A Circle of Wives Author: | Language: English | ISBN:
B00IITUVVI | Format: PDF
A Circle of Wives Description
When Dr. John Taylor is found dead in a hotel room in his hometown, the local police find enough incriminating evidence to suspect foul play. Detective Samantha Adams, whose Palo Alto beat usually covers small-town crimes, is innocently thrown into a high-profile murder case that is more intricately intertwined than she could ever imagine. A renowned plastic surgeon, a respected family man, and an active community spokesman, Dr. Taylor was loved and admired. But, hidden from the public eye, he led a secret life - in fact, multiple lives. A closeted polygamist, Dr. Taylor was married to three very different women in three separate cities. And when these three unsuspecting women show up at his funeral, suspicions run high. Adams soon finds herself tracking down a murderer through a web of lies and marital discord.
With a rare combination of gripping storytelling, vivid prose, and remarkable insight into character, Alice LaPlante brings to life a story of passion and obsession that will haunt listeners long after they turn the final page. A charged and provocative psychological thriller, A Circle of Wives dissects the dynamics of love and marriage, trust and jealousy, posing the terrifying question: How well do you really know your spouse?
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 9 hours and 37 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Audible, Inc.
- Audible.com Release Date: March 4, 2014
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00IITUVVI
John Taylor does not fit the stereotype of a polygamist. Although he is handsome, charming, and charismatic, he is not selfish and arrogant, nor does he seem obviously abnormal or deviant. On the contrary, Taylor is a doctor who uses his impressive skills to perform reconstructive surgery on children who have facial deformities. His partners are unhappy that Taylor insists on doing pro bono work, since the big money is in cosmetic procedures for the affluent. Still, Taylor is a complex individual who, for reasons of his own, married three women who live in Palo Alto, Los Gatos, and Los Angeles; he somehow managed to juggle his myriad professional and personal responsibilities. It is only after Taylor dies in his hotel room of an apparent heart attack that his trio of wives become fodder for the tabloids.
Twenty-eight year old Samantha Adams is a detective in the Palo Alto Police Department in California. She has been living for ten years with her boyfriend, Peter, an anthropologist whom she dubs "an academic wannabe." Sam is ambivalent about her feelings for Peter, a fact that is driving a wedge between them. When she is assigned to the John Taylor case, Sam has little time to devote to Peter, since there is evidence that the doctor may have been murdered. Did one of his wives do him in? If so, which one?
In lesser hands, "A Circle of Wives" might have been little more than a cliché-ridden mystery with sensational overtones. Fortunately, Alice LaPlante is a talented and intelligent author who creates spellbinding and well-rounded characters; writes witty and realistic dialogue; and constructs plots that are clever and surprising. In addition, her prose is straightforward and effortless; it is refreshing to read a novel devoid of heavy-handed similes and metaphors.
Here's a new reading experience - first with a captivating story, and second with the method the author has used to introduce us to the main characters and journey along with them. It's fascinating to think of a man, so charismatic that he is able to assemble a stable of three wives and that he is able to give them each what they need, and still have time and energy remaining for a career as a world-renowned plastic surgeon! Then picture him as past middle-age, ruddy-faced with a paunch! We see Dr. John Taylor only through the eyes of his wives - unfortunately, when we catch up with him, he's dead. Since he seems to be able to mold himself to the needs of his wives, and they to him, he becomes, in our eyes, a truly remarkable man. Can a man like this truly exist, we ask ourselves! Add to this the fact that the three wives are polar opposites - different appearances, different lifestyles, different values - united only by their love and need for this man for all seasons! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the mystery - as surely one of these wives had reason to do him in.
The young detective assigned to the crime has problems of her own - starting with her background of pursuing dog barking complaints in wealthy Palo Alto. Samantha learns quickly, though, and, early in the investigation, she knows that there are motives and opportunities galore among those in John Taylor's harem. Ferreting it all out is a job - but, by story's end, literally in the last pages, we learn how it all came down. A page-turner building toward a satisfying conclusion.
If there is anything missing, it would be in the chapters assigned to each character throughout the story - and the author's attempt to have us see, feel, and hear the differences between the characters.
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