Heart of a Killer

Heart of a KillerDavid RosenfeltA CAREER CASEJamie Wagner is a young lawyer who is happy to be flying under the radar at a large firm. It’s not that he isn’t smart. He is. It’s just that hard work, not to mention the whole legal thing, isn’t exactly his passion. But then he’s put on a case that turns his whole world upside down.A FAMILY TORN Sheryl Harrison is serving a thirty-year murder sentence for killing her husband, who she claims was abusive. The case is settled—there shouldn’t be anything for Jamie to do—except now Sheryl’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Karen, is sick. She has a congenital heart defect and will die without a transplant. Sheryl is a matching donor—and is willing to die to save her daughter. But suicide, no matter the motive, is illegal. Now Jamie is in way over his head.A TRIAL BY FIREWith Sheryl on suicide watch, Jamie’s only shot at saving Karen is to reopen the murder case, prove Sheryl’s innocence, and get her freed so that she can pursue her own plan. And time is running out…From BooklistHere’s what seems to be a winning combination: a popular and accomplished novelist, a likable hero, and two themes of overwhelming importance. The result? Readers will likely turn the last page and wonder what went wrong. The main plot involves assisted suicide. A woman jailed for murder wants to be killed and have her heart given to her dying daughter. Officialdom resists, so the case must go to court. Next, computers. They control everything, so someone controlling them can crash an airplane, burn a car, and melt down a nuclear-power plant. All these things—and more—happen here. The plots converge midbook, when Jamie Wagner, the lawyer hired by the prisoner who wants to die, finds himself battling a crazed computer maven. The wisecracking Wagner would be fine in a different novel, but here—in a book dealing with such portentous matters—he’s the wrong man. When things grow ominous, he jokes about his hatred of work and lack of ambition, scuttling the tone and keeping the reader distant from the plot. A good character and a gripping story, but they simply don’t mix. Stick with Rosenfelt, though; he can write, despite this misstep. --Don Crinklaw ReviewPraise for ON BORROWED TIME“An absolutely irresistible hook… No one who picks up this greased-lightning account will rest till it’s finished.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Outstanding...Anyone who enjoyed Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island will love this thriller.” —Library Journal (starred review)“Excellent. All will marvel at the way Rosenfelt builds suspense.”—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)DOWN TO THE WIRE “Dynamite…Sly humor, breathless pacing, and terrific plot twists keep the pages spinning toward the showdown.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter novels are known for their breezy storytelling and humor...This one eschews humor to focus on the actions of ordinary people faced with extraordinary trials. It also employs a whiplash plot turn…an engaging suspense tale.” —Booklist “A terrific plot and a gripping narrative.” —The Toronto Sun “I am raving about this book…a page-turning thriller.”—Deadly Pleasure*DON'T TELL A SOUL“Stellar… Rosenfelt keeps the plot hopping and popping as he reveals a complex frame-up of major proportions with profound political ramifications both terrifying and enlightening.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “This fast-paced and brightly written tale spins along…Don’t Tell a Soul is a humdinger.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch“High-voltage entertainment from an author who plots and writes with verve and wit…Rosenfelt ratchets up tension with the precision of a skilled auto mechanic wielding a torque wrench.”—Booklist (starred)“Rosenfelt has earned his crime-novelist pedigree.”—Entertainment Weekly“He delivers a fast, inventive stand-alone thriller you’ll never put down.”—Kirkus Reviews