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Deck of Cardz #1

Ace of Hearts

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Something sinister is going on... And Love has nothing to do with it. First he seduces them... Then he kills them... What he does next is unspeakable. Detective Shevaughn Robinson gets her first big case, investigating a series of gruesome murders unaware the killer is not only becoming obsessed with death, but also with her.

313 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2007

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About the author

Jean Holloway

15 books196 followers
I was born October 10, 19** in good ole Queens, New York. I had a difficult childhood because I developed severe eczema and most of my schoolmates shunned me until high school. Books became my friend.
Early in life, I found myself fascinated by the macabre. I would actually set my alarm if one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock, Rod Serling or One Step Beyond episodes was coming on late at night. These kept me up til the wee hours of the morning.
Being raised in Amityville was the icing on the cake. I went to see the actual "Amityville Horror" house and swear it literally took my breath away.
My biological mother died when I was 13, the age puberty reared its ugly head. Needless to say, I was a wife and mother by the time I was 17, divorced at 20. Then I met Fred, my second, current and final husband. We have been together 48 years. He helped me become an adult although I went kicking and fighting the whole way. Together, we raised 6 children. We now have 11 grandkids & 4 great-grands!

Reading was my education. I can not list my degrees or college affiliations. I learned from the masters; Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Jean Auel, even Dr. Seuss!

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5 stars
40 (52%)
4 stars
23 (30%)
3 stars
11 (14%)
2 stars
1 (1%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for SassyMama.
1,016 reviews4 followers
March 14, 2008
Heart Stopping Romantic Thriller

This is a surprisingly enticing debut novel by Mrs. Jean Holloway. This book takes you on a HIGHLY charged emotional rollercoaster ride! It is a FRIGHTENINGLY suspense-filled, romantic murder mystery with LOADS of heart stopping twist and turns that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. I must thank one of my girlfriends for recommending this book, because had she not I would have missed this thrilling ride. The characters were quite engaging. The storyline was well developed and the attention to detail made me feel like I was watching a very entertaining, yet spine-chilling movie. I found myself completely and thoroughly caught up in the drama of Detective Shevaughn Robinson’s life, professional and personal. The sensual, yet endearing romance between Shevaughn and Tony aided in lightening the mood of an otherwise intense and sometimes disturbing erotic thriller. Tony was a sweet, good looking, compassionate, thoughtful and protective man, who wanted to help his woman in EVERY aspect of her life, professionally and personally. I also enjoyed the budding new partnership/friendship between Shevaughn and Detective Jared Benjamin, he was like the overprotective big brother she never had. Mrs. Holloway DEFINITELY keeps you in suspense throughout this novel, when you think you know what’s going to happen, she’ll shock you with an unexpected twist and/or turn. I hope she’s able to keep me just as captivated with the upcoming sequel!

Profile Image for African Americans on the Move Book Club.
726 reviews210 followers
November 1, 2008
Ace of Hearts by Jean Holloway was a great read it kept me going from page one. I was shocked at first when I discovered what the predator of the story was doing to his victims. This story was different, and it was hard to believe it was written 25 years ago. It kept me engrossed from page one. I would say this story was exciting, steamy, creative and fun to read. I recommend this book to all who loves a great mystery I can't wait for the sequel.

NDEA B
AAMBC Reviewer
Profile Image for OOSA .
1,802 reviews237 followers
November 3, 2008
Obsession

"Ace of Hearts" begins in the early 80's where readers meet the first black woman detective in Portsborough, New York, Shevaughn Robinson. While listening to Tony O'Brien, a reporter, tell her how he would like to interview her, Shevaughn catches her first case. Mulling over the facts of the gruesome details of the first murder, several others, fitting the same MO, seem to be stacking up on her desk and void are any clues or breaks that will allow Shevaughn the big break that is needed. While not making any headway in the case, Shevaughn and Tony appear to be getting a little too close. An enemy of the department, Tony's close ties to one of the victims makes him a suspect. Can Shevaughn learn to keep it all business? With so much going on Shevaughn is unaware of the many admirers she truly has.

A jarring read, "Ace of Hearts" is gripping, dreamy and mystifying. While you find yourself on the ledge trying to escape the murders, you're drawn to the bond of the lovers. Although the story was clumsy and predictable, I did enjoy it and find myself looking forward to the sequel.

Reviewed by: Crystal
Profile Image for Jean Holloway.
Author 15 books196 followers
June 14, 2009
Well, I would have given myself 5 stars, but there's always room for improvement. All I can say is read the reviews. I promise to grab you & take you on a ride down memory lane with some twist and turns.
Ace of Hearts was a 2008 Best Mystery finalist by the African American Literary Awards Show and 2009 Best New Author nominee by AAMBC!

What a rush! ;o)

FYI: July 3, 2009 is the release date of the sequel, "Black Jack".
Profile Image for Bobbie  Crawford.
130 reviews197 followers
October 19, 2008
Ace of Hearts,
Written By: Jean Holloway
Published By: FireFly Publishing & Entertainment, 2007, First Edition, 252 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-0-9774126-6-2

“Ace of Hearts is a sensual, erotic thriller and a captivating read that won’t disappoint!”BCM

At the age of thirty-one, Detective Shevaughn Robinson is finally being promoted to the Homicide Division of the 23rd precinct in Portsborough, New York.
As a black, female detective in the police force in 1981, Shevaughn has to keep her ‘game face on’ at all times while being mindful of those who are waiting for her to slip up and confirm that a women ‘shouldn’t try to do a man’s job!’.
The night before she is officially a part of the Homicide Division, Shevaughn gets...


**Please follow the link to my blog to read the rest of the review:
http://bookreviewsbybobbie.wordpress....
Profile Image for Sheri.
2,125 reviews
January 29, 2009
Move over King there is a new Queen in town, and her name is Jean Holloway! Ace of Hearts was an all night read. I could not put it down. Shevaughn Robinson is a great character, someone whom you would love to have as a friend. Jean gets into the mind of a killer with frightening reality! I anticipate her next book! I highly reccomend this book to readers who love suspense and thrills! Goodreads, only allows five stars, I would have rated this a perfect 10!
Profile Image for T.L. James.
Author 11 books87 followers
June 18, 2008
This book is an awesome serial thriller. There are some many twists and turns. It is well written scenes that makes you feel like you are in the midst of the battle.

-TL
Profile Image for Justine.
476 reviews20 followers
March 14, 2009
This story does not have a happy ending.
Profile Image for Jen Knox.
Author 23 books498 followers
July 3, 2010
I liked the characters. There was nothing overly polished or bland about them; they were ordinary people, believable. I also appreciated the fact that Holloway was able to weave in a bit of social commentary.
I have to say that I was jarred by pacing, which largely explains my three star rating. There were vague descriptions and the action moved fast, albeit with many surprising twists.
This is definitely a plot-driven story, and I read very few such works so I am, undoubetly biased. I tend to favor character-driven stories, and although Holloway's characters are believable, they are not very three-dimensional. I wanted more from them, to really get to the 'heart' which, in turn, would feed not only motivation but also work to add more nuance and poignancy to the surface-level sociological study of said characters. I wanted, I guess, to feel more empathy and understanding because the action was so fast-moving. The book should be longer for all that happens, to slow down so that I can really see each scene. I feel that I got only a glimpse of scenes and a lot of action, like a friend was telling me this story as she was drinking a triple latte and chain-smoking and speed-walking, and this friend had really only heard the story from another friend so she didn't know all the details.
Profile Image for Readers In Motion.
30 reviews70 followers
February 7, 2012
Jean Holloway thrusts you back into the 80’s before criminal profiling and DNA were used solve crimes. At a time when it took hard work and gut instincts to take down your suspect. In this fast paced thriller, you meet Detective Shevaughn Robinson, just recently assigned to the homicide division and with less than twenty four hours on the job she has her first murder.



This one act leads to a series of murders setting in motion a thrilling cat and mouse game between Det. Robinson and the killer. In addition to everything going on at work, Det. Robinson has also found a companion in someone unconventional for the time period. When work touches home and affects the ones she loves Det. Robinson is determined to see this tumultuous case through to the end.



The author does a lot of telling and not enough showing and because of that, the revelation of who the killer actually is becomes quite evident earlier on. Still even with that minor flaw, this is a very fast and entertaining read.



I would recommend this to adult readers, 18 and older, due to graphic sexual content and violence. The reviewer rates it 4 stars.



Reviewed by Kecia

Rating: **** (4 stars)

For: Readers in Motion Bookclub
Profile Image for Adrienna.
Author 18 books242 followers
February 7, 2009
What a book, I really dont know what to label this book as adult/crime thriller, but was told it is an erotic thriller. Yes, the scenes in the book is a sense of erotica sexisentinel and mesmerizing! Her book definitely captivated my curiousity!

Detective Shevaughn Robinson is investigating a major case of a serial killer, Ace of Hearts, and meets him one on one, where she almost loses her own dear life. She lost the man of her dreams, white newsreporter, Tony O'Brien. He swept her off her feet, thoughts of marriage and shacking up first. Eric Becker was destined to cut out beautiful women's hearts out, calling them a heartless b....and later met his fate: death.

I hate he did not serve time behind bars and see what it felt to be sodomized like he did his victims. Now, I am waiting for the sequel "Black Jack", leaving us with his wife Terri Becker, who lost her mind and leaves us with a cliffhanger for sequel.

Overall, I want to learn more in the sequel about the deranged Eric Becker, reasonings for his killings...and lustful thoughts of his mother Diana! I cannot wait to see what happens between the two detectives: Shevaughn and Jared.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
267 reviews54 followers
September 4, 2010
Well, I found this author here on Goodreads. I could not get this book from MELCAT so I went ahead and bought it. I am so glad I did. Once I started reading this book, it was hard for me to put it down when I had to! It was full of murder, suspense, and sex.

Detective Shevaughn Robinson was really a character that I felt like I got to know. She was on the case of the murders and really had a hard time with the gore on the scene of the first murder. Also in the book is Tony O'Brien. He is a reporter for NBS news and he wanted to do a story on Shevaughn since she was a female cop who was a minority. They ended up hanging out quite a bit, but Shevaughn wanted to take it slow with him.

The killer is a really sick person, but he is leading up to something big. I was really surprised by how this book ended, and can't wait to read the next book in this series to see what happens!
Profile Image for KC Girlfriends Book Club.
25 reviews88 followers
June 6, 2008
Ace of Hearts takes you on a journey of suspense and also engages you into a budding romance as well. Jean Holloway takes you on a roller coaster ride full of intrigue from the beginning by placing you into the thoughts of a serial killer. Ms. Holloway also tells the story of a budding romance with Shavaugn, the lead detective on this sinister murder case.

If you're looking for a great suspense novel...look no more! Read Ace of Hearts! You'll definitely want you read the sequel and make room on your book shelf for Ms. Holloway's books in the future!

TaNisha Webb
KC Girlfriends Book Club President
KC Girlfriends Book Club Radio Show Host
Profile Image for Dana.
12 reviews42 followers
May 15, 2008
Jean doesn't disappoint...

"Ace of Hearts" was featured on Nia Virtual Book Tours, and as the coordinator I jumped in...not knowing that this book was not meant for scary little ole me.

Yes, you read correctly, “scary.” But my slight fear didn’t stop the pages from turning. And I believe you too will do the same.

Get a copy today!

Dana
Nia Promotions
Nia Promotions
Profile Image for Jean Holloway.
Author 15 books196 followers
September 23, 2009
This is the new & improved version of the original. I learned that sometimes U should follow your instincts. PHE Ink, my new publisher allowed me to add 60 pages, revise, re-edit and I'm VERY pleased.
Hope U R 2.Jean Holloway
Profile Image for Dorienne.
1 review4 followers
June 30, 2010
I enjoyed this novel very much, I finished the book in a couple of days as I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what happened next.
Profile Image for A.O. Peart.
Author 15 books549 followers
May 15, 2010
Synopsis:
Detective Shevaughn Robinson is investigating a series of gruesome murders unaware that the killer is not only becoming obsessed with death, but also with her!

My take on this story:
Ace of Hearts can be classified as a romantic murder mystery or even an erotic thriller. Jean Holloway’s debut novel took me on an amazingly fast ride. More than once I couldn’t put Ace of Hearts down and read until late at night. This author knows how to keep a reader enticed! She kept me on my toes throughout the whole book.
The story takes place in the early 1980’s in Portsborough, New York. It is almost nostalgic to read about the characters that didn’t carry cellphones, Blackberries, MP3s etc. Mrs. Holloway takes us twenty years back as easily as if it was yesterday.
The characters are well developed, and the plot is full of twists and turns. The protagonist, Shevaughn, and her boyfriend, Tony, are very likable. I instantly felt drawn to both of them. There are plenty of graphic scenes, for which I wouldn’t recommend Ace of Hearts for those faint at heart.
The romance between Shevaughn and Tony develops quickly and becomes sensual and charming. Although I found myself quickly drawn into their bond, I couldn’t enjoy serenity and/or sensuality of it for too long. There was always another nerve-wracking, gut-twisting, disturbing murder scene lurking around every corner.
This book is followed by the sequel, Black Jack, which I expect to be as intense and fast-paced as Ace of Hearts was for me.
Profile Image for Dream 4 More Reviews.
173 reviews8 followers
April 17, 2009
What a book, I really don't know what to label this book as adult/crime thriller, but was told it is an erotic thriller. Yes, the scenes in the book is a sense of erotica sexi-sentinel and mesmerizing! Her book definitely captivated my curiosity!

Detective Shevaughn Robinson is investigating a major case of a serial killer, Ace of Hearts, and meets him one on one, where she almost loses her own dear life. She lost the man of her dreams, white news reporter, Tony O'Brien. He swept her off her feet, thoughts of marriage and shacking up first. Eric Becker was destined to cut out beautiful woman's hearts out, calling them a heartless b....and later met his fate: death.

Now, I am waiting for the sequel "Black Jack", leaving us with his wife Terri Becker, who lost her mind and leaves us with a cliffhanger for sequel.

A.D. Turner,
President of Dream 4 More Literary Consulting Firm
Most Requested Book Reviewer
Profile Image for Buzz Malone.
Author 6 books25 followers
June 20, 2011
Ace of Hearts
I just began Ace of Hearts this evening on kindle. I can tell you that as a writer myself, I am wowed by the eh...shall we say...'testicular fortitude' of Jean Holloway's style. I mean, I have to respect a woman who is brave enough to begin her first novel so boldly. In a past life, I spent ten years as a construction worker who couldn't complete a sentence without multiple vulgarities emerging...and Holloway has made me blush several times in only the first few chapters! It is not vulgar, mind you, but very descriptive AND detailed in the inner monologue of her main character as a strong black woman who is comfortable in her skin, sexually and otherwise. An impressive first novel.
Profile Image for Margeaux Laurent.
Author 1 book10 followers
September 5, 2010
Ace of Hearts is a well written story that explores a range of human emotions and experiences. The characters are complex and true to life. Holloway provides her readers with in depth character development and explores a broad range real life issues. From the struggles of a strong willed woman to excel at a career in a man's world, to the beauty of finding true love and overcoming boundaries, to the psychological analysis of how a man transforms into a serial killer. Jean Holloway takes her readers into the depths of her characters' psyche and back again.
While this is not a genre I typically read, I found Ace of Hearts to be full of complex characters and I enjoyed how the author told the story from varying perspectives. This graphic novel has edginess and a paranormal twist.
Profile Image for Nanci Arvizu.
Author 19 books10 followers
January 13, 2010
Jean is an incredibly talented story teller, who writes from her heart. Not only is she an inspiration to want-to-be authors, she is an incredible woman. I had the honor to interview Jean on my Blog Talk Radio Show, Page Readers. Listen in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/page-rea...

The only thing I regret about this show is that we didn't talk long enough! As we got into discussing the book, I realized that to discuss any of it, would give it all away! She has written three books that all tie in together remarkably well; these would make great TV MOVIES!!!!
1 review1 follower
September 10, 2011

I have had an opportunity to acquaint this outstanding Book Author and I must say that she has an impeccable gift of literary anointing and I am honored to know her.

"Ace of Hearts" is an extreme MASTER PIECE created by Mrs. Holloway and I encourage all whom love a GOOD READ to get all of her novels including her latest audiobook.

I give it 50 thumbs up and HATS OFF TO YOU FOR SUCH A FINE WORK.

Respectfully Submitted,


S. J.
Profile Image for Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews.
2,969 reviews218 followers
June 23, 2010
This book was much better than I expected. It is set in 1980 and the only thing that I do not know for sure if it is a true fact is if 911 was in effect. It was the early 80's but not sure if it was that early. but the reference was at the end so it really doesn't matter.

overall a good book and the relationship between Von and Tony moved rather fast, but it worked for the book.
Profile Image for Sonia.
71 reviews11 followers
January 31, 2011
01/30/2011
This was a thrilling read! I felt connected to Robinson and I felt her anger, happiness, and sadness right a long with her. She is a strong woman who overcame. Ace of Hearts will take you on a roller coaster ride into the mind of a serial killer, his victims, and Det. Robinson, who is hell bent on catching him before he strikes again.
Profile Image for Georgiann Hennelly.
1,960 reviews26 followers
July 12, 2009
an excellant book loved the story line. kept me in suspence . i learned can,t trust everyone. no matter how nice they seem
Profile Image for Sheila Jackson.
Author 9 books33 followers
May 1, 2009
The Ace of Hearts kept me in suspense. Jean Holloway does an excellent job of capturing your attention. I recommend, The Ace of Hearts, especially if you love mystery, murder, and mayhem.
Profile Image for Author G D  Grace.
74 reviews8 followers
Want to Read
October 7, 2011
An amazing author from the stables of PHE Ink Publishing, she'll be on "A Touch of Grace" Friday, 6/17/2011 at 11AM
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews