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Woman Without a Past by Phyllis A. Whitney
In her thirty-fifth novel of psychological suspense, Phyllis A. Whitney spins a spellbinding tale of a young woman's quest to uncover her true identity.Successful young mystery novelist Molly Hunt, raised by adoptive parents on Long Island, is stunned when a chance encounter leads to a startling revelation. She is apparently the daughter of the aristocratic Mountfort family of Charleston, South Carolina, kidnapped as an infant from their ancestral home - and has an identical twin sister.Travelling to Charleston, Molly meets her delicately lovely long-lost twin; her mother's stern cousin, now the family patriarch, doubtful of Molly's identity and suspicious of her motives; and his tiny, enigmatic wife, a psychic who channels the spirit of a man who died mysteriously on the Mountfort estate a generation before.As Molly searches for the truth of her own origins, she comes to realize that the secrets of her troubled family's past have a strange and powerful hold on the present. Her reappearance in the lives of the Mountfort clan sets in motion events that threaten the family's very existence - as well as her own.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
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About the author
Phyllis A. Whitney
191 books566 followersPhyllis Ayame Whitney (1903 – 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
April 4, 2013
Woman Without a Past is a tedious book that fails both sides of the romantic suspense equation. The romance is bloodless and unbelievable, and the suspense is nonexistent. The story, about an adopted woman who discovers the truth about her birth family, goes nowhere. I never believed the heroine had anything at stake, and I often wondered why she cared so much about solving her newly found family's "mysteries." The author repeats often that the heroine is concerned for her supposed twin sister, but it happens too soon after their meeting to be plausible motivation. It didn't help that the romantic suspense author makes her main character a romantic suspense author. Not too self-indulgent. Especially when the heroine, Molly, runs around all the time observing things with her "writer's eye" and often reflects on her creative process. Nauseating. What plot there is teems with absurdities like a psychic cat, a haunted rocking horse, and messages from beyond the grave. The characters do little more than call each other up and arrange meetings where they endlessly discuss things. That way the author can eke out the meager plot in drips and drabs, lacing the whole with clumsy foreshadowing of the "if I had only known then..." variety. All in all, an entirely forgettable book.
July 20, 2016
A nice cosy gothic style mystery - undemanding but the right sort of read I needed right now! Although I guessed most of the plot but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of it - I haven't read a book like this in ages and it reminded me of the books I read years ago - authors like Barbara Michaels and Victoria Holt.
This arrived recently, a trade from BookMooch - my first mooched book! All the way from a moocher in the states - it's been on my wishlist for a while because it's set in beautiful Charleston, a town I was lucky enough to visit in April 2007 for the BookCrossing Convention, and where I met such wonderful people.
What I enjoyed most about this book was its setting - it did bring back memories of Charleston, a beautiful town and area ....and I do mean to visit again some day.
This arrived recently, a trade from BookMooch - my first mooched book! All the way from a moocher in the states - it's been on my wishlist for a while because it's set in beautiful Charleston, a town I was lucky enough to visit in April 2007 for the BookCrossing Convention, and where I met such wonderful people.
What I enjoyed most about this book was its setting - it did bring back memories of Charleston, a beautiful town and area ....and I do mean to visit again some day.
November 19, 2014
I thought I would never finish this book. It was interesting read, but it bored me describing the details of everything, detail of a cup, bug, flower etc. just took away from reading. To me the book didn't get really interesting until the last maybe 6 chapters.
March 30, 2013
A reliable author, and a reliable book. Perhaps a little predictable, but a good clean story.
January 31, 2014
Romantic suspsense author Molly Hunt always knew she was adopted, but didn't think much of it until a man sees her in New York and tells her he's engaged to her identical twin sister in Charleston--she was kidnapped from there as a baby. Reluctantly Molly goes to Charleston to meet her unsuspected family--which owns a large plantation and a city house--and finds an intriguing and disturbing cast of characters, as well as some skeletons in the attic that don't want to be disturbed. So of course, she disturbs them.
I loved Mary Stewart books when I was a teen, and when I ran out of those, turned to Phyllis Whitney as a not-quite-satisfactory substitute. This book had a good premise, but I kind of felt that the author got bored with it and wrapped it up with more of a whimper than a bang. Lots of loose ends left dangling, the "romance" was barely phoned in, etc. Good descriptions all around, and sense of place, but not enough to raise this one over a feeling of "meh."
I loved Mary Stewart books when I was a teen, and when I ran out of those, turned to Phyllis Whitney as a not-quite-satisfactory substitute. This book had a good premise, but I kind of felt that the author got bored with it and wrapped it up with more of a whimper than a bang. Lots of loose ends left dangling, the "romance" was barely phoned in, etc. Good descriptions all around, and sense of place, but not enough to raise this one over a feeling of "meh."
March 27, 2019
A young woman who was adopted finds a past of her own. Unfortunately, there's a catch.
This wasn't to my taste, although I had high hopes for it. It checked all the boxes, but not well enough for me to emotionally resonate with them. There's all kinds of drama, and it isn't especially clear who "dunnit" until the end--but because the dunnit comes out of the blue and is set up poorly. Most of the characters are petty, confusing, and tiresome, for the most part, and the reading is made of thick blocky paragraphs that don't reflect the rest of the story's pace. The puzzle seemed meaninglessly bait-and-switched, the love interests pretty flat, we had a number of racist tropes on hand, and the family was Too Stupid To Live. I like gothics, but this didn't win me over.
YMMV, obviously :)
This wasn't to my taste, although I had high hopes for it. It checked all the boxes, but not well enough for me to emotionally resonate with them. There's all kinds of drama, and it isn't especially clear who "dunnit" until the end--but because the dunnit comes out of the blue and is set up poorly. Most of the characters are petty, confusing, and tiresome, for the most part, and the reading is made of thick blocky paragraphs that don't reflect the rest of the story's pace. The puzzle seemed meaninglessly bait-and-switched, the love interests pretty flat, we had a number of racist tropes on hand, and the family was Too Stupid To Live. I like gothics, but this didn't win me over.
YMMV, obviously :)
October 17, 2015
Phyllis A. Whitney is one of my favorite authors. Because I visited Charleston, the book's setting, I was intrigued by the story. While this book had many of the wonderful elements of Whitney's other romantic suspense titles, I didn't always agree with the actions of the main character, Molly. I also felt the author took a long time to get to the point with many delays. Overall, though, the book and the ending were satisfying.
September 14, 2008
The book was kind of slow in the beginning as most are because you have to get to know the main characters and all of that. But trust me once you get past all the introductions the book really grabs your attention and you just can't put it down. I actually read this book on the way, during, and back from a trip to Charleston. The family ties that are revealed in this book are astounding.
January 25, 2016
I used to devour these Whitney romantic suspense novels in high school, but either I was less discerning then or this one is particularly weak. The characters acted strangely (didn't mourn deaths, didn't notify that police that a kidnapped child was returned), and there was some latent sexism/racism that was a bit squicky.
March 30, 2018
Phyllis Whitney is Amazing!
I love reading Whitney mysteries. I read them all when I was young, and now I’m old enough to have forgotten the storylines, so I’m enjoying them all over again.
Whitney is a master storyteller. She weaves her characters and plot in such a way to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the book!
I love reading Whitney mysteries. I read them all when I was young, and now I’m old enough to have forgotten the storylines, so I’m enjoying them all over again.
Whitney is a master storyteller. She weaves her characters and plot in such a way to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the book!
August 17, 2007
Another book given to me by my aunt, she is the one who got me started on mystery novels. Enjoyable book, but had to really pay attention to keep up with the twists and turns in the plot. Not realy deep, but kept moving.
September 13, 2014
1.5 One of those suspense novels where I want to smack all the characters for acting so stupidly.
December 20, 2021
Some of these other reviews are tripping, because this is a very good bonkers classic jump-scare gothic.
July 1, 2016
Molly Hunt, escritora de 30 anos, bem sucedida profissionalmente, viúva, filha adotiva com apenas o pai vivo, fica curiosa e incomodada quando um belo e charmoso homem fica a observá-la na sala de espera de seu editor e antigo cunhado. Na sequência o homem faz uma revelação que a deixa chocada: Molly deve ser a irmã gêmea desaparecida de sua noiva.
Como Molly havia sido adotada muito pequena, fica na duvida; seria ela a filha desaparecida de uma família rica do Sul? Após uma conversa com seu pai adotivo ela quase chega a ter certeza de que é Cecelia, a criança sequestrada anos atrás. Para ter certeza, mesmo que insegura quanto a isso, Molly vai para Charleston a fim de conhecer a família Mountfort, com o auxílio de Charles, noivo de sua irmã.
Sua chegada não é muito tranquila. O primo de sua verdadeira mãe deixa claro que não acredita que ela seja Cecelia e quer vê-la o mais distante possível o mais rápido possível. A esposa dele, Honória, é uma senhora ágil, alegre, charmosa, exótica e que fala com espíritos (ela vai a procura de Molly para avisá-la do perigo que a aguarda se ela permanecer em Charleston).
Tudo isso, no entanto, parece perder a importância assim que Molly se encontra com sua bela e frágil irmã gêmea, Amélia. As duas se sentem unidas de forma surpreendente, como se jamais houvessem sido separadas. Com o tempo, no entanto, essa união corre o risco de acabar, já que Charles, noivo de Amélia (perdidamente apaixonada por ele desde criança) fica caindo de amores por Molly.
Sobre a mãe das duas, ela me deixou irritada praticamente todas as vezes em que apareceu. Segundo Molly fica sabendo, a mãe havia ficado inconsolável com seu sequestro e a situação ficara pior quando o marido morrera. Com toda esta história de sofrimento a mulher rejeita a filha assim que a vê e, não satisfeita com isso, ainda coloca a moça em situação de risco pregando uma peça maldosa. Se eu fosse Molly jamais a perdoaria (na verdade ela rejeita a mãe quase até o fim da história, com medo da mulher desequilibrada).
Temos outros personagens, como Nathanial, o professor das crianças anos atrás, que havia morrido afogado no que se suspeitava fosse um crime e que falava pelos lábios de Honória (que o amara na época e continuava amando, mesmo casada com outro) desejando que sua morte fosse esclarecida (ele está morto a anos, mas é quase um personagem presente). Temos Dafne (filha do marido de Honória), Garry (escritor que está recolhendo material para escrever sobre a família Mountfort a pedido do marido de Honória), a mãe de Charles (espécie de governanta da família) e outros que aparecem um pouco menos. Ah, não posso esquecer da gatinha Miss Kitty, que é muito ativa e que vê espíritos :-D
Pois bem, a volta de Molly põe em risco vários segredos e alguém quer que ela desapareça, não poupando meios para isso, como tentar matá-la. É um livro interessante e me deixou curiosa para acompanhar o desenrolar da trama, mas não é fabuloso. Molly arrasta muito sua investigação, como se tivesse todo o tempo do mundo apesar de alegar que quer resolver tudo e partir para longe do Sul, de volta ao Norte, onde fora criada.
Alguns segredos que são revelados são legais, outros eu esperava mais. O romance não é ardente nem nada assim. Nem se quer um abraço ou roçar de lábios. Molly sente-se atraída por Charles porque ele é belíssimo e perfeito como o protagonista de um livro e fica curiosa e irritada com Garry por ele ser um tanto grosseiro e imperfeito, então, temos um triângulo amoroso suave... ou seria quadrilátero, já que Amélia era noiva de Charles e o amava profundamente? Recomendo.
Como Molly havia sido adotada muito pequena, fica na duvida; seria ela a filha desaparecida de uma família rica do Sul? Após uma conversa com seu pai adotivo ela quase chega a ter certeza de que é Cecelia, a criança sequestrada anos atrás. Para ter certeza, mesmo que insegura quanto a isso, Molly vai para Charleston a fim de conhecer a família Mountfort, com o auxílio de Charles, noivo de sua irmã.
Sua chegada não é muito tranquila. O primo de sua verdadeira mãe deixa claro que não acredita que ela seja Cecelia e quer vê-la o mais distante possível o mais rápido possível. A esposa dele, Honória, é uma senhora ágil, alegre, charmosa, exótica e que fala com espíritos (ela vai a procura de Molly para avisá-la do perigo que a aguarda se ela permanecer em Charleston).
Tudo isso, no entanto, parece perder a importância assim que Molly se encontra com sua bela e frágil irmã gêmea, Amélia. As duas se sentem unidas de forma surpreendente, como se jamais houvessem sido separadas. Com o tempo, no entanto, essa união corre o risco de acabar, já que Charles, noivo de Amélia (perdidamente apaixonada por ele desde criança) fica caindo de amores por Molly.
Sobre a mãe das duas, ela me deixou irritada praticamente todas as vezes em que apareceu. Segundo Molly fica sabendo, a mãe havia ficado inconsolável com seu sequestro e a situação ficara pior quando o marido morrera. Com toda esta história de sofrimento a mulher rejeita a filha assim que a vê e, não satisfeita com isso, ainda coloca a moça em situação de risco pregando uma peça maldosa. Se eu fosse Molly jamais a perdoaria (na verdade ela rejeita a mãe quase até o fim da história, com medo da mulher desequilibrada).
Temos outros personagens, como Nathanial, o professor das crianças anos atrás, que havia morrido afogado no que se suspeitava fosse um crime e que falava pelos lábios de Honória (que o amara na época e continuava amando, mesmo casada com outro) desejando que sua morte fosse esclarecida (ele está morto a anos, mas é quase um personagem presente). Temos Dafne (filha do marido de Honória), Garry (escritor que está recolhendo material para escrever sobre a família Mountfort a pedido do marido de Honória), a mãe de Charles (espécie de governanta da família) e outros que aparecem um pouco menos. Ah, não posso esquecer da gatinha Miss Kitty, que é muito ativa e que vê espíritos :-D
Pois bem, a volta de Molly põe em risco vários segredos e alguém quer que ela desapareça, não poupando meios para isso, como tentar matá-la. É um livro interessante e me deixou curiosa para acompanhar o desenrolar da trama, mas não é fabuloso. Molly arrasta muito sua investigação, como se tivesse todo o tempo do mundo apesar de alegar que quer resolver tudo e partir para longe do Sul, de volta ao Norte, onde fora criada.
Alguns segredos que são revelados são legais, outros eu esperava mais. O romance não é ardente nem nada assim. Nem se quer um abraço ou roçar de lábios. Molly sente-se atraída por Charles porque ele é belíssimo e perfeito como o protagonista de um livro e fica curiosa e irritada com Garry por ele ser um tanto grosseiro e imperfeito, então, temos um triângulo amoroso suave... ou seria quadrilátero, já que Amélia era noiva de Charles e o amava profundamente? Recomendo.
March 12, 2012
This book reminds me of books I used to read in the back of Good Housekeeping Magazines. Predictable, and contrived... A twin is discovered in NYC and travels to South Carolina to meet her "family." She learns of her kidnapping and meets her sister and mother. Her sister's fiance makes passes at her, her mother threatens her and of course there are a couple of unsolved murders that must be unraveled. Naturally all ends happily ever after and the evil doer is uncovered. Her mother accepts her, she gets her man and everyone lives happily ever after. An airplane book- good enough to listen to as you sit there and knit as the miles fly by...
March 13, 2016
I didn't know that this book was going to be as an enjoyable read as it was. I actually picked it up to read because I liked the text inside! LOL. But after starting, I couldn't stop and quickly finished it within a week. It kept me curious and I always wanted to know whether her and her sister were going to get along, who was the culprit trying to ruin everything, why people didn't want her around, and what was going to happen between her and her mom. It was a great story with an okay ending.
July 8, 2013
Not Ms. Whitney's best novel, but still an engaging mystery of two twins separated as infants and reunited when Molly, the stolen twin, meets a man who says she looks just like his fiancee. Molly's return to meet her birth family sets into motion revelations that threaten not only to reveal a kidnapper, but a murderer as well.
September 29, 2008
This book was aite, It didn't keep my attention like the other mystery books that I read. There was no suspense. Because I'm so damn curious I kept reading to the end to find out the big mystery and what the long lost twin had to do wit it.
July 22, 2009
An enjoyable read!
September 1, 2009
Not bad at all. It was an interesting twist of events.
February 20, 2011
Great mystery set in Charlotte. Southern values and a great ending.
August 29, 2011
I like a good romance/suspense story.
May 17, 2021
Didn't enjoy this as much as other Whitney books...but it was okay. Post script: accidentally read this a second time, it was that forgettable. It still rates just 2 stars.
October 17, 2012
Easy read. Nothing surprising. Simplistic characters. If you want a pleasant rainy afternoon read that doesn't make you think, this isn't a bad choice.
February 24, 2013
As ever Phyllis Whitney weaves an amazingly good suspenseful story.
December 28, 2013
Phyllis A. Whitney always writes well. A similar story to Poinciana. This story about a woman who discovers she has a twin.
September 7, 2023
This was one of Whitney's last books and true to form, the heroine is forced to reconnect with a family that doesn't want her. The relationship with the mother is strained, one family member is kinda out there in woo woo land, another is half mad, and the "romance" is pretty weak sauce, if we're being honest.
This book could have been a lot better. The plot is actually pretty good, dealing with identical twins, one stolen at birth, and reunited through a very strange coincidence. Set in Charleston, Whitney does a good job of recreating the city and its atmosphere. Whitney, however, leaves a lot of things up in the air. For instance, there aren't any clues to the eventual identity of the murderer. The heroine's romance suddenly bursts forth, with little buildup. This makes the book a bit unsatisfying. Then there is also the weird sentence that describes Orva, the Black housekeeper at the mansion that's the main focus of the book. It basically said that Orva had very dark skin, which testified to the "purity of her race." Wtf, Phyllis?
Still, this is one of Whitney's better novels from her later period, much of which are disappointingly chaste. There is some real forbidden passion in this book, as well as violence and spooky occurrences. Not sure I would recommend this to a non-Whitney reader, but for as regular fans of her work I'd say it's middle of the pack, and worth a read.
This book could have been a lot better. The plot is actually pretty good, dealing with identical twins, one stolen at birth, and reunited through a very strange coincidence. Set in Charleston, Whitney does a good job of recreating the city and its atmosphere. Whitney, however, leaves a lot of things up in the air. For instance, there aren't any clues to the eventual identity of the murderer. The heroine's romance suddenly bursts forth, with little buildup. This makes the book a bit unsatisfying. Then there is also the weird sentence that describes Orva, the Black housekeeper at the mansion that's the main focus of the book. It basically said that Orva had very dark skin, which testified to the "purity of her race." Wtf, Phyllis?
Still, this is one of Whitney's better novels from her later period, much of which are disappointingly chaste. There is some real forbidden passion in this book, as well as violence and spooky occurrences. Not sure I would recommend this to a non-Whitney reader, but for as regular fans of her work I'd say it's middle of the pack, and worth a read.
August 14, 2022
"Woman Without a Past" unites several themes from Phyllis A. Whitney's novels—young women reclaiming their birthrights (Emerald, Listen for the Whisperer, Dream of Orchids, Sea Jade, Thunder Heights, The Trembling Hills) with long-lost children (Feather on the Moon, the Golden Unicorn) and touches of the psychic (again, Feather on the Moon, Rainbow in the Mist, and the Singing Stones). The result is the story of romantic suspense novelist Molly Hunt, who learns she may be the long-ago kidnaped child of the wealthy Mountfort clan of Charleston, South Carolina. But her rediscovery will set in motion long-buried and deadly secrets. Of course, as was the case with "Feather on the Moon," contemporary readers accustomed to DNA tests will sigh in annoyance. Nevertheless, Whitney keeps the action going through the picturesque setting of this important Southern city. While she tries to avoid racial stereotyping, Whitney can't completely avoid a slight touch of exoticizing one of the novel's two Black characters. When time for the reveal of the culprit, Whitney managed to keep a final twist up her sleeve, showing that, despite the retread of elements, her plotting at nearly 90 was still strong.
April 28, 2015
Lots of people have fantasies about discovering that they're the lost child of a wealthy, sometimes odd family. But that fantasy turns out to be overrated in Molly Hunt's case, in the soaked-in-Southern thriller "Woman Without A Past." It's a pretty standard Phyllis A. Whitney tale -- smoldering PG-rated suspense, a memorable setting, and a plucky heroine.
Molly Hunt has always known she was adopted, and she had no interest in knowing her biological family. But then she met Charles Landry, a man who claims to know everythng about her past -- she was abducted from the wealthy Mountforts of Charleston as a baby. What's more, he's engaged to her identical twin Amelia.
So after some soul-searching, Molly goes to Charleston. But while Amelia is overjoyed to meet her long-lost sister, the rest of the family is not so happy to see her. Her stuffy uncle Porter openly believes her to be an imposter, her mother is mentally unstable, and her eccentric aunt Honoria claims that the spirit of her dead boyfriend is warning her of impending murder.
As Molly is drawn deeper into the mysteries and secrets of the Mountforts, she realizes that her arrival has stirred up a bunch of old ghosts. Her father's death, an orphaned earring, and a man drowned under mysterious circumstances are all somehow entwined in her kidnapping -- and someone is willing to commit murder to make sure that everything stays secret.
It's pretty obvious that Phyllis A. Whitney had immense affection for Charleston. "Woman Without A Past" is soaked in the atmosphere and history of the city, whether it's the luxuriant old plantation houses or the shadowy ghosts of past wars. The story drips with mossy, humid atmosphere, and it echoes with soap-opera skeletons in the closet.
And the style is typical Whitney -- a PG-rated romance interwoven with lots of suspense and a murder mystery. She weaves in some elegant, poetic moments when she describes the beauty of Charleston, but the real draw here is in a fairly solid murder mystery, with many clues and almost as many suspects, but a genuinely surprising ending... although a few things, like Valerie's abrupt transition, are rather headscratchy.
The most disconcerting part of the story is perhaps Molly herself. She's a fairly likable character, but she doesn't develop a lot. Also, the fact that she's a writer of romantic suspense novels called things like "Crystal Fire" feels a little... Mary Suey.
Fortunately, the other characters are better-rounded -- eccentric psychic Honoria, the stuffy yet tormented Porter, the dignified servant Orva, semi-deranged girl-woman Valerie, arrogant golden-boy Charles and the gentle, girlish Amelia. Whitney even paints delicate, detailed portraits of the dead characters, so that they almost seem alive.
Despite a self-insertish heroine, "Woman Without A Past" is a solid romantic thriller drenched in Deep Southern charm. Definitely for fans of Charleston, the South and murder mystery.
Molly Hunt has always known she was adopted, and she had no interest in knowing her biological family. But then she met Charles Landry, a man who claims to know everythng about her past -- she was abducted from the wealthy Mountforts of Charleston as a baby. What's more, he's engaged to her identical twin Amelia.
So after some soul-searching, Molly goes to Charleston. But while Amelia is overjoyed to meet her long-lost sister, the rest of the family is not so happy to see her. Her stuffy uncle Porter openly believes her to be an imposter, her mother is mentally unstable, and her eccentric aunt Honoria claims that the spirit of her dead boyfriend is warning her of impending murder.
As Molly is drawn deeper into the mysteries and secrets of the Mountforts, she realizes that her arrival has stirred up a bunch of old ghosts. Her father's death, an orphaned earring, and a man drowned under mysterious circumstances are all somehow entwined in her kidnapping -- and someone is willing to commit murder to make sure that everything stays secret.
It's pretty obvious that Phyllis A. Whitney had immense affection for Charleston. "Woman Without A Past" is soaked in the atmosphere and history of the city, whether it's the luxuriant old plantation houses or the shadowy ghosts of past wars. The story drips with mossy, humid atmosphere, and it echoes with soap-opera skeletons in the closet.
And the style is typical Whitney -- a PG-rated romance interwoven with lots of suspense and a murder mystery. She weaves in some elegant, poetic moments when she describes the beauty of Charleston, but the real draw here is in a fairly solid murder mystery, with many clues and almost as many suspects, but a genuinely surprising ending... although a few things, like Valerie's abrupt transition, are rather headscratchy.
The most disconcerting part of the story is perhaps Molly herself. She's a fairly likable character, but she doesn't develop a lot. Also, the fact that she's a writer of romantic suspense novels called things like "Crystal Fire" feels a little... Mary Suey.
Fortunately, the other characters are better-rounded -- eccentric psychic Honoria, the stuffy yet tormented Porter, the dignified servant Orva, semi-deranged girl-woman Valerie, arrogant golden-boy Charles and the gentle, girlish Amelia. Whitney even paints delicate, detailed portraits of the dead characters, so that they almost seem alive.
Despite a self-insertish heroine, "Woman Without A Past" is a solid romantic thriller drenched in Deep Southern charm. Definitely for fans of Charleston, the South and murder mystery.
September 22, 2020
I ran across a copy of this among my mother's books and thought I'd revisit an author I read constantly as a teenager. Definitely high class junk food that you can't stop munching - well written (no clumsy sentences or misuse of words), nice sense of place as far as I could tell, intriguing mystery, very low romance quotient, appealing narrator, and a sense of gentle self mockery because the narrator writes mysteries. I might look for a couple of others at the library whose titles are familiar. This lady was prolific. If be remiss if I didn't mention her handling of black characters - the narrator is a northerner visiting Charleston for the first time, finds intelligent support from the black characters in the story, and privately questions the attitudes toward the civil war of her hosts. There is no depth to this, because it's peripheral to the story, and it feels a little like she was checking a box because she couldn't ignore the issue entirely, or her editors helped her work it in. I guess for a nearly 90 year old white lady who had been writing slightly formulaic novels her whole life it was a bigger gesture than it seems to us. Nevertheless it made me twitch a little sometimes. Of course, a lot of things were unrealistic and artificial, that's the nature of these junk food novels...
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