Heaven Is High

Barbara Holloway #12

by Kate Wilhelm

Barbara Holloway is a low-key attorney in Eugene, Oregon who left her father's high powered firm to handle small legal problems for local residents and ponder her own next move. But while trying to sort out her own future, two people, desperate for help, show up on her former pro football player Martin Owens and his wife Binnie. Binnie, who is mute, met her husband when she snuck aboard his boat while it was docked in Haiti and smuggled herself into the U. S. Now Immigration is seeking to deport her back to Haiti, which would be a death sentence. Born to a woman from Belize who was kidnapped and enslaved by pirates, Binnie's only hope is to prove her and her mother's real identity. With only days to find the truth and protect Binnie, Holloway sets off for Belize. But what she knows is only the tip of the iceberg in what turns out to be one of her most complex, compelling and dangerous cases yet.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Legal Thriller, Crime, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

299 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2011

About the author

Kate Wilhelm’s first short story, “The Pint-Sized Genie” was published in Fantastic Stories in 1956. Her first novel, MORE BITTER THAN DEATH, a mystery, was published in 1963. Over the span of her career, her writing has crossed over the genres of science fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy and magical realism, psychological suspense, mimetic, comic, and family sagas, a multimedia stage production, and radio plays. She returned to writing mysteries in 1990 with the acclaimed Charlie Meiklejohn and Constance Leidl Mysteries and the Barbara Holloway series of legal thrillers.

Wilhelm’s works have been adapted for television and movies in numerous countries; her novels and stories have been translated to more than a dozen languages. She has contributed to Quark, Orbit,  Magazine of Fantasy and ScienceFiction, Locus, Amazing Stories, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine,  Fantastic, Omni, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Redbook, and Cosmopolitan.

Kate Wilhelm is the widow of acclaimed science fiction author and editor, Damon Knight (1922-2002), with whom she founded the Clarion Writers’ Workshop and the Milford Writers’ Conference, described in her 2005 non-fiction work, STORYTELLER. They lectured together at universities across three continents; Kate has continued to offer interviews, talks, and monthly workshops.

Kate Wilhelm has received two Hugo awards, three Nebulas, as well as Jupiter, Locus, Spotted Owl, Prix Apollo, Kristen Lohman awards, among others. She was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2009, Kate was the recipient of one of the first Solstice Awards presented by the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) in recognition of her contributions to the field of science fiction. 

Kate’s highly popular Barbara Holloway mysteries, set in Eugene, Oregon, opened with Death Qualified in 1990. Mirror, Mirror, released in 2017, is the series’ 14th novel.

Reviews

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have gotten out of sequence with the BH series books, but it did not lessen the enjoyment of the story. Like Barbara, I was not sure where Belize was either. I had to stop and look it up before I could continue. I loved the James Bond feel of the story, especially the mysterious yacht owner.

As always, I really enjoy listening to the narrator, Carrington Macduffie.

[Kris Heywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read all of the Barbara Holloway books as well as everything else Kate Wilhelm has written over the years. I've always been impressed with that special something that separates her stories from anyone else's. For me, Heaven is High was quite a treat, since not only does part of it take place in my favorite state, Oregon, but the other part is set in Belize, a country I've long wanted to know more about. And I was happy to get the back-story of Martin and Binnie. I'd always wondered why Martin was so utterly devoted to Barbara. What comes across in this book as much as in all the others in the series is the innate decency and integrity of the main character. I would have liked more of Frank, Barbara's father, since he adds another dimension of humanity to the layers. I thought Bailey was drawn very well here, as ever protesting but giving his best. What I like most about Ms. Wilhelm's writing is that she allows me to believe that there are naturally good people in the world who are kind, warm-hearted and intelligent--what a combination!

[Melissa Rau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but was confused with how it fit in with the other Barbara Holloway books I read in the past. This book is obviously an early story even though it was published in 2011. Once you figure this out the story is a good one.

[Eadie Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for an Around the World challenge. In this book, Barbara Holloway is helping a woman named Binnie because Immigration is seeking to deport her back to Haiti, which would be a death sentence for her. Binnie's mother was from Belize but settled in Haiti. Binnie, who is mute, met her husband when she snuck aboard his boat while it was docked in Haiti and smuggled herself into the U. S. With only days to find the truth and protect Binnie, Holloway sets off for Belize. Binnie’s only hope is to prove her and her mother’s real identity.
I found this book to be interesting and intriguing and also a different adventure for Barbara Holloway. I enjoyed learning about Belize which is on the east coast of Central America and is bordered on the north by Mexico, on the south and west by Guatemala and to the east by the Caribbean Sea.
The book was well-written and I found the howler monkeys to be quite entertaining. I was happy to see that everything worked out well for Binnie in regards to her immigration and the book had a very happy ending. I look forward to reading more of the Barbara Holloway novels and I would recommend this book to anyone looking to visit Belize.

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Holloway, Esq., is visited by Martin Owens and his wife Binnie; Binnie, a mute, is threaten with deportation. The couple wants Barbara to help them reverse the deportation orders.

The case takes Barbara from Eugene, Oregon to Belize. Binnie had been born to a woman who had been kidnapped at sea by pirates and enslaved to Haiti then placed into prostitution. Binnie was spared because of her muteness which was seen as a curse. After her mother dies, Binnie escapes and swims to a yatch offshore and hides in a cabin. She is found by the man whose room she has chosen to stow-away. They fall in love and marry. Because Binnie knows nothing about her past, Martin and Binnie hires Barbara to fill-in the gaps and that is what takes Barbara to Belize.

As the story unfolds and more evidence is introduced, I gave up on trying to solve the case and just sat back to enjoy the story.

Heaven Is High combines drama, adventure and excitement. Carrington MacDuffie storytelling did not draw me into the story but the writing did.

[Soo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:

Currently on Audible Plus

- Book can be read as a standalone. Story takes place between books #1 & #2.
- If you are reading by audio, there is a narrator change in #10. Carrington Macduffie is a good narrator and it was not jarring to go from Anna Fields to Macduffie. Though, they have distinctly different styles of narration.

It was cool to get the background story about how Barbara helped Martin and won a spot to do her neighborhood work from the restaurant. Story tone & writing style is not like what Wilhelm had in the earlier books. I recommend reading the books in publication order vs chronological order because the tone change in writing may be odder than the narrator change.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I didn't like this book as much as I have the other Barbara Holloway books by Wilhelm. I do like Wilhelm's writing as well as the character, Barbara Holloway. However, I especially enjoy the court scenes in previous books. This plot is a departure from that format, and I missed it. As an audio book, it was a bit difficult to keep up with all the different characters, too.

[Shawn Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some nice intrigue in Central America, when Barbara decides to plunge into uncovering information for her clients on location, perhaps foolishly. She knows she shouldn't have taken the case, which involves the immigration authorities (not her area of expertise) and a pro-football player entering retirement. But her brazen willingness to go the distance for her clients (and really for her own sense of right and wrong) is inspiring, and she meets interesting collaborators along the way (each with their own agendas of course) as she perseveres to get to the truth. Satisfying summer reading.

[Tammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Robert Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good legal thriller that suffered from one false plot point. The author has gone on record to state that she outlines her books from start to finish before she writes the actual manuscript. This novel illustrates the perils of that method of working; at one point in the book the author is trying to create tension by having the protagonist kidnapped at gunpoint by a Central American drug dealer who stands to lose his ill-gotten estate farm and shipping company if the daring attorney's ultra-sympathetic client triumphs in her quest for international justice. The quick-thinking defense attorney evades 'certain death' the next morning (like a true Bond villain, the evil drug lord tells her in advance how and when she will meet her untimely demise) by waiting until her one guard falls asleep after smoking marijuana. I think not, ladies and gentlemen; I really think not. Anyway, the conclusion is so suspenseful that it makes this one lapse glare by comparison. I understand everyone has his or her own way of working, but what sword of Damocles was hanging over this writer's head to send this book to the publisher with that one misstep unfixed? My mind boggles at the possibilities.
Other than that, I thought it was very well crafted.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Holloway is getting settled in her new house and while helping neighbors with small legal problems is taking a break from being a defense lawyer. One day she answers the door to find a couple asking for her help. He is a huge x NFL player and his wife is a pretty petite woman who happens to be mute. They ask Barbara if she would help them with the INS who want to deport the wife as an illegal with no papers. Barbara is hesitant, having no experience with Immigration cases, she agrees to at least find a lawyer who could help. As she find out more of the Binnie’s history she becomes involved and when she doesn’t turn up any available immigration lawyers decides to take the case on herself. It quickly turns out that there is a lot more to the case and in a trip to Belize Barbara become tangled up in a much larger case and finds herself in some serious danger. It’s been awhile since I spent time with Wilhelm’s Barbara Holloway series and it was a welcome reunion with old friends.

[Lissa Notreallywolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful to return to a favorite author, and recall Barbara Holloway, a character I have always liked. In this novel she's living in a bad section of town and gets wrapped up in an immigration case. In order to save the marriage of an ex NFL star and his mute wife she investigates in Belize, a country I know nothing about. Neither did Barbara, so we get a crash course in Belize, with a nod to Haiti. Binnie or Lavinia has lead a (negatively) exciting life having been kidnapped by pirates as an infant, and held in captivity on Haiti. The death of her mother leads to her escape on a touring party ship. There she meets the love of her life, but without documentation, she has led an undercover existence, largely unnoticed because of the couple's wandering lifestyle. But long tentacles of the drug trade force her to face deportation. Barbara's cool head causes her to be suspicious of the sudden interest in Binnie. What she discovers in Belize, is half tourist guide and half thriller, as she herself is abducted. Great read.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series by Kate Wilhelm (who is now in her 80's; I hope she had a wonderful vacation in Belize while writing this book, as much of the story is set there). I was confused at first, as so much of what happens in this book seemed to predate most of the others in the series, and finally discovered through other readers that this book chronologically is set between the first two in the series.
Barbara Holloway is an attorney, living in Eugene Ore, and sometimes practicing law with her semi-retired father. Wilhelm does an excellent job on so many fronts: characters with depth and layers, great descriptions of landscape, and mysteries that build in suspense, with tangled plots. I hope she keeps writing for a long time to come.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the main character Barbara's personality. Because this was the first book I've read in this series, I had no previous knowledge of the characters. I did not think it detracted from the plot. I enjoyd the movement of the story from the US to Belize and back again. The plot moved along quite well and the characters Barbara meets along the way added to the story. I listened to this book on tape, while execising. It kept me interested so my time flew by on the treadmill. I will read other books in the series, but will start at the beginning so I can see how the author has developed Barbara character.

[Pr Latta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, #12 is out of sequence chronologically. Sense of place: Oregon and Belize. From Ms. Wilhelm's blog: "Heaven is High was set in about 1982. I wrote it recently but it was on my mind for a long time and I finally yielded to the impulse to fill in that blank, how Barbara met Martin and Binnie and why the enduring friendship developed. It also amused me to think that my readers will know something that Frank will never know. It was strange to write of a time before cellphones and modern computers. Such a short time ago and such big changes. I also wanted to write about Belize before it became a destination point for diving and such." http://katewilhelm.com/2011/10/23/oct...

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, although was a little taken aback when I realized that chronologically, this book should have been read between Book #1 and Book #2. After finishing "Cold Case" I moved on to "Heaven Is High" anticipating that more would be revealed about the continuing relationship between Barbara and Darren. Whoops! Just to find out that this book goes back in time. It was nice to get the complete story on Martin and Binnie - just wish I'd read it after book # 1. Maybe not a lot of courtroom drama (in fact that was nil) but still a lot of suspense.

[Ada Iaboni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of the several books I've read of this series, this one was the most confusing of them all.
I think this was when Barbara, the main characters, meets Martin, the man that owns the restaurant where she meets clients. However, this fact was not explained and the story does not flow with what had happened the book before and... and made it all confusing in my head and I kept on trying to figure out where all fit into the rest of the story.
2 stars was because, although as I said, confusing, it had some backbone of its own, otherwise, I would have given 1 star!

[Timna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was confused when I started, but then figured out (I think) that this book (although brand new) takes place between the first two books of the series. So, it allows Wilhelm to go back and write a legal thriller in the time before Google and cell phones, which is kind of cute. But, I couldn't quite get into the story as much as usual with this series.

[Teri Pre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than #11!! The only weird thing was (if you don't want to get a maybe-spoiler, skip the rest)







that we always knew that Barbara would be fine because this all happened when she first met Martin and she's been working out of his restaurant for at least 5 books. :)

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY
In this book, Barbara Holloway is helping a woman named Binnie because Immigration is seeking to deport her back to Haiti, which would be a death sentence for her. Binnie's mother was from Belize but settled in Haiti. Binnie, who is mute, met her husband when she snuck aboard his boat while it was docked in Haiti and smuggled herself into the U. S. With only days to find the truth and protect Binnie, Holloway sets off for Belize. Binnie’s only hope is to prove her and her mother’s real identity.

The book was well-written and I found the howler monkeys to be quite entertaining. Especially since I have been there and see those monkeys. However, if I do go back, not sure I will see Belize the same way as I have in the past:-)
**
Barbara Holloway is getting settled in her new house and while helping neighbors with small legal problems is taking a break from being a defense lawyer. One day she answers the door to find a couple asking for her help. He is a huge x NFL player and his wife is a pretty petite woman who happens to be mute. They ask Barbara if she would help them with the INS who want to deport the wife as an illegal with no papers. Barbara is hesitant, having no experience with Immigration cases, she agrees to at least find a lawyer who could help. As she find out more of the Binnie’s history she becomes involved and when she doesn’t turn up any available immigration lawyers decides to take the case on herself. It quickly turns out that there is a lot more to the case and in a trip to Belize Barbara become tangled up in a much larger case and finds herself in some serious danger.

**
From Ms. Wilhelm's blog: "Heaven is High was set in about 1982. I wrote it recently but it was on my mind for a long time and I finally yielded to the impulse to fill in that blank, how Barbara met Martin and Binnie and why the enduring friendship developed. It also amused me to think that my readers will know something that Frank will never know. It was strange to write of a time before cellphones and modern computers. Such a short time ago and such big changes. I also wanted to write about Belize before it became a destination point for diving and such.*

[Midwest Geek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the Barbara Holloway series and have read or listened to most of them. I find them frequently underrated by others, but this one is a departure from her norm. I only recently found out that this one from 2011 was published out of sequence and ought to be read between #1 and #2. I was happy to get the backstory on Martin and Binnie Owens, who appear in some later episodes. Although the plot has a legal backdrop, there are no courtroom scenes. As usual, Barbara comes across as an independent, intelligent attorney devoted to her clients, but, in this story, she acts even more like a private detective than her devoted, dour P.I. assistant Bailey. It requires more than the usual suspension of disbelief to appreciate her in this role. Her father plays only a minor part, although his presence is repeatedly felt by Barbara. I liked the plot although there were several questions left hanging. I wonder whether any will be resolved in future.

[Jenn Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Barbara Holloway! I know if I read other people's reviews there will be many dissatisfied with the lack of courtroom drama in recent books but for me it doesn't affect how much I enjoy these books. I'm so glad we finally learned the story of Barbara meeting Martin.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I ever need a criminal defense attorney, I'm calling Barbara Holloway! Good back story for the series.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holloway goes out of her way to defend a marginalized woman and exclude her father from the job. Nice scenes set out along the Mackensie River

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read!

I have read many of the Barbara Holloway books and this was my favorite so far - and that says a lot, considering I have enjoyed the entire series immensely.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biggest departure from the rest of the series. I missed Frank.

[Carol Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good Holloway book but it should have been second or third in series. I missed the characters I had grown fond of through the series who were introduced after the setting of this book.

[Bev Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the characters but the book takes forever to end .

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent author

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one definitely differed from the others in the series. Enjoyable!