Sam's Letters to Jennifer » (Reprint)

Not making any bones about his bid for success, James Patterson once declared he wanted to be known as the king of the page-turners. While that may seem like a pretty grand ambition, Patterson is as worthy of that title as any author working today.

Jennifer returns to the resort village where she grew up to help a beloved relative—and ends up experiencing not one, but two of the most amazing love stories she’s ever known. In a series of letters that Jennifer finds in the lakefront house, her relative reveals that she has concealed a huge secret for decades: her great love is not the man she was married to for all those years. As Jennifer reads about this passionate partnership, she learns more about love’s imperatives and secrets than she ever dreamed possible. And then comes the biggest surprise of all. At a time when she thought she could never love again, Jennifer lets her guard down for a moment—and is suddenly caught up in the most exhilarating journey she’s ever experienced. Then, just as suddenly, she learns that this new love comes with an unbearable cost. Jennifer doesn’t think she can survive the pain—but the letters she’s been reading make her think that love may help her find a way.

Publishers Weekly

Unlike Patterson's Alex Cross thrillers, this sentimental tale does not translate well to audio. The plot twists seem all the more absurd when read aloud, and the audiobook's maudlin music, inserted during the story's poignant moments, is as distracting and disturbing as a TV laugh track. Jennifer, a newspaper columnist who's grieving the death of her husband, has more reason to mourn when her beloved grandmother, Sam, falls into a coma. Jennifer rushes to Sam's home in Lake Geneva, Wis., where she finds a packet of letters addressed to her. The letters detail her grandmother's life story, including an affair she had with a mysterious man. Jennifer takes comfort in the letters, and at the same time, embarks on her own romance with Brendan, an old friend. Heche's thin, mousy voice is perfect for the perpetually worried Jennifer, but she rarely varies her intonation, not even for Brendan's dialogue. Alexander does a better job as Sam, conveying the elderly woman's concern for Jennifer, but her performance isn't sufficient to elevate this flawed audiobook. Simultaneous release with the Little, Brown hardcover (Forecasts, June 7). (June) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.