Tuesday, February 16, 2010

THE STILL LIFE: REVIEW AND BONUS ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDED
STILL LIFE

BY JOY FIELDING

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Casey Marshall looks like she has it all: a successful interior design business, a devoted husband, friends who love her, and a family fortune that means a comfortable lifestyle. But looks can be deceiving.

Casey has more than her fair share of worries. A successful business partnership with her long-time friend, Janine, ended when Casey left to pursue her dream of interior design. The effects of this old wound are felt in their mutual friendship with another friend, Gail, leaving the previously happy threesome feeling uneasy.

Casey not only worries about her damaged friendship with Janine, but also her complicated relationship with her younger sister, Drew. After the deaths of their parents, Casey became responsible for her sibling, both financially and emotionally, creating a rift that has only deepened with time.

The only salvation from these worries is her marriage to Warren. Successful, handsome, and completely enraptured by his wife, her husband is the perfect reward for a life that, contrary to what some believe, hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Before they married, Warren had even insisted on a prenuptial agreement that meant he would receive none of Casey’s considerable family fortune should they divorce. She trusts him completely and now thoughts of starting a family are beginning to take hold.

Distracted by thoughts of a baby, Casey didn’t hear the car until it was too late. It slammed into her at almost fifty miles an hour, breaking nearly every bone in her body and plunging her into a coma. Lying in her hospital bed, Casey slowly begins to realize that although she is unable to see or communicate, she can hear everything that goes on around her.

She soon discovers that her friends aren’t necessarily the people she thought them to be — and that her accident might not have been an accident at all. As she struggles to break free from her living death, she begins to wonder if what lies ahead could be even worse.


REVIEW


Who wouldn’t want to be Casey Marshall? She is attractive, married to a loving husband, has great friends, and even the security of a small inheritance. She is an interior designer and adores her work. Casey’s day starts out like any other by meeting some of her best friends for an enjoyable lunch. Casey is even excited to tell them that she may want to start a family. Can life get any better than this? Casey soon finds out how much worse her life can get! All her dreams and her perfect life are destroyed as she is driving away when a hit-and-run driver in an SUV plows into her and leaves her for dead.

Casey isn’t dead but rather severely injured and doesn’t but wakes up. She is in a coma, a living death to her! Casey tries to talk as she can hear her husband Warren and the medical staff but they don’t hear her. She then realizes that she can’t move her body, feel, or see, she can only hear. The medical experts aren’t sure if she can hear but since she can’t even respond at all physically or verbally, they doubt she can, and so people talk around her as if she can’t. Her days in the hospital all merge into one as she loses all track of time. What she hears begins to frighten her and when no more can be done for her, she is taken home to be cared for there as doctors say she could recover but aren’t sure.

When a detective comes to the house to question her husband and see how Casey is doing, he imparts his theory that this may have been an attempted homicide and not an accident. Casey begins to think about it and the more she does the more she agrees. She then starts putting things together from memory and what she hears to try and figure out who is responsible and why. Who would do this? Her husband perhaps, or her disturbed sister, some jealous fellow, her friends? She is frantic that the murderer will come back to get rid of her for good.

The horror of being trapped like that is something we all must fear and can’t imagine. Joy Fielding plays on readers’ own vulnerability in a situation like this with a terrifying psychological thriller that keeps you turning pages to find out what happens. STILL LIFE is a suspenseful read and perfect book to curl up with on a cold day…or depending on where you live, lounging on a sunny beach!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO DAVID AND THE FINE PEOPLE
AT SIMON AND SCHUSTER PUBLISHING,
I HAVE TEN COPIES OF THIS EXCITING
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT
YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY!



--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!


HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT MY REVIEW OR SOMETHING YOU QUESTIONED OR FOUND INTERESTING IN IT

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND OUT ABOUT JOY FIELDING BY VISITING THE SIMON AND SCHUSTER WEBSITE HERE. THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE THAT YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK OUT SOME OF THEIR OTHER BOOKS.

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE WITH YOUR LINK
IF YOU MISSED MY INTERVIEW
WITH AUTHOR JOY FIELDING,
GO HERE TO READ IT AND GET
MORE CHANCES TO ENTER

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, MARCH 2

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
DON'T FORGET!

COMING SOON TO MY BLOG!
A CHANCE TO WIN
JOY FIELDING'S
SOON TO BE RELEASED BOOK !
THE WILD ZONE

35 comments:

Marjorie/cenya2 said...

I read Still Life last year and I
thought it was the best mystery
ever.
It is such a page turner and you
will love it.

NerdyMe said...

Count me me please.

mylastread at yahoo.com

rhapsodyinbooks said...

Even your review gave me tingles up my spine! Sounds very spooky - imagine being trapped and thinking someone wants to kill you and it could even be your husband! Great review!

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

traveler said...

Your review was extremely descriptive and interested me greatly in this novel. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

Joy Fielding lives in Palm Beach and loves Paris as a second choice, as well as had numerous job such as supply teacher. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Linda Kish said...

I like the storyline of basically being locked in your own body. She finds out what people really think.


lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

Joy's motto is be kind.


lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Martha Lawson said...

That was one terrific review!! Now I've just got to read this book!!!Thanks for that wonderful review.

I follow

mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

CMash said...

+1 Her mantra of Be Kind..simple yet speaks volumes
Mash1195(at)aol(dot)com
CMashLovesToRead

CMash said...

+1 Ten copies !!!!! Hoping I am one...so giveaway will be in my blog post this morning. It will be here
Mash1195(at)aol(dot)com

Margie said...

Your review made me want to read this book! It sounds like a page-turner, one you can't put down.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

The author sees her greatest successes as her 35 year marraige, her daughters, and her 21 books. Very impressive.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Alison's Book Marks said...

I haven't heard of this book before, and after such a great review, I would love to win a copy (you have some great givewaways on your site along with fun reviews!)

APSkap (at) comcast (dot) net

Anonymous said...

I love your review - always can
depend on it......especially the part about relaxing on the beach
reading "The Still Life" ..... since it doesn't stop snowing here!
mjsinger500@gmail.com

g.g. said...

I think your review makes me want to win even more! The thought of being trapped like that in your own body is a nightmare!

anjamie4 at gmail dot com

g.g. said...

I loved her self-portrait with all the curly hair...how cute!

anjamie4 at gmail DOT com

Wickdogg said...

I bet you wind up thinking it is different people while you are reading this...sounds great, can't wait!

wickdogg AT gmaildot com

Wickdogg said...

I found it interesting that a job she had in the past was selling towels

wickdogg AT gmaildot com

Anonymous said...

Excellent review! I'm on the edge of my seat. I want to read it!

Wendy
ebeandebe at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Joy Fielding used to sell men's socks!

Wendy
ebeandebe at gmail dot com

Sarah Osborne said...

Good review! I really like the detail you give when describing the people who talk around her.

sarahosborne12(at)gmail(dot)com

Sarah Osborne said...

I learned that Joy's motto is to be kind.

sarahosborne12(at)gmail(dot)com

Teresa said...

Great review! I am so glad I found your blog!
mstlee2000 @ hotmail.com

Teresa said...

The Author and I both like The Mentalist :)
mstlee2000 @ hotmail.com

bison61 said...

eerie- that she is unable to see or communicate, but she can hear everything that goes on around her! sounds so good

tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

Karin said...

That's definitely a fear of mine to be trapped like that....reminds me how I have heard stories of people who woke up during surgery and could hear everything going on around them and feel the searing pain of being cut open, but couldn't communicate to the doctors and nurses about what was happening--that they weren't truly under like they should have been. EEK!

karin56381 (at) gmail.com

stacey dempsey said...

i love audio books, there is something about having a book read to you , and it is nice as it is portable, you can lay at the beach and listen or while out for a walk or if you are on a long car trip , soo great
roswello athotmail dot com

stacey dempsey said...

i follow on google friend (roswell)
roswello athotmail dot com

stacey dempsey said...

i loved the review, it peeked my interest the idea of being trapped like that in your own body would be horrendous
roswello athotmail dot com

stacey dempsey said...

i found out that Joy Fielding used to sell men's socks, guess we all had jobs like that one, oops someone already said that , oh well , i liked that about her

stacey dempsey said...

I TWEETED
http://twitter.com/roswello/status/9402491239
roswello athotmail dot com

Harvee said...

you mentioned the horror of being trapped. That resonates with me, and i love mysteries!

harvee44 AT yahoo DOT com

Harvee said...

I am already a follower.

harvee44 AT yahoo DOT com

CherylS22 said...

Great review! I agree, it would be unimaginably horrible to be trapped inside your own body like that.

megalon22 at yahoo dot com

CherylS22 said...

I learned that Joy Fielding & I share a favorite TV show - "The Mentalist"

megalon22 at yahoo dot com

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