TALK

Superstar talk show diva Jessica Wright rules the prime time airwaves until an unknown admirer, who has been leaving her anonymous gifts and intimate notes, turns into a deadly stalker who is watching her every move

Popular TV talk-show host Jessica Wright finds herself stalked by an obsessed fan in this workaday romantic thriller from Van Wormer (Just for the Summer). Despite tough security, the creep infiltrates the television studio where she works, as well as her vacation house, where he leaves unsettling notes, a mysterious gift and, finally, the dead body of Jessica's secretary. Then he kidnaps Jessica. The convoluted plot initially moves briskly but then gets bogged down in the details of the abduction. Juxtaposed against the kidnapping story is the budding romance between Jessica, a recovering alcoholic, and news producer Will Rafferty, eventually a suspected accomplice in the crime. Van Wormer, a practiced talk-show guest and the "novelizer" of several TV serials, puts her behind-the-scenes experience to good use, showing the tense balletics inherent in live broadcast. When Jessica writes her autobiography, Van Wormer, who is also a former editor at Doubleday, takes the opportunity to introduce tidbits about the publicity aspect of publishing. Despite the urgent atmosphere that permeates this fast-paced thriller, however, it falls short on character development. Three key female characters introduced in earlier novels play major roles here, but it's difficult to tell these tough, attractive, driven career women apart. Agent, Loretta Barrett; editor, Diane Moggy; author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A padded, paint-by-numbers stalker tale that takes on the trendy subject of TV talk shows. Jessica Wrights the host, but (at least in her own mind and seemingly in the authors) her shows no tabloid fodder. Instead, the winning, red-haired, amply endowed Jessica fancies herself the heart and soul of the masses, dispensing advice along with personal stories about her own fight with alcoholism and self-destructive behavior. But, truth be told, Jessicas show sounds just like every other talk show, and Jessica herself like a typically self-obsessed TV personality, in spite of her harped-on failed relationships and battle with booze. In fact, all the characters at DBS seem familiar: the Diane Sawyerlook-alike anchor Alexandra, whose dramatic secret turns out to be a not-so-shocking lesbian romance with a young starlet who smacks of Anne Heche; the mousy personal assistant with a fixation on Jessica; and the good-ole-boy producer Willwhose charisma more than makes up for his average looks. When Jessica acquires a stalker named Leopold, its no surprise that literally everyones a suspect, from the security guard to Jessicas nearest and dearest, including Will, with whom shes suddenly fallen in love. The violent death of Bea Blakely, the wannabe assistant, and the preponderance of obsessive love notes addressed to Jessica, have everyone at the station on edge. And so, two professional bodyguardstough-as-nails Wendy and shady Dentonare hired to tail Jessica day and night. When shes finally kidnaped, it comes as something of a relief. No surprises here, but Van Wormer (Just For the Summer, 1997, etc.) once again does deliver the goodsthe usual thrills, chills, and dazzling wardrobes that fans look for in a lightweight late-summer read. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Americans love to watch talk shows, and host Jessica Wright leads the ratings game. She's warm, friendly, and candid about her past and perfectly willing to share her descent into alcoholism and degradation in her soon-to-be-released autobiography, Talk. In her rise to fame, Jessica gained the friendship of Alexandra Waring, the network anchor, and her relationship with Alexandra's coanchor, Will Rafferty, seems to be heating up, but there's trouble ahead: one of her fans, Leopold, has been courting her via letters for months, and now he's sending her gifts and asking her not to wear revealing clothing on her show. Jessica dismisses him as a nuisance until the gifts and notes start appearing on the set. As security is beefed up, Leopold ups the ante. First, he murders someone he perceives as a "threat" to his beloved, and then he comes up with a plan that will shock the nation. Van Wormer's latest romantic thriller features characters from her earlier works, Riverside Drive (1989) and West End (1990), and has enough intrigue, drama, and tangled relationships to give Jerry Springer pause. This hot summer read will appeal to fans of Joy Fielding and Nora Roberts. Melanie Duncan