Domino

by Phyllis A. Whitney

A woman is forced to face the tragedies of the past when she’s summoned back to her Colorado home in this novel from “a master of suspense ” (Mary Higgins Clark).   An assistant editor at a Manhattan university press, Laurie Morgan forged a future in the best way she knew how. She buried her tragic past and her father’s mysterious death so deeply it only returns in pieces of bad dreams. Then, out of the blue—and much to Laurie’s surprise—she’s invited to her childhood home in Colorado by her ailing, long-estranged grandmother, who banished Laurie and her mother twenty years ago and locked herself up in Morgan House along with every one of its secrets. Now, Laurie is being offered the key.   But once she arrives with her lover, Hillary, no one is eager to discuss the past—not her grandmother, the old woman’s suspicious live-in lawyer, her violently hostile nurse, or an old childhood friend. Maybe it’s for the best, though, because once Laurie discovers why she’s been called home, it’s already too late to run. For the hidden tragedies of twenty years ago didn’t happen to Laurie. They happened because of Laurie. And now she must accept the terrible burden of her family legacy—and pay the price.   With this novel of past sins, family secrets, and betrayal, New York Times–bestselling author Phyllis A. Whitney proves once again that she “is, and always will be, the Grand Master of her craft” (Barbara Michaels).  This ebook features an illustrated biography of Phyllis A. Whitney including rare images from the author’s estate.    

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Fiction, Gothic, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller

389 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Phyllis 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.

Reviews

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

My, this story was full of twists and turns.

This story was set in 1970’s Colorado and it still stands the test of time.

Try and find this suspense filled story and give it a go.

[Charlotte Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are nightmare events in Laurie Morgan’s childhood so horrific she has blocked them from memory, events so horrific they caused her grandmother to wish to never see her again. Now, twenty years later, her long-estranged grandmother, elderly and ailing, has called her home to Morgan House. There Laurie must confront long-buried secrets of the past and a danger all too close to home.

Domino, written by the legendary Phyllis A. Whitney, is a complex, multi-layered mystery that will keep you up turning pages late into the night.

(Advance Reading Copy obtained by request from NetGalley.)

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cozy with a friend of the 70's I read all the Phyllis A. Whitney novels as soon as they came out. I was happy to the e-books of this novel. I had forgotten how you are pulled right into the story. This story turns as different events occur this is true of this author's work.
Laurie Morgan left Colorado when she was 8 years old. Until she received a telegram to return, she had not heard a word from her Grandmother in years. She decided to return in order to help her with the memory loss. Laurie finds her aged Grandmother surrounded by servants, friends and an enemy all waiting for her Grandmother's death. Will Laurie recover her memory? Why is her enemy so anxious to destroy all her Grandmother held dear?

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Open Roads Integrated Media through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read and re-read this book SO MANY TIMES as a teenager, it automatically gets five stars. I still think it’s a great little Gothic mystery, even if it’s not quite my cup of tea these days. The Colorado location is practically a character itself and I love when the reader can feel like they’ve been to the place.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typical Phyllis Whitney book... it was slow at the beginning and picked up about 3/4s of the way through. It has been a long time since I read any Phyllis Whitney books. Typical ending but the climax was pretty good. SPOILER ALERT!!!!






Yes, as always, girl gets the CORRECT guy!
(But anybody who has read her books already knows that!!)

[C Legend · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was younger and always remembered the descriptions of Colorado. Now that I live here, I wanted to revisit it. I was thinking that I would love to adapt it to a screenplay.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usual Whitney tropes but overly long. And the big reveal was so coincidental that it was just ridiculous.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story with some twists, but I had guessed most of them before they happened.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I somehow missed reading Phyllis Whitney the first time around, and am trying to remedy that by reading her books now. I lucked up with finding a few up for grabs on NetGalley (reissuing for kindle). While the writing is dated due to the time period in which she wrote it, I didn't find it detracting or that it really had a "dated" feel to it. I would term this a romantic mystery-suspense.

Laurie Morgan survived a major tragedy in her youth, and due to it's awfulness, she has completely blocked it from her memory. Her beloved grandmother at the time of the harrowing ordeal cesased to have any contact with her from that time forward. Until now. Nearly 20 years have passed, and her grandmother has asked her to come to visit her on the estates in Colorado, Morgan House, where her the terrible events took place. She gathers her courage and invites her current love interest to come with her. What she finds there confuses her and no one will be honest with her about anything. Why does the attorney seem like he's hiding something? Why does the nurse seem to have a dislike for Laurie as well as a discomfiting attitude? Why can't she remember what happened when she was a child? Laurie must confront all of the long-held secrets and mysteries of the past and face the dangers to her at present these will cause.

I very much enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more by her!

**Many thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Media Publishers for a copy to read and honestly review!!**

[Jane Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed Phyllis Whitney’s books. I have t read them for ages, but having just moved house and this box was open and I needed another book to read so chose this one. It was good - I always like her descriptions and although the characters can sometimes be annoying, they are good stories and generally fast-paced. A good one to read when I was feeling overwhelmed by how much I had to do.

[Tammy Chaffins · Rating 5 out of 5]

love Phyllis Whitney! Domino is another great one. A mystery to the end!

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a serious illness suffered when she was eight, Laurie Morgan has grown up fearful, prey to fugue states and panic. When her long-estranged grandmother summons her back to the Colorado mining town her family helped found, Laurie will be confronted with the past and fight to help her grandmother secure the future of the town against the wishes of a nefarious developer. The mystery at the heart of "Domino" is not a hard one to figure out—and indeed, even Whitney herself seems not to care so much about it. What interests her more is how Laurie will reclaim her confidence and learn to live in the world again, as she did when she was younger. In that sense, although set in the present, "Domino" is a throwback to some of Whitney's earliest historical novels of the 1950s, where questions of character development were as important, if not more important, than the mystery plots. If the skulduggery fizzles out towards the end, Laurie wins the reader's sympathy along the way.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truly an old fashioned romantic suspense. There are two possible suitors. There is a dangerous escapade. There is an old house and an elderly relative and a secret from the past. This being an American entry in the genre, there is overall a sort of sunny outlook, considering the deaths and general mayhem. The setting is Colorado in an old mining area.

[Tricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I struggled to get through this book. As another reader stated it started out very slowly. It picked up a little toward the end. Some parts of the conclusion were good; I was disappointed in other parts of the ending.

[Cws]

F Whi

[Delene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second time I read it -- I am not sure why I kept it. It didn't get any more stars this time so it is going in the goodwill bag.

[Margaret Boehm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Spellbinding suspenseful

[Diane Wachter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Domino, Phyllis A. Whitney, RDC-M V 1 1980, 2/82. Haunted by a past she can't remember, but can't entirely forget. Okay.

[Deb W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good enough story, poorly told. Predictable.

[Veronica Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paperback - (B+)

[Katrina Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to read Phyllis Whitney books, as an older child/tween, and loved them. I picked this up at a library book sale and read it again for nostalgia. It wasn't bad, but the older, more drawn-out style of writing was definitely present. There was a lot of description and foreshadowing, but it took a while to advance the plot.

Sometimes books published more than 40 years ago show their age in the form of old-fashioned technology, but I didn't feel that way about this book. It was a moody Gothic story set in an old Colorado mining town, and it was easy to accept the lack of certain modern technologies that are used today.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cowboy and the heiress

Upon a summons from her grandmother that she had't seen since a child, Laurie went to visit her in the old mining town in Colorado. Dangerous secrets began to emerge and she had to solve them before someone silenced her. With help from her old childhood friend she managed to save the town and the land from greedy and revenge seeking Mark Ingram. Great romance story full of suspense.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s funny, a lot of mystery writers (and writers in general) have a formula. Phyllis Whitney certainly does. But part of the fun can actually be, wait a minute, how will you fit this person or circumstance into your regular formula? The way she made that seemingly square peg fit in the seemingly round hole was pretty neat.

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of the same, but it's a same I find very comforting. This time, we're in Colorado, in an once-thriving mining town, on the brink of rejuvenation. Or not ... the ending is particularly melodramatic, as abandoned silver mines in the vicinity of those bent on murder/revenge inevitably are.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phyllis Whitney, brilliant as always, they dont do books like this anymore, Not my favourite of hers but a book to curl up with, and dissolve into it. A story to get lost in I loved it. For fans of Gothic mystery although slightly more up to date, pure reading bliss.

[Jennifer Morefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is kind of a modern day western with good and bad guys. The characters were great. The mystery was interesting and the plot line was not easy to predict. I enjoyed this story. This book was among the books that my mother bought years ago and I am glad that I read it.

[Libby Mckinmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can always count on Phyllis Whitney for a good read, a well written book and I will be back for more Phyllis Whitney titles!

[Denise Cummings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more like 2.5 stars. I loved Phyllis A. Whitney when I was a young girl, so I read this mostly for nostalgia. It was okay, but wouldn't read it again. A sweet story, a mystery.