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CSI: Miami #6
Harm for the Holidays: Heart Attack
As winter's hold deepens in the dark days of February, Miami's hotels fill to the bursting point. Cruise ships flock to the busiest port in the world as people desperate for warmer climates board these behemoths of the seas. People with too much time and money fill the clubs. In every other jurisdiction, as its citizens are driven indoors, there is a downturn in crime but not in Miami, as the members of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab can attest.
Stretched to the breaking point, Lieutenant Caine is called to what appears to be a failed international terrorist a botched arms-for-Afghani-heroin exchange. The scene is littered with bodies and blood droplets identified as being from one Abdus Sattar Pathan. Once before, Pathan managed to escape being charged in the murder of a Federal agent. This time Caine has him. Except Pathan has an iron-clad he was miles away, on stage doing his magic act. Horatio is convinced that Pathan and the international terrorist known as the Hare are one and the same. Can Caine prove it before the Hare puts his deadly plan into motion?
Stretched to the breaking point, Lieutenant Caine is called to what appears to be a failed international terrorist a botched arms-for-Afghani-heroin exchange. The scene is littered with bodies and blood droplets identified as being from one Abdus Sattar Pathan. Once before, Pathan managed to escape being charged in the murder of a Federal agent. This time Caine has him. Except Pathan has an iron-clad he was miles away, on stage doing his magic act. Horatio is convinced that Pathan and the international terrorist known as the Hare are one and the same. Can Caine prove it before the Hare puts his deadly plan into motion?
340 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 30, 2007
2 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Donn Cortez
36 books18 followersPseudonyms: Don DeBrandt & DD Barant
Donn Cortez is a pseudonym for Canadian author Don DeBrandt. Born in Saskatchewan, he currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. In addition to North America, his books have been published in Germany, France, Italy, and Russia. His influences include Spider Robinson and John D. MacDonald, among others.
He took a darker turn for The Closer, a hard-edged story about a serial killer hunting other serial killers.
His follow-up, The Man Burns Tonight (set at Burning Man) was more of a classic mystery. This was followed in rapid succession by five CSI: Miami tie-in novels and two CSI: Vegas novels.He has also contributed numerous pop-culture essays to BenBella’s SmartPop anthologies, on subjects such as Angel, Firefly, The Golden Compass, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, King Kong, the X-Men, Star Wars, and Star Trek.
He was the guest editor (as well as a contributor) to the essay anthology Investigating CSI.
Donn Cortez is a pseudonym for Canadian author Don DeBrandt. Born in Saskatchewan, he currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. In addition to North America, his books have been published in Germany, France, Italy, and Russia. His influences include Spider Robinson and John D. MacDonald, among others.
He took a darker turn for The Closer, a hard-edged story about a serial killer hunting other serial killers.
His follow-up, The Man Burns Tonight (set at Burning Man) was more of a classic mystery. This was followed in rapid succession by five CSI: Miami tie-in novels and two CSI: Vegas novels.He has also contributed numerous pop-culture essays to BenBella’s SmartPop anthologies, on subjects such as Angel, Firefly, The Golden Compass, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, King Kong, the X-Men, Star Wars, and Star Trek.
He was the guest editor (as well as a contributor) to the essay anthology Investigating CSI.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 11, 2022
Ahh I feel 14 again…
My crime loving heart is happy again
My crime loving heart is happy again
October 5, 2025
I picked 3 red coloured books to try to finish in October, I picked this book because I loved the other CSI book that I read previously. I had no idea what the plot was before reading it.
This book was a part 2 which you don't find out until you open it. The full title is "HARM FOR THE HOLIDAYS Part Two: Heart Attack" but part 2, the most important part, is left off of the cover and the spine. I did not read part 1 and do not have it.
Several times the CSI team find an important clue and you don't find out what it is until many chapters later. This was annoying and did not build suspense.
Overall, a forgettable book with a cartoonishly bad plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Gore, Physical abuse, Blood
This book was a part 2 which you don't find out until you open it. The full title is "HARM FOR THE HOLIDAYS Part Two: Heart Attack" but part 2, the most important part, is left off of the cover and the spine. I did not read part 1 and do not have it.
Several times the CSI team find an important clue and you don't find out what it is until many chapters later. This was annoying and did not build suspense.
Overall, a forgettable book with a cartoonishly bad plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Gore, Physical abuse, Blood
June 15, 2017
Really good novelisation of the TV show that's always been one of my favourites.
In the second installment of a two-part story (set around season four, as Wolfe's unfortunate encounter with a nail gun is referenced), Horatio Caine once more crosses swords with Abdus Pathan, a magician who isn't quite a magician -- but is certainly a match for Horatio.
Cortez has all the characters to a tee. A good read if you like CSI: Miami.
In the second installment of a two-part story (set around season four, as Wolfe's unfortunate encounter with a nail gun is referenced), Horatio Caine once more crosses swords with Abdus Pathan, a magician who isn't quite a magician -- but is certainly a match for Horatio.
Cortez has all the characters to a tee. A good read if you like CSI: Miami.
July 15, 2015
I wasn't sure what to expect with a 2 book series (the first being Misgivings). Generally the TV tie ins are one shots. Sometimes they fit into a specific place in the show's time line, sometimes they don't and are just set 'during' the entire series.
The author took the storyline I thought was the most interesting from the first book (the Magician with the changing fingerprint) and this entire book was about the continuation and conclusion of Abdus and his story.
It wasn't bad at all. A little bit of terrorism, a little bit of gun play and Horatio Caine doing what he does best, being the cross between a mama bear and kick butt secret agent.
There's not enough Natalia or Calleigh in this book, but I like the way that Delko is written here and he's a bigger part in the novel. For the most part it's Horatio's show, which isn't surprising or much of a difference from the TV show.
A good read and a solid four stars for the twists and turns it has. A book that can keep me guessing is a good one.
The author took the storyline I thought was the most interesting from the first book (the Magician with the changing fingerprint) and this entire book was about the continuation and conclusion of Abdus and his story.
It wasn't bad at all. A little bit of terrorism, a little bit of gun play and Horatio Caine doing what he does best, being the cross between a mama bear and kick butt secret agent.
There's not enough Natalia or Calleigh in this book, but I like the way that Delko is written here and he's a bigger part in the novel. For the most part it's Horatio's show, which isn't surprising or much of a difference from the TV show.
A good read and a solid four stars for the twists and turns it has. A book that can keep me guessing is a good one.
August 8, 2011
I am not an avid CSI watcher, but I have seen a few episodes of CSI Miami and really enjoyed it. I love the character of Horatio Caine. This was a birthday gift and I haven't read the first part of this two parter but that didn't matter - it worked just as well as a stand alone.
The CSI team are dealing with a deadly terrorist known as the Hare who has hijacked a cruise ship. How will they rescue the 4000 passengers on board?
A reasonable read, good pacing and the characterisation is excellent. Overall a good plot, lots going on, I enjoyed it but it didn't blow my mind.
The CSI team are dealing with a deadly terrorist known as the Hare who has hijacked a cruise ship. How will they rescue the 4000 passengers on board?
A reasonable read, good pacing and the characterisation is excellent. Overall a good plot, lots going on, I enjoyed it but it didn't blow my mind.
April 9, 2010
This was the second part of the the above book and continued the story and told what happened to the main villian.
it was an interesting ida but I guessed that the way he was alibing himself
But glad finished the book
it was an interesting ida but I guessed that the way he was alibing himself
But glad finished the book
July 21, 2012
Notes from when I originally read it (early 2008): "I'm sorry, my heart appears to have exploded with love for this character-rich depiction of events down in the old crime lab, which got the characterization better than the actual show at this point. There is a gift exchange, people!"
April 5, 2013
I always remind myself the plot was in a book. LOL. It is because I keep imagining the scenes, just like after watching the CSI movie. Ok, thumbs up for that! I'm going to hunt another CSI series. :)
May 21, 2014
All the characters we love for the show. the plot moved fast, with lot of twist.Never knew what was going to happen next. One of those books you don't want to put down till your finished.
April 24, 2009
I enjoyed it, kept me entertained.
December 20, 2014
I completely had no clue the whole time how it would play out. Amazingly written!
April 17, 2017
Illusions and suspense from beginning to end. Just as you think someone;s not going to make it, something else happens...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews