Pink Slips

by Beth Aldrich

“Aldrich’s book delivers a solidly structured and detail-filled plot that starts with a skillful, early buildup of suspense. Like an Agatha Christie novel, the novel makes efficient use of misdirection while adding several suspicious suspects to the mix. The Characters are vividly drawn and believable. The story features an appealing and creative narrative voice.”
~BlueInk Review

“Beth Aldrich’s Pink Slips is a psychological thriller that sustains a sense of mystery throughout, told from the point of view of pregnant suburban chef Betsy Ryan. The first-person perspective helps build suspense and heightens the action through the story’s many twists and turns.” ~4-Star Foreword Clarion Reviews
“Atmospheric and chilling with a feisty and relatable Every-Mom heroine, Pink Slips will keep you in suspense until the gripping climax.”
~Eve Adamson, nine-time New York Times bestselling collaborator

“Not since Rosemary’s Baby has a book revealed how vulnerable women are when pregnant… Aldrich has Raymond Chandler’s (The Lady in the Lake), gift for portraying violent scenes, but has a woman’s insight into the especially serious consequences it could have for pregnant women.” 
~5-Star, Indie Reader Review

Betsy Ryan is pregnant with her third child, and receiving threatening notes from an anonymous person. During what should be a joyful time in her life, she’s forced to face a decade old memory, and relive one of the most devastating nights of her life

To uncover the mystery behind the threats, she enlists the help of an unlikely, but oddly reliable source, her dog Barney. As the menacing notes continue to arrive, her husband is still out of town for work, and she struggles to keep her composure while shielding her two young sons from danger. She trusts no one except her parents, best friend Misty, and her extraordinary dog—who has proven to literally understand everything she says. Is this person out to harm her? And how do they have so much personal information about Betsy? She can’t help but think it’s the same person who attacked her at the train station almost a decade ago, and changed the course of her life forever. To save herself and her unborn child—Betsy must face her fears and find her strength, to reveal who is after her and most importantly…why.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Modern, Ebooks, 21st Century

265 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2017

About the author

Beth Aldrich’s non-fiction book, Real Moms Love to Eat (Penguin/NAL, 2012), won a Nautilus Book Award, and four Beverly Hills Book Awards. She published For Her Information, a Chicago magazine for women, and produced/hosted the PBS-TV series, For Her Information, in sixty markets across the United States, in addition to distribution in Israel and Turkey. She’s a proud member of Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Chicago Writer’s Association, and Chicago Off Campus Writer’s Workshop. Like her debut fiction protagonist, she studied culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago and her dogs are always at her side. Her author website is BethAldrich.com.

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty stupid

The "heroine" of this book is one-dimensional and the plot is equally boring. How a woman could write an entire book about a woman without giving her some depth is beyond me.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay so let's see. She lost her first pregnancy when she was mugged. Now she has two nice children and a nice dog, and is pregnant again, and someone is leaving her nasty notes. Nasty, threatening notes. After the second one turns up she does at least go to the cops. But then, another one turns up--at her child's school. And what does she do? Does she tell the school, "Hey, I'm being stalked"? Is this information they might find valuable--the fact that someone has targeted her and knows where her children go to school? No, she decides to say nothing because the fewer people who know you're being stalked the better, right? What possible concern could the school have about this? And then she goes home and dilly-dallies about letting the cops know about this latest one.

Okay, at this point, I'm done with her. This is not a protagonist I will follow into battle. The fact that it's rather awkwardly written in first person present tense probably didn't help. This is a style choice that, if you notice it, it doesn't work. I noticed it.

[quizqueen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear, I seem to have read a different story to the one which people have commented about on this site and I know the author will be upset by my comments but I have to tell the truth about my feelings for this book. The premise of the storyline was initially good but the telling of the story was dreadful, so amateurish I can't believe this author's work has been nominated for anything. I was sent this book to read by Goodreads and, honestly, if I hadn't committed to review it I would have a hard decision whether to just give it to a charity shop unfinished or put it in the bin (recycling , of course). I have only had the misfortune to have had two dire books sent to me to review, this being the second.

The storyline skips from someone being terrified for her and her family's life to talking about the designer fashion she's wearing and the bloody food the dog is eating almost in the next sentence...and don't get me talking about all the telepathic nonsense that was introduced half way through. It also wasn't very difficult to work out who the culprit was.

Definitely an author to put on my list to avoid in the future, I'm afraid.

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warm, Charming, Heartwarming, Gripping, Page Turner! A Fantastic Read!

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was a hard read for me. Found it bland and mundane.

[Karen Loomis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story began well and had my interest, but the story moved slowly and midway it took a strange detour. The main character starts thinking she can communicate with her dog and her comatose husband. Very disappointed in this book.

[Danielle (Arabbitinwonderland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice enjoyable thriller that was so nail biting good I zoomed through it not wanting to put it down.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed thrillers for a long time and this one fell among the more enjoyed because my problem solving brain didn't unravel this well-written tale before it revealed itself. Thank you, Beth!!

Pregnant mother Betsy shows immense strength in a very vulnerable situation. While facing her situation head-on, she still manages to insulate her children from the worst of it. Betsy is a real heroine of her own story who can be easily identified with.

[Laura Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

MAN, what a nail biting read!!!! I literally could not put this book down!!!!! From page one Beth had me hooked as she throws you into a whirl wind of a mystery. I have no stayed up all night straight, just to finish this novel. It is full of twists and turns and when I thought I had something figured out, I was thrown another curve ball. All the supporting cast was fun to read as they each contributed to the story and each had their own personality. Nobody out shined the other or took away from the main point of the story. This book had me on the edge the entire time. The writing was phenomenal and I never lost interest once. Also I really loved the cover as it is quite eye catchy. Also, what an ending! Jeez! The ending was perfect. It tied everything up nicely and I truly liked the way it was done. There were some surprises and things I slightly expected, but was hoping would happen. I feel this book will probably slip onto a chart topper, so it should be added to most tbr lists. I'm so glad I got to read this! 5 stars from me.

[Mrs L E G Harvey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a crime/thriller

I managed to get through two thirds of the book but couldn't bear any more! It started off well with a seemingly good plot and then got gradually worse. It seemed to turn into a different genre of book.... the main character was suddenly a psychic?? I found it in the crime/thriller search but it's just nonsense! The characters don't even converse with each other in a normal way! Weird!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a 2.5 star. The story is simple, Betsy Ryan is pregnant with her third child, and receiving threatening notes from an anonymous person. During what should be a joyful time in her life, she’s forced to face a decade old memory, and relive one of the most devastating nights of her life.
The characters are ok.Everyone has got a role to play more than being a character.None of them is complex.There are plenty of red herrings thrown around but it still is not much intriguing. The writer is not exactly bad, but needs to polish the writing .
Overall an easy read.

[Ellisse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I downloaded this book as I thought it could be some 'mind candy' for me. Unfortunately it turned out to be the black licorice kind of candy. It was a bit disappointing as it tried to do too many things at once. The characters were stereotypical and the "psychic" element was just plain weird. There were also a high number of errors throughout the book; both continuity errors- at one point a character in the space of a page switched from drinking coffee to tea, as well as errors that should have been caught in the editing process that made the book difficult to follow.

The eventual unveiling of the stalker was poorly done and there were a lot of loose ends at the close of the book that made it feel like the author just got tired of writing.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good page turner that I continue to think about even when I'm not reading it. Pink Slips definitely accomplishes that. In an age when many novels use language and sex to identify with their audience, Pink Slips accomplishes a compelling story line without the need to use either of these. This is a great book to have on hand as an easy summer read or to add to your book club. With so many topics that can be discussed in a group setting such as women's safety, family priorities, parenting, faith, friendship and even our love for our pets, Pink Slips is the perfect choice for any book club!

[Ingo]

Got an email from BookBub informing me that this was free on a certain day at Amazon, so I snatched it up.

[Margaret Newton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unbelievable

I thought this book was the funniest thi ng I've read for a while. Totally unbelievable, I can't say more.

[Will Decker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seriously, this book must have been written by a 7 yr old. The characters have no character. The supposed heroine is an airhead with no concept of reality. The story isn't only poorly written, but so predictable it's sad. It was a struggle to finish, but I like to think that I finish everything I start, so I persevered to the end. The editing is atrocious. There are tense shifts, missing words, extra words, and even misused words (access to mean assess). There's no emotion in the story even though the subject matter would suggest otherwise. I could go on, but then I'd be as bad as this story. Whew! Done. The most poorly and predictable story I've read in a long time.

[Shannon Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not going to talk much about the plot of this book. If I do, it will give things away I think you should discover from reading. Betsy Ryan has a stalker. She lives in suburban Chicago and someone seems to watch her and know everything about her. Complicating the matter? Betsy is eight months pregnant and her husband is away on business.....

Pink Slips has an interesting hook that I thought was odd at first, but then really enjoyed. Along with her neighbor and friend, Misty, and her parents, Betsy's best friend is Barney, her canine companion. The book is a thriller, but it's also about love and family and friendship.

It will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is well-written and I really enjoyed it. I won this book from Goodreads and received no other compensation for this review. The opinions contained herein are mine and mine alone.

[Connie Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betsy Ryan is pregnant with her third child and her life with her husband, sons and beloved dog Barney seems wonderful. Then she starts to receive pink notes and suddenly, her life is turned upside down. These notes, or pink slips, are threatening and they also show that the sender is extremely knowledgeable about Betsy, her family, and her past. As I watched her work to protect her family and discover the identity of her stalker I was caught up in her fear, her determination and her bravery. Author Beth Aldrich has delivered both a thriller that will keep readers guessing and a heartfelt story of family and devotion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but I wasn't obligated to post a positive review.

[Diane Bleyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

So disappointing

The first third of this book was so promising. Then, it took a dramatic turn--mind-reading humans and dogs and unrealistic family situations.

[Laura Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Agatha Christie is currently spinning in her grave because a "professional reviewer" of this dreck compared it to Christie's truly clever, suspense novels. Let's give Beth Aldrich a pink slip on attempting any more novels of this genre!

[Orsolya Iszlai · Rating 1 out of 5]

Plain badly written book

I read this book and somehow I am disappointed of myself, that I list the time reading it. Long long time ago I read a book so badly written.... let’s say the plot is good, but the megalomania snobbism of the writer is transposed on Betsy, the main character. Who cares what brand is the watch of the main character. Why she has to repeat in almost every chapter, about her kitchen? We got it the first time. The highlight of bad writing is the so called telepathic communication with her husband... really? Also the description of the view of the hospital room, after the main character got attacked by her stalker:-) come on, after a trauma of that kind no normal person would care about the view to which she or he will wake up in the morning... or even the main character is easily psychopath? Also everything is so expected to happen, the police is not getting implied... except the dog(because of who I gave one start) I can say it is the most stupid book I read in my life and the quality of writing is beyond of whatever would be called quality or worthwhile ruin your sight.

[Kim Duf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book, I actually really liked the concept behind this book just maybe wasn't developed enough. It was a super quick read that I could have easily read through in one sitting if I had the free time. It helped me get out of reading slump I've been stuck in for months so for that I'm grateful.

There are two reasons I'm giving this book two stars.

The first being that the ending was a bit of a let down. Started so well and it had a bit of a build up but ended on a low. I predicted the ending really early on which is a shame, but also it's very timid for a thriller. Wasn't very suspenseful and the lead role was a let down for a heroine. There was no point in the book where I was on edge, I would call it more of a slight mystery than a thriller.

The second reason for the two stars is that the dialog throughout the book felt completely off to me. People just don't talk like that in real life, I picked up on it every time someone spoke which ruined the book for me.

[Karlie Heinz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing

At best the main character is an airhead, at worst she is an idiot. Her character is an Executive Chef, yet she goes grocery shopping THEN goes on long errands which require the food to be left in the hot vehicle. She knows she has a stalker, yet continues to go on long walks, alone, in the dark. I found myself having no sympathy for her because of all her stupid behavior. Then there is the "psychic" connection. That she has with her dog and unconscious husband that peripheral characters believe entirely too easily. I finished the book because I wanted to know who the stalker was and who would die.
I do not recommend this book. At all.... unless you just need something to read so that you can go to sleep without concern of actual character development or the story's content. It worked great as a sleeping pill for me.

[Kirsten Simpson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mystery,Suspense,thriller .Pink Slips had my attention and it started of dark and scary poor Betty mugged and pregnant in Chicago .Ten years later shes 38 ,pregnant with her third child and receiving threatening pink notes from a stalker,for once a character does what she should rings the police,tells family and friends.but from there i felt like i plunged into Pleasantville what should have been terrifying just wasn't. Betty gave me a headache with her constant chatter and sunshine and rainbows outlook which is grate any normal day just not when a crazy nutter is after you It was all just to nice for me ,read three quaters of the book until i didn't care who the stalker was or how it ended.

[Absolute Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good mystery and for me, Aldrich did not disappoint.
She sets the scene with feisty protagonist, Betsy Ryan, trying to figure out who is sending her threatening notes, a stalker unknown with a frequent nod to correlated events from her past.
Aldrich captures the intensity of a faced paced story-line, as all great suspense writers do, building to a truly gripping climax that will have you flipping the pages for more..
Predominantly, the heightened drama of her pregnancy, and how well the author identifies the vulnerability but fiercely protective nature of motherhood, makes this novel a stand- out for me among others in the genre.
I thoroughly enjoyed Pink Slips, and the added dynamic between Betsy and her dog made it even more relatable to me.

[Shelby Dawson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so ridiculous. It had a promising premise but that’s about it.

The characters, especially the main character, were so flat and inconsistent I couldn’t take any of them seriously. The writing I couldn’t get behind either, it jumped all over the place constantly. The main character is easily the worst part about the entire thing. Her thought process made no sense to me, she was NOT a strong character (despite what she tells herself in the last few pages). She spends all her time making calls to other people to have them take care of her problems and the way she tries to “investigate” her situation and the relationships she leans on to do so are laughable at best. The overwhelming amount of pop culture references was annoying too.

I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.

[CJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated the main character from the start. Main character is preggers and decide its a good idea to surprise her husband with a new puppy plus the news of an impending baby? Made worse by the fact that it sounded like he was already being resistant to starting a family. Then she values the money she had over her safety and that of her baby. I can get that maybe her brain stopped working and she didn't have time to think about the life inside her at that point, however her not prioritizing her children's lives continues to be common. Yes she seems to be thinking of their mental health but she acts as though nothing physical could happen? Then the complete right turn it added with with her whole "psychic" thing that felt like lazy writing.

[Susan Gagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful and Mesmerizing Story

I loved this book! It kept me guessing to the end and was so exciting in between! The characters came to life in the book and Betsy's ability to focus on the thoughts of those close to her was very believable! It was fun to read about her developing pregnancy and her relationship with her unborn baby. This book also was suspenseful as Betsy continued trying to find out who was sending her threatening notes! Her relationships with others gave her the support she needed to get through her ordeal. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a true family book that is also filled with suspense.

[Niaouli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm well, it's a good story to be sure, but lacks the depth of the thrilling drama it promised to be. Betsy is at best an annoying character. The author has a distinct lack of descriptive style, this could have been an amazing book, full of twists and turns, the storyline is great, but the writing is rather juvenile, the whole communicating with the dog is irritating and cringe worthy. Being able to connect to the unconscious person a great concept, but the writing is so weak it was lost. Maybe this is more suited to the younger teenage reader. I was very disappointed, I am just glad I hadn't paid for it.

[Rita Sheppard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pulled into the story from the beginning and on the edge as Betsy gets one threatening pink note after another from a stalker. The relationship between Betsy and her next door neighbor Mitsy as well as with her parents is heartwarming. Betsy does "talk" to her dog but many pet owners I've seen are very close to their pets and talk to them as if they understand them. While talking to her husband while he's unconscious seems farfetched, it shows the closeness that Betsy and Steven have.

All in all, this is a real page turner that's hard to put down.