I just cannot get into this book at all. I've tried several times but I can't get past the first five chapters before I become almost comatose with boredom. I don't know why I have such difficulty with the characters, but I don't seem able to distinguish one from the other as they're all so bland.

From the little I've read it's a commentary on the issues women face particularly in the world of big corporations. It's Women versus Men, but all the characters, as well as being bland, are nor especially likeable. I couldn't relate to any of them.

I wonder if I would have enjoyed this had I been forty years younger, but I hinestly have to say that life is too short to struggle with a book that doesn't grab me within the first few pages.

This book follows three friends working in a law firm. When a new woman starts with there and is given a lot of attention from one of the senior partners they decide that they ought to take action to stop the sexual harassment within the workplace. The death, apparent suicide of the man in question makes it all the more complicated. The book follows the three friends through their struggle, rising their careers for what they believe in.

I fully expected this book to be good but it was even better than I anticipated. The first thing I loved was the way it is written. Whisper Network is often written in the plural first-person with the sense that the collective ‘we’ means all women. This was so effective and it made me feel like I was part of this fantastic novel. The tone of the prose is also impressive. There is a sort of acerbic feeling to the writing and it is evident from the beginning that this book is not going to hold back in it’s convincing portrayal of women in the workplace.

I found every woman in this book so compelling. None of them felt like stereotypes, they all have so many intriguing layers to their characters. I also feel like sometimes there is an abundance of books about the darker side of friendship, particularly female friendship. I really enjoy these types of books, however it was also really refreshing to read a book where I genuinely felt like there was an atmosphere of women supporting each other and so much of the loyalty that I believe is unique to real female friendship. This type of friendship can be a force of collective good in a world full of sexism, gender pay gaps and the #metoo movement.

Overall I have to say I think Whisper Network is the most accurate and on point representation of the struggles many women are forced to endure in the workplace. The characters are each interesting in their own right but it is the relationships between them that drive the story along with a twisty addictive plot. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book which made me feel angry, strong and full of fight and tells an important and much needed story, I would highly recommend it.

This book centres around a corporate world in which is circulating a list of BAD men. When the CEO dies, the man who is likely to move into the position is named on the list.
The narrative zips back and forth between the main story and interview type questioning which shows us that a serious incident has taken place.

I kind of don't know how I feel about this book.

On one hand, it explores vitally important issues, not just for women but for anyone who considers themselves a true feminist and wants equality between the sexes.

However, I found it too predictable, the narrators voice wasn't clear (when the little interludes about women in general were included before we continued with the plot). This 'voice' also sounded very political and mission driven. Don't get me wrong, these points need to be made but it spoiled the flow of the plot in this particular book.

With regards to the plot, I found it difficult to be engrossed enough to begin with, but by the last 3rd of the book I was desperate to see what happened (although I guessed both Rosalita and Grace's stories).
I enjoyed the use of interview transcripts to give us insight into the investigation and legal action before we got to the main events of the story. They acted as teasers to keep me interested.

I didn't like most of the female characters as they seemed too cliched and the exact stereotypes that we are trying to bust.

I think it is an important book for the message it is teying to convey but it felt almost like two books in one - a political statement and a crime novel. That juxtaposition made it difficult to fully enjoy the book.

Sadly this novel was not for me. I found it slow going and too Americanised. I didn’t relate to any of the women which didn’t help.

Sorry.

The novel started slowly but gradually I was drawn in to the complex web of office intrigue. It was not what I expected and all the better for that - not for a reader looking for a light feminine romance. Very up to date in the current climate of "Me Too" and I enjoyed the characterization of the different attorneys.

A well-constructed thriller/mystery with a relevant message. 3/5 stars.

Whisper Network is a well-constructed mystery/thriller which feels very ‘now’ in that the plot revolves around issues of sexual harrassment in the workplace most recently brought to greater public attention by the #metoo and #timesup movements.

In this vein I thought the profession of the characters was a particularly canny choice: you’d think that if anyone would know how to deal with workplace harrassment it would be a group of highly-qualified lawyers. That these women face much the same barriers and ‘crap’ (conscious decision to use a fairly polite word there) upon entering and then once established in their profession makes you realise just how much the system is rigged against women no matter how high they manage to climb within it.

The characters are an interesting bunch and, while some of them aren’t entirely likeable, none of them are two dimensional. Instead they are all fallible and guilty of making several mistakes.

My main gripe with the book was I found it hard going for the first two thirds. The narrative jumps about in time between present-day witness statements and depositions, and then back to the events leading up to the death (not a spoiler – it’s mentioned in the blurb). With all this hopping about I started to tire of how long it was taking the past to catch up with the present. However, once there was no more time-hopping I was gripped to the end, even though I did see the big reveal coming (I thought the author had signposted it fairly clearly).

Another of Whisper Network's more interesting messages is that while women may think we only need to watch our backs around men, one of the most toxic aspects of patriarchy is how it is so successful in turning women against each other. The most heated dislike in the narrative is reserved for the female characters who turn their backs on others or actively work against them. Touching on this point makes the story more complex (and realistic) than if all the characters at fault had been male.

Overall: an interesting mystery/thriller with a highly relevant message: while a great deal has been achieved by women in all fields, there is still a long way to go to true equality.

This was a very good read and very timely with the #metoo movement recently in the media. I am sure a lot of the events will resonate with a lot of women. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. A great book for book clubs.

The sudden death of the company's CEO means that Ames Garrett is set to become the new chief. This is bad news for Sloane, Grace, Ardie and Rosalita - they've all worked for the firm for years and all have a difficult relationship with Ames, who is not renowned for treating women well.

And now they've had enough. Now they're prepared to do something about it. And it won't end well

As always another great book Chandler would highly recommend it. Looking forward to your next book. We'll done

Three and a half stars!
I was not very comfortable reading this book because of the subject matter and I didn't particularly like the high-powered Sloane - her attitude to work, her co-workers, senior management and how she brought her work ethic home with her in dealing with her husband and daughter. As the story progressed and more was learnt about her co-workers and Ames I became more involved and fascinated. When Rosalita's character was explored further the turn of phrase was fascinating and absorbing as the writing allowed for Rosalita's lack of the American language. The subject matter was very relevant to today's attitude to women in the workplace - not only as to how much harder they have to work but to the attitude of the hierarchy if anyone dares to report harassment in the workplace.
Chandler Baker's explanation for why she wrote this book at the end of the book makes for interesting reading - and I wish this had been alluded to in the blurb at the beginning.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Chandler Baker/Little, Brown Book Group, UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Very Big Little Lies, crossed with an alternative cast of Sex and the City where they were all lawyers not just Miranda but set in the #metoo era. This book was engaging, and depressingly relevant.

I got much more than I bargained for by the time I had finished reading this book. I thought this was going to be another twisty thriller type book with a few turns and shock surprises along the way to make the story interesting. Instead, what I actually landed up reading was a really insightful novel into the struggles of women returning to work after having children, the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace and how women for years and years have been afraid to speak up for fear of what may happen to their careers, and that although we like to pretend things have changed, the fact remains that there are still too many double standards for men and women when it comes to the above.

Bubbling alongside these huge issues we follow Sloane, Ardie and Grace as they tackle the minefield of their boss dying and what unfolds after this. These three characters, including Roaslita, an unlikely accomplice to the three successful lawyers, all contain something which I think every reader can relate to in one way or another.

This book, as well as dealing with some really tough issues, also has an incredibly gripping storyline with a real shock factor twist at the end. I throughly recommend this book.

The untimely death of a CEO, the likely promotion of a man with questionable morals and behaviour, and the women who work for him...The Whisper Network will absolutely captivate you from the very first page. It begins exactly as it means to go on, with a hard hitting, in your face explosion of an opening and it goes from strength to strength from then onwards.
Extremely well written, allowing the breaks in the narrative where each time another suspicion arose or another piece of the puzzle fell into place, without the reader feeling confused or lost in amongst the multiple layers of the story.
I was totally hooked from start to finish, I just couldn’t put it down. Full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. A truly clever storyline.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book as a must read!
My thanks to #NetGalley and #LittleBrownUk for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

My thanks to Little Brown Book Group U.K./Sphere for an eARC via NetGalley of Chandler Baker’s ‘Whisper Network’ in exchange for an honest review. I did buy its audiobook edition narrated by Almarie Guerra.

The three main characters, Sloane, Grace, and Ardie are all lawyers working in the legal department of a large sportswear company based in Dallas. When the company’s CEO suddenly dies their boss Ames is being considered for the position.

However, for years Ames has been the subject of rumours about his inappropriate behaviour towards women employees but nothing has ever stuck. When he starts taking rather too much interest in new hire, Katherine, the others decide to take action to not only protect her but to prevent Ames taking on the powerful CEO role.

This is a very timely subject reflecting the #MeToo movement and the challenges faced by women in the workplace. Not only sexual harassment but the everyday insidious prejudices they encounter even as highly successful women.

The narrative moves between various points of view as well as transcripts of depositions and a police investigation. This does demand quite close reading.

I found this a very powerful novel that while fictional was clearly written from a perspective of personal experience as well as integrating the testimonials of women who have likewise been affected.

I enjoyed this very much and certainly could relate to the issues explored. I expect this is going to be very popular with reading groups given its themes and discussion points.

Highly recommended.

Great idea and interesting style but I found it hard to separate the voices and the plot didn’t sustain my interest

Watch out men in the office (maybe even women) although this story is about sexual harassment against women. I thought this book was a slow burner but that was I guess to set the scene with getting to know the characters. I thought the three main characters were ok, Sloane in particular thought she was a force to be reckoned with and their secrets eventually were aired. The three women were too precious in some ways, and seemed to have everything except respect from the boss of the company and that is where the drama started. I wonder how much of the story does actually happen in the work place and think probably more than we would like to believe. I thought the story in some ways jumped around especially in the last third but it was a good read and makes you think about life in the corporate world - interesting

Inspired by the author's own experiences as a working Mum, The Whisper Network is a must read for women everywhere. Thrilling, tantalising and never predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Friendship, whispers, sexual discrimination and assault form the backbone of this story. We're privy to women's thoughts and experiences which as readers, most, if not all, women will relate to. I loved the fact that the main characters were all women - flawed, sharp, smart and loyal. At times throughout the narrative I doubted each and every one but ultimately loyalty and truth bonded the women and gave a satisfying conclusion to this thriller. Timely and intelligently written.

'When one of us spoke up...it was for us. Our endowment would be our words. Shouted out loud. For all to hear...We weren't asking for permission. The floor was ours'.

This is the story about a group of women who work at a high profile company as lawyers. The CEO dies suddenly leaving the situation vaccant. Their boss, Ames is next in line for the job but this does not go down well with the women who are in his employ as he does not treat women with respect. A grope of women decide to sue the company to prevent this from happening.

This is an addictive read. It's told from multiple people's point of view. Thr story revolves the male/female workplace with a strong hit of "me too" to it. It makes you ask yourself the question, when is enough, enough? The book is emotional as well as suspenseful. The characters are realistic. I was guessing all the way to the end. A great read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group, UK and the author Chandler Baker for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.