Bleeding Heart

by Martha Powers

In the tradition of Mary Higgins Clark -- a suspense-filled story of a young widowed mother who unwittingly endangers her own life and that of her child as she searches for closure from a painful family loss and the truth behind it. When Maggie Collier learns that her father-in-law's murder may have been the result of his accidentally discovering the whereabouts of a kidnapped child, she takes up the investigation herself. As she explores the seemingly idyllic lives of citizens in the quiet community of Delbrook, Wisconsin, Maggie gradually recognizes a dark and eerie menace lurking beneath the town's picture-perfect façade. And she's clearly not the only one feeling unnerved by the proceedings. Someone else is keenly interested in her search. Soon her own questions about her father-in-law's murder intersect with the investigation by a young lawyer from Chicago who is hunting for his niece's kidnapper. As they join forces, Maggie and Grant probe deeply into the lives of her seemingly respectable friends and neighbors. When everyone, it appears, has a secret to hide, Maggie enters a race against the clock to find the truth before the elusive serial killer and kidnapper can make her the next victim. Crackling with tension and rich characterizations, Bleeding Heart hurtles toward a skillfully realized, cunningly resolved climax.

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 23, 2000

Reviews

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable thriller with a MC with some smarts and some caution. Maggie's father-in-law has been murdered and Maggie decides to investigate. Maggie comes to realize that someone in her little town murdered her father-in-law. Grant is an out-of-town lawyer who is uncle of a boy who was kidnapped years ago. When the two cases collide, Maggie and Grant team up to solve both mysteries.

I liked the tension between Maggie and the towns people as things heated up. And the sexual tension between Maggie and Grant wasn't so bad either.

[Mary Tuohy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a bit disappointing, predictable and at times Maggie was annoying. And the fact that Maggie is concerned about hurting the feelings of a supposed wife beater is ridiculous.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well-plotted thriller is set in the quiet town of Delbrook, Wisconsin. When Maggie's father-in-law is suddenly murdered and a Chicago lawyer shows up looking for his missing nephew, Maggie is forced to confront the possibility that one of her close friends is a kidnapper and murderer.
I thought I had an idea of who the killer was early on, but even though the suspect pool is pretty small, I was absolutely wrong, which actually makes me quite happy. I love when books surprise me. Maggie is a very genuine character with believable reactions to events and an admirable streak of courage in the face of dark events. The romance between her and Grant Holbrook, the Chicago lawyer, was given a chance to develop in an authentic manner; they didn't just fall into bed because they happened to be the two main characters in a romantic suspense novel. In fact, no sex at all in this one, which led me to re-categorize it as mystery/thriller after I had read it.
I'm going to have my husband read it next, so I'll let you know if it stands up to a hardcore mystery-reader's standards of excellence. I thought it was great, though.

[Dorothy Presnell · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story starts out with a young child being abducted then jumps to the story of Maggie and her son Jake living in a small town trying to recover from a personal loss. Then her father- in- law is murdered.
It was not until a third of the way through that the two were connected. It jumps between the young child and to the other story line. The story drags on with Maggie and a small group of friends attempting to solve the murder.
Nothing suspenseful occurs until the last few chapters of the book but by then one has not only figured out who the murderer was but could figure out the ending.

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie is a single mom whose father-in-law is murdered. She decides to investigate. There are kidnapped kids, and a lawyer looking for his nephew to add some romance to this mystery/suspense story. Great beach read.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, easy read and you do not know who until the end.