See Jane Run

One late afternoon, a young woman finds herself wandering around the shopping centre of her town, with no idea of who she is, where she is or how she happened to get there. She discovers to her horror that the expensive but simple dress she is wearing under her coat, is covered with blood and that nearly $10,000 in hundred dollar bills, is stuffed carelessly into her pockets. Overcoming her initial fright with a huge effort, she books into a hotel for the night but feels herself growing progressively more shaky and in danger of losing control, so she reports herself to a police station. The police send her to a public hospital for examination by a psychiatrist and while she is being examined, a staff member recognizes her as Jane Whittaker, the wife of a prominent and well respected pediatrician, Dr Michael Whittaker. Her husband shows great concern for her welfare and takes her home to be cared for by a housekeeper who, under Michael's instructions, keeps her constantly sedated. Michael does a great job of "gaslighting" her to the point that she willingly accepts the sedation, believing his story that she is violent, has an uncontrollable temper and was responsible for the deaths of her own daughter and mother. It's a terrifying scenario, the reason for which I luckily did not guess, which made it even more horrifying.

This book is one of the best I've read. I actually re-read it every couple of years or so (my copy is so old, it has a different cover to this one). It gets you right from page one and doesn't let go. I personally didn't see the end coming, but I've read almost all of Joy's books and this is the best by far. It's so good and if you are a fan of a good thriller, this is what you are looking for. I highly recommend it. It's one of the few books I've read from front to back without stopping (except bathroom breaks).

In the last 6-1/2 hours, my blood pressure has probably risen to unbelievable heights. I've been frightened and perplexed, I literally gasped for breath more than a few times, and I'm probably doomed to weeks of nightmares. I feel like I just ran a marathon. In other words, I read this book. I wanted to scream to Jane exactly what she should do next, as if I were actually living in her character. I could feel her frustration and helplessness. Then, at the horrifying moment when Jane learns the truth-all of the truth!-her reactions are vivid, poignant, and absolutely realistic. I really appreciated that, and after reading only my second of Joy Fielding's offerings I have a great respect for this portion of the book. This packs a wallop like few others I've seen. The villain of this piece is far creepier and more rage-worthy than anything Stephen King has invented. No loose ends and no disappointments, either. Run, don't walk, to the bookstore for this one!

Excellent--the best of Fielding's books. The most fascinating aspect of the book is that we, as readers, are gradually learning about who Jane Whittaker was, and is, at the same time that Jane is recovering from her memory loss. Jane is a very memorable character, and the subtle descriptions of her personality traits and tendencies make for a very interesting read. This is not a "predictable mystery" by any means, although certain people are not what they appear to be. The only problem I had with the book was Jane's nosy neighbor Carole. Would any neighbor, even a NOSY one, call your doctor husband in the middle of a scheduled surgery and tell him to get home right away just because YOU LOOKED DISTRAUGHT? I didn't quite buy that one, but overall, every minute detail about the characters and events flowed smoothly. I highly recommend it.

See Jane Run was my first Joy Fielding book. I thought it was a great book. In fact, the day I read it, I went out and bought three more books by her. It kept you in suspence and wandering what would happen next. I HIGHLY recommend everyone to read See Jane Run. Believe, you won't be sorry