Synopses & Reviews
Jane Ryland was a rising star in television news…until she refused to reveal a source and lost everything. Now a disgraced newspaper reporter, Jane isnt content to work on her assigned puff pieces, and finds herself tracking down a candidates secret mistress just days before a pivotal Senate election.
Detective Jake Brogan is investigating a possible serial killer. Twice, bodies of unidentified women have been found by a bridge, and Jake is plagued by a media swarm beginning to buzz about a “bridge killer” hunting the young women of Boston.
As the body count rises and election looms closer, it becomes clear to Jane and Jake that their cases are connected…and that they may be facing a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to silence a scandal.
Dirty politics, dirty tricks, and a barrage of final twists, The Other Woman is the first in an explosive new series by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Seduction, betrayal, and murder—itll take a lot more than votes to win this election.
Review
“Narrator Kadushin has a great sense of timing, a pretty voice and the ability to express emotion without overdoing it.” - The Plain Dealer
“This fast-paced mystery, set in Boston, translates well to audio…Narrator Ilyana Kadushin portrays the assorted characters in a clear but intimate voice that engages listeners in Janes life.” - AudioFile Magazine
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“If you havent read Hank Phillippi Ryan yet, you should, and The Other Woman is the perfect place to start. A killer plot, compelling characters, and nonstop suspense. Riveting!”
—Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author
“The Other Woman does everything a great suspense novel should… Ryan raises the bar sky-high—I knew she was good, but I had no idea she was this good.”
—Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author
“Nonstop action, written from the rare perspective of one who knows the news business from the inside out… Ryan grabbed me on page one. As current as todays headlines, The Other Woman is a wholly entertaining read. Just when you think you know it all, Ryan surprises with another twist.”
—Sandra Brown
“A thriller that twists so fast it'll leave you gasping. If you think you know where this story's going, you don't —but I promise, you won't want to wait to find out. Hank Phillippi Ryan is a star.”
—Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author
“A rocket ride of a thriller! Ryan effortlessly captures the frenetic pace of colliding lives, cutting edge journalism, and killer secrets, as only a true insider would know. Brava!”
—Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author
A master of timing, Hank Phillippi Ryan serves up a powerful fusion of political intrigue and dastardly crime that keeps the reader captivated until the final, explosive ending.
-Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author
Review
“Narrator Kadushin has a great sense of timing, a pretty voice and the ability to express emotion without overdoing it.” - The Plain Dealer
-----------------------------
“If you havent read Hank Phillippi Ryan yet, you should, and The Other Woman is the perfect place to start. A killer plot, compelling characters, and nonstop suspense. Riveting!”
—Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author
“The Other Woman does everything a great suspense novel should… Ryan raises the bar sky-high—I knew she was good, but I had no idea she was this good.”
—Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author
“Nonstop action, written from the rare perspective of one who knows the news business from the inside out… Ryan grabbed me on page one. As current as todays headlines, The Other Woman is a wholly entertaining read. Just when you think you know it all, Ryan surprises with another twist.”
—Sandra Brown
“A thriller that twists so fast it'll leave you gasping. If you think you know where this story's going, you don't —but I promise, you won't want to wait to find out. Hank Phillippi Ryan is a star.”
—Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author
“A rocket ride of a thriller! Ryan effortlessly captures the frenetic pace of colliding lives, cutting edge journalism, and killer secrets, as only a true insider would know. Brava!”
—Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author
A master of timing, Hank Phillippi Ryan serves up a powerful fusion of political intrigue and dastardly crime that keeps the reader captivated until the final, explosive ending.
-Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author
Review
"A dizzying labyrinth of twists, turns, and surprises. Readers who crave mystery and political intrigue will be mesmerized."
—Library Journal, starred review
"Political skullduggery and murder make a high octane mix in this perfect thriller."
—Booklist, starred review
"Nonstop suspense. Riveting!"
—Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author
"Nonstop action… Ryan grabbed me on page one."
—Sandra Brown, New York Times bestselling author
Synopsis
Reporter Jane Ryland is tracking down a candidates secret mistress just days before a pivotal Senate election. Detective Jake Brogan is investigating a possible serial killer that may be hunting down Bostons young women under the citys bridges. As the body count rises and election looms closer, it becomes clear to Jane and Jake that their cases are connected...and that they may be facing a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to silence a scandal. Dirty politics, dirty tricks, and a barrage of final twists, The Other Woman is the first in an explosive new series. Seduction, betrayal, and murder—itll take a lot more than votes to win this election.
About the Author
A former US Senate staffer and political campaign aide, HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the investigative reporter for Boston's NBC affiliate, and has won twenty-seven Emmys and ten Edward R. Murrow awards. A bestselling author of four mystery novels, Ryan has won the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. Shes on the national board of directors of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Ilyana Kadushin is best known for her narration of the Twilight audiobook series, and has worked on other audiobooks, including The Memory Keepers Daughter, Post Grad and Dune, which won an Audie Award. Her other voice work includes national commercials, animation, and popular video games such as Lord of the Rings.
Reading Group Guide
* Note that these questions reveal much of the novels plot; to preserve your reading pleasure, please dont look at these questions until after youve finished reading the book.
1. Since the legal debacle that destroyed her television news career, Jane Ryland has lived under the shadow of her new identity as “Wrong-Guy Ryland”—“wrong” being the one thing no journalist ever wants to be with a story. How does Jane cope with that characterization? How does she handle the personal and professional challenges being hurled at her when the book begins? What motivates her most, as a reporter and as a person?
2. The idea of “the other woman” is as old as human history—the interloper, the cheater, the person willing to break the rules and persuade someone else to join them at it. Who are the “other women” in Ryans story? In what different contexts do they intrude on existing relationships or situations? And do you think this characterization is specific to women, or are “other men” just as common in relationships?
3. Several characters—Jane included—have parents portrayed as demanding, critical, impossible to please. What is the nature of Janes relationship with her father? How do you think Janes life might have been different if her mother had survived? In what way do you think her relationship with her father motivates—or impedes—her?
4. Throughout The Other Woman, various characters true identities are meticulously disguised. Shortly after we first meet Kenna Wilkes, we discover that the four-year-old “son” at her side isnt hers at all. Who do you believe she is, at first? Who does Holly Neff seem to be? Who is Matt, and do you have any sense, early on, of what his secret might be?
5. Are you as surprised as Jane is to discover that Tuck is a woman? Throughout the book, Tuck comes across as a mercurial character, surprising those around her in unfolding ways. What do you make of her? Do you trust her? Would you advise Jane to trust her? What women in the story do you feel Jane really can trust?
6. A persistent question in The Other Woman is whether or not “the bridge killer” exists, as Detective Jake Brogan continually denies, or whether he is simply a figment of the medias powerful imagination, a creation being fed to the public. How responsible is the media throughout Ryans story? Are there points at which they create news rather than reporting it? What do you think Janes priorities are as a reporter? Are Alexs, as an editor, any different?
7. Owen Lassiter is described throughout The Other Woman as charismatic, strikingly handsome, and powerfully attractive. What is your initial impression of Owen, as a politician and a person? Do you trust him? How do you feel about his interactions with Kenna Wilkes when she joins the campaign?
8. Ryans story is about the often conflicting public perceptions and private lives of politicians. What factors shape Owens public profile and reputation? Is he who his campaign says he is? Is your own opinion of him colored by the people closest to him, like Rory Maitland? How is he seen by members of his own family?
9. It is difficult for Jane and Moira Lassiter to gauge one anothers trustworthiness as the many plot twists in Ryans story unfold. Do you trust Moira? Moira knows Janes professional history; what makes her now decide that Jane is the right person to expose her husbands mistress? How do different characters respond to the stance that Jane took in the Arthur Vick scandal?
10. Owens first wife, Katherine Lassiter, is portrayed at first as the victim of an unhappy marriage, but later as the person who in fact destroyed that marriage—and, more importantly, as a parent who worked for years to actively poison her children against their father. How have Matt and Sarah dealt with that influence over time? Why do you think their feelings toward their father wind up differing so sharply? What drives Matt to want to protect Owen?
11. Near the end of The Other Woman, Owens discovery of his grown children—and of their mothers suicide—appears to stun him. Do you believe that Owen had tried and failed to locate his children over the years, despite all the resources available to him in public office? Do you believe his protestations that he always loved Matt and Sarah?
12. At the books end, Jane has made a crucial decision about her personal and professional life. Do you think that it is the right decision for her? Even though Jane and Jake arent formally a couple, their feelings for one another impact their jobs, and The Other Womans plot, at various points. Could two people in jobs that overlap so sensitively ever maintain a romantic relationship while keeping their work lives truly separate?