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Catch A Falling Star
Missing treasure, criminals, cops, co-worker hostility, and the surprise appearance of an ex-lover - definitely not what mystery novelist Kate Rawlings expects when she accepts a summer teaching position at her alma mater in the peaceful college town of Eden, Kentucky. Michael Mabry was Kate's lover in college, but did she ever really know him? Thirty years later, he's on the run from his partners in a Chicago museum heist in which a valuable ancient Indian artifact called the Shooting Star was stolen and two people killed. Michael escaped with the Star and his life, but he needs money to get out of the country. After so long, Eden should be the last place anyone would think to look for him, but his partners and an insurance investigator with his own agenda are hot on his trail. Kate finds herself suspected of involvement in the heist, but when a murder occurs in Eden, she also finds herself suspected of murder.
- GenresMystery
244 pages, Paperback
First published May 18, 2014
97 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Laurel Heidtman
8 books79 followersI'm retired from the nine-to-five life and live with my husband, two cats, and a goofy and adorable dog named Buster on private land inside Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky. I have loved fiction since before I could read (Mom said I made up stories based on the pictures in books). Now that I no longer have the excuse of not enough time, I'm fulfilling my lifelong dream of writing novels.
Over the years, I've paid the bills by being a dancer, a bartender, a police officer, a registered nurse and a technical writer. Now I'm drawing on that life experience and my two English degrees to create stories I enjoy writing and hope readers will enjoy reading.
My Eden mystery series is set in Kentucky in a fictitious college town near Daniel Boone National Forest. There are currently three books in the series: Catch A Falling Star, Bad Girls, and A Convenient Death. I also have those three available in a boxed set titled Murder in Eden. While part of a series and with recurring characters, the Eden novels can be read as standalones.
In addition, I have a thriller called Whiteout. It's also set in Daniel Boone National Forest. It involves two couples stranded in a remote vacation home during a freak spring blizzard and two escaped Federal prisoners and the Federal agents pursuing them. The idea for this was triggered by a freak spring blizzard that my husband and I experienced back in the nineties. It's one we hope we never have to repeat, but fortunately no escaped prisoners showed up on our doorstep!
I also write cozy mysteries, romantic thrillers, and romance under the name Lolli Powell.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Over the years, I've paid the bills by being a dancer, a bartender, a police officer, a registered nurse and a technical writer. Now I'm drawing on that life experience and my two English degrees to create stories I enjoy writing and hope readers will enjoy reading.
My Eden mystery series is set in Kentucky in a fictitious college town near Daniel Boone National Forest. There are currently three books in the series: Catch A Falling Star, Bad Girls, and A Convenient Death. I also have those three available in a boxed set titled Murder in Eden. While part of a series and with recurring characters, the Eden novels can be read as standalones.
In addition, I have a thriller called Whiteout. It's also set in Daniel Boone National Forest. It involves two couples stranded in a remote vacation home during a freak spring blizzard and two escaped Federal prisoners and the Federal agents pursuing them. The idea for this was triggered by a freak spring blizzard that my husband and I experienced back in the nineties. It's one we hope we never have to repeat, but fortunately no escaped prisoners showed up on our doorstep!
I also write cozy mysteries, romantic thrillers, and romance under the name Lolli Powell.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 5, 2019
After a botched museum heist, an old lover suddenly returns to Kate Rawlings life, but Michael Malbry isn’t the same young writer she remembers from grad school. He has grown into a man with a dark, sordid past, with some pretty dangerous people on his trail.
Robbery, murder and the death of a pretty prominent character in the middle of the book was a huge surprise. (Didn't see that one coming at all.)
An old fashioned Who dunnit sums up Laurel Heidtman’s, Catch a Falling Star. Anyone who enjoys the mystery genre would fall in love with this book!
The versatile writing is an art only seasoned writers have mastered. Heidtman has managed to recreate the mob/crime world as if she were in the middle of the Chicago suburbs herself, then, with the flick of her pen, she builds a world of southern intellects around a boardroom table discussing the next position to fill at the university. Very well fleshed out characters and a very believable plot.
Robbery, murder and the death of a pretty prominent character in the middle of the book was a huge surprise. (Didn't see that one coming at all.)
An old fashioned Who dunnit sums up Laurel Heidtman’s, Catch a Falling Star. Anyone who enjoys the mystery genre would fall in love with this book!
The versatile writing is an art only seasoned writers have mastered. Heidtman has managed to recreate the mob/crime world as if she were in the middle of the Chicago suburbs herself, then, with the flick of her pen, she builds a world of southern intellects around a boardroom table discussing the next position to fill at the university. Very well fleshed out characters and a very believable plot.
January 26, 2015
Check out the complete review at Catch A Falling Star (An Eden Mystery) > Review
If you google "Catch a falling star" you will come across many books with the same title of the Romance genre. In that context, when you see the book title, you tend to wonder what kind of book this will turn out to be. But oh how much mistaken you would be if you think that and not take this book up!!
Catch the Falling Star has every bit of mystery, deceit, intrigue, suspense, thrill, murder and mayhem as any other mystery book would have, in face I would say this one has a lot more to it than meets the eye.
The start of the book is very innocent and deceiving. You really might have second thoughts if you intently read the first couple of chapters. But no sooner have you gone deeper, than you realise that now there is no looking back. You will be so absorbed into the book that it will be impossible to keep it down without finishing it.
The characters of the book are so subtly developed but they achieve amazing perfection as the story goes forward. The scenes of the book are so natural and brilliantly crafted that you feel this just might be your neighborhood, after all. There is nothing in this book below perfection. An absolute star this one is.
If you google "Catch a falling star" you will come across many books with the same title of the Romance genre. In that context, when you see the book title, you tend to wonder what kind of book this will turn out to be. But oh how much mistaken you would be if you think that and not take this book up!!
Catch the Falling Star has every bit of mystery, deceit, intrigue, suspense, thrill, murder and mayhem as any other mystery book would have, in face I would say this one has a lot more to it than meets the eye.
The start of the book is very innocent and deceiving. You really might have second thoughts if you intently read the first couple of chapters. But no sooner have you gone deeper, than you realise that now there is no looking back. You will be so absorbed into the book that it will be impossible to keep it down without finishing it.
The characters of the book are so subtly developed but they achieve amazing perfection as the story goes forward. The scenes of the book are so natural and brilliantly crafted that you feel this just might be your neighborhood, after all. There is nothing in this book below perfection. An absolute star this one is.
May 26, 2015
Writing a review for a mystery is difficult, you want to give a ptential reader a good idea of the book but not give anything away. And when it comes to mysteries every detail in the book counts! So I will do my best and hope I don't slip in a spoiler :-)
Ms. Heidtman has a knack for characters. She writes them flawed, funny, compassionate, talented, smug or brutish and that is just the first few chapters! We meet many periphery characters that are in one paragraph just as fleshed out as the main protagonists. The ability to give a reader an instant scene and depth of personality in so few words is an art. This author is an artist.
We have Kathrine Rawlings, mystery writer and leading lady, Micheal Mabry an ex affair from college days and leading criminal, Cal Becker, the insurance detective along with Jo Valentine, local detective. And those are just the main characters, add in Steven the brother, Lou, a close friend and the varied faculty and you have a book full of varied depths and vibrant dialogue.
This was a fun and interesting book, the mystery does have it's surprises and the pace is just right - full of information but never boring!
We had a week of thunderstorms where I live and it set the perfect tone for curling up with this captivating tale, letting the words on the page carry me to Raven College, Holly house and down paths of intrigue.
Ms. Heidtman has a knack for characters. She writes them flawed, funny, compassionate, talented, smug or brutish and that is just the first few chapters! We meet many periphery characters that are in one paragraph just as fleshed out as the main protagonists. The ability to give a reader an instant scene and depth of personality in so few words is an art. This author is an artist.
We have Kathrine Rawlings, mystery writer and leading lady, Micheal Mabry an ex affair from college days and leading criminal, Cal Becker, the insurance detective along with Jo Valentine, local detective. And those are just the main characters, add in Steven the brother, Lou, a close friend and the varied faculty and you have a book full of varied depths and vibrant dialogue.
This was a fun and interesting book, the mystery does have it's surprises and the pace is just right - full of information but never boring!
We had a week of thunderstorms where I live and it set the perfect tone for curling up with this captivating tale, letting the words on the page carry me to Raven College, Holly house and down paths of intrigue.
May 15, 2020
When Kate Rawlings goes back to her hometown to be near her mother who has Alzheimers she never expects that in her small hometown so much could happen in such a short time. She accepted a part time summer job at her alma mater. As an author of several very popular books she wanted to be able to keep writing. She never knew that her knowledge from writing murder mysteries would save her life!!
When an old lover suddenly appeared she was not too pleased-but they were still friends. Then he was found murdered---Kate was a suspect. People from his past came looking for something he had absconded with which caused Kate to be kidnapped!!
Meanwhile there were many people who could have murdered him--but who did and why? There are twists and turns galore in this one which will keep you reading and guessing!
When an old lover suddenly appeared she was not too pleased-but they were still friends. Then he was found murdered---Kate was a suspect. People from his past came looking for something he had absconded with which caused Kate to be kidnapped!!
Meanwhile there were many people who could have murdered him--but who did and why? There are twists and turns galore in this one which will keep you reading and guessing!
March 11, 2020
Great little mystery!
This story reminds me of the old detective noir stories of the fifties and sixties, the kind that get you excited from the first line to the last.
The dialogue is that good that you are hooked from the beginning and the writing is such that it had me chuckling a few times.
The story has a strong beginning, which centres on a museum heist that goes terribly wrong, which leads to several little sub-plots, and all are relevant to the story. Each character is intertwined to the other in some way or other.
All I can say is, that if you like easy, well-written.detective stories then look no further than To Catch A Falling Star, as it ticks all the boxes of which a good mystery should be.
Bravo to the author!
This story reminds me of the old detective noir stories of the fifties and sixties, the kind that get you excited from the first line to the last.
The dialogue is that good that you are hooked from the beginning and the writing is such that it had me chuckling a few times.
The story has a strong beginning, which centres on a museum heist that goes terribly wrong, which leads to several little sub-plots, and all are relevant to the story. Each character is intertwined to the other in some way or other.
All I can say is, that if you like easy, well-written.detective stories then look no further than To Catch A Falling Star, as it ticks all the boxes of which a good mystery should be.
Bravo to the author!
October 18, 2019
From page one Catch a Falling Star keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are so well written you don’t feel like you are reading but right there along side of them. The twist and turns of the plot keeps you turning the page. The ending is a total shocker. Love this book. This the first book I have read by Laurel Heidtman but it won’t be my last.
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October 23, 2020EReaderNews
December 13, 2021
Good story & characters. I'll read the next book to find out what else Kate gets into.
March 1, 2024
The author has managed to evoke so many feelings as this mystery thriller unfolds and ties up with an unexpected but perfect ending.
October 15, 2014
This book sounded interesting and a bit wild from the description. And it was. The story revolves around the theft of an item being delivered to a private museum in Chicago. Things go wrong, and the item disappears along with a museum guard. The action then moves to a college town in Kentucky where we also run into departmental politics, family drama, strained friendships and marriages, and murder.
Each character is developed fairly well, and I didn't feel any were cardboard cutouts. My main issue was that I didn't really care about any of them, and I found the heroine to be weak--in will and character. Yes, she writes best sellers, and is a good administrator. But, she doesn't really think about her relationships and goes a long time being the soft landing spot for her lost college love. She's really far too mature to think so little. I found the ex-lover to be pretty narcissistic and petty, and other characters rather shallow in their motivations (while still realistic).
The clues to help bring things together to solve the theft and murder(s) are all there, but require certain events to occur before they can be put together and make sense. In the meantime, things go from calm to uncertain to threatening to a head. I wasn't surprised about the identity of the murderer, or the motivation, but didn't have enough information to be sure until the end of the book.
Overall, it was an entertaining read, but I would have liked it more if I had liked any of the main characters.
I received this book free in exchange for a review.
Each character is developed fairly well, and I didn't feel any were cardboard cutouts. My main issue was that I didn't really care about any of them, and I found the heroine to be weak--in will and character. Yes, she writes best sellers, and is a good administrator. But, she doesn't really think about her relationships and goes a long time being the soft landing spot for her lost college love. She's really far too mature to think so little. I found the ex-lover to be pretty narcissistic and petty, and other characters rather shallow in their motivations (while still realistic).
The clues to help bring things together to solve the theft and murder(s) are all there, but require certain events to occur before they can be put together and make sense. In the meantime, things go from calm to uncertain to threatening to a head. I wasn't surprised about the identity of the murderer, or the motivation, but didn't have enough information to be sure until the end of the book.
Overall, it was an entertaining read, but I would have liked it more if I had liked any of the main characters.
I received this book free in exchange for a review.
August 30, 2014
I've known Laurel for many years, mostly an an e-mail buddy. I knew she was a technical writer, so I was certain she could find her way around a papa graph, but let me tell you, Laurel can write!
For a first mystery, it was excellent. Her characters were nicely developed, good back stories evolved as the story progressed, and the mystery kept my interest. As I was reading, I became lost in who was the author, and found I was truly reading a good mystery that would stand along with the great writers of today. Laurel stuck to an area she knew, and was able to make the mystery rich with local imagery. The many twists and turns typical in a good mystery were nicely developed. Each time I put it down, I was eager to find what happened next. I don't want to write spoilers, but if you enjoy a good mystery in a rural college setting surrounded by national forest, you are in luck. Catch this Falling Star before all that is left is a crater!
For a first mystery, it was excellent. Her characters were nicely developed, good back stories evolved as the story progressed, and the mystery kept my interest. As I was reading, I became lost in who was the author, and found I was truly reading a good mystery that would stand along with the great writers of today. Laurel stuck to an area she knew, and was able to make the mystery rich with local imagery. The many twists and turns typical in a good mystery were nicely developed. Each time I put it down, I was eager to find what happened next. I don't want to write spoilers, but if you enjoy a good mystery in a rural college setting surrounded by national forest, you are in luck. Catch this Falling Star before all that is left is a crater!
September 13, 2014
One would think that if someone had a huge amount of reading to do for school over the weekend that they wouldn't want to spend anymore time reading. However, that wasn't true. I got the book on Saturday morning. While I did feel the beginning jumped a bit, it all made sense as the story and plot began to unfold. I stalled in doing my homework due to how engrossed I was by the book. Many twists and turns that will leave you wondering what will happen next. The characters are fleshed out and relatable and there's a good balance between action, description, and dialog. I did not expect the ending and was left satisfied once I finished the book. A recommended novel to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
(*Note: I was given a free copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review from the author through LibraryThing.)
(*Note: I was given a free copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review from the author through LibraryThing.)
June 22, 2014
I just finished this book and it's a great read. The characters are well drawn and believable. The descriptions are wonderful and let you "see" the area where the book takes place. The best part, though, was that I didn't see the ending coming. I read a lot of mysteries and can usually figure out how one is going to end. That didn't happen with this one. I had no clue. I love that. I highly recommend this book.
December 30, 2014
I enjoyed this book. It kind of reminded of of the tv series Murder She Wrote. I liked the characters and I enjoyed the interaction between them. I enjoyed the setting as well. Small towns are fun as settings. I live in one so I'm partial to a small town. It was a nice plot and a really good mystery. I like a good murder mystery. I'll be looking for more of the small town of Eden and its eclectic cast of characters.
June 8, 2014
This murder thriller mystery had me hooked right from the start and the characters came to life quickly.
From a botched robbery of a valuable artifact, the suspense built up to a brilliant conclusion with an ending I did not see coming and with a few twists on the way.
I can easily recommend this book as it was a thoroughly good read and I will definitely read more from this author.
From a botched robbery of a valuable artifact, the suspense built up to a brilliant conclusion with an ending I did not see coming and with a few twists on the way.
I can easily recommend this book as it was a thoroughly good read and I will definitely read more from this author.
October 11, 2014
I enjoyed the characters. would have like a longer story line with mike and kate, but all in all a very good book. The ending, wow , did not know it was going to end like that...
July 6, 2015
Very well written. Couldn't put it down. Kept my interest until the very end.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews