will be. There's not deception in the storytelling. I suppose that's quite what the book is about isn't it? Supporting others and telling the truth. So yes the breadcrumbs are there and are easy to follow but this is not a psychological thriller. It's more of a modern day fairy tale. Not the ones that Disney sell. But the real ones. That tell young girls about the monsters out to get them. 



I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley.

I was looking forward to reading Whisper Network, but have to admit it took me a few false starts to finally get into it. I enjoyed the story, but felt it was dragged out a little. The subject matter is definitely a reflection of the times we live in now, which makes this an important read. I was just expecting something more I think, based on the hype surrounding it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free Kindle ARC to review.
#WhisperNetwork #NetGalley

As soon as Reese Witherspoon chooses a book for her book club it goes to the top of my tbr list. I was looking forward to this but found it disappointing. I got confused with who was who and didnt find them all that interesting. Think it was trying to hard to be Big little lies. Think may work better as a tv series.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Sloane and her three colleagues have one of those slippery 'divide and rule' bosses in the legal department of a on trend athlewear company. We all know those male executives charming on the outside but you never feel 100% safe in their presence - and with good reason. This is a smart, funny, on-the-nail treat of a summer read and should be on the reading list of all women. The juxtaposition with what's going on in everyone's life from the office cleaner to Sloane's daughter is deliciously perfect. Read it and recommend it.

The world of a law office in Texas and its female employees is laid bare. It is interesting that it is told from the f male angle of 3 successful lawyers but it does not paint a pretty picture of corporate law. It is a story of trust, sexual power and lies. I found this world of American corporate law to be a bit alien so didn't entirely empathise with the women. Very topical with the #me too

There were many elements of this novel I enjoyed and the writer focuses in on some important issues. However, despite all this I could not warm to the female characters and their behaviours. I think this was largely the point but the lines where they had control over this and them being influenced by society were so blurred that I could not put all of their faults down to someone else. This took away from some of the meaning for me and I began to skim read. Probably 2.5 stars for me but had I persisted more vigorously maybe it would be different.

If Reese Whiterspoon calls it "honest, timely and completely thrilling" and chooses it as her July pick of her book club, then I must read it. I am talking about WHISPER NETWORK, the gripping debut novel by Chandler Baker, the story of four women trying to survive in the workplace.

We are in Dallas. Truviv is a corporate firm whose CEO just died. His successor is Ames Garrett. Many people find him charming and handsome, but there are four women who know the truth about him. Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita know Ames's true character, but there is a difference between knowing and proving, and when Ames turns his attention to their new colleague Katherine, they need to find a way to stop him, setting in motion a series of events with catastrophic consequences.

WHISPER NETWORK has it all: it's mystery and it's social commentary. There is murder, secrets, lies, sexual harassment, marriages and jobs at stake. The protagonists are not always likable, but they are intriguing characters. Ardie, Grace, and Sloane are three women who read Lean In by Cheryl Sandberg from cover to cover, three women who worked hard to get where they are and who want the recognition they deserve. They are women in career, but they are also mothers. Sloane is worried about her daughter being bullied at school, Ardie is a single mother with a four-year-old son, and Grace is struggling with motherhood and work. Rosalita is invisible at Truviv, no one notices her, but she has her own role to play in the story and a young son to raise and she is the one I liked best.

I liked how the author structured the story. Depositions and police interviews alternate with the chapters (in true Big Little Lies style) and the author provides the reader with a commentary of what women endure on the workplace. The author captures how women struggle to balance work and motherhood, she describes in detail post-partum depression and adjusting to motherhood. WHISPER NETWORK is definitely a must-read: a timely, honest, relatable, and captivating story with a shocking ending that I didn't see coming!

I was given an advance copy of this book but this review is an honest one.

I had heard a lot about this book but found I was a little disappointed.

I did enjoy this book but not as much as I thought I would but maybe I am just not a fan of stories that flip backwards and forwards in time.

It tells the story of a group of women who work in an in-house legal department of a big company who have problems with their boss and add him to a list going around of sleazy bosses and then all sorts of repurcussions and law suits are issued and a death occurs and everyone is a suspect.

Certainly would read more of this author but would read others first.

I was really eager to read this one and had great expectations. It is a story that needs to be told and I was hoping this would be done successfully. Unfortunately for me I felt that the story fell flat and was drawn out. The subject matter is one which needs to be dealt with and explored but just not in this lack lustre way.