In Sheep's Clothing

by Mary Monroe

Dissatisfied with her life, Trudy, taking a job as a secretary at a travel agency, goes too far in her quest for passion and happiness when she assumes the identity of a wealthy co-worker who was forced to quit, leading a double life and getting involved with the wrong man. Reprint.

Genres: Historical Fiction, African American, Fiction, Urban, Adult Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

I am the third child of Alabama sharecroppers and the first and only member of my family to finish high school. I never attended college or any writing classes. I taught myself how to write and started writing short stories around age four. I spent the first part of my life in Alabama and Ohio and moved to Richmond, California in 1973. I have lived in Oakland since 1984.

My first novel THE UPPER ROOM was published by St. Martin's Press in 1985 and was widely reviewed throughout the U.S. and in Great Britain. An excerpt is included in Terry McMillan's anthology BREAKING ICE. I endured fifteen years and hundreds of more rejection letters before I landed a contract for my second novel, GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY. It was published in October 2000 by Kensington Books. GOD DON'T PLAY is my seventh novel to be published, and it landed me a spot on the prestigious New York Times Bestsellers list for the first time! My eighth novel, "BORROW TROUBLE," was released December 2006. My ninth novel, DELIVER ME FROM EVIL, was released September 2007 and my tenth novel, SHE HAD IT COMING, was released in September 2008, and my eleventh novel THE COMPANY WE KEEP, will be released March 2009.

I won the Oakland Pen Award for Best Fiction of the Year in 2001 for GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY. I won the Best Southern Author Award for GONNA LAY DOWN MY BURDENS, in 2004.

I am divorced, I love to travel, I love to mingle with other authors, and I love to read anything by Ernest Gaines, Stephen King, Alice Walker, and James Patterson. I still write seven days a week and I get most of my ideas from current events, the people around me, but most of my material is autobiographical.

Reviews

[Pearl · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay read, but I thought the author could have done it in less chapters. A lot of the story was told early on and she seem to be repeating herself throughout the story. I will say that I was glad that Trudy got it together at the end and didn't end up going to jail. She was a very angry and confused young lady.

[Phyllis | Mocha Drop · Rating 3 out of 5]

At age 25, Anita Bell aka "Trudy" has suffered enough loss and loneliness that could fill three lifetimes. Her White mother, a flight attendant, was tragically taken from her in the much publicized airline terrorist attack over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 and her older brother was killed in a car accident two years later. Largely abandoned by her mother's family because they disapproved of their daughter's choice of a black man for a husband, Trudy and her father were left on their own to grieve and support each other. Considered a "plain Jane," Trudy has since lived a sheltered, conservative life in South Bay, California clerking in the family business when in between jobs. She is engaged to James Long, a hen-pecked, chauvinistic, "mama's boy" who she has dated exclusively for the past ten years. When her father's store is robbed and Trudy is sexually assaulted during the burglary, she is determined to find and keep a job that will allow her to escape the ever-increasing crime filled neighborhood.

She lands a secretarial position at Bon Voyage Travel Agency where she meets a group of eccentric travel representatives and a couple of busybody administrative assistants. Ann Oliver, a headstrong, no nonsense office manager, is the most enigmatic of the group. She routinely praises and demeans Trudy; so much so, that Trudy cannot determine if she is friend or foe, causing her to struggle with feelings of admiration and loathing toward Ann. In an act of retribution, Trudy justifies small charges on Ann's corporate account as compensation for ill treatment. Initially, Trudy has no worries of getting caught despite her best friend's warnings. Knowing her job entails paying the corporate accounts, coupled with a striking physical resemblance to Ann - there is no one to challenge her spending. However, exposure to beautiful people who travel to exotic places with marvelous jobs and wonderful love lives sprouts a bout of depression and second thoughts concerning her passionless relationship with James, listless life, and modest appearance. She taps into a resurrecting cure from childhood to energize herself - elaborate shopping sprees and makeovers - funded on Ann's credit! So begins the lies to cover the expensive dinners, parties, trips, couture clothing, etc. She becomes addicted to the lifestyle and when she finally admits to being "the" Ann Oliver things quickly spiral out of control.

Monroe's latest offering is entertaining enough, albeit a tad predictable. As with her previous novels, the characters are wonderfully imagined "everyday" people with vibrant personalities. She aptly taps into the modern problem of identity theft and hypothesizes how an innocent like Trudy could easily succumb to the temptation and how simple it is to accomplish in the Information/Digital Age. Monroe weaves a fairly believable tale via Trudy and leaves the reader with two adages to ponder: "Be careful for what you wish, you may just get it" and "Nothing is free, everything costs".

[Toni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt compelled to finish this book and desperately wanted to like it, but the plot dragged on longer than necessary. Several aspects of the novel were disjointed, as some details weren’t as well-explored as others. I was sorely disappointed with the predictable outcome.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just goes to tell you, you never really know a person! Good read.

[Twoshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had me mad for so many reasons. First it was so slow I had to fight my way thru it. When it finally picked up, I had the impression Trudy was 18 or something. I knew her age but she was so naive with men, her job, her friend and the way she let herself be taken advantage of. It's a good read to get thru this pandemic.

[deryl taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deception, greed and betrayal

the author did a masterful job weaving a story of love, betrayal, deception and greed as well as right vs wrong. It shows how greed and dissatisfaction with one's life can lead to deception and betrayal of loved ones. I highly recommend this book.

[Madlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book storylines were not consistent and unrealistic. I keep wanting to find out how Tracy would get caught with the credit cards. From the way she kelp using them it was only a matter of time the law would come knocking at her door.

[Teona · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is my fav and it's very interesting

[Bunnita (Worth Reading It?) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Trudy (Gertrude) Bell is a trip and so is her friend. Unfortunately, it's a close mimick to real life situations.

[Anna Khamsini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary can you addicted quick!!!! I have read evryone one of her books. Mary thanks for all the great reads!

[Phyllis Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great page turner

[Michael Bell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring and predictable.

[Joyce E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It shows how people fall into a pattern, because that is what is expected. Actions have consequences. We need to hear the voices in the background and obey.

[Janice Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

P

[Amy Ingraham · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Sheep's Clothing by Mary Monroe
An interesting book! I loved it!
the message was the grass is NOT always greener on the other side!!!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. No stone left unturned. The ending provides a much needed twist.

[LaKieta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hard to get through but I kept going. It was like a train wreck that I couldn’t stop watching. However, it had great messages about trauma and pain and how people handle them.

[Pat Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Sheep's Clothing

The beginning of this story immediately pulled me in. But after a few chapters I was wondering where the story was going. And later, I spent the majority of the story wondering when Trudy would be found out. The revelation at the end spoke volumes and really wrapped everything up except what actually happened to Ann. I have my suspicions. Despite how drawn out the story was, there were many subtle tidbits of wisdom.

[MekReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Sheep’s Clothing was somewhat of a mindless read to get me through chores and other activities.

This wasn’t a great book, but it also wasn’t bad. The FMC, Trudy, was a typical goody-two-shoes who was bored with her life, so she decided to “spruce” it up. She got herself in a lot of trouble and had to face the consequences of her actions.

Overall, I would recommend this book if a reader is looking for a story that doesn’t require too much thinking.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I liked the book but I am not sure how well it plays in 2026. Accountability for the main character is a fair assessment. But where is the addressing of the people that participated or contributed to her errors. Especially her Dad and fiancé.

[Lizzie Winns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved loved loved it. Mary Monroe is one of my favorite authors. I have read over half of all of her books and will continue reading until I've conquered them all.

[Ta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't care for this much. Pretending to be someone who is pretending to be themselves. I guess.

[Imari Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anticlimactic ending, could've been a lot shorter. Some of the filler points were unnecessary. 300 pages of drama leading up to 20 pages of the most exciting part of this story.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling! Trudy kept me on the edge of my seat with every risk she took!

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story about how unhealed trauma can lead you to make terrible decisions

[AnTia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unnecessarily long, and the story dragged

[Mj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7 ⭐️. Trudy, Trudy, Trudy! She went through a few things from the beginning but glad she came out on the other side. One thing Mary Monroe going to do in majority of her books, send her characters to Reno lol.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book—it kept me on my toes with its engaging writing style! However, I do wish Trudy had faced more consequences with the card situation; it felt unrealistic that she could get away with all of that. Overall, though, a great read!

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a laugh out book that keep the pages turning. I was looking forward to a slow pace mood. The characters is very well developed along with the scenes that take place. I was looking for a not so many happy endings, was looking for some bloodshed for what Trudy aka Ann had done. Trudy didn't deserved a happy ending with all the may ham she cause. From a reader point of view some jail time would served her right.

Trudy is a lost lady with a plan, it all starts off wrong the day she lets her father take over her life. Agreeing to work at his store and gets robbed and vol never to return to that place again. That's when a call comes in from a travel agency for hire of course she takes the offer. From there everything for Trudy goes bad but by her choices she knew was wrong. Stealing from the company come to easy and for Trudy.

Ann is a she devil that makes her way to the top by lieing and stubbing employees in the back. Ann is Trudy boss that enjoys giving her hell but the firey pit opens up once Trudy figured out her ways enough to steal her identity.

Four out of five stars is because I really was looking forward to see what happen to the real Ann. If I have to read between the lines she skipped town with all that guys money's.