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Amethyst Dreams
Shining with intrigue, allure, and passionate suspense, Amethyst Dreams is Phyllis Whitney at her most spectacular--a story bejeweled with hypnotic prose and spellbinding secrets. . . .
Seeking shelter from her own broken dreams, Hallie Knight answers a cryptic plea for help from Nicholas Trench, the grandfather of her dearest friend. Susan mysteriously disappeared from home one night off North Carolina's historical Topsail Island--and Hallie is Nick's last hope of finding her.
But surrounding Nick is a family as headstrong as they are suspicious--for at the heart of the matter is a vast inheritance. And as Hallie is lured deeper into a mystery nestled in a quagmire of bitterness, dark betrayal, and subtle menace, she becomes certain of one thing: this sunny, seaside paradise harbors dangerous and profoundly shattering secrets. . . .
Seeking shelter from her own broken dreams, Hallie Knight answers a cryptic plea for help from Nicholas Trench, the grandfather of her dearest friend. Susan mysteriously disappeared from home one night off North Carolina's historical Topsail Island--and Hallie is Nick's last hope of finding her.
But surrounding Nick is a family as headstrong as they are suspicious--for at the heart of the matter is a vast inheritance. And as Hallie is lured deeper into a mystery nestled in a quagmire of bitterness, dark betrayal, and subtle menace, she becomes certain of one thing: this sunny, seaside paradise harbors dangerous and profoundly shattering secrets. . . .
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 12, 1991
7 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis A. Whitney
191 books569 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 108 reviews
October 13, 2012
I collect old school Gothic Romance novels. Authors like Dorothy Daniels, Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels etc. So, I have a few Phyllis A Whitney novels around. This book was on my TBR list and when I noticed the author was featured in a BOM read, I decided to join in.
This book is, I think, the last book published by Phyllis A Whitney. I noticed a few lukewarm reviews on this one, but I kept my mind open. No, this is certainly not one of the author's finest moments, but it's not as bad as all that. The style is trademark Gothic romance. Many modern readers might not really appreciate that style. Gothic romances of the 60's through the early 80's were long on suspense, a little supernatural element at times, and romance was in the background. There may be kissing but not one hint of sexual content, and usually no offensive language. So, maybe this type of book didn't really appeal to readers in 1997. Only die hard PAW fans will appreciate it, maybe with a bit of nostalgia.
A young woman went missing, and now two years later, her grandfather is dying of cancer and needs to know what happened to his granddaughter. So, in desperation, he contacts Susan's old friend Hallie and asked her to come to Topsail Island. Nick hopes Hallie may be able to help figure out the mystery since she knew Susan so well. He also has told her that he intends to remember her in his will.
Hallie has, only days before being contacted by Nick, discovered that her husband, Paul, has been having an affair. The summons to Topsail Island is just what she needs right then. But, when she arrives, she is not warmly welcomed by most of Nick's family.
Nick's son, Susan's father, and his second wife are worried about Nick's decision to change his will. The nurse and housekeeper is also concerned about Hallie's visit. But, despite all that, Hallie makes friends with the neighbors, and the nurse's son, Corey.
Eventually, Hallie finds herself privy to old family secrets. There was a love triangle years ago that soured one marriage and broke up another. The controlling patriarch, damaged his family in many ways and is now living with his mistakes and regrets.
The very slight supernatural spin comes from a couple of Amethyst stones. The stones, if placed by a bed could cause vivid dreams. Also, one could look into the stone and see visions.
This book is only 288 pages long, and is a light mystery romance. The story is really more about family relationships than anything. Long buried secrets come to light that help everyone find closure and move on with their lives. Hallie finds live long friends and is able to find the strength to deal with her personal issues. She does get her HEA as well as a few others in the story.
Over all a C
This book is, I think, the last book published by Phyllis A Whitney. I noticed a few lukewarm reviews on this one, but I kept my mind open. No, this is certainly not one of the author's finest moments, but it's not as bad as all that. The style is trademark Gothic romance. Many modern readers might not really appreciate that style. Gothic romances of the 60's through the early 80's were long on suspense, a little supernatural element at times, and romance was in the background. There may be kissing but not one hint of sexual content, and usually no offensive language. So, maybe this type of book didn't really appeal to readers in 1997. Only die hard PAW fans will appreciate it, maybe with a bit of nostalgia.
A young woman went missing, and now two years later, her grandfather is dying of cancer and needs to know what happened to his granddaughter. So, in desperation, he contacts Susan's old friend Hallie and asked her to come to Topsail Island. Nick hopes Hallie may be able to help figure out the mystery since she knew Susan so well. He also has told her that he intends to remember her in his will.
Hallie has, only days before being contacted by Nick, discovered that her husband, Paul, has been having an affair. The summons to Topsail Island is just what she needs right then. But, when she arrives, she is not warmly welcomed by most of Nick's family.
Nick's son, Susan's father, and his second wife are worried about Nick's decision to change his will. The nurse and housekeeper is also concerned about Hallie's visit. But, despite all that, Hallie makes friends with the neighbors, and the nurse's son, Corey.
Eventually, Hallie finds herself privy to old family secrets. There was a love triangle years ago that soured one marriage and broke up another. The controlling patriarch, damaged his family in many ways and is now living with his mistakes and regrets.
The very slight supernatural spin comes from a couple of Amethyst stones. The stones, if placed by a bed could cause vivid dreams. Also, one could look into the stone and see visions.
This book is only 288 pages long, and is a light mystery romance. The story is really more about family relationships than anything. Long buried secrets come to light that help everyone find closure and move on with their lives. Hallie finds live long friends and is able to find the strength to deal with her personal issues. She does get her HEA as well as a few others in the story.
Over all a C
February 28, 2020
Rating 3.5 stars
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May 12, 2023I've not read any Whitneys before, and from other reviews of the story, this was her last book, and not a popular one. I did at least finish it, which is more than I can say for the last three (non-web) books I've started.
This is neither a strong mystery nor a strong romance, since the mystery more or less solves itself, while the romance involves
Still, as I said, I at least finished this, thanks for a readable narrative voice. I'll probably check out one or two more by the author, and hope for some actual romance.
This is neither a strong mystery nor a strong romance, since the mystery more or less solves itself, while the romance involves
Still, as I said, I at least finished this, thanks for a readable narrative voice. I'll probably check out one or two more by the author, and hope for some actual romance.
May 31, 2015
Phyllis Whitney was one of my favorite authors when I was a teen/young adult. Recently I've re-discovered her writing. This was her last novel and not one of her better ones. The history of Topsail Island was interesting and the parts about the amethyst were intriguing. I think it would have been a better story without the separation from her husband and the comparisons between her marriage and that of Anne and the captain. I'm all for trying to save a marriage but Hallie was a bit to quick to take Paul back. It did not seem likely that Hallie's presence would suddenly get everyone to mend broken relationships and to confess to what had happened to Susan. But it was a quick read and I recommend it to other Whitney fans.
June 27, 2019
I used to really enjoy "gothic" mysteries/romances by Phyllis A. Whitney, Victoria Holt, etc. when I was a teenager/young adult. Amethyst Dreams by Whitney is a quick, easy read with a "missing person" mystery, lots of relationship drama, and a severely dysfunctional family at its core.
I was deeply disappointed in the mystery's conclusion (Louise gets away with it!?! You have got to be kidding me! And Susan's father is going to let that happen!?!). That was no "accidental" death. Stand by your man (woman) - Yuck!
A two star story, at best (but it gets an extra star for the nostalgia effect).
P. S. Most of P. A. Whitney's work (especially her earlier books) were much, much better!
I was deeply disappointed in the mystery's conclusion (Louise gets away with it!?! You have got to be kidding me! And Susan's father is going to let that happen!?!). That was no "accidental" death. Stand by your man (woman) - Yuck!
A two star story, at best (but it gets an extra star for the nostalgia effect).
P. S. Most of P. A. Whitney's work (especially her earlier books) were much, much better!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2010
I loved Phyllis A. Whitney books as a teenager and recently got the bug to go back and read some more of her work. This one is in her classic style, although more predictable than I remember others being. Although that could just be because I am (hopefully) a bit more mature now and see things I didn't use to see! Not a challange by any means, but a guilty pleasure and I enjoyed the trot down memory lane!
December 4, 2024
Three parts to this review: 1) The introduction is entirely charming and I could listen to Whitney reminisce for much longer. 2) The narrator, Susan Ericksen, is superb and provides the protagonist with far more personality than the text. 3) The book itself, which is disappointing.
This is supposed to be a gothic & a mystery. It's neither. Hallie enters a world of lost people and long buried secrets and...does nothing and has nothing done to her. She's confused, people decide to spill their secrets, the book ends.
I can almost believe people opening up about long-hidden secrets--there is something to be said for throwing a stone into a pond, and Hallie serves that role. The trouble is, she has about that level of personality as well, and one wants rather more in a protagonist.
Her "detecting" consists of saying "I can't do this" alternating with asking people "What do you think happened?" and ignoring people who said things about her friend "liking to cause trouble."
There's also a lot of telling rather than showing: We are told Hallie is practical and stable and that her more flighty friend, Susan, listened to her advice. There's no point in the novel where Hallie comes across as particularly practical, stable, or useful. There are also no stories or memories of incidents in which Susan needed her help--just statements that she had.
And I love happy endings, but Amethyst Dreams consists of a sudden "Bam! Everyone is happy now!" Even someone who has spent the entire book dying of cancer is suddenly chipper and apparently well because he's regained the will to live.
I am so glad to see others saying Amethyst Dreams isn't Whitney's best because I have fond memories of her from high school and would hate to think that they were entirely based on fals premises.
This is supposed to be a gothic & a mystery. It's neither. Hallie enters a world of lost people and long buried secrets and...does nothing and has nothing done to her. She's confused, people decide to spill their secrets, the book ends.
I can almost believe people opening up about long-hidden secrets--there is something to be said for throwing a stone into a pond, and Hallie serves that role. The trouble is, she has about that level of personality as well, and one wants rather more in a protagonist.
Her "detecting" consists of saying "I can't do this" alternating with asking people "What do you think happened?" and ignoring people who said things about her friend "liking to cause trouble."
There's also a lot of telling rather than showing: We are told Hallie is practical and stable and that her more flighty friend, Susan, listened to her advice. There's no point in the novel where Hallie comes across as particularly practical, stable, or useful. There are also no stories or memories of incidents in which Susan needed her help--just statements that she had.
And I love happy endings, but Amethyst Dreams consists of a sudden "Bam! Everyone is happy now!" Even someone who has spent the entire book dying of cancer is suddenly chipper and apparently well because he's regained the will to live.
I am so glad to see others saying Amethyst Dreams isn't Whitney's best because I have fond memories of her from high school and would hate to think that they were entirely based on fals premises.
January 22, 2016
Enjoyed previous Phyllis Whitney books, struggled to remain engaged in this one. Takes place at "Topsail Island" off the Carolina coast. Kept thinking the author was inventing a story to place into this geographical location. A mystery - but a forced one. A granddaughter of a wealthy man disappears from her bedroom - not much effort to find her as she may have just 'left'. A former college friend who no one in the family knows, Hallie Knight, is summoned to solve the mystery. Should have stopped there - how unrealistic is that? Did finish, but not sure why.
August 9, 2013
Read like a soap opera. It floored me that Hallie went back to her
cheating husband. I believe in forgiveness and redemption, but it seems
like her husband could have been a lot more penitent. The mystery was not
very interesting. I don't think Whitney is going to fill my Mary
Stewart cravings.
cheating husband. I believe in forgiveness and redemption, but it seems
like her husband could have been a lot more penitent. The mystery was not
very interesting. I don't think Whitney is going to fill my Mary
Stewart cravings.
August 7, 2016
Certainly not Phyllis Whitney's best work in my opinion but it did hold my attention most of the way through. I was annoyed that some of the reviews I read on this site contained spoilers so I did know more than I wanted to know about how certain things would turn out. Also, I did think the ending rather contrived with some of the characters reacting as I believe they never would have reacted.
December 2, 2015
I really hate to write it, but this was just ok. I generally love Whitney. I did not love this book. The characters were good and interesting. I liked the setting. I just wasn't into it. A bit slow. I wish I had liked it better.
January 11, 2014
Phyllis Whitney is as always a superb authoress but the problem I have with this book lies with the characters of Anne and Hallie. What kind of weak willed woman goes back to a man who cheated on her? Men who cheat have no value and trying to cast them in that sort of light is repugnant to me.
July 23, 2016
Hallie Knight responds to a summons from the grandfather of her college roommate. Knowing that Susan has disappeared without a trace piques her curiosity, but she's also glad of the opportunity to escape the pain caused by her husband's infidelity. She never expects to become the catalyst for unraveling the strange fate of her friend or find the courage to reexamine her own life.
June 5, 2008
This was a fast read, although the mystery wasn't as good as I had hoped. Whitney certainly has a very descriptive style; her characters come to life, and the setting is well-developed. Living on a barrier island myself, I was especially drawn to that aspect of the book
April 7, 2018
Whitney has won awards from mystery organizations, but this was more like a melodramatic Harlequin romance than a real mystery. The characters were like soap opera caricatures rather than real people, and the solution to the mystery was a let-down.
September 27, 2011
I thought this book was rather dull. The plot was too predictable, and the whole thing read kind of like a travel brochure.
January 27, 2013
A well-written book that makes you think about forgiveness, mistakes of the past and learning from others and their choices.
February 27, 2014
I read all of her books... I read all of the old ones and then awaited the new ones as they were published!
February 13, 2021
Not as amazing as I remembered from 20 years ago!!!! Ha ha I loved Whitney in my teens and have so many memories of her books!!!
June 2, 2010
The Amethyst Dreams had a good mystery story. I still like to re-read it.
May 22, 2022
3.5
I discovered a bunch of Phyllis A Whitney books on Audible Plus and decided to revisit one of my favourite authors from my teens. I'd never read Amethyst Dreams before and while there were many elements that I love about Whitney's writing, I wasn't as enthralled in the way I remember. Maybe because there's a real sense of melancholy that carries throughout the novel. And while there are definitely some Gothic vibes in the plot, they aren't developed as fully as some of her other work. But my, can this author set the stage -- descriptions that take a reader right into the story. She does impeccable research on every area she writes about and that comes across vividly. I delighted in those passages. She's also a pro at creating complicated, dysfunctional characters so we can watch their world implode. :-) I enjoyed the mystery, just felt it fizzled a bit at the end.
I discovered a bunch of Phyllis A Whitney books on Audible Plus and decided to revisit one of my favourite authors from my teens. I'd never read Amethyst Dreams before and while there were many elements that I love about Whitney's writing, I wasn't as enthralled in the way I remember. Maybe because there's a real sense of melancholy that carries throughout the novel. And while there are definitely some Gothic vibes in the plot, they aren't developed as fully as some of her other work. But my, can this author set the stage -- descriptions that take a reader right into the story. She does impeccable research on every area she writes about and that comes across vividly. I delighted in those passages. She's also a pro at creating complicated, dysfunctional characters so we can watch their world implode. :-) I enjoyed the mystery, just felt it fizzled a bit at the end.
December 12, 2022
Ah, Phyllis A. Whitney, troubadour of my younger reading self, how strange to read you again...
For some time just past the last mid-Century, Phyllis A. Whitney was the queen of romantic suspense. Plucky heroines in peril working to extract the truth from some dark family manse, some storm-battered coastal castle, etc. Setting is as much a character as the plucky heroine, and her eventual romantic denouement seems, as I remember, to hark back, inevitably to Daphne Du Maurier: "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."
She is no Du Maurier; there's a formula to Phyllis A Whitney novels, which was appealing in its way once upon a time. But I don't need to go back myself to this little Manderley...
For some time just past the last mid-Century, Phyllis A. Whitney was the queen of romantic suspense. Plucky heroines in peril working to extract the truth from some dark family manse, some storm-battered coastal castle, etc. Setting is as much a character as the plucky heroine, and her eventual romantic denouement seems, as I remember, to hark back, inevitably to Daphne Du Maurier: "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."
She is no Du Maurier; there's a formula to Phyllis A Whitney novels, which was appealing in its way once upon a time. But I don't need to go back myself to this little Manderley...
August 12, 2017
I started reading Phyllis A. Whitney romantic suspense and mystery novels when I was in junior high, and pretty much flew through as many as I could find in libraries and that I could buy from used book shops. Even in my 30s, when I was a member of the Ladies Literary Guild book of the month club, I ordered quite a few of her books. But my tastes changed, and Amethyst Dreams is one of those romances that sat on a shelf, unread, for years. In summer, I sometimes want to read something light that requires no thought whatsoever, and that's when I turn to romantic suspense fiction; it's a diversion.
Anyway, Phyllis Whitney's Amethyst Dreams is typical of her style of books. It's a bit old fashioned, even it word choice and writing style. The plot revolves around Hallie Knight, having just discovered her husband has had an affair, she accepts an invitation she might otherwise have ignored. Hallie is invited by the grandfather of her best friend from college, Susan, to his house on Topsail (pronounced Tops'l), a barrier island of the coast of North Carolina. Hallie rushes away from California and her troubles, to North Carolina. She meets Susan's grandfather, a curmudgeonly old man known as the Captain. He spends most of his days in bed, occasionally goes out to the desk of his ocean-side house in his wheelchair, and is cared for by his housekeeper/nurse Mrs. Orion. When Hallie meets the Captain he asks her to find out what happened to Susan, who went missing years ago. Hallie is perplexed, she's not a detective and has no clue. Perhaps the novel would have been better if she was, but we'll get to that.
Hallie meets Mrs. Orion's son, Corey. She meets the Captain's son, Ryce, once husband to Susan, now married to Louise. Eventually, she meets the Captain's first wife, Anne, an artist currently renting a house on an even more isolated island than Topsail. And she meets the next-door neighbors, Fergus, Carlina, and their daughter, Dulcie. Everyone has secrets, even the little girl - who saw something involving Susan's death. For, everyone thinks Susan did die, rather than simply leave her odd little family.
A few chapters from the end of the book, Hallie meets a soap opera actress, Brenda, who had fled to the island after being involved in a scandel. She's staying with her aunt in a tower home - a house build by converting one of the island's old missile silos from the second world war. Brenda and her aunt are also hosting a guest - who turns out to be Hallie's husband Paul, who followed her from California.
The remainder of the plot has the Captain promising to leave his money to Hallie, basically because he's angry at his son for marrying Louise. Hallie, of course, keeps refusing to take the money. And by the end of the book, it looks like the Captain will recover anyway, despite being on death's door for the entire book.
The last few chapters rush to an ending, with revelation piled upon revelation. We discover what happened to Susan (essentially an accident, though the death was covered-up - rather than reported). Hallie, after a few dates and conversations with her husband, decides to take him back, make her marriage work, and return to California. The other couples in the book, also with martial problems, all seem to suddenly solve their issues. Poof - happy ending. Sigh.
One of the main problems in Amethyst Dreams is it feels so old fashioned. Hallie supposedly had some type of job in California, which had led to her meeting her husband, Paul, a literary agent specializing in selling books to Hollywood to be adopted to films. Whereas, Paul's job is depicted as exciting - we barely know what Hallie did, and whatever it was - it comes off as a support position that anyone could do. Plus, Hallie doesn't act like a professional woman. Hallie's constant refusals of the Captain's money are also rather ridiculous. I kept wanting her to grow a pair (so to speak), ditch her husband, and use the Captain's money to go back to school, open her own business, study art or cooking or something in Europe, in other words, I wanted to see Hallie grow and become independent, rather than agree to go back to her louse of a husband.
Secondly, the ending of this book is very rushed. Brenda is introduced, from nowhere, and she has more agency than the heroine - and between the two of them, everybody is confessing their secrets, leading to the information as to what happened to Susan coming out. In my head, while reading, I could mentally convert this story into a Nancy Drew mystery - or even an episode of the original Scooby Doo Mysteries cartoon series - and the ending might have been more interesting. But Hallie doesn't do any investigating, she doesn't look it to the sinkhole known as Pirate's Pit. She barely investigates the "club house" beneath the Assembly Building where Susan, and her friends hung out as teenagers. But instead, people simply randomly come forward and confess their secrets held for decades - because that always happens.
Third, the book is told in first person - which is a lousy choice. The books I remember reading from Phyllis Whitney as a teenager usually were written in third-person omniscient style, though I remember some in first person which were often not my favorites. Overall, it was a bit diverting, but there are so many issues with this book I cannot really recommend it.
Anyway, Phyllis Whitney's Amethyst Dreams is typical of her style of books. It's a bit old fashioned, even it word choice and writing style. The plot revolves around Hallie Knight, having just discovered her husband has had an affair, she accepts an invitation she might otherwise have ignored. Hallie is invited by the grandfather of her best friend from college, Susan, to his house on Topsail (pronounced Tops'l), a barrier island of the coast of North Carolina. Hallie rushes away from California and her troubles, to North Carolina. She meets Susan's grandfather, a curmudgeonly old man known as the Captain. He spends most of his days in bed, occasionally goes out to the desk of his ocean-side house in his wheelchair, and is cared for by his housekeeper/nurse Mrs. Orion. When Hallie meets the Captain he asks her to find out what happened to Susan, who went missing years ago. Hallie is perplexed, she's not a detective and has no clue. Perhaps the novel would have been better if she was, but we'll get to that.
Hallie meets Mrs. Orion's son, Corey. She meets the Captain's son, Ryce, once husband to Susan, now married to Louise. Eventually, she meets the Captain's first wife, Anne, an artist currently renting a house on an even more isolated island than Topsail. And she meets the next-door neighbors, Fergus, Carlina, and their daughter, Dulcie. Everyone has secrets, even the little girl - who saw something involving Susan's death. For, everyone thinks Susan did die, rather than simply leave her odd little family.
A few chapters from the end of the book, Hallie meets a soap opera actress, Brenda, who had fled to the island after being involved in a scandel. She's staying with her aunt in a tower home - a house build by converting one of the island's old missile silos from the second world war. Brenda and her aunt are also hosting a guest - who turns out to be Hallie's husband Paul, who followed her from California.
The remainder of the plot has the Captain promising to leave his money to Hallie, basically because he's angry at his son for marrying Louise. Hallie, of course, keeps refusing to take the money. And by the end of the book, it looks like the Captain will recover anyway, despite being on death's door for the entire book.
The last few chapters rush to an ending, with revelation piled upon revelation. We discover what happened to Susan (essentially an accident, though the death was covered-up - rather than reported). Hallie, after a few dates and conversations with her husband, decides to take him back, make her marriage work, and return to California. The other couples in the book, also with martial problems, all seem to suddenly solve their issues. Poof - happy ending. Sigh.
One of the main problems in Amethyst Dreams is it feels so old fashioned. Hallie supposedly had some type of job in California, which had led to her meeting her husband, Paul, a literary agent specializing in selling books to Hollywood to be adopted to films. Whereas, Paul's job is depicted as exciting - we barely know what Hallie did, and whatever it was - it comes off as a support position that anyone could do. Plus, Hallie doesn't act like a professional woman. Hallie's constant refusals of the Captain's money are also rather ridiculous. I kept wanting her to grow a pair (so to speak), ditch her husband, and use the Captain's money to go back to school, open her own business, study art or cooking or something in Europe, in other words, I wanted to see Hallie grow and become independent, rather than agree to go back to her louse of a husband.
Secondly, the ending of this book is very rushed. Brenda is introduced, from nowhere, and she has more agency than the heroine - and between the two of them, everybody is confessing their secrets, leading to the information as to what happened to Susan coming out. In my head, while reading, I could mentally convert this story into a Nancy Drew mystery - or even an episode of the original Scooby Doo Mysteries cartoon series - and the ending might have been more interesting. But Hallie doesn't do any investigating, she doesn't look it to the sinkhole known as Pirate's Pit. She barely investigates the "club house" beneath the Assembly Building where Susan, and her friends hung out as teenagers. But instead, people simply randomly come forward and confess their secrets held for decades - because that always happens.
Third, the book is told in first person - which is a lousy choice. The books I remember reading from Phyllis Whitney as a teenager usually were written in third-person omniscient style, though I remember some in first person which were often not my favorites. Overall, it was a bit diverting, but there are so many issues with this book I cannot really recommend it.
May 11, 2018
This one's a hoot. Plotted like a ratings sweep month on Days of Our Lives.
November 1, 2016
This is the first book I have read by this author. It was part mystery novel and part romance novel. Some of the story was not plausible. One of the least plausible parts for me was the initial premise that the main character, Hallie Knight, would drop her life in California to fly to the North Carolina coast at the request of her former college friend's grandfather to try to find out what happened to the friend who disappeared mysteriously two years previously--a friend with whom she had lost touch for several years before she disappeared.
As Hallie said, she has no detective skills and the grandfather, who is quite wealthy, of course, has already hired private detectives to try to discover what happened to his granddaughter. Much of the storyline just didn't make sense to me, but it was sort of an enjoyable read anyway. I found myself reading it instead of the book I am supposed to be reading for my book discussion group.
The book was frustrating in a way because Hallie was supposed to be trying to find out what happened to her friend, but every time she started to talk with the grandfather or another character who knew her friend, the conversation would end after only a few sentences (often by her own choice) without her having found out much of anything. Of course, everyone in the book, including a young child, has deep, dark secrets that need to be unlocked. The ending sort of came out of left field.
I picked up this book when I was working at my library used book store because it has large print. I had never read a large-print book and was acquainting myself with that section one day and decided to read this one. I found that I could read it fairly easily without my glasses so I may look for more large-print books. I'm torn as to whether I would read another book by this author. I might.
As Hallie said, she has no detective skills and the grandfather, who is quite wealthy, of course, has already hired private detectives to try to discover what happened to his granddaughter. Much of the storyline just didn't make sense to me, but it was sort of an enjoyable read anyway. I found myself reading it instead of the book I am supposed to be reading for my book discussion group.
The book was frustrating in a way because Hallie was supposed to be trying to find out what happened to her friend, but every time she started to talk with the grandfather or another character who knew her friend, the conversation would end after only a few sentences (often by her own choice) without her having found out much of anything. Of course, everyone in the book, including a young child, has deep, dark secrets that need to be unlocked. The ending sort of came out of left field.
I picked up this book when I was working at my library used book store because it has large print. I had never read a large-print book and was acquainting myself with that section one day and decided to read this one. I found that I could read it fairly easily without my glasses so I may look for more large-print books. I'm torn as to whether I would read another book by this author. I might.
October 28, 2022
Although there is a mystery in "Amethyst Dreams," Phyllis A. Whitney's final novel, it takes a back seat to a meditation on second chances. Hallie Knight has been summoned to Topsail Island in North Carolina to help discover what lies behind the mysterious disappearance of a close college friend. That quest becomes a vehicle for Whitney to think about how unhappy couples can redeem themselves. To that end, she provides the examples of four different couples of three distinct generations, including Hallie herself, all of whom try in one way or another to find their way back to each other. While Whitney's interest in having her characters grow and change throughout their adventures is something that was consistent throughout her long career, it's usually accompanied by a compelling mystery to solve. Here, the suspense is non-existent; the mystery not one at all, and everything just kind of peters out. Whitney was in her mid-90s when she wrote the novel and despite that milestone, and the fact that three years had elapsed since her previous work, neither the prose nor the dialogue falter. "Amethyst Dreams" indicates that Whitney could still deliver the makings of a story. It's just that, disappointingly, this novel doesn't ever really gel, providing a bittersweet end to the author's admirable and entertaining career.
September 24, 2011
Hallie wirkte manchmal etwas seltsam auf mich - gerade in Bezug auf Susans Großvater. Die Art wie die Protagonisten miteinander umgehen, hat mich mehr als einmal erstaunt. Sie kamen an ein paar Stellen auch leider nicht glaubwürdig rüber.
Teilweise wurden zu schnell persönliche und intime Fragen gestellt. Im Normalfall wäre das m.E. undenkbar.
Das Buch ist wirklich richtig spannend. Die Autorin gibt nur Stück für Stück immer wieder neue Informationen preis. Ich hatte nie das Gefühl, dass ich zu lange auf etwas Neues warten musste. Oftmals wurde ich richtig überrascht - das Wenigste ist Vorhersehbar.
Besonders gut haben mir die vielen Landschaftsbeschreibungen gefallen. Normalerweise stören mich ausufernde Beschreibungen bei Krimis, nicht jedoch hier - die Autorin hat alles schön "häppchenweise" serviert und hat mich mit auf die Reise nach Topsail genommen. Ich habe das Buch zugeschlagen mit dem Gefühl wirklich dort gewesen zu sein.
Leider wurde der Schluss sehr schnell aufgelöst - ein paar mehr Seiten hätten gut getan.
Alles in allem - für die wunderschöne Reise, die spannenden Zusammenhänge - gibt es von mir wirklich gute 3 Sterne.
Teilweise wurden zu schnell persönliche und intime Fragen gestellt. Im Normalfall wäre das m.E. undenkbar.
Das Buch ist wirklich richtig spannend. Die Autorin gibt nur Stück für Stück immer wieder neue Informationen preis. Ich hatte nie das Gefühl, dass ich zu lange auf etwas Neues warten musste. Oftmals wurde ich richtig überrascht - das Wenigste ist Vorhersehbar.
Besonders gut haben mir die vielen Landschaftsbeschreibungen gefallen. Normalerweise stören mich ausufernde Beschreibungen bei Krimis, nicht jedoch hier - die Autorin hat alles schön "häppchenweise" serviert und hat mich mit auf die Reise nach Topsail genommen. Ich habe das Buch zugeschlagen mit dem Gefühl wirklich dort gewesen zu sein.
Leider wurde der Schluss sehr schnell aufgelöst - ein paar mehr Seiten hätten gut getan.
Alles in allem - für die wunderschöne Reise, die spannenden Zusammenhänge - gibt es von mir wirklich gute 3 Sterne.
April 21, 2016
Occasionally I read a book by this author. She researches her locales well and does a good job of describing them and the atmosphere of her novel. In this mystery I found myself on North Carolina's historical Topsail Island. The island is located just off the coast and is an interesting environment.
The mystery is the granddaughter of a wealthy man who vanished from her home. A former college friend, Hallie Knight, is asked to visit and help find her or discover what happened to her. It is reasoned that since Hallie knew the missing woman well she might be able to solve the mystery. It's not the usual mystery with a whodunit but one to discover just what happened. Yes, there are those who will profit if the woman isn't found and those who she antagonized. Hallie, on leave from a troubled marriage, finds the diversion of searching out clues a distraction from her own problems, namely a husband who strayed into another woman's arms. I liked this read because its differed from many of the more violent ones I encounter and it's well written. A nice diversion for me.
The mystery is the granddaughter of a wealthy man who vanished from her home. A former college friend, Hallie Knight, is asked to visit and help find her or discover what happened to her. It is reasoned that since Hallie knew the missing woman well she might be able to solve the mystery. It's not the usual mystery with a whodunit but one to discover just what happened. Yes, there are those who will profit if the woman isn't found and those who she antagonized. Hallie, on leave from a troubled marriage, finds the diversion of searching out clues a distraction from her own problems, namely a husband who strayed into another woman's arms. I liked this read because its differed from many of the more violent ones I encounter and it's well written. A nice diversion for me.
September 8, 2015
Hallie Knight comes to Topsail Island on Nicholas Trench's request but she is also running away. (She discovered her husband was cheating on her.)Nicholas Trench is the grandfather of Susan Trench. Susan and Hallie became good friends in college. But Susan disappeared a few years ago and no one knows where she is. Nicholas Trench seems to believe that Hallie can do what detectives couldn't. Find Susan.
It appears that Amethyst Dreams was the last book Phyllis Whitney published in 1997. She died in 2008 at the age of 104. Definitely not one of her better stories. But it wasn't all that bad either. I just had some issues with certain events and things that seemed a bit odd to me. I don't want to give any spoilers so I won't say what. But it told an interesting tale and everything got wrapped up in the end.
It appears that Amethyst Dreams was the last book Phyllis Whitney published in 1997. She died in 2008 at the age of 104. Definitely not one of her better stories. But it wasn't all that bad either. I just had some issues with certain events and things that seemed a bit odd to me. I don't want to give any spoilers so I won't say what. But it told an interesting tale and everything got wrapped up in the end.
May 3, 2016
I found Amethyst Dreams at a library book sale and couldn't resist buying it as I remembered loving Whitney's mysteries years ago. I was immediately engrossed by this tale of family intrigue. Hallie Knight, whose college best friend had gone missing two years prior, is summoned to Topsail Island, NC by the grieving, ill grandfather who is not willing to accept that his high tempered, impetuous granddaughter is dead as has the rest of the family. Hallie, reeling from the recent discovery of her husband's affair, immerses herself in the family mystery to escape her own feelings.
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