False Pretenses

by Catherine Coulter

#1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter’s first contemporary suspense  the explosive story of how one woman survives the destruction of her perfect life—and the dubious intentions of three mysterious men...A famous concert pianist married to a wealthy international business tycoon, Elizabeth Carleton is the envy of all—until the night her husband is stabbed in the chest with an ice pick and everything falls apart.Accused of murder, Elizabeth has little hope of being exonerated until a surprise witness appears to give her an airtight alibi. The jury finds her not guilty. The only thing She’s never met the man who testified on her behalf. Free and completely bewildered, Elizabeth must now cope with the financial empire her husband left behind and his family, who want to destroy her. Then three men suddenly appear in her life. Can she trust any of them? Or is one of them a murderer?

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

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 1988

Reviews

[Nikki Nielsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a yard sale at the recommendation of the woman selling it. Actually, she didn't want to sell her Catherine Coulter books but her husband told her she was going to sell them none the less. They had an argument about it right there in front of everyone at the yard sale. Very entertaining. She was shouting how much she loves 'Mrs. Coulter' and that she had read all the books repeatedly. He rolled his eyes and told her if she had read them that many times she should have them memorized. Then he said if she wanted him to sell the ugly lime green reclining chair, she had better sell the books. So I bought 4 of them for $1.

I did enjoy this book, it was a quick read, and I liked the classic plot of young wife suspected of older husband's murder. Good character development, decent descriptives, but it read just a little too much like a soap opera for my taste.

[Nat · Rating 1 out of 5]

It reads a lot like a soap opera, with clichés and a very predictable plot line.
Not only that, but it has several other issues that irked me considerably while I was reading:

1- Character development, in my opinion, is very poor. The characters are themselves cliché, and they have sudden changes in personalities seemingly from night to day with weak explanations for these abrupt enlightenments. Most glaring example of this is the main character who is a pianist with no experience in business; after being 'humiliated' by a lover she suddenly develops acute business sense and the capacity to run a Fortune 500 company. If only that was what it took for all of us to become business moguls...

2- All the male characters in the book read like chauvinists and sound very similar to one another. I think the author was going for 'strong male characters', but they all read like asses who you wouldn't want to have around.

3- All the main characters are very good looking, and most are extremely talented at something or other. This isn't that big a deal, but it bothers me. Books where everyone has 'lovely faces', 'beautiful bodies', 'silky hair' and exceptional talents just contribute to the overall sense that the author failed to construct a believable and relatable set of characters. In a book where the plot is already weak, this jars even more while reading.

4- The author tries to pass off the idea that the main character develops into a strong independent woman and that she works to empower other women... But whenever she struggles, the first thing she does is run into a man's arms.

In the end it's just generally a weak book.

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has flaws BUT ... it is a terrific read, not too deep, full of action, some surprises. It held my attention, even though I thought the main character was, for the first 50-75 pages, a stupid wimp. She changed, probably too quickly to be totally convincing, but was very interesting from that point on.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

After I started reading this book, I thought, I don't really care what happens to rich people, but the heroine was somewhat interesting, so I continued. Elizabeth Carleton was a professional classic pianist married to an older wealthy man, whom she was accused of murdering. Once acquitted, she takes over running the company, but all the family hates her. However, there are several men who seem to love her at first, before their motives are revealed. Will she ever find happiness? Will the real murdrer be revealed? And why does Catherine Coulter plot a fairly good book, only to have the ending seem contrived?

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

FALSE PRETENSES is an Early Psychological Thriller Romance novel written by Catherine Coulter (pub 1988).

MY RATING GUIDE: 3.5-4 Stars. I enjoy Coulter’s Contemporary novels; this was a reread for me.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I ENJOYED THIS; 4= I liked this a lot; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).

FALSE PRETENSES features young, formerly sheltered concert pianist Elizabeth Xavier and the chaos, accusations, bad publicity and trial she endures following the sudden murder of her exceedingly wealthy husband of three years. Elizabeth claims she did not kill her husband but no one believes her. For if she did not, who did? There are no other suspects.

Comments ~
1) Except for the obvious technology differences, I felt FALSE PRETENSES continues to hold up well over time. As I read, I could imagine such a drama occurring today in the “power-houses of the world” as well as when this book was first published (1988).
2) FALSE PRETENSES is a Standalone Psychological Thriller Romance containing domestic drama, action scenes and enough twists and turns to keep me guessing through till the end.
3) This was a reread for me and overall I enjoyed it as I found myself identifying with the FMC. She has the most terrible luck. FALSE PRETENSES includes considerable personal drama (and abuse elements), however, that are a bit over the top for me (which lower my rating). Other readers who particularly like Psychology Thrillers (and drama) may feel differently. This is a book I have read a number of times and will most likely read again in the future. A Sale offer for the audiobook came my way soon after I finished reading but I passed. Reading this one is plenty good for me.

READER CAUTION ~ Not recommended to YA readers or those who prefer Clean fiction.
PROFANITY - Yes. Strong language is used somewhat frequently.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - Yes. Details of intimacy and sexual liaisons are described.
VIOLENCE - PG-13/R. Details of violence include mention of past physical and sexual abuse in addition to current murders - none of which is described in particularly great detail.

[Terri Palermo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was completely surprised by how great this book was to enjoy! To be honest, I didn't think I'd like it or possibly even finish it, but I wanted to give it a try. Since it was written in 1988 and one of Coulter's first books, I didn't expected it to be very good.
Holy moly, was I ever wrong!
Wow! Such a great read!!

The only very, very small negative was with the ebook formatting, which is not the author's fault. If I were reading the physical book, I would have had no problem telling when scenes were changing but sometimes in this ebook, it took me a moment to catch on to what was happening when things changed...if you get what I mean.

I can't wait to read the rest of this series!

[Paula Legate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catherine Coulter is one of my favorite authors. With that being said, this was not one of my favorite books. Phases were repeated throughout the book. The 100th time I read the same comment, I just rolled my eyes. The story line was good, but the story seemed to drag. If you want to read a good book, read The Maze, a FBI thriller, or any of her books in that series.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh

Good grief: Ms. Coulter needs to stick to FBI novels. My fault- I didn't pay attention to this being a "romantic" thriller. I'm kindly giving it 2 stars due to twists and turns being mildly interesting.

[Strix · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started clunky but fun in a bad way, got progressively boring and bad until I dropped it after skimming to find out whodunnit.

I'll give it credit for entertaining me one afternoon while I was too sick to read anything decent.

[Nena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good writing and story

Great book for traveling, entertaining and we'll written. Highly recommend the book. Looking forward to the next great good book

[Colorado · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to the audio book. False Pretenses was first published in the 1980's and feels dated. It's got a convoluted plot with many characters. I was unable to differentiate easily which male character was speaking based on the narrator's voice. I lost patience with the storyline midway through the book and skipped ahead to the last few chapters to find out what happened.

[Sally Brandle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many characters introduced too fast and way too easy to determine the villain. She's done better books.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first romantic-suspense that Catherine Coulter wrote. It is quite good, but the plot reads more like Catherine Coulter channeling Danielle Steel. Not at all my type of read. I'm not into "poor me, whatever shall I do?" heroines. But, it is very good and except for some historical problems (dinner on top of the World Trade Center) the book stands the test of time well.

Concert pianist Elizabeth Carleton is on trial for the murder of her insanely wealthy older husband. A stranger comes forward and provides her with an alibi and she is found not guilty. The Carleton family has been written out of the will and they want blood. Industrial espionage, blackmail, betrayal make it interesting to figure out who Elizabeth can trust.

[Lacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book and had to force myself to keep reading. At first the characters were very one dimensional, I felt nothing, and could care less about what happened. After about 130 pages things started to get good and crazy. From then on the pace was faster, the story was more interesting, and I wanted to see what would happen. There are a lot of crazy characters in this book!

[Pam H · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow - not sure where to begin - this was a total mess. The widow goes from concert pianist who knows nothing but music to a savvy CEO with a killer instinct in 10 days. 3 different men want her - there is no chemistry anywhere, she marries a guy she wants to ruin, her step daughter goes from thinking she's a killer to confiding in her....it just goes on and on.

Since it was written a long time ago, I will assume Ms Coulters storytelling skills have improved.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started out really good and interesting. Then she starts changing the characters, about 90% do complete turnarounds, from bad guys to good ones, sorry people don't do that. Then, she pulls the "come back from the dead" trick at the end, which I hate, by the way, even in movies! I was going to try her FBI series but now not so sure I will.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery. I had a little bit of a hard time getting started on it - almost put it down several times. It's about the world or rich and elite business people, one that I can't really relate to, but eventually I got hooked. It is well written and entertaining and ends well.

[Creagh Steins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in 1 day

Just what I was looking for. An engaging mystery that I didn't want to put down. Have read entire FBI series as they are released, so decided to check this out.

[Donn Lorber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wealthy family tries to destroy a widowed step mother as they fight over the family fortune. Not terribly interesting

[(Grace) Kentucky Bohemian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Elizabeth's Strength
If you've looked at other reviews, you've already noticed that the narration has taken a big hit. It wasn't the best, especially the male POV. It just dragged a bit and lacked the life I've come to expect in most audiobooks. But I've also heard much worse, unfortunately. So while it wasn't my favorite, it didn't ruin the story for me.

The story itself--wow. It reminded me of the time in the 80's or so when mini-series were so popular (or the TV show Dallas) with big casts and outrageously crazy rich people doing outrageously ridiculous things to each other. The kind of people who really do think that they have so much money they can do anything they want. Such is the world of Elizabeth Carleton, AKA- Elizabeth X. This woman goes through quite a bit in her short life, and while she's a very accomplished musician, her emotional state and her very personality are a bit stunted when we first meet her. But as her story unfolds and she learns that she can't really rely on anyone but herself, she grows exponentially. She reinvents herself like the caterpillar emerging as a butterfly from the cocoon, and becomes an amazing woman who understands her worth. Even as those around her continue to underestimate her.

Within this interesting tale of suspense, power, deception, hostile takeovers, corporate spying, and matriarchal machinations lies one of the most memorable romances I've ever encountered. Basically this this story has it all, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Kayna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the potential for the plot, but book was disappointing. I truly thought I had skipped 50 pages on accident, wondering how the characters changed so much. So ruthless, and then suddenly so changed for the better? The family is built up to be so powerful, and ruthless is mentioned a million times, yet they suddenly try for a feel-good ending? The main character, Elizabeth, evolved in odd ways. She was somehow so very cautious, but also continues to trust every man that enters her life. She's somehow so naive, a damsel, but also a sudden business mogul? It's entirely possible that this type of romance trope isn't for me, and maybe I'm missing the point of the fantasy... But every man sexualizes her and she just accepts it? Every male character lacked class and composure, supposedly because they were driven mad by their confused feelings. How are we excusing terrible treatment of women because the man can't balance his emotions and check his ego? Each male character completely unrestrained, playing mental and emotional warfare. Oh, and marriage proposals are thrown around like candy on Halloween.
If you ignore the reality of how people truly behave and find sexism sexy, the book is fun. I really did enjoy the plot.

[Sharon Bowen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed many of Catherine Coulter's books, but this one is like several soap operas melted together. This story starts when a young wife is accused of murdering her elderly husband and everyone is convinced she is guilty. Throughout the story Elizabeth continues to profess her innocence, but many people still have their doubts. As the story continues one character after another tries to scam another and twist them into their own personal schemes. Many of the characters depict shallow selfish personalities, while the main character, Elizabeth, tries to rise above the strife.
The story has some unexpected twists to it, which is why I gave it a 2 instead of a 1, but overall, the story drags along with the predictable who did what to who kind of idea. Personally, I think Catherine Coulter should stick to her FBI series, or her FBI and the Brit series. The stories in both of those series are well developed and fun to read.

[Donna Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooo glad I found this one!

I’ve read several of Ms. Coulter’s books...I love the FBI series and the Brit in the FBI series so I was so thrilled when I found this early work of hers...the contemporary romantic thriller books...it kept me guessing about the people who were in Elizabeth’s life, of the men who were there to assist her in her new, daunting life, as well as the men who would enter her life in very different, very special and sometimes, scary ways. I was totally surprised with who won her heart...but I won’t say any more so as not to give away too much...😊 you’ll have to read to find out...

[Ingrid Lettermo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth on kaunis naine.
Kui tema abikaasa mõrvatakse, on ta esimene ja ainus kahtlusalune, kuid kohus mõistab ta õigeks tänu ootamatule tunnistajale.

Elisabeth vòtab üle kogu impeeriumi, mis ta abikaasast jäi.
Tehes selgeks äri juhtimise, muutub ta kalgiks.
Kuid tegelik mõrvar jalutab ringi, mis on tema plaan.
Kui aga Elisabeth satub kellegi märklauaks, ei usu teda mitte ringkonnaprokurör, kes veendunud, et Elisabeth tappis oma mehe.
Kes püûdis teda autoga alla ajada, kes lasi limusiini õhku koos autojuhiga.

Kui Elisabeth põgeneb ja salaja abiellub, saab mõrtsukas ta kätte.
Aga miks ja kuidas, pead sa ise lugema raamatust.

[Michaela | Reading in the Heartland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grabbed this book because I had started and loved her FBI thriller series and thought of that wasn’t labeled romantic suspense, then this must be so much better. I was mistaken. I crawled through this book. Some of the reviews called it soap opera-y and they aren’t wrong. I’m not sure what label I’d give it, but it’s definitely not at the standard as the FBI thrillers. The best part of this book was probably the last fifth. That’s when I a actually started to want to return to reading it. I’m worried about the rest of the series, but maybe this was a fluke. I will say that things are very convoluted and not what they seem, which is great.

[Carolynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth Carleton was a professional classic pianist married to an older wealthy man, whom she was accused of murdering. A stranger shows up at her trial as a surprise witness, and provides her with an alibi. I had to keep reminding myself how young she was or else I had no patience for her whatsoever. One man screws her over so she finds another man, allows him to completely take over her life until she realizes he screwed her as well, so she moves on to the next man. While this is not *completely* unbelievable, it does not make for a sympathetic protagonist.

[Kimiko-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A changed encounter with my first Coulter journey through this audio book, so doubtless the experience is different from reading the hard copy. The splendid performance by the male and female readers made the story twice as entertaining and addictive as a TV drama, and as usual, strong and independent female leads are always welcome. Loved the mystery thrown in that kept me guessing till the very end, ditto for the dark secret Elizabeth was storing from us, totally didn't see that coming. Great "read!"

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read quite a few of Catherine Coulter's books and this was my favorite so far. A very intense story of suspense and murder intertwined with romance and ruthless backstabbing among the rich. Elizabeth Carleton was on trial for the murder of her husband when a surprise witness takes the stand and gives her an alibi. The jury finds her not guilty but no one really believes she is innocent especially the D.A. This is a story of corporate takeovers and backroom deals that keep you wondering who do you trust. Great book.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proof that people can change. Elizabeth is accused of killing her husband. Christian Hunter provides testimony that clears Elizabeth. Why? What is his motive?
Elizabeth, who is a musician, is left to handle her husband's huge business adventures. She learns with the help of several men and eventually takes over and does a good job. Her character goes from mild to that of a cruel leader after she was deceived and betrayed.
A unique story with many other characters involved. I would recommend this book but start a list of characters. There are a lot of people to keep track of.

[lora joint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting twist!

Good story. A lot of different characters. A little too many. It was a good story line but not easy to follow due to switching, thoughts and characters without starting a new chapter. I actually never read one of her stories that didn't flow well, so a little disappointing.