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Linda Darby #1
The Woman
There are approximately one-hundred-and-sixty million women living in America. This is a story of just one woman. As the story unfolds Linda gradually learns that some people do deserve to die, but that she is not one of those people.
Linda Darby is a seven-year divorcee, living quietly in a small let-the-world-go-by beach town on the coast of Oregon, who day trades for a living. Her only close friend is a widowed elderly woman who manages a small consulting company, which, as is later discovered, never has visitors, sends and receives its business correspondence only by courier, and is not listed in any phone directory. No one in town knows what kind of consulting the company does, but the rumor is that whatever they do is done for the government.
Linda doesn’t date local men. When her celibacy grows intolerable, she visits nearby towns to frequent the watering holes of successful men. Her motto: No relationships. No second dates. No use of her real name during one-night stands.
Then one evening, Linda goes for a walk and nothing for her is ever the same. She is dragged into an alley by two men, but saved by a third, a stranger who disappears as suddenly as he appeared. The next day she finds out the two men in the alley had been killed, the town’s first murders ever. The following day she learns that hours before she had been dragged into the alley, her close friend was tortured and killed.
Linda Darby is a seven-year divorcee, living quietly in a small let-the-world-go-by beach town on the coast of Oregon, who day trades for a living. Her only close friend is a widowed elderly woman who manages a small consulting company, which, as is later discovered, never has visitors, sends and receives its business correspondence only by courier, and is not listed in any phone directory. No one in town knows what kind of consulting the company does, but the rumor is that whatever they do is done for the government.
Linda doesn’t date local men. When her celibacy grows intolerable, she visits nearby towns to frequent the watering holes of successful men. Her motto: No relationships. No second dates. No use of her real name during one-night stands.
Then one evening, Linda goes for a walk and nothing for her is ever the same. She is dragged into an alley by two men, but saved by a third, a stranger who disappears as suddenly as he appeared. The next day she finds out the two men in the alley had been killed, the town’s first murders ever. The following day she learns that hours before she had been dragged into the alley, her close friend was tortured and killed.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2011
2960 people are currently reading
2455 people want to read
About the author
David Bishop
33 books140 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
I was born in Washington, D.C. From there my life likely mirrored that of a lot of my readers. We moved around. I got some education. Played some sports, and got some more education. Prior to becoming a novelist, I worked as a financial analyst determining the value of companies. But let's talk about my current and final career, writing mystery novels.
As a writer, I conjure up occurrences designed to quickly bring the story to a roiling boil. Along the way, I invent people. Victims and villains and heroes are needed, as well as a supporting cast. I make these people fun and interesting so you will welcome them and introduce them to your friends. Primary characters need habits and tics and talents, the qualities that bring them to life and make you love them or hate them. You'll want to see them humiliated or hunted down, be sucessful or seduced.
My mysteries offer you the opportunity to be challenged to find the villain from among the suspects. Clues as large as a log or as tiny as a bump thereon are salted throughout the stories. There are distractions in the form of false clues, called red herrings, which point to someone other than the real villain.
Take a journey with me. Laugh. Hold your breath. Cheer. Boo. The characters are rich and the plots are grabbers. I promise that you'll be glad you came along. Some people don't like golf or chocolate or even a hearty laugh. But I'll bet you like some of those things and I'll bet you'll like my mysteries. Yours very truly, David Bishop
I was born in Washington, D.C. From there my life likely mirrored that of a lot of my readers. We moved around. I got some education. Played some sports, and got some more education. Prior to becoming a novelist, I worked as a financial analyst determining the value of companies. But let's talk about my current and final career, writing mystery novels.
As a writer, I conjure up occurrences designed to quickly bring the story to a roiling boil. Along the way, I invent people. Victims and villains and heroes are needed, as well as a supporting cast. I make these people fun and interesting so you will welcome them and introduce them to your friends. Primary characters need habits and tics and talents, the qualities that bring them to life and make you love them or hate them. You'll want to see them humiliated or hunted down, be sucessful or seduced.
My mysteries offer you the opportunity to be challenged to find the villain from among the suspects. Clues as large as a log or as tiny as a bump thereon are salted throughout the stories. There are distractions in the form of false clues, called red herrings, which point to someone other than the real villain.
Take a journey with me. Laugh. Hold your breath. Cheer. Boo. The characters are rich and the plots are grabbers. I promise that you'll be glad you came along. Some people don't like golf or chocolate or even a hearty laugh. But I'll bet you like some of those things and I'll bet you'll like my mysteries. Yours very truly, David Bishop
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
March 5, 2012
contains spoilers....
This first 75% of this book was actually really captivating, but around the time Ryan starts tailing Linda Darby around the country I had just had enough. The villian, Webster, is never fully developed as a character. I kept waiting for the aha! moment, but it never came. It was too easy to take Webster down, in my opinion. I also had a problem with Linda having a one night stand with Ryan because it felt contrived and out of place in the plot... and since part of the ending is that Clark turns out to be Ryan's best friend and Clark and Linda decide to finally start dating....well then, why would your best friend sleep with the girl you want to be with?! I did get the chills a couple of times and the rest of the book was really well written, but I just couldn't get past the two things mentioned above.
This first 75% of this book was actually really captivating, but around the time Ryan starts tailing Linda Darby around the country I had just had enough. The villian, Webster, is never fully developed as a character. I kept waiting for the aha! moment, but it never came. It was too easy to take Webster down, in my opinion. I also had a problem with Linda having a one night stand with Ryan because it felt contrived and out of place in the plot... and since part of the ending is that Clark turns out to be Ryan's best friend and Clark and Linda decide to finally start dating....well then, why would your best friend sleep with the girl you want to be with?! I did get the chills a couple of times and the rest of the book was really well written, but I just couldn't get past the two things mentioned above.
January 3, 2012
The Woman. A Woman? No. This woman is the protagonist of David Bishop's admirable novel. This woman is running away from her past and "hiding" in a small town. It may seem to be a trite plot. Not this one. This one is about THE Woman, a remarkable character involved in a very original plot. The secondary characters are equally well portrayed and, to me, they are also memorable. I would call this a psychological thriller.
The Woman has many twists and surprises, and the end is totally unpredictable. It rings true. And, once again, the dialogue plays a big part in this novel's appeal. The last sentence is proof of this.
The Woman has many twists and surprises, and the end is totally unpredictable. It rings true. And, once again, the dialogue plays a big part in this novel's appeal. The last sentence is proof of this.
March 23, 2012
David Bishop's mystery The Woman is much more than a clever detective story could be. Bishop has written a story that tells another story: he writes of today's world, its political corruption, personal greed, and efficient killings.
The story begins with Linda, a divorced thirty something woman who is savvy enough in day trading to have amassed enough wealth to live comfortably on her own in a seaside condo. Linda has a good friend in town, with whom she shares long weekend walks and a weekly luncheon date in a cozy restaurant. Cynthia has become more of a mother figure in Linda's life, and when she is found savagely tortured and murdered, Linda's tranquil life takes a sharp turn.
What might have been a simple "Who done it?" becomes an entangled, widening web of intrigue, unanswered questions, economic and political discourse, and altered identities. Linda is not the shy retiring lone runner the reader first assumes early in the story. She evolves, out of necessity, into a clever, bold, courageous woman who follows out her dead friend's instructions to begin a new life.
There are men in Linda's life: the shy waiter with a sketchy gang-related background whose life is saved by Linda's generous blood transfusion; two muggers who attempt to kidnap her but are thwarted by a third, mysterious stranger; the town's chief of police who is tall and handsome but perhaps dangerous, according to the stranger's words; an assassin sent to eliminate Linda, and two more thugs who follow her on her escape race across several states.
David Bishop describes the scenes of the story in realistic detail ... the craggy stone cliff at the shore that Linda climbs, the highways and byways she encounters on her race through California, Oregon, Washington State, Nevada and Arizona to safety, the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, the barren landscape of unoccupied territories, the gated gardens surrounding a wealthy home in Washington DC and the small seaside town of her post-divorce retreat. His descriptions of the people are clear but not drawn out, and each one becomes real to the reader in short order.
The book has the potential for a character series, or at minimum a sequel. But life is not a tidy package with finite edges and endings, and neither are Bishop's books.
The story begins with Linda, a divorced thirty something woman who is savvy enough in day trading to have amassed enough wealth to live comfortably on her own in a seaside condo. Linda has a good friend in town, with whom she shares long weekend walks and a weekly luncheon date in a cozy restaurant. Cynthia has become more of a mother figure in Linda's life, and when she is found savagely tortured and murdered, Linda's tranquil life takes a sharp turn.
What might have been a simple "Who done it?" becomes an entangled, widening web of intrigue, unanswered questions, economic and political discourse, and altered identities. Linda is not the shy retiring lone runner the reader first assumes early in the story. She evolves, out of necessity, into a clever, bold, courageous woman who follows out her dead friend's instructions to begin a new life.
There are men in Linda's life: the shy waiter with a sketchy gang-related background whose life is saved by Linda's generous blood transfusion; two muggers who attempt to kidnap her but are thwarted by a third, mysterious stranger; the town's chief of police who is tall and handsome but perhaps dangerous, according to the stranger's words; an assassin sent to eliminate Linda, and two more thugs who follow her on her escape race across several states.
David Bishop describes the scenes of the story in realistic detail ... the craggy stone cliff at the shore that Linda climbs, the highways and byways she encounters on her race through California, Oregon, Washington State, Nevada and Arizona to safety, the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, the barren landscape of unoccupied territories, the gated gardens surrounding a wealthy home in Washington DC and the small seaside town of her post-divorce retreat. His descriptions of the people are clear but not drawn out, and each one becomes real to the reader in short order.
The book has the potential for a character series, or at minimum a sequel. But life is not a tidy package with finite edges and endings, and neither are Bishop's books.
September 26, 2019
A day trader and seven-year divorcee, Linda has vowed never to be attached — not in the way her mom is attached, anyway — to any man. Marked for death, she finds solace in a small town on the coast of Oregon, making Sea Crest her retreat. She has just one friend whose life is as mysterious as her own, a widowed elderly woman who works as a consultant for no one knows what clientele. Linda Darby is disciplined — never dating a man twice, never giving her real name to a one-night-stander. Yes, she wants no strings, because they can be dangerous. But then she is dragged off to an alley by two men and a third man rescues her and disappears. The next thing is that the two men turn up dead and her best friend is tortured and killed. Then she wakes up from sleep to find a man watching her. It’s the beginning of a journey she never imagined, and is she prepared for what lies ahead?
August 19, 2015
It is obvious that this book was written by a man since it is a male fantasy adventure. The woman of the title has the perfect body, is sexually free and plays hard to get. The male commits all manner of despicable acts but still is the "hero".
The first half of the book was taut, but after the protagonists connected it went sideways. The characters behaved strangely and did things that made no sense. Why did they have to go to Sedona? Are there no other banks in the United States? Additionally the author sidestepped all explanations by having the male lead say,"Not Important." One literary trope is the hooker with the heart of gold. This book offered an assassin with a heart of gold. Not my cup of tea.
The first half of the book was taut, but after the protagonists connected it went sideways. The characters behaved strangely and did things that made no sense. Why did they have to go to Sedona? Are there no other banks in the United States? Additionally the author sidestepped all explanations by having the male lead say,"Not Important." One literary trope is the hooker with the heart of gold. This book offered an assassin with a heart of gold. Not my cup of tea.
January 21, 2020
It used to be that a writer’s skill was the reason you bought his books, but apparently lacking any such talent, David Bishop is forced to rely on provocative cover art to sell his books — even for free. Has he ever published a book which does not feature a partially-clothed woman on the cover? Are all of his books about partially-clothed women? Will he never outgrow his juvenile fantasies?
August 23, 2019
Great book one
January 8, 2019
This was an interesting read with some detours from a typical storyline. However, the ending took the easy way out rather than a surprising resolution.
December 2, 2018
Fabulous
Bishop writes words that truly suck you in, so much so that I couldn't put it down and read it in one day. Such interesting, well written characters accompanying a strong storyline are hard to come by some days but David Bishop seems to accomplish it with very book.
Bishop writes words that truly suck you in, so much so that I couldn't put it down and read it in one day. Such interesting, well written characters accompanying a strong storyline are hard to come by some days but David Bishop seems to accomplish it with very book.
January 28, 2019
I’m someone who *never* doesn’t finish books, but I made an exception for this one. The writing was amateurish, with clunky and confusing descriptions. The author’s attempts to write from a female perspective were stereotyped and stilted, with exclamations such as “bull feathers” (seriously?!). At first I just rolled my eyes about his prudishness regarding salty language, then I read on a few more pages to see the villain use the word c*nt. That was enough.
The cliches and poor writing were too much for me and, for once, I stopped suffering through and put the book down.
The cliches and poor writing were too much for me and, for once, I stopped suffering through and put the book down.
May 18, 2015
This Bookbub freebie started out well. I liked the protagonist, and the plot had a lot of potential. The villain being one of the "1%" trying to take over the government was a great angle. However, the plot became totally unbelievable and the dialogue was awkward. At times it reminded me of an episode of Dragnet. "Be quiet, woman." "Good shooting, missy." I seem to be in the minority, however, since most of the reviews are 4 and 5 stars.
June 16, 2017
Was about ready to give up early on from bad guy pov, but luckily I kept going and it turned out pretty good. Not sure I like the MC much, or completely believe all fits her characterization, but maybe that is just me being old fashioned. Definitely a thriller, which isn't my preferred genre, but decently done. 3.5 star
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October 17, 2019DNF
January 4, 2012
Book Title: "The Woman"
Author: David Bishop
Published By: Telemachus Press
Age Recommended: 18 +
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5
Review: This book was fantastic and really packed a punch. Equal parts mystery and thriller this book also shows the darker side of politics and the lengths some will go to, to insure the 'right' candidate wins. When Lisa Darby is attacked one night after a scheduled meeting with a close friend ends in a no-show, in a dark alley she meets a stranger that saves her life from men sent to kidnap her. The only clue she is left with is a message from her savior that she should refrain from calling the cops. Confused and not knowing what to do she actively begins to seek out her friend only to find that Cynthia has been 'taken care of' by a mysterious person or people.
Lisa is forced to change her way of thinking, her life and everything she is use to simply to keep herself alive from someone that wants to make sure she doesn't know his true identity. The worst part is, Lisa doesn't know anything, was never told anything and she's running for her life, relying on the safety of a stranger for reasons she can't understand.
David Bishop spins an intriguing and exciting tale, one that mystery and thriller lovers will enjoy! This book was fast-paced with non-stop action and a plot to really sink your teeth into. I would definitely recommend giving this one a read!
Author: David Bishop
Published By: Telemachus Press
Age Recommended: 18 +
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5
Review: This book was fantastic and really packed a punch. Equal parts mystery and thriller this book also shows the darker side of politics and the lengths some will go to, to insure the 'right' candidate wins. When Lisa Darby is attacked one night after a scheduled meeting with a close friend ends in a no-show, in a dark alley she meets a stranger that saves her life from men sent to kidnap her. The only clue she is left with is a message from her savior that she should refrain from calling the cops. Confused and not knowing what to do she actively begins to seek out her friend only to find that Cynthia has been 'taken care of' by a mysterious person or people.
Lisa is forced to change her way of thinking, her life and everything she is use to simply to keep herself alive from someone that wants to make sure she doesn't know his true identity. The worst part is, Lisa doesn't know anything, was never told anything and she's running for her life, relying on the safety of a stranger for reasons she can't understand.
David Bishop spins an intriguing and exciting tale, one that mystery and thriller lovers will enjoy! This book was fast-paced with non-stop action and a plot to really sink your teeth into. I would definitely recommend giving this one a read!
January 23, 2019
Linda Darby divorced and moved to sleepy Sea Crest in Oregon seven years ago. She is reclusive, supports herself as a day trader and, when the urge strikes, goes to nearby towns to find men for one-night stands - no names, no ties, no second encounters.
She's friends with an older woman in town, Cynthia LeClair. They have lunch once a week and a night of movies and games every few weeks. One night, Linda is feeling restless, so she goes out for a walk and is grabbed and dragged into an alley by two men. She assumed they want to rape her and fights, but a third man comes to her defense and she escapes. The following day, Cynthia stands her up for their lunch and doesn't answer her phone. Worried, Linda goes to Cynthia's house to find she's been tortured and killed. This begins Linda's lessons about the underside of life, corrupt businessmen who control people through blackmail and order them "eliminated" when they no longer serve his needs and a hired assassin who may or may not decide to kill her.
I found this fast-paced and enjoyable. I liked Linda's feisty character. I liked Ryan, the paid assassin, who helps her escape, yet is conflicted - does he let her go and face the consequence of losing his lucrative job or does he kill her and ensure his financial future?
This is first in a series and I'll probably read at least one more to see if the momentum is sustained.
She's friends with an older woman in town, Cynthia LeClair. They have lunch once a week and a night of movies and games every few weeks. One night, Linda is feeling restless, so she goes out for a walk and is grabbed and dragged into an alley by two men. She assumed they want to rape her and fights, but a third man comes to her defense and she escapes. The following day, Cynthia stands her up for their lunch and doesn't answer her phone. Worried, Linda goes to Cynthia's house to find she's been tortured and killed. This begins Linda's lessons about the underside of life, corrupt businessmen who control people through blackmail and order them "eliminated" when they no longer serve his needs and a hired assassin who may or may not decide to kill her.
I found this fast-paced and enjoyable. I liked Linda's feisty character. I liked Ryan, the paid assassin, who helps her escape, yet is conflicted - does he let her go and face the consequence of losing his lucrative job or does he kill her and ensure his financial future?
This is first in a series and I'll probably read at least one more to see if the momentum is sustained.
May 2, 2012
Good story, however it is way too long. The author seems to be creating things as he goes along, just to add pages to the book. There were also some problems with some of the basics in the book. It takes place in Oregon. In one instance, the main character is driving from the coast to Portland. She gets to Salem and the text says that she is three hours from Portland. Ha! I live in Portland and have made that Salem to Portland drive many times. It is a 56 minute drive! No way is it three hours! Later in the novel, there is another one of these mileage problems. The characters leave Weed, California in the early morning hours (I’m guessing 7ish because they got up at 5 to have breakfast) and drive to “just south of Sacramento” on I-5. They don’t arrive until 11 PM. Ha! That drive, again one I have made about 100 times, is less than four hours! The author needs to check his facts. Yes, it’s just fiction but if the author wants to have any credibility with the other parts of the novel, then he’d darn well better be credible about the “little things” and not just create distances and time frames that fit into his writing. Not smart. Not sure if I’ll pick up anything by this author again.
July 25, 2020
This was a fairly quick read. The dialogue seemed stilted and some of the characters were almost caricatures. Linda Darby, the heroine, is a likeable type and apart from one older friend, Cynthia, has managed to avoid making many acquaintances in the Oregon town of Sea Crest, where she has spent the 7 years since her painful divorce.
Note to author - if Linda is in her early thirties and Cynthia is about 25 years older, Cynthia is hardly 'elderly'!
Linda goes to Cynthia's home because she has missed a weekly lunch, which she has never been missed in the almost seven years they have been friends. Cynthia has been murdered in a very brutal way. The town Police Chief, who is a pawn of the head nasty, is called in to investigate. This gives him the opportunity to find out what Linda knows concerning Cynthia's job, about which she has been very secretive. Two nasties attack Linda in the dark in an alley and another one decides she should be rescued. He takes her home, advises her on how to protect herself and provides money and a gun.
However, his boss, an evil mover and shaker in Washington, DC, insists that she has to be killed.
The conundrum, will our erstwhile hero eventually decide to kill her or...
Note to author - if Linda is in her early thirties and Cynthia is about 25 years older, Cynthia is hardly 'elderly'!
Linda goes to Cynthia's home because she has missed a weekly lunch, which she has never been missed in the almost seven years they have been friends. Cynthia has been murdered in a very brutal way. The town Police Chief, who is a pawn of the head nasty, is called in to investigate. This gives him the opportunity to find out what Linda knows concerning Cynthia's job, about which she has been very secretive. Two nasties attack Linda in the dark in an alley and another one decides she should be rescued. He takes her home, advises her on how to protect herself and provides money and a gun.
However, his boss, an evil mover and shaker in Washington, DC, insists that she has to be killed.
The conundrum, will our erstwhile hero eventually decide to kill her or...
September 17, 2012
Linda Darby was just an ordinary woman, who lives in Sea Crest, Oregon a nice quiet sleepy town near the ocean. When Linda is attacked by two men a mysterious stranger comes to her rescue and drives her safely home. The stranger warns Linda not to go to the police, that the authorities can not be trusted. Later the taxi turns out to be stolen and it is reported that two men have been found murdered. Could this be the two men who attacked Linda? Just who was Linda’s mysterious hero? Did he kill the men?
Linda has no idea why she was attacked and when her good friend Cynthia disappears and is missing could this be connected to Linda’s attack and if so who would want to target her? What follows is a game of cat and mouse and Linda must stay ahead of the game if she is to survive.
This is a brilliant easy to read murder, mystery suspense thriller of a story that is written really well in a fast pace that keeps the reader intrigued. It is a real page turner.
Linda has no idea why she was attacked and when her good friend Cynthia disappears and is missing could this be connected to Linda’s attack and if so who would want to target her? What follows is a game of cat and mouse and Linda must stay ahead of the game if she is to survive.
This is a brilliant easy to read murder, mystery suspense thriller of a story that is written really well in a fast pace that keeps the reader intrigued. It is a real page turner.
May 27, 2015
I liked this book and recommend it to other readers who like action/thriller/whodunit books. The author's writing mechanics were very good. The language and sex vulgarity were kept to a small minimum for which I thank the author. I really do thank him. The read was quick and smooth. I gave the book four stars for the above reasons and the author's statement of beliefs regarding the squalor in government entities. He stated beliefs with which I agree. His solutions to fixing what ails this country were admirable, but they will not happen. The only loose ends were fingerprints and the whereabouts of the Taurus car. Maybe Ryan disposed of it. I did not particularly like Linda Darby, but it was not important.
Thank you, Mr.Bishop, for a good read.
Thank you, Mr.Bishop, for a good read.
August 8, 2012
I loved this book. Had me hooked from the first page and kept me hooked the entire time. Even surprised me in the end. Characters were believable and yo end up loving the heroine and the "bad guy".
Worth the read for sure!
Worth the read for sure!
May 8, 2015
Excellent political thriller.
Got this book free with my Amazon Prime, $10 monthly payments. But like many other books when I want it in my library permanently, I'll buy it. Made many notes, thought provoking, excellent book. Will be reading all his books.
Got this book free with my Amazon Prime, $10 monthly payments. But like many other books when I want it in my library permanently, I'll buy it. Made many notes, thought provoking, excellent book. Will be reading all his books.
March 22, 2018
This book had a lot of potential...good premise, some intrigue. But the sex....come on! Give me a break. Come have a threesome. The prostitute. The jealousy of Linda. Man writing a woman protagonist FAIL.
December 28, 2018
This was ok. Not great. Not terrible. I was not compelled to finish it although I did read all of it. About half way thru I did not read for several days. Then picked it up again. It started off good but hard to figure out who was who. Probably will not read any more by this author.
March 26, 2012
David Bishop is an excellent writer. This book had an interesting plot that was exciting to read. I would have given it four stars if there hadn't been so many typos and editing errors.
October 13, 2012
This mystery had a very different plot, and lots of action. It was enjoyable.
July 16, 2016
Intriguing
I Enjoyed the suspense and characters. Good story line that makes you look forward to what may be the next novel
I Enjoyed the suspense and characters. Good story line that makes you look forward to what may be the next novel
September 30, 2019
I was WOWED by The Woman by David Bishop. Great read. No cookie cutter world for main character Linda Darby, in the plot of The Woman! Great plot too, that was well thought out, and carried main character to whole new depths of her world for sure and carried the book, The Woman to fruitful fruition as a jammed packed action book. Penmanship in The Woman was so great and swept this reader up fast, and I was carried along on a wave of wondrously written words from Author David Bishop, that created an almost movie like image in my mind. Just wonderful writing by accomplished Author David Bishop, and I am now a fan for sure. Created and evoked many emotions within for this reader, and instilled holding my breath, anxious toe tapping waiting for what is NEXT moments. Never could I have ever guessed at the ending either. All characters worked so well with other characters to weave a story like no other. Do not expect characters to fit any mold any reader might hold because in this FICTION book are characters who do not fit any ordinary mold, and that is called UNIQUE writing. Very lifelike characters. Kudos to Author David Bishop for this great read called The Woman. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! Read and be wowed!
June 17, 2018
This book is a well written read with an absorbing chain of events that quickly take place and pull you along to discover what will be the final ending. After a devastating divorce Linda Darby has moved to a sea shore community to live. But she's actually just existing, not really living and loving. After walking into town one night, something she often does, she's pulled into a dark alley, threatened, but then rescued by a stranger. He tells her to run away, but then reappears as a taxi driver and takes her home. He warns her not to go to the police since they can't be trusted. Linda soon learns her friend has been murdered.After that, Linda is on the run from people who want her dead. But why would anyone want her dead? The story zooms along with Linda doing what she has to do to remain alive. She slowly returns to actually living but there are some difficult realities for her to accept. The book's ending was satisfying on the one hand, yet sad on the other. But it was a great read. Makes you wonder what you would do.
July 30, 2019
The Woman was my first introduction to David Bishop, and I'm delighted to have discovered him. Clearly, I'm not the first. His prose is quite good, and in this novel, he combines that with what at first appears to be a story about a generally ordinary woman who keeps to herself in a small town. Little did she know her life would take a turn after she's rescued from two men by a third, who turns out not to be even remotely what she thought.
The man is not a saint, but for Linda, he's mysterious enough for her to want to know more. However, knowing more isn't always the best avenue to pursue and Linda learns that soon enough — even if she can't fill in most gaps until it brings her and the stranger into more and more danger.
Terrific characters and edge-of-the-seat storytelling make for a great read. This is one of them. Go for it.
The man is not a saint, but for Linda, he's mysterious enough for her to want to know more. However, knowing more isn't always the best avenue to pursue and Linda learns that soon enough — even if she can't fill in most gaps until it brings her and the stranger into more and more danger.
Terrific characters and edge-of-the-seat storytelling make for a great read. This is one of them. Go for it.
February 3, 2021
I've now read the whole Linda Darby series starting with this, book one. Amazing. Bishop does amazing things with his characters. He has the knack of giving you a whole character in a few words, a bit of action, and some dialog. His plots are twisty and his action fast paced. His female MC, Linda Darby, is a strong minded woman who gets done what has to be done but is still a romantic. His male MC, Ryan Tessler, is rough around the edges in some ways but capable of doing things most people would consider impossible. Together they take on world terrorists and national bad guys and small town bullies to make their world a better place. And sometimes they make a lot of money doing it! Now I'm going to try another of Bishop's series. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews