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Kate Fansler Mystery #12
The Puzzled Heart
Feminist scholar (and senior citizen) Carolyn Heilbrun has been writing and lecturing for years about the unique freedom women gain from being old and thus "invisible" in our culture. Writing under the name of Amanda Cross, she continues to explore this theme in another of her popular academic mysteries featuring feminist professor Kate Fansler.
In The Puzzled Heart, Fansler's husband, Reed, has been kidnapped, and the ransom demand requires Kate to give up her left-leaning politics and join the Christian Right. Instead, Kate turns to septuagenarian detective Harriet Furst, a woman whose advanced age allows her to "move about the world unseen" as she gathers clues. It doesn't take long for Harriet to find Reed, but discovering who was behind the kidnapping proves more difficult. In the course of exposing the culprit, Cross entertains her audience with the kind of highly literate, witty writing and outspoken politics that have been hallmarks of Kate Fansler mysteries for the past 30 years.
In The Puzzled Heart, Fansler's husband, Reed, has been kidnapped, and the ransom demand requires Kate to give up her left-leaning politics and join the Christian Right. Instead, Kate turns to septuagenarian detective Harriet Furst, a woman whose advanced age allows her to "move about the world unseen" as she gathers clues. It doesn't take long for Harriet to find Reed, but discovering who was behind the kidnapping proves more difficult. In the course of exposing the culprit, Cross entertains her audience with the kind of highly literate, witty writing and outspoken politics that have been hallmarks of Kate Fansler mysteries for the past 30 years.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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About the author
Amanda Cross
51 books57 followersA psuedonym of Carolyn G. Heilbrun.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
October 16, 2022
Kate Fansler uncharacteristically falls apart when her husband is kidnapped and she is told that he will not be released unless she publishes an essay retracting everything she has ever written or said about feminism; fortunately for Kate, friends are able to figure out who has kidnapped Reed and to free him quite quickly. But the worry remains: the plotters of this action clearly have Kate in their sights, evidently for her outspoken feminist beliefs; unless, perhaps, their wrath is a little more personal than that…. “The Puzzled Heart” was published in 1998 and rails against various right-wing figures of that time, such as Pat Buchanan and Pat Robertson. The thing that got to me in this, the 12th book in the Kate Fansler mystery series, is that some 24 years later, things are so much worse for women in the US than they were when this was published, which is just depressing. Also, we are introduced to Kate’s “best friend” Leslie, a character who has never appeared in the previous 11 books, which I found quite jarring, to say the least. I would recommend the book for those (like me) wanting to read the complete series, otherwise give it a miss unless you want to wallow in frustration over the current state of the world.
September 15, 2017
I'm not sure Cross is at her best here, though the book was quite readable. My impression is primarily of dialogue--perhaps too much of it, as well as of scotch, which Harriet seemed positively marinated in. I like Kate and Reed, but at times I had the feeling I was reading an exercise in "do something different with Reed." I hope there will be a 13th Kate Fansler mystery, and I hope it will involve more new characters and more of the literary verve that inhabits the first 11 books more than this one. Although I must admit to appreciating the jabs at the scary right wing, sometimes that also felt a bit forced. Or maybe I'm just too informed about the scary right to appreciate what she did with it.
June 13, 2019
Always well written if a bit stiff.
March 9, 2024
Kate Fansler is distraught when her husband Reed is kidnapped and instead of a ransom note comes a demand to recant her feminist beliefs in the national press. Is this a college prank gone wrong, a dangerous threat from right wing extremists, or a personal vendetta against Kate?
In one way it’s bizarre to read this 1998 book 25 years later. Kate thinks she is living in an age of dangerous and violent extremism and in one way it seems terribly melodramatic and in another tragically prescient. But even with the reality of today’s political extremism in mind, there is something a little unreal about this kidnapping to me. Maybe it’s the way Kate tries to solve it herself with the help of friends, one of whom is a professional PI. Maybe it’s the way she and they all seem to agree that if it’s a college prank that’s not as serious as some of the other options - Kate a man was forcibly detained! And I just can’t believe in young women students agreeing to participate in a honey trap of an unknown man that would get them chucked out of university, just for fun. All that aside, it is always good to spend time with Kate and her circle: in spite of the threats to her reputation and life, I’d love to live her life. So unnecessarily convoluted as a detective story IMHO, but an interesting reminder of the world just before the internet changed the landscape of political disagreement and personal antipathies forever.
In one way it’s bizarre to read this 1998 book 25 years later. Kate thinks she is living in an age of dangerous and violent extremism and in one way it seems terribly melodramatic and in another tragically prescient. But even with the reality of today’s political extremism in mind, there is something a little unreal about this kidnapping to me. Maybe it’s the way Kate tries to solve it herself with the help of friends, one of whom is a professional PI. Maybe it’s the way she and they all seem to agree that if it’s a college prank that’s not as serious as some of the other options - Kate a man was forcibly detained! And I just can’t believe in young women students agreeing to participate in a honey trap of an unknown man that would get them chucked out of university, just for fun. All that aside, it is always good to spend time with Kate and her circle: in spite of the threats to her reputation and life, I’d love to live her life. So unnecessarily convoluted as a detective story IMHO, but an interesting reminder of the world just before the internet changed the landscape of political disagreement and personal antipathies forever.
September 6, 2023
I love Amanda Cross's Kate Fansler books, but they clearly went off towards the end of the series. This one and Honest Doubt are pale imitations of the early novels - No Word From Winifred, The Players Come Again, Sweet Death Kind Death, etc.
I've given it 2 stars because I can't quite give up on Kate, and this one did at least keep me reading to the end, but I found the plot not only ridiculous and contorted but also uninteresting. I also felt that Kate seemed to have turned into rather a needy, silly woman, whereas in the earlier books she was so feisty and funny. There was almost none of the old witty banter between her, Reed and her friends. And, as another comment has already asked, who on earth is Leslie? Kate's best friend (we are told) seems to have materialised from nowhere. What happened to (eg) Phyllis?
The St Bernard puppy was probably the best character!
I've given it 2 stars because I can't quite give up on Kate, and this one did at least keep me reading to the end, but I found the plot not only ridiculous and contorted but also uninteresting. I also felt that Kate seemed to have turned into rather a needy, silly woman, whereas in the earlier books she was so feisty and funny. There was almost none of the old witty banter between her, Reed and her friends. And, as another comment has already asked, who on earth is Leslie? Kate's best friend (we are told) seems to have materialised from nowhere. What happened to (eg) Phyllis?
The St Bernard puppy was probably the best character!
January 7, 2019
This is the first book I've read in this series, and while part of it was enjoyable there were a lot of little niggling things that put me off.
Some of the characters were pretty flat, and for someone in a University English Department have one of her characters who held the same position use a phrase like 'in back of' instead of 'behind' seemed to be pushing credibility.
The other niggles have been well covered in some of the previous reviews so I'll leave it at that and start at the beginning of the series, which is apparently better.
Some of the characters were pretty flat, and for someone in a University English Department have one of her characters who held the same position use a phrase like 'in back of' instead of 'behind' seemed to be pushing credibility.
The other niggles have been well covered in some of the previous reviews so I'll leave it at that and start at the beginning of the series, which is apparently better.
December 11, 2020
Reed gets kidnapped. Kate gets a St Bernard puppy. Friends gather round to help. A murder occurs. Kate gets beat up trying to save the puppy. There's a lot going on in this book! We meet Harriet from An Imperfect Spy again, now in partnership as a private investigator. The radical right threatens Reed to get Kate to disavow her feminism, as she searches her mind to remember who in her past could have held a grudge and hated her for so long. This was a re-read, but I read it in one long day (minor benefit of insomnia.) Excellent book!
July 16, 2025
I love the Kate Fansler mysteries, but this one was a bit disappointing - the conversations lacked their usual sparkle, the characters did not stay true to themselves and the situations were more far-fetched than usual.
That said - I would rather have read it than not read it, so a good, solid 3 stars.
That said - I would rather have read it than not read it, so a good, solid 3 stars.
July 24, 2019
Possibly the most literary, feminist read in ages. Yes, it may be a bit dated 1998-email is still the means of communication, but plenty of plays on words, & realistic portrayal of a St Bernard's heart.
July 29, 2019
This one was soooo complicated that I lost the thread a couple of times, but as usual Amanda kept me guessing until the very end, with depth of each new character and old firend brought into the story. Besides, a big St. Bernard puppy sounds delightful!
May 20, 2017
There were several things in here that were fairly unbelievable about the central event, in general liked the characters, so will try reading another of her books, this was my first.
July 17, 2017
Great book!
September 3, 2019
Always a good fast read. The mystery is good but the setting (loosely) of higher education makes it fun too.
May 11, 2021
Some of the plots, this one included, are more outlandish than balanced by good dialogue and excellent literary references.
September 8, 2021
Strange book that is both a mystery and an interesting picture of the late 1990s culture wars as refracted through a bonkers kidnapping.
December 10, 2022
If you read this book written in 1998, you will recognize all that is happening now in history.
April 5, 2023
This series is a bit self conscious, and includes political preaching. The puzzles and the protagonist and her husband still provide good reading.
October 5, 2024
A literary mystery for those who like a more highbrow prose peppered with Auden quotes sprinkled liberally with single malt Scotch.
December 21, 2011
The Puzzled Heart by Amanda Cross is the twelfth book in the Kate Fansler series set in 1990s New York City. Kate Fansler is a university professor; her husband Reed Amhearst is an attorney. Both consider themselves liberals.
Reed is kidnapped, and Kate receives a note demanding that she repudiate her feminist beliefs in print, or Reed will be killed.
Kate turns to friends for help. Her friend Harriet is partners with Toni in a private eye firm. They bring Kate a Saint Bernard puppy "Bancroft" (Banny for short) as an elaborate cover for frequent meetings to discuss strategy. They investigate right-wing groups who may have student contacts with Kate. They find where Reed is held captive and free him. However they still need to uncover the organizers of the deed.
Kate's friend Leslie suggests that the underlying motive may have been personal revenge, not political publicity. Kate eventually remembers an incident from her past in which she made an enemy.
When Kate confronts her enemy, she and the dog are in mortal danger. But even after the attack, it is unclear how and why events unfolded. Kate and her close friends pool their knowledge to unravel the complicated plot.
Years ago I read and enjoyed the earlier books in the series. This book doesn't have much action; it is primarily a string of conversations between Kate and her friends. As I recall, the series does primarily focus on hypotheses rather than action. I could not identify with any of the characters, and have lost interest in the series.
Reed is kidnapped, and Kate receives a note demanding that she repudiate her feminist beliefs in print, or Reed will be killed.
Kate turns to friends for help. Her friend Harriet is partners with Toni in a private eye firm. They bring Kate a Saint Bernard puppy "Bancroft" (Banny for short) as an elaborate cover for frequent meetings to discuss strategy. They investigate right-wing groups who may have student contacts with Kate. They find where Reed is held captive and free him. However they still need to uncover the organizers of the deed.
Kate's friend Leslie suggests that the underlying motive may have been personal revenge, not political publicity. Kate eventually remembers an incident from her past in which she made an enemy.
When Kate confronts her enemy, she and the dog are in mortal danger. But even after the attack, it is unclear how and why events unfolded. Kate and her close friends pool their knowledge to unravel the complicated plot.
Years ago I read and enjoyed the earlier books in the series. This book doesn't have much action; it is primarily a string of conversations between Kate and her friends. As I recall, the series does primarily focus on hypotheses rather than action. I could not identify with any of the characters, and have lost interest in the series.
March 14, 2017
I wasn't impressed. It took a little while for me to get into the story, and I set it down for a while because it didn't hold my interest. I get stubborn sometimes and picked it up to read again, and the first passage involving the adoption of the dog held my interest. Soon after, it got stilted again. This is the second book in a few months that I checked the copy write, and found it was written in the late 1990s. I also found out the author wrote a bunch of them, is now deceased, and used to be a college professor. Well, that explained all the extra words and dialog, I guess. This book is probably considered a Cozy or cozy mystery, and I have read them before and enjoyed them. This one just kept losing me. From the stilted pandering to womens' rights vs. right wing extremists (topical to 2016, just not in this context), to the zipping from one plot twist to another with no rhyme or reason (although there is always a meeting of characters to discuss how they made these conclusions...). I don't really recommend it, and I most likely would not read another Kate Fanssler mystery.
October 22, 2012
I would never have read this book other than for the fact that I had run out of reading material just before a 15 hour flight. I strongly suspected that I wouldn't like the book shortly after starting it, and my dislike grew as I continued reading, and I would have never finished it if I had not been stuck on an airplane without other reading material.
I found the mystery/conspiracy extremely far fetched and based almost entirely on ridiculous coincidences and happenstance, rather than anything believable. I could get over that if it weren't for the terrible writing, which read to me like a strange combination of a very well educated but extremely pedantic bore and someone with absolutely no ability to write well. I was very surprised to read at the end of the book that the author, Carolyn Heilbrun is a professor at Columbia, as the style of writing seems far below that of a well-regarded professor, but then again, it is a mystery so maybe she was trying for an entertaining and easy read. If that's the case, she certainly failed in my opinion.
I found the mystery/conspiracy extremely far fetched and based almost entirely on ridiculous coincidences and happenstance, rather than anything believable. I could get over that if it weren't for the terrible writing, which read to me like a strange combination of a very well educated but extremely pedantic bore and someone with absolutely no ability to write well. I was very surprised to read at the end of the book that the author, Carolyn Heilbrun is a professor at Columbia, as the style of writing seems far below that of a well-regarded professor, but then again, it is a mystery so maybe she was trying for an entertaining and easy read. If that's the case, she certainly failed in my opinion.
August 27, 2014
At long last Cross wrote a book with a little complexity to it, and it is high time. It is strange, she really is not a very good author, although she clearly tries, and I think her academic work under her legal name (Carolyn Heilbrun) is supposed to be good; I have not read it yet. But she cannot seem to hold the actuality of the world in her mind, the way she writes it is all upon a screen, painted and interesting but not true.
This one has more complexity with the kidnapping of Reed, in that Kate's reactions to it seem a little more real, and the book actually looks for a few minutes at marriage and relationship and violence, and has some nuance. But it is faint, faint. This was not a bad book, which is annoying because if these books were awful I would just quit reading them. They are lower-mediocre, I think, with a few minutes here and there that are good enough I decide to do the next. There are two more, which I will read to finish, but I assure my future self, there is no reason to go back to reread them, even the ones (such as this one) which I enjoyed the most.
This one has more complexity with the kidnapping of Reed, in that Kate's reactions to it seem a little more real, and the book actually looks for a few minutes at marriage and relationship and violence, and has some nuance. But it is faint, faint. This was not a bad book, which is annoying because if these books were awful I would just quit reading them. They are lower-mediocre, I think, with a few minutes here and there that are good enough I decide to do the next. There are two more, which I will read to finish, but I assure my future self, there is no reason to go back to reread them, even the ones (such as this one) which I enjoyed the most.
January 28, 2017
Kate Fansier's husband, Reed, has been kidnapped - and will be killed unless Kate obeys the carefully delineated directives of a ransom note. Tormented by her own puzzled heart, Kate seeks solace and wise counsel from friends both old and new. But who precisely is the enemy? Is he or she a vengeful colleague? A hostile student? A political terrorist? The questions mount as Kate searches for Reed - accompanied by her trusty new companion, a Saint Bernard puppy named Bancroft. Hovering near Kate and Bancroft are rampant cruelties and calculated menace. The moment is ripe for murder...
Sounds pretty interesting right? Nope. I am not even sure if I finished reading this book fully though, to be honest. I didn't like the way it was written, the word choices through me off. I didn't find it interesting or suspenseful at all. Also, I don't know why throwing in the bit about the dog was so important that it made it into the cover teaser.
Sounds pretty interesting right? Nope. I am not even sure if I finished reading this book fully though, to be honest. I didn't like the way it was written, the word choices through me off. I didn't find it interesting or suspenseful at all. Also, I don't know why throwing in the bit about the dog was so important that it made it into the cover teaser.
April 26, 2009
I've read a couple of other Kate Fansler books before, and found them utterly irresistable - well written, charming, understated books about an academic who finds herself caught up in mysteries. This one, however, was a bit disappointing for me. It felt a little too heavy-handed politically, with a shaky and uninteresting story to support the politics. Now I'm not sure if I want to try again with another Amanda Cross novel, or just give up on her. I'm not exactly a right-winged conservative - the people she rails against throughout the book for their evil deeds - but I may not be feminist enough to fully appreciate her.
April 16, 2008
This is the third or fourth Amanda Cross' Kate Fansler mystery, and I have tried to like them because I like the literary/English professor setting, but I personally find the main character someone I cannot warm up to no matter how much time I give her. This will be my last. The mystery itself is pretty good, but I had to fight to stick with it. I read this as a library book and had to laugh that someone had penciled in grammatical corrections throughout the book since Carolyn Heilbrun alias Amanda Cross is a respected English professor in her day job.
June 21, 2010
Not two stars really, more like one-and-a-half. I loved Harriet (I shall always love Harriet), and some of the writing/quipping/quoting in the first half of the book was good, but the plot felt super strained (as if she felt pressured to cram in some 'action' after people complaining about how the series was mainly about Kate drinking, talking and thinking and going to parties?), I greatly disliked the mystery solution and the characters felt like v thin cardboard. It wasn't as much of a hot dismaying mess as, say, Making Money, but reading it was not enjoyable.
July 22, 2015
Well.... I remember absolutely loving the fee Kate Fansler mysteries (James Joyce, Death in a tenured position, etc) and was looking forward to this when I found this in a thrift store. It has some very good moments (and lovely points where things are cited from literature) but overall I was disappointed. Not completely sure why---perhaps because it was not set so deeply within academia and instead was more about feminism and politics in the world in general....
September 7, 2007
the only Fansler novel i didn't like - a case of too much good politics making for bad art. most of the book is about how terrible anti-feminists are, and while i subscribe to most of what cross says, the effect is to make the puzzled heart less of a thriller and more of a thinly disguised polemic.
August 1, 2012
I liked reading Amanda Cross many years ago but had never read her last couple of Kate Fansler mysteries. I still enjoy the Kate Fansler character and the author's use of language but I'm afraid of the plot of this novel left me cold. It is extremely complicated, involves (for me) too many fortuitous occurences, and just really didn't strike as very probable.
February 20, 2016
This was a very interesting book but it was very different from the range of interest I normally pay attention to.
A good mystery to kind of break up vampires, fantasy, romance, adventure kind of stuff is a bit refreshing. There were even some points I had to just stop and absorb the information, but it's a good book and I will be looking for the other parts of the series. :)
A good mystery to kind of break up vampires, fantasy, romance, adventure kind of stuff is a bit refreshing. There were even some points I had to just stop and absorb the information, but it's a good book and I will be looking for the other parts of the series. :)
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