Great story about working women and what their daily life is like. Quick read...Will be a bestseller

If you loved Big Little Lies (the show but especially the book) then definitely check out The Whisper Network.

The Whisper Network had a really similar (in a good way!) feel to me as Big Little Lies.This story was old in an identical flash-forward/flashback, part epistolary style as BLL. Set in a similarly upscale community, it also featured four women tied together through a violent death.

While BLL focused more on upper middle class competitive parenting, The Whisper Network took a slightly different slant, giving an insider’s look at being a woman in a male-dominated corporate culture.

Sloane, Ardie, Grace and Rosalita all work at the same Dallas corporation, the first three in the legal department and the fourth as a night office cleaner. Sloane works longer hours and makes more money than her school principal husband and struggles for recognition in her male-dominated work environment. Grace, a former beauty queen, is a sleep-deprived new mom trying to figure out how to balance work with motherhoood. Ardie is still reeling after a divorce. Rosalita, a single mother, pushes her cleaning cart through the office at night.

The Whisper Network adds something I rarely like in a book: multiple first person present ( a “we” POV) from the point of all women struggling in a male-dominated workplace. However, I thought the technique was very effective in highlighting the fact that many, many more women face similar struggles at work.

While BLL kept the reader in suspense about the identity of the murder victim until the very end, there’s really no mystery in The Whisper Network about who is going to die. That was okay, because the book did a good job of keeping me guessing about who the actual murderer was.

The “whisper network” of the title is a secret list, circulated by women, of Dallas men to avoid. Clearly, #MeToo themes of sexual harrassment and sexual assault are at the forefront of the story. But The Whisper Network also uses the “we” narration to point out that women are diminished in more subtle ways in male-dominated corporate environments.

Overall, The Whisper Network was a page-turner that also made me think. Definitely recommend this page-turner for your beach bag!

A very timely mystery novel perfect for someone who likes mysterious secrets and a bit of a law drama. I loved how it was told from several woman’s point of view. It seemed fresh and modern yet not overwrought.

By the end of this book I really loved it and would recommend it to fellow readers. It gave a great female perspective from the inside of an office about the female experience and sexual harassment. At the beginning of the book there were quite a few characters and I found it hard to remember and connect to them. About a third of the way through the book this was no longer an issue. I do not work in an office, I am not in a job that is dominated by men, and I do not have children so this also made getting into the story at the beginning challenging for me. However, even at the beginning of the book there were parts that made my blood boil in anger for the female characters in the story. Sometimes the beginning of chapters was a bit confusing/choppy with the first few paragraphs from the plural perspective. I wanted to know whose point of the view the chapter was from the beginning. I loved the excerpts from the deposition at the conclusions of chapters.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this one. In fact, I couldn’t bring myself to finish it completely. I think I may have related more if I worked in the corporate world or if I was a mother. I didn’t hate the premise of the story, but I couldn’t find a character that I really liked.

An anonymous list of the bad behavior of men makes the women stop and think about the men in their lives. Sloane, Ardie, and Grace have worked together and been friends for years but there are some things they just haven't shared. But when Ames is suddenly tapped to become CEO the whispers grow until he dies and Sloane, Ardie, and Grace are being questioned. What happened? Are the whispers true?

“If only you had listened to us,” they tell us on page one of Chandler Baker’s Whisper Network, “none of this would have happened.”
It’s a slow build whodunit, set in the “me too” movement that tackles social issues as well as a murder. 4 women in the employ of a company decide to take action when their boss is up for promotion. There have always been whispers….
The story alternates between the present and the past. There is a crime and the author reveals piece by piece the events leading to that point. Part of the story is told in the format of police interviews, which I enjoyed and thought was written cleverly.
The characters are layered and interesting. I was interested to see that the women came from different areas of the business and had diverse backgrounds and experiences. The pacing is even. The entertainment value for me was strong. 3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Whisper Network is a timely novel, shining a spotlight on many of the injustices women face in the corporate world. The author does a superb job giving life to her characters, showing female co-workers in various stages of life, sharing a realistic friendship that goes beyond their work environment. Set in my own neighborhood, I also enjoyed recognizing many of the local references. While I wouldn't label this one a thriller, it's more of a slow-build, I would love to see this one on film. I can understand why Reese Witherspoon selected it as her July book of the month pick. I also think I would enjoy a reread of this one. In fact, I found myself flipping back, looking for the hints I might have missed. Congrats to the author on a successful contribution to the #metoo movement.

If I am being completely honest in this review, I didn't really like this book. I had an extremely hard time getting into it, and it took me months to try and force myself to read it. I didn't really feel like there was a story line that kept me wanting to read it. I know this was attempted to occur with the snippets of the investigation, but I felt like the actual chapters had no story that made me want to keep reading. I also felt like this was just a copy of Big Little Lies, and that kind of turned me off to the story. I felt that it was set up exactly the same, investigating a murder at the end of the chapters, but while Big Little Lies had storyline that was occurring during the chapters, these chapters fell flat for me and made me not very interested in what was happening to the characters. I also felt like I had a really hard time getting the characters straight. I am used to reading books with many characters, especially many female characters, but I kept getting confused as to who was who, and what was going on in their story which made it all very hard to follow. Overall I am sad that I did not enjoy this book because I felt that from the publicity and the other reviews I saw it was one I should enjoy, but it really fell flat for me.

“If only you’d listened to us, none of this would have happened.” How many women have repeated this phrase after business meetings, during arguments with significant others, and whenever new policies about women’s bodies lead to gruesome results? In WHISPER NETWORK by Chandler Baker, four women learn that their powerful boss --- a man who always has been surrounded by whispers --- is next in line to become CEO of their company. With his promotion imminent, these women decide they will no longer tolerate hands on their thighs, misogynistic comments and thinly veiled sexual threats. Instead, they will enact a far-reaching and all-consuming network of whispers that will change their lives forever.

Sloane, Ardie and Grace have all worked as in-house lawyers for Truviv, a sportswear company, for years. Sloane is Senior Vice President of Truviv, and although her work comes first, she is also dealing with bullying in her daughter’s school. Ardie is a recently divorced tax lawyer who has decided to release herself from the beauty game that professional women are required to play, focusing instead on missing her ex-husband and trying out online dating for the first time. Sweet, religious Grace has just welcomed a newborn to whom she feels no connection, and yet she relishes the hour she is given at work to pump and lock herself away for some quiet, peaceful reflection. Together, they are high-powered, high-income lawyers, but this has never protected them from much of anything as far as their male coworkers are concerned.

This is especially true when it comes to the head of their department, General Counsel Ames Garrett. Ames is a complicated man: he is handsome and outwardly kind, and believes that postpartum depression is real, but he also thinks that women can be too emotional during “that time of the month” and that there is nothing wrong with commenting on his female employees’ physiques (so long as it is complimentary). To some readers, he may appear to be a walking contradiction, but to many more, he will seem as common as one’s neighbor, friend or even husband.

For years, these three women (particularly Sloane and Ardie) have rolled their eyes and comforted one another when Ames becomes too domineering or too critical of his female employees, but something changes on the day their CEO dies. Not only is Ames the most reasonable choice to replace him, their department has welcomed a new employee named Katherine. She is young and beautiful, and immediately becomes Ames’ right-hand woman. After enduring years of his advances, crude comments and more, Sloane decides she will not let another woman fall into his trap. So when she learns of an anonymous BAD (Beware of Asshole Dallas) Men list that has been circulating among women in Dallas, she adds Ames’ name to it, thereby setting off not only a shocking death, but also a chaotic chain of events that threatens to cost all three women their careers, marriages and lives.

Of course, any woman who follows the news (particularly now during the #MeToo era) will readily tell you that to accuse a man of sexual assault is no easy feat. When Ames catches wind of the whispers around him, Sloane, Ardie and Grace are swept up into a killer lawsuit led by their own company that forces them to examine and disclose their every move around Ames --- how much they had to drink at company outings, if they ever said a kind word to their own boss, and even their private chats with one another. Baker weaves in snippets of depositions, cross-examinations and police interviews that highlight the cruelty to which women who accuse high-profile men are subjected. Words are twisted, meanings are manipulated and the women are practically flayed --- all at the hands of their own company, where they have secured million-dollar deals, worked impossible hours and covered for their male colleagues’ shortcomings (all while looking like swimsuit models, of course).

And what about the fourth woman who dares to bring Ames’ world crashing down? WHISPER NETWORK is also told from the point of view of Rosalita, a cleaning lady at Truviv who has seen it all --- from Ames’ advances on his employees to the drunken crying sessions the women sometimes need at night after a meeting. From an outside view, Rosalita can see the women’s efforts for what they really are: justice. She also provides a necessary and refreshing foil to the privileged lives of Sloan, Ardie and Grace. As a custodian and single mother, Rosalita cannot afford (literally or figuratively) to go after the men who have behaved badly around her. And yet, at the moment of need, she proves her worth in more ways than one.

It should come as no surprise that WHISPER NETWORK draws on the #MeToo movement and often feels “ripped from the headlines,” but it is so much more than a social response. Baker blends thriller elements with painfully realistic themes like perfection, motherhood, privilege, corporate culture and female friendship. Her characters (perhaps with the exception of Rosalita) are not always likable. They are frustrated, depressed and angry, and they make mistakes, particularly when it comes to their own friendships, but they are unflinchingly real, which elevates the book to one of 2019’s best releases.

WHISPER NETWORK is brilliantly crafted, and Baker explores not only the timely stories we all recognize, such as a circulated list of men to avoid, but also the intricacies and blurred lines of office settings, particularly when it comes to friendship and romance. She unpacks every element of sexual harassment and assault, forcing all readers, male and female, to confront their innermost thoughts and beliefs about women’s rights and safety. Baker delivers a strong and unignorable message, but at no point does her novel come off as overbearing or issue-based. She balances all of the most timely and controversial moments with a compelling “whodunit” that will keep readers guessing until the final pages.

Chandler Baker has crafted the perfect novel for our time, and I have no doubt that WHISPER NETWORK will be a true conversation starter that will span gender, class and readers’ own preconceived beliefs.

I'm not sure if I can fully put into words why I enjoyed this book so much, at least in a somewhat eloquent fashion, but I'll try. Regardless, definitely a 4.5 star read. Might round up to 5 stars later, we'll see how it sticks with me.

<i>Whisper Network</i> tells the story of three women—Sloane, Grace and Ardie—as they decide to take on their boss, Ames, who has a history of abusive and manipulative behavior towards women.

I absolutely love how Baker structured this book. Transcripts from depositions and detective interviews are woven into the story from the very beginning, when we are told that someone has fallen from the top of the building that Grace, Sloane and Ardie all work in. The story slowly unravels from there, as we are treated to a view of each woman's intricate and complex history, motivations and daily life.

At the start of each chapter, Baker offers universal observations about women in the workplace and the constant struggles we face, in a way that managed not to be cheesy, but rather thoughtful and well-placed. Rather than interrupting the story or taking us out of the narrative, these asides offered pointed observations that enhanced the action in each chapter. Some aspects of being a woman that seem obvious to me, and that I accept as the way it is, are laid bare in these sections, and made me realize how <i>not ok</i> these behaviors and worries are. It was like a small wake up call in each chapter, and I loved it.

And while this book clearly points out all the details of everyday sexism and misogyny faced by women, there was still an undercurrent of support and rebellion against these norms (since that is what this book is about, after all). I left the reading experience feeling rather empowered and angered enough to make change, which I loved to get from a novel that I kind of expected to be a more surface-level thriller.

Now, to talk about the actual mystery! I absolutely loved the pace of the story, where details were unveiled in a tantalizing manner. Getting little bits of testimony throughout the novel built suspense and curiosity, but were balanced with the plot, which catches up to the testimony as the novel goes on. While I was eager to figure out the mystery, I was equally drawn to the build-up, which Baker planned so carefully. Each character is fully fleshed out, and while not all are likable, they all play key roles in this story. I thought everything was really well placed, and no moments seemed like they were rushed over, or left out.

I just really enjoyed this book! While it wasn't a book I wanted to race through, every time I picked it up, I was immediately sucked into the story and excited to keep reading. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, and if thrillers aren't normally your thing, this is definitely a good, more literary, entry point.

I wanted to love this book. I love and embrace the Me Too movement, but this book just felt like it was trying too hard. I did not like any of the characters and I felt that they used their sexuality to get ahead and then blamed me for it, could they have gotten ahead without doing that? I am not sure. But they had consensual relationships, cheated on their husbands and honestly I didn't like them or find them at all relatable, this book just seemed to drop trendy lingo and masquerade as another women's empowerment book, but the characters were lacking and unlikable and it seemed to just want to push all the hot button items of today.

While this wasn’t a page turner for me, it was a satisfying read! I’ll be completely honest, there are points that are slow. Like I thought I was gonna give up, but another part of me said GIRL, FINISH IT.

I’m glad that I did because it really depicted an honest and infuriating view of what it’s like to be a woman in the workplace.

As a lot of you know, psychological thrillers are my favorites! Books that are fast paced and suspense driven, WN is that and isn’t that…

Let me explain… for me a psychological thriller delves into your head and explores all the nooks and crannies-it describes the cause and effect of your actions.

Without giving away the ending I felt that it did that for one character mainly, but only a little for the other characters.

After the first 150 or so pages it feels more suspense driven and fast paced. Seriously, before that it was a snooze fest for me- really it was almost a DNF.

Let me reiterate, once you finish you will be so glad you did! It’s a great showcase of workplace tensions, politics and relationships.

Whisper Network is a novel that would not exist without the #MeToo movement as it is inspired by the Shitty Media Men spreadsheet, a controversial effort by women in media to have each other’s back by informing each other who the harassers and abusers are. As often happens, the woman who created the list was vilified with more outrage and passion than the men on the list.

The main characters in Whisper Network are four in-house lawyers at a sportswear company in Dallas all of whom work under Ames, a man who is likely to be the next CEO, something that makes them uneasy.

The four women are Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Katherine. Katherine is a new hire whose left a bad experience behind her. Sloane has had an affair with Ames and resents how he uses their past to diminish her work. Grace is a new mother with a clear case of post-partum depression struggling to juggle work and the new baby. Ardie is an old hand, unhappily divorced, and a good friend with a good heart. Through her we also meet Rosalinda, one of the cleaning staff she befriends. When tragedy happens at work, these women are at the center of it and the spreadsheet of BAD lawyers is a criticial plot point.

I enjoyed Whisper Network quite a bit. The chapters begin with an introductory paragraph or two that capture the lived experience of many women. The introductions are often biting and humorous. There is a snappy style to Chandler Baker’s writing that keeps the story moving. There are interstitial documents of interviews and depositions that foreshadow the crisis, but seriously, nothing prepared me for the end. It was a complete surprise and I loved it.

I received a copy of Whisper Network from the publisher through NetGalley

Whisper Network at Flatiron Books | Macmillan
Chandler Baker author site

I really enjoyed reading Whisper Network by Chandler Baker. The book tackled a serious issue but infused the story with some humor. after all, life can sometimes be funny and many of us share common experiences. Four very different women work in what traditionally has been a "man's world." They try to balance their personal and professional lives as they try to become successful in their fields. The death of the CEO of the company they work for sets off a series of events none of the ladies could imagine. I like how it was told from the different points of view of the characters, helping us understand the motivation behind their actions.

This tale of sexual harassment in the workplace and women banding together to fight back is very topical and thought provoking. An excellent choice for book discussion groups.

While I'm not attracted to the social commentary of Whisper Network, it is written extremely well. Not only do I appreciate books written with multiple narratives from different characters' points of view, but I actively seek them out. The author executed well-timed, satisfying reveals after creating a subtle build-up.
I wasn't a fan of the characters as people, nor could I connect with them. That said, I typically refrain from rating a book based on character likeability. The truth of the matter is that Chandler Baker is a great writer and this book will undoubtedly have a huge audience.

Though this is an undoubtedly important topic in our current cultural climate, this book missed the mark for me. I found I just wasn’t invested in the characters and found the formatting mode of storytelling didn’t engage me. Others have raved about this book, but unfortunately I did not feel the same.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved, loved, loved this book! It was so well written and had me engaged from the very beginning. I liked all the characters, and found them to be three dimensional, realistic, and complicated. While I definitely wouldn’t call this book a thriller, it had twists and turns that surprised me. I will immediately pick up any book this author writes in the future. The topic was timely and deftly handled the nuances that can exist in some “me too” situations. I highly, highly recommend it and a hearty 5 stars from me!

*thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!*

Welcome to the Whisper Network. That place at work where little asides are heard everywhere. A place where everyone thinks they know you. Where women still have to fight against harassment, sexual and otherwise. A world where speaking out can cost you everything.

Sloane, Ardie and Grace have worked together for a while as lawyers at Truviv and have built a friendship and yet like most women do, they don’t tell each other everything. In comes Katherine, the new woman in the office who sparks something in all of them. When their boss dies unexpectedly, it means that Ames will be taking over but his past with all of these women might put an end to it all. And they are not alone, not just the lawyers have been harassed by Ames. They decide to take things into their own hands and change it once and for all.

We get a good look into their working lives and their homes lives. I loved the differences between all the women. The book was really good at showing different sides to a story, it was not all so black and white. I enjoyed their friendship and watching them all change and grow. There were parts that I wanted it to get on with it, it dragged a little, but the ending had me all revved up again.

Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron for a copy of this book.