In A Heartbeat

by Rosalind Noonan

From the acclaimed author of One September Morning comes a gripping new novel that explores one family’s journey in the wake of a horrific crime and its unexpected aftermath.

Kate McGann is wrenched from sleep by the 3 a.m. phone call every parent dreads. Her nineteen-year-old son, Ben, is lying unconscious in a Syracuse hospital after being attacked in his sleep by an unknown assailant with a baseball bat.

While Kate waits, frantically wishing for Ben to wake up and take back his life, she tries to uncover who could have done something so brutal. Ben’s talent as a baseball player on his college team made some teammates jealous, but could any of them have hated him enough to do this? The crisis brings all of Ben’s relationships into sharp focus—and also leads Kate to unsettling revelations about her marriage. And with each discovery, Kate learns what happens when a single unforeseen event changes everything, and the future you’ve taken for granted is snatched away in a heartbeat…

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Mystery, Contemporary

352 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2010

About the author

ROSALIND NOONAN grew up in suburban Maryland and enjoyed being part of a large family. "With my four siblings, Saturday mornings were a blast," she says. "There was festival seating on the living room floor as we devoured cartoons and passed the Sugar Pops."

She caught the writing bug in second grade when she won first place in a poetry contest. "The prize was twenty dollars," she recalls. "That was big bucks for a second grader. I thought I was going to Disneyland." Wooed by the taste of fame and fortune, she kept writing.

After attending Wagner College in Staten Island, she remained in New York City where she worked as an editor for various book publishers. Noonan currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, a retired cop from the NYPD, and two children. Although she sometimes misses the rapid pulse of New York, she enjoys writing in the shade of towering two-hundred year old Douglas fir trees.

Reviews

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about a mother who is informed her son has been attacked in the middle of the night by an unknown assailant with a baseball bat. Each chapter shifts focus on a different character, building the tension and suspense. I loved this book as well as the author's previous novel, "One September Morning."

[Laurie Mcclary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally picked this book up based on the title because it is a catch phrase I like to use. Because everything can change in a heartbeat. Often our lives are affected by actions we did in a heartbeat. I liked how the story unfolded giving the different characters points of view on the crime committed. How this one crime performed in a heart beat changed everyone's lives forever.

[Carol Eshaghy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. Perfect for Florida.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has some good moments, but overall It suffered from a predictable plot and limited character development. Lots of better books out there to read

[Mikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simply unfolding crime story which is not filled with the usual dwelling on the victim but rather on his family, friends and teammates, with a slowly evolving plot line. I have to admit I guessed who the protagonist was fairly early in the book (based on psychology), but I enjoyed the unfolding of the story and the examination of the other characters' personalities and interactions. And then the aftermath involving the picking up of pieces, healing and moving forward. A well-written book which induced page-turning in eager anticipation.

[Leanna Mattea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out really liking the book, but by the last 100 pages it lost me. It was too predictable and some of the final chapters were just not believable.
Disappointing.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good, but slow

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pretty exhcited to read ‘In a Heartbeat’ but by the end it just ended up being an OK read for me. One of the biggest problems I had with this book was the author's decision to write it from multiple points of view. To write a story this way you really need to have both strong and enjoyable characters to account for the multiple shifts in perspective. Since at times I wanted to shake Kate and I was completely infuriated by Eli, the multiple view points didn’t work for me and just ended up becoming a distraction.

The ending was OK. I would have liked to read a little bit more about Ben’s recovery and learned more about Acquired Brain Injury. I think it would have been interesting to read about how the family supported Ben through his recovery, but none of these points were really focused on.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very good read! It kept my attention the whole time. The ending was believable and good. So I don't give anything away - chapter 92 and 93 were the only unbelievable parts of the book. I would recommend this to anyone who likes relationship books or mysteries. This book is very good at combining the two. Read it!

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, while long, was an engrossing read. I read the bulk of it in two days. I liked how each chapter was written from a different character's perspective. She evoked a great sense of empathy with all of her characters; they were very realistic, and each has his or her own unique set of strengths and foibles.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. The plot line is predictable and you already knew what was going to happen but it still was a decent read.
I would recommend as a "beach book". One you don't mind putting down if something else comes up.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess this could fall under the "good beach read" category but I could not cozy up to most of the characters...I think my mouth was hanging open when I read the part where a married couple revealed their secrets to each other...I didn't ever get past that...

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so long! It was about halfway through that I really got into it and started reading it in one sitting. It is all in all a great book, but didn't need to be so drawn out!

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick reading and enjoyable enough, but VERY predictable.

[Shelaine Petersen]

This was a good book, an easy read. I found that I really got attached to a couple of the characters. I was a bit underwhelmed by the ending.

[Margaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very similar to books by Jodi Picoult or Barbara Delinsky though not quite as engaging. I was hooked at the beginning, and end of the book but the middle waned a bit.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nightmare of a phone call that her son Ben is unconscious and has been beaten with a baseball bat leads Kate to reminisce, better understand her marriage and learn to accept a new reality

[Laura Rizza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very similar to a Jodi Picoult book. Predictable, but entertaining reading.

[Joan Horkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Rosalind Noonan brings her characters alive in this moving book about relationships.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

<3 It

[Phoebe · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was OK. I read it all, but knew who it was about 1/4 of the way through. I skimmed the whole mid-ending.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This mystery was not terribly mysterious. The characters were not anyone i could get behind, and the interactions and motivations were mostly peculiar.

[Victoria Kator · Rating 3 out of 5]

character overload...i think it would have been better without a dozen different characters to follow. i knew the bad guy right away...this was just okay.

[Carol Pucak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise but too predictable and not enough character development. Chapters from perspective of many characters.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hit really close to home! Good read!

[Pmackay8 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read but easy to figure out, I like books that keep me guessing.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I loved the characters and the different chapters.

[Carol Bryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My newest favorite author!