Kindle Edition Amazon Suzanne Jenkins amazon Createspace Category:  Women Publisher: createspace.com ISBN-10:  1461135923 Type: Fiction Pages: 330 Copyright: June 2011 ISBN-13: 139781461135920 Pam is a Long Island housewife who finds out the truth about her husband after he has a heart attack on the train from Manhattan. Pam of Babylon is the first in a series of five books. Don't You Forget About Me, Dream Lover, Prayers for the Dying and Family Dynamics follow.       Excerpt Jack Smith was thinking, I am the luckiest man alive. Sit­ting at a white-linen-covered table on the sidewalk out­side of his favorite restaurant, he was gazing at the perfect face of his mistress of nine months. This place was “their” place. They had spent a rare night together, and now, in the early morning, they could have a leisure­ly breakfast, enjoying the perfect weather of late May in New York. Being with her was one of the few problem-free areas of his life. “What do you have to do this weekend?” Jack asked, knowing this could be a dangerous topic. Sandra was sip­ping her coffee, head bowed, but eyes on him. She slowly put her cup down and straightened up. He really wanted to know. He was interested in her life outside of where it meshed with his. “After you leave, I think I’ll start getting ready for the week, and then I can relax tonight and tomorrow. Monday I am having lunch at my sister’s. My schedule next week is fairly packed, so the more I can get done now, the easier it will be.” She thought of her messy apartment, the empty refrigerator, the pile of laundry, but didn’t men­tion it. Jack’s solution to it would be to say, Pay someone to do those things for you so you can do what you want. Your time is worth more than what it would cost. “One thing I would really like to do is get back to that gallery on Houston and see if there isn’t a deal I can work out for that piece we saw last night.” She smiled at Jack, and they both nodded their heads, remembering the vibrant painting of the Riverside Gardens. It was so colorful, the yellows and reds and blues exaggerated, the flowers oversized. They both loved it. “You should have said something while we were there!” he said, smiling at her. She knew he would have bought it then and there for her. But she really wanted to buy it for herself. She knew it was wise to keep things like “community property” out of their relationship. They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. Soon, Jack would start fidgeting, pushing his chair back slightly, looking around him, and fighting the urge to look at his watch. Their time together would be over for now. Sandra would try to beat him to the punch; it was easier for her to be in control of this aspect of their life. His schedule would dictate when they could see each other, but she could be in charge of when it would end. She hated those last min­utes while they waited for the check to come, feeling like she was sitting in a vacuum. Today was a little different, maybe because of the night before. It was so special hav­ing the evening together and then spending the night with him. The hotel was the same one they always used. It was clean and comfortable and—impersonal. But she didn’t al­low herself to think of that. He suggested early on that they go to her apartment, but she didn’t know how long they would be together and didn’t want those associations in her home. It would be hard to end the relationship without memories of him per­meating where she lived. No thank you. Having to see him at work every day would be awful. Besides, he was wealthy enough to afford a hotel, and she was worth it. He would not have argued if he knew what she was thinking. On one hand, he was wondering what was tak­ing so long to get the check, as he had a lot to do at home today, but on the other, he would miss her terribly. It took all the strength he had not to pout like a child when he was away from her. He thought of his home, close to the sea, the smell of salt air. He imagined the two of them sitting on the veranda overlooking the beach grass. But the face of his wife kept popping up on Sandra’s body as he thought of this, not allowing anyone to take her place, even in his thoughts. She walked him to the subway, refusing to have him walk her home first. He preferred the subway over taking a cab all the way downtown. She would shop on the way home, and he had a long commute, over an hour, to his home on Long Island. They walked arm in arm, a strik­ing couple to look at. He mature, graying at the temples, and in good shape for his age; she young, model thin, and beautiful. Heads turned to look. Were they famous? The attention they got when they were out in public togeth­er pleased them, and they became even more animated, laughing, standing up straighter, happiness radiating from them both. On Broadway, another observer took note of the radiant couple. Jack’s sister-in-law, Marie, waited in the Saturday-morning bagel line at H&R. She happened to be uptown because of having gone to the theater the night before with her friend, Arthur, and then staying the night at his apartment. Marie stood there with her mouth open, heat spreading through her body, shocked and furious. The man behind her tapped her on the shoulder; it was her turn already. “Never mind, go ahead,” she said as she moved out of line. Her body turned toward her brother-in-law as his back and that of his companion continued down the street toward the subway. She inched along the pavement stay­ing close to the storefronts, not wanting to be seen, but dying to see. When they reached the subway, the woman, a girl really, didn’t go down the stairs with him. Marie found it incredible that Jack was going to take the subway. What the hell was that all about? The couple stood at the entrance to the stairs talking, his arm around her shoulder protectively. It was clear that they were a couple, not just work associates, not just friends. Standing out of sight in a doorway, Marie could barely tolerate the physical sensations she was experiencing. Her entire body was vibrating. It was a combination of disgust, shock, and excitement. She had loved Jack as her brother. She was certain her sister, Pam, had no idea her husband was cheating on her. Pam would have said something. Ma­rie didn’t yet think of the implications this would have on her relationship with her sister. If she didn’t know, it would remain that way because Marie wasn’t going to tell her. She would confront Jack and insist he tell Pam. That was the only way. Let him do the dirty work. Her patience paid off; Jack took the girl into his arms. He didn’t look around first to see if they were being observed, although this was a neighborhood in which many of their relatives lived. Then they kissed. He kissed her passionately; she reached up and, with her arms around him, kissed him back. They parted, reluctance obvious to all who looked upon them, intimacy flourishing in a public place. Jack went down the subway stairs, looking behind him and smiling. The young woman stood there smiling down at him, waiting to move away until he was out of sight. Marie watched as the young woman, beautiful in a white sundress, turned her back to the stairs and starting walking up Broadway. Marie didn’t have all day to play de­tective, but she knew that for her sister’s sake, she would need to find out as much as she could about this person. So she followed her, supposing she was headed for home, but having no way of knowing. She stayed about half a block behind her. Watching her from the back, she made men­tal notes: tall; slender (of course); long, dark hair. Marie thought the woman should be blonde, but that didn’t make any sense. She told herself to just keep walking. When they got to Eightieth, the woman crossed the street and went into Zabar’s. There was no way Marie was going in there. She would wait outside for a few minutes. She didn’t have all day. If the woman were doing a big shopping trip, Marie would leave. She stood across Broadway, watching, not wanting to miss it when she left the store. Looking up at the sky, she could see blue between the buildings, sunlight peeking down from the east. It was going to be a beautiful weekend. Memorial Day was Monday. Marie was going to her sister’s house on Long Island for a picnic. She had been looking forward to it all month. Now this. The young woman stepped out of Zabar’s with two bags of groceries. She turned left and started walking up Broadway again, with Marie following closely behind. When she got to Eighty-second, she turned left, walking toward West End. It figured, Marie thought, remembering her own apartment in no man’s land. About midway, she made another left and walked up to a lovely, beige-brick mid-century. She went to the door, turned the key in the lock and disappeared. Marie stood in the center of the sidewalk, disappointed. Well, she had an address, just in case. She walked back to Broadway, thinking all the way. She wanted to call Jack’s cell and tell him off. Suddenly, she was overcome with nausea. She moved to the curb and threw up in the gutter.

Jersey Girl Book Reviews
This is a story of one woman's attempt to deal with the aftermath of her husband's death and the revelation of his secret lives that he shared with his mistress and sister-in-law. This is the story of how she picks up the pieces of her life and works through the stages of anger and grief to reach forgiveness.

Pam of Babylon is a spellbinding and intensely poignant story that will pull at your heartstrings. The author weaves a powerful tale told in the third person narrative, focusing on the different perspectives of the husband and the three women in his life. It is a fascinating look into the complexities of a marriage wrought with secrets, lies and deceptions that had devastating consequences for the spouse and the two women who were left to pick up the pieces from the mess that was their lives.

The author has created a fascinating cast of characters that are realistic, complex, have flaws and emotions that are easy to relate to. The dynamic of the three women's personalities is palpable, the reader is drawn into their individual stories and goes along for the journey on the emotional roller coaster ride that is their lives. You can't help but feel the full gamut of emotions towards the characters' reactions to Jack's death and the aftermath when the revelations of his web of deceit come to light. At times I found myself at odds with Pam's reactions, but as I read further into the story I came to see the strength and self-preservation that she drew upon to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. I couldn't commiserate as much with Sandra the mistress or with Pam's sister Marie, while I understand that they were duped by Jack just like Pam was, I found myself gravitating more towards Pam, and I admired her dignity and ability to forgive and forge a bond with them, she is a stronger woman than I would be if I had been in her shoes.

Pam of Babylon is the first book in a trilogy of the Pam of Babylon series. The stories of Pam, Jack, Sandra and Marie continue in Don't You Forget About Me and Dream Lover. This is an amazing story that will resonate with you long after the last words are read.


RATING: 5 STARS *****

Chick Lit Club Book Review

Pam of Babylon - Suzanne Jenkins (2011)

Pam always thought her life was great. Her husband Jack works in the city in a highly successful business with his partner Pete, while travelling out to Long Island each weekend to spend time with Pam and any relatives who happen to be staying. With two grown children off doing their own thing, Pam is able to focus on looking good and making the beach house the perfect oasis for Jack to come home to. When Jack dies of a heart attack on the train on the way home to his family, his widow Pam is left to cope with a whole pile of revelations that would leave the average person not only reeling but questioning their entire existence. Suddenly confronted with a young mistress who Pam feels an enormous affinity to, a sister who has lived with them throughout most of their married life and the discovery of a far from idyllic childhood, Pam sets off to farewell the husband she thought she knew and to build a life for herself after Jack that will continue to nurture all the people in it that Jack had cared for in his life. This is the first book in a series and each new twist left me more intrigued and wanting to read on in order to find out just what will happen to all the Smith family and their hangers-on. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. (LM)

Kirkus Review
An intriguing first novel that revolves around a husband’s death and hidden secrets.

Pam Smith lives an apparently charmed life as a well-to-do Babylon, N.Y., homemaker in a large house by the water. In her 50s with her children grown, Pam is happy with her exemplary husband Jack. After he has a heart attack on the subway, however, the protagonist finds out more than she ever wanted to know about Jack. She uncovers a weapon in his desk, his extramarital affair, his mistress’ potential pregnancy and his possible abuse of her younger sister Marie, who comes to visit every weekend. Bordering on preposterous but consistently interesting, this psychological novel contains some mystery and moves along quickly for a non-thriller. While Pam is the novel’s protagonist, Jack’s mistress Sandra and Marie also play key roles. The three women all feel betrayed by Jack, and the plot focuses on their reactions to his deception. Pam, though, feels drawn to Sandra in empathy while Marie is angry and jealous. The women develop an odd bond, and Pam even invites the other two women for a weekend to relax at the beach house in Babylon—a hostess gesture that seems a bit extreme. The novel also focuses on Jack and Pam’s mothers, the latter of whom is having a hard time living alone in Brooklyn—Pam, of course, brings her to Babylon, too. Jenkins is skilled in her presentation of the characters’ inner thoughts, particularly at Jack’s funeral, where Pam’s emotions are decidedly mixed as various facts about her late spouse come to light. While the novel is convincing during moments between the main female characters, the plotline strains from narrative overload as extortion and issues of parentage come into play. Themes of sisterhood and abuse run through the book, and the three women shift between rivalry and friendship before becoming empowered by Jack’s demise.

Women’s fiction with a touch of noir.