Summer Session

Harper Jennings #1

by Merry Jones

The first in a new series from the author of the ‘Zoe Hayes’ books - Harper Jennings is an Iraqi war veteran with PTSD. Now a teaching assistant at Cornell, her life is rosy until, carrying out repairs on their home, her husband Hank falls off the roof. The accident damages his brain and brings back terrible war memories for Harper. As Hank is treated at the prestigious Cayuga Neurological Center, Harper’s flashbacks subside – until, during class, her student jumps out of the window. Suddenly, Harper is swept up in suicide, theft, betrayal and murder – and all the victims connect to her . . .

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

AKA Merry Bloch Jones.

Merry Jones is a Book Excellence Award Finalist in Suspense (What You Don't Know), and a Best Book Award winner from American Book Festival (Child's Play.) She has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. "If I don't write," she says, "over time, I get agitated and irritable, as if energy is building up inside and I have to let it out."

Accordingly, over the years, she has written a wide range of material, in a variety of styles and for diverse media. She began her career by spending about fifteen years writing and producing video and multi-media for corporate clients, but, when her second child was born in 1989, she decided to pursue her passion and began to write books.

Series:
* Zoe Hayes Mystery

Reviews

[Gita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This contemporary thriller involves the reader in solving an unusual who-done-it from its opening chapters. Set in a present day college town, its characters face and are shaped by complicated issues including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, coping with brain injury, infidelity, the politics of drug trials, tenure battles and college students risking anything to get a buzz.

Along with Iraqi war vet, Harper Jennings, who is struggling with war flashbacks and her husband’s slow recovery from recent brain injury, we try to figure out who could be behind the violence that creeps around her. Jones artfully describes complex characters with simple brush strokes and sets the stage for any of these figures to be suspect. Jones’ straightforward writing kept me engaged in a tightly woven, suspenseful story that includes suicide, murder, theft and second-guessing relationships, without gratuitous violence.

It has all the elements of a good modern mystery that is fast-paced and fun.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I now wish I'd separated books on New York City and books set in New York state. This is set in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, where Harper Jennings is struggling with her archaeology class. She should be working on her dissertation, but she's distracted by her PTSD and her flashbacks to her service in Iraq. As though that weren't bad enough, she's dealing with her husband's traumatic brain injury; while it's miraculous that he survived the fall off the roof, he is still weak and has aphasia, which makes it hard for him to talk and harder for Harper to understand him. Then one of her students commits suicide before the horrified class.

[Tamra LeValley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the story line and how the author keeps you guessing who did it. Needless to say the ending was a surprise.

I only gave this book 3 stars because I could not connect with the heroin. She continually got her butt kick.ed and kept insisting that she was army tough and could take care of herself. Two of those instances she got beat up by another girl. Then she was so relieved and happy that her husband did not cheat on her a and yet she cheated on him with one of the bad guys. A lot of contradiction to say the least.

Although it seemed as though she had an awful lot of PTSD flashbacks the author put the plot together well.

[Susan D'Entremont · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, especially as it nears the end, is a bit far-fetched. In real life if upper-class Cornell students in the bucolic town of Ithaca, NY were dying, national law enforcement would be filling the town. And I saw through the narcoleptic faking her episodes right away. Even so, the book kept me turning pages. The author definitely kept my attention. It is a fast-paced mystery set in academia, and involves jealousies related to tenure, research and more. I recommend it for a fast, fun mystery.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book by Merry Jones I have come across in a while. Generally she writes books that fall into the category of domestic thriller. I didn't enjoy this one as much as her past books - mainly because I wasn't sure how I felt about her main character. The story was well developed, with a lot of unexpected twists, but I just couldn't empathize with the heroine in this story. I got the impression that this will be the first in a series, and I'm hoping the character may grow on me after more books.

[Cindy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harper Jennings is a PA at a college, working toward her PHD in Anthropology. She is heading a summer session class when suddenly, one of her students jumps out the window to his death. So starts an ever increasing wave of violence that appears random but has the one common factor: Harper. She is still struggling with PTSD from her time overseas and experiences flashbacks that contribute to her confusion. Meanwhile, her husband, Hank, is recovering from a fall from his roof, suffering brain damage. Can things get any worse? Of course.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started this book, I found it a bit slow but as I read it, I was grabbed and taken along for the ride. Harper is an Iraq war vet and an assistant professor. Her husband has been injured in a roof fall and a student commits suicide in class and that is when the fun begins. I am not much of a mystery reader, but I really liked this one. I will have to read the other books in the series.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. It was a decent mystery, and it felt natural how the main character got pulled into the crime. The author didn't try too hard to force humour or anything else. I wasn't satisfied with the husband storyline; I thought that was made too much of. But a good read that was easy to finish.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Harper Jennings. I like her military background, especially that she is Army like my son. I struggle with her when she has flashbacks to Iraq for the same reason. She is an heroine with issues. That makes her way more human that most of the main characters of this genre are.

[Katherine Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good that i didn't want to put it down, and finished it in a day.

[Barbara Hanna]

Good, feels like a beach book.

[Susannecahill · Rating 4 out of 5]

new author for me. I liked her.

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was quick and really enjoyed her writing.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

good story. ok book

[Tysheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this very well written thriller.

[Jan Slocum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uses language that really doesn't need to be there. It's a good storyline without all the rest....just saying.

[Jennifer Gryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main character's actions do not match her supposed experience and intelligence.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

It has a good premise but the book just didn't deliver.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

New author for me. I'll definitely look for the rext of the series. 3.5 stars.