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McCabe & Savage Thriller #4
The Girl in the Glass
Two identical women.
Two identical murders. Two lives brutally cut short
108 years apart
June 1904.
Aimée Garnier Whitby, a beautiful French artist and wife of one of Maine's richest and most powerful men, is found near death on the Whitby family's private summer island, the letter "A" mysteriously carved into her chest.
June 2012.
Veronica Aimée Whitby, the eighteen-year-old descendant and virtual double of the first Aimée, becomes the victim of a near perfect copycat murder. With another beautiful, promising young Whitby woman slain, the media begin to swarm and pressure builds for Mike McCabe and Maggie Savage to bring the killer quickly to justice. But the key to solving Aimée's death just might have been buried with her beautiful ancestor.
The latest McCabe and Savage thriller from USA Today bestselling author James Hayman is a crackling, twisty novel of suspense, perfect for fans of J.A. Jance and John Sandford.
Two identical murders. Two lives brutally cut short
108 years apart
June 1904.
Aimée Garnier Whitby, a beautiful French artist and wife of one of Maine's richest and most powerful men, is found near death on the Whitby family's private summer island, the letter "A" mysteriously carved into her chest.
June 2012.
Veronica Aimée Whitby, the eighteen-year-old descendant and virtual double of the first Aimée, becomes the victim of a near perfect copycat murder. With another beautiful, promising young Whitby woman slain, the media begin to swarm and pressure builds for Mike McCabe and Maggie Savage to bring the killer quickly to justice. But the key to solving Aimée's death just might have been buried with her beautiful ancestor.
The latest McCabe and Savage thriller from USA Today bestselling author James Hayman is a crackling, twisty novel of suspense, perfect for fans of J.A. Jance and John Sandford.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2015
525 people are currently reading
1512 people want to read
About the author
James Hayman
13 books371 followersLike one of the heroes of my thrillers, Detective Sergeant Mike McCabe, I’m a native New Yorker. McCabe was born in the Bronx. I was born in Brooklyn. And we both grew up and spent much of our working lives in the New York City before eventually moving to Portland, Maine. However that’s where the similarities end.
McCabe, after spending a couple of years at NYU Film School, dropped out and decided to join the family business and become a cop first for the NYPD and then for the Portland PD.
For my part, I graduated from Brown University without having any idea whatsoever of what I wanted to do. All I knew was that the one salable skill I thought I possessed was the ability of dreaming things up and writing them down. After looking around I realized the only companies I could think of that would pay me to do both were on Madison Avenue. I joined a major New York advertising agency as a cub copywriter. Over the next few years I drifted to a couple of other agencies and finally settled in as a senior creative director at the agency I considered the best of the lot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the ad business and was good at it. I was well paid and spent my days dreaming up sometimes weird, sometimes funny, sometimes dopey ideas for mostly TV ad campaigns.
But before I knew it, more than 30 years had passed, my hair had turned from dark brown to silvery gray and I began to realize that Madison Avenue, like the Texas/Mexico border in Cormac McCarthy’s great thriller, was No Country for Old Men. My wife and I decided to pull up stakes and move full-time to a house we’d built right on the ocean on an island a mile and a half from the city of Portland.
Up in Maine I spent a couple of years writing freelance marketing pieces. But in 2005 I decided that if I didn’t start writing the suspense thriller I’d been itching to write for years, I probably never would. My first effort which I called The Cutting told the tale of an villainous surgeon who killed people to steal their hearts for use in illegal transplants. It took me nearly two years to write. But I stuck with it and when I’d finally finished with writing, polishing, editing and reediting I started looking for an agent. Wanting to shoot for the stars, I sent the manuscript and a cover letter to one of the top agents in the business, Meg Ruley of the Jane Rotrosen Agency in New York. Meg represented such top best selling thriller writers as Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner and Michael Palmer among others. Sending the book to Meg first was kind of a Hail Mary play on my part.
Hail Mary’s rarely work so a little more than a week later I was stunned when Meg called me in the UK where my wife and I were vacationing and after telling me she how much she liked the book, she asked “Have you sent this to any other agents?”
“Nope. None,” I replied. “You were the first.”
“Well don’t send it anyone else,” she said. “I’d like to represent you. That is if you’re interested.”
I’m not sure how I kept my cool but after no more than a few stutters and stammers, I did manage to let her know that yes, indeed, I was very interested in having her represent me.
Meg quickly sold The Cutting to major publishers in the both the US and seven other countries and I was off and running. Over the next seven years, I followed up on the success of that first book by writing five more McCabe/Savage thrillers: The Chill of Night, Darkness First, The Girl in the Glass, and The Girl on the Bridge, which collectively sold over half a million copies and made a bunch of best seller lists including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and my home town paper, the Portland Press Herald. My latest McCabe/Savage thriller, A Fatal Obsession, is the first of the series set outside of Maine, partly in New York City, partly in rural Connecticut. My publisher, Harper Collins, is bringing it out on August 21st both in paperback and e-book form.
McCabe, after spending a couple of years at NYU Film School, dropped out and decided to join the family business and become a cop first for the NYPD and then for the Portland PD.
For my part, I graduated from Brown University without having any idea whatsoever of what I wanted to do. All I knew was that the one salable skill I thought I possessed was the ability of dreaming things up and writing them down. After looking around I realized the only companies I could think of that would pay me to do both were on Madison Avenue. I joined a major New York advertising agency as a cub copywriter. Over the next few years I drifted to a couple of other agencies and finally settled in as a senior creative director at the agency I considered the best of the lot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the ad business and was good at it. I was well paid and spent my days dreaming up sometimes weird, sometimes funny, sometimes dopey ideas for mostly TV ad campaigns.
But before I knew it, more than 30 years had passed, my hair had turned from dark brown to silvery gray and I began to realize that Madison Avenue, like the Texas/Mexico border in Cormac McCarthy’s great thriller, was No Country for Old Men. My wife and I decided to pull up stakes and move full-time to a house we’d built right on the ocean on an island a mile and a half from the city of Portland.
Up in Maine I spent a couple of years writing freelance marketing pieces. But in 2005 I decided that if I didn’t start writing the suspense thriller I’d been itching to write for years, I probably never would. My first effort which I called The Cutting told the tale of an villainous surgeon who killed people to steal their hearts for use in illegal transplants. It took me nearly two years to write. But I stuck with it and when I’d finally finished with writing, polishing, editing and reediting I started looking for an agent. Wanting to shoot for the stars, I sent the manuscript and a cover letter to one of the top agents in the business, Meg Ruley of the Jane Rotrosen Agency in New York. Meg represented such top best selling thriller writers as Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner and Michael Palmer among others. Sending the book to Meg first was kind of a Hail Mary play on my part.
Hail Mary’s rarely work so a little more than a week later I was stunned when Meg called me in the UK where my wife and I were vacationing and after telling me she how much she liked the book, she asked “Have you sent this to any other agents?”
“Nope. None,” I replied. “You were the first.”
“Well don’t send it anyone else,” she said. “I’d like to represent you. That is if you’re interested.”
I’m not sure how I kept my cool but after no more than a few stutters and stammers, I did manage to let her know that yes, indeed, I was very interested in having her represent me.
Meg quickly sold The Cutting to major publishers in the both the US and seven other countries and I was off and running. Over the next seven years, I followed up on the success of that first book by writing five more McCabe/Savage thrillers: The Chill of Night, Darkness First, The Girl in the Glass, and The Girl on the Bridge, which collectively sold over half a million copies and made a bunch of best seller lists including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and my home town paper, the Portland Press Herald. My latest McCabe/Savage thriller, A Fatal Obsession, is the first of the series set outside of Maine, partly in New York City, partly in rural Connecticut. My publisher, Harper Collins, is bringing it out on August 21st both in paperback and e-book form.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
May 12, 2017
I think this catches me up on the series. Now I have to wait like everyone else for the next book to come out. If you haven't read these books then you're missing out. I have so enjoyed them and am glad a friend recommended the author to me.
Once again McCabe and Savage have a homicide on their hands. The victim is the young daughter of one of the state's wealthiest men. His worth is estimated at four billion dollars. This fact alone puts pressure on McCabe and Savage to solve the case. When it appears Aimee Whitby was sleeping with one of her teachers, their efforts are further complicated when the guy ends up missing. So what about the suicide note he sent his wife asking for forgiveness for what he's done? Did he kill himself after murdering Aimee even though he was leaving his wife and two children behind? And why take the time to carve an "A" in her chest if that was the case? But if not the teacher then who had a motive to kill her?
During the course of the investigation the detectives learn that Aimee's great grandmother was murdered as well and Aimee was the spitting image of the woman. Was there a link between the two cases or was the second Aimee's murder just a coincidence?
I loved that up until the end I hadn't a clue as to who did it and why. The author did a great job of keeping the guilty party a secret. Also liked the fact the characters continue to grow and develop with each new book. This time the possibility of something starting up between McCabe and Savage arises. This could pose problems for them down the road but look forward to finding out how it progresses.
Once again McCabe and Savage have a homicide on their hands. The victim is the young daughter of one of the state's wealthiest men. His worth is estimated at four billion dollars. This fact alone puts pressure on McCabe and Savage to solve the case. When it appears Aimee Whitby was sleeping with one of her teachers, their efforts are further complicated when the guy ends up missing. So what about the suicide note he sent his wife asking for forgiveness for what he's done? Did he kill himself after murdering Aimee even though he was leaving his wife and two children behind? And why take the time to carve an "A" in her chest if that was the case? But if not the teacher then who had a motive to kill her?
During the course of the investigation the detectives learn that Aimee's great grandmother was murdered as well and Aimee was the spitting image of the woman. Was there a link between the two cases or was the second Aimee's murder just a coincidence?
I loved that up until the end I hadn't a clue as to who did it and why. The author did a great job of keeping the guilty party a secret. Also liked the fact the characters continue to grow and develop with each new book. This time the possibility of something starting up between McCabe and Savage arises. This could pose problems for them down the road but look forward to finding out how it progresses.
December 17, 2015
Couldn't stop reading this, until I approached the end. The whole story just took a sharp turn, and at the end of the book you realize all the things that just don't add up with the big twist/solution. Haven't read the others in the series, probably will, but I thought the ending ruined what was a pretty interesting mystery.
September 3, 2015
Going in I wasn't sure what to expect. Two identical women killed in identical ways 108 years apart. Was it supernatural somehow? Was there a connection? What a I found was a solid mystery with a hefty supply of motives and no shortage of suspects.At 18, Aimee is no innocent and doesn't care who she hurts on the way to what she wants. I thought I had solved both mysteries a number of times only to be proven wrong. This was a super fast read and I really liked getting to know both Maggie Savage and McCabe. They're intelligent and flawed (especially McCabe) characters but don't let their problems affect the investigation. My only negative with this book was that the end wrapped up almost too quickly and seemed a little out of left field. Despite that it was a satisfying mystery and I'm really looking forward to my next McCabe and Savage book.
Full Review: http://iwishilivedinalibrary.blogspot...
March 31, 2021
I read this entire book in less than 24 hours. The Girl in the Glass was addictive and well written. It had everything I want in a thriller and kept me in suspense the whole time.
Aimee Garnier Whitby and Veronica Aimée Whitby both die the same way. They were both murdered and had an A carved into their chest. Aimee #1 (Aimee Garnier Whitby) is the great-great-grandmother to (Veronica Aimée Whitby) Aimee #2, so these two Aimee’s are 108 years apart. The Aimee Whitby in both eras are rich, successful, and very beautiful. Aimee in early 1900’s is a free spirit, an artist, and an adulterer. When she was murdered everyone suspected her lover, Mark, who was hired by her own husband to paint her portrait. Aimee #2 is the valedictorian of her school, rich, powerful, and about to celebrate her 18th birthday. The night of her graduation party, her father unveils the now infamous portrait, of Aimee Garnier Whitby. With their similar looks, Aimee #2 dresses up exactly like the girl in the portrait and that same night she suffers the same fate.
The way this story is laid out, with the fate of Aimee #1 being revealed right away, I was lead to believe Aimee #2 suffered the same fate. There are definitely some similarities in both cases; they look eerily similar, the both die on their own property, and they both had an A carved into their chest. The only real difference is that Aimee #2 is about 10 years younger than her great great grandmother at the time of her death. There is this idea that the family may be cursed or something having these two similar tragedies befall one family. So the best detectives are assigned to the case, McCabe and Savage.
The pressure is really on McCabe and Savage with the press breathing down their necks and no shortage of suspects. They are going to get to the bottom of this no matter what happened to Aimee #1. Several times the person I thought had done it was proven innocent. So I was kept guessing the whole time. Even the witness to Aimee #2’s murder didn’t make it clear for me, despite seeing the whole thing through her.
This story also involved a lot of broken marriages, complex families, and parental love. We get a close look at jealousy and sibling rivalry. The pace is right on with little cliffhangers at the end of every chapter. The flipping back and forth through time was well done and easy to decipher, even for me, a person that gets lost easily. I especially loved seeing how McCabe and Savage interact with each other. I loved how the author left us guessing about McCabe. I was guessing until the very end who done it, and why.
I really enjoyed this story despite a few small issues. I didn’t like that the story wrapped up so quickly. The ending felt a bit rushed. Also, this book had a lot of people contributing to the tale. I like to only follow one or two main characters throughout a story, so having so many POVs was a bit of a turn off. That is just my personal preference and shouldn’t deter you if you are a fan of mysteries. I would probably read another tale with McCabe and Savage by James Hayman. Maybe in the next one McCabe and Savage could be an item….maybe?
March 21, 2016
Parts of this book were pretty good. I did finish it, and I did find it was hard to put down. The story line was interesting, some of the characters were well formed and interesting.
BUT...
Much of this book reads like a VCR instruction manual. No prose, no beauty, no originality or creativity, just bland, straightforward details. Like he literally quoted a police report and stuck it in a novel as storyline.
And I don't know much about the author, but I wouldn't doubt it if either he was a not very good and boring cop who quit his cop job to write his crime novel and this was that product, or more accurately, someone who knows nothing about law, what cops are allowed to do, what they are allowed to say on press releases, but writes what is in his head regardless of any sense of realism, all the while refusing to have someone tell him what cops in the real world actually do.
The amount of plot holes, random story line leaps, and just plain either irrelevant or downright faulty or unrealistic details was at times overwhelming.
Only my OCD forced me to finish this book.
BUT...
Much of this book reads like a VCR instruction manual. No prose, no beauty, no originality or creativity, just bland, straightforward details. Like he literally quoted a police report and stuck it in a novel as storyline.
And I don't know much about the author, but I wouldn't doubt it if either he was a not very good and boring cop who quit his cop job to write his crime novel and this was that product, or more accurately, someone who knows nothing about law, what cops are allowed to do, what they are allowed to say on press releases, but writes what is in his head regardless of any sense of realism, all the while refusing to have someone tell him what cops in the real world actually do.
The amount of plot holes, random story line leaps, and just plain either irrelevant or downright faulty or unrealistic details was at times overwhelming.
Only my OCD forced me to finish this book.
February 4, 2016
James Hayman is a new mystery writer to me, and I will probably read other books in the series. A woman named Aimee Whitby is murdered in 1908 and her lover a suicide. A letter A was carved into her chest. Aimee#1 was the wife of a very wealthy man.
108 years later another Aimee Whitby, the daughter of very wealthy Whitby man of the same family line, a descendant of the original Aimee#1 and who looks very much like her is found murdered following her 18th birthday. Aimee#2 also has the letter a carved into her body. How could a copycat killer know about this letter carved into the first murdered woman as this was never disclosed to the public.?
To further add to the similarities the body of her English teacher is found and a note suggests suicide. It is discovered that he and Aimee were having an affair, and she wanted him to leave his pregnant wife. The investigators learn that many people disliked Aimee but admired her beauty. She was spoiled, used to getting her own way, mean to others, and no stranger to sex and alcohol. Also she was a talented artist, good in sports and a brilliant student.
The family situation was complicated. Aimee#2 had a sister the same age. They were brought up together, but had different mothers. The sister was more withdrawn and not as beautiful. Whitby made clear that Aimee was his favorite.
The detectives , Maggie Savage and her male partner McCabe, have a good personal and working relationship. They must interview family members,teachers, fellow students, the staff at the family estate, acquaintances and the widow of the English teacher. There are a number of likely suspects and secrets are revealed.
The conclusion was a disappointment for me. We do learn what happened to Aimee#1 so many years before which had been kept a secret. The killer of Aimee#2 comes completely out of left field, someone who had not been mentioned until the end. I always find this to be a cheat and annoyance in a book or movie.
Because the plot was intriguing and well paced I had planned to give it a higher rating. The motivation for the killing was a surprise.. The two detectives have personal problems but are likable and competent. The murderer was not introduced into the story until near its conclusion. Not the type of solution I care for.
2.5 stars
,
108 years later another Aimee Whitby, the daughter of very wealthy Whitby man of the same family line, a descendant of the original Aimee#1 and who looks very much like her is found murdered following her 18th birthday. Aimee#2 also has the letter a carved into her body. How could a copycat killer know about this letter carved into the first murdered woman as this was never disclosed to the public.?
To further add to the similarities the body of her English teacher is found and a note suggests suicide. It is discovered that he and Aimee were having an affair, and she wanted him to leave his pregnant wife. The investigators learn that many people disliked Aimee but admired her beauty. She was spoiled, used to getting her own way, mean to others, and no stranger to sex and alcohol. Also she was a talented artist, good in sports and a brilliant student.
The family situation was complicated. Aimee#2 had a sister the same age. They were brought up together, but had different mothers. The sister was more withdrawn and not as beautiful. Whitby made clear that Aimee was his favorite.
The detectives , Maggie Savage and her male partner McCabe, have a good personal and working relationship. They must interview family members,teachers, fellow students, the staff at the family estate, acquaintances and the widow of the English teacher. There are a number of likely suspects and secrets are revealed.
The conclusion was a disappointment for me. We do learn what happened to Aimee#1 so many years before which had been kept a secret. The killer of Aimee#2 comes completely out of left field, someone who had not been mentioned until the end. I always find this to be a cheat and annoyance in a book or movie.
Because the plot was intriguing and well paced I had planned to give it a higher rating. The motivation for the killing was a surprise.. The two detectives have personal problems but are likable and competent. The murderer was not introduced into the story until near its conclusion. Not the type of solution I care for.
2.5 stars
,
December 6, 2015
This book wasn't that great from the very beginning. The author contradicted himself a couple of times and a lot of the plot devices were just TOO convenient to make for a realistic, thrilling story. I finished it fast and I didn't entirely want to give up on it but I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone.
January 8, 2016
Good read
Interesting and some good plot twists - enjoyable and keeps you guessing and engaged. Hayman is a good writer - would read another by him.
Interesting and some good plot twists - enjoyable and keeps you guessing and engaged. Hayman is a good writer - would read another by him.
November 13, 2016
I just love this series. The excellence continues. 5 stars
January 10, 2019
This is the first book I have read in the series, and I found it fairly suspenseful and interesting. The hook in the story is the fact that a prominent family from Maine, the Whitbys, were heavily involved in industrial contracting work and in 1904, the up and coming son who was to lead the company wanted at least a year off after college so he could go to Paris to study art. Surprisingly, his father gave his permission. Obviously he knew Edward better than Edward knew himself. He indulged himself in all of his passion for art, food and carnal appetites. And then he met Aimee, the daughter of a French artist, in a drawing class he took. The two married against both sets of parents' wishes, and Aimee came with Edward back to Boston. They had three children, but Edward was wrapped up in the family business, and Aimee was unhappy in their marriage. Just as they had decided to try to work on the marriage and go back to Paris, Aimee's lover committed suicide, and Aimee blaming her husband, followed suit and jumped off a high cliff. Edward could not live with the story and forged letters, implying that Aimee was murdered; he did not want his three children to know the truth (they came close to being orphans). This was in 1924. In 2012, the great grandfather's namesake, Edward, had two daughters born four days apart; one to his wife at the time, Tracy, and one to his mistress whom he later married, Deidre. The two girls were named Aimee and Julia. It was obvious that Edward favored his first daughter because she was the very image of his great grandmother. And then on the night Aimee and Julia graduated from high school, Aimee is murdered, as is her married lover, who also happened to be her English teacher. On this evening, Byron, Aimee's lover, was breaking off the relationship with the young girl because his wife was just about ready to give birth again; he leaves to go down to his boat, and is attacked by someone & he uses Byron's phone to call Aimee to lure her to the dock, where she is murdered and Byron's body ends up floating to shore in the ensuing days. One of the officers is almost killed before they finally begin to make progress in the case. In the meantime, Whitby murdered his wife Deidre in a rage because she accused him of having sexual relations with Aimee, which he had not. It was very obvious to everyone that Edward favored Aimee over Julie and Edward of course was very much aware of this fact. This is one tangled, twisty story and it is up to McCabe and Savage to untangle all the strings so that they can finally find the person or persons responsible for several crimes. This was quite a thrill ride of a story.
July 16, 2017
Many dark twists and turns, a worthy thriller
A naked girl lies at the bottom of a cliff on rocks; crows are circling overhead, is she alive? Possibly, but where is she? Who is watching her? How did she get here?
Yet, here we have the same scenario with different possibilities and yet the same face...is it really so many decades years later? Or is the timeline reality? This book is sure to take many dark twists and turns in the hands of James Hayman. Even the title is a trick of the eye and must be glimpsed quickly.
The author has given us a conundrum, or has he? Something just doesn't compute and yet.... It's graduation, the elite members of family at the university are all on hand for their graduates and valedictorian to go through the process and the altruistic speeches. Two sisters sharing their day, but not really together. Has the green-eyed dragon of jealousy lifted his head?
The second body is found by a hospital intern when his dog obviously has picked up a scent, causing what is almost a humour break within the seriousness of the crime. Something totally unexpected which is bound to cause problems in solving the case! Crows and dogs, what else could mess up the crime scene?
These two crimes, so very close to identical but over a century apart, one wonders what ties them, if anything. Both girls were alive when discovered, but died before police arrived. Both suffered identical injuries. This is a very unique thriller, two cases, one definitely a very cold case. It's enough to make one think of ghosts or vampires, except that both are dead. I was really deep into the storyline as I read. Thrilling, convoluted, brilliant and fit for a movie, at least that's how it played out in my mind as I read. Expect the unexpected. A book that cries out for an all-night read, no stopping.
A naked girl lies at the bottom of a cliff on rocks; crows are circling overhead, is she alive? Possibly, but where is she? Who is watching her? How did she get here?
Yet, here we have the same scenario with different possibilities and yet the same face...is it really so many decades years later? Or is the timeline reality? This book is sure to take many dark twists and turns in the hands of James Hayman. Even the title is a trick of the eye and must be glimpsed quickly.
The author has given us a conundrum, or has he? Something just doesn't compute and yet.... It's graduation, the elite members of family at the university are all on hand for their graduates and valedictorian to go through the process and the altruistic speeches. Two sisters sharing their day, but not really together. Has the green-eyed dragon of jealousy lifted his head?
The second body is found by a hospital intern when his dog obviously has picked up a scent, causing what is almost a humour break within the seriousness of the crime. Something totally unexpected which is bound to cause problems in solving the case! Crows and dogs, what else could mess up the crime scene?
These two crimes, so very close to identical but over a century apart, one wonders what ties them, if anything. Both girls were alive when discovered, but died before police arrived. Both suffered identical injuries. This is a very unique thriller, two cases, one definitely a very cold case. It's enough to make one think of ghosts or vampires, except that both are dead. I was really deep into the storyline as I read. Thrilling, convoluted, brilliant and fit for a movie, at least that's how it played out in my mind as I read. Expect the unexpected. A book that cries out for an all-night read, no stopping.
May 6, 2021
The Girl in the Glass is book four in the McCabe & Savage Series by James Hayman. Detective Sergeant Mike McCabe caught the case of the death of a young woman. However, on arrival Detective Sergeant Mike McCabe realise that he knew the murder victim and her mother. However, at first, Detective Sergeant Mike McCabe did not know that an ancestor of Veronica Aimée Whitby dies on the same day hundred eight years apart. The readers of The Girl in the Glass will continue to follow Detective Sergeant Mike McCabe investigation to determine what happens.
Wow, another fantastic addition to this excellent series. I enjoyed the way James Hayman incorporated two plots into this story. I engaged with the plot of this story from the beginning, and I was sad when I read the last page. I love James Hayman's portrayal of the characters of The Girl in the Glass and how they interact with each other throughout this book. I like James Hayman's description of The Girl in the Glass's settings that allow me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of the Girl in the Glass will learn about the consequences of jealousy on families. Also, the readers of Girl in the Glass will understand the problems the homeless have on the streets of Portland, Maine.
I recommend this book.
Wow, another fantastic addition to this excellent series. I enjoyed the way James Hayman incorporated two plots into this story. I engaged with the plot of this story from the beginning, and I was sad when I read the last page. I love James Hayman's portrayal of the characters of The Girl in the Glass and how they interact with each other throughout this book. I like James Hayman's description of The Girl in the Glass's settings that allow me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of the Girl in the Glass will learn about the consequences of jealousy on families. Also, the readers of Girl in the Glass will understand the problems the homeless have on the streets of Portland, Maine.
I recommend this book.
December 21, 2022
I listened to the audiobook version of this. My partial dissatisfaction with this book may have been due at least in part to that. The narrator bothered me. Especially when he blatantly mispronounced the names of places here in Maine. (One would think that this would have been taken care of from the start.) Houlton is pronounced Hole-ton, not Hool-ton, just as one example. Also his portrayal of the female characters was bothersome. The voice used for them gave me the impression that they were whiny and petulant. Now, on to the writing.
As far as legal/police thrillers/mysteries, this one was not amongst my favorites. It was the first in this series, and I doubt I will read others. There was little depth to the characters. And it was the same old trope. Drunk, lonely male cop with a female cop waiting in the wings for him to smarten up. While the case presented in this volume might have been interesting, the writing detracted from it. Also, maybe it just was more pronounced in the audio version, but I became slightly annoyed with the author's mention of make and model of the vehicles used by characters. As well as where and how they carried their weapons. It felt like he was trying to show off his knowledge. So, in the end, this book just wasn't for me. But I gave it the third star because the crime was marginally interesting.
As far as legal/police thrillers/mysteries, this one was not amongst my favorites. It was the first in this series, and I doubt I will read others. There was little depth to the characters. And it was the same old trope. Drunk, lonely male cop with a female cop waiting in the wings for him to smarten up. While the case presented in this volume might have been interesting, the writing detracted from it. Also, maybe it just was more pronounced in the audio version, but I became slightly annoyed with the author's mention of make and model of the vehicles used by characters. As well as where and how they carried their weapons. It felt like he was trying to show off his knowledge. So, in the end, this book just wasn't for me. But I gave it the third star because the crime was marginally interesting.
February 19, 2020
Not as straight forward as the other books in the series making it a plot twist at the end.
May 9, 2023
Plot. Police procedural series based in Providence, Rhode Island. The cases are who-done-it murder mysteries with twists, some obvious, some surprising.
Liked. Clever plots, no explicit sex, no offensive language. These are murder mysteries, and some scenes are a bit grizzly but nothing gratuitous. There are five novels as of this writing, giving a nice long listen of nearly 50 hours. But, each book has a beginning-middle-end. Start with The Cutting for character continuity.
Not so hot. Narration is a bit stilted and unnatural, but listenable. No trouble discerning who is speaking to whom. Bumped the speed to 1.5.
Written by James Hayman and narrated by Stephen Mendel. All novels in the area of 10 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released from 2015 through 2017 by HarperAudio.
Liked. Clever plots, no explicit sex, no offensive language. These are murder mysteries, and some scenes are a bit grizzly but nothing gratuitous. There are five novels as of this writing, giving a nice long listen of nearly 50 hours. But, each book has a beginning-middle-end. Start with The Cutting for character continuity.
Not so hot. Narration is a bit stilted and unnatural, but listenable. No trouble discerning who is speaking to whom. Bumped the speed to 1.5.
Written by James Hayman and narrated by Stephen Mendel. All novels in the area of 10 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released from 2015 through 2017 by HarperAudio.
July 28, 2020
Jealousy is an age-old motivator for bad deeds. This novel attempted to inspire interest by telling the story twice, once about the grandmother and also about her granddaughter. However, the story seemed a bit contrived to me. I know this book was written many years ago, but, I was still dismayed about the trivialization of the homeless woman's personality. Perhaps we have more of a homeless situation these days, and, a different perspective, thanks to Major Libby!
August 19, 2019
A good thriller but not James Hayman's best.
March 22, 2016
An interesting premise.....2 women named Aimee from the same Maine family are murdered over 100 years apart. The earlier murder is never truly solved and there are still unanswered questions. It appears that the second murder may also go truly unsolved. The Whitby family of Maine has long been one of the state's leading residents. And young Aimee has been brought up believing she is a princess. Always a little ahead of her half-twin Julia. Aimee truly believes that the world owes her everything.
The book is well written but a little slow as it tells the story of the two Aimees. The flashbacks paint in the story from the early 1900s , while the balance of the book attempts to catch the murderer of the modern Aimee. The pace quickens but the current murder gets more complicated as the book races to a surprise finish.
The book is well written but a little slow as it tells the story of the two Aimees. The flashbacks paint in the story from the early 1900s , while the balance of the book attempts to catch the murderer of the modern Aimee. The pace quickens but the current murder gets more complicated as the book races to a surprise finish.
November 2, 2015
By most of my criteria this book should only get a solid three stars. But despite the fact that it wasn't particularly tense or suspenseful, it was an eminently readable story with engaging characters. Ah, the curse of being too beautiful and perfect (not something I've ever had to worry about ha ha).
February 3, 2016
I really enjoyed the story, I felt it was creative and different. I plan to read more by this author.
I gave this book 3 stars due to the amount of personal issues experienced by the main character. It is not that I dislike 3 dimensional characters with families and relationships that are learning how to juggle work and life, I just don't like when it overshadows the story.
I gave this book 3 stars due to the amount of personal issues experienced by the main character. It is not that I dislike 3 dimensional characters with families and relationships that are learning how to juggle work and life, I just don't like when it overshadows the story.
January 10, 2016
A great whodunit
You stay guessing who did it until the very end of the book. The character development is great to watch, and helps you to understand all the complicated relationships and personalities. Wonderful read.
You stay guessing who did it until the very end of the book. The character development is great to watch, and helps you to understand all the complicated relationships and personalities. Wonderful read.
January 2, 2016
Intriguing Mystery
A must read for all mystery thriller buffs! Story line is engaging and plot and clues twist and turn in direction. Do not begin unless you have time dedicated to the end of this great novel!
A must read for all mystery thriller buffs! Story line is engaging and plot and clues twist and turn in direction. Do not begin unless you have time dedicated to the end of this great novel!
March 11, 2016
Meh. It was a free Amazon prime kindle download. One of those murder mysteries where nearly every character has a motive and is a possible suspect. The final reveal was pretty dumb and anticlimactic.
December 21, 2015
Hayman's "The Girl in the Glass" is alright. Just alright. If you want a murder mystery that you can solve by clues given in the book - this is not for you
May 12, 2016
Excellently written.
This was a very good mystery. It was impossible to guess who dunnit. I was totally engrossed from page one. Will there be another McCabe and Savage book?
This was a very good mystery. It was impossible to guess who dunnit. I was totally engrossed from page one. Will there be another McCabe and Savage book?
February 6, 2017
great murder mystery, never saw it coming!!!!
May 19, 2019
As a fan of James Hayman’s McCabe and Savage series, I was curious to see how he would handle ‘Two identical women. Two identical murders. Two lives brutally cut short108 years apart’. It sounded like a daunting task, but the author comes through in The Girl in the Glass.
Beginning in 1904 with the beautiful wife of a rich and powerful man discovered on a rock with the cold Maine sea spraying her nude body, the story takes off dramatically. Aimee Marie Garnier Whitby is a French artist who is married to Edward Whitby. She can’t remember how she came to be lying paralyzed on the rock on her husband’s property on Whitby Island. Carved into the young woman’s chest is the letter “A”.
One hundred and eight years later Aimee’s great-great-granddaughter Veronica Aimee is graduating from high school. Almost identical in appearance to her long-dead relative, Aimee is intelligent and beautiful and soon to be dead.
Hayman connects these murders with skill, revealing the mysteries of both in historical clues and hints at what happened to the present-day Aimee. With an extensive cast of characters, Hayman manages to keep the past separated from the present. McCabe and Savage solve the mysteries of two crimes in this tightly woven suspense-filled tale of passion, jealousy, and revenge.
Along with the solid crime story is the growing relationship between McCabe and Savage. Mike McCabe’s girlfriend Kyra has left him and he is no longer unavailable. This opens exciting possibilities for followers of the series. I know my romance antennae went up with hope and anticipation.
The characters in this book are well developed as Hayman shows his skill at creating diversity in his representations. The clever use of the journal written by Aimee of the past gives great insight into what makes her tick and how she ended up at the bottom of a cliff. Her observations of the people in her life and her responses make sense of what seems at first to be no more than a tragic death. In fact, I found the journal entries my favorite parts of the book. Hayman has a good grasp of the time period and its customs.
I’m hooked on this series and dread the day it ends. If you’re looking for a creative crime story this belongs high on your to be read list. Keep them coming, Mr. Hayman!
Beginning in 1904 with the beautiful wife of a rich and powerful man discovered on a rock with the cold Maine sea spraying her nude body, the story takes off dramatically. Aimee Marie Garnier Whitby is a French artist who is married to Edward Whitby. She can’t remember how she came to be lying paralyzed on the rock on her husband’s property on Whitby Island. Carved into the young woman’s chest is the letter “A”.
One hundred and eight years later Aimee’s great-great-granddaughter Veronica Aimee is graduating from high school. Almost identical in appearance to her long-dead relative, Aimee is intelligent and beautiful and soon to be dead.
Hayman connects these murders with skill, revealing the mysteries of both in historical clues and hints at what happened to the present-day Aimee. With an extensive cast of characters, Hayman manages to keep the past separated from the present. McCabe and Savage solve the mysteries of two crimes in this tightly woven suspense-filled tale of passion, jealousy, and revenge.
Along with the solid crime story is the growing relationship between McCabe and Savage. Mike McCabe’s girlfriend Kyra has left him and he is no longer unavailable. This opens exciting possibilities for followers of the series. I know my romance antennae went up with hope and anticipation.
The characters in this book are well developed as Hayman shows his skill at creating diversity in his representations. The clever use of the journal written by Aimee of the past gives great insight into what makes her tick and how she ended up at the bottom of a cliff. Her observations of the people in her life and her responses make sense of what seems at first to be no more than a tragic death. In fact, I found the journal entries my favorite parts of the book. Hayman has a good grasp of the time period and its customs.
I’m hooked on this series and dread the day it ends. If you’re looking for a creative crime story this belongs high on your to be read list. Keep them coming, Mr. Hayman!
February 3, 2017
Two women named Aimee, born a century apart and members of the same wealthy and well connected lineage die under similar circumstances. The murder of the modern day Aimee is being investigated by detectives Mike McCabe and Maggie Savage who are called to the family’s private island to investigate. The pressure for them to solve the crime is doubled due to the family’s position in the community and the desires of Aimee’s devoted and obsessive father. Needless to say, 21st century Aimee, although beautiful and popular, is not the sweet young thing her father believes her to be. Her sexual preferences coupled with her unending supply of money guarantee that she can have anything and anybody she wants and therein lays the problem.
Twentieth century Aimee is a talented artist whose body was found at the bottom of a cliff on the Whitby’s island with a letter “A” carved into her chest and assumed to have been murdered by a jealous lover. Both women are physically identical in appearance and both have been involved in unsavory scandals. Is there some sort of connection, other than a familial one, between the two murders? It’s up to McCabe and Savage to find out while attempting to resolve their own personal problems.
THE GIRL IN THE GLASS is a cleverly presented mystery with more than a few red herrings to keep the reader engrossed as well as a “will they or won’t they” aspect in the relationship between McCabe and Savage.
Twentieth century Aimee is a talented artist whose body was found at the bottom of a cliff on the Whitby’s island with a letter “A” carved into her chest and assumed to have been murdered by a jealous lover. Both women are physically identical in appearance and both have been involved in unsavory scandals. Is there some sort of connection, other than a familial one, between the two murders? It’s up to McCabe and Savage to find out while attempting to resolve their own personal problems.
THE GIRL IN THE GLASS is a cleverly presented mystery with more than a few red herrings to keep the reader engrossed as well as a “will they or won’t they” aspect in the relationship between McCabe and Savage.
February 16, 2021
Aimée Garnier Whitby was murdered in 1904. Veronica Aimée Whitby is her modern-day descendant. Not only does she look like the original Aimée, but she also inherited her artistic ability. Having just graduated from high school, Aimée is poised to take on the world, college, and a life with her secret lover. Her plans come to a crashing halt when she is murdered. Maggie and McCabe are assigned the case.
A great deal of the book deals with the diary of the original Aimée. Her murder serves as a blueprint for that of her great-granddaughter. While fascinating, it is also a distraction. The original Aimée is by far a more interesting and less self-centered character. It is hard to have sympathy for the present-day Aimée. She just isn't very likable.
McCabe is also a disappointment in this one. His attitude toward his ex-wife has gotten worse with each book. His girlfriend who has been with him during this series finally has enough. He constantly puts the job before everything in his life. Maggie his work partner calls him on his drinking. I am still not sure McCabe realizes he shares some of the blame for the state of his love life and the disappointments he has caused.
A great deal of the book deals with the diary of the original Aimée. Her murder serves as a blueprint for that of her great-granddaughter. While fascinating, it is also a distraction. The original Aimée is by far a more interesting and less self-centered character. It is hard to have sympathy for the present-day Aimée. She just isn't very likable.
McCabe is also a disappointment in this one. His attitude toward his ex-wife has gotten worse with each book. His girlfriend who has been with him during this series finally has enough. He constantly puts the job before everything in his life. Maggie his work partner calls him on his drinking. I am still not sure McCabe realizes he shares some of the blame for the state of his love life and the disappointments he has caused.
December 29, 2016
Again Mr. Hayman's writing style is brilliant. I really enjoy the duo of Maggie and McCabe. Their easy friendship is enjoyable. Please don't have them get together romantically; it would only spoil things.
A young woman (who's full of herself) is raped and murdered. She is the daughter of a very wealthy man. It is McCabe and Maggie's job to seek out the killer. What appears obvious at first is not the case. We are led on a chase through clues and interviews to the conclusion. I must admit that the murderer came as a surprise that I didn't see coming at all.
This book moves fast and furious. The writing style and plotting are very good and the book is typo-free. I almost couldn't believe that I read it as quickly as I did. I truly enjoy the Maggie and McCabe mysteries and look forward to reading more of their adventures.
A young woman (who's full of herself) is raped and murdered. She is the daughter of a very wealthy man. It is McCabe and Maggie's job to seek out the killer. What appears obvious at first is not the case. We are led on a chase through clues and interviews to the conclusion. I must admit that the murderer came as a surprise that I didn't see coming at all.
This book moves fast and furious. The writing style and plotting are very good and the book is typo-free. I almost couldn't believe that I read it as quickly as I did. I truly enjoy the Maggie and McCabe mysteries and look forward to reading more of their adventures.
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