Rich Deceiver

by Gillian White

Book by White, Gillian

Genres: British Literature

296 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1993

About the author

Gillian White (b. 1945) grew up in Liverpool, England. She has written sixteen novels under her own name, which are known for suspense, Gothic thrills, and satiric views of contemporary society. She also writes historical romance under the name Georgina Fleming. She lives in Devon, England.

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally read this over 15 years ago - I've been revisiting some old books after unearthing a box I'd stashed and forgotten about. This is one in glad I held onto - I'd like to stash it again to rediscover in another 10 years!

Some aspects of the book make it feel a bit dated eg descriptions of clothes but nothing significant.

A great story full of interesting twists. Enjoyed going along with Ellie on her journey!

[Briana Atherton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a very well known or clever book but I really enjoyed reading it. Lovely feel good revenge story.

[Major Flamboyant · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author takes her sweet time meandering, to describe and set the tone for scenes her reader (me) hardly cares about. There is no doubt she has skill, but it's wasted on the mundane, and that skill could have been put to good use elsewhere.

The story is a mixed bag. At times, you can see the tragedy and beauty of Ellie's past expertly written in White's prose, but at times, I found myself drifting away, not into the tale she had spun, but towards more interesting day-dreams or my own mundane life, such as the bills I need to pay or the obligations I have yet to fulfil. In other words, there were times I wish I could do BORING stuff in real life than reading her work when I was reading her book.

There's really no lesson to be learned here as far as I can tell. I appreciate the irony though: Ellie can help others but can't seem to help herself, and actually made her life worse.

In the end, I would not totally condemn this book as a waste of time, as there were times it was enjoyable. I think a star is sufficient for her prose alone, and I'll give her one more star for the scarce enjoyability. Just that she could get to the point instead of filling the page with her contrived effort to reach her word count quota.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the kind of book that I kept reading, hoping that something worthwhile was going to happen. Sadly it didn’t. I got to the end and thought what a waste of my time. It had promise, and at the start I was quite invested but the more it dragged on without any major revelations the less interested I became. Seriously, if I won that amount of money I would tell and help my family and friends, the whole book would be about excitement and fun!

[Jeremy Oxford · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a great fan of Gillian White - I've read 10 of her books. This one left me deeply disappointed.
The ending felt very rushed. I couldn't reconcile the character of Ellie as it had developed, with how she seemed to have given in to blackmail, and the mechanics of how it all panned out was completely glossed over.

[Autum Irene · Rating 1 out of 5]

What is this....

This book was recommended to me for a strong female lead... She is the most pathetic lead I have ever read whiny, egotistical and rude. I wished happiness for no one in this book, it was that bad. And then it just randomly ended out of a nowhere.

[Lyla Bellatas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done!!!!

[Janet Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to read this again!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love
Gillian White's books and the first time I read this, I loved
it. I am really convinced that the excellent British TV series
"At Home With the Braithwaites" owes a lot to this book. Ellie
is a drab housewife who wins the pools but instead of telling
her husband - who if I can remember was constantly belittling
her because she always entered the pools - she puts in motion
a plan to help him get back his self respect. She advertises
for people to help her set up a company and finds some wonderful
friends as well but the plan doesn't go to plan - Malcolm gets
over confidant and relishes his new position ect, but he leaves
Ellie behind. He is now a high flying CEO but Ellie has done
nothing to change herself.
When she realises she has lost him to another woman, Ellie's
revenge and imagination go into overdrive - making for some of
the most laugh out loud situations - but the ending is a
complete "cop out" I think. White's book was thorough satire,
a book that was not going to have any winners but I did want
Ellie to go out in a blaze of glory, to be triumphant - not
to have the tables turned on her!! So I was left quite disappointed
with my second reading of it. I wanted a "happy ever after" ending!!

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm afraid I only made it half way through. The main character, Ellie, who won the pools of 1.5 million pounds then goes onto fulfill her husbands dreams from his youth because she feels has given up. When he grew and changed direction in his life because of it she didn't like it. There was something irritating and whiny about the character, she wasn't happy with her old husband or the one she had created.

I think she deserved everything she got personally, including the pain in the arse neighbour. I was hoping her husband would run off with someone else, but couldn't actually stick the character long enough to find out.

[Nelda Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich deceiver

I enjoyed this book ! Could hardly put it down!! Ready for more of Gillian white books !! She kept me guessing all the time!!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. Gillian White did it again.

[Jemathomp · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book was covered in the intro summary. Elle comes into money; she doesn't tell her husband; she invests the money in a company that hires him. He becomes more confident and successful and leaves her for a younger woman. The second half is less predictable and leaves the reader hanging. Still not sure if I liked it but does lead to the question of money buying happiness.