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Gregor Demarkian #28
Hearts of Sand
The "endearing and brilliant" (Publishers Weekly) Gregor Demarkian returns with a case of an unresolved crime and a new, brutal murder, in Jane Haddam's Hearts of Sand
Alwych, Connecticut, is the stereotypical old money Connecticut beach town—the best families live in mini-mansions on Beach Drive, their children go to Alwych Country Day School, and the parents have memberships to the Atlantic Club. And Chapin Waring is the worst thing that ever happened to this town. She was a well turned-out debutante from one of the richest families in Alwych until thirty years ago when the young debutante, destined to attend the right school, marry the right man, and have the right life, was revealed to a bank robber and a murderer. She disappeared, never to be heard from again.
But Alwych has never forgotten her, or let her friends and family forget. So when, after a day of being spotted around town, Chapin turns up dead—stabbed to death in her family's old home—it's baffling. To learn why she died—and to end the rampant speculation and media coverage—Gregor Demarkian, retired profiler for the FBI, is brought in to finally solve the mysteries surrounding Chapin Waring. Not just how and why she died where she did, but where she'd been and what happened that night thirty years ago that set everything in motion.
Alwych, Connecticut, is the stereotypical old money Connecticut beach town—the best families live in mini-mansions on Beach Drive, their children go to Alwych Country Day School, and the parents have memberships to the Atlantic Club. And Chapin Waring is the worst thing that ever happened to this town. She was a well turned-out debutante from one of the richest families in Alwych until thirty years ago when the young debutante, destined to attend the right school, marry the right man, and have the right life, was revealed to a bank robber and a murderer. She disappeared, never to be heard from again.
But Alwych has never forgotten her, or let her friends and family forget. So when, after a day of being spotted around town, Chapin turns up dead—stabbed to death in her family's old home—it's baffling. To learn why she died—and to end the rampant speculation and media coverage—Gregor Demarkian, retired profiler for the FBI, is brought in to finally solve the mysteries surrounding Chapin Waring. Not just how and why she died where she did, but where she'd been and what happened that night thirty years ago that set everything in motion.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 19, 2013
24 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Jane Haddam
55 books132 followersAka Orania Papazoglou
Jane Haddam (b. 1951) is an American author of mysteries. Born Orania Papazoglou, she worked as a college professor and magazine editor before publishing her Edgar Award–nominated first novel, Sweet, Savage Death, in 1984. This mystery introduced Patience McKenna, a sleuthing scribe who would go on to appear in four more books, including Wicked, Loving Murder (1985) and Rich, Radiant Slaughter (1988).
Not a Creature Was Stirring (1990) introduced Haddam’s best-known character, former FBI agent Gregor Demarkian. The series spans more than twenty novels, many of them holiday-themed, including Murder Superior (1993), Fountain of Death (1995), and Wanting Sheila Dead (2005). Haddam’s most recent novels are Blood in the Water (2012) and Hearts of Sand (2013). Wife of William L DeAndrea.
Jane Haddam (b. 1951) is an American author of mysteries. Born Orania Papazoglou, she worked as a college professor and magazine editor before publishing her Edgar Award–nominated first novel, Sweet, Savage Death, in 1984. This mystery introduced Patience McKenna, a sleuthing scribe who would go on to appear in four more books, including Wicked, Loving Murder (1985) and Rich, Radiant Slaughter (1988).
Not a Creature Was Stirring (1990) introduced Haddam’s best-known character, former FBI agent Gregor Demarkian. The series spans more than twenty novels, many of them holiday-themed, including Murder Superior (1993), Fountain of Death (1995), and Wanting Sheila Dead (2005). Haddam’s most recent novels are Blood in the Water (2012) and Hearts of Sand (2013). Wife of William L DeAndrea.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
November 27, 2021
In this 28th book in the 'Gregor Demarkian' series, the detective investigates the murder of a bank robber. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Thirty years ago college student Chapin Waring, from the upscale town of Alwych, Connecticut, pulled off a series of bank robberies, killing two people.
Her suspected partner in crime, Martin, died in a car crash after the final bank job and Chapin disappeared. However, the $250,000 nabbed from the banks was never recovered or spent.
Then - in the present day - Chapin reappears in Alwych and is almost immediately murdered. Suspects include the circle of Chapin's friends who survived the car crash, Chapin's family, and a conspiracy nut who has written a series of books about Chapin. Unable to solve the crime the Alwych police call in renowned detective Gregor Demarkian.
In the midst of Demarkian's investigation another one of Chapin's former friends is murdered. Before he can uncover the culprit Demarkian has to determine if the murders are related to the old bank jobs or if other forces are at play. Demarkian interviews suspects and uncovers clues and of course, solves the crimes.
The story's characters are interesting but the clues to the mystery are rather weak. Thus the solution almost seems to be pulled out of the air. Nevertheless I enjoyed the book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
June 29, 2019
Hearts of Sand (Gregor Demarkian, #28) by Jane Haddam.
Demarkian is surrounded by samples of tiles for the bathroom, wallpaper for their rooms and whatever else Bennis could think they needed. The plumbing is in the process of being renovated as is the rest of their new home. Demarkian finds that home is not exactly what it feels like. As if that isn't enough Bennis discovers a tiny kitten under the porch and brings it home. The rest of the litter was dead as was the mother cat. Bennis takes the kitten to the Vet and begins a quest of finding the proper home for it.
The story begins in the village of Alwych, Connecticut. Thirty years ago a girl, Chapin Waring, from a wealthy family along with her accomplices robbed several banks. During that robbery a bank guard was killed as well as the driver of their getaway car. Since that time Chapin has been living under the radar in a place or places undetected. That is until recently when some people in Aldwych seem to have spotted her around town.
Chapin was found stabbed in the back in her former residence. Gunshots rang out which came from Chapin's gun and fired by her prior to the stabbing. The local police appear to be running in circles and going nowhere fast when Demarkian is called in for assistance.
I found the characters in this Demarkian story quite interesting as was the story itself. Demarkian delves into the past (30 years ago to be exact), but does that incident have anything to do with this murder? Demarkian has his doubts.
Love this series & highly recommend it.
Demarkian is surrounded by samples of tiles for the bathroom, wallpaper for their rooms and whatever else Bennis could think they needed. The plumbing is in the process of being renovated as is the rest of their new home. Demarkian finds that home is not exactly what it feels like. As if that isn't enough Bennis discovers a tiny kitten under the porch and brings it home. The rest of the litter was dead as was the mother cat. Bennis takes the kitten to the Vet and begins a quest of finding the proper home for it.
The story begins in the village of Alwych, Connecticut. Thirty years ago a girl, Chapin Waring, from a wealthy family along with her accomplices robbed several banks. During that robbery a bank guard was killed as well as the driver of their getaway car. Since that time Chapin has been living under the radar in a place or places undetected. That is until recently when some people in Aldwych seem to have spotted her around town.
Chapin was found stabbed in the back in her former residence. Gunshots rang out which came from Chapin's gun and fired by her prior to the stabbing. The local police appear to be running in circles and going nowhere fast when Demarkian is called in for assistance.
I found the characters in this Demarkian story quite interesting as was the story itself. Demarkian delves into the past (30 years ago to be exact), but does that incident have anything to do with this murder? Demarkian has his doubts.
Love this series & highly recommend it.
November 4, 2013
Can't believe I'm saying this but I actually wanted more backstory on these characters! Jane Haddam does what she does best - takes a community of people, lets out their secrets little by little, and eventually reveals the killer. There was also just enough Gregor and Bennis, a nice change from the most recent books in the series.
July 5, 2019
Always love visiting with Demarkian and his friends. Most of this story takes place in Connecticut so did not spend as much time with his friends in the Philadelphia neighborhood. That said, Demarkian is still a wonderful character and solves crimes with his insight and calm perspective.
June 27, 2020
Jane Haddam is just a fine writer. Her books are dense with plots and insight into people. I hadn’t read anything by her in years and I realized I had missed this book when it came out in 2013. I love the characters, the ethnic Greek society and the little bit of politics she manages to insert in her books.
Waiting for another..
Waiting for another..
October 18, 2014
It was really hard getting into this book. The characters aren't that interesting and I didn't particularly care about any of them. It picked up a bit once I made a bit further into the story. I figured out who the murderer was partway through the book. I didn't know exactly how events transpired, but it was still a bit disappointing. The problem is that there are a limited number of people that could have done it. When you kill off one of them and have the detective with another suspect while the other suspect is being murdered, it leaves you with very few possibilities.
October 23, 2013
Gregor Demarkian, the ex-FBI agent, and the other characters in an Armenian enclave in Philadelphia, are fun and interesting. Unfortunately, this story takes Gregor to Connecticut to investigate a murder - related to events of 30 years ago? And I just didn't care about those characters as much. In fact, I actually DIS-liked many of them. The story only came alive for me when Gregor spoke to his wife Bennis ON THE PHONE. Talk about a long-distance relationship - for me, the reader.
December 20, 2013
Instead of being treated to interactions among the familiar characters on Cavenaugh Street, we spend most of this novel among the Connecticut social elite, without really getting to know or care about the characters. Much of the narration and conversation is so stream-of-conscious-y that you just read through not and hope that it makes some kind of sense later on. The solution is no surprise to the reader, but the story was engaging enough to finish the book. Mildly entertaining.
June 16, 2018
Jane Haddam never fails to present a twisty mystery filled with lots of twisty characters. Chapin Waring disappeared 30 years ago after being suspected of the murder of two people during a robbery. And now she, too, has been murdered. Enter retired FBI agent Gregor Demarkian to try to find out who wanted Chapin dead after all these years. Jane Haddam writes beautifully on top of creating a great mystery.
August 14, 2019
3.5 stars ⭐️ interesting mystery with some interesting characters, however the ending eluded me. Was the meaning an indication that there were 13 rich families that controlled the world? What did , “I can’t believe we got away with it” mean?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2021
I picked this book up because I happened to be reading two different articles where the interviewee was asked "what are you reading now?" And both answered along the lines of "...the latest Jane Haddam mystery". I had never heard of Jane Haddam, so I looked her up, and see she is the author of a series of 30 books featuring an ex-FBI agent named Gregor Demarkian. Someone on Goodreads asked if the series had to be read in order, and the reply was no, each book can be read separately. Our library only had one Jane Haddam book available, Hearts of Sand, and that book was the twenty-eighth in the series. So I checked it out.
In Hearts of Sand, a teenage girl named Chapin Waring lives in an exclusive town called Alwych Connecticut. Chapin is a member of a wealthy family, yet she and a cohort go on a bank robbing spree, holding up five different banks. But in the fifth robbery, two bank employees are killed. After the fifth robbery, Chindi and five of her friends are joy riding around in a car which tragically crashes into a tree, killing the driver. At the funeral, Chapin is recognized from the bank surveillance video, and a warrant is put out for her arrest. But Chapin disappears, and neither the police nor FBI can find her. They do discover, however, that the dead driver was Chapin's cohort in the bank robberies - an empty bank bag is found in his home, but the $250,000 stolen during the robberies is never found. Nor does it ever get spent, because the serial numbers are all traced. The money, like Chapin, has just vanished.
Thirty years pass.
Gregor Demarkian, renowned FBI agent (and he must have become pretty famous in the previous books, because characters living in Alwych know who he is, though Demarkian hails from Philadelphia), is hired by the town of Alwych Connecticut to crack a confusing case. It turns out the body of Chapin Waring has just been discovered in her family home. Chapin was stabbed in the back with a knife. Why was she killed now? What was Chapin doing in the family home? After the sensational news about the wealthy teenage girl who turned into a murderous bank robber broke, there has become a cottage industry that speculates about her disappearance, sort of like D.B. Cooper disappearing with a suitcase full of money after his famous parachute jump. Waring's family moved out of the huge mansion on the beach, but never sold it, figuring that it's lurid history would drive the price below its true value. So for thirty years it has sat vacant, though gardeners and maids are periodically sent to the estate to maintain it.
Demarkian flies to Connecticut. There were six people in the car when it crashed into the tree; four of them are still alive. Demarkian wants to interview them, plus a host of other people in small town Alwych. The novel tells the story of his investigation. I think the appeal of the book, and probably the series, must be in the characterization. Haddam creates a convincing cast of players, and then has Demarkian interact with the lot of them. Although I guessed who killed Chapin, I did not know why. Overall, it was intriguing enough that I would read other books in this series (though at the moment all of the other volumes are checked out).
In Hearts of Sand, a teenage girl named Chapin Waring lives in an exclusive town called Alwych Connecticut. Chapin is a member of a wealthy family, yet she and a cohort go on a bank robbing spree, holding up five different banks. But in the fifth robbery, two bank employees are killed. After the fifth robbery, Chindi and five of her friends are joy riding around in a car which tragically crashes into a tree, killing the driver. At the funeral, Chapin is recognized from the bank surveillance video, and a warrant is put out for her arrest. But Chapin disappears, and neither the police nor FBI can find her. They do discover, however, that the dead driver was Chapin's cohort in the bank robberies - an empty bank bag is found in his home, but the $250,000 stolen during the robberies is never found. Nor does it ever get spent, because the serial numbers are all traced. The money, like Chapin, has just vanished.
Thirty years pass.
Gregor Demarkian, renowned FBI agent (and he must have become pretty famous in the previous books, because characters living in Alwych know who he is, though Demarkian hails from Philadelphia), is hired by the town of Alwych Connecticut to crack a confusing case. It turns out the body of Chapin Waring has just been discovered in her family home. Chapin was stabbed in the back with a knife. Why was she killed now? What was Chapin doing in the family home? After the sensational news about the wealthy teenage girl who turned into a murderous bank robber broke, there has become a cottage industry that speculates about her disappearance, sort of like D.B. Cooper disappearing with a suitcase full of money after his famous parachute jump. Waring's family moved out of the huge mansion on the beach, but never sold it, figuring that it's lurid history would drive the price below its true value. So for thirty years it has sat vacant, though gardeners and maids are periodically sent to the estate to maintain it.
Demarkian flies to Connecticut. There were six people in the car when it crashed into the tree; four of them are still alive. Demarkian wants to interview them, plus a host of other people in small town Alwych. The novel tells the story of his investigation. I think the appeal of the book, and probably the series, must be in the characterization. Haddam creates a convincing cast of players, and then has Demarkian interact with the lot of them. Although I guessed who killed Chapin, I did not know why. Overall, it was intriguing enough that I would read other books in this series (though at the moment all of the other volumes are checked out).
January 2, 2021
Most of the story takes place in Connecticut in a small town where some very high end people live. Many years prior a there was a car accident and a young man was killed. The others in the car were all part of a group and one of them, Chapin Waring, was a bank robber. She disappeared only to come back to her home town 30 years later and end up dead in her former home. The town is in an uproar over her death and the police call in Gregor Demarkian to help figure it out. They think it is probably connected to the bank robberies and everyone wonders where she has been all this time.
Gregor still hasn't gotten used to the new house and it isn't finished being remodeled so this is a chance for him to get away from it for a bit. He investigates all the people who might have wanted Chapin Waring dead including the group of friends from long ago, their relatives, her sisters and others. The police chief seems semi incompetent and some of the other officers just want to take the easy way out and not do much work. I really didn't like 2 of the Waring sisters as they kept foisting everything off on the youngest one and just didn't seem to understand she was sick and tired of taking care of everything and they were only concerned with their own images. Several small side stories going on at the same time concerning different people in the small town. There was a definite us vs them feeling with it being the rich vs the not rich. One of the guys from the accident had conflicts with his sister who was running for a Congressional seat and had been married to another of the guys from the accident. Lots of interconnections.
Gregor doesn't get much help from his usual band of friends on Cavanaugh Street. They are more concerned with the cat that has been found and who is going to care for it. As he digs deeper into the mystery another person is killed in a similar manner and they believe it is also connected to the first murder. People are nervous around him and everyone seems to know he is famous for his crime solving abilities and it makes some of them anxious. There are some characters that don't seem to fit the story at the beginning and it isn't until near the end that you finally are able to see how they are really connected. A few others have issues that are discussed but don't seem necessary to the story.
I had suspected who the killer might be but not for the reason that became apparent in the end. Gregor always seems to hold back some from the people who hire him and then pulls everything together at the end.
Gregor still hasn't gotten used to the new house and it isn't finished being remodeled so this is a chance for him to get away from it for a bit. He investigates all the people who might have wanted Chapin Waring dead including the group of friends from long ago, their relatives, her sisters and others. The police chief seems semi incompetent and some of the other officers just want to take the easy way out and not do much work. I really didn't like 2 of the Waring sisters as they kept foisting everything off on the youngest one and just didn't seem to understand she was sick and tired of taking care of everything and they were only concerned with their own images. Several small side stories going on at the same time concerning different people in the small town. There was a definite us vs them feeling with it being the rich vs the not rich. One of the guys from the accident had conflicts with his sister who was running for a Congressional seat and had been married to another of the guys from the accident. Lots of interconnections.
Gregor doesn't get much help from his usual band of friends on Cavanaugh Street. They are more concerned with the cat that has been found and who is going to care for it. As he digs deeper into the mystery another person is killed in a similar manner and they believe it is also connected to the first murder. People are nervous around him and everyone seems to know he is famous for his crime solving abilities and it makes some of them anxious. There are some characters that don't seem to fit the story at the beginning and it isn't until near the end that you finally are able to see how they are really connected. A few others have issues that are discussed but don't seem necessary to the story.
I had suspected who the killer might be but not for the reason that became apparent in the end. Gregor always seems to hold back some from the people who hire him and then pulls everything together at the end.
April 10, 2025
Retired FBI agent Gregor Demarkian steps back in his world when he consults with the FBI and local police in Alwych, Connecticut, in a murder investigation with a history.
And for most of those that he is dealing with its as if the history is the only thing they are concerned with.
Thirty years ago, there was a bank robbery spree that included the death of two. Shortly afterwards, there's an accident in which one of the drunken teens in the car died. Then, it was revealed that the dead boy had been one of the two robbers and before long, former Chapin Waring, debutante and a member of one of the city's wealthiest families, was identified as the other one. But by then it was too late, because Waring has disappeared, as did the ill-gotten gains of their escapades.
The search continued for decades, and like Jesse James, Waring was not forgotten. So when Waring shows up dead — stabbed in the back — in her family's old home, police and FBI seek out Demarkian.
And everyone just assumes that her murder is related to the robberies, that is, except Demarkian. He is swarmed with case files and evidence from the robberies, but he figures out that there is more to solving the murder. And the answers may be found by learning more about those six former teens and the dynamics at play at the time. And of course, there are complications galore, conflicts between the now middle-aged former teens and the assumptions made by officials.
Despite it all, Demarkian focuses on the right things to find the solution to the mystery. It makes for a very interesting, multi-layered story that is a delight to read.
And for most of those that he is dealing with its as if the history is the only thing they are concerned with.
Thirty years ago, there was a bank robbery spree that included the death of two. Shortly afterwards, there's an accident in which one of the drunken teens in the car died. Then, it was revealed that the dead boy had been one of the two robbers and before long, former Chapin Waring, debutante and a member of one of the city's wealthiest families, was identified as the other one. But by then it was too late, because Waring has disappeared, as did the ill-gotten gains of their escapades.
The search continued for decades, and like Jesse James, Waring was not forgotten. So when Waring shows up dead — stabbed in the back — in her family's old home, police and FBI seek out Demarkian.
And everyone just assumes that her murder is related to the robberies, that is, except Demarkian. He is swarmed with case files and evidence from the robberies, but he figures out that there is more to solving the murder. And the answers may be found by learning more about those six former teens and the dynamics at play at the time. And of course, there are complications galore, conflicts between the now middle-aged former teens and the assumptions made by officials.
Despite it all, Demarkian focuses on the right things to find the solution to the mystery. It makes for a very interesting, multi-layered story that is a delight to read.
October 29, 2016
One of the suspects in a 30-year-old robbery that netted $250,000 that was never spent is found murdered in her ancestral home. Nobody has seen her for since the car accident which killed her accomplice. What was she doing home and who killed her? Gregor Demarkian, former FBI agent, is called in to consult.
September 21, 2019
These Gregor Demarkian books have been going on for a long time. I started reading them in the 70's.
Took a break from them a few years ago. They seemed to get bogged down.
This one sat in my bookcase for a while. Glad I finally picked it up. Demarkian is a
retired FBI profiler.
He consults on cases, so gets to go wherever. Helps keep the story line a little fresh.
Took a break from them a few years ago. They seemed to get bogged down.
This one sat in my bookcase for a while. Glad I finally picked it up. Demarkian is a
retired FBI profiler.
He consults on cases, so gets to go wherever. Helps keep the story line a little fresh.
November 30, 2020
I'm a fan of the series since the mid-90s. This time Gregor is in a Connecticut suburb of NYC. A woman who's been on the run for decades is murdered in her home town. The usual Cavanaugh cast isn't present. Not a great entry but not a bad one.
May 16, 2017
While the writing style put me off a bit with short choppy sentences, the story is still scintillating. Hercule Poirot-like -- the clues are hard to follow.
June 17, 2017
I haven't been reading much so it was fun to visit old friends.
July 12, 2017
My first Jane Hassan book and definitely my last. Total snooze. Not my type at all.
April 8, 2020
I always love Haddam.
For some reason her Demarkian books always are such a satisfying read.
For some reason her Demarkian books always are such a satisfying read.
October 8, 2020
Would not encourage me to try another.
October 7, 2022
I love the series, love the quirky characters, the plots and murders. I do sometimes find the resolution and wrap a bit too expedient. But still, cannot wait for another!
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August 18, 20153.58 of 5 stars 3.58 · rating details · 222 ratings · 44 reviews
The "endearing and brilliant" (Publishers Weekly) Gregor Demarkian returns with a case of an unresolved crime and a new, brutal murder, in Jane Haddam's Hearts of Sand
Alwych, Connecticut, is the stereotypical old money Connecticut beach town--the best families live in mini-mansions on Beach Drive, their children go to Alwych Country Day School, and the parents have memberships to the Atlantic Club. And Chapin Waring is the worst thing that ever happened to this town. She was a well turned-out debutante from one of the richest families in Alwych until thirty years ago when the young debutante, destined to attend the right school, marry the right man, and have the right life, was revealed to a bank robber and a murderer. She disappeared, never to be heard from again.
But Alwych has never forgotten her, or let her friends and family forget. So when, after a day of being spotted around town, Chapin turns up dead--stabbed to death in her family's old home--it's baffling. To learn why she died--and to end the rampant speculation and media coverage--Gregor Demarkian, retired profiler for the FBI, is brought in to finally solve the mysteries surrounding Chapin Waring. Not just how and why she died where she did, but where she'd been and what happened that night thirty years ago that set everything in motion.
Chapin and Kyle were killed by Hope.
The "endearing and brilliant" (Publishers Weekly) Gregor Demarkian returns with a case of an unresolved crime and a new, brutal murder, in Jane Haddam's Hearts of Sand
Alwych, Connecticut, is the stereotypical old money Connecticut beach town--the best families live in mini-mansions on Beach Drive, their children go to Alwych Country Day School, and the parents have memberships to the Atlantic Club. And Chapin Waring is the worst thing that ever happened to this town. She was a well turned-out debutante from one of the richest families in Alwych until thirty years ago when the young debutante, destined to attend the right school, marry the right man, and have the right life, was revealed to a bank robber and a murderer. She disappeared, never to be heard from again.
But Alwych has never forgotten her, or let her friends and family forget. So when, after a day of being spotted around town, Chapin turns up dead--stabbed to death in her family's old home--it's baffling. To learn why she died--and to end the rampant speculation and media coverage--Gregor Demarkian, retired profiler for the FBI, is brought in to finally solve the mysteries surrounding Chapin Waring. Not just how and why she died where she did, but where she'd been and what happened that night thirty years ago that set everything in motion.
Chapin and Kyle were killed by Hope.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2018
I have been reading Jane Haddam's Gregor Demarkian boks for years,and have not been disappointed yet! . I look forward to them to find out how Tibor, Gregor, Bennis, and all of Cavanaugh Street feel about current events and issues; for the wide ranging of discussions between the intelligent characters in the novels; and for the engrossing and complex mysteries. I felt this one is a little lightweight in all three of those areas. This book has little to do with Cavanaugh Street, and almost nothing about Bennis and Gregor's interactions...other than how they feel about cats!
Gregor is called in as a consultant to the small town of Alwych, Ct., upon the discovery of a dead female body...only thing is she disappeared 30 years ago while she was a suspect in a bank robbery that killed two!
The local police are stymied and so turn to our estimable detective Gregor Demarkian. He is both brilliant and persistent - it may take him a little time but he'll get to the bottom of this. Surely the murder could have no connection to 30-year-old bank robberies....or could it?
Once again Jane Haddam has given us a fresh, sharply plotted mystery. I hope you ienjoy reading this latest creation as I did...definitaly a keeper in my book!
Gregor is called in as a consultant to the small town of Alwych, Ct., upon the discovery of a dead female body...only thing is she disappeared 30 years ago while she was a suspect in a bank robbery that killed two!
The local police are stymied and so turn to our estimable detective Gregor Demarkian. He is both brilliant and persistent - it may take him a little time but he'll get to the bottom of this. Surely the murder could have no connection to 30-year-old bank robberies....or could it?
Once again Jane Haddam has given us a fresh, sharply plotted mystery. I hope you ienjoy reading this latest creation as I did...definitaly a keeper in my book!
December 4, 2013
I've read every Gregor Demarkian novel ever published, and a few years ago I went back to the beginning and read them all over from the start. Yes, I love this series. Much like Marcia Muller, Jane Haddam allows her characters to evolve over the years. They form new relationships, get new ideas, start using new technology -- it all seems quite real.
The plot in this book is one of the best yet. I did not guess whodunit until the final reveal. Mixing a current murder with decades-old events leaves the reader (and the detective) wondering what is and is not connected. Delightfully mystifying.
The book stands nicely on its own, no prior knowledge of the series characters needed. But for a real treat start with the first and read them all.
The plot in this book is one of the best yet. I did not guess whodunit until the final reveal. Mixing a current murder with decades-old events leaves the reader (and the detective) wondering what is and is not connected. Delightfully mystifying.
The book stands nicely on its own, no prior knowledge of the series characters needed. But for a real treat start with the first and read them all.
January 4, 2014
Excellent entry in the Gregor Demarkian series. Will the Armenian-American answer to Sherlock Holmes be a fish out of water when called in as a consultant on a homicide in upper-crust Connecticut? Fortunately for us readers, Gregor's unerring insight into human nature prevails here. A very good read for a wintry evening or two.
My favorite quote:
"The local police who called him in were often either incompetent or unwilling to be competent. More often the latter. A friend of Bennis's had once told him that that was what being a management consultant was. Nine times out of ten, you went into a business and found--although nobody ever told you--that it was desperate to fire some idiot and just couldn't bring itself to the point."
My favorite quote:
"The local police who called him in were often either incompetent or unwilling to be competent. More often the latter. A friend of Bennis's had once told him that that was what being a management consultant was. Nine times out of ten, you went into a business and found--although nobody ever told you--that it was desperate to fire some idiot and just couldn't bring itself to the point."
September 7, 2016
A recommended book in a good series, this entry was more of a 3.5 star book. I took issue with the very thin layer of clues offered up by the author. It also fails my standards as a "stand alone" mystery. Read it if you are a fan of the series, but pass it over for an earlier entry in the series & read it later if you are a new reader unfamiliar with the characters.
October 6, 2013
I love Jane Haddam and Gregor Demarkian. The books seem to get better and better. In this one Gregor goes to the upscale community of Alwych Connecticut, when a woman missing for 30 years turns up dead in her old family home. When young she got her kicks from robbing banks and the FBI is involved because they'd like to get the money back that she and her partner, another rich young person stole. The search for clues centers around the remaining members of the clique. One's a lawyer, another a congresswoman, another a doctor, and the fourth, a not too successful college professor. As usual Gregor sees through the layers of confusion and brings everything to a satisfying conclusion.
April 12, 2014
Chapin Waring, on the run for 30 years after a series of bank robberies that ended in murder, is found murdered in her family's old home. The four surviving members of her old school gang (who we used to call "popular" but really despised) are the most obvious suspects for ridding the world of the thrill-seeking sociopath. But was this murder really only the long-delayed outcome of Chapin's robberies? Jane Haddam lets us see plots and secrets that could easily end in more murder.
Such a delight to return to Jane Haddam and Gregor Demarkian. I stayed up until 1:00 AM to finish HEARTS OF SAND.
Such a delight to return to Jane Haddam and Gregor Demarkian. I stayed up until 1:00 AM to finish HEARTS OF SAND.
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