Emerald

by Phyllis A. Whitney

A woman heads to Palm Springs to stay with her great-aunt, a Hollywood star with a mysterious past, in this romantic suspense novel by an Edgar Award winner.
 
Ever since New York journalist Carol Hamilton was a young girl, her great-aunt Monica Arlen has been for her the stuff of glittering, starry-eyed fantasy. Now, the reclusive movie star offers Carol an escape of another kind. In flight with her son from an abusive marriage, she’s come to Monica’s isolated, fortress-like home on Mt. San Jacinto in Palm Springs—and not only for sanctuary. Carol hopes to do research for her biography of a once-celebrated life that has receded into the dark shadows of Hollywood history.
 
Surrounded by an entourage of secretaries, companions, and servants, Monica is willing to give Carol and her boy refuge, and to Carol’s surprise, she’s receptive to telling her story. On one Carol must tell the truth about everything , including Saxon Scott, Monica’s most dashing and enigmatic leading man. Meanwhile, Carol is tempted by the prospect of a new man who could heal her wounded heart—or shatter it. But as she digs deeper into lore and legend, she discovers that her great-aunt’s secrets run as deep and dangerous as her past.  Soon Carol will find herself entangled in a real-life mystery, and the final scene could very well call for murder.
 
From the New York Times –bestselling “queen of the American gothics,” Emerald is a novel of glamour, intrigue, and romantic suspense ( The New York Times ).
 
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Phyllis A. Whitney including rare images from the author’s estate.
 
 

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

381 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1982

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

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phyllis A. Whitney continued her string of early 80s successes with "Emerald." A young writer, Carol Hamilton, flees an abusive marriage to an unsavory business tycoon for the sanctuary of the Palm Springs estate of her great-aunt, a former Hollywood legend whom she's revered all her life but never previously met. While the novel owes more than a little to Whitney's "Listen for the Whisperer" of the previous decade, she nevertheless creates an enjoyable thriller with a final twist that—in her characteristically professional manner—has laid out its clues all along for the reader to miss. As had been the case in several of the novels immediately preceding it, the romantic subplot in "Emerald" takes up much less room and is less of emphasis in the story, suggesting that Whitney was perhaps responding to what she thought readers of the late 70s and early 80s wanted.

[Bonnie Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to read Phyllis Whitney's books when in my 20's and recently came across Emerald. Taking into consideration that this was written over 25 years ago, the subject of Hollywood actors from its golden era was still interesting, and references to the 'modern-day' main character using a typewriter and pay phone made me smile. That being said, with the exception of Monica - the reclusive old Hollywodd star - none of the characters, including the divorced Mom on the run with her young son - ever came alive in the story. Still, the ending DID surprise me and, perhaps, this is why I used to enjoy reading her books so much.

[Ana Lopes Miura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a 3 star read (it’s overlong and drags a bit), but that twist at the end was completely unexpected and earned a whole extra star.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready for a roller coaster ride with this one. It’s Phyllis A. Whitney in top form.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good as expected from a Phyllis Whitney story - I didn't see ending coming and that's always a treat!

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was awful. I did not like that flow of the book as there were very choppy sections. I also did not like the "this happened" "then this happened" it bugs me. The only reason I gave it one star was because of the ending twist.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for the first time many years ago and have read it many times since then. Love it!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was a master of her craft. Always fun to read her books.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story with a surprising twist at the end. Didn't see that one coming.

Only problems were the length of the book, which was a little long for Whitney, and I didn't care for the way she set up the two protagonists as having the same problem. I guess Whitney was trying to find a way to make the characters relatable to each other but it wasn't necessary and just dragged the story a bit when it was mentioned.

[MaryEllen Holbrook · Rating 3 out of 5]

“We don’t talk about Peggy, no no no…” is my review title here. The twist in this one just seemed forced, or maybe just that there was a lot of effort to point the reader toward it before it was revealed at the very end. I give this one three stars because I still wanted to keep reading even though the narrator drove me a little berserk with her repeated over-description of everyone she was interacting with. It’s also a story that only works in an era where DV was considered ‘less of an issue’ because there were multiple points where I would’ve gotten the hell out of this place. As a teen who hadn’t read much adult mystery, I could enjoy these more; as an adult I’m frequently finding myself yelling “OMG don’t go for an evening stroll on the balcony with this guy; he tried to f***ing drown you! Get a knife for protection and stop letting him babysit your kid!!! Oh, your child was kidnapped; shocker.”

[☯Emily Ginder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read a Phyllis Whitney book in years. I now remember why. The stories are very similar. There is a young woman in a strange, usually wealthy, location. She enters an atmosphere filled with distrust, anger and hidden secrets. The secrets are just about to be revealed. There is a troubled man who distrusts the young woman, usually for no reason at all. This will lead to a light romance. There is a murder or two to make the atmosphere even scarier. Then the person who no one suspects, including the reader, is found to be the murderer.

This book follows this model. It is easy to read and you will be surprised at the conclusion. Enjoy.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Whitney masterpiece, Carol Hamilton is running from her rich, but abusive husband. He will stop at nothing to recover their young son, who he has already beaten. Carol has no one to turn to but her great-aunt, a famous classic movie star, who lives in a secluded mansion in Palm Springs. A journalist by profession before her marriage, Carol decides to write a book about the famous Monica Arlen only to discover there are some secrets best left buried in the past. As with all Whitney books, the setting is beautifully described and the ending is not at all what you expect. Another gem!

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

To my embarrassment I enjoyed this melodramatic mystery romance. I fear I'm getting hooked on Whitney's novels. I can't understand why. The plots are all similar: a young woman is faced with difficult circumstances and there is a set of villains and a set of support--yet there is also some mystery with both sets that isn't explained until the last few pages. Yes, that's it! I like that unexpected twist at the end. Plus, the books are slim and undemanding.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I finished it but am not really sure why -- I didn't really like any of the characters -- the writing, even tho Phyllis Whitney is supposed to be good, made the characters shallow. Maybe because the book was about the Hollywood scene of long ago -- i'm not sure. I gave it an "ok" but don't really recommend it.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Due to other distractions , it took me longer to read than it would normally , at times I wondered where it was going but as the book progressed I became more engrossed in the storyline and by the end I could'nt wait to pick it up and finish it , all in all it was a good read , and I will be reading the next book the Heirs of Eldon

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phyllis Whitney was definitely my favorite author years ago. Back then, I'd rate these at a 4, but if I was to read them now, they'd be between a 3 and a 3.5. Good mysteries, well written. They all neatly wrap up and are a bit sophomoric though.

[Alice Harbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery. Woman runs from hurtful husband with small son. Seeks refuge with distant relative, a former movie star who lives on side of San Jacinto Mt. Many long kept secrets are destroying her aunt. She sets out to write a book about her.

[Trinity · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written enough, just sort of boring I guess. I wasn't very attached to any of the characters, can and the one plot twist (while I didn't see it coming) wasn't terribly exciting. I wish I had loved it!

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book with nice twists. Ending a nice surprise, but dragged in so many spots. Skipped through lots of passages.

[Elizabeth Layman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery book is a 4/5 for me. My parents and I were visiting the local library's book sale, and we ran across Emerald. My mom said she read a lot of Phyllis A. Whitney when she was young woman and recommended I give her a shot.

I was really drawn to the backdrop of Palm Springs as I have family in the area and find it a very pretty location and just a little mysterious. That, in addition to the references to old Hollywood, painted a really lovely veneer of mystery and intrigue right from the start.

Initially, I wasn't very fond of the main character, Carol, as she seemed to fall in love very quickly to a terrible guy. However, I did enjoy the fact that she was a writer and willing to risk everything to get her young son away from his horrifying father/her horrifying husband.

Once in Palm Springs at the home of her distant aunt who once was a Hollywood star, Carol meets several interesting characters. Of course, she gets off on the wrong foot with one of them, a good-looking man named Jason who has more in common with Carol than he first thinks. Every character seems to have his or her own secret, and they are wound up in a way that makes the ending a big surprise!

I found that the more cliched parts of the story balanced out nicely with the twists and turns. I stayed up late to see what would happen at the end and found myself telling my mom the next day that I was happy she'd recommended Whitney to me.

[Deanna Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old novels are getting a second life as ebooks, which is how Emerald by Phyllis A. Whitney caught my eye. Reading this mystery/suspense novel from 1983 was like watching an old movie—a welcome escape from the harrowing days of the coronavirus pandemic.

The novel is about a recently divorced woman attempting to find a safe place to shelter with her young son where her abusive ex-husband can’t snatch the boy a second time. The safe place to which she flees is a lavish fortified estate in Palm Springs, California, owned by her great-aunt who was a once celebrated movie star but now lives as a recluse. But the great-aunt seems less than welcoming and even within the walls of the estate the narrator doesn’t feel safe, especially after a mysterious attacker tries to drown her in the swimming pool. There’s romance too and a surprise ending I didn’t see coming. (I had guessed at an ending, just not this one.)

Whitney is the author of more than 70 novels, which in itself is quite an accomplishment. She died in 2008 at the age of 104 after a long and prolific career. While her novels are a bit dated in ways (after all, we live in different times), they still can provide stories about men and women who are not so very different from us.

[Nightwitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more of a mystery novel than a romantic suspense novel; compelling and fast-moving for what it was, with some good twists and turns. On the one hand I appreciated the way Carol's ex-husband is portrayed as a stereotypical alpha male hero (self-made, compelling, sharp-witted) whose macho posturing and controlling nature quickly turns into abuse; on the other hand, he's portrayed as a self-made, dark-haired man whose name was originally "middle European" (changed to something Anglo-Saxon to get in good with all the WASPs) with curly hair and a "full, sensual mouth" - honestly to me that's coded obliquely Jewish and it's discomfiting that he's the villain of the piece.

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty typically Whitney, which is what I like about reading her, but which can also be incredibly frustrating. There were definitely times here when I was super impatient with our heroine and the not-so-smart things that she did, but whatever. The twist was pretty good and the setting decent, although it could've been edited down a bit, as a dragged at times. Still, pretty much what I was in the mood for and I immediately started another, because apparently I'm feeling the Whitney and have quite a backlog I've acquired during sales.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Altho she is a famous writer who has long passed, I have never read Phyllis A. Whitney. She has an easy flowing writing style and her progression of the story line pulls you in immediately. I thoroughly enjoyed this book - almost a marathon read for me. You know who the bad guys are, but surprises continue to change your opinion of the characters. You worry for the heroine and what is ahead for her (you think) only to encounter surprises she (and the reader) did not even imagine. I am thrilled that I enjoyed this book so much, but more so that I discovered this author!

[Rebecca]

Gave up halfway through, one day I might spend time skimming through the rest. Characters are unlikeable, I am not particularly interested in the plot and the author hasn't given any indication that things will get more interesting. Back in the day my mom had read Whitney, which is why I wanted to check her out. I've also picked up Rainsong and will give it a go down the road.

[Polly Blakeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great mystery

I have read many of Phyllis Whitney's books and enjoyed them all. The books never failed to entertain and keep me on the edge of my seat. I have never been able to guess the ending.

[Diane Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phyllis Whitney's books were my intro to gothic suspense many years ago. Though written in the 1950s, Emerald delves into modern day problems--parental rights, child abduction, and spousal abuse. Discovering a murderer adds to the suspense. Twists abound.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow-what a roller coaster at the end. I have always loved the books by Phyllis Whitney. In fact, I believe that that her books along with The Nancy Drew books began my love for reading years ago while in elementary school.

[david levine · Rating 2 out of 5]

so so

I used to read this author when I was in jr high and I think that was prime for me. Saw the author pop up on a recommendation for me and went ahead and read the book. While not what I read now and the characters being fairly one dimensional it was an okay read

[Khanh · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, just WOW! Maybe I'll come back here and write more, but this is the third book I've read by Phyllis A. Whitney and it's my favorite thus far. What a master she was at her craft, and what a delight it is to be so absorbed in the worlds she creates.