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Willow Pond
The Roaring Twenties crumble into the Great Depression, but Virginia Kingsley, New York's toughest and most successful speakeasy owner, is doing just fine. Now that the world is falling apart, bootlegging is a flourishing business, and she's queen of that castle.
Then her infant nephew is kidnapped. Her niece, Laura, and Laura's philandering movie star husband, are devastated. The police have few leads, and speculation and rumors abound in the media circus that follows the celebrity abduction.
Only one reporter, Erich Muller, seems to care enough about the child's welfare and the parents' feelings to report the case responsibly. Over the course of the investigation, Erich Muller and Laura fall in love, but their relationship is doomed to failure since he suspects her beloved aunt Virginia is behind the kidnapping. Laura, jaded when it comes to men, sides with Virginia.
But Virginia has figured out the truth, and she can't tell anyone for fear of losing her niece's affections and having the police ransack her life. So she pursues her own investigation, shaking down, threatening, and killing one petty crook after another during her search.
Little Todd's absence shapes everyone's lives. When he is finally found, the discovery will bring disaster for some and revelation for others.
Then her infant nephew is kidnapped. Her niece, Laura, and Laura's philandering movie star husband, are devastated. The police have few leads, and speculation and rumors abound in the media circus that follows the celebrity abduction.
Only one reporter, Erich Muller, seems to care enough about the child's welfare and the parents' feelings to report the case responsibly. Over the course of the investigation, Erich Muller and Laura fall in love, but their relationship is doomed to failure since he suspects her beloved aunt Virginia is behind the kidnapping. Laura, jaded when it comes to men, sides with Virginia.
But Virginia has figured out the truth, and she can't tell anyone for fear of losing her niece's affections and having the police ransack her life. So she pursues her own investigation, shaking down, threatening, and killing one petty crook after another during her search.
Little Todd's absence shapes everyone's lives. When he is finally found, the discovery will bring disaster for some and revelation for others.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2011
61 people are currently reading
923 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
August 13, 2012
There's drawn out heart-pounding suspense and then there's just dragged out please-someone-slit-my-wrist suspense... and unfortunately this is the latter.
The son of a famous actor and his ex-wife is kidnapped. Laura, his mother, is beside herself with grief and worry while Peter, his father, is basks in the media's attention. The police are involved with an allegedly incompetent Detective Wilson at the helm of the investigation. However, nowhere in the process of the investigation does he actually display incompetence and we have only the scathing contempt of Laura's bootlegging aunt's word that he couldn't solve his way out of a paperbag.
There are too many inconsequential characters and unexplained incidents in this book to make this a worthwhile read.
It had potential, but I feel the author tried to make it complex without understanding how to do so effectively. It ended up somewhat disorganized, and I thought I thought the chapters were slapped together like haphazard bandaids.
The son of a famous actor and his ex-wife is kidnapped. Laura, his mother, is beside herself with grief and worry while Peter, his father, is basks in the media's attention. The police are involved with an allegedly incompetent Detective Wilson at the helm of the investigation. However, nowhere in the process of the investigation does he actually display incompetence and we have only the scathing contempt of Laura's bootlegging aunt's word that he couldn't solve his way out of a paperbag.
There are too many inconsequential characters and unexplained incidents in this book to make this a worthwhile read.
It had potential, but I feel the author tried to make it complex without understanding how to do so effectively. It ended up somewhat disorganized, and I thought I thought the chapters were slapped together like haphazard bandaids.
September 6, 2012
What a roller-coaster of a ride. Willow Pond is filled with scandal, deceit, gangsters, tears and hope. A heartbreaking tale about the kidnapping of a young boy and the aftermath that ensues. With mystery and intrigue, it's hard to pin down exactly who was involved in the kidnapping and the roles they played.
Laura is devastated by the loss of her son. She wants him found, but is not quite sure how to go about it. This was a trying time for her and I'm sure she is completely broken, but she also makes some rash decisions. She falls into a new relationship fast and at the first sight of an argument gets selfish and childish. I did like Laura in the beginning of the novel, but after a turn of events I couldn't stand her. I thought she was acting ridiculous and spoiled. There wasn't much depth to her; in fact, instead of connecting with her more as the novel continued I was put off by her.
The rest of the characters I really enjoyed. They were lively and complex which made their parts of the novel so much more interesting. I loved how determined most of the characters were. They took things into their own hands instead of waiting around to see what could be done. This made the novel more interesting as there were multiple people hunting down the kidnappers, with false leads, death, more kidnapping and pure craziness that it was delightful.
I, personally, am fascinated with "the Roaring Twenties" and while Willow Pond did feature Speakeasies and some gangsters I wish there would have been more of this in the story. I loved the setting and wish that it would have been a greater focus in the novel. This could just be me though and my insane desire to be a flapper. Maybe I was one in a past life and I'm hoping for a return to the lifestyle.
While I did enjoy this book, I still felt like it was a bit disconnected. It would jump in time and between people and I often had to take a minute or two to orient myself. Even with some of it's glitches, it's still a great story and a very interesting read.
Laura is devastated by the loss of her son. She wants him found, but is not quite sure how to go about it. This was a trying time for her and I'm sure she is completely broken, but she also makes some rash decisions. She falls into a new relationship fast and at the first sight of an argument gets selfish and childish. I did like Laura in the beginning of the novel, but after a turn of events I couldn't stand her. I thought she was acting ridiculous and spoiled. There wasn't much depth to her; in fact, instead of connecting with her more as the novel continued I was put off by her.
The rest of the characters I really enjoyed. They were lively and complex which made their parts of the novel so much more interesting. I loved how determined most of the characters were. They took things into their own hands instead of waiting around to see what could be done. This made the novel more interesting as there were multiple people hunting down the kidnappers, with false leads, death, more kidnapping and pure craziness that it was delightful.
I, personally, am fascinated with "the Roaring Twenties" and while Willow Pond did feature Speakeasies and some gangsters I wish there would have been more of this in the story. I loved the setting and wish that it would have been a greater focus in the novel. This could just be me though and my insane desire to be a flapper. Maybe I was one in a past life and I'm hoping for a return to the lifestyle.
While I did enjoy this book, I still felt like it was a bit disconnected. It would jump in time and between people and I often had to take a minute or two to orient myself. Even with some of it's glitches, it's still a great story and a very interesting read.
May 7, 2012
Wow! Great book! I thought the story was well thought out and very well written, with wonderful descriptions of New York in the 1930's … felt like you were going on this guided walking tour of the city back then and it really helped you picture what it might've been like! Including people from that time period was also nice...made it more real and drew you into this life of theirs even more!
Laura had already been through a lot in her life, losing her parents at a young age, dealing with a bad marriage, etc ... but that was before having her only child taken from her!!! The worst nightmare of any parent ... the not knowing what’s happening to them … if they’re in pain or afraid ... and the what if’s that you could never let go of ... the guilt every time you accidently smiled feeling as if you'd forgotten the horror of losing your child even when there's nothing to do but keep living until something changes ... SO horribly scary! Once I started reading I found myself totally unable to put it down because I needed to find out what was happening next ... whose body was that? Or, why is she talking to them when they supposedly don't know each other? Or a million different questions going through my mind, so I read until they were all answered one way or another! I can't say more as I don't want to accidentally give anything away! Just read it and you'll see for yourself!
Laura had already been through a lot in her life, losing her parents at a young age, dealing with a bad marriage, etc ... but that was before having her only child taken from her!!! The worst nightmare of any parent ... the not knowing what’s happening to them … if they’re in pain or afraid ... and the what if’s that you could never let go of ... the guilt every time you accidently smiled feeling as if you'd forgotten the horror of losing your child even when there's nothing to do but keep living until something changes ... SO horribly scary! Once I started reading I found myself totally unable to put it down because I needed to find out what was happening next ... whose body was that? Or, why is she talking to them when they supposedly don't know each other? Or a million different questions going through my mind, so I read until they were all answered one way or another! I can't say more as I don't want to accidentally give anything away! Just read it and you'll see for yourself!
September 30, 2012
Willow Pond was a FANTASTIC read. I love reading stories from the 20 and 30's era. I love how they lived on the edge and the women were not meek or shy. In this case Virginia Kingsley owned a Speakeasy. She sold bootleg alcohol and could have a mean streak in her a mile long. But she also carried herself like a lady.
In Willow Pond we meet Virginia's niece Laura whose son is kidnapped. At first no one cares and the case goes without publicity until a lone reporter Erich Muller decides he is going to report the kidnapping and snoop around to gain information. What Erich uncovers leads him to think that Virginia had something to do with her nephews disappearance.
As Erich gathers information he is also falling in love with Laura. The feelings become mutual but Erich fears that once Laura finds out he suspects her aunt of the kidnapping she will have nothing to do with him. He is right because Laura loves her aunt and would never believe she would hurt her child let alone her family.
What is Erich to do? What is Laura going to do to get her son back? Who really has him? Come along on a fantastic ride where the rubber meets the rode and the answers will completely shock you!
In Willow Pond we meet Virginia's niece Laura whose son is kidnapped. At first no one cares and the case goes without publicity until a lone reporter Erich Muller decides he is going to report the kidnapping and snoop around to gain information. What Erich uncovers leads him to think that Virginia had something to do with her nephews disappearance.
As Erich gathers information he is also falling in love with Laura. The feelings become mutual but Erich fears that once Laura finds out he suspects her aunt of the kidnapping she will have nothing to do with him. He is right because Laura loves her aunt and would never believe she would hurt her child let alone her family.
What is Erich to do? What is Laura going to do to get her son back? Who really has him? Come along on a fantastic ride where the rubber meets the rode and the answers will completely shock you!
September 28, 2012
Originally published at Reading Reality
There's something about "The Roaring 20's" that continues to fascinate, even nearly a century later. The styles still look incredible cool, for one thing. The sleekness of Art Deco has become instantly recognizable.
Ms. Tibaldi evoked the era so completely that I half expected Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot to step out of the pages and offer to solve the case. The 20's were, after all, his time, and this type of upper-class affair would have been just the sort of thing to exercise his "little grey cells".
But the case it reminded me of most was the Lindbergh baby kidnapping of 1932. The 20-month-old son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was kidnapped in May of 1932, and later found murdered. This case resulted in the Federal Kidnapping Act, the law which makes it a federal crime to transport a kidnapping victim across state lines.
When I started the story, I wondered how much the kidnapping in Willow Pond would resemble the historic crime. Thankfully, not at all.
Instead, Willow Pond looks at another memorable historic law of the 1920s--Prohibition. We romanticize the speakeasies and laugh about "bathtub gin", but Prohibition also brought about the rise of Organized Crime to transport the illegal booze that everyone still drank.
In Willow Pond, four lives intersect. Laura Austin's life is turned upside down when her son is kidnapped. It seems that this should be her story, and it somewhat is, but only somewhat. In the aftermath of the terrible devastation wrought by the limbo of her missing child, Laura finally grows up. She completes her separation from her self-absorbed actor-husband, Philip Austin.
Both fortunately and unfortunately, Laura turns to Erich Muller, the crime reporter sent to cover the sensational story. Their relationship draws his investigative reporter skills in to pursue leads long after the police have let the trail run cold.
Virginia Kingley is Laura's aunt, and the woman who raised Laura after her mother died. However, and most important, Virginia is part of the underworld. She runs a speakeasy called the Bacchanal, and she runs booze with the big boys. Her love affair with the Police Commissioner gives her the clout to keep her life from being investigated, but it doesn't mean that it shouldn't be.
Because Laura is caught in the middle between her need to defend the woman who raised her, and her lover's certainty that someone in Virginia's shady life had something to do with the kidnapping. All the trails seem to lead back to Virginia Kingsley, where every investigation gets blocked. Laura sides with her aunt. She may have come to love Erich, but her narcissistic bastard of a husband taught her that Virginia is much more trustworthy than any man.
It's just too bad that Erich is right. Because that fourth life in the intersection...is her child's kidnapper. She doesn't want money. She just wants a child of her own.
And Todd just wants his mommy.
Escape Rating A-: I stayed up until 3 am to finish Willow Pond. I was so caught up in it that I couldn't wait to find out how it ended.
Two things about Willow Pond that I found captivating were the 1920s setting and the kidnapping mystery itself. The author did an excellent, absolutely marvelous job invoking the feel of the 1920s. Poirot or Lord Peter Wimsey would have seemed right at home in this mystery.
The tension of limbo that the "not knowing" had on Laura was intense and very well-done. I felt for her pain and loss. Also the whole suspense of where the kidnapper and Todd were and the chase for them was definitely a thrill-ride.
One part didn't work for me and that was Erich's incredibly shabby treatment of his wife at the end of the story. This was not a romance, so I was not expecting that kind of happy ever after. But if Laura and Erich were going to get one, then Erich's rebound marriage to Jenny seemed an unnecessary bit of pathos to this reader.
All in all, Willow Pond is a fantastic evocation of the 1920s with their glamour, scandals, and crimes.
There's something about "The Roaring 20's" that continues to fascinate, even nearly a century later. The styles still look incredible cool, for one thing. The sleekness of Art Deco has become instantly recognizable.
Ms. Tibaldi evoked the era so completely that I half expected Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot to step out of the pages and offer to solve the case. The 20's were, after all, his time, and this type of upper-class affair would have been just the sort of thing to exercise his "little grey cells".
But the case it reminded me of most was the Lindbergh baby kidnapping of 1932. The 20-month-old son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was kidnapped in May of 1932, and later found murdered. This case resulted in the Federal Kidnapping Act, the law which makes it a federal crime to transport a kidnapping victim across state lines.
When I started the story, I wondered how much the kidnapping in Willow Pond would resemble the historic crime. Thankfully, not at all.
Instead, Willow Pond looks at another memorable historic law of the 1920s--Prohibition. We romanticize the speakeasies and laugh about "bathtub gin", but Prohibition also brought about the rise of Organized Crime to transport the illegal booze that everyone still drank.
In Willow Pond, four lives intersect. Laura Austin's life is turned upside down when her son is kidnapped. It seems that this should be her story, and it somewhat is, but only somewhat. In the aftermath of the terrible devastation wrought by the limbo of her missing child, Laura finally grows up. She completes her separation from her self-absorbed actor-husband, Philip Austin.
Both fortunately and unfortunately, Laura turns to Erich Muller, the crime reporter sent to cover the sensational story. Their relationship draws his investigative reporter skills in to pursue leads long after the police have let the trail run cold.
Virginia Kingley is Laura's aunt, and the woman who raised Laura after her mother died. However, and most important, Virginia is part of the underworld. She runs a speakeasy called the Bacchanal, and she runs booze with the big boys. Her love affair with the Police Commissioner gives her the clout to keep her life from being investigated, but it doesn't mean that it shouldn't be.
Because Laura is caught in the middle between her need to defend the woman who raised her, and her lover's certainty that someone in Virginia's shady life had something to do with the kidnapping. All the trails seem to lead back to Virginia Kingsley, where every investigation gets blocked. Laura sides with her aunt. She may have come to love Erich, but her narcissistic bastard of a husband taught her that Virginia is much more trustworthy than any man.
It's just too bad that Erich is right. Because that fourth life in the intersection...is her child's kidnapper. She doesn't want money. She just wants a child of her own.
And Todd just wants his mommy.
Escape Rating A-: I stayed up until 3 am to finish Willow Pond. I was so caught up in it that I couldn't wait to find out how it ended.
Two things about Willow Pond that I found captivating were the 1920s setting and the kidnapping mystery itself. The author did an excellent, absolutely marvelous job invoking the feel of the 1920s. Poirot or Lord Peter Wimsey would have seemed right at home in this mystery.
The tension of limbo that the "not knowing" had on Laura was intense and very well-done. I felt for her pain and loss. Also the whole suspense of where the kidnapper and Todd were and the chase for them was definitely a thrill-ride.
One part didn't work for me and that was Erich's incredibly shabby treatment of his wife at the end of the story. This was not a romance, so I was not expecting that kind of happy ever after. But if Laura and Erich were going to get one, then Erich's rebound marriage to Jenny seemed an unnecessary bit of pathos to this reader.
All in all, Willow Pond is a fantastic evocation of the 1920s with their glamour, scandals, and crimes.
June 9, 2012
The year is 1930 ... the decade of the Roaring Twenties has just ended, and the Great Depression is setting in, but speakeasies, bootleggers, gangsters, flappers and the remnants of the Golden Decade still remain. Virginia Kingsley is a successful and feared speakeasy owner in New York. But Virginia's connections with some unsavory characters may have been behind the kidnapping of her great-nephew. Virginia's niece, Laura Kingsley Austin, is separated from her movie star husband, Phillip Austin. It is during a two week visitation at Phillip's estate, Willow Pond, that their eighteen month old son, Todd, is kidnapped in front of his nanny. With the swirling rumors of Virginia's or bootleggers involvement in the kidnapping, the possibility that Phillip had staged the kidnapping as a publicity stunt, and the police bungling the investigation, New York Herald Tribune reporter Erich Muller is determined to find the missing child and bring the kidnapper to justice. But that isn't all that Erich is interested in, he is also attracted to Laura, can they build a relationship while Laura's son is still missing? Virginia has also been doing her own investigating into the case, with time slipping away and no sign of her great-nephew, she bands together with Erich and Laura to find Todd. Will their attempt to find Todd succeed, or is he lost to them forever?
Willow Pond is an entertaining historical romantic suspense thriller. Set in the time period at the end of the Roaring Twenties and early 1930s, the attention to historical details easily transports the reader back to that Golden Decade. As a history buff, I have always been fascinated by this time period, and I really enjoyed the author's realistic depiction of this decade. The storyline is told in alternating point of view chapters between the characters, the narration is fast paced and moves fluidly from chapter to chapter, it keeps the readers on their toes as the story evolves. The story is filled with enough intrigue, suspense, twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and guessing who kidnapped the toddler and how the case will be solved. With a budding romance between Laura and Erich intricately interwoven within the mystery thriller, what more entertainment can a reader want? The characters are realistic to that time period, their complexities and individual stories make the story that much more compelling. I really enjoyed Virginia's sassy take-no-prisoners personality, I thought that her strong/ruthless businesswoman's character was interesting in consideration to that time period. I had mixed feeling about Laura, I wanted to shake her sometimes, but I also couldn't help but feel for her too. I liked Erich's passion and determination to solve the case, it was fun reading about his adventures, now that's a true investigative newspaper reporter! As for the egomaniac Phillip, one word describes him ... despicable ... ugghh. Nonetheless, there are a lot of interesting supporting cast of characters that are interwoven into the mix to provide an entertaining story.
Willow Pond is the debut novel for author Carol Tibaldi. This intricate mystery suspense thriller grabs the reader's attention, and will keep them sitting on the edge of their seat until the surprising conclusion.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Saturday, June 9, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, author Carol Tibaldi participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post and Book Excerpt on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
Willow Pond is an entertaining historical romantic suspense thriller. Set in the time period at the end of the Roaring Twenties and early 1930s, the attention to historical details easily transports the reader back to that Golden Decade. As a history buff, I have always been fascinated by this time period, and I really enjoyed the author's realistic depiction of this decade. The storyline is told in alternating point of view chapters between the characters, the narration is fast paced and moves fluidly from chapter to chapter, it keeps the readers on their toes as the story evolves. The story is filled with enough intrigue, suspense, twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and guessing who kidnapped the toddler and how the case will be solved. With a budding romance between Laura and Erich intricately interwoven within the mystery thriller, what more entertainment can a reader want? The characters are realistic to that time period, their complexities and individual stories make the story that much more compelling. I really enjoyed Virginia's sassy take-no-prisoners personality, I thought that her strong/ruthless businesswoman's character was interesting in consideration to that time period. I had mixed feeling about Laura, I wanted to shake her sometimes, but I also couldn't help but feel for her too. I liked Erich's passion and determination to solve the case, it was fun reading about his adventures, now that's a true investigative newspaper reporter! As for the egomaniac Phillip, one word describes him ... despicable ... ugghh. Nonetheless, there are a lot of interesting supporting cast of characters that are interwoven into the mix to provide an entertaining story.
Willow Pond is the debut novel for author Carol Tibaldi. This intricate mystery suspense thriller grabs the reader's attention, and will keep them sitting on the edge of their seat until the surprising conclusion.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Saturday, June 9, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, author Carol Tibaldi participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post and Book Excerpt on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
June 6, 2012
What would happen if people partied like it was the end of the world…and then the end came. Millions of individuals, jobless and thrown out of their homes, relegated to live a nomadic life in tents and makeshift shanty towns across the dusty, drought-stricken landscape. A rising economic power thrust backward into a Third World country. This is not a fictional event. It actual happened, it was called The Great Depression. It is during the onset of this apocalyptic event that the story Willow Pond takes place.
It is 1930, New York City, and the "Jean Harlow beautiful" Laura Kingsley Austin is about to become a single mother. Tired of her philandering movie star husband Phillip, she was about to dissolve her two-and-a-half-year marriage. Still untouched by the looming economic disaster, she would take her toddler son and start a new life. Then her young son is kidnapped, and Laura's life is turned asunder.
She elicits the aid of her strong-willed aunt Virginia, who runs a successful and prominent speakeasy. Due to her business, Virginia is also connected to bootleggers and underworld figures. The police seem to be clueless, as was the case in those days, though an extra effort is made due to the celebrity factor of the missing child's father. A media circus surrounds the kidnapping, some things never change, and the strain on Laura is overwhelming.
Virginia suspects Rudy, her former lover who had attempted to move in on her business. She also begins to threaten and kill petty crooks in order to find out who is behind the kidnapping.
Laura becomes involved romantically with Erich Muller, a reporter who is sympathetic to her plight. Unlike the rest of the press, he attempts to report the case responsibly. He also suspects Virginia had a role in the kidnapping. This hunch causes friction and threatens his nascent relationship with Laura.
Willow Pond is not for the faint of heart. This story has so many twists and turns you become disoriented at times. It is an emotional roller coaster ride that will take you to promising heights and depressing lows.
The author, Carol Tibaldi, is adept at teasing out the tale of a heartbroken mother, who is in the midst of ending a relationship while bouncing, emotionally wounded, into another. Her strong female character, Virginia, is reminiscent of the real-life Mary Louise Cecilia "Texas" Guinan, who had broken stereotypes at the time and became a famous and unapologetic New York speakeasy owner.
If you know history, and Tibaldi proves she is not a shirker in this area, these fictional characters are based on real people and real events from a era that was pivotal to America's coming of age.
Willow Pond is a treasure to read. Tibaldi is a first-time author who has made an indelible mark with her debut novel. Drawing from her 25 years of experience working as a newspaper reporter covering the crime beat, Tibaldi has produced a well-written and well-researched novel that will not disappoint even the most ardent historical fiction aficionados. --eNovel Reviews
October 12, 2013
I've always been fascinated with the Roaring 20's. In fact, if I believed in reincarnation, I'd believe that I had lived before in that era. I love the clothes, the excitement of Prohibition days, and the times alive with headlines of gangsters and tommy guns! Carol Tibaldi brings the Roaring 20's alive in her book "Willow Pond" with all its details and with a kidnapping to boot!
Her characters are drawn with such specifics that I easily fell into suspended belief. Virginia, the red-hot mama of her own speakeasy is brash and ballsy as she takes it upon herself to search out the whereabouts of little Todd her kidnapped grand nephew. Her fearlessness is so indicative of the times and is a great breath of fresh air to women who are looking for a feminist ideal. She's my favorite character in this novel. I loved her beauty and panache! Great characterization!
Other main characters such as Erich and Laura, the star struck lovers--journalist and mother of missing little Todd, respectively, are both sympathetic and darlings of the book. Their love affair is not over-done, but is realistic and believable within the context of the story. It's very entertaining and keeps the action moving along as they investigate leads to Todd's kidnapper.
I loved one of the villians! Great choice of a kidnapping story that nearly dwelt behind the scenes and stole the show in my mind. This was a genius way of keeping me reading. I couldn't wait to find out more about baby Todd's actual circumstances, and how they were going to find him.
"Willow Pond" is a wonderful book told with a great hand by Carol Tibaldi. She doesn't disappoint!
The Roaring 20's comes alive with this story told in the flavor of the Lindburg kidnapping. I highly suggest it to my readers of all genre. Slip into something comfortable for this good read! And, I also suggest getting it in paperback...the cover is gorgeous and great for your library collection since Carol is writing her sequel!
Her characters are drawn with such specifics that I easily fell into suspended belief. Virginia, the red-hot mama of her own speakeasy is brash and ballsy as she takes it upon herself to search out the whereabouts of little Todd her kidnapped grand nephew. Her fearlessness is so indicative of the times and is a great breath of fresh air to women who are looking for a feminist ideal. She's my favorite character in this novel. I loved her beauty and panache! Great characterization!
Other main characters such as Erich and Laura, the star struck lovers--journalist and mother of missing little Todd, respectively, are both sympathetic and darlings of the book. Their love affair is not over-done, but is realistic and believable within the context of the story. It's very entertaining and keeps the action moving along as they investigate leads to Todd's kidnapper.
I loved one of the villians! Great choice of a kidnapping story that nearly dwelt behind the scenes and stole the show in my mind. This was a genius way of keeping me reading. I couldn't wait to find out more about baby Todd's actual circumstances, and how they were going to find him.
"Willow Pond" is a wonderful book told with a great hand by Carol Tibaldi. She doesn't disappoint!
The Roaring 20's comes alive with this story told in the flavor of the Lindburg kidnapping. I highly suggest it to my readers of all genre. Slip into something comfortable for this good read! And, I also suggest getting it in paperback...the cover is gorgeous and great for your library collection since Carol is writing her sequel!
August 26, 2012
Willow Pond
During a time when prohibition was in full swing, speakeasy's were all the rage, and gangsters ruled the big cities, Laura Austin found her entire world turned upside down following the kidnapping of her son, Todd. Who would do this? Was it a hostile ex-employee whose wife had serious mental issues? Or could it be someone involved with her favorite aunt, Virginia Kingsley, who was one of the most well known and feared female gangster figures in New York City? in the days following the kidnapping, Laura's ex-husband, the famous yet arrogant actor Philip Austin, pays a hefty ransom to the kidnapper who then disappears along with the child. Follow Laura over the next year and a half as she experiences loss, heartache, depression, love, happiness, and even a surprising addition to her family, all the while never giving up hope that her precious Todd will someday be returned to her.
Aside from a few minor editing errors, Willow Pond was a great read. being set back in the 1920's and 1930's gave the book a whole different feeling. Things were done differently, people acted differently, and their motives were different. This was an age without the Internet, without today's technology, and people had to rely on good old fashioned private investigating and police work. the book had numerous twists and turns and constantly kept me guessing, almost to the pint where I wanted to say, "I give up, tell me already!" I almost feel Laura may have moved on from the kidnapping a little to prematurely, to the point where the book has to remind us that she's still thinking about her son, especially during the happy moments she experiences while he is gone. This may just be the result of the times, where without the technology that we know, her hands were tied compared to what she may have been able to do if the story were taking place today. But in the end, it was a happy ending, which made all of the nail biting worth it.
Come and see this review and more on juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
During a time when prohibition was in full swing, speakeasy's were all the rage, and gangsters ruled the big cities, Laura Austin found her entire world turned upside down following the kidnapping of her son, Todd. Who would do this? Was it a hostile ex-employee whose wife had serious mental issues? Or could it be someone involved with her favorite aunt, Virginia Kingsley, who was one of the most well known and feared female gangster figures in New York City? in the days following the kidnapping, Laura's ex-husband, the famous yet arrogant actor Philip Austin, pays a hefty ransom to the kidnapper who then disappears along with the child. Follow Laura over the next year and a half as she experiences loss, heartache, depression, love, happiness, and even a surprising addition to her family, all the while never giving up hope that her precious Todd will someday be returned to her.
Aside from a few minor editing errors, Willow Pond was a great read. being set back in the 1920's and 1930's gave the book a whole different feeling. Things were done differently, people acted differently, and their motives were different. This was an age without the Internet, without today's technology, and people had to rely on good old fashioned private investigating and police work. the book had numerous twists and turns and constantly kept me guessing, almost to the pint where I wanted to say, "I give up, tell me already!" I almost feel Laura may have moved on from the kidnapping a little to prematurely, to the point where the book has to remind us that she's still thinking about her son, especially during the happy moments she experiences while he is gone. This may just be the result of the times, where without the technology that we know, her hands were tied compared to what she may have been able to do if the story were taking place today. But in the end, it was a happy ending, which made all of the nail biting worth it.
Come and see this review and more on juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
July 26, 2012
Carol Tibaldi's "Willow Pond" takes place in the world of 1930's New York. Prohibition is in force and gangsters and rum-runners rule the underworld. Virginia Kingsley is one of the power players in the speakeasy business. Her niece, Laura Kingsley Austin, is recently separated from her philandering movie star husband, Philip Austin. When their 2 year old son, Todd, goes to spend time with his father at Willow Pond it isn't long before he is kidnapped.
Phillip pays the ransom but Todd is never returned to them. Speculation that the kidnapping was a result of Virginia's business dealings prompts Virginia to start her own investigation into the whereabouts of the little boy. Laura and a reporter named Erich who befriends her also investigate their own leads as the police fail to get results.
The story crisscrosses the country as well as the Atlantic Ocean as they seek to bring Todd home. You'll have to read the novel to see if they are successful.
"Willow Pond" has a great storyline and interesting characters. I did find the timeline of events to be confusing at some points as the story switched between different characters viewpoints. Over all it is a strong story and a great first effort.
Phillip pays the ransom but Todd is never returned to them. Speculation that the kidnapping was a result of Virginia's business dealings prompts Virginia to start her own investigation into the whereabouts of the little boy. Laura and a reporter named Erich who befriends her also investigate their own leads as the police fail to get results.
The story crisscrosses the country as well as the Atlantic Ocean as they seek to bring Todd home. You'll have to read the novel to see if they are successful.
"Willow Pond" has a great storyline and interesting characters. I did find the timeline of events to be confusing at some points as the story switched between different characters viewpoints. Over all it is a strong story and a great first effort.
November 28, 2012
My Review:
Oh My Oh My.. I don't like history books. And with that I was not sure I could read this book. But immediately I was reeled in and it kept me in the pages until I screamed, laughed, cried, yelled at the author and etc.
Author Carol Tibaldi diffidently has a way with putting pen to paper. Her characters come to life and pull you right in and don't let you go. I am positively going to read more books from this author.
The story line flows, it goes into the characters lives and pulls at every emotion there is and pulls them out and into this book of amazing and a must read story. Each character seems so real that they capture you and draw you right into the book.
As you know I will not go into detail about the book itself due to the fact that I feel you need to read for yourself. But I will say here that I will be looking into more books by author Carol Tibaldi and diving into them to see what is there.
Again, A Must Read. So due to the above, I am giving this book a Breath of Life ratings of:
Five Clock Rating!!!
Disclosure: I received this book for my honest opinion and review. Opinions are my own and yours may differ.
Oh My Oh My.. I don't like history books. And with that I was not sure I could read this book. But immediately I was reeled in and it kept me in the pages until I screamed, laughed, cried, yelled at the author and etc.
Author Carol Tibaldi diffidently has a way with putting pen to paper. Her characters come to life and pull you right in and don't let you go. I am positively going to read more books from this author.
The story line flows, it goes into the characters lives and pulls at every emotion there is and pulls them out and into this book of amazing and a must read story. Each character seems so real that they capture you and draw you right into the book.
As you know I will not go into detail about the book itself due to the fact that I feel you need to read for yourself. But I will say here that I will be looking into more books by author Carol Tibaldi and diving into them to see what is there.
Again, A Must Read. So due to the above, I am giving this book a Breath of Life ratings of:
Five Clock Rating!!!
Disclosure: I received this book for my honest opinion and review. Opinions are my own and yours may differ.
February 17, 2012
Carol Tibaldi has written a winner. With the perfect attention to detail, a flowing story line, and great characters you connect with she has written an intriguing tale.
Laura and her young son Todd have recently made eclectic Greenwich Village their home. it is quite diffent from Willow Pond, the mansion she left behind after her recent divorce from Phillip, a famous movie star.
Young Todd is kidnapped while visiting his father and the list of suspects is varied. there is laura's Aunt Virginia with her rumored ties to the mob, her ex-husband Phillip and suspicions of using this as a publicity stunt, a disgruntled ex-employee and more.
I was caught up in this story from the first few sentences and did not want to put it down. I will be watching for more of Carol's books and I urge you to read Willow Pond. You will not be disappointed.
Laura and her young son Todd have recently made eclectic Greenwich Village their home. it is quite diffent from Willow Pond, the mansion she left behind after her recent divorce from Phillip, a famous movie star.
Young Todd is kidnapped while visiting his father and the list of suspects is varied. there is laura's Aunt Virginia with her rumored ties to the mob, her ex-husband Phillip and suspicions of using this as a publicity stunt, a disgruntled ex-employee and more.
I was caught up in this story from the first few sentences and did not want to put it down. I will be watching for more of Carol's books and I urge you to read Willow Pond. You will not be disappointed.
February 14, 2014
This book is so sad, its about a movie star that is so vain, he thinks the kidnapping of his son is due to him being so popular as a star. Their son is not only kidnapped once but twice, the mothers love keeps the little boy singing his favorite song which in the end helps his mother and stepfather and aunt find him. She finds love again after moviedom...... she left the rich life to be with the new love who she met and he is a reporter. Carol Tibaldi did a great job keeping us on the edge of our seats with each thing that happened to this family.. good going carol.
May 13, 2021
Mediocre
Although this book started out fairly well, it was somewhat slow. It finally got interesting when the mystery began to unravel; however, the ending became entirely too prdictable & wholly saccharine. It wouldnt be my first choice. I'm cynical I imagine, but the happily ever after, white picket fence story just doesnt wash & wear that well! Several grammatical errors and simple misuse of common words.
Although this book started out fairly well, it was somewhat slow. It finally got interesting when the mystery began to unravel; however, the ending became entirely too prdictable & wholly saccharine. It wouldnt be my first choice. I'm cynical I imagine, but the happily ever after, white picket fence story just doesnt wash & wear that well! Several grammatical errors and simple misuse of common words.
April 28, 2018
Good plot, poor editing
The overall plot of the story was very interesting, but I couldn't help but be distracted by all the glaring errors throughout the book.... Not just grammar issues, but truly confusing mistakes like Oregon State police when they say they are in Massachusetts, stating it's Easter and their planning a New Years Party and so many more.
The overall plot of the story was very interesting, but I couldn't help but be distracted by all the glaring errors throughout the book.... Not just grammar issues, but truly confusing mistakes like Oregon State police when they say they are in Massachusetts, stating it's Easter and their planning a New Years Party and so many more.
March 26, 2017
Good book
I wish you would just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so.Shelley MA
I wish you would just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so.Shelley MA
June 6, 2017
Good book. It was slow starting, but I really got into it about half-way though.
August 18, 2018
Good read!
Good and easy read!Kept my interest with a surprise revelation! Didn't leave you hanging.! Very descriptive and Iiked the ending!
Good and easy read!Kept my interest with a surprise revelation! Didn't leave you hanging.! Very descriptive and Iiked the ending!
August 20, 2020
Story was good but someone needed to do a better job proofing the book.
September 20, 2020
Excellent read!!
February 27, 2012
On my review blog, I give this a 3.5 but Goodreads doesn't allow half stars. As 3 means "I liked it," then I give it that here since I can't quite say I "really" liked it.
* * *
This review is going to be very challenging for me to write, because my opinions on the book are different in terms of different aspects.
Tibaldi is a good writer. The book is well done and pulls you through very well. I thought she captured the time period very well without going too far overboard on details. I'm a person who likes my settings described with only as much as necessary. I had a real The Great Gatsby feeling when I read it, which says a lot since I barely remember that book from when I read it in High School. So, in terms of this, the book is very good.
When I read the summary, I had expected a more taut, suspenseful time line to the narrative, which isn't what it has. It covered a longer span of time than I thought it would. That's not a criticism, as that's probably more realistic. It just surprised me, and the leaps of time could get a little distracting but not enough to pull you out of the story.
It did make it a little hard, though, because so many dramatic events happen that are really only glanced over, like Jenny, particularly towards the latter part of the novel. It seems like not enough treatment of those was given, and Virginia's efforts get almost dropped, it feels like, and I would have liked to have seen more of her in that latter section.
Here's where it did fall flat for me. Two points, mainly. One is reader preference, so others are likely to have very different but equally valid opinions. The other is more content related.
Content and structure: I found some of the character motivations to be kind of thin. They weren't made clear enough for me to understand why certain characters did certain things. Like Virginia. I liked her, but it wasn't made clear enough (in my opinion) why she didn't tell Laura about what she was doing. I see the reason in the summary, but that's not drawn clearly in the book. It felt like a plot device, which I understand it was, but I like things to make more sense.
Equally so, Erich's reasons for suspecting Virginia so early on. I understand that Virginia was part of the seedy bootlegging scene, but he never defined a motive: what would Virginia have to gain by being involved in the kidnapping? I could better understand his expecting she had somehow triggered it, like payback, but not his thinking she was directly involved. His animosity and certainty is so strong that she is involved, I would have liked to have seen more reason for it: at least some hint of what he thought her motive would be.
Okay, this next one is my opinion, which I realize this whole review is my opinion but this part isn't necessarily a fault in the book or the writing, but just reader perspective.
I didn't like Laura. As a mother of a small son, just a few months older than Todd when he was taken, I should have been able to hit more chords with Laura's character but I couldn't. She seemed to move on too quickly. While there were thoughts and emotions about Todd laced in, it wasn't enough for me. I didn't mind the falling in love so early with Erich, but it would have made more sense to me if there had been less going out, less "dating" and more "he was there for me" moments, like keeping vigils by the phone with her.
I realize that her reactions and actions may have been psychologically driven, coping mechanisms, a case could be made for it, but it's not how I would have reacted and so that made it hard for me to sympathize. Plus, her motivations for keeping certain big news to herself from Virginia and Erich felt thin to me. (Again, the motivation thing.) And her swaying certainty about her feelings for Erich frustrated me to no end. Her guilt over things, like falling in love while Todd is missing and about Jenny later on (you'll see when you read) also felt like token resistance, which given her history, should have been more pronounced.
So, with all of this, where do we end up? I wish I had a middle of the middle rating. I'm giving this book a 3.5, 'cause I can't give it a 3.75. I can't quite say I "really" liked it, because Laura drove me nuts and I wanted stronger motivations and more consistent treatment of dramatic events, but I can't say it's a 3, because I did enjoy it and I would tell other people to read it for an interesting flapper era and almost... "slice of life"/examination of a kidnapping's effects story. So, 3.5 it is.
* * *
This review is going to be very challenging for me to write, because my opinions on the book are different in terms of different aspects.
Tibaldi is a good writer. The book is well done and pulls you through very well. I thought she captured the time period very well without going too far overboard on details. I'm a person who likes my settings described with only as much as necessary. I had a real The Great Gatsby feeling when I read it, which says a lot since I barely remember that book from when I read it in High School. So, in terms of this, the book is very good.
When I read the summary, I had expected a more taut, suspenseful time line to the narrative, which isn't what it has. It covered a longer span of time than I thought it would. That's not a criticism, as that's probably more realistic. It just surprised me, and the leaps of time could get a little distracting but not enough to pull you out of the story.
It did make it a little hard, though, because so many dramatic events happen that are really only glanced over, like Jenny, particularly towards the latter part of the novel. It seems like not enough treatment of those was given, and Virginia's efforts get almost dropped, it feels like, and I would have liked to have seen more of her in that latter section.
Here's where it did fall flat for me. Two points, mainly. One is reader preference, so others are likely to have very different but equally valid opinions. The other is more content related.
Content and structure: I found some of the character motivations to be kind of thin. They weren't made clear enough for me to understand why certain characters did certain things. Like Virginia. I liked her, but it wasn't made clear enough (in my opinion) why she didn't tell Laura about what she was doing. I see the reason in the summary, but that's not drawn clearly in the book. It felt like a plot device, which I understand it was, but I like things to make more sense.
Equally so, Erich's reasons for suspecting Virginia so early on. I understand that Virginia was part of the seedy bootlegging scene, but he never defined a motive: what would Virginia have to gain by being involved in the kidnapping? I could better understand his expecting she had somehow triggered it, like payback, but not his thinking she was directly involved. His animosity and certainty is so strong that she is involved, I would have liked to have seen more reason for it: at least some hint of what he thought her motive would be.
Okay, this next one is my opinion, which I realize this whole review is my opinion but this part isn't necessarily a fault in the book or the writing, but just reader perspective.
I didn't like Laura. As a mother of a small son, just a few months older than Todd when he was taken, I should have been able to hit more chords with Laura's character but I couldn't. She seemed to move on too quickly. While there were thoughts and emotions about Todd laced in, it wasn't enough for me. I didn't mind the falling in love so early with Erich, but it would have made more sense to me if there had been less going out, less "dating" and more "he was there for me" moments, like keeping vigils by the phone with her.
I realize that her reactions and actions may have been psychologically driven, coping mechanisms, a case could be made for it, but it's not how I would have reacted and so that made it hard for me to sympathize. Plus, her motivations for keeping certain big news to herself from Virginia and Erich felt thin to me. (Again, the motivation thing.) And her swaying certainty about her feelings for Erich frustrated me to no end. Her guilt over things, like falling in love while Todd is missing and about Jenny later on (you'll see when you read) also felt like token resistance, which given her history, should have been more pronounced.
So, with all of this, where do we end up? I wish I had a middle of the middle rating. I'm giving this book a 3.5, 'cause I can't give it a 3.75. I can't quite say I "really" liked it, because Laura drove me nuts and I wanted stronger motivations and more consistent treatment of dramatic events, but I can't say it's a 3, because I did enjoy it and I would tell other people to read it for an interesting flapper era and almost... "slice of life"/examination of a kidnapping's effects story. So, 3.5 it is.
June 20, 2012
A kidnapped child, a grief stricken mother, a self-centered actor, a determined reporter and a bootlegging aunt that has ties to the mob take you on an adventure through the 1930’s. Laura Kingsley Austin is a beautiful woman in her early twenties who decides to leave her husband, actor Phillip Austin, and start a new life with her one year old son, Todd. Laura pursues a career as a writer, and makes a home for herself and her son. All that crumbles away when Todd is kidnapped from her husband’s home, Willow Pond, while he was there visiting his father. Virginia Kingsley, Laura’s aunt, was the owner of a speakeasy that has ties to bootlegging and the mob. Erich, the reporter, follows the trail of the story and ends up involved in more than just his next article. With not many clues to work with, no one knows who the kidnapper is, though there are many different theories. Could the kidnapping be related to Virginia’s business affairs, Phillip’s acting career, or even a publicity stunt gone wrong? The police are no help and the trail is growing cold. This story is a long one that draws you into a world of speakeasies and flapper dresses, murder, mayhem and whirlwind romances.
This is Carol Tibaldi’s debut novel, and she did a great job on character development and the story line. As a mother, I did have a problem with Laura. She just seemed not real as a grief stricken mother. She purses a romance with Erich quickly, going out on the town and dancing when I feel I never would have left my house or the phone if my child would have been kidnapped. Also, the time in the story seemed off. It went from a few weeks after Todd was kidnapped to a year without any real sense that a year had passed. Other than that, this story grabbed you in and made you have to keep flipping pages to know what is going to happen next.
Virginia was my favorite character. Her image on the cover reminds me of someone, but I cannot think of whom. I like her attitude and the fact that she dominated as a woman in a man’s profession. She demanded respect and she got it. She kept looking for Todd, and did anything to get him back.
Laura, as I said, was not my favorite character, but she had good traits and bad. She continuously thought of her son, and even after another huge event changes her life, you can still tell all she wants is Todd back so that he can share in it with her. Though she is a little selfish, she tries to help people throughout the whole story, and her love for Erich rings true.
As for Todd’s father, I just wanted to slap him out of his self-centered world, and remind him that his son should be more important than his career. Erich, the reporter, was a lovely man and I thought his character was well defined. He went through a lot in this story, and there was never a moment I was not rooting for him.
I even felt for Todd’s kidnapper. I could relate to the kidnapper’s story. When Todd was finally found, I cried for the kidnapper as well as for Laura. I could picture the scene so clearly when Todd sang his little poem.
I did like the way Carol Tibaldi flipped back and forth in the story from Laura, Virginia, Erich, and Todd’s kidnapper. It helped the book feel more in depth by having the perspective of more than one character. If you like romantic suspense with a historical setting, this is the book for you. I did not want to post too may spoilers, but there is so much more to this book than what I described. It is life at its fullest, with many twists and turns, and many, many events that I never saw coming. You will have to read to understand the whole story, because it is complex and intricately woven.
Carol Tibaldi broke into the writing scene with her debut novel, and she did not disappoint. I cannot wait to see her evolve as she writes more, and I am looking forward to reading more from her.
For more reviews of great books please check out: http://cynthiashepp.wordpress.com
This is Carol Tibaldi’s debut novel, and she did a great job on character development and the story line. As a mother, I did have a problem with Laura. She just seemed not real as a grief stricken mother. She purses a romance with Erich quickly, going out on the town and dancing when I feel I never would have left my house or the phone if my child would have been kidnapped. Also, the time in the story seemed off. It went from a few weeks after Todd was kidnapped to a year without any real sense that a year had passed. Other than that, this story grabbed you in and made you have to keep flipping pages to know what is going to happen next.
Virginia was my favorite character. Her image on the cover reminds me of someone, but I cannot think of whom. I like her attitude and the fact that she dominated as a woman in a man’s profession. She demanded respect and she got it. She kept looking for Todd, and did anything to get him back.
Laura, as I said, was not my favorite character, but she had good traits and bad. She continuously thought of her son, and even after another huge event changes her life, you can still tell all she wants is Todd back so that he can share in it with her. Though she is a little selfish, she tries to help people throughout the whole story, and her love for Erich rings true.
As for Todd’s father, I just wanted to slap him out of his self-centered world, and remind him that his son should be more important than his career. Erich, the reporter, was a lovely man and I thought his character was well defined. He went through a lot in this story, and there was never a moment I was not rooting for him.
I even felt for Todd’s kidnapper. I could relate to the kidnapper’s story. When Todd was finally found, I cried for the kidnapper as well as for Laura. I could picture the scene so clearly when Todd sang his little poem.
I did like the way Carol Tibaldi flipped back and forth in the story from Laura, Virginia, Erich, and Todd’s kidnapper. It helped the book feel more in depth by having the perspective of more than one character. If you like romantic suspense with a historical setting, this is the book for you. I did not want to post too may spoilers, but there is so much more to this book than what I described. It is life at its fullest, with many twists and turns, and many, many events that I never saw coming. You will have to read to understand the whole story, because it is complex and intricately woven.
Carol Tibaldi broke into the writing scene with her debut novel, and she did not disappoint. I cannot wait to see her evolve as she writes more, and I am looking forward to reading more from her.
For more reviews of great books please check out: http://cynthiashepp.wordpress.com
August 10, 2012
A Review for Freebooksy Reviews
Ebook copy provided by author/review site for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review in any way, all conclusions are honestly given and entirely my responsibility.
This book is set in 1929 – 1931, centered in the city of New York and the Long Island communities. I can’t quite determine if this is a romance with a mystery – or a mystery with romance to enhance the drama. If you are looking for a read that has some romance with your mystery – or mystery with your romance: this is the book for you. The story is paced well with a good premise, and the characters do work within the story to keep the plot moving forward.
Laura, the heroine, is separated from her movie star husband Phillip, and takes a small apartment in the Greenwich Village area of New York City with her infant son Todd. On his first extended visitation with his son, Phillip leaves him on his Long Island estate, and heads off on a publicity stunt/junket for his studio, and the child is kidnapped. We are introduced to the utterly self-centered and selfish attitude of Paul: his character is never developed beyond that rather wooden stereotype, even with overly vocal attempts by his ex-wife, Laura, to convince us otherwise. Perhaps the “flatness” of Phillip is enhanced by the wonderfully well developed and often surprising voice of Laura. While the story is set in the relatively ‘repressed’ late 1920’s to early 1930’s as compared to this millennium, her attitudes towards sex, illegal actions of her aunt, and her own desire to raise her child alone are all rare attitudes of the time for a “respectable woman”.
We are introduced to her aunt, Virginia Kingsley, a woman who owns a speakeasy, and is busy living the dichotomous life: dealing with Capone-like mobsters and maintaining her “woman of quality” reputation. Again, Laura is her most vehement defender, preferring to accept the omissions of the ‘real story’ from her aunt. The police that we encounter are all focused on Virginia as a suspect, with her connections to the ‘dark side’ of bootlegging and influence peddling. The police almost to a man are portrayed as rather simple, bumbling and ineffective at police work.
Enter the mix, a Pulitzer Award winning journalist Erich Mueller, who is brought in to bring some “public interest’ to the story in the hopes that leads will be generated. He and Laura are instantly attracted, and he is, with the police, convinced her aunt is more involved in the child’s disappearance than she is willing to admit.
There are several other minor characters that are developed in a two dimensional sense: the bad characters are wholly greasy without redeeming features. In the main characters of Phillip, Virginia and Erich; there is not a great deal of complexity in character development that would make a more believable and real person.
Ebook copy provided by author/review site for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review in any way, all conclusions are honestly given and entirely my responsibility.
This book is set in 1929 – 1931, centered in the city of New York and the Long Island communities. I can’t quite determine if this is a romance with a mystery – or a mystery with romance to enhance the drama. If you are looking for a read that has some romance with your mystery – or mystery with your romance: this is the book for you. The story is paced well with a good premise, and the characters do work within the story to keep the plot moving forward.
Laura, the heroine, is separated from her movie star husband Phillip, and takes a small apartment in the Greenwich Village area of New York City with her infant son Todd. On his first extended visitation with his son, Phillip leaves him on his Long Island estate, and heads off on a publicity stunt/junket for his studio, and the child is kidnapped. We are introduced to the utterly self-centered and selfish attitude of Paul: his character is never developed beyond that rather wooden stereotype, even with overly vocal attempts by his ex-wife, Laura, to convince us otherwise. Perhaps the “flatness” of Phillip is enhanced by the wonderfully well developed and often surprising voice of Laura. While the story is set in the relatively ‘repressed’ late 1920’s to early 1930’s as compared to this millennium, her attitudes towards sex, illegal actions of her aunt, and her own desire to raise her child alone are all rare attitudes of the time for a “respectable woman”.
We are introduced to her aunt, Virginia Kingsley, a woman who owns a speakeasy, and is busy living the dichotomous life: dealing with Capone-like mobsters and maintaining her “woman of quality” reputation. Again, Laura is her most vehement defender, preferring to accept the omissions of the ‘real story’ from her aunt. The police that we encounter are all focused on Virginia as a suspect, with her connections to the ‘dark side’ of bootlegging and influence peddling. The police almost to a man are portrayed as rather simple, bumbling and ineffective at police work.
Enter the mix, a Pulitzer Award winning journalist Erich Mueller, who is brought in to bring some “public interest’ to the story in the hopes that leads will be generated. He and Laura are instantly attracted, and he is, with the police, convinced her aunt is more involved in the child’s disappearance than she is willing to admit.
There are several other minor characters that are developed in a two dimensional sense: the bad characters are wholly greasy without redeeming features. In the main characters of Phillip, Virginia and Erich; there is not a great deal of complexity in character development that would make a more believable and real person.
April 4, 2012
A crime story set in the 1930’s complete with speakeasies and gangsters. A toddler, Todd, is kidnapped while playing at Willow Pond with his nanny. His mother, Laura, a suppressed housewife at the time, and his father, Phillip, a famous actor, try to find their missing boy.
Crimes in the 1930’s were solved by police and newspaper reporters. In this investigation, it took about a year and a half because of incompetence by both.
Laura lived with her Aunt Virginia for most of her life after her parents died in an accident. Virginia was the owner of a speakeasy and had questionable connections. She used them to help find Todd.
Most of the story’s tension comes from the relationship between Laura and Virginia. Laura wants to become her own woman after being stifled in her marriage, and Virginia is a very strong and powerful woman. They clash during their efforts to find Todd, each using different methods, and Laura has a hard time in the end when Virginia’s hidden tactics comes to light.
Willow Pond flows beautifully as Tibaldi masters introducing and building her characters. She integrates the history of the era when apropos.
Tibaldi sheds light on how a woman owner of a speakeasy spends her day, how cops and reporters try to solve crimes back in the day, and how women are perceived in and out of marriage.
Tibaldi includes romance to Willow Pond. What would a good story be without lovers and tough decisions? Laura has her share of ups and downs and readers will enjoy the ride.
I recommend Willow Pond for readers who enjoy romance and crime. It’s a quick and easy read.
I would have liked to see more history of the time period integrated throughout the story.
As far as Laura’s character is concerned, for me, I just didn’t like her. She drove me crazy! There was not enough effort being done to find her son and she went on with her life way too fast and cheerfully to suit me during the year and a half. I realize one must go on, but I thought Laura should have experienced more anguish during such a time. Instead she had it pretty easy and it seemed her character would have been more realistic if the scale was tipped more in hardship than good times.
I was born and raised on Long Island so I was very familiar with Suffolk County and all the towns in the story. With this in mind, it was quite the read for me.
Crimes in the 1930’s were solved by police and newspaper reporters. In this investigation, it took about a year and a half because of incompetence by both.
Laura lived with her Aunt Virginia for most of her life after her parents died in an accident. Virginia was the owner of a speakeasy and had questionable connections. She used them to help find Todd.
Most of the story’s tension comes from the relationship between Laura and Virginia. Laura wants to become her own woman after being stifled in her marriage, and Virginia is a very strong and powerful woman. They clash during their efforts to find Todd, each using different methods, and Laura has a hard time in the end when Virginia’s hidden tactics comes to light.
Willow Pond flows beautifully as Tibaldi masters introducing and building her characters. She integrates the history of the era when apropos.
Tibaldi sheds light on how a woman owner of a speakeasy spends her day, how cops and reporters try to solve crimes back in the day, and how women are perceived in and out of marriage.
Tibaldi includes romance to Willow Pond. What would a good story be without lovers and tough decisions? Laura has her share of ups and downs and readers will enjoy the ride.
I recommend Willow Pond for readers who enjoy romance and crime. It’s a quick and easy read.
I would have liked to see more history of the time period integrated throughout the story.
As far as Laura’s character is concerned, for me, I just didn’t like her. She drove me crazy! There was not enough effort being done to find her son and she went on with her life way too fast and cheerfully to suit me during the year and a half. I realize one must go on, but I thought Laura should have experienced more anguish during such a time. Instead she had it pretty easy and it seemed her character would have been more realistic if the scale was tipped more in hardship than good times.
I was born and raised on Long Island so I was very familiar with Suffolk County and all the towns in the story. With this in mind, it was quite the read for me.
September 10, 2013
Today’s review is from Ameica’s history of prohibition and the age of the Great Depression. Bootlegging is a flourishing business and speakeasies were plentiful. In Willow Pond, by Carol Tibaldi, we see the dark side of this history rather than the glorification. Victoria Kingsley is a successful and powerful speakeasy owner and rubs elbows with the criminal element of the day. She has one relationship that means more to her than any, that with her niece, Laura. Laura’s baby son is kidnapped and it throws her into a turmoil and fearing that the local authorities are incompetent, she sets out to find the culprit and bring the baby home. Due to Laura’s ex-husband’s high public profile due to his movie star status, this is a high publicized case and Laura develops a relationship with the reporter handling the case over the course of the investigation.
That is all the description I can give without giving away too much of the story.
My take: This is an interesting story that starts a bit slowly. Some of the characters are developed very well and others are left lacking. Virginia is an interesting character that is loving and has an edginess to her. She is smart and capable. The husband, Phillip is not a likable fellow. He is a vain, pompous, and a philanderer to the extreme. Laura is the most under developed character. She could be so much more but we see her as a hand-wringing devastated mother at one point, then in a very short time span, she is finding comfort in another man’s arms during the investigation. Then she is emotionally unavailable to him. She is very inconsistent and not too believable especially for what she is going through. Although I really wanted to like this story, this is a major character, and I couldn’t muster up much sympathy for either her or her ex–husband. Although I can’t say why without giving up a spoiler, Virginia also loses sympathy as well with some of her actions..so I end up left cold. The ending seemed too contrived and slapped together, but by this time, I wasn’t really caring too much to be honest. I think this book has too many problems for me to be able to recommend it.
This review was first posted 9/9/13 on Becky's Book Notes http://rebeccavance.com
That is all the description I can give without giving away too much of the story.
My take: This is an interesting story that starts a bit slowly. Some of the characters are developed very well and others are left lacking. Virginia is an interesting character that is loving and has an edginess to her. She is smart and capable. The husband, Phillip is not a likable fellow. He is a vain, pompous, and a philanderer to the extreme. Laura is the most under developed character. She could be so much more but we see her as a hand-wringing devastated mother at one point, then in a very short time span, she is finding comfort in another man’s arms during the investigation. Then she is emotionally unavailable to him. She is very inconsistent and not too believable especially for what she is going through. Although I really wanted to like this story, this is a major character, and I couldn’t muster up much sympathy for either her or her ex–husband. Although I can’t say why without giving up a spoiler, Virginia also loses sympathy as well with some of her actions..so I end up left cold. The ending seemed too contrived and slapped together, but by this time, I wasn’t really caring too much to be honest. I think this book has too many problems for me to be able to recommend it.
This review was first posted 9/9/13 on Becky's Book Notes http://rebeccavance.com
September 7, 2012
Willow Pond by Carol Tibaldi
Flappers, speakeasies, gangsters and secrets combine to make this an agreeable read. Willow Pond flowed with a few sub-plots along the way to bring resolution to the story.
Cast of Characters:
*Laura Kingsley Austin- a young mother struggling for control of her own life.
*Phillip Austin- movie star, cheating husband.
*Virginia Kingsley-the female gangster that everyone feared.
*Erich Muller- Pulitzer Prize winning journalist.
Set in 1930's New York, this is a romantic mystery about the cost for a life of privilege. The descriptions of people, places and things were wonderful. I liked Erich, wanted to sock Phillip and I don't know what I thought about Virginia. I wonder if this is what the author had in mind?? :) I did want to find out more about them, so probably so.
I will be honest, I didn't like Laura. I didn't find her character believable. This horrendous thing happened to her and the first thing out of her mouth is "how will I live without_______" . She gave up immediately. Laura also seemed to be able to pick up the pieces too quickly.
I was left with questions:
*WHY did Laura and Virginia, and then Laura and Erich, keep these secrets from each other?
*Why did Laura marry Phillip?
*Why did Virginia choose a life of crime?
I do believe it would have been a better story if this had been explored more. But, this did not interfere with my enjoyment of the novel.
This book did contain a few sexual situations and murders. Mild swearing.
From the book (first page)
"Laura Kingsley Austin was Jean Harlow beautiful.
Men first noticed the butterfly tattoo, its saucy wings peeking from her cleavage; it was quite the conversation piece. Unfortunately, that wasn't what Laura had intended. It had first appeared one crazy night when she'd gone with some friends to Bacchanal, her aunt's speakeasy and had too much to drink. One of them dared her to get a tattoo, so she did."
ebook version with no proofreading errors!! (always important!)
I would recommend this book--and will watch for more from this debut author.
I was not compensated for this review in any way, all conclusions are honestly given and entirely my responsibility.
Flappers, speakeasies, gangsters and secrets combine to make this an agreeable read. Willow Pond flowed with a few sub-plots along the way to bring resolution to the story.
Cast of Characters:
*Laura Kingsley Austin- a young mother struggling for control of her own life.
*Phillip Austin- movie star, cheating husband.
*Virginia Kingsley-the female gangster that everyone feared.
*Erich Muller- Pulitzer Prize winning journalist.
Set in 1930's New York, this is a romantic mystery about the cost for a life of privilege. The descriptions of people, places and things were wonderful. I liked Erich, wanted to sock Phillip and I don't know what I thought about Virginia. I wonder if this is what the author had in mind?? :) I did want to find out more about them, so probably so.
I will be honest, I didn't like Laura. I didn't find her character believable. This horrendous thing happened to her and the first thing out of her mouth is "how will I live without_______" . She gave up immediately. Laura also seemed to be able to pick up the pieces too quickly.
I was left with questions:
*WHY did Laura and Virginia, and then Laura and Erich, keep these secrets from each other?
*Why did Laura marry Phillip?
*Why did Virginia choose a life of crime?
I do believe it would have been a better story if this had been explored more. But, this did not interfere with my enjoyment of the novel.
This book did contain a few sexual situations and murders. Mild swearing.
From the book (first page)
"Laura Kingsley Austin was Jean Harlow beautiful.
Men first noticed the butterfly tattoo, its saucy wings peeking from her cleavage; it was quite the conversation piece. Unfortunately, that wasn't what Laura had intended. It had first appeared one crazy night when she'd gone with some friends to Bacchanal, her aunt's speakeasy and had too much to drink. One of them dared her to get a tattoo, so she did."
ebook version with no proofreading errors!! (always important!)
I would recommend this book--and will watch for more from this debut author.
I was not compensated for this review in any way, all conclusions are honestly given and entirely my responsibility.
April 18, 2012
This novel centers around the disappearance of a toddler - the toddler being the son of a movie actor and the nephew of a woman who runs a speakeasy. The story itself sounded really intriguing to me considering the time period. The book starts with the mystery of what happened with the child, but then we find out early on where the child is and who the child is with. Then the book centers on everyone trying to find the child in his or her own way. This is where my frustration comes in. The only one who really shared who he thought the abductor could be was the obnoxious, selfish actor father thinking it must be a fan. The one who should have shared information, but didn't, was the speakeasy owner aunt. It irritated me a lot that she didn't share information which made her very unlikable. Despite what she said, it seemed she was more concerned about herself as well than the well-being of her nephew.
The mother also not that likeable to me either. She showed some concern at times, especially in the beginning, but as the book went on, it felt like it wasn't that big of a deal to her. I didn't get the kind of raw emotion that I expect after a child has gone missing - maybe it was become such a long time had passed but it seems like more emotion should still be there. There was a time that she said she was nervous about leaving her child but then went on to say she was going to spend a week in Paris without her child?
There was also some romance in the book, but it seemed like that came about rather suddenly. Also, Laura's treatment of Erich was just odd - I just could not like her. The writing was o.k., but there were also a few errors in the book (for example, when they said they were in MA but there was Oregon Police?).
In the end, I had to give the book 2 or maybe 2.5 stars mainly because I just didn't connect with the characters and some parts, as I said above, were baffling to me.
However, I do think that fans of romance and mystery/suspense will enjoy this novel so please do go check it out!
The mother also not that likeable to me either. She showed some concern at times, especially in the beginning, but as the book went on, it felt like it wasn't that big of a deal to her. I didn't get the kind of raw emotion that I expect after a child has gone missing - maybe it was become such a long time had passed but it seems like more emotion should still be there. There was a time that she said she was nervous about leaving her child but then went on to say she was going to spend a week in Paris without her child?
There was also some romance in the book, but it seemed like that came about rather suddenly. Also, Laura's treatment of Erich was just odd - I just could not like her. The writing was o.k., but there were also a few errors in the book (for example, when they said they were in MA but there was Oregon Police?).
In the end, I had to give the book 2 or maybe 2.5 stars mainly because I just didn't connect with the characters and some parts, as I said above, were baffling to me.
However, I do think that fans of romance and mystery/suspense will enjoy this novel so please do go check it out!
September 12, 2012
Set in 1930, Laura Kingsley Austin and her adorable baby boy, Todd, are living in Greenwich Village. She has been separated from her husband, Phillip Austin, for three months now, and life couldn’t be better.
Phillip, a hot shot actor, is not happy with his wife’s living arrangement. He would prefer to have her at Willow Pond and under his control. But after one too many affairs, Laura left him. Now he must find away to get her back.
Then the unthinkable happens, Todd is ripped away from Laura’s life. Kidnapped! A ransom note asking for $250,000 has been delivered and Phillip, figuring to be a big hero, pays the ransom, but that doesn’t bring home the baby. Now, Todd and the money are gone and there aren’t any leads.
With nothing much to go on, the police question Laura’s aunt, Virginia Kingsley, owner of Bacchanal, a speakeasy. They suspect Virginia’s ties to the mob might have something to do with the kidnapping. Could someone be using Todd to get to Virginia?
Then there is Phillip Austin, who has been known to pull publicity stunts in the past to keep him in the limelight. Could he be using his own son in such a way?
The timeline jumps quite a bit in this story. While I’m still grieving Todd’s disappearance, Laura is moving on with her life. Within a few months after the kidnapping, Laura starts seeing Erich, the reporter investigating the crime. While the romantic in me loves their relationship, the mom in me was having a hard time with it.
The mystery itself was really good. I never knew how it was going to be resolved. Virginia, who has some idea who might have kidnapped Todd, is doing her own investigation, but she is not sharing information. Erich is finding some dirt about Virginia, but that information is driving a wedge into his relationship with Laura. And nobody is sharing info with the police! I won’t tell you how it turns out but it does wrap up nicely, with no lose ends.
If you like a mystery with a little romance, this might be the book for you!
I was provided a copy of Willow Pond for review.
Phillip, a hot shot actor, is not happy with his wife’s living arrangement. He would prefer to have her at Willow Pond and under his control. But after one too many affairs, Laura left him. Now he must find away to get her back.
Then the unthinkable happens, Todd is ripped away from Laura’s life. Kidnapped! A ransom note asking for $250,000 has been delivered and Phillip, figuring to be a big hero, pays the ransom, but that doesn’t bring home the baby. Now, Todd and the money are gone and there aren’t any leads.
With nothing much to go on, the police question Laura’s aunt, Virginia Kingsley, owner of Bacchanal, a speakeasy. They suspect Virginia’s ties to the mob might have something to do with the kidnapping. Could someone be using Todd to get to Virginia?
Then there is Phillip Austin, who has been known to pull publicity stunts in the past to keep him in the limelight. Could he be using his own son in such a way?
The timeline jumps quite a bit in this story. While I’m still grieving Todd’s disappearance, Laura is moving on with her life. Within a few months after the kidnapping, Laura starts seeing Erich, the reporter investigating the crime. While the romantic in me loves their relationship, the mom in me was having a hard time with it.
The mystery itself was really good. I never knew how it was going to be resolved. Virginia, who has some idea who might have kidnapped Todd, is doing her own investigation, but she is not sharing information. Erich is finding some dirt about Virginia, but that information is driving a wedge into his relationship with Laura. And nobody is sharing info with the police! I won’t tell you how it turns out but it does wrap up nicely, with no lose ends.
If you like a mystery with a little romance, this might be the book for you!
I was provided a copy of Willow Pond for review.
January 29, 2012
This book by Carol Tibaldi is set in 1930s America and follows a mother’s desperate plight to find her kidnapped son. The plot twists and turns along the way and has the reader guessing just who is involved until the end.
This is Tibaldi’s debut novel, and it’s strong; she does well at creating strong characters early on who have a real sense of personality and individuality and her two female character, Laura and Virginia are stunning – Tibaldi has created two strong female who could lead their own books easily and I think (and hope) Tibaldi has much more she can explore with these two women.
I found Tibaldi’s writing style to be nice and easy to read; the plot moves along at a good pace and draws the reader in right from the beginning. You feel the love between Laura and her son and the animosity between Laura and her husband – a great achievement by Tibaldi in a short period of time.
One disappointing element for me was that this book was set in the 1930s, I had expected to get a real feel for the period, but I was left wanting. The character of Virginia, who owns the Speakeasy, is a strong female character, and you get a sense of her feistiness and a little of the world she inhabits but references to the 1930s are fleeting, But, when they’re there it’s done beautifully. For instance when Laura meets her Aunt for lunch the description of her ‘flapper’ clothes is superb, allowing the reader to visualise the era for that moment.
If you’re a fan of mystery books with a romantic theme then you won’t go far wrong with Willow Pond. There are some slight formatting issues with how the book appears on the Kindle, but Tibaldi is looking into fixing this and it doesn’t detract from the read itself.
I really do look forward to future books in the Willow Pond saga – perhaps exploring Laura and her sister’s life and upbringing by the formidable Virginia Kingsley and what exactly did happen with Erich and Jenny’s child?
This is Tibaldi’s debut novel, and it’s strong; she does well at creating strong characters early on who have a real sense of personality and individuality and her two female character, Laura and Virginia are stunning – Tibaldi has created two strong female who could lead their own books easily and I think (and hope) Tibaldi has much more she can explore with these two women.
I found Tibaldi’s writing style to be nice and easy to read; the plot moves along at a good pace and draws the reader in right from the beginning. You feel the love between Laura and her son and the animosity between Laura and her husband – a great achievement by Tibaldi in a short period of time.
One disappointing element for me was that this book was set in the 1930s, I had expected to get a real feel for the period, but I was left wanting. The character of Virginia, who owns the Speakeasy, is a strong female character, and you get a sense of her feistiness and a little of the world she inhabits but references to the 1930s are fleeting, But, when they’re there it’s done beautifully. For instance when Laura meets her Aunt for lunch the description of her ‘flapper’ clothes is superb, allowing the reader to visualise the era for that moment.
If you’re a fan of mystery books with a romantic theme then you won’t go far wrong with Willow Pond. There are some slight formatting issues with how the book appears on the Kindle, but Tibaldi is looking into fixing this and it doesn’t detract from the read itself.
I really do look forward to future books in the Willow Pond saga – perhaps exploring Laura and her sister’s life and upbringing by the formidable Virginia Kingsley and what exactly did happen with Erich and Jenny’s child?
June 6, 2012
This novel has many many positives, I felt some of the characters were very genuine and believable, particular Erich and Virginia, who were definitely my favourites. I also found Maggie/Nancy’s story extremely compelling and enjoyed the chapters which flipped back to her side of what was going on. The novel brought together many brilliant ideas, the terror of your child being kidnapped interspersed with marriage breakdown and a new man on the scene and all of the themes were carried through well. The author achieved a great deal by ensuring she told the story from as many perspectives as possible which is what drew me in the most.
However, I did feel two key features were missing. For a novel that described itself as in ‘the Roaring Twenties’ I felt a lot of character and atmosphere of the era was missing, especially as one of the leading characters owns a successful speakeasy. There are mentions of some of the big names of the era such as Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong but I felt I wanted more when it came to this element.
The other thing that didn’t work for me was Laura. The novel lost a lot of its believability for me during her scenes and particularly her relationship with Erich. Considering she had just lost her son, possibly forever, some of her behaviours just came across as unbelievable, going out for dinner etc. Of course, I can’t pretend to know how a real person in this situation would act but the regular continuation of Laura’s life along a seemingly normal pattern just didn’t sit well with me.
These may seem like pretty major issues but realistically they didn’t ruin the novel for me in the slightest. From the beginning I wanted to know how it would conclude and particularly enjoyed following particular characters throughout their journey.
If the author wrote another novel about the same characters or perhaps Virginia’s dark past, I wouldn’t hesitate in reading it.
However, I did feel two key features were missing. For a novel that described itself as in ‘the Roaring Twenties’ I felt a lot of character and atmosphere of the era was missing, especially as one of the leading characters owns a successful speakeasy. There are mentions of some of the big names of the era such as Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong but I felt I wanted more when it came to this element.
The other thing that didn’t work for me was Laura. The novel lost a lot of its believability for me during her scenes and particularly her relationship with Erich. Considering she had just lost her son, possibly forever, some of her behaviours just came across as unbelievable, going out for dinner etc. Of course, I can’t pretend to know how a real person in this situation would act but the regular continuation of Laura’s life along a seemingly normal pattern just didn’t sit well with me.
These may seem like pretty major issues but realistically they didn’t ruin the novel for me in the slightest. From the beginning I wanted to know how it would conclude and particularly enjoyed following particular characters throughout their journey.
If the author wrote another novel about the same characters or perhaps Virginia’s dark past, I wouldn’t hesitate in reading it.
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