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Vermilion
When Lindsay received an anonymous and chilling note about her father's sudden death, she went to his Arizona home to learn the truth about her own past--a past her father would never talk about. She also had to discover anew her feelings for her sister's husband Rick. As a child she had ignored him. Now as a woman she had to risk seeing him again--and seeing the sister who had always hated her....
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
142 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis A. Whitney
182Ìýbooks550ÌýfollowersPhyllis Ayame Whitney (1903 â€� 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 6, 2011
This is one of those Gothic type novelists who write what is called 'Romantic suspense.' This book has been on my shelf forever (circa 1981). This was one of those novelists that was one of my first adult reads back in the day. This was actually a very good story with a plot that moved rapidly. The Gothic feel of strange voices from an imaginary friend that made you wonder if the main character was truly mad. The romantic interest was a little predictable but still believeable and an important part of the story. The only part that I thought was contrived was a red herring ill placed near the end of the book which all but screamed "I DID IT." While talking to my mystery reading friends about revisiting Whitney, we talked about dated content and plots. While there are no cell phones, computers, or CSI gadgetry, this is old fashioned mystery at it's best and I would highly recommend the trip down memory lane and read a Whitney novel for the fun of it.
July 7, 2022
Set in Sedona, Arizona, long a magnet for the spiritual and the esoteric, "Vermilion" is a strong effort from Phyllis A. Whitney. As she entered her fourth decade of writing romantic suspense novels, Whitney had settled into a solid formula. Thus,"Vermilion" contains some elements that are familiar from the authors' earlier novels‚for example, an alternately hostile, alternately needy child and the reappearance of an adolescent crush in adulthood, as well as the standard plot of family secrets uncovered in exotic locales. In the monstrous villainess Sybil, Whitney also throws an enjoyable nod to "Columbella." And the character of Vermilion herself, heroine Lindsay's imaginary childhood friend and occasional alter-ego, evokes the creepy tone of "The Winter People," Whitney's unusual, atypical foray into the supernatural. Despite these echoes of earlier books, the novel contains a distinctive, more-than-capable heroine, who is the farthest away from a shrinking violet that Whitney ever created; as well as opening the story with one of the most brutal murders she ever described (the action also includes s-e-x). In such a package, how can the reader go wrong?
March 14, 2021
The Year(s) of Phyllis A. Whitney roll on.
This intriguing story was set in Arizona. And Whitney drew in the atmosphere very well. The ending was unexpected.
I rather enjoyed this one. So if you haven’t read any of her works, this is a good starting point.
This intriguing story was set in Arizona. And Whitney drew in the atmosphere very well. The ending was unexpected.
I rather enjoyed this one. So if you haven’t read any of her works, this is a good starting point.
February 9, 2018
Romantic suspense in a contemporary setting, with a little bit of the supernatural thrown in. This was written in 1981, so it was a little dated but not so much that I couldn't enjoy the story. I enjoyed the Arizona setting and the descriptions of Sedona and the surrounding areas. The romance aspect wasn't the main focus of the book, and was not explicit at all. The mystery was pretty good, and it kept me guessing until the end. A pleasant surprise.
February 2, 2024
One of the best things about a Phyllis Whitney book is that it is a bit of a travel experience. The acknowledgments to her novels reveal that Whitney visited the places in which she sets her stories, and she then used her tremendous talent to paint a picture like no other for her readers.
The setting this time is Sedona, Arizona. Whitney was clearly enthralled by the red rocks in this southwestern city, and made them a key player in her mystery. The reader almost feels as if a visit has been made, albeit a mental one. The mystery this time concerns Lindsay Phillips, who arrives in Sedona to try and solve the murder of her father. She meets those who were close to him, reunites with a sister that loathes her and gets a few surprises along the way. And that includes another murder...
This book also delved slightly into the supernatural (or more aptly into the psychological). I wasn't all that enamored with that aspect but it did not detract from my enjoyment of this mystery. Now I would like to visit Arizona...
The setting this time is Sedona, Arizona. Whitney was clearly enthralled by the red rocks in this southwestern city, and made them a key player in her mystery. The reader almost feels as if a visit has been made, albeit a mental one. The mystery this time concerns Lindsay Phillips, who arrives in Sedona to try and solve the murder of her father. She meets those who were close to him, reunites with a sister that loathes her and gets a few surprises along the way. And that includes another murder...
This book also delved slightly into the supernatural (or more aptly into the psychological). I wasn't all that enamored with that aspect but it did not detract from my enjoyment of this mystery. Now I would like to visit Arizona...
June 22, 2023
There is some delightful strangeness in this modern gothic set in and around Sedona. A lot of that is due to the inclusion of the imaginary best friend character, the titular Vermillion, who flits about the edges of the narrative. To some extent this makes the main character seem schizophrenic except that every other character knows about Vermillion and talks about her as a normal, established thing.
This also one of the few Whitney novels in which she tries to make a meaningful connection with the indigenous people of her exotic local. Here that means the Hopi and while there are still the requisite number of white people repackaging and selling Hopi culture for other non natives, there is also a fairly important Hopi character and revelations that bring the Hopi more to the forefront.
Of course there are still all of Whitney's stock characters around and some of the her more annoying narrative ticks appear (there is more than conversation that the main character had no real reason to overhear except that someone insists she sits in on it) but overall it's a fun gothic.
This also one of the few Whitney novels in which she tries to make a meaningful connection with the indigenous people of her exotic local. Here that means the Hopi and while there are still the requisite number of white people repackaging and selling Hopi culture for other non natives, there is also a fairly important Hopi character and revelations that bring the Hopi more to the forefront.
Of course there are still all of Whitney's stock characters around and some of the her more annoying narrative ticks appear (there is more than conversation that the main character had no real reason to overhear except that someone insists she sits in on it) but overall it's a fun gothic.
August 21, 2010
I went through a period of time where I read Phyllis Whitney books back to back - I chain-read her books! Her writing style appeals to me, and these books make a great summer day in the park type read, or a good story to curl up with on a rainy day. The only drawback is the plots are all pretty similar (girl is usually trying to solve a family mystery and finds an attractive yet scary man, etc.) and I can't remember which is which! I liked them all, however.
December 20, 2008
Murder, mystery, sibling rivalries, and desert drama abound in this book about listening to your alter ego. It begs the question how an inner voice can assume control of the events around you.
August 31, 2019
Vermilion
by Phyllis A. Whitney
1981
Doubleday
3.5 / 5.0
A Gothic romance with sibling rivalry, secret pasts and murder.
When Lindsay receives an anonymous note about her father's sudden death, she decides to visit his home in Sedona, Arizona, and learns the truth of her past. A past her father has tried to hide from her.
She must also face her hatred for her sister and her renewed interest in her husband, Rick.
Suspenseful.
Beautifully written description of Sedona and Tlaquepaque, Arizona and desert landscape.
by Phyllis A. Whitney
1981
Doubleday
3.5 / 5.0
A Gothic romance with sibling rivalry, secret pasts and murder.
When Lindsay receives an anonymous note about her father's sudden death, she decides to visit his home in Sedona, Arizona, and learns the truth of her past. A past her father has tried to hide from her.
She must also face her hatred for her sister and her renewed interest in her husband, Rick.
Suspenseful.
Beautifully written description of Sedona and Tlaquepaque, Arizona and desert landscape.
January 28, 2022
The whole Vermilion plot was a bit lacking. Great setting. Interesting who dunit.
May 2, 2022
Another Whitney that wasn't for me, though I liked it better than the last one I tried (Blue Fire). The heroine annoyed me, as did her imaginary friend and that whole shtick. The setting was nice, though. Some Whitney books that I would recommend instead of this one are Snowfire and The Winter People.
September 15, 2023
Lindsay receives an unsettling anonymous note informing her of her father's mysterious death. In search of answers about her enigmatic past, she travels to her father's home in Arizona. During this journey, she must confront both her feelings for her sister's husband, Rick, and the strained relationship with her sister, raising old conflicts and emotions to the surface.
I absolutely love gothic romances with all of the mystery and the strong female characters. Phyllis A. Whitney is an amazing author incorporating an unforgettable story with amazing characters.
I absolutely love gothic romances with all of the mystery and the strong female characters. Phyllis A. Whitney is an amazing author incorporating an unforgettable story with amazing characters.
June 28, 2007
In the interest of full disclosure, I haven't picked up a Phyllis Whitney book since I was about 11. However, I went on a PhylWhit tear for a year or so. My grandma had tons of her books lying around, and one summer, I read a ton of them. They are mysteries with a heavy dose of romance with a dark and mysterious stranger. ;-) Entertaining, but fluffy.
April 23, 2010
my sisters, my mom and i have read all of phyllis whitney's mystery books! they're clean, pretty repititious, but usually very entertaining. :) this one is a little freaky-deaky... but we read it again because we'll be in sedona az on vacation and that is where this book takes place.
October 3, 2015
read this in the early 80s
March 11, 2018
Awful. Painful. Excruciating. Other synonyms.
Just don’t.
Just don’t.
January 28, 2022
For me, reading Phyllis Whitney is like traveling through time, and I genuinely enjoy all her books for their perspective on the time they were written. She researches the settings of her books, which are often quite exotic, so reading them becomes pleasantly informative. Vermillion is set in Sedona, Arizona, and I was transported there. Whitney is flawless at descriptions, both physical and psychological. She is the pinnacle author of her genre: romantic mystery, and she is my literary guilty pleasure.
Perhaps because the further the "time travel," the better, I prefer the works she wrote in the 1960s to her later works. Vermillion was published in 1981. It does not hold up to my favorite Whintey stories. I found the love interest (sister and brother-in-law) a bit shallow, and the existence of an "imaginary friend" with both strength and purpose was too off-genre for me. To its credit, visualizing the story with its Native American art and its rocky desert wilderness was a treat, and the action was suspenseful.
Perhaps because the further the "time travel," the better, I prefer the works she wrote in the 1960s to her later works. Vermillion was published in 1981. It does not hold up to my favorite Whintey stories. I found the love interest (sister and brother-in-law) a bit shallow, and the existence of an "imaginary friend" with both strength and purpose was too off-genre for me. To its credit, visualizing the story with its Native American art and its rocky desert wilderness was a treat, and the action was suspenseful.
October 2, 2022
Lindsay, a successful fashion designer in NYC, receives a mysterious note urging her to go to Sedona, AZ to confront her half-sister Sybil about their father's murder a year earlier. Even though the last thing Lindsay wants to do is confront her cold hateful older sister, she feels compelled to go. Arriving in Sedona, Lindsay not only discovers a landscape that draws her, but many secrets of her own family are revealed and she must confront both her love for Sybil's husband and her own alterego she has named Vermilion.
Whitney was crowned the American Queen of the Gothic Mystery in the mid-20th century with good reason, and she imbues that mastery of gothic suspense throughout the plot, the beauty of Sedona, and the dark troubling atmosphere Lindsay finds around her. She also brings the glories of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon (which impressed me more than Sedona itself on my visit to that area in 2016) to rich recognizable life. Whitney visited and researched every location used in her books. It shows. I may have to reread this next time I visit Sedona.
Whitney was crowned the American Queen of the Gothic Mystery in the mid-20th century with good reason, and she imbues that mastery of gothic suspense throughout the plot, the beauty of Sedona, and the dark troubling atmosphere Lindsay finds around her. She also brings the glories of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon (which impressed me more than Sedona itself on my visit to that area in 2016) to rich recognizable life. Whitney visited and researched every location used in her books. It shows. I may have to reread this next time I visit Sedona.
May 23, 2024
I’ve been having a wild time reading Phyllis Whitney’s romantic suspense novels. Wild because they are all so differing in quality (in my opinion)! They all follow a similar pattern—a young woman who has lost one or both parents unravels a mystery in an exotic locale, with the help of a man she at first fears and then falls in love with. However, this one was a stinker despite the amazing setting (Sedona, Arizona). The protagonist was vapid, the love interest was boring, the plot was nonsensical (a grown woman with an imaginary friend?!). I especially disliked when Lindsay (who discovers she is one quarter Hopi) starts vibing with the ethnic drums BOOM, beat beat. Cringe!
My favorite one so far has been The Quicksilver Pool. Read that. Don’t bother with this one.
My favorite one so far has been The Quicksilver Pool. Read that. Don’t bother with this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2023
More twists and turns than a spiral staircase! It seemed a little stilted at times early on, but before too long it was off and running! I would just start to think the main character needed a psychiatrist, then would think, Hmmm....now, maybe, just maybe she is the killer.....It kept me on the edge of my seat, that's for sure.
I have visited Sedona, so I was familiar with the descriptives. It is a place that, somehow, feels spiritual. This book played on that element with good reason.
A great read I highly recommend.
I have visited Sedona, so I was familiar with the descriptives. It is a place that, somehow, feels spiritual. This book played on that element with good reason.
A great read I highly recommend.
October 28, 2022
Past meets present
I read my first Phyllis Whitney book about 50 years ago. Although I don't remember the title of the book I remember being drawn into the book. Fear love adventure. Starting my lifetime of reading. Now I see the name will she still hold the excitement I felt then.
Without a doubt. I am drawn in, heart beating, tip toeing, hardly breathing until the end.
The story definitely worth it. 12 to 76 A lot of time a lot of books. A good story is a good sfory
I read my first Phyllis Whitney book about 50 years ago. Although I don't remember the title of the book I remember being drawn into the book. Fear love adventure. Starting my lifetime of reading. Now I see the name will she still hold the excitement I felt then.
Without a doubt. I am drawn in, heart beating, tip toeing, hardly breathing until the end.
The story definitely worth it. 12 to 76 A lot of time a lot of books. A good story is a good sfory
July 13, 2024
Vermilion by Phyllis A Whitney
Lindsay wants to find out the truth about the death of her Father, a man she barely knew. When she travels to Arizona to get answer she is faced with family who are not so warm to welcome her.
A very good (Gothic) mystery, with suspense, with ominous undertones. The pacing of the plot was perfect with in depth details and engaging dialog. So far this has been my favorite Phyllis A Whitney book. A good read.
Lindsay wants to find out the truth about the death of her Father, a man she barely knew. When she travels to Arizona to get answer she is faced with family who are not so warm to welcome her.
A very good (Gothic) mystery, with suspense, with ominous undertones. The pacing of the plot was perfect with in depth details and engaging dialog. So far this has been my favorite Phyllis A Whitney book. A good read.
July 13, 2019
Vermilion
This is a great story with many twists and turns that keeps you reading. The characters were complex, interesting and unpredictable which had me wondering who and why would, be the killer, all the way up to the end.
This is a great story with many twists and turns that keeps you reading. The characters were complex, interesting and unpredictable which had me wondering who and why would, be the killer, all the way up to the end.
July 20, 2022
I only wish the plot could have been done justice, but unfortunately the writing fell flat in my opinion. Pacing and description was so jagged that it grew hard to follow, and the characters were either under-developed or didn’t have satisfying arcs.
December 15, 2022
I loved this book so much!! She was one of my favorite authors growing up. I saved up my money to buy all her books I could find! I recently went back and started rereading them! I still love her books!!
November 10, 2018
Still overly dramatic. But enjoyable.
December 20, 2018
Love Phyllis Whitney
This is one of my favorite books by this author. I'm re-reading all her books and enjoying it immensely. Clean,no descriptive sex or ugly language.
This is one of my favorite books by this author. I'm re-reading all her books and enjoying it immensely. Clean,no descriptive sex or ugly language.
January 24, 2019
This book was hard to put down. Great mystery that kept you guessing to the very end.
August 12, 2019
It was interesting, but not captivating....
September 14, 2019
not one of my fave, but still a good read.
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