Waiting to Surface

by Emily Listfield

On a steamy August morning, Sarah Larkin drops her six-year-old daughter, Eliza, off at camp and heads to her office, where she works as an editor of a women's magazine. Sitting at her desk testing a $450 face cream, she is just rubbing it into her forearm when the phone rings.

Detective Ronald Brook, speaking softly and deliberately, tells Sarah that her husband has vanished. A keening sound escapes from Sarah's throat as the detective lays out the few facts he knows.

A noted sculptor, Todd Larkin went swimming at midnight off the coast of Florida and hasn't returned. He was staying with a woman. He was drinking. He left behind his keys, wallet, cell phone, and his return airline ticket. They also found two drawings and pieces of a sculpture. But there is no trace of him or his body. The Coast Guard has been scouring the shoreline, but no one has seen a thing.

Has Todd run off to start a new life or is he dead? Could it have been an accident, suicide, or homicide? Immediately, Sarah's life spins into a world of uncertainty, hope, and fear as she grapples with the mystery of his disappearance.

As Sarah tries to discover what happened to the man she thought she knew better than anyone, she is forced to confront the love and resentments, the hopes and disappointments of her marriage. And through it all, she must find a way to help her young daughter deal with the crisis while meeting the demands of the high-powered magazine world.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Suspense, Novels, Drama, Thriller

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2007

Reviews

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Emily Listfield book, but won't be my last. It was a page turner and tough to put down. Looking forward to some of her other books!

[Noella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het verhaal komt nogal traag op gang, het grootste deel gaat over het leven van een vrouw die Marta heet, maar in haar volwassen leven de naam Laura aanneemt. Ze heeft een gegronde reden voor die naamsverandering.
Opgegroeid in Florida, in ver van ideale omstandigheden, komt Laura in New York terecht, waar ze haar best doet om haar leven te veranderen, en er echt iets van te maken. Dat lukt ook, ze wordt een bekende nieuwsanker.
Ze is getrouwd met David, en heeft een baby dochtertje.
Op een dag duikt er iemand uit haar verleden, uit Florida, op. Laura is erg geschrokken en heeft gemengde gevoelens over het terugzien van haar vroegere vriend.
Tot zover zit er dus niet zo erg veel spanning in het boek, enkel de verhaallijn waarom ze van Florida naar New York getrokken is, was spannend, maar niet te, omdat het zo lang geleden gebeurd is.
We zijn al een heel eind in het boek gevorderd eer gebeurd wat ik op de achterflap kon lezen: het dochterje van Laura wordt ontvoerd. Omdat het boek dan al naar zijn einde loopt, volgen de gebeurtenissen elkaar nu heel snel op.
Voor mij had het net andersom gemogen: enkel de ter zake doende feiten uit het verleden vertellen, met een beetje entourage, en meer over de ontvoeringszaak en alles wat daarrond gaande was.
Al bij al toch een goed leesbaar boek.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was so much promise for this book, but it just fell flat. The end managed to both wrap some things up all too tidily, and yet leave a lot unsaid and incomplete. There were far too many loose ends throughout the book for me to fully enjoy it and yet I kept reading hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Sadly, it was not to be.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being blown away by Waiting to Surface I was anxious to read more of Emily Listfield's work and Best Intentions didn't disappoint. The characters were likable and believable. Nothing could be more realistic than Lisa's ongoing trauma as her company is bought out, that's for sure.
The twists and turns were effectively woven into the ongoing everyday life we all have to deal with, even in extraordinary times. It is a thoroughly satisfying read; the only problem is the urge to skim in the race to find out what happens next.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would've initially said this was kind of boring, plodding, with clichéd magazine editors swarming the halls. Then, I learned that the story was based on the author's own experience with a disappearing husband (https://www.redbookmag.com/love-sex/r... ) and now have way more empathy for Emily Listfield. Still, 3 stars feels generous.

The end offered a bit of hope, and we can imagine that Sarah and Eliza are ultimately OK. Perhaps, though, this would have been better served by being a more fleshed out essay instead of a fictionalized account of the months after "Todd's" disappearance. (The linked article shows just how closely the novel hewed to the actual story.)

[Shonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it possible that the world you carefully constructed can shatter in an instant based on an assumption you made after hearing a voice message on your husband’s cell phone? This is what Lisa Barkley begins to think after hearing the muffled message from an unknown woman to her husband.

On the outside, Sam and Lisa are happily married with two daughters, Claire and Phoebe. Lisa holds a top position at a PR firm, while Sam is a journalist. They met and fell in love during college and married shortly after graduation. Their daughters attend private school on the Upper East Side.

Lisa never thought to question her marriage until she hears this voice message. She shares her concerns with her best friend, Deirdre. Deirdre does not share Lisa’s suspicions and tells her it’s probably nothing. Lisa tries to shrug it off, however she just cannot seem to let it go.

Meanwhile an old college friend comes to Manhattan to interview for a job and to celebrate his 40th birthday. Jack is Deirdre’s former boyfriend and the four of them get together for a night of celebration and to reminisce. Jack and Deirdre entertain the idea of resuming their past love, only this time both have significant others. Jack is now married to Alice and Deirdre is in a relationship with Ben.

The four friends’ reunion sets the stage for past secrets, betrayal and lies to be revealed. Can we truly leave our past in the past? If we try to correct past mistakes, are really doing more harm than good?

Best Intentions is a book that you can easily get lost in. I was captivated within the first chapter and began to wonder if Sam was truly having an affair. Without giving too much away, the novels twists and turns and I began to question each character’s motive. At one point I truly felt for Lisa because I didn’t know who was telling the truth and who was not. I have to admit, after finishing the book and finally knowing Sam’s side of the story, I still had my doubts.

This is the first book I read by this author and it will not be the last. Best Intentions is one I highly recommend.

4.5 Stars

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah is married to a sculpture and they have a daughter, Eliza whose father thinks the sun rises and sets on her. Their marriage is falling apart as Todd's career starts to falter and he begins to feel as though he can't produce his art anymore. Todd begins to drink more heavily and finally he moves out of their apartment in NYC and into his studio where he lived before they were remarried. Todd then tells Sarah that he needs some time away and he is going to Florida to help a friend build a house. Sarah then receives a phone call that freezes the blood in her veins. Todd is missing in Florida and it is presumed that he has drowned but a body hasn't been found yet.

What does a mom do? She doesn't believe that Todd is really dead but he hasn't returned and he hasn't called them. Would he do that to little Eliza, who he loved more than life itself? What should she tell her daughter about her dad?

The story is intriguing and causes you to keep turning the pages because you want to find out what is going to happen. All this is taking place while Sarah works in the cut throat magazine publishing world where you can not be sure you have a job from one day to the next. What is even more interesting is when you read the book jacket and discover that this story is based on the experiences of the author! It really makes you want to meet her.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was actually really surprised by this book! I picked it up off the shelf at the library on a lark not expecting much, but it was a great read! It reminded me a lot of Jodi Picoult's style of writing and kept me interested from start to finish. The characters drew me in and I found myself loving and hating all of them from one moment to the next. Life and people are always more complicated than good or evil and I found that these characters were very real to life. I look forward to checking out other books by Emily Listfield.

*Edit* Never mind.....this is the only work written by Emily Listfield! :o)

** double edit** this is not the only book written by Listfield. I don't know why I thought that. Oh well, gonna check out some more books by her!**

[LInda L · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was good enough for me to finish it, but not all THAT good. Separated husband disappears, 6 year old grieves, wife is puzzled, but focuses on career and finds new boyfriend. No solution at the end. Don't bother................

[Maureen Lachance · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so disappointed in this book. There is no true conflict resolution and it felt like the author just had no plan on how to tie it all up. I'm a trooper though, I stuck it out to the bitter, bland ending.

[K.D. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boy, am I on a bad streak.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this book primarly because of the ending. Too many unanswered questions.

[Shaunda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out really liking this book and wanted to see what would happen next, but hated the ending!!! What was really going on with Julia? Did Ali actually see anything? Etc, etc, etc.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. It was extremely well written and knowing it was based on true events in my area made it all the more appealing.

I can't even imagine having no closure to this type of situation. I thought Listfield described the entire situation with emotion and credibility. While it was a sad story, the ending was also uplifting and proved the resilence of what some people must endure.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story Overview
On the surface, Lisa Barkley seems to have it all -- a husband who was her college sweetheart, two lovely daughters, a high-powered PR job, a residence in Manhattan, and a best friend she's had since college. But Lisa's life isn't as perfect as it may seem on the outside.

* She is beginning to suspect her husband Sam might be having an affair -- and the distance that has been growing between them seems insurmountable. In addition, she is startled to find herself feeling attracted to another man.

* Her daughters are pulling away from her -- seemingly embarrassed to be seen with her.

* Her job hangs in the balance when her company is sold to another PR firm -- and the new vice president seems hell bent on making Lisa's life miserable.

* The financial pressures of living in Manhattan and sending her daughters to an expensive private school are taking a toll on the Barkley finances -- but neither Sam or Lisa can talk together about the financial pressures they face.

* Her best friend Deirdre is in a volatile relationship with Ben -- a dashing photographer who won't commit to her and sometimes leaves her with bruises.

When Jack -- an old college friend of Lisa, Sam and Deirdre -- comes to town for a reunion dinner, it seems like things in Lisa's life start to unravel all at the same time -- Sam's distance, job pressures, financial pressures, pressures to fit in at her daughters' school, and Deirdre's toying with both Jack and Ben. Just when it seems like things can't get any worse, it does -- Deirdre is found murdered in her apartment and no one (including Lisa) has an alibi. Driven to find out what happened to her best friend and put her life back together, Lisa must face the truth about herself, her husband, her friends and best friend -- no matter how painful it might be.

My Thoughts
When I was contacted about reading and reviewing this book, I was expecting a run-of-the-mill murder mystery. Now there is nothing wrong with murder mysteries. I certainly enjoy them from time to time. But I often find them to be a bit formulaic. But this one sounded a bit different from the norm, and the setting of Manhattan was intriguing so I said "Yes...please send me a copy."

I was thrilled to find out that this book WAS NOT your standard murder mystery. Lisa's character and the stresses of her life are very well-developed. In fact, the murder doesn't happen until about two-thirds of the way through the book -- giving you plenty of time to get to know all the characters and the stresses of Lisa's life. For me, this made for a better-than-average mystery. I always like when an author takes the time to develop the characters rather than just focusing on the "who done it" or procedural aspects. In fact, I think the author could have skipped the whole murder part of it and still had a wonderful book about marriage, friendship, and the pressures of being a working mom. I really don't think the book would have suffered at all had Deirdre lived.

I also like the little details the author works into the book that give it a ring of authenticity. For example, here is a passage from when Lisa's husband is looking for some mittens for one of their daughters:

It occurs to me that he is not really asking for their likeliest location but prompting me to find them for him. I consider telling him to look for them himself but I don't. The first attempt at ferreting out last winter's accessories from the jumble of mismatched gloves, hats and scarves is an iffy proposition at best, especially for one with little experience in this type of archaeological dig.

I don't know about you, but I very much related to this passage -- finding gloves for the first time in a winter is a task best left up to Mom!

The other aspect of the book I liked was the setting of Manhattan. My family likes to visit New York City, and it was kind of fun to read about the Barkley's life in the city and recognize some of the places where we had been on visits. Also, the sections where Lisa feels outclassed and intimidated by the mothers at her daughters' elite private school were fascinating to me. It felt like getting a glimpse at secret society from an outsider's perspective -- kind of like falling into The Nanny Diaries but from a working mom's point-of-view.

My Final Recommendation
This was a good read, and I would recommend it. If you are looking for a "by the books" procedural-type murder mystery, this might not be a good fit for you. To me, this was really more of a character-driven novel that just happens to have a murder in it.

[Katherine Marple · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Acts of Love" opens with a short introduction to the characters: Julia & Ali (daughters), Ted (husband), Sandy (sister) and Ann (main character). Almost as soon as you've met these people, their world is thrown into upheaval after Ted returns from a weekend trip with his daugthers, gets into a fight with his wife, Ann, and she ends up shot in the head and dead.

Her eldest daughter, Julia, is 13 and is standing between 3 feet to 1.5 feet from Ted when the gun is fired. She claims Ted aimed and shot his wife while Ted claims that Julia jumped on him- to stop their arguing- causing the gun to misfire.

This story is filled with back stories and also present tense court hearings.
We are given a back story about Ann & Sandy's relationship with their parents and thier ideas of what marriage is supposed to feel like. Ann believes it to be about passion and love and the giving of oneself to another. Sandy believes that you should always keep yourself separate from someone else, to keep yourself whole on your own.

We learn how Ann & Ted met, what their relationship is like. We learn about the girls and their feelings toward their parents' separation a year prior to the "accident". We learn about many deep, dark secrets.

I liked the idea of the story. The delivery was a bit... wanting. I didn't care for the characters. Even the ones that I was rooting for in the beginning, I ended up not caring for in the end. Every single person was hiding something. I lost myself within the pages, trying to uncover who was telling the truth.

There isn't much showing of remorse. The only struggle is within Sandy, and it's almost non-related to the entire dramatic event itself.

There were chunks of the book that should have been left out completely. And as stated in a few other reviews, there was no one that I ended up LIKING by the end of the book. It's tough to love a book if you don't like any of the characters.

It was a good effort, and wasn't COMPLETELY bad. If you can struggle through it, it actually has a few redeeming qualities- hence the 3 star review.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seemed like fairly typical "chick lit" material attempting (mostly unsuccessfully) to be something deeper and more meaningful. The story of the husband who disappeared and the main character's attempts to move on with her life while not knowing for sure what happened to him was fairly interesting. My biggest problem was the main character. I simply could not connect with her or figure out who she was. Was she a devoted mother? A hard-working intelligent career woman? An insecure superficial person who cared way too much about what brand names were on everyone's clothes? Maybe it was her job in a high-powered New York publishing company that was the real problem, but it just seemed like there was way too much attention given to clothes, brand names, power games, and appearances. This woman seemed a far cry from the woman who fell for an artist and who said she liked to observe people to see what was really going on under the surface. Another problem for me was her use of alcohol - after criticizing her husband for drinking too much, she couldn't have any social interaction without lubricating it with plenty of alcohol, whether it was a date or a chat with a girlfriend. I'm sorry to be so critical, especially since I understand that the book was semi-autobiographical, but it seems like it was really two stories - the lost husband/mystery/moving on with life story and the publishing company/career story - and maybe it was too much for one novel so neither story felt complete. Or maybe the book will appeal more to someone who actually cares whether someone's purse comes from Prada or WalMart.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the characters in this book have very few redeeming qualities. They are definitely a family in crisis. Ted Waring is the husband of Ann and the father of two girls, Julia and Ali. They have recently separated but Ted wants to come back to the home and start again with Ann. She, however, is beginning to move on with her life. In the midst of an argument a gun is fired and Ted is accused of murdering his wife, though he says it was an accident. Their daughter, Julia, however disagrees and says that her father did this on purpose.

The case goes to court and throughout the story each member of the family has their own say on how things were in the family and what probably happened.

I have to say that I did not particularly like any of the characters in this book. Everyone seemed to be keeping their own secrets and deceiving others in the process.

Not a great book in my opinion.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a working mom of two who is suddenly feeling very insecure in her life. Her husband appears distant and is lying to her, her employer has been purchased by another, larger firm, and she doesn’t even fit in with the other moms at her daughters’ school. Her paranoia is taking over her life, fed by an old friend coming back to town and a new client who begins flirting with her. Unfortunately, some of her actions seem to have devastating consequences.

I thought this was a pretty good story, but a little disjointed. It’s definitely divided into two different parts, with different pacing. I felt like things were wrapped up a little too quickly at the end — I would have liked to have seen more exploration of David Forrester and his motives, since he plays such a vital role in the turning point. So I’d say this was a decent read, but it could have been a little bit better.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seemed like a very long Lifetime movie. Depending on your tastes, this is either good or bad. You decide.

There was too much pointless detail of day to day life, work, and other inconsequential activities. I wanted more scandal, more secrecy and a thicker plotline. The “secret” could have been extensively juicier and shocking. It was almost like a letdown. I read and read seeking for that moment of exposure, then when it was revealed a big exasperated “Oh” followed. Come on? Really? I was expecting an ax murder or cult slaying that would cause a woman to have so much fear of her “past” and anyone connected with her youth. Listfield is a good author, it just seems like she writes movies for Lifetime with the abrupt ending plot due to unsecure finances thus not enough time to conclude the movie. Bham! There is your “happy ending.” I know she could have shoved another 25 pages in to conclude this characters “exposure.”

[Lori Flint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, though as I've mentioned before, I feel a little weird using the word "enjoy" when I'm talking about a book that deals with such fraught emotions. At any rate, I thought the author did a wonderful job capturing the special hell of not knowing, and though — like most people, I imagine — I've been known to prefer a tidy ending, the whole point of the novel is that we don't always get that neatly packaged box, so it's fitting that Listfield didn't cop out and find a way to tie it all up neatly. I also like that though it was overwhelmingly sad and dark, there were pockets of humor, frivolity and pretty fashion-world escapism in there too.

This is one of those books I picked up on a whim, having zero previous knowledge about it. Those are the ones I tend to enjoy the most when they're done well.

[Brandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is some really beautiful writing in Emily Listfield's Waiting to Surface, and I did care about the character's fates. However, I didn't particularly want to follow them on their journeys, which I felt were laden with too much back story -- because what else is there to do while waiting but to remember everything and search for the meaning in it?

Nonetheless, I do appreciate what this book accomplished for me as a reader. Should I ever find myself in an extended waiting game of tragic circumstances, I will be glad to have read this book. According to the cover copy, it is based upon the author's experiences, and should I ever have to face that challenge, I will at least have a vicarious toehold in the very weird normalness of waiting for news that no one ever wants to hear.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah has separated from her artist husband and has a high power position at a reputable magazine. She is also trying to raise their daughter in the midst of this emotional turmoil. Then, out of the blue, she gets a phone call that her husband has disappeared. He may have drowned, he may have gone off on his own, however, no one is sure.

The book is based on the author's own life so I can imagine that Sarah's portrayal in this book is fairly realistic.

Sarah tries to get on with her life and at the same time, try to solve the mystery of her husband's disappearance.

It is a well written story that delves into the subject of just how well do we know the person we love?

[With Butterflies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it. The book felt like it could have gone somewhere but was edited terribly.

*** Okay, I went back and finished it. I hate to leave books unread.

It was better than I thought it would be so I changed my rating from 1 to 2 stars. It has one of my pet peeves in it. I *hate* when authors have children talking in ways that a child would never talk.

The main character's daughter is six years old, but the author has her making statements and asking questions that a grown person might not think of let alone a young child. Irritating.

[Shanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still trying to decide exactly how I feel about this book. I gave it three stars because I was interested the whole time and looked forward to reading it. I did really like the twist in the middle of the book right when you think that the whole thing is just going to be reflections on marriage, lying and cheating. But then the ending was a little of a letdown, it was a bit predictable and I just wanted something a little more explosive.

[momruncraft · Rating 3 out of 5]

A marriage lacking trust. A chain of devestating events. A woman found dead. Nothing is what it seems. I devoured this book in one sitting. I HAD to know what happened. The whys kept me up far after I had finished the book. You learn that the history between a husband and wife means more than can ever really be expressed in words. Comfort in relationships can become boring, taken for granted, and forgotten...until it's gone. Or questioned. Or jeopardized. Suspenseful read.

[Maggi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An quick read, emotionally compelling but not deep or poetic. Some very interesting insights about the magazine publishing industry. Two stories in one, largely autobiographical. A great book for a long plane flight.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

2\3 \24 re read Last time I skimmed and sped,so this time I savored this terrific MIT tale(chik lit,drama,mystery) of misunderstandings ,misinterpretations and mistrust leading to the drip,drip, drip of a potential infidelity that leads to confusion,high emotion, rage and perhaps even murder.

[Melissa (Hiatus due to Death in Family) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woman's husband disappears. Too autobiographical, I needed a concrete ending.

[Beth Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not crazy about this one, but interesting read. I like her style though, very fluid.