Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781608322763 |
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| Publisher: | Greenleaf Book Group, LLC |
| Publication date: | 01/01/2011 |
| Series: | Webs |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | NOOK Book |
| File size: | 2 MB |
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Webs of Fate
4.7 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
18 reviews.
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Darlene Quinn's Webs of Fate (Greenleaf Book Group Press) is a fast paced window into the world of department stores and high fashion laced with mystery, intrigue, suspense and romance. Quinn does a masterful job of manipulating chapters to prevent the reader from putting the book down. It's almost impossible not to turn the page to see what is going to happen next.
The main character is Ashliegh McDowell, a beautiful, smart and courageous executive who is consumed with finding and clearing the name of a missing buyer, Danielle, who looked to Ashliegh as her mentor. Ashliegh's quest puts her life and career in danger, but she cannot stop until she finds out what happened to Danielle and to clear up evidence of criminal activity by her.
In the midst of her investigation, she also must deal with her rapidly diminishing affection for her fiancé, a very wealthy and powerful corporate raider who never takes no for an answer. Ashleigh must deal with the culminating stress and begins finds to find comfort in the company of Conrad Taylor, the apparent next CEO of her company, but struggles with competing feelings.
With the help of Conrad, the company security chief and a private investigator, Ashliegh keeps digging and keeps turning over clues that lead to disturbing revelations. Through these characters, Quinn weaves the different story lines into an exciting and satisfying conclusion.
The book is long, about 520 pages, but if you're looking for a good read that's entertaining and keeps you turning the pages, this is it.
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The sign of a good book is when I reach the last page and can say I did not see one proofreading error. The sign of a really good book is when I can’t wait to get to the end, yet am sad to see the last page. Darlene Quinn’s Webs of Fate is all of this and more, and could easily be a standalone. Being part of Quinn’s Web series, the last page leaves us eagerly waiting to learn what is coming in the next book. What fate awaits Ashleigh, Conrad and yes, even Mitchell? Every character seems to be holding something back. Will we eventually find out what? Only time will tell. Quinn is a gifted writer who obviously knows retail and the world of high fashion. Her ability to develop character profiles the reader loves or hates (or at times a bit of both) is masterful. I am not-so-patiently awaiting the next installment.
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This is the best so far in this series. Going back in time to visit Ashleigh and experience some of the events that are briefly mentioned and referenced in the first two books. There are three distinct crimes that happen in this book, and each has its own unique and special twist. They all revolve around a missing buyer from Bentleys Royale, Danielle. Ashleigh and Danielle have quite the history together, and she just knows that Danielle would never just disappear - she loved her job too much and would never risk doing anything to lose it.
There were a few slow spots in the book that kept it from getting a full 5 star rating. These spots delved more into the retail personnel that really didn't seem to play a part in the story - perhaps they have more to do in future stories.
The suspense was incredible. There were times I thought for sure that someone wasn't going to be saved, they weren't going to find the bad guys, and it would all just fall apart. But then something would happen or be discovered and the chase was on again. I loved it!
Getting to know Conrad, Ashleigh, Vivian, and Mitchell in a different light was very entertaining as well - especially since I had read the books and knew where they were all going to end up. I'm enjoying this series more and more with each book.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
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Darlene Quinn knows how to get you hooked into a story. I have a rule, if a book can make me laugh and cry, it's a winner. Webs of Fate did just that! And the ENDING....OMG. I can't say too much about this book without giving away spoilers. If you love suspense and thrillers, this book is for you.
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If I were to put "Webs of Fate" in a category like so many places do these days when they try to suggest items for you, it would go under the category that always seems to come up for me "suspenseful with a strong female lead". That pretty much explains how much I enjoyed "Webs of Fate" it is exactly the kind of novel that I love to read. One of the aspects I liked the most is that you like Ashleigh McDowell, the female lead. As a matter of fact you like her so much that you want to believe everything she believes, you want to trust her instincts even when the facts are working against her.
I have read the other two books in the series "Webs of Powers" and "Twisted Webs" so I really enjoyed learning more about the earlier lives of those characters and it also changed my opinion of a few of them. However each book stands alone with a fast paced story line to hook the reader and make them not want to put the book down.
In a few of the reviews I have read people have stated that "Webs of Fate" takes them back to a time or place they remember in their lives. It is just the opposite for me, while I was alive during the 80's, I was not from a social class that would have ever gone to a store such as Bentley's Royale (the fiction store in the book)so for me it is a chance to see a world totally different from my own. So I think that is one of the appeals of this book, it will be enjoyed by readers from various backgrounds.
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I LOVE DARLENE'S WEB BOOKS BUT THIS IS A REALLY MUST READ. THIS IS A KIDNAPPING WITH ROMANCE, THRILLS, AND FAMILY SECRETS. IT IS EXCITING AND I LOVE ALL THE MEMORIES I RECEIVED FROM THE LONG BEACH PLACES THE CHARATERS GO THAT ARE FAMILILAR TO ME. I LOVE THE SHORT CHAPTERS THAT KEEP YOU READING AND YOU DON'T WANT TO STOP. THANK YOU DARLENE AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT WEB BOOK. LOVE SHIRLEY
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In the beginning of our story, Danielle Norman, a young buyer working for the Bentleys Royale department store in Los Angeles, comes up missing after a meeting in the President's office. An enormous cast of characters - some who worked with her and others who were just acquaintances - search for Danielle and try to figure out why she disappeared.if she did. They come up with many reasons for her disappearance, most of which are illegal. The main character in the novel is Ashleigh McDowell, Bentleys Royale Director of Human Resources, and she is also a very close friend and mentor to Danielle. Ashleigh's entire world revolves around her job and she is conflicted between her loyalty to the store and her relationship with Danielle. The plot develops at a steady pace, adding characters to the story, including Ashleigh's fiancé Mitchell Wainwright; David Jerome, President of Bentleys; Bentleys Vice President, Conrad Taylor, and Director of Asset Protection, Ross Pocino. Most of the background for this novel is the department store, itself, but this is not the only part of the story. The main plot and sub-plots are full of twists and turns including: kidnapping, family secrets, and romance - just to keep the reader even more intrigued. (Much like Jackie Collins' famously fun books). No Walmart or Walgreens here!! The author keeps the multiple plots going and that is no mean trick. Also, all loose threads are tied up before the ending, even though she leaves just a few threads dangling for the next in her series. Quill Says: A great tribute to some of the old department stores; readers will wish they, and the size of their paychecks, were back.
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I loved this book! Let me see if I can explain how I felt while reading it...Have you ever been with your best friends "chatting it up" for hours? And the worry of someone needing to leave, breaking up the fun would run through your thoughts throughout the gathering? You coud have sat there talking forever, not wanting it to end? That's how I felt reading Web's Of Fate....I didn't want it to end. I found myself spreading out my reading times because I didn't want to finish the book. Kind of like a good candy bar...once you take that last bite...its gone! I also found myself thinking throughout the day what the characters in the story were doing, like they were actually a part of my iife! THAT'S when you know you're reading a good book...when you think the "Danielle" in the storyline is your actual friend! Another thing I liked about Web's Of Fate is that it left me with a satisfying closure. Often times, I find myself enjoying a book emensely but then the ending seems to be somewhat unsatisfying or anticlimactic. Darlene Quinn did a wonderful job drawing you into the lives of these characters from beginning to end. I look forward to her next book. Oh and I have to add...I've been to some of the locations she mentions in the book, which made it that much more enjoyable for me!
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Loved it - you must read it!
Webs of Fate kept my attention from beginning to end. If I had not put it down because I had to eat dinner, I would have read all night. I did read to the end the next day.
The story about the babies is enthralling and you can't wait to find out what happens.
I love the intrigue and would recommend to anyone who loves to read, loves a mystery and loves the stories of our great late department stores.
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When a high-fashion buyer for a top-tier store disappears, loyalties shift and relationships blur in this gripping tale of Beverly Hills High-Society. Set in the mid-80s, Darlene Quinn's grasp of the time and locale are amazing, as is her power of description when it comes to the interpersonal relationships of the characters. You have to turn the page, go on to the next chapter, not knowing who to trust and who to distrust completely.
Ashleigh McDowell is sympathetically naive as she seeks allies in her search for a missing portage, Danielle Norman. Ms. Quinn's novel is keenly wrought and spellbinding, in a time and place which has been promoted as being trouble-free.
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We've been told, as writers, to write what you know. This author surely did that. Her background in department store management shows through the entire novel. Webs of Fate is a prequel to Webs of Power and Twisted Webs. If you enjoyed those two novels, you will surely enjoy this one. Also, it is written, I find, in the style of a "soap-opera". There are 155 chapters, plus prologue and epilogue and other "extras". However, most of them are very short, some only one page or so. The characters are very well developed. Each chapter seems to find you with a different character in a different scene, much like the old soap-operas. If you only have a few minutes at a time to read, this is very easy reading. On the other hand, the characters are so intriguing; you probably won't want to put the book down. If you have already read the other two novels, this one will add much understanding to the background of the plots, as a prequel is designed to do. I have not yet read the other two, but feel sure I will do so in the future. This book is very well written, although not in the style one may be accustomed to in the usual term of "novel". The chapters easily slide one into the next, and there is no difficulty in the reading or keeping up with the action. There is a lot of intrigue involved. The setting is California, and the reader can feel the "California" in it. I would recommend this book when one has more than the usual amount of time to read a novel. Well done, Darlene!
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Darlene Quinn strikes again! Taking us back to the mid-80s and department store glory, we are struck immediately by a brutal kidnapping and possible murder! Pages turn quickly through the intrige and corruption of Bentleys Royale. Is Danielle alive? What will happen to Ashley? Meet David Jerome, Conrad Taylor, Viviana, Mitchell and others in their lives prior to Webs of Power and Twisted Webs. Exciting and unpredictable!
A good book club discussion book of the breakdown of corporate America.
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This spellbinding, suspenseful novel takes place in the heart of the high-fashion, fast-paced, fiercely competitive business world in Beverly Hills during the mid-eighties. Bentleys Royale is feeling the pinch of the negative economic climate which creates a tension and desperation for increased employee performance and the meeting of impossible career demands. In this highly charged atmosphere with budget cuts and unrealistic bottom line demands, executives must perform or risk the loss of their livelihood. David Jerome, the hard-driven, tough taskmaster runs a tight ship. WEBS OF FATE, starts off with the mysterious disappearance of Danielle Norman. Upon further investigation, there appears to be discrepancies in Danielle's department connected to an embezzlement scheme. She has been under pressure to meet her targets or lose her job. No one knows whether she is dead or alive or what part she's played in this act of ultimate company betrayal. As the plot unfolds, her dear friend and mentor Ashleigh McDowell, becomes deeply involved in her efforts to discover the reasons behind the mysterious disappearance of Danielle. In doing so, she unwittingly puts herself in extreme danger. Ashleigh's fiance, Mitchell Wainwright III, appears to be withholding pertinent information from not only the private investigation company he's hired, but from her as well. Who can she trust as she seeks to find the much desired answers? The tall handsome, Conrad Taylor, becomes her ally in trying to put together the pieces to this intriguing puzzle which is built on lust for power, secrecy, and survival. Quinn, an international award-winning author, weaves together the plot to WEBS OF FATE with skill and expertise. Her knowledge of this world is evident in every word that she writes. She utilizes this knowledge to create an action packed, fictional work of art that will capture any readers interest right at the onset. It is apparent that Quinn is no novice when it comes to her ability to create a story chock full of intrigue, jealousy, romance, hatred and revenge. The many twists and turns that captivate the reader and hold their interest is beyond description. This well-written work of fiction is over five-hundred pages long. I had a tough time putting this book down but due to its length, it was impossible to read in one sitting. I wanted to keep reading and reading and I was very disappointed to see it come to an end. To me, that spells a great book. Quinn made me want more...no reader can ask for more than that nor can any author!
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During these days of foreclosures, unemployment, and lack of surplus personal income, it is hard to remember how it was back in the 1980s when money was more plentiful and department stores were opulent creations complete with tea rooms, specialty departments and acres of merchandise enticing visitors to spend their hard-earned money. Darlene Quinn's latest novel, Webs of Fate, is a prequel to her other novels - Twisted Webs and Webs of Fate. This latest edition in the series drops the reader smack into the middle of that long-ago decade in the department store world. The detailed prose, especially in describing the appearance and atmosphere of the store, places the reader within the luxurious walls and the aromas of fresh leather and perfume. The beginning of the novel briefly introduces Danielle Norman, a young buyer working for the Bentleys Royal department store, who then goes missing and becomes the uniting thread for the rest of the story, as a cast of characters search for her and explores the multifaceted reasons for her disappearance. The main character of the novel, Ashleigh McDowell, is Bentleys Royale's Director of Human Resources and is also a sisterly mentor to Danielle. Ashleigh's entire world revolves around her job and she is conflicted between her loyalty to the store and her relationship with Danielle. The plot develops at a steady pace, adding characters to the story, including Ashleigh's fiancé Mitchell Wainwright, Bentleys Royal Vice President Conrad Taylor, and Director of Asset Protection Ross Pocino. While the background for this novel is the department store, this is far from a one-dimensional story. The plot is rife with twists and turns, including kidnapping, family secrets and romance, to keep the reader intrigued, not to mention glimpses into the day-to-day workings of a department store. Ms. Quinn somehow keeps the multiple plot threads going throughout the book and ties it all together into a believable ending, while setting the stage for her follow-on novels in this series.
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Darlene Quinn has given us a wonderful treat that ensnares you right away and pulls you in deeper and deeper as you read. Set in Beverly Hills in the 1980's Quinn gives us all a dose of greed, revenge, anger and even love all tied to the bottom line -- the profit. Do read this book, I really enjoyed it.
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Darlene Quinn has spun a masterpiece in Webs of Fate. A labyrinth of colorful, intriguing, multi-faceted characters - each with tangled secrets and agendas of their own within the high-fashion business world that will hold you ensnared with reading pleasure for hours. It's sheer, mind twisting entertainment.
Brenda Minor - Author
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A fashion buyer disappears under mysterious circumstances. Her department's accounts are out of whack, indicating some reckless spending and, perhaps, felonious activity. Young Danielle is like a baby sister to Ashleigh McDowell, the lovely and headstrong personnel executive for Bentleys Royale. Doing her best to juggle her professional duty, personal relationships and determination to find the truth behind Danielle's activities, Ashleigh herself becomes a target. This is the recipe for Darlene Quinn's "Webs of Fate" (Greenleaf Book Press, 2011), the thrilling prequel to "Webs of Power" and "Twisted Webs." Set in the middle 1980s, mostly in Long Beach, California, "Webs of Fate" is a tangled net of greed, manipulation and impending doom - both corporate and personal. Quinn gives us an inside look at the competitive nature of fashion, from outrageous marketing strategies to hostile takeovers. Numerous references are made to some of the regional players during that period, such as Buffum's, The May Company and The Broadway. From page to page, chapter to chapter, Quinn paints a vivid picture of how one person's homophobia snowballs into embezzlement, abduction and exploding cars. With her own career and life at stake, Ashleigh relentlessly pursues the truth, while simultaneously trying to summon up the courage to end her engagement to Mitchell Wainright III. And for his part, Mitchell's dogged determination to protect his family name unwittingly plays a part in Danielle's fate. "Webs of Fate" is the most suspenseful novel I've read since the late Michael Crichton's "Airframe." And Ashleigh McDowell is cut from the same cloth as heroines Casey Singleton of "Airframe" and Laurie Montgomery of Robin Cook's "Blindsight."
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Darlene Quinn's new novel Webs of Fate is a page turner from prologue to epilogue. The well developed charaters are introduced to the reader a little at a time with all their different personality traits, relationships to each other and of course the secrets of each that will keep the novel close at hand until you reach the end. Webs of Fate is a Prequel to Darlene Quinn's award winning Webs of Power and Twisted Webs. The novel delves into the 1980's retail fashion market where a web of greed, murder, love, and forgiveness is spun for the cast of charaters that will give you insite into the personal relationships in the workplace and personal lives created in this world of suspence and big business. I would highly recommend getting caught in this Web of Fate that Darlene Quinn has spun for us readers!
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