This follows four high achieving women in a legal firm and the boss who has a cloud over his view of women. All of the women have different relationships with Ames, the boss. Is Ames crossing the lines with his interactions? When a list of men to watch out for appears Ames name is added. The cards start to tumble but who is in the right and how far in the grey is safe? This was a slow burner and, although I enjoyed it, it did not keep me gripped.
Thanks to Little Brown UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A novel which questions the difference between women and men’s networks and unseen hurdles that need to be overcome. Well written and thought provoking

It is me, once again standing in front of you and admitting she read a book about 3 years after she intended to. A part of me always wonders whether I would have enjoyed a book as much as I did now if I had read it at the time I intended to. It is one of those questions I will never find an answer to but it helps me relieve myself of the guilt for waiting so long... again. Whisper Network was on my list for a long time and then, this weekend, on a sunny and warm February day, it felt like the right time to get to it. And then I stuck to it, for hours, until, at around 11pm I was finished. Thanks to Sphere and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The workplace can be a horrible place. I have been quite fortunate in that I have had mostly great management and that I have had competent and good female managers to learn from. But still there are a lot of pressures in the workplace that have less to do with your job and more with the fact that you're a woman at work. In Whisper Network Baker focuses in on her own industry, law, and dissects its misogyny and sexism with razor-sharp precision. A few key moments stood out to me because they really resonated with how I have seen myself and other women act in the workplace. One was when she described Sloane picking up on Grace's way of altering herself before she spoke up in a meeting: the squaring of the shoulders, the lowering of the voice, the raising of the chin. I have done all of these and still do, in an unconscious effort to mimic what I think is the right attitude, the right way to claim the floor. It was just a small moment of recognition, but it connected me to Baker's perspective and meant I was pretty much ride-or-die for the upcoming twists and turns that were perhaps a little less recognizable. Due to its topic, a slight warning: Whisper Network deals with sexual assault and could be triggering.

Whisper Network starts with the death of a CEO, the first falling domino that sets everything else in motion. The nice thing about this set-up is that we've all been in situations where we understand things aren't good but we don't want to rock the boat. Once that first domino falls, however, we begin to see that the structures around us aren't half as stable as we had thought them to be. Now everything is in question and now things can only get worse. Sloane, Ardie and Grace are lawyers at Truviv and know too much to be happy with the likely choice for replacing the CEO. Whisper Network is about that knowledge, the hints we give each other, the silent way in which we warn, intercept, and rescue. It is also about the darker side of that, where this whispered knowledge is too late or too quiet to prevent damage. As these three women make their moves to bring what they know into the light, the stakes continue to rise and not just for them. Rosalita, a cleaner at the company, sees everything from the sidelines and her narrative forms a major counter-point to the occasionally very White Feminism of the other female characters. She isn't given as much time as the other characters, but this also means Baker manages to mostly avoid dropping from one trite pitfall into another when writing a Latina character. As they make their case, Baker also touches upon other concerns women face. A lot of attention is paid to motherhood, its trials and also its rewards. Marriage and the sharing of emotional labour is another. What Whisper Network builds up to is a tight legal thriller, with a heavy dose of Amy's angry monologue from Gone Girl. Parts of Whisper Network will outrage you, perhaps remind you of your own or friends' experiences. But it will also have you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out what happened.

This was my first novel by Chandler Baker and I greatly enjoyed her writing. Whisper Network is tightly paced and gripping, at times touching and at other times shocking. It is very of its time, very resonant in its outcry against workplace sexism. Novels like this can age quickly as well, as the debate on gender, sexism and racism evolves quickly. I still thought there was much to gain from Whisper Network as well. I got solid Big Little Lies-vibes from Whisper Network at times, especially in the way Baker switches back and forth between present interviews by the police and lawyers in regards to a crime and past events and actions that led up to said crime. The back and forth meant that as the reader you're constantly connecting dots, questioning motives, and raising eyebrows at shenanigans. What perhaps most stuck with me was the first-person plural Baker used at the start of almost every chapter, explaining what is expected of us, what we, as women, are supposed to do and shoulder and present and demand. It is oddly empowering but sometimes also a little bit on the nose, a little too "Yes we can". Overall, however, I found Whisper Network to be an engaging and at times thought-provoking feminist thriller.

Although it took me a while to get around to reading Baker's novel, I greatly enjoyed it. It was perfect for a sunny day but it was also a great conversation starter with my housemates and friends. I'd heartily recommend it.

I liked the premise of the plot but I found the characters quite difficult to like as they weren't very well developed. Despite the plot, I couldn't root for them easily so the whole thing didn't work for me.

Such a timely story, written in an intensely readable and accessible style. This will be big. I’d be hugely surprised if this didn’t get adapted into a movie or mini-series at least. Such an important story for these times, featuring a group of diverse women who’ve simply had enough. This will strike a chord for many and hopefully make many rethink the way in which our society functions in many areas. Watch this space.

This was a good feminist read following a group of adult women in the workplace and their dealings with male inappropriate behaviour.
I read this a while back and can still remember the main plot - which is always a bonus.
A great read and would make an even better book club pick.

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for the this book.

I tried this twice but really struggled. Some of my friends have read it and loved it and I wanted to as well, but it wasn't for me. I found it a bit nothing, the writing style I couldn't get on with like and the characters felt wooden and had not character basically. This was not one for me.

I may try again at some point though but its unlikely.

Tried to get into this but failed. Too many issues crammed in and I just didn't engage with the characters or the narrative. Over-hyped and therefore disappointing.

I know this book won the CWA Dagger Award, but it just wasn’t for me. I found that the characters weren’t well developed, with many of their stories just lazy clichés, and because there were four main characters, it was difficult to keep them straight since they were so one-dimensional. (I don’t need to read 432pages to know that working mothers are stressed and over-stretched. No kidding.) By the time the killer was revealed, I just shrugged, which surely is the sign of a poor thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sphere for giving me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Uncomfortable to read at times, exaggerated and over the top, The Whisper Network is a workplace murder mystery novel heavily rooted in the Me Too movement. Although it may take a while to get into it, once it picks up, it's amazing and the ending makes it all worth it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Brilliant beach read ( not that we are going anywhere anytime soon) . Not my usual read as its a bit more flashy than I like but I really enjoyed it and it was nice to have something less "heavy" to read -Its the reality of being a woman. Recommend

I really wanted to love this book, particularly seeing as though it is being made into a film . But for me it was a bit meh. I found the writing style really difficult to like and the characters felt wooden to me. I wasn't rooting for them I'm afraid.

Whisper Network by Chandler Baker
Rating ****. 4/5
I have to admit I really struggled with Whisper Network. Although I have worked in corporations I have never came across sexual harassment like this;, bullying yes, sexual discrimination yes but nothing to the extremes portrayed by the characters here. I was tempted to put it my “couldn’t complete” folder of which there have only been about 3 or 4 in the last few years. However, I persevered and all of a sudden in last 30% of the novel, things started to take off with fireworks, surprise after surprise.
That’s when I started to appreciate and like the characters.
Chandler Baker obviously writes from the heart.
A good read and recommended that if you struggle, keep going as it’s well worth. It.
Thank you to Chandler Baker, NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read Whisper Network for which I have given an honest and unbiased review.

loved this book - would 100% recommend and am looking forward to reading what this author writes next!

This reminded me of 9-5. Lots of strong female characters, you could tell from the moment Katherine arrived there would be trouble coming. It was lovely to see that Slone, Ardie and Grace all stayed solid friends in the aftermath of the incident. It shows what can happen when gossip in the office gets listened to!

Thank you Net Galley for giving m e the opportunity to read this, I will be lookin g out for more from this author , maybe even a follow up to see where they all are now.

This had actually been on my TBR list for a while. I knew it had been picked by Reese Witherspoon as her book club pick (Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick) and I knew I had to get into it as that was some recommendation! But being out of a reading mood probably meant this book stayed unread for longer than it needed to be. I really got into this book quickly, it's very gripping in places and had me staying awake until the early hours to find out what happens next. The book is quite controversial, it does have the #MeToo campaign at its heart but the book is so much more than that. It's more of a thriller book and it was such a great read to get me started onto reading books again in 2020.

While I appreciated what this book was trying to represent about men and women in the workplace I really struggled to engage with the characters or plot and had to urge myself to read on. Every now and again a moment stood out but ultimately Im afraid I found it rather preachy.

A list has appeared. Men to watch out for. An updated version of 'Not Safe in Taxis' but is it true and what can be done about it. This wont' be the only 'Me Too' novel, but it's one of the first and a solid read.

DNF at 40%. The content along with the current #metoo climate just made reading this really really uncomfortable.