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Dialogues: A Novel of Suspense
In this electrifying debut, Stephen Spignesi reinvents the psychological thriller with a chilling tale of mounting intensity. Ingeniously crafted and crackling with suspense, here is a puzzle within a puzzle, at the center of which stands a hauntingly enigmatic young woman whose story will challenge everything you think you know....
Six people have been murdered in the animal shelter in which they worked. One unlikely woman stands accused of the crimes. Her name is Victoria Troy, and she is the most improbable of cold-blooded killers. A lover of animals, petite, brainy, and gifted with a sharp sense of humor, she too worked in the shelter, in an anguishingly difficult job. What could possibly have provoked her to murder six of her own coworkers–some of whom were her friends.
Who is Tory Troy? It is up to Dr. Baraku Bexley to find out. An astute psychiatrist hired by the court to determine whether Tory is mentally competent to stand trial, Bexley must explore her complicated background and her unusual convictions as he interviews her in the Connecticut psychiatric hospital in which she is confined–and also talks to others who have known her.
What Bexley learns about this gifted young woman comes almost solely from these interviews…but is that enough to explain the divide between the person Tory seems to be and the terrible crimes she’s accused of committing? Others find her difficult to fathom her lawyer, her nurse at the hospital, her mother, one of her former teachers; but all seek the same objective, to learn the truth no matter where it leads–or what secrets it may reveal about Tory, about the nature of evil, about us all.
Fiercely engaging and morally provocative, DIALOGUES is a rush of adrenaline that will keep you riveted from the first page to the last, a novel that will leave readers deeply shaken–and deeply moved.
Six people have been murdered in the animal shelter in which they worked. One unlikely woman stands accused of the crimes. Her name is Victoria Troy, and she is the most improbable of cold-blooded killers. A lover of animals, petite, brainy, and gifted with a sharp sense of humor, she too worked in the shelter, in an anguishingly difficult job. What could possibly have provoked her to murder six of her own coworkers–some of whom were her friends.
Who is Tory Troy? It is up to Dr. Baraku Bexley to find out. An astute psychiatrist hired by the court to determine whether Tory is mentally competent to stand trial, Bexley must explore her complicated background and her unusual convictions as he interviews her in the Connecticut psychiatric hospital in which she is confined–and also talks to others who have known her.
What Bexley learns about this gifted young woman comes almost solely from these interviews…but is that enough to explain the divide between the person Tory seems to be and the terrible crimes she’s accused of committing? Others find her difficult to fathom her lawyer, her nurse at the hospital, her mother, one of her former teachers; but all seek the same objective, to learn the truth no matter where it leads–or what secrets it may reveal about Tory, about the nature of evil, about us all.
Fiercely engaging and morally provocative, DIALOGUES is a rush of adrenaline that will keep you riveted from the first page to the last, a novel that will leave readers deeply shaken–and deeply moved.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 3, 2010
Dialogues. Stephen Spignesi. 2005. Bantam Dell. 356 pages. ISBN 0-553-58758-7.
Dialogues by Stephen Spignesi is a genuinely gripping read because once you start, you'll have a very difficult time putting it down for a break. I read this book in one entire sitting last night!
Dialogues details the sentencing of Victoria (Tory) Troy, a certified animal euthanasia technician who murders her co-workers in their animal shelter gas chamber. Tory's intelligence gives readers insight at first into the possibility that she may not have committed the crime, and if she did, the question of WHY is what vexes us. The book's chapters are broken into nothing but "dialogues" between Tory and various key players in the novel such as her attorney, doctor, mother, and so on; which give us glimpses into the many facets of Tory's personality and life. What makes Dialogues so addicting is that readers are already given the gruesome details of the crime, so we are merely straining to find out Tory's motives as we are enraptured with a novel whose events are so horrifying and unbelievable.
Dialogues is not so much a novel of "suspense" as the tagline indicates, but more of a psychological thriller. We know the ending is going to be shocking and unpredictable, and this factor is exactly what makes Dialogues such a fascinating ride. For readers that are looking for a fast read to lose themselves in for a night, then Stephen Spignesi's Dialogues is definitely the book for you!
Dialogues by Stephen Spignesi is a genuinely gripping read because once you start, you'll have a very difficult time putting it down for a break. I read this book in one entire sitting last night!
Dialogues details the sentencing of Victoria (Tory) Troy, a certified animal euthanasia technician who murders her co-workers in their animal shelter gas chamber. Tory's intelligence gives readers insight at first into the possibility that she may not have committed the crime, and if she did, the question of WHY is what vexes us. The book's chapters are broken into nothing but "dialogues" between Tory and various key players in the novel such as her attorney, doctor, mother, and so on; which give us glimpses into the many facets of Tory's personality and life. What makes Dialogues so addicting is that readers are already given the gruesome details of the crime, so we are merely straining to find out Tory's motives as we are enraptured with a novel whose events are so horrifying and unbelievable.
Dialogues is not so much a novel of "suspense" as the tagline indicates, but more of a psychological thriller. We know the ending is going to be shocking and unpredictable, and this factor is exactly what makes Dialogues such a fascinating ride. For readers that are looking for a fast read to lose themselves in for a night, then Stephen Spignesi's Dialogues is definitely the book for you!
August 5, 2017
Sebenarnya pengen kasih bintang 5 buat novel ini. Cuma karena aku tipe yang suka bacaan yang bikin aku dag dig dug, aku kasih bintang 4
Tory mengakui kesalahan telah membunuh enam rekannya di dalam kamar gas. Dokter spesialis dikirimkan untuk menganalisis kesehatan mental Tory. Mengejutkan, karena Tory sangat waras ketika melakukan pembunuhan tersebut
Novel ini menarik
Pertama, hampir semua isi novel ini berupa dialog. Entah itu antara Tory dan dokter. Atau ketika di pengadilan, saat para saksi dan tersangka di dakwa.
Sampai-sampai nggak terasa udah menyelesaikan 516 halaman dalam beberapa kali kesempatan.
Kedua, novel ini nggak serumit kelihatannya. Bahkan saat persidangan dan wawancara kesehatan antara Tory dan dokter jiwa, tetap mudah dipahami, sekaligus tetap bikin betah dan penasaran hingga akhir.
Ketiga, ending yang tidak biasa. Endingnya itu udah jelas dari pertama.
Yang membuat tanda tanya adalah, apakah Tory dihukum bersalah atau tidak bersalah karena tidak waras? Setelah itu akhir dari semua itu sungguh sesuatu yang diluar dugaan. Tapi tidak juga terlalu mengejutkan.
Paling aku suka dari novel ini adalah karakter Tory. Dia memang bintang utama dalam novel ini.
Dia pintar. Berkali-kali dia menganalisis pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang diajukan padanya lalu dia lontarkan kembali sebagai pertanyaan.
Dia sangat sayang binatang, dan binatang begitu pula padanya. Anehnya dia memilih pekerjaan menjadi teknisi euthanasia, yang tugas utamanya adalah membunuh hewan-hewan tak berpemilik di penampungan hewan.
Dugaan, pekerjaan itulah yang membuat Tory memutuskan mengeuthanasia rekan-rekannya.
Overall, novel ini cukup keren dan bagus. Walaupun tidak memacu adrenalin, tapi kita cukup diajak berpikir dan memahami pemahaman yang dianut Tory.
Tory mengakui kesalahan telah membunuh enam rekannya di dalam kamar gas. Dokter spesialis dikirimkan untuk menganalisis kesehatan mental Tory. Mengejutkan, karena Tory sangat waras ketika melakukan pembunuhan tersebut
Novel ini menarik
Pertama, hampir semua isi novel ini berupa dialog. Entah itu antara Tory dan dokter. Atau ketika di pengadilan, saat para saksi dan tersangka di dakwa.
Sampai-sampai nggak terasa udah menyelesaikan 516 halaman dalam beberapa kali kesempatan.
Kedua, novel ini nggak serumit kelihatannya. Bahkan saat persidangan dan wawancara kesehatan antara Tory dan dokter jiwa, tetap mudah dipahami, sekaligus tetap bikin betah dan penasaran hingga akhir.
Ketiga, ending yang tidak biasa. Endingnya itu udah jelas dari pertama.
Yang membuat tanda tanya adalah, apakah Tory dihukum bersalah atau tidak bersalah karena tidak waras? Setelah itu akhir dari semua itu sungguh sesuatu yang diluar dugaan. Tapi tidak juga terlalu mengejutkan.
Paling aku suka dari novel ini adalah karakter Tory. Dia memang bintang utama dalam novel ini.
Dia pintar. Berkali-kali dia menganalisis pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang diajukan padanya lalu dia lontarkan kembali sebagai pertanyaan.
Dia sangat sayang binatang, dan binatang begitu pula padanya. Anehnya dia memilih pekerjaan menjadi teknisi euthanasia, yang tugas utamanya adalah membunuh hewan-hewan tak berpemilik di penampungan hewan.
Dugaan, pekerjaan itulah yang membuat Tory memutuskan mengeuthanasia rekan-rekannya.
Overall, novel ini cukup keren dan bagus. Walaupun tidak memacu adrenalin, tapi kita cukup diajak berpikir dan memahami pemahaman yang dianut Tory.
March 16, 2025
Overall lumayan lah ya
Gw beli novel ini spontan tertarik sama covernya dan waktu itu kebetulan beli di harga 12 rb. Sebelum beli gw gk nyari tau review my gmn fw cuma nyari tau ratingnya gmn
Dari segi cerita seru, banyak dialok percakapan yg dibahas apalagi fakta fakta berjalannya persidangan dijelaskan.
Di novel ini dijelasin apa itu kelainan mental, obat bius, sma keadaan dnr. Gw yg sebelumnya awam bngt jadi tau gambarannya gmn.
Tadinya gw mau kasih bintang 3,7 tapi end nya sungguh plot twist ya jadi gw kasih 4.
Lumayan deh pokoknya, detail digambarkan nya si Tory dan karakter nya sangat menarik. Tapi sampe akhir gw masih bingung alasan paling kuat kenapa dia bantai semua temen nya tuh kenapaa yaaa???
Sebenernya udh dijelasin klo dia ngalamin displacement activity tapi kayak ada yg kurang gitu loh sama sentuhan ceritanya. Disamping itu kayaknya penulis bener bener nge research dulu dunia penampubgan hewan, obat anastesi, menthal health, sama proses berjalan nya sidang tuh gmn....
Pendapat gw di ending si Troy nih tetep hidup dia cuma mimpi aja, dia kan kritis karna jantung ya nah dia mungkin aja dikasih gambaran lain tentang hidup dia lainnya.
Gitu dengg. Gw suka bngt sama pemaparan ilmiah si penulis ke buku ini. Gk rugi gw neli nya
Gw beli novel ini spontan tertarik sama covernya dan waktu itu kebetulan beli di harga 12 rb. Sebelum beli gw gk nyari tau review my gmn fw cuma nyari tau ratingnya gmn
Dari segi cerita seru, banyak dialok percakapan yg dibahas apalagi fakta fakta berjalannya persidangan dijelaskan.
Di novel ini dijelasin apa itu kelainan mental, obat bius, sma keadaan dnr. Gw yg sebelumnya awam bngt jadi tau gambarannya gmn.
Tadinya gw mau kasih bintang 3,7 tapi end nya sungguh plot twist ya jadi gw kasih 4.
Lumayan deh pokoknya, detail digambarkan nya si Tory dan karakter nya sangat menarik. Tapi sampe akhir gw masih bingung alasan paling kuat kenapa dia bantai semua temen nya tuh kenapaa yaaa???
Sebenernya udh dijelasin klo dia ngalamin displacement activity tapi kayak ada yg kurang gitu loh sama sentuhan ceritanya. Disamping itu kayaknya penulis bener bener nge research dulu dunia penampubgan hewan, obat anastesi, menthal health, sama proses berjalan nya sidang tuh gmn....
Pendapat gw di ending si Troy nih tetep hidup dia cuma mimpi aja, dia kan kritis karna jantung ya nah dia mungkin aja dikasih gambaran lain tentang hidup dia lainnya.
Gitu dengg. Gw suka bngt sama pemaparan ilmiah si penulis ke buku ini. Gk rugi gw neli nya
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2017
The book is the story of a young woman working in an animal shelter that appears to have committed 6 murders of her coworkers. The story is interesting and I was deeply involved in it...until the ending. It lost 2 stars for it. I would not call this a "novel of suspense." More like a "novel of mystery." Decent enough read, quick and easy.
April 1, 2021
I can't say more for this amazing 500 pages as dream up novel. Yup, I really read one by one, following the mystery of Troy for murdering her friends, but the ending just "HMMMM". It's all just her DREAM. Could you believe it guys! You spent time for reading an ending novel just by dream.
March 30, 2021
Very readable, though bizarre. Tory Troy is quite the character. Learned more than I bargained for re animal shelters, euthanasia, complex personalities, and analyses of jurors.
Currently reading
June 25, 2022good for entertainment
January 10, 2025
Tipe novel yang hampir tidak ada narasi dan sepenuhnya dialog. Aku mengharapkan twist di cerita, memang memiliki akhir yang mengejutkan dan mengesankan tapi bukan itu yang kuharapkan.
September 25, 2025
All I show in very old notes is: NO!
December 20, 2025
interesting book. first book of it's kind that I have read like this and enjoyed it.
February 3, 2018
I found the formatting of this to honestly be fascinating. I love reading books written in unconventional ways, and this particular one is done beautifully. I really appreciated the amount of character offered, even without descriptions of any of them.
The main character in particular I found interesting, because she and I share the same views on dying. That is, not being afraid of it. That being said, the way this book was written made me properly fear death for the first time in my life, and because of that I would highly recommend it.
Without being too specific, The way this author chose to end the story is not often one I am a fan of, as it always feels like a cop-out. This time however, it felt deserved, and shed some light on other aspects of the book, and the reason some things were as they were, specifically why the entire book was written with no narrative.
It's a quick read, I finished it within 2 days of picking it up, likely mostly because of the style of writing. It's simple, fast, and engaging.
The main character in particular I found interesting, because she and I share the same views on dying. That is, not being afraid of it. That being said, the way this book was written made me properly fear death for the first time in my life, and because of that I would highly recommend it.
Without being too specific, The way this author chose to end the story is not often one I am a fan of, as it always feels like a cop-out. This time however, it felt deserved, and shed some light on other aspects of the book, and the reason some things were as they were, specifically why the entire book was written with no narrative.
It's a quick read, I finished it within 2 days of picking it up, likely mostly because of the style of writing. It's simple, fast, and engaging.
February 7, 2011
I love it when a writer breaks all the rules, or even some of them, and makes it work. Mr. Spignesi breaks every rule of dialog but one in this compelling book. There are no beats, no dialog tags and, indeed, fully 95% of the book is dialog with very little narrative throughout. And, though I firmly believe that rules are made to be broken, there are some rules in writing that should never be broken. Why? Cause they’re trite as hell. Mr. Spignesi broke one of those and, in my humble opinion, got away with it. Sorry. Can’t tell ya which rule that one is. It would spoil the book for you.
All in all, I found this to be a most engaging read and found myself thinking about it long after I closed the cover for the last time. You can go up on Amazon and read the description, and the reviews. I’d ignore the latter but that’s up to you. I say, Check it out.
All in all, I found this to be a most engaging read and found myself thinking about it long after I closed the cover for the last time. You can go up on Amazon and read the description, and the reviews. I’d ignore the latter but that’s up to you. I say, Check it out.
June 1, 2008
A young woman, actually a struggling writer, takes the only job she can find. That of euthenagist at a local animal shelter. After doing her job for a short while, she snaps, killing all fellow employees on site. But how? And why?
The story is told exclusively in dialogue and through the short stories Tory (killer) has written. The solution is revealed, a puzzle within a puzzle, which is foreshadowed earlier in the story. Very different.
The story is told exclusively in dialogue and through the short stories Tory (killer) has written. The solution is revealed, a puzzle within a puzzle, which is foreshadowed earlier in the story. Very different.
August 5, 2011
just quite interested at first, but once I read the story I found it hard to stop read this book.. pembunuhan berencana, misteri, psikologi, lil bit filsafat, hukum dan pengadilan.. just like one big great picture compounds with so many puzzle pieces.. one completed another.. and it gives you REALLY unpredictable ending.. cerita yang sangat menarik hingga halaman terakhir buku tertutup..
September 8, 2008
The "dialogue" style, drew me in from page one, and I had to finish this book in one day. Now if only I could find more authors who write like this one. Mr. Spinesi, I hope you have more fiction planned! Will look for more to come by this talented, debut fiction writer.
December 27, 2012
Dialogues keeps you reading to find out why Tory killed her coworkers. You learn about her life, friends or lack of, and family. It's kind of creepy with the descriptions of the killings and just imagining it happening.
October 24, 2016
Interesting study of a young woman accused of murdering six of her co-workers, told almost exclusively in dialogue among the characters. Spignesi loses points for the ending twist, even though (in hindsight) he telegraphed it.
October 17, 2008
A very interesting book in that everything is written in...you guessed it...dialogue. It's such a different way to write a story that you find yourself getting caught up in it easily.
June 11, 2011
good story but hated ending
December 3, 2012
suka ma alurnya .. menegangkan tapi benci endingnya :(
February 19, 2013
Nggak suka endingnya :(
September 15, 2013
boooo...ring
Read
December 4, 2014November 2008 -- Plumb Memorial Library, Huntington Branch -- Never read this. Will read it in the future soon.
February 24, 2015
A clue in the middle of this story make us realizing the ending. But still it's a brilliant work.
February 10, 2015
Satu kata: Mantap!
August 25, 2016
Saya suka bagaimana isinya berisikan dialog yang cerdas. Adanya sub cerita juga menambah pemikiran tentang Troy ini.
June 21, 2010
Wow, this was incredible. Really blew me away. Very creepy.
June 17, 2011
sedikit membosankan di awal, tapi memberikan cerita yg tidak terduga d akhir
September 18, 2011
I think, this book really give a courage to human who pretend in their life. Simply, but touchable
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews