Charley's Web

I thought this one was going to be a mindless chick lit, but it has really kept my interest. The parallel stories between Charlie (Charlotte) Webb's family and that of child murderer/psycopath Jill Rohmer offer many insights about the nature/nurture conundrum. Charlie, the main character, does a lot of growing up in the course of the book. The story kept me involved far more than I would have expected. Only one part of the plot -- the unlikely identity of Jill Rohmer's accomplice -- kept me from giving the book a 5-star rating. But I definitely want to read more of Joy Fielding's work now. I experienced this book on CD, and think I may have liked it better that way than if I had read it...certainly lends itself to drama, and the reader, show more Susan Ericksen, did a great job. show less

I thought this was a good read. Charley is very independent, and uses her independence to build up a wall that protects her from getting emotionally involved with other people, whether they be her neighbors, the mother who was gone for most of her life, her sisters, or even the fathers of her children. When she begins to dig into Jill Rohmer’s damaged world, cracks appear in her own wall. Despite the tweeness of the title of her newspaper column ("Webb Site", which the author tries painfully hard to make us believe is clever), I also enjoyed that side of Charley. Actually, I kinda wish she had spent more time in the office and less time driving around.

The plot builds well, and there are enough possible outcomes that when the twist show more occurs, you are surprised but find it believable. And then the second twist hits you and blows all of that out of the water. It’s hard to surprise me, but Fielding did it well. Charley’s Web is a little bit mystery, a little bit suspense, and a little bit family drama, and it all works quite well. show less

Charley (Charlotte) is a columnist for a newspaper. When she is contacted by a child murderer on death row to write her side of the story, Charley is a bit hesitant, but decides to do it. Meanwhile, she and her two kids’ lives are being threatened due to some of what she’s writing in her columns.

This really pulled me in. I wanted to keep reading, and I did! I finished it faster than I’d expected, but the drawback is that I’m afraid I might forget it quicker, as well. However, it was a great read while I was reading, that’s for sure! Definite twist ending I certainly didn’t see coming!

Charley, a single mom of two, writes a weekly column for the Palm Beach Post. She receives a letter from a young woman named Jill who is a death row inmate. Jill has enjoyed Charley's column over the years, so she presents the idea of Charley writing her biography. This biography would include inside information that did not come out in court regarding the crime that has put Jill behind bars. This could be Charley's big break - a non-fiction book! Charley has a decision to make.

I thought this had a very interesting premise and I enjoyed both the beginning and the middle. The ending, however, was a disappointment mainly due to its predictability. Although, I didn't like the narrator of this audiobook either. She was too dramatic and show more unnecessarily changed her voice for the children characters which was ridiculous. That produced negative and annoyed feelings in me. So, reading Charley's Web would be the best option. (3.5/5)

Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..." show less

Charley's Web was a suspenseful thriller that kept me turning the pages trying to figure out the ending. Don't you just love those kind of books once in awhile? Charlotte aka Charley is a single mother of two and a newspaper writer who writes a popular but controversial weekly newspaper column. Charley doesn't have many friends and grew up in a dsyfunctional family. She receives a letter in the mail from convicted child killer Jill Rhomer and her life begins to change in unexpected ways. All of a sudden there is someone threatening her and her children and she doesn't have anyone to count on.
This was a quick and suspenseful read where I didn't see the ending coming. The question that was constantly in my head was was Jill really guilty show more and what kind of game was she playing with Charley? There were a lot of family issues with Charley's family and I was rooting for her the whole time. This was a great read and a new to me author which means I'm adding her other books to my TBR list. show less

Charley Webb is a successful newspaper columnist and single mother living in Florida. When an incarcerated female serial killer asks Charley to write her biography, Charley is fascinated and agrees. As Charley delves deeper into the mind of Jill Rohmer, her life begins to unravel. She begins getting threatening letters through her column...letters that threaten her children. Always a loner, Charley begins to realize the value of friends and neighbors.

This book is full of intrigue and complexity. Once you start reading, it's hard to stop.

I would give this book a 3.5 actually. Charley Webb is a newspaper coloumnist who is given the opportunity to write a book about convicted child killer Jill Rohmer. Jill was convicted of sexually abusing and killing 5 and 6 year old children which made the story difficult, not to mention disturbing to read at times. It was a good read overall, although I did solve the mystery early which dampened the climatic ending somewhat.