Unspoken

by Dee Henderson

Paperback, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Publication

Bethany House Publishers (2013), 441 pages

Description

"Charlotte Graham's never spoken about her kidnapping. Sixteen years later, she's back in Chicago and she is the only one who knows the truth. But, even now, can she risk sharing it?"--

User reviews

LibraryThing member soswes
Great book. It started out slow, but then I was hooked. Interesting concept of the rich kidnapped character and how she is now really the richest woman in the world. She has to marry in order to receive the money. She has tight circle of friends who select a man they feel will support her in safety
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and privacy. Without giving away more, read this book. It's not a mystery with murder and mayhem...but a good read.
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LibraryThing member mnegranza
What can I say? If you are a fan of Dee Henderson you will likely enjoy this book, as I do. As always, it is so much fun to see Ms. Henderson tie this book together with her previous works. I can't say I would recommend it as an introduction to her. I didn't find it to be a "can't put it down"
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book. Still, a good, solid, enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member Nextian
Classic Dee Henderson even though Unspoken is actually quite different than her normal stories. There's suspense but very little action. There's romance, but it's unconventional (at least to modern thinking) and often takes a back seat to the story. The characters are well-developed and loveable.
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There are surprises galore to keep the pages turning. But more importantly, the story telling is absolutely superb. I think Unspoken has now taken over the top spot as my favorite Henderson novel.
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LibraryThing member Helcura
I liked this book - it had interesting complexities and the female protagonist was interesting.

Books from presses that bill themselves as Christian can be problematic for non-Christian readers, but this book was not particularly preachy. Although I found some aspects of the god that Bryce believes
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in to be rather repugnant, I did find his expressions of his faith to be reasonable within the constraints of his character, and not added in to exhort the reader.

For me Charlotte makes the book. She is a believable victim and survivor and I found her to be nicely balanced. The story has some good twists, even though overall it’s a bit contrived. The author struggles to force the characters into their marriage of convenience, but I was willing to suspend my disbelief in this case. The secondary characters were nicely fleshed out and made me want to learn more about them.

Worth reading.
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LibraryThing member emily.ann
I liked this book, it was a nice read. I felt like it had a very good flow to it, I don't know how else to describe it. It never felt overwhelming to me in any way and I was always interested in picking it back up. I appreciate that it keeps you hanging for pieces of information and lets you know
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some of it bit by bit. I also liked the relationships and characters, I wanted to meet and know them. My mother-in-law asked about good books I'd read lately and I pulled this off the shelf.
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LibraryThing member anotherjoy
This book is absolutely fabulous. The story, the characters, the suspense -- it's everything I know and love from Dee Henderson. Unspoken reminds me of the qualities that first hooked me to her writing in Danger in the Shadows. The woman is simply a master at Christian suspense fiction. This is
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quite possibly my favorite book from her since the O'Malley series!
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LibraryThing member BookDivasReads
Charlotte Graham is a woman with a horrific past. She has changed her name in an effort to distance herself from the horror and memories, but she'll never truly be able to put her years in captivity away completely. If dealing with that stress wasn't hard enough, she has to contend with liquidating
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her grandfather's estate. Her friends and business associates, Ellie Dance and John Key, have skillfully come up with a plan to assist her in this endeavor. Ellie is not only Charlotte's best friend, but she also manages Charlotte's art career. John has become as close to Charlotte as a brother and is her former bodyguard and current head of security. Running away from the past, attempting to liquidate millions of dollars’ worth of inventory (most of it in rare and mint condition coins), and donate funds to worthwhile charities is a very tall order. Before Charlotte meets Bryce Bishop, she is struggling with all three. Bryce Bishop is the owner of Bishop Chicago, a rare coin dealer. His business was chosen based on background provided by Ellie and John. But a tentative business relationship quickly becomes much more.

Unspoken was an intriguing story but a slow read for me, and the speed had nothing to do with the length of the book. It may be related to the fact that the beginning of the story was bogged down with plenty of technical details and jargon relating to numismatology. There were also plenty of subplots going on, such as a cold case investigation into a kidnaped baby that occurred around the same time that Charlotte was being held captive. There's also a burgeoning romance going on between Charlotte and Bryce. Family drama is added to the equation when it is revealed that Charlotte has a twin sister that was also kidnaped but released after twenty-four hours. Eighteen years after Charlotte's release, her twin sister has decided to share as much information as possible on the ordeal with an investigative reporter. (Told you there was a lot going on.) I think that subconsciously I had difficulty with this story because it is more Christian fiction than inspirational fiction. I admired the incorporation of prayer and trust in God that was portrayed by Bryce, but his prayers are alternatingly addressed to God and then Jesus. That may be off-putting to some readers and enticing to others. So I guess what it boils down to is did I enjoy the story and the characters? The answer is a yes with some reservations. Some of the dialogue and transitions in the first half of the story didn't seem to flow as well as it did in the latter half of the story. Some of the subplots were a bit convoluted (one character is presumably in her late thirties/early forties and has worked as a rare coin dealer, homicide investigator, and is now an author . . . seriously?). Even with these relatively minor objections I found Unspoken to be a good read that incorporates murder, kidnapings, torture, rare coins, the art world, philanthropy, romance, intrigue, family drama, secrets, loss of faith, and religious inspiration.
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LibraryThing member rjmoren
This was a wonderful book. I loved the characters, the story line, and the way it was written. It was very intriguing and had some suspense there at the end. A good solid Christian fiction read. I really enjoy Dee Henderson.
LibraryThing member love2readnovels
Charlotte Graham was once the victim of a kidnapping where she was held for four long years. Law enforcement killed her abductors and she was finally rescued. She changed her identity and tried to rebuild her life as best as she could. At no time however, did she say anything to anyone about what
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happened during those years. Along the way, Charlotte finds herself the recipient of an enormous inheritance from her grandfather. Some of which was in the form of old and rare coins. Bryce Bishop doesn't know Charlotte's past. He only knows she showed up in an unusual way and offered him to buy the coins. Bryce gets a call from Paul Falcon that Charlotte is who she says she is and the coins are real. Bryce is intrigued by Charlotte and they become friends. Those around Charlotte encourage the friendship. The more time he spends with her the more intrigued he is. She has made it very clear though, that she will remain single. She also struggles with her faith and is willing to turn down a sizable inheritance to keep her family safe. The more she's around Bryce the more she realizes what a good and kind man he is. But can she trust him enough to tell him the truth of what happened or will the words remain unspoken?

I thoroughly enjoyed Unspoken but I must say, it took me awhile to get into the story. I was probably a quarter of the way into the book before it got to the place where I felt it started getting good. It seemed like it was just a little to much detail about old coins. Once I got past that, it began to flow very nicely. I enjoyed seeing Ann and Paul again and they both played an active part in story, which I really enjoyed. Bryce was a swoon-worthy hero guaranteed to melt even the coldest of hearts. His kindness and patience toward Charlotte was awesome. Charlotte was really an interesting leading lady and one I enjoyed getting know. She was kind and very generous but only let a few people into her close circle. The interaction between Bryce and Charlotte was both fun and touching. John and Ellie played great supporting rolls. You'll find a lot of depth to the story where human emotion is concerned but also where faith is concerned. Charlotte's questions about God were completely understandable and I really liked the way Bryce answered them. Very well done. By the time I got to the end, I wasn't ready to close the book and say goodbye to these guys. I did, however, enjoy the ending. I would love to catch up with them again in say...the next book?!!!

Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (October 1, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0764211714
ISBN-13: 978-0764211713

*This complimentary copy was provided by Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
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LibraryThing member Holly_Combs
I have long been a Dee Henderson fan, her romantic suspense novels surpass most any other author I have read. So I always jump at the chance to read her new releases in hopes of discovering a new favorite. Unspoken, something of a sequel to Full Disclosure, was released on Oct. 1.

Bryce Bishop is a
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successful rare coin dealer, but he’s bored…at least until Charlotte steps into his life with an offer he can’t refuse. As he helps Charlotte sell a collection of coins she inherited, Bryce begins to realize there is much more to this mysterious woman than he understands.

For most of her life, Charlotte has refused to speak about the one event that shaped her — four long years of captivity after her kidnapping. But her carefully constructed world begins to change as Bryce works his way into her heart. But there are still unanswered questions about the kidnappers — questions that could put her loved ones at risk.

Unspoken is an interesting tale of a woman’s deep hurts finally being overcome by a loving God and a godly man. As always, Henderson includes interesting details about little known subjects — like rare coins. Her writing itself is intelligent and each sentence well constructed. But the plot of Unspoken often lagged, and while I liked the characters, there wasn’t enough action to keep the novel moving forward, and instead it regularly lost my interest.

I was disappointed that I was never really given the chance to get to know Charlotte. Not only was she portrayed as guarded in the novel, her character was also guarded from the reader. While I understand how this could happen, Henderson dealt with a similar character in Danger in the Shadows, but there she still managed to allow the reader into Sara’s heart and mind. In my opinion, this is the most significant flaw in this novel.

Bryce’s character was also somewhat disappointing. While he seems a genuinely good, godly man, his character is not very multifaceted. People are complex beings, but Bryce seems rather simplified. He also lacked any significant flaws (and we all have flaws!) that make him relatable and realistic.

I also think that this novel is mislabeled as “romantic suspense,” as there really wasn’t anything suspenseful about the plot. The context — kidnapping, ransoms, etc — would certainly lend itself to that, but Charlotte is never in danger in this novel (nor is any other character). I also found it disappointing that unlike many of Henderson’s other novels, Charlotte really had no hand in the solving of the crime committed against her.

I still believe Henderson is a master novelist. Her writing is superb, but in recent years, her novels have shifted from her original style. I will continue to read everything she writes as I wait to see her talent really come to fruition again.

I received a complimentary copy of Unspoken from Bethany House Publishers, but I was not otherwise compensated for this review. All writing, thoughts, and opinions are solely mine.
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LibraryThing member Steph33
A very compelling book. These were interesting characters in an unusual situation. I read the whole book quickly because I was interested enough to find out what happened to the characters. I found the two main supporting characters to be intriguing as well. I would recommend taking the time to
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read this book. I have already passed it on.
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LibraryThing member JanaRose1
When a woman buys the shop next door to Bryce and threatens to open a competing coin store, he is highly annoyed. When she offers to let him buy her inventory of rare and unique coins and a bottom dollar price, he becomes a bit intrigue. Thus begins their interesting relationship, where Bryce
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learns that sixteen years earlier, Charlotte was kidnapped and tortured for four years.

I thought this was an interesting premise but it felt like nothing really was concluded. I wanted to know more about her kidnapping, but instead the author focused on the present and their relationship. I found the snippets of God talk a bit annoying, especially because they seemed to happen at very random moments. Overall, not a book I would reread or recommend to others.
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LibraryThing member judyg54
Dee Henderson has done it again. Another great story that has it all; mystery, suspense, romance, danger, tenderness, and much more. I liked the way the story began and then fast forwarded to the present. I was in awe of the whole coin collection scenario and the amazing wealth of some people. And
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I loved the way the main character wanted to give it away and the way she went about it.

Charlotte Graham (not her real name to protect her from publicity and exposure) was once very much in the news when she became famous for her kidnapping in Chicago years ago. It took the FBI 4 years to find her and it has taken Charlotte much longer to try to come to grips with what happened. She never talks about what happened during those four years, not to the police, her family or her friends. Now she finds herself inheriting her grandfather's vast estate and needs help selling off his enormous coin collection. She approaches Bryce Bishop, a well known dealer in rare coins with a very interesting offer which he finds himself almost forced to take. This encounter will be the beginning of a very slow but very heartfelt and tender relationship. I couldn't help but appreciate and love the way Bryce was with Charlotte. It truly was a very lovely romance.

I enjoyed the fact that characters from the book "Full Disclosure" were also brought back into this story. I also appreciated the very real struggles Charlotte had with trying to reconcile the two facts - "God was good, and she had been badly hurt". Bryce would try to help Charlotte understand that "God had created people with a free will, had given people the freedom to decide what they wanted to do. . . .Most people rejected God and the world turned evil. But in the midst of that, God was still good, He still acted in love."

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and hopefully will read a story about John and Ellie in the near future??! I received this book from Bethany House through NetGalley for my enjoyment and honest review.
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LibraryThing member Glenajo
Typical Dee Henderson - Steady Romantic Suspense

Dee Henderson books have strong characters that do not rush willy-nilly into romance. The characters are old enough to consider all the ramifications of romance, while dealing with a suspense filled problem. I really enjoy Henderson’s work, but do
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not expect high-tension suspense. While the suspense is there, it is more the unraveling of a thread, than a serial killer is. The characters show great depth leading to a beautiful romance built on strength, not just flash. The strong Christian theme adds greatly to the story. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a deeper romantic story with a little suspense woven through.
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LibraryThing member vintagebeckie
Dee Henderson has long been a favorite author among the members of my book club, By The Book. We last selected Full Disclosure for discussion. It was somewhat of a departure from her previous works and had mixed reviews across the blogosphere. But my group liked it, so we were not hesitant to
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choose Unspoken for our February discussion. Except for a few ehs due mostly to the descriptions of coins, Unspoken was well received.

The plot of Unspoken revolves around the relationship between Charlotte Graham, a kidnapping victim turned multi-millionaire and Bryce Bishop, a rare coin dealer. Charlotte approaches Bryce to sell the vast coin collection inherited from her grandfather. Intrigued by Charlotte, Bryce wants to get to know her better and perhaps get behind the barriers she has erected to protect herself from further hurt.

Unspoken does contain a plot thread filled with suspense, but it is the complex relationship between Charlotte and Bryce that kept me reading. Charlotte is deeply wounded, yet determined to live her life on her own terms. She is a believer, but doesn’t really trust God. Bryce lives a life of quiet, yet firm faith. His life models Christ’s love. Charlotte slowly comes to trust Bryce and, in turn, God. I especially liked Henderson’s depiction of Bryce’s prayer life — something more than one of our members commented on. As in Full Disclosure, Henderson gives us a difficult female character and a strong, yet gentle and devoted male character who is consistent and determined to woo her. Bryce is a powerful picture of God’s love for us — never-failing, unrelenting and unconditional.

I really liked Unspoken and believe it is the best book yet written by Dee Henderson. I am eagerly awaiting her next book, Undetected, due out in April, featuring Bryce’s brother, Mark Bishop.

Highly Recommended.

(Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for a review copy. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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LibraryThing member Robin661
Unspoken
Dee Henderson

Book Summary: Charlotte Graham is at the center of the most famous kidnapping in Chicago history. The task force of FBI and local cops found her two abductors, killed them, rescued her, but it took four very long years. The fact she was found less than three miles from her
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home, had been there the entire time, haunts them. She's changed her identity, found a profession she loves, and rebuilt her life. She's never said a word--to the cops, to her doctors, to family--about those four years. A family legacy has brought her back to Chicago where a reporter is writing a book about the kidnapping. The cops who worked the case are cooperating with him. Her options are limited: Hope the reporter doesn't find the full truth, or break her silence about what happened. And her silence is what has protected her family for years. Bryce Bishop doesn't know her past, he only knows she has coins to sell from her grandfather's estate--and that the FBI director for the Chicago office made the introduction. The more he gets to know Charlotte, the more interested he becomes, an interest encouraged by those closest to her. But nothing else is working in his favor--she's decided she is single for life, she struggles with her faith, and she's willing to forego a huge inheritance to keep her privacy. She's not giving him much of an opening to work with. Charlotte wants to trust him. She needs to tell him what happened. Because a crime cops thought was solved, has only opened another chapter...

Review: First, I must say I liked this better than Full Disclosure. I even found myself liking Ann better because of Unspoken. I liked Bishop he was the best part of the book. The talk of coins - I have enough of that after 5 pages, yet it never seemed to stop. No wonder the main character was tired with his career. Charlotte and her secrets, the mystery man who was a ‘cop’ which was alluded to for 2/3rd of the book not very exciting. I feel for me that Unspoken made up for Full Disclosure but not enough to rush out to read another book in this line. The suspense was lacking and I found the talk of wealth fanciful. Keep it, give it away whatever the decision is it can not cure what ails the human heart. I was glad to see it end, yet Dee Henderson does a fantastic job of painting a picture with words. The places were vivid. For me the talk of money and coins were not exciting. The horrible things that happened to Charlotte tragic. But as far as human spirit Charlotte was halfway there. She never healed or dealt with those events that resulted from her kidnapping. I could go on about the things I was frustrated with but the bottom line for me is that the characters from Full Disclosure were better written, Bishop and his family (what we saw of them) were realistic and the friends of Bishop & Charlotte were realistic and enjoyable. It was worth the read, but not something I need to reread.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bethany House Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.
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LibraryThing member MissYvonnee
I enjoyed the book, as I enjoy the writing style of Dee Henderson. I wasn't as invested in the characters of this book as much as those in some of her past books, but it was still an enjoyable read. I'd recommend Unspoken to those who enjoy romantic suspense.
LibraryThing member jnut1
I loved her past series.

This one not so much. I felt the details of coins was way way over the top and then the little details that I wanted to know, all the wedding presents Bryce gave Charlotte, what flavor of ice cream they would get, was overlooked.

And the Money?! Really? I like to read books
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out of my life's reach but.....

Charlotte picks Bryce to sell her grandfather's coin collection to. The book evolves as Bryce gets to know Charlotte and her story.

There are some great moments in this book but is it enough to overcome the details on the coins.
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LibraryThing member Aliballyb
Brilliant. the best book I've read for a while. So well written with many threads but they all make sense and come together. I like the hints of other books too. Romance but not slushy or unrealistic. Answers real faith/doubt questions
LibraryThing member olegalCA
Other than too much focus on coins it was a good read. The pacing didn't effectively build the mystery in my opinion but the ending was satisfying.
LibraryThing member Kristymk18
Closer to 2.5
Based on the blurb, I assumed Unspoken would hold more suspense and more in relation to the kidnapping of Charlotte; however, it was more about the budding friendship/relationship between her and Bryce. I never felt a connection to any of the characters, especially since we never
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really get to see what Charlotte is feeling and thinking. I suppose that was to add to the mystery surrounding who she is and the details of the kidnapping, but for me, it just made it difficult to relate to her. The first half of the book spoke heavily about coins (the reason for their initial meeting) and barely touched at all on what happened to Charlotte years a go. There is a "twist" but it is fairly easy to figure out and I found it predictable based off of the information given throughout the novel. I also found many similarities between this book and Henderson's other book, Danger in the Shadows, which made the story seem less original.
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LibraryThing member JenniferRobb
It's been a while since I've read Dee Henderson. I did enjoy her O'Malley series and to some extent her True Valor series. I'm not sure if I read the story that introduces Paul and Ann Falcon (I'm sure there is one).

It took me a while to get into this book, and I think if I hadn't had past success
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with reading this author I might have given up on the book as some reviewers did. I think if they'd stuck with it, they might have liked it a bit better than they did when they gave up on it.

I don't think it ranks among Henderson's best, but if you can push past the beginning part of the book, I think you'll start to like it.

Charlotte starts out as a buttoned up shirt and as she learns she can trust Bryce, starts to open up. She also starts more actively working on her relationship with God--I think because she wants what she sees Bryce has.

WARNING: SPOILERS MAY OCCUR IN THE REMAINDER (READ ON AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION)

It's a little "convenient" that Charlotte ends up having enough money to do pretty much whatever she wants, including being able to facilitate the capture of the one person who hasn't yet been found.

If the butterfly pin was Ruth's, why didn't Ruth's sister recognize it when it came up in the Baby Connor investigation? (Not that her sister didn't have distractions at that time, but . . . you'd think at some point, it might have come up sooner than it did.)

I like that Bryce is patient and that he thinks of what is best for Charlotte--but he almost seems too perfect. He doesn't even gripe about it a bit to a friend who has more connection to him than to Charlotte. Now I do realize that if he hurts Charlotte, he'll have John to deal with, but still . . . at least once you'd think he'd express frustration to someone, even if it's only to God.

I like that both Bryce and Charlotte listen to each other and store thoughts about each other's likes and dislikes and then utilize those in picking out gifts for each other.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2013-10

Physical description

441 p.; 8.5 inches

ISBN

0764211714 / 9780764211713

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