Whisper Network: A Novel

by Chandler Baker

Ebook, 2019

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Genres

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

Flatiron Books (2019), 352 pages

Description

"Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita have worked at Truviv, Inc. for years. The sudden death of Truviv's CEO means their boss, Ames, will likely take over the entire company. Each of the women has a different relationship with Ames, who has always been surrounded by whispers about how he treats women. Those whispers have been ignored, swept under the rug, hidden away by those in charge. But the world has changed, and the women are watching this promotion differently. This time, when they find out Ames is making an inappropriate move on a colleague, they aren't willing to let it go. This time, they've decided enough is enough. Sloane and her colleagues' decision to take a stand sets in motion a catastrophic shift in the office. Lies will be uncovered. Secrets will be exposed. And not everyone will survive. All of their lives--as women, colleagues, mothers, wives, friends, even adversaries--will change dramatically as a result."--… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from Chandler Baker. It was the story of 4 women who work as lawyers in the legal department of a large sports company. The primary story is sexual harassment in the workplace. But it also addresses going back to work as a new mother, being a working mother and

friendship. The women are realistically portrayed and believable - most women will be able to relate to at least one of the women. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.

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LibraryThing member BettyTaylor56

The time for ignoring the whispers is over. Enough is enough. The women are closing ranks to speak up about the sexual harassment in their workplace. Part thriller and part murder mystery, Baker expertly delves into what it is like to be a woman in the corporate world.

Sloane, Ardie, and Grace are

Truviv attorneys while Rosalita is a cleaning woman. The current CEO has died and it is rumored that Ames Garrett will fill the vacancy. But there have been whispers that Garrett has harassed and assaulted women in the workplace. People have covered for him for years. So the women finally speak up, and someone dies. Did they have anything to do with it? Interspersed throughout the book are portions of police interviews and depositions. Also interwoven are two lesser plotlines that will eventually play heavily in the outcome.

A real page turner. Suspenseful. Emotional. Portions of the book will definitely take you out of your comfort zone. Realistic characters with all their flaws, characters you can relate to. I was cheering on these women.

Thank you to Flatiron Books via NetGalley for the advance reading copy. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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LibraryThing member CJ82487

I really enjoyed this. I thought I had it all figured out but in the end, I had a few things wrong. I also like how it addressed women in the workplace and what happens all too often to those who speak up.

LibraryThing member haymaai

Although ‘The Whisper Network’ was selected as a Reese’s book pick for last month, I did not think that the novel really lived up to my high expectations of it. The topic is a very timely one, about four women fighting sexual exploitation at a large corporation, namely Truviv, Inc. When the

CEO of the company passes away, Ames Garrett seems a likely candidate to become the next CEO. The only problem is that Garrett is abusive toward women, has committed rape, as well as sexual exploitation in the work setting. With the advent of the MeToo movement, the treatment of women in the work venue is a relevant issue, and I was intrigued with the exploitive way that the females in the work force, as well as Ardie’s daughter, were treated, with huge omission of concern for individual rights, as well as human respect. However, somehow I had difficulty relating to some of the characters in the story, perhaps because the author was less than descriptive in developing characters. The novel unfolded in more of a narrative style, which seemed rather impersonal to me at an emotional level. For that reason, I gave it three stars.

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LibraryThing member froxgirl

Ripped from the headlines! I believe #METOO novels are trending for this fall and this novel is the advance guard. The four women protagonists and the perp are all wealthy lawyers at a Dallas corporation, so my initial reaction was "who cares"?, and it didn’t change much through the novel. To

complicate matters, the lead character had a past consensual affair with the CEO heir apparent whose pending promotion sets the whole plot in motion, as a spreadsheet of area sexual harassers circulates via email through the city and she adds his name to it.

Alternating chapters begin with funny/sad testimony by these corporate drones who try to have it all and fail (ex: "We paraded to the restroom with tampons secretly stuffed into our cardigan sleeves as though we were spies delivering encrypted information.") The addition of a Latina to the group of white, privileged victims feels contrived and like it was gratuitously tacked on (maybe her editor said, “Hey, how come everyone in here is white?”) There are some great one liners here, but the double-twist ending comes as no big surprise, seeing as time gets short at twenty pages left. What I’m really looking forward to is some non-fiction on this charged subject.

Quotes: "No two people of the opposite sex argue about subjects as mundane as condiments unless they want to sleep together."

"Her role was to listen to everyone around her sprout off ideas and only she could foresee the millions of things that could go wrong."

"She believed that if a friend told you a secret, you could tell your spouse."

"If you purchased a Rolex, it was like buying a boat - you were required to log the number of times you used it to justify the cost."

"The restaurant was where Pinterest came to vomit."

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LibraryThing member Romonko

This is a book that every woman should read. For too long we have all been part of the Whisper Network, and it's time we stood up and made ourselves heard about this topic that has been swept under the carpet for far too long. Ms. Baker provides us with a very insightful look at sexual harassment

in the workplace. But the book is so much more than that. It's about friendship, power and family all wrapped up in a murder mystery that rips apart a company. The characters of Sloan, Ardie and Grace are so real that you will think you know them and they could even be you. Each of these women is a highly successful lawyer in the business, and each of them has their own story about the hideousness of the ongoing sexual harassment that has been occurring at their company for many years. now. Only by banding together can these three women uncover the secrets and try to heal each other, so, at great risk to their jobs and to their families, they decide that it is time to speak up and expose this particular whisper network to the rest of the world. This is a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it to all. As Ardie says, "Let's be loud and proud, and tell the world what is going on here." .

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LibraryThing member bookworm12

It’s Big Little Lies meets the #metoo movement, but without Moriarty’s skill for character development. There were moments in the books that I recognized from my own career, others that made me cringe on behalf of those women. It was interesting to read about a woman returning to work just

after maternity leave, which is exactly the stage of life I’m in. Though I’m not dealing with PPD, I couldn’t help nodding along with the sections on pumping. I loved the way the book addressed responsibility of women to stand up for each other, blaming women, and opened discussions instead of dismissing gray areas. One man is making an off-handed joke about someone being on her period, another is sexually assaulting a coworker after hours. The two things are obviously not equal, but neither is ok. The stand out parts for me were actually the “chorus” sections. They were a collective voice talking about women’s experience in the work place. Sexual harassment was one of the things dealt with, but there were plenty of other challenges. The plot was a bit heavy handed overall, but still good.

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LibraryThing member GRgenius

This is a book that certainly holds its secrets until the bitter end...but then again, don't most of us?

It's a story that could have been ripped from the headlines, a story that we've seen played out in various fields in the #metoo movement, a story that should never have to be contemplated as to

whether or not it is fact or fiction...and yet, we do. The women presented here are smart, strong, beautiful, capable, and still fall victim in many ways to the outrageously odious "charms" of one Ames. The simple truth is that he was someone with issues that chose to wield his power in the workplace in VERY unethical ways. He could have chosen the high road. He could have stopped what he was doing and been happy with the achievements in life he had. He could have...but he wouldn't. Sometimes the only way to stop someone like that is to expose them for the degenerate they are.

Here, we have strong female characters that may have fallen prey to unwanted advances, but when things looked like they would become darker still, they were unwilling to be just victims. They were willing to take on "the man", go against the grain, band together and seek justice, even when things looked to be their worst. They may fail, true...but they wouldn't do so quietly...and so the ending to their story would be set to a victory song come what may. Oh, and readers...that song is played loud and clear for many reasons, not least of all the surprising twist near book's end.

**ebook received via NetGalley for review; opinions are my own

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LibraryThing member Booklover217

** spoiler alert ** "Our motto had long been: Keep it between us.....And so, when one of us spoke up, it was never just for her. It was for us". This was a tale of three women who formed a bond because of their common struggles but most importantly because of their secrets. These secrets are also

the secrets of a multitude of women who have formed a network that came to be known as the Whisper Network.

It all started with a secret Excel spreadsheet that starts circulating naming bad men. When the three women's boss dies and they realize who is next in line to take over, Sloane takes matters into her own hands and makes a decision that changes all of their lives forever.

What I loved the most about this book was that it highlights and celebrates the complexities of female friendships and being a woman in general. This book gives an exterior voice to the internal female voice. It illustrates the power that women have as a collective force when they come together and support each other as allies. The author transforms the narrative from one of pettiness and jealousy to one of strength and power when women are bold and tell their truth. The author illuminates that women have more in common than they think and points out that our voices matter and have the power to transform the world around us.

Although I wasn't completely sold on the characters from the beginning, when the story came to it's climax, I was immediately rooting for these women. I was drawn to the character of Rosalita from her first appearance and figured out the author's subtle clues about her true story. When all the details came out I was rocked to my core. As each woman recounted her story, I couldn't help but get emotional. Bravo the author for tackling such deep societal issues in a beautifully written way. Thanks to Flatiron Books for the ARC and chance to provide an honest review.

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LibraryThing member ML923

Part mystery and part social commentary. I expected to like this novel more than I did, but it was still a good read.

LibraryThing member ForeignCircus

[Whisper Network] was a timely and trenchant read. This story of women dealing with an abusive boss and with the aftermath of his death hits hard on themes that are relevant to so many women. The female characters are all flawed in their own ways which makes them highly realistic. The impact of

their experiences with the abuser are so different and yet there are commonalities that they find bringing them together. An excellent read on a disturbingly common problem- highly recommended.

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LibraryThing member LivelyLady

Pretty good story of four corporate female attorneys, their lives and history....three are long time buds and the fourth is hired. They all have history with the upper echelon, one way or another. They have put up with the sexual harrassment, until pushed a bit too far. Pretty good story. If I

didn't have the distraction of the pandemic, I may have rated it higher as I would have not read so frangmented.

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LibraryThing member medwards429

Thank you in advance to Flatiron Books for an ARC to review. This review is not influenced in anyway by the publisher or writer.

This book is one of the first in the post #MeToo and #TimesUp era. It is told through a first-person plural (“we”) point of view.

A “whisper network” is an

informal chain of conversations among women about men who need to be watched because of rumors, allegations or known incidents of sexual misconduct, harassment or assault. It's a way for women to protect themselves, and to do so under the radar. (Meza, 2017, Newsweek). This is what Sloane Glover, Grace Stanton, and Ardie (Adriana) Valdez have. They are not just co-workers, but are their own support system at Truviv, a Dallas based sportswear company. The three have supported each other through life’s challenges: marriage, divorce, motherhood, and office politics. Sloane is battling with her daughter being bullied, Grace is having issues adapting to motherhood, and Ardie is a single mom.

After the sudden death of their CEO (Desmond Bankole), their replacement is ready to climb to the top. But, as they’ve all had dealings with Ames Garrett, they bide their time – that is until he starts moving in on a younger employee, Katherine Bell. They know what has happened to them and don’t want to see her be the next victim and decide it is time to tackle the situation. They want to stop him before he becomes CEO. A BAD (Beware Asshole Dallas) men list begins circulating with Ames’ name on it, put there by one of the workers.

Once Katherine rebuffs Ames’ advances, she tells the women what has happened. There is only one thing to do – file a harassment suit.

That suit is called into question when Ames falls from the 18th floor shortly after the filing. Truviv then wants to sue Sloane, Grace, and Ardie for wrongful death using Katherine against them (she claims nothing happened). The company claims that the three women bullied Ames to his death using the “BADMen” list as well as the lawsuit. This is in addition to the police investigating Ames’ death as more of a homicide than suicide and suspecting Sloane, Grace, and Ardie.

The saving grace? Rosalita (the cleaning lady), who has witnessed something that threatens one of the lawsuits, and has her own shocking story to tell about Ames.

Even more shocking – those final moments for Ames Garrett on the 18th floor. Was it really suicide or homicide?

For those thinking this is a modern day “9 to 5” story (the one with Parton, Tomlin, and Fonda); it isn’t. While this book was advertised as “furiously funny”, I found no humor in it. As some reviewers have noted – the female characters were almost indistinguishable. I personally didn’t relate to any of them, and see that I wasn’t alone with that feeling.

For a debut novel it had a great premise – the death of the CEO leads to another coming up, a man with problems, who then ends up dead as well with a nagging suicide or homicide thriller. I am trying to figure out if this intended to be a murder mystery, thriller, or what. It does delve, albeit slightly, into the politics of sexual harassment, without the “in your face” presentation or preaching tone. The delivery wasn’t really stellar.

I found it a struggle as it seemed to slug along and was, to me, more of a diatribe from the women. The more interesting parts were the depositions and interviews which did prompt me to find out what was going on. I was glad that I did stick it out to the end instead of opting to DNF. Around chapter 25, the pace picked up and became more interesting with the police interview transcript. I would’ve also liked to know what Katherine’s ultimate fate was – did the company really allow her to stay or was she fired.

I believe this story might have worked better with a murder mystery front and the sexual harassment slowly being revealed to add to the investigation – perhaps even used as a motive and dig in further on that aspect.

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LibraryThing member amaraki

Yes and no, but mostly no. Yes it was a pretty accurate commentary on the stresses of balancing demanding careers and family life. Yes it was an interesting portrayal of the contemporary white collar work environment for women. And yes it a sharp account of sexual harassment pervasion in the

workplace. No for those self-important philosophical musings introducing most chapters that I found annoying --reminded me of whats her face narrating on Greys Anatomy). No for the again self-important length of it all. The author did not have to do so much description of their daily life just to develop their personalities. I found it a real slug to get through. No to the sloppiness of the structure which waffled between the mystery on the one hand, which was kept alive by the interjections of the interviews and depositions, and on the other, the lengthy narrative of the friends interactions and personal difficulties. The book picked up at the end as the legal problems came to a suspenseful head, and I stayed up to find out how it all turned out. But no I can't say the solution to the mystery made complete sense (making x's betrayal far riskier than group solidarity)

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LibraryThing member gpangel

The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker is a 2019 Flatiron Books publication.

A scathing, darkly humorous novel of suspense-

When the CEO of Truviv, Inc. dies suddenly, his probable replacement, Ames, is a man who has been the subject of whispers amongst female employees about his dubious treatment of

women. His possible promotion has placed four women, in particular, on edge.

Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita have each had a relationship of sorts with Ames over the years. Knowing his proclivities, they decide to prevent him from adding another notch on his belt by protecting the newest female hired at the company from his advances. However, their plans seem to have gone awry...

I've had this book on my TBR list for over a year. I'm still trying to find books that will take my mind off the headlines, which means I'm not always grabbing the newest releases anymore. This book had an interesting premise, so I plucked it out of the middle of the pile, and thankfully it was a good choice. This book challenged me enough to hold my attention from start to finish.

One reason why the story was able to distract me so thoroughly, was the author's unusual presentation, which, apart from using traditional dialogue- depositions, interviews, and other devices are employed to further the story along. This approach kept me guessing and on my toes.

One small downside is that while the book is a mystery and can be suspenseful at times, it's not a thriller in the traditional sense. The pacing in not overly brisk, and there is very little action. It's more of a story that delves into various issues women cope with, in and out of the workplace- both in the past and the present.

While acknowledging some progress, the challenges women face is a constant battle, with lots of room for improvement. It is also a lesson on how to recognize the signs of harassment and bullying to prevent future generations from experiencing the same treatment.

An added bonus for me was the setting- Dallas, Texas- which is within driving distance from my location and so I am pretty familiar with some of the landmarks mentioned.

The book is spot-on in many ways, and definitely depicts the need for a #MeToo movement. It is certainly thought-provoking and I think many women can relate to these characters in one way or another, understanding the pressure to look and behave in a certain way, as well as the subtle and not so subtle forms of harassment that cause so many conflicted emotions and even guilt.

The dialogue is witty, sharp, snarky, and occasionally laugh out loud funny. The characters develop nicely, and the format is fresh and unique.

Overall, this is a timely and relevant story that tackles heavier issues in a stylish and entertaining format.

4 stars

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LibraryThing member DKnight0918

It took me a while to get through this one but that is because I am a new mother and having to make time to read.

LibraryThing member VintageReader

This is more like 4.5 stars. Fresh, original, unpredictable, timely, and excellently plotted.

LibraryThing member Linyarai

This was fantastic, I was hooked from the first page. I loved the characters and the portrayal of sexual harassment and what it's like to be a woman in the workplace. Everything felt very real and I really enjoyed all the twists in the plot.

LibraryThing member erinclark

If this were not about lawyers I would have enjoyed it more. Some of it was a bit dry for my taste.

LibraryThing member rmarcin

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook of Whisper Network by Chandler Baker.
First, I don't know why, but the audiobook left out words when listening at 2.5 or 3x speed in the NetGalley app. So, I had to listen at 2x speed which is slow for me.
Now, onto the book. The story, while important, was a

miss for me. Whispers around the office of sexual harrassment, yet no one comes forward. Everyone knows what is going on, but fearful for their jobs, they don't speak out.
This book tries to address too many issues: Postpartum depression, cyberbullying, sexual harrassment, rape, revenge, women supporting/not supporting women, work/life balance, wives making more than their husbands, affairs, women not being paid similar to their male counterparts. and more, it was exhausting.
I thought the best part of the book was the author's note at the end when she relates her own experience.

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LibraryThing member flourgirl49

Interesting story but the pace was pretty slow in the beginning and the characters were not very sympathetic despite the subject matter (sexual harassment). It got better towards the end, but it did strain credulity as everything was wrapping up.

LibraryThing member muffinbutt1027

A little transparent but there was one little bombshell that I didn't see coming. It did feel like the author saved all the good stuff until the end, and then dropped it all in quick succession. I would have like to see a little more thoughtfulness in tying up the loose ends. Also I think it would

have been interesting to have had a little of Ames's perspective - he was kind of a one note character and I didn't really feel one way or the other about him until the very end, it wasn't a very convincing characterization of an evil man. Four stars for women standing up for themselves and for Sloane's daughter punching her bully in the face - TWICE!

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