Vermilion by Phyllis A. Whitney

by Phyllis A. Whitney

A young woman hastens to the red-rock mountains of Arizona, hoping to solve the mystery of her father's death, and finds further mystery, suspense, and romance

Genres: Mystery, Gothic, Fiction, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Gothic Romance, Suspense

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Phyllis Ayame Whitney (1903 – 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".

She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.

Reviews

[Sue Wargo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those Gothic type novelists who write what is called 'Romantic suspense.' This book has been on my shelf forever (circa 1981). This was one of those novelists that was one of my first adult reads back in the day. This was actually a very good story with a plot that moved rapidly. The Gothic feel of strange voices from an imaginary friend that made you wonder if the main character was truly mad. The romantic interest was a little predictable but still believeable and an important part of the story. The only part that I thought was contrived was a red herring ill placed near the end of the book which all but screamed "I DID IT." While talking to my mystery reading friends about revisiting Whitney, we talked about dated content and plots. While there are no cell phones, computers, or CSI gadgetry, this is old fashioned mystery at it's best and I would highly recommend the trip down memory lane and read a Whitney novel for the fun of it.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Sedona, Arizona, long a magnet for the spiritual and the esoteric, "Vermilion" is a strong effort from Phyllis A. Whitney. As she entered her fourth decade of writing romantic suspense novels, Whitney had settled into a solid formula. Thus,"Vermilion" contains some elements that are familiar from the authors' earlier novels‚for example, an alternately hostile, alternately needy child and the reappearance of an adolescent crush in adulthood, as well as the standard plot of family secrets uncovered in exotic locales. In the monstrous villainess Sybil, Whitney also throws an enjoyable nod to "Columbella." And the character of Vermilion herself, heroine Lindsay's imaginary childhood friend and occasional alter-ego, evokes the creepy tone of "The Winter People," Whitney's unusual, atypical foray into the supernatural. Despite these echoes of earlier books, the novel contains a distinctive, more-than-capable heroine, who is the farthest away from a shrinking violet that Whitney ever created; as well as opening the story with one of the most brutal murders she ever described (the action also includes s-e-x). In such a package, how can the reader go wrong?

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Year(s) of Phyllis A. Whitney roll on.

This intriguing story was set in Arizona. And Whitney drew in the atmosphere very well. The ending was unexpected.

I rather enjoyed this one. So if you haven’t read any of her works, this is a good starting point.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romantic suspense in a contemporary setting, with a little bit of the supernatural thrown in. This was written in 1981, so it was a little dated but not so much that I couldn't enjoy the story. I enjoyed the Arizona setting and the descriptions of Sedona and the surrounding areas. The romance aspect wasn't the main focus of the book, and was not explicit at all. The mystery was pretty good, and it kept me guessing until the end. A pleasant surprise.

[CB · Rating 3 out of 5]

REVIEW

Rating: 3.5/5
POV: 1st; Single (FMC)

Likes:
* Very unique gothic tone - set in "modern times", the 80's, in Northern Arizona, with a supernatural plot surrounding indigenous area and people.
* The plot flowed very quickly which helped the book be "readable". Otherwise I think this would've been boring

Dislikes:
* The lack of romance??? Where was the romance?? I guess lost somewhere in the Arizona desert because I Just never found it in this book lol.

Conclusion:
This is my first Phyllis A Whitney book and it was good.
However, I'm seriously over here scratching my head as to one can even remotely put this in a romance category.
Everyone that has rated the book mentions how it's a gothic romance or a romance suspense etc. and i'm sorry but there is literally not an ounce of romance in this book. There is technically an FMC and technically an MMC but there is no romance in the book.
He's her half sisters husband. She met him/started a friendship when he was dating her sister, she was 17 he was 27, and she being young fell in love with him. 10 years later she finally travels to Arizona to stay with them as she was estranged from her sister. He has asked for a divorce from his wife, which she has not granted, and they are still living together. He and the FMC closed door sleep together once (so cheaters) and thats it. There is no ending of the book with them in a relationship or a HEA. Not even a HFN. It just ends like any other mystery/suspense fiction book would. .

So if I was rating this based on that this would be like 1.5 stars. However, I decided to just rate it based on being a mystery/thriller, gothic with some supernatural.

The gothic/supernatural aspect to the story was very unique. I haven't read a book that is based on indigenous people and where they live, customs, etc. There's a really nice exert about Mrs. Whitney in the back of the book and it said how she would travel to literally everywhere she wrote about to really immerse herself in the place she was setting her story. You could tell she had to have definitely been to Sedona and did a lot of research.

The mystery was good and it kept me engaged. The plot was smooth flowing and went quickly. By around 85% it's a bit easy to figure out who the villain is but still good. The individuals reasoning's for a certain death didn't quite make sense to me but oh well. More or less the mystery part of the story is why this is 3.5 stars for me. I've read much better mystery/thrillers but it was good enough.

I would not recommend this if you're looking for a romance book. To my understand Phyllis A Whitney was a romance author so I will be trying more of her books and hopefully find some that are heavier on the romance.

3.5/5

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best things about a Phyllis Whitney book is that it is a bit of a travel experience. The acknowledgments to her novels reveal that Whitney visited the places in which she sets her stories, and she then used her tremendous talent to paint a picture like no other for her readers.

The setting this time is Sedona, Arizona. Whitney was clearly enthralled by the red rocks in this southwestern city, and made them a key player in her mystery. The reader almost feels as if a visit has been made, albeit a mental one. The mystery this time concerns Lindsay Phillips, who arrives in Sedona to try and solve the murder of her father. She meets those who were close to him, reunites with a sister that loathes her and gets a few surprises along the way. And that includes another murder...

This book also delved slightly into the supernatural (or more aptly into the psychological). I wasn't all that enamored with that aspect but it did not detract from my enjoyment of this mystery. Now I would like to visit Arizona...

[Robert Fontenot · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is some delightful strangeness in this modern gothic set in and around Sedona. A lot of that is due to the inclusion of the imaginary best friend character, the titular Vermillion, who flits about the edges of the narrative. To some extent this makes the main character seem schizophrenic except that every other character knows about Vermillion and talks about her as a normal, established thing.

This also one of the few Whitney novels in which she tries to make a meaningful connection with the indigenous people of her exotic local. Here that means the Hopi and while there are still the requisite number of white people repackaging and selling Hopi culture for other non natives, there is also a fairly important Hopi character and revelations that bring the Hopi more to the forefront.

Of course there are still all of Whitney's stock characters around and some of the her more annoying narrative ticks appear (there is more than conversation that the main character had no real reason to overhear except that someone insists she sits in on it) but overall it's a fun gothic.

[Natnat337 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went through a period of time where I read Phyllis Whitney books back to back - I chain-read her books! Her writing style appeals to me, and these books make a great summer day in the park type read, or a good story to curl up with on a rainy day. The only drawback is the plots are all pretty similar (girl is usually trying to solve a family mystery and finds an attractive yet scary man, etc.) and I can't remember which is which! I liked them all, however.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder, mystery, sibling rivalries, and desert drama abound in this book about listening to your alter ego. It begs the question how an inner voice can assume control of the events around you.

[Dorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vermilion
by Phyllis A. Whitney
1981
Doubleday
3.5 / 5.0

A Gothic romance with sibling rivalry, secret pasts and murder.
When Lindsay receives an anonymous note about her father's sudden death, she decides to visit his home in Sedona, Arizona, and learns the truth of her past. A past her father has tried to hide from her.
She must also face her hatred for her sister and her renewed interest in her husband, Rick.
Suspenseful.
Beautifully written description of Sedona and Tlaquepaque, Arizona and desert landscape.

[Sewingdervish · Rating 3 out of 5]

The whole Vermilion plot was a bit lacking. Great setting. Interesting who dunit.

[MV · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Whitney that wasn't for me, though I liked it better than the last one I tried (Blue Fire). The heroine annoyed me, as did her imaginary friend and that whole shtick. The setting was nice, though. Some Whitney books that I would recommend instead of this one are Snowfire and The Winter People.

[kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Whitney, I don't believe I'd ever even heard of her until this year somehow. I picked this title because I like the word (even though to me vermilion suggests blue and not red for some reason? and azure suggests red and not blue) and upon investigation it was set in Sedona! which I visited way back in 2016. I really appreciated all the references and info about the Hopi even if the language was dated. The story required some suspension of disbelief like what-all happened to the investigation into Jed's death at the time of his murder? It seemed like it went nowhere. Also I still don't understand why Sybil had to die out at the Fire People -- why did Parker take her there particularly? Was it just because he knew she was afraid of them? It seemed like a pain in the arse to get to and he didn't strike me as someone who would even go somewhere like that to begin with. Also the whole Sybil-Lindsay-Rick love triangle was a bit on the nose -- and he also had a thing with his business partner Clara?! It also seemed completely improbable that Lindsay would have never wanted to know anything about her birth mother or her family? However I did appreciate that Brian turned out to be the boyfriend of Celia (who was killed in a car accident while Jed was driving), and that Celia was Parker's daughter -- I quite enjoyed that twist. Alice (Lindsay's new other half-sister on her mother's side) seemed too good to be true so I kind of expected her to be the villain somehow. Overall an entertaining low-stakes read; I would definitely pick up a Whitney to read on a long haul flight or something.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lindsay receives an unsettling anonymous note informing her of her father's mysterious death. In search of answers about her enigmatic past, she travels to her father's home in Arizona. During this journey, she must confront both her feelings for her sister's husband, Rick, and the strained relationship with her sister, raising old conflicts and emotions to the surface.

I absolutely love gothic romances with all of the mystery and the strong female characters. Phyllis A. Whitney is an amazing author incorporating an unforgettable story with amazing characters.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the interest of full disclosure, I haven't picked up a Phyllis Whitney book since I was about 11. However, I went on a PhylWhit tear for a year or so. My grandma had tons of her books lying around, and one summer, I read a ton of them. They are mysteries with a heavy dose of romance with a dark and mysterious stranger. ;-) Entertaining, but fluffy.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

my sisters, my mom and i have read all of phyllis whitney's mystery books! they're clean, pretty repititious, but usually very entertaining. :) this one is a little freaky-deaky... but we read it again because we'll be in sedona az on vacation and that is where this book takes place.

[etherealfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this in the early 80s

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. Painful. Excruciating. Other synonyms.

Just don’t.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, reading Phyllis Whitney is like traveling through time, and I genuinely enjoy all her books for their perspective on the time they were written. She researches the settings of her books, which are often quite exotic, so reading them becomes pleasantly informative. Vermillion is set in Sedona, Arizona, and I was transported there. Whitney is flawless at descriptions, both physical and psychological. She is the pinnacle author of her genre: romantic mystery, and she is my literary guilty pleasure.

Perhaps because the further the "time travel," the better, I prefer the works she wrote in the 1960s to her later works. Vermillion was published in 1981. It does not hold up to my favorite Whintey stories. I found the love interest (sister and brother-in-law) a bit shallow, and the existence of an "imaginary friend" with both strength and purpose was too off-genre for me. To its credit, visualizing the story with its Native American art and its rocky desert wilderness was a treat, and the action was suspenseful.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lindsay, a successful fashion designer in NYC, receives a mysterious note urging her to go to Sedona, AZ to confront her half-sister Sybil about their father's murder a year earlier. Even though the last thing Lindsay wants to do is confront her cold hateful older sister, she feels compelled to go. Arriving in Sedona, Lindsay not only discovers a landscape that draws her, but many secrets of her own family are revealed and she must confront both her love for Sybil's husband and her own alterego she has named Vermilion.

Whitney was crowned the American Queen of the Gothic Mystery in the mid-20th century with good reason, and she imbues that mastery of gothic suspense throughout the plot, the beauty of Sedona, and the dark troubling atmosphere Lindsay finds around her. She also brings the glories of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon (which impressed me more than Sedona itself on my visit to that area in 2016) to rich recognizable life. Whitney visited and researched every location used in her books. It shows. I may have to reread this next time I visit Sedona.

[3PCats · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve been having a wild time reading Phyllis Whitney’s romantic suspense novels. Wild because they are all so differing in quality (in my opinion)! They all follow a similar pattern—a young woman who has lost one or both parents unravels a mystery in an exotic locale, with the help of a man she at first fears and then falls in love with. However, this one was a stinker despite the amazing setting (Sedona, Arizona). The protagonist was vapid, the love interest was boring, the plot was nonsensical (a grown woman with an imaginary friend?!). I especially disliked when Lindsay (who discovers she is one quarter Hopi) starts vibing with the ethnic drums BOOM, beat beat. Cringe!

My favorite one so far has been The Quicksilver Pool. Read that. Don’t bother with this one.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I just missed some things, but I felt like it was an eeny-meany-miney-moe murderer. There was the obvious red herring to throw you off, but she didn't even give any reason for us to SUSPECT the named killer AS a possible killer.

The amount she would detail the surroundings as well, although nice, also kept making my eyes glass over. The words she used were wonderful, but I read at night before bed - to create a whole scene in my head without the story moving forward much might have been tiring at that time of night.

Overall, however, the delivery was good and I'm glad the love interest wasn't drawn out (although predictable)

[Rena Bransky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book for free at my local library bookstore, not expecting it to be good since it was in the free section. I finally read it after collecting dust in my closet. i was pleasantly surprised at how quick paced and interesting it was. it captured my interest despite not being the typical genre I like to read. however, as much as I enjoyed this easy read, i gave it 3 stars because it was rather cheesy. the characters were bland and it was hard to create an image of them in my mind. and because the ending was anticlimactic. I was expecting something shocking and scary but instead it was just one easy moment to defeat the supposed killer and the end. it was weird.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

More twists and turns than a spiral staircase! It seemed a little stilted at times early on, but before too long it was off and running! I would just start to think the main character needed a psychiatrist, then would think, Hmmm....now, maybe, just maybe she is the killer.....It kept me on the edge of my seat, that's for sure.
I have visited Sedona, so I was familiar with the descriptives. It is a place that, somehow, feels spiritual. This book played on that element with good reason.
A great read I highly recommend.

[Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Past meets present

I read my first Phyllis Whitney book about 50 years ago. Although I don't remember the title of the book I remember being drawn into the book. Fear love adventure. Starting my lifetime of reading. Now I see the name will she still hold the excitement I felt then.
Without a doubt. I am drawn in, heart beating, tip toeing, hardly breathing until the end.
The story definitely worth it. 12 to 76 A lot of time a lot of books. A good story is a good sfory

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vermilion by Phyllis A Whitney

Lindsay wants to find out the truth about the death of her Father, a man she barely knew. When she travels to Arizona to get answer she is faced with family who are not so warm to welcome her.

A very good (Gothic) mystery, with suspense, with ominous undertones. The pacing of the plot was perfect with in depth details and engaging dialog. So far this has been my favorite Phyllis A Whitney book. A good read.

[Pam Jackson-gorsline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vermilion

This is a great story with many twists and turns that keeps you reading. The characters were complex, interesting and unpredictable which had me wondering who and why would, be the killer, all the way up to the end.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only wish the plot could have been done justice, but unfortunately the writing fell flat in my opinion. Pacing and description was so jagged that it grew hard to follow, and the characters were either under-developed or didn’t have satisfying arcs.

[Johnna Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much!! She was one of my favorite authors growing up. I saved up my money to buy all her books I could find! I recently went back and started rereading them! I still love her books!!

[Bexter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hate to rate this so low, but I really disliked this story... it's thematically dated with it's "alter ego" premise, and the characters are unlikable and vapid. Whitney is one of my favorite authors, but this book just misses the mark. I would like to know what Whitney herself thought of it.