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Heart of a Killer
Jamie 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. Underachiever? A little. Content? Right up until the firm puts him on a case that turns his whole world upside down.
Sheryl Harrison has served four years of 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 Sheryl’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Karen, is sick. She has a congenital heart defect and will die without a transplant. Her blood type is rare, making their chances of finding a matching donor remote at best. Sheryl wants to be that donor for her daughter, and Jamie is in way over his head. Suicide, no matter the motive, is illegal. So with Sheryl on suicide watch, Jamie’s only shot at helping her and saving Karen is to reopen the murder case, prove Sheryl’s innocence, and get her freed so that she can pursue her plan on her own.
Heart of a Killer---a gripping story of an ordinary man faced with an impossible situation---is the most powerful and shocking thriller yet from David Rosenfelt, a true master of the genre.
Sheryl Harrison has served four years of 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 Sheryl’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Karen, is sick. She has a congenital heart defect and will die without a transplant. Her blood type is rare, making their chances of finding a matching donor remote at best. Sheryl wants to be that donor for her daughter, and Jamie is in way over his head. Suicide, no matter the motive, is illegal. So with Sheryl on suicide watch, Jamie’s only shot at helping her and saving Karen is to reopen the murder case, prove Sheryl’s innocence, and get her freed so that she can pursue her plan on her own.
Heart of a Killer---a gripping story of an ordinary man faced with an impossible situation---is the most powerful and shocking thriller yet from David Rosenfelt, a true master of the genre.
298 pages, Hardcover
First published February 9, 2012
170 people are currently reading
1314 people want to read
About the author
David Rosenfelt
74 books2,910 followersI am a novelist with 27 dogs.
I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.
My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, "Ozzie and Harriet's" clan seemed bizarre.
I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every "Rambo", "The Natural" and "Rocky", there are countless disasters.
I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.
A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It's safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.
About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It's total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidr...
I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.
My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, "Ozzie and Harriet's" clan seemed bizarre.
I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every "Rambo", "The Natural" and "Rocky", there are countless disasters.
I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.
A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It's safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.
About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It's total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidr...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
December 3, 2024
For those of us who are Andy Carpenter fans, this is not that book.
This is a completely different lawyer, completely different courtroom drama, and it definitely is a one-time only, non-series experience.
Jamie is given a pro bono case by his firm – a young woman is serving a sentence for killing her husband.
But now she wants to be a donor heart for her daughter in a state that does not believe in assisted suicide.
And, did she really kill her husband?
Believe it or not, in true Rosenfelt style, this is a twisty tale that leads us down a very interesting path.
My question is, why hasn’t Rosenfelt brought this lawyer back for another book?
This is a completely different lawyer, completely different courtroom drama, and it definitely is a one-time only, non-series experience.
Jamie is given a pro bono case by his firm – a young woman is serving a sentence for killing her husband.
But now she wants to be a donor heart for her daughter in a state that does not believe in assisted suicide.
And, did she really kill her husband?
Believe it or not, in true Rosenfelt style, this is a twisty tale that leads us down a very interesting path.
My question is, why hasn’t Rosenfelt brought this lawyer back for another book?
April 29, 2012
Jamie Wagner is a young lawyer at a large firm on the fast track to nowhere, at least professionally. He knows that he's never going to make partner, which is okay by him because, while he's a really smart guy and a Harvard graduate, he's not all that ambitious. He's generally marking time and flying under the radar when the firm assigns him to a pro bono case.
Jamie's new client is Sheryl Harrison who confessed to the murder of her husband six years earlier and was convicted of the crime. She's now serving her sentence, but her daughter, who is fourteen, is desperately ill and needs a heart transplant. Without one, she will die, and soon. Sheryl is a perfect match and wants Jamie to arrange things legally so that she can donate her heart to her daughter. The request poses all sorts of daunting moral and legal obstacles for Jamie to overcome and the young man who has never taken himself very seriously suddenly finds himself immersed in the most challenging, complex and deadly serious case of his career.
While Jamie wrestles with the case, the reader is diverted to a subplot involving a computer genius who is who is creating mayhem in various parts of the country and for much of the novel the two stories share space without ever intersecting. The subplot is not very convincing and the reader (well, this reader anyway) kept wishing that the author would get back to the Jamie/Sheryl story which is much more interesting and thought-provoking.
Even though the situation that Sheryl and her daughter face is extremely serious, both Sheryl and Jamie are smart, witty people and the book has some banter between them and some humor that never seems inappropriate. These are interesting, well-drawn characters that you enjoy spending time with, even as you wrestle with the moral questions involved in Sheryl's determination to sacrifice her own life for her daughter.
If I had the option, I'd give this book three and a half stars. I really like the setup and the characters. I was much less excited about the subplot and I think that the main story would have been better served had the subplot been left out.
Jamie's new client is Sheryl Harrison who confessed to the murder of her husband six years earlier and was convicted of the crime. She's now serving her sentence, but her daughter, who is fourteen, is desperately ill and needs a heart transplant. Without one, she will die, and soon. Sheryl is a perfect match and wants Jamie to arrange things legally so that she can donate her heart to her daughter. The request poses all sorts of daunting moral and legal obstacles for Jamie to overcome and the young man who has never taken himself very seriously suddenly finds himself immersed in the most challenging, complex and deadly serious case of his career.
While Jamie wrestles with the case, the reader is diverted to a subplot involving a computer genius who is who is creating mayhem in various parts of the country and for much of the novel the two stories share space without ever intersecting. The subplot is not very convincing and the reader (well, this reader anyway) kept wishing that the author would get back to the Jamie/Sheryl story which is much more interesting and thought-provoking.
Even though the situation that Sheryl and her daughter face is extremely serious, both Sheryl and Jamie are smart, witty people and the book has some banter between them and some humor that never seems inappropriate. These are interesting, well-drawn characters that you enjoy spending time with, even as you wrestle with the moral questions involved in Sheryl's determination to sacrifice her own life for her daughter.
If I had the option, I'd give this book three and a half stars. I really like the setup and the characters. I was much less excited about the subplot and I think that the main story would have been better served had the subplot been left out.
October 22, 2014
I liked his Andy Carpenter series, a lawyer with the Golden Retriever, Tara, & I have to give Rosenfelt a lot of credit for running a dog rescue operation while writing crime novels. This might be the best book I've listened to by him, a stand alone.
The main character is a rather lazy, directionless, dissatisfied lawyer, a drone. There are two main threads; a woman who wants to donate her heart to her daughter & a computer terrorist wreaking havoc. Both are very believable, give plenty of food for thought, & come with ready-made twists.
Donating your heart is suicidal, but so is jumping on a grenade & both are heroic. Yet the first is illegal, while the second is not only legal, but praiseworthy. Our hero must solve this dilemma among other things.
With all this going on, the book could have bogged down, but it never did. The characters all popped & moved it along to a conclusion. I won't say more about that, but the journey is a lot of fun.
I'm tempted to take away a star because of the reader. His regular voice was fine, but when he attempted other voices, it wasn't pretty. In fact, it was usually pretty awful. Thankfully, most of this was in the hero's voice.
The main character is a rather lazy, directionless, dissatisfied lawyer, a drone. There are two main threads; a woman who wants to donate her heart to her daughter & a computer terrorist wreaking havoc. Both are very believable, give plenty of food for thought, & come with ready-made twists.
Donating your heart is suicidal, but so is jumping on a grenade & both are heroic. Yet the first is illegal, while the second is not only legal, but praiseworthy. Our hero must solve this dilemma among other things.
With all this going on, the book could have bogged down, but it never did. The characters all popped & moved it along to a conclusion. I won't say more about that, but the journey is a lot of fun.
I'm tempted to take away a star because of the reader. His regular voice was fine, but when he attempted other voices, it wasn't pretty. In fact, it was usually pretty awful. Thankfully, most of this was in the hero's voice.
November 14, 2020
When the story begins the lawyer… Jamie Wagner is seriously thinking that maybe he should have listened to his father and chosen a different career…he’s clearly has had enough with his present law firm. To make matters worse he’s been assigned a pro-bono case that no one in their right mind would want. He is supposed to try to help a woman serving a life sentence for murdering her husband…to die. Why ever you ask? So she can give her heart to her dying daughter. Now meet John Novack …the detective who answered the call to the Harrison home the day of the murder. He has always had major doubts about her guilt so when asked he agrees to help but not to help her die but to get her out of prison. Time is getting short for the daughter and no one wants to help the woman die. Now we add another dilemma…someone is moving huge sums of money to people that don’t exist and taking down aircraft and other disasters if large sums are not transferred to given accounts. I think you can see what is quickly developing here. David Rosenfelt is a genius at presenting unique plots and edge of your seat situations… but he has really out done himself with this one. This is a genuinely unique and well told story.
April 13, 2012
A guy who begins his author profile by saying "I am a novelist with 27 dogs" gets a chance to show me what he's got. For sure. The man has his priorities straight.
This was pretty good. 3.5 stars
What I found even more compelling than the heart donation dilemma was the "co-plot" reminding us of how truly vulnerable we are in this modern age where absolutely everything is run by computers.
This was pretty good. 3.5 stars
What I found even more compelling than the heart donation dilemma was the "co-plot" reminding us of how truly vulnerable we are in this modern age where absolutely everything is run by computers.
March 12, 2020
Wow kind of reminds me of Grisham's writing. Good story and with a little sass. Meet Cheryl and Karen Harrison, mother Terry, Jamie Wagner and Novak. Cheryl's daughter is dying and needs a heart transplant but the thing is she is of a rare blood type and her mother Cheryl is a perfect match. Cheryl wants to donate her heart. Jamie is assigned her case as pro bono from his bosses which at the time have no idea what it's about. Jamie works for a corporate law firm so after reviewing the case and meeting Cheryl he knows this is way out of his field of expertise and also thinks that Cheryl is a kook. Well there is more to it then meets the eye. Jamie has a meeting with is Uncle Reggie who suggests that he meet with Novak who was first on the scene.
First I want to say I came across this author by accident, you know when you go to a bookstore and are browsing the sales table looking at the books that are on sale well that's how I found this author. I find this author very amusing his stories grab you from the first chapter and only gets better as the story progresses. Novak is a cop you really don't want to mess with but has a heart of gold in my opinion. Hard as they come but with soft center.
First I want to say I came across this author by accident, you know when you go to a bookstore and are browsing the sales table looking at the books that are on sale well that's how I found this author. I find this author very amusing his stories grab you from the first chapter and only gets better as the story progresses. Novak is a cop you really don't want to mess with but has a heart of gold in my opinion. Hard as they come but with soft center.
June 26, 2018
I had read all of Rosenfelt's books except this one. In this one he does not keep the same characters and dog theme as all the others. So, I kept putting it off. Now that I have finished Heart of a Killer, I remembered why I liked his style and enjoyed his work. Rosenfelt has that special sense of humor that resides just under the action and drama. He did not disappoint.
May 7, 2012
You have to read any book written by a man who has 27 golden retrievers. His wife must be a saint.
This is my second book by Mr. Rosenfelt, and all I have to say is give us more Jamie Wagner.
The moral and ethical dilemma is a great conversation starter.
This is my second book by Mr. Rosenfelt, and all I have to say is give us more Jamie Wagner.
The moral and ethical dilemma is a great conversation starter.
October 16, 2017
Good suspense story. It was a little slow at first as it was establishing the plot but there were enough twists and guesses that it kept me riveted. Well worth the read.
March 6, 2017
I was not expecting to love this novel as much as I did!
I ran a Turkey Trot race in 2015 and as part of the race kit pickup you got to select a few free books! Heart of a Killer was one of those free books. I've had it on my shelf for over a year and decided that I needed to read it. I went into the novel with low exceptions and ended up finishing the novel in a few hours.
There are 2 story lines to this novel that eventually come together. Jamie is a lawyer, who is pretty content just doing the bare minimum. His new client is Sheryl, who has been in prison for 6 years after confessing to the murder of her husband. Sheryl wants to help her teenage daughter who has heart failure. Sheryl wants to donate her heart to her daughter, but the problem is that it is illegal and Sheryl would be committing suicide. Also in the novel is a computer hacker who by taking over multiple computer systems and killing people.
I did like both plots, but I found it confusing on how the author jumped between the two. There was also a lot of characters in both plots and it was confusing on keeping track of who was who, especially when the plots came together.
I loved the relationship between Jamie and Sheryl and their banter back and forth. The ending totally shocked me and left me super emotional.
I now can't wait to read the Andy Carpenter series!
I ran a Turkey Trot race in 2015 and as part of the race kit pickup you got to select a few free books! Heart of a Killer was one of those free books. I've had it on my shelf for over a year and decided that I needed to read it. I went into the novel with low exceptions and ended up finishing the novel in a few hours.
There are 2 story lines to this novel that eventually come together. Jamie is a lawyer, who is pretty content just doing the bare minimum. His new client is Sheryl, who has been in prison for 6 years after confessing to the murder of her husband. Sheryl wants to help her teenage daughter who has heart failure. Sheryl wants to donate her heart to her daughter, but the problem is that it is illegal and Sheryl would be committing suicide. Also in the novel is a computer hacker who by taking over multiple computer systems and killing people.
I did like both plots, but I found it confusing on how the author jumped between the two. There was also a lot of characters in both plots and it was confusing on keeping track of who was who, especially when the plots came together.
I loved the relationship between Jamie and Sheryl and their banter back and forth. The ending totally shocked me and left me super emotional.
I now can't wait to read the Andy Carpenter series!
July 21, 2018
Having read books from Rosenfelt's Carpenter series, I was looking forward to reading this individual novel. I was not disappointed. Rosenfelt has a unique way of telling a story, describing a scene, and introducing characters.
May 1, 2022
All of David Rosenfelt's many book have been enjoyable reads, but he hit the ball out of the park with this one!!
January 9, 2019
I really like the way this author writes. There was a big twist to the ending, surprised me.
March 16, 2020
Great read about a lawyer and his client in prison, Cheryl, who wants to give her heart to her dying daughter.
December 18, 2024
Very good. I am a fan of the author.
August 23, 2015
The story had interesting twists and turns but definitely wasn't an edge of the seat page-turner. A couple of times I fell asleep reading it. That said, I enjoy his plodding along style.
Great book for reading while on a recumbent exercise bike. I got lost a couple of times because he switches from character to character and sometimes uses different names for each. Some authors actually tell you at the beginning of a chapter whose view point the story is switching too. Women tend to be called by their first names which actually made it easier to relate them to the scene described. He doesn't really give enough details about the daughter and the grandmother though considering the fact that they both play such essential roles in the story.
The part of the plot that I thought was ridiculous was the growing love interest between the lawyer and the prisoner. They even touch. How likely is that in a high security prison for murderers? That might taint his ability to be a shrewd lawyer and use his head to make decisions. If he loves her, then why is he considering the idea of assisted suicide?
I thought the plot about the computer hackers was far more interesting than the whole drama about the heart transplant. But the medical theme does give the reader a chance to look at several ethical issue from varies angles: capital punishment, parole, suicide watch, assisted suicide, organ transplants, and sacrificing one life for another. He doesn't really bring in the fact that the ten year survival rate for heart transplant patients is around 56 percent. Whereas the adults in the story might live another 40 years.
The characters are fairly likeable and there isn't a lot of foul language or intimate romantic scenes. The deaths caused by the evil hackers are not gripping--I didn't feel sad for the people involved or horrified by the immensity of the disaster they have planned.
I'm sure by next week I'll forget this book.
Great book for reading while on a recumbent exercise bike. I got lost a couple of times because he switches from character to character and sometimes uses different names for each. Some authors actually tell you at the beginning of a chapter whose view point the story is switching too. Women tend to be called by their first names which actually made it easier to relate them to the scene described. He doesn't really give enough details about the daughter and the grandmother though considering the fact that they both play such essential roles in the story.
The part of the plot that I thought was ridiculous was the growing love interest between the lawyer and the prisoner. They even touch. How likely is that in a high security prison for murderers? That might taint his ability to be a shrewd lawyer and use his head to make decisions. If he loves her, then why is he considering the idea of assisted suicide?
I thought the plot about the computer hackers was far more interesting than the whole drama about the heart transplant. But the medical theme does give the reader a chance to look at several ethical issue from varies angles: capital punishment, parole, suicide watch, assisted suicide, organ transplants, and sacrificing one life for another. He doesn't really bring in the fact that the ten year survival rate for heart transplant patients is around 56 percent. Whereas the adults in the story might live another 40 years.
The characters are fairly likeable and there isn't a lot of foul language or intimate romantic scenes. The deaths caused by the evil hackers are not gripping--I didn't feel sad for the people involved or horrified by the immensity of the disaster they have planned.
I'm sure by next week I'll forget this book.
March 14, 2012
In 'Heart of a Killer,' David Rosenfelt combines his many talents -- writing great dialogue, plots with great twists, and a wry sense of humor -- to end up with a book that is difficult to put down.
The plot is unique. A woman convicted of murdering her husband wants to die so that she can donate her heart to her daughter, who will die without a heart transplant. Jamie Wagner is the unfortunate attorney who is handed the pro-bono (free) case by his employers.
Jamie doesn't feel so unfortunate when he falls for Sheryl, the imprisoned mother, who confessed to the murder. He also realizes that there's more to the whole murder business than she admits to. Jamie comes to believe that she didn't murder her husband.
It turns out that the detective on the scene of the murder always doubted her confession. The facts just didn't add up.
At the same time, the reader is introduced to a really bad guy. His disregard for human life makes him one of the baddest guys Rosenfelt has ever written about. Of course, he is involved in the murder, and Jamie is on the scene to figure it all out.
Continue reading on Examiner.com 'Heart of a Killer' by David Rosenfelt is perhaps one of his best thrillers yet - National Book | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/book-in-natio...
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/book-in-natio...
The plot is unique. A woman convicted of murdering her husband wants to die so that she can donate her heart to her daughter, who will die without a heart transplant. Jamie Wagner is the unfortunate attorney who is handed the pro-bono (free) case by his employers.
Jamie doesn't feel so unfortunate when he falls for Sheryl, the imprisoned mother, who confessed to the murder. He also realizes that there's more to the whole murder business than she admits to. Jamie comes to believe that she didn't murder her husband.
It turns out that the detective on the scene of the murder always doubted her confession. The facts just didn't add up.
At the same time, the reader is introduced to a really bad guy. His disregard for human life makes him one of the baddest guys Rosenfelt has ever written about. Of course, he is involved in the murder, and Jamie is on the scene to figure it all out.
Continue reading on Examiner.com 'Heart of a Killer' by David Rosenfelt is perhaps one of his best thrillers yet - National Book | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/book-in-natio...
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/book-in-natio...
April 4, 2012
I think that his may be,in my humble opinion, Mr. Rosenfelt's best. Heck, what a page turner. Each short chapter was thrilling with a cliff hanger sentence at the end of each. Interesting plot and wonderful character development,evoking empathy,sympathy,admiration,fear and loathing. A self proclaimed underachieving Harvard lawyer..a divorced police detective that is smart on the job and loving his ex wife off the job..the imprisoned client who may or may not have killed her mysterious husband Charlie..a young girl who needs a heart and a madman that doesn't have one..Great read !!!!
October 5, 2013
This started out a bit slow for me and I wasn't sure about it. But it didn't take long for me to get pulled into the story. There were a few twists and surprises at the end that I didn't see coming. Very interesting plots between the heart transplant, computer crimes and the connection between the two.
December 18, 2016
Quite an intricate plot - a little too feasible what with the Russians hacking the 2016 Presidential election!! I guess anything is possible. I read this in dribs and drabs so at the end I wasn't sure of where the bad guy entered the story!! I'd read another by this author even though the book was a little slow moving.
March 10, 2012
3.5 Stand alone but I love his characters. They are always humorous, self effacing and the new lawyer in this one is very likable. The plot is a very different type of case and it moves along swiftly. Strange to read a Rosenfelt book minus Golden Retrievers but I enjoyed this book.
March 13, 2014
A little hard to follow in the beginning but well worth the pursuit.
July 29, 2018
Actually, this review is 4 1/2 stars. The only reason it’s not a five is that I just don’t feel like I’m in the book. If I feel like I’m practically right there in the situation...now there is a five! Pretty tough to get a five.
I really like that Jamie‘s parents grew nice, big hearts. And boy, did they ever! His dad turned out to be amazing. I’m one of those people that doesn’t want to have “somebody that I love to hate.” I’ll stick to hating the villain.
“I realized I had already made a momentous decision, without having consulted with myself about it. I do that a lot; my thoughts go in a logical progression, and they take me to a place where I feel like I have already been, without realizing it. It almost feels as if I haven’t decided something at all, but rather that I’ve been led in on it.”
Sometimes decisions just pop into my head and they’re usually right… if I’ve been considering the situation for a while.
I kind of wish that Jamie and his favorite dog, who would be fantastic ongoing character would strike off on their own and become private detectives!
I know this series has been done by Spencer Quinn, but the problem is that Spencer Quinn doesn’t keep on with his series starring Bernie and Chet.
I wish. I wish. I wish.
I really like that Jamie‘s parents grew nice, big hearts. And boy, did they ever! His dad turned out to be amazing. I’m one of those people that doesn’t want to have “somebody that I love to hate.” I’ll stick to hating the villain.
“I realized I had already made a momentous decision, without having consulted with myself about it. I do that a lot; my thoughts go in a logical progression, and they take me to a place where I feel like I have already been, without realizing it. It almost feels as if I haven’t decided something at all, but rather that I’ve been led in on it.”
Sometimes decisions just pop into my head and they’re usually right… if I’ve been considering the situation for a while.
I kind of wish that Jamie and his favorite dog, who would be fantastic ongoing character would strike off on their own and become private detectives!
I know this series has been done by Spencer Quinn, but the problem is that Spencer Quinn doesn’t keep on with his series starring Bernie and Chet.
I wish. I wish. I wish.
Read
June 14, 20243.5
An audio book, with a pretty good reader.
As an avid Andy Carpenter fan, I wanted to try one of Rosenfelt's stand alone books. This one certainly didn't let me down!
We have a much different lawyer in this book. Jamie is young, just starting his career and is not overly aggressive or motivated. He is given a pro bono case from his employer. He is to deal with the demands of an incarcerated woman (close to his own age) who has been in jail for 6 years already, accused and found guilty of murdering her husband.
Cheryl, the inmate, is not disputing her sentence. Her 13 year old daughter is suffering from a rare heart defect and can only be assured a future life, with a heart transplant. Cheryl is a perfect match and wants to die so that she can give it to her daughter. The entire situation is very time sensitive.
We follow Jamie and Cheryl as they try to overcome and persuade the courts to permit this. It's a tough sell since there is no death penalty in this state.
Add to this mounting problem, there is a lunatic on the loose who is controlling computers and causing catastrophic disasters as a means to garner money.
Lots of suspense and drama, but enough to keep you engaged and wanting to find out just what happens.
An audio book, with a pretty good reader.
As an avid Andy Carpenter fan, I wanted to try one of Rosenfelt's stand alone books. This one certainly didn't let me down!
We have a much different lawyer in this book. Jamie is young, just starting his career and is not overly aggressive or motivated. He is given a pro bono case from his employer. He is to deal with the demands of an incarcerated woman (close to his own age) who has been in jail for 6 years already, accused and found guilty of murdering her husband.
Cheryl, the inmate, is not disputing her sentence. Her 13 year old daughter is suffering from a rare heart defect and can only be assured a future life, with a heart transplant. Cheryl is a perfect match and wants to die so that she can give it to her daughter. The entire situation is very time sensitive.
We follow Jamie and Cheryl as they try to overcome and persuade the courts to permit this. It's a tough sell since there is no death penalty in this state.
Add to this mounting problem, there is a lunatic on the loose who is controlling computers and causing catastrophic disasters as a means to garner money.
Lots of suspense and drama, but enough to keep you engaged and wanting to find out just what happens.
April 8, 2018
David Rosenfelt is one of my go to authors when I want an enjoyable read. Though I wouldn't rank these as highly as the books in his Andy Carpenter series, I would still recommend it. The mystery in Heart of a Killer involves a pro bono case sloughed off on a young lawyer named Jamie, who going nowhere in his current law firm career. His client, Sheryl, is in jail for murdering her husband, a crime to which she confessed. Faced with a dying daughter who only she can save, Sheryl is asking Jamie to petition the court to let her commit suicide in order to donate her heart so her child can live. The murder case is reopened and investigated to the guilt-ridden officer who has felt he was too quick to accept the initial confession. Wrapped up in this case is a series of terrorist attacks with increasingly ominous targets. Will they catch the real killer and prevent any more people, including the ailing daughter from dying? Not filled with as many twists and turns as a regular David Rosenfelt novel and a main character who was very likable, but, not quite as charming as Andy, Heart of a Killer is still a good read.
April 14, 2024
The teenage girl will die if she doesn’t get a heart transplant. The only perfect match they’ve found so far is a heart that’s currently keeping her mother alive. Her mother is serving a sentence for a murder she didn’t commit.
Attorney Jamie Wagner agrees to take the case and see whether a parole board will spring the sick child’s mother. It might do that, but the woman has already indicated she’ll take her own life so her child will have a heart. Naturally, that board is skittish about releasing someone who declares from prison that she will commit suicide.
I struggled a bit with this plot. I couldn’t help but wonder whether the mom was the only one who had a heart worthy of transplant left me wondering how valid that is. Still, I read this without stopping on a leisurely Friday evening, and I heartily encourage you to read it as well. This is not part of the Andy Carpenter universe, and Carpenter doesn’t appear in here at all. There are some similarities between Carpenter and Jamie Wagner, but this is a standalone.
Attorney Jamie Wagner agrees to take the case and see whether a parole board will spring the sick child’s mother. It might do that, but the woman has already indicated she’ll take her own life so her child will have a heart. Naturally, that board is skittish about releasing someone who declares from prison that she will commit suicide.
I struggled a bit with this plot. I couldn’t help but wonder whether the mom was the only one who had a heart worthy of transplant left me wondering how valid that is. Still, I read this without stopping on a leisurely Friday evening, and I heartily encourage you to read it as well. This is not part of the Andy Carpenter universe, and Carpenter doesn’t appear in here at all. There are some similarities between Carpenter and Jamie Wagner, but this is a standalone.
October 6, 2019
A 2012 stand-alone novel from author David Rosenfelt. Rosenfelt is the author of the long running humorous legal Andy Carpenter series. This novel bears little resemblance to the series. Categorizing it is a problem because it's a medical, legal, law enforcement, anti-terrorism thriller and purely enjoyable reading.
The life of Karen Harrison, a 14-year-old girl with a congenital heart defect, can only be saved by a heart transplant from a matching donor. Karen's mom, Sheryl, who shares Karen's rare blood type, wishes to donate her heart. Two complications stand in Sheryl's way. First, she must die to enable the transplant. Second, in order to commit suicide, she must get out of prison, where she's serving 15 years to life for her abusive husband's murder six years earlier. That's where Sheryl's underachieving lawyer, Jamie Wagner, comes in. Jamie hopes to file a lawsuit against the state of New Jersey on her behalf, but his plans change when he learns Sheryl may not be guilty.
The life of Karen Harrison, a 14-year-old girl with a congenital heart defect, can only be saved by a heart transplant from a matching donor. Karen's mom, Sheryl, who shares Karen's rare blood type, wishes to donate her heart. Two complications stand in Sheryl's way. First, she must die to enable the transplant. Second, in order to commit suicide, she must get out of prison, where she's serving 15 years to life for her abusive husband's murder six years earlier. That's where Sheryl's underachieving lawyer, Jamie Wagner, comes in. Jamie hopes to file a lawsuit against the state of New Jersey on her behalf, but his plans change when he learns Sheryl may not be guilty.
June 30, 2020
Of all the David Rosenfelt books I've read, this was my least favorite. The point is a little far-fetched: Tech genius has taken over computers, forcing planes and trains to crash and is now focusing on causing a melt down at a New Jersey nuclear plant. Meanwhile, a woman convicted of killing her husband wants to donate her heart to her daughter in order to keep her alive.
Somehow, the two story lines converge.
The plotting is fast-paced and the protagonist, attorney Jamie, is a bit like our hero Andy Carpenter of Rosenfelt's successful series. There's the wise-cracking, smart alec stuff in bits. And there's the usual plot twists that Rosenfelt incorporates in all his stories.
But the point of view shifts a lot, causing some confusion unless you're reading carefully. And the ending.. oh, the ending. Talk about wrapping it up quickly! Still, if you're looking for light, escapism reading, this one does fit the bill okay.
Somehow, the two story lines converge.
The plotting is fast-paced and the protagonist, attorney Jamie, is a bit like our hero Andy Carpenter of Rosenfelt's successful series. There's the wise-cracking, smart alec stuff in bits. And there's the usual plot twists that Rosenfelt incorporates in all his stories.
But the point of view shifts a lot, causing some confusion unless you're reading carefully. And the ending.. oh, the ending. Talk about wrapping it up quickly! Still, if you're looking for light, escapism reading, this one does fit the bill okay.
May 25, 2020
I thought this book was okay for the intrigue and criminal mystery, but the protagonist lawyer “Harvard” was wanting. It seemed unrealistic that he’d just fall all swooney in love with his client. And seemed very unlikely that she’d have kept him as her lawyer given how half-assed lazy his career to date was. She was fighting to save her kid after all. Equally annoying is that no other family member was checked for compatibility. Made the ending pretty far-fetched. Definitely not an Andy Carpenter.
I listened to the audio version which might have contributed to the two stars. The narrator was gawd awful at voices. Most were annoying and some of them were downright ridiculous. I don’t recommend listening to this one but if you have a slow Sunday and nothing good on tv, this one could work.
I listened to the audio version which might have contributed to the two stars. The narrator was gawd awful at voices. Most were annoying and some of them were downright ridiculous. I don’t recommend listening to this one but if you have a slow Sunday and nothing good on tv, this one could work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2024
One facet of this story has an interesting moral dilemma. If a person is a hero for jumping in front of a bullet to save the life of another, what of a person who wants to commit suicide to donate their heart to a child who will die without it. Complicating the issue, what if that person is a prisoner in a non-death penalty state. While this story percolates and moves through the legal system, another story takes front and center as a domestic terrorist is blackmailing the President and the entire country.
Rosenfelt did a great job of weaving these two story lines together, I was a little sad that this was a stand alone as I would like to know what became of Jamie Wagner in his professional life.
Rosenfelt did a great job of weaving these two story lines together, I was a little sad that this was a stand alone as I would like to know what became of Jamie Wagner in his professional life.
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