Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Just Take my Heart

Book:  Just Take my Heart
Author:  Mary Higgins Clark
322 Pages

Natalie Raines, one of Broadway's brightest stars, accidentally discovers who killed her former roommate & sets in motion a series of shocking events that puts more than one life in extreme peril.

While Natalie & her roommate, Jamie Evans, were both struggling young actresses, Jamie had been involved with a mysterious married man to whom she referred only by nickname.  Natalie comes face to face with him years later & inadvertently addresses him by his nickname Jamie had used.  A few days later, Natalie is found in her home dying from a gunshot wound.

Immediately, the police suspect Natalie's theatrical agent & soon to be ex-husband, Gregg Aldrich.  No charges wre brought against him until 2 yrs later, when Jimmy Easton, a career criminal, suddenly comes forward to claim Aldrich had tried to hire him to kill his wife.

The case is a plum assignment for Emily Wallace, an attractive 32 yr old assistant prosecutor.  As she spends increasingly long hours preparing for the trial, a seeminly well-meaning neighbor offers to take care of her dog in her absence.  Unaware of his violent past, she gives him a key to her home...
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Mary Higgins Clark is one of my favorite authors... always keeps me guessing & this was no different.  My "cheat card" had so many names on it & lines drawn to one person or another, it was crazy... but I STILL didnt figure out the WHOLE ending... why I love Mrs. Clark!

I loved the character of Emily Wallace & the strong woman character she was.  Not afraid to follow her heart & investigate on her own, standing up to people when she was sure of what she believed. 

Loved the character of Gregg Aldrich as well...

There are two different stories that seem to be going on as well, with the neighbor that is the creepiest character I've read in awhile & the trial that is going on... wondered how they would tie in together, but those final chapters indeed bring the stories together...

I always love the quick chapters as well in MHC's books... its almost when you think, I gotta find out what happened, its enough to read without having to invest a lot of time in the next chapter... which in the end, makes you read more!!!

A great mystery....

My rating:  3 skeins... it was good - wasnt great... not disappointed I read it, but not changing my world... so an average score...

Last Line of the book:  I really am, Emily thought when she was alone again.  I'm ready now.

1 comment:

Evansmom said...

I enjoyed this book as well. Thanks for the review!