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29th out of 71 books
—
39 voters
Playing Dead
“A compelling family mystery that kept me turning the pages. Highly recommended.”—Margaret Maron, New York Times bestselling author of Three Day Town
“Dear Tommie: Have you ever wondered about who you are?”
The letter that turns Tommie McCloud’s world upside down arrives from a stranger only days after her father’s death. The woman who wrote it claims that Tommie is her...more
“Dear Tommie: Have you ever wondered about who you are?”
The letter that turns Tommie McCloud’s world upside down arrives from a stranger only days after her father’s death. The woman who wrote it claims that Tommie is her...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
May 29th 2012
by Ballantine Books
(first published January 1st 2012)
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Overall a very good page turner. The plot is a little complicated, but she tyes everything up nicely in the end.
The author should have done a little more research on rodeos. The main character was injured when an "eight hundred pound steer stomped on my wrist 14 years ago in a rodeo arena in Lubbock, TX knocking me from the pedastal of my saddle into mortality."
First off, NO ONE rides steers. Men ride bulls, but women don't. And never with a saddle. She mentions this throughout the book and it...more
The author should have done a little more research on rodeos. The main character was injured when an "eight hundred pound steer stomped on my wrist 14 years ago in a rodeo arena in Lubbock, TX knocking me from the pedastal of my saddle into mortality."
First off, NO ONE rides steers. Men ride bulls, but women don't. And never with a saddle. She mentions this throughout the book and it...more
In the fiction book Playing Dead, by Julia Heaberlin, a series of twist and turns of suspense fill the book. After Tommie McClond, a child psychiatrist, received the dreadful news of her father’s death she decided to stay in her hometown of Ponder, Texas; however Tommie’s past as she knew it changed when she received a mysterious letter from Chicago questioning her origin. As Tommie researched her origin and so called real mother, the shocking results caused her to become weak and paranoiac. As...more
Tommie McCloud lives in the small town of Ponder, Texas, and has enjoyed a good, solid life overall. She, her sister Sadie, and her brother Tuck, were raised in a nice household where Mom was an accomplished pianist and Dad was a former Federal Marshall and rancher. Everything was simply great…until Tommie’s Dad passed away.
Not only was the death a tragedy for the family, but things got far worse when Tommie received a letter from Chicago that stated she was not the daughter of the ‘happy’ McClo...more
Not only was the death a tragedy for the family, but things got far worse when Tommie received a letter from Chicago that stated she was not the daughter of the ‘happy’ McClo...more
"Playing Dead" by Julia Heaberlin had me baffled. Tommie, a child psychiatrist, returns to her childhood home in Ponder, Texas, after her dad, a former U.S. Marshal and rancher died and has a nice reunion with her younger sister and niece. Her mother is sick and institutionalized. Tommie learns that there are family secrets she knew nothing of and the biggest shock is that her father really isn’t her biological father and that her parents kept this from her. Not only that, but when digging to fi...more
I enjoyed the characters and the well-evoked wide-sky Texas setting of this thriller so much it gave me a case of cognitive dissonance—I wanted to keep reading as fast as I could to figure everything out and I wanted to go slow and have the book world I was inhabiting last as long as possible. Tommie, tough and compassionate--a former rodeo star now working on a PhD in psychology, is home for her father’s funeral when she gets a letter that throws everything she thinks she knows about her life a...more
I chose this book b/c it's based in the Ft. Worth area, it's written by a Star-Telegram person, and it seemed like a good mystery. This is the author's 1st book. She's really good about writing a mystery that I didn't figure out until the end, she's great at setting up background, and she endows each character with enough personality to make them seem real, like someone we know. (although I got tired of the Dr. Pepper references in the book, lol). The problem I basically had was that (view spoil...more
Tommie McCloud has her life turned upside down upon the death of her beloved father. It starts with a letter from a mildly crazy woman - the wife of an imprisoned mobster - who is claiming that Tommie is her daughter. A daughter kidnapped many years ago and never found. As Tommie investigates the letter and her parents' pasts she finds out information that is probably better off staying buried.
I'm a bit torn with this book. The premise held so much promise and the secrets revealed throughout pro...more
I'm a bit torn with this book. The premise held so much promise and the secrets revealed throughout pro...more
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
As a first novel, I think this was good. It's an interesting suspense story that really kept me guessing. The writer did a good job of creating a plot that kept you wanting more.
The only problem I had with the book was that I felt everything was a little rushed. The tension was presented right away and made it hard to believe that the characters reacted as strongly as they did. I would have liked more of an introduction to the family and the potential pro...more
As a first novel, I think this was good. It's an interesting suspense story that really kept me guessing. The writer did a good job of creating a plot that kept you wanting more.
The only problem I had with the book was that I felt everything was a little rushed. The tension was presented right away and made it hard to believe that the characters reacted as strongly as they did. I would have liked more of an introduction to the family and the potential pro...more
For a bright girl, Tommie McCloud is pretty dense. When a letter arrives from a stranger after her father's death claiming that Tommie is her kidnapped daughter, she really should have put the pieces together a lot more quickly. Apparently she slept through her Ph.D. program in Psychology--worn out, no doubt, after her many successful years on the rodeo circuit. Happily, she has a former flame--ruggedly handsome, blah blah blah--who is conveniently in the security business and thus theoretically...more
This book draws you right in at the beginning with the revealing of the letter that Tommie receives from Rosalina Marchetti claiming that Tommie is really her daughter. With her father dead, and her mother suffering from dementia/Alzheimer's, she does not know who she can ask to verify if there could be any truth to the letter. When she finally mentions it to her sister Sadie, Sadie reveals a conversation that she overheard as a child between their parents that makes Tommie think her whole life...more
I really liked this book. I think it's a great Texas mystery. Interesting story, great characters and not too much Texas cliche.
PLAYING DEAD by Julia Heaberlin is a good mystery/thriller. Tommie searches for clues about the secrets her mother and father kept from her all her life. Along the way, she discovers mystery upon mystery, a mark of excellence in this type of book and the characteristic that kept me turning the pages.
But, assuming Heaberlin will write more books, I'd like to see a couple of changes.
First, the story contained some unanswered questions. Successful mysteries/thrillers tie up loose ends.
Second, I ha...more
But, assuming Heaberlin will write more books, I'd like to see a couple of changes.
First, the story contained some unanswered questions. Successful mysteries/thrillers tie up loose ends.
Second, I ha...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This book is set in Ponder, TX, though Heaberlin plays a little footloose with the geography of places in the book. In the story Tommie McCloud comes home when her father dies to help her sister settle the estate. Their mother is in a memory care facility. Tommie receives a letter telling her she was kidnapped as a child, and a guy named Jack Smith turns up and he is clearly not the reporter he claims to be. Tommie has a mystery on her hands that leads to a visit with a mobster in prison and a s...more
I loved this book. It was hard for me to put it down, and I generally only did when I had to go back to work, or because the battery was dying on my Kindle and it’s hard to read while plugged in. She created great characters, not entirely stereotypical of what I would picture in Texas (having never been there). I also liked the mystery and more the suspense of the story. It was wrapped up maybe a little too nicely in the end, but it was good to know who was behind the murders. It unraveled very...more
A pretty entertaining read, the author took an interesting premise of an adult who is told that they've actually been in the witness protection plan for their entire life.
I wish the author would have been a little more realistic with some parts of her storyline - the whole bit about the main character having been in competitive rodeo as a bullrider struck me as off as I'm pretty sure women aren't allowed to ride in the rough stock events (although maybe this is only a PRCA rule). And the refere...more
I wish the author would have been a little more realistic with some parts of her storyline - the whole bit about the main character having been in competitive rodeo as a bullrider struck me as off as I'm pretty sure women aren't allowed to ride in the rough stock events (although maybe this is only a PRCA rule). And the refere...more
Really enjoyed this book!
I picked this up randomly based on immediate availability for e-reader loans at the library. It was a decent, entertaining mystery. The premise was interesting-a woman finds out that her parents may have lied to her all her life and that her real parents may be associated with the mafia. I have some issues with some of the plot elements being overly convoluted and implausible. Various issues seemed extraneous, and others were never satisfactorily explained. Also, the main character was inconsist...more
The book opens on an interesting premise: a woman named Tommie holds in her hands a letter from a woman claiming to be her mother. This letter opens up a series of events that forever changes Tommie’s life. Neither the mafia nor the government receive flattering portrayals here, which does detract a bit from the plausibility.
But if you can push that aside, it does make for a fast and fun read that evokes plenty of emotion in the reader. There is a lot of genuine suspense and a sympathetic main c...more
But if you can push that aside, it does make for a fast and fun read that evokes plenty of emotion in the reader. There is a lot of genuine suspense and a sympathetic main c...more
This book had promise, but it dragged in parts (despite a really convoluted and complicated plotline). I think the author has potential, but maybe needed better editing or organization. Just when the plot would start moving along, she would drift into back story, and that would halt the progress of the book. I agree with others who don't buy the "badass" persona of Tommy - sometimes she is strong and resilient, sometimes weepy and weak. I also wonder how much the author made from Dr Pepper, for...more
Apr 02, 2012
Dianne Socci-Tetro
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
galleys-arcs
Playing Dead-A Novel of Suspense by Julia Heaberlin
Whew! What a book. Classifying this novel as a “novel of suspense” is putting it quite mildly. This is mystery, suspense. Tiny bit romance and so much more. It was written in such a way that it is guaranteed to keep you reading well past bedtime. This book way beyond engaging and I haven’t found too many authors who write outside of my favorite genres, that I can say this about.
This was written in the first person point of view, so it really lef...more
Whew! What a book. Classifying this novel as a “novel of suspense” is putting it quite mildly. This is mystery, suspense. Tiny bit romance and so much more. It was written in such a way that it is guaranteed to keep you reading well past bedtime. This book way beyond engaging and I haven’t found too many authors who write outside of my favorite genres, that I can say this about.
This was written in the first person point of view, so it really lef...more
Wow! Newbie writer, so I wasn't expecting a book this good. As always, it seems, there were a few tiny things her editor missed. Just enough to take me briefly out of the story, but not enough to affect the rating. (Please don't say a prison guard searched the trunk when you've just finished telling us they're in a pickup truck. /eyeroll) Great story, believable characters, fascinating twists. And it was flowery and descriptive without feeling weighed down and overly ... "literary magazine-ish,"...more
Nov 17, 2012
Camilla ~ ♥Qhuay At Last♥ ~
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kindle
I liked the premise of this story, and I liked the beginning of the book. The story definitely got me quick, but the writing, or “building of the story” kinda ruined it for me. I know nothing about the author, but the story seems like it’s been written by someone who hasn’t written a lot of books. It’s the way that the MC all of sudden knows how to do something because it’s helpful to the story. It’s the very, very uninteresting “love story”. Ok, fair enough, not every book needs a “love story”...more
1 like
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like
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I really enjoyed Playing Dead, even though I normally never would've picked a book like this. For one, all the cover blurbs mention how suspenseful it is, and we all know that I don't do suspense. For another, the main character is a girl named Tommie, and I have a thing about baby names. Tommie with an -ie? Weird.
But in spite of those things, Playing Dead was a fun, fast-paced, twisty mystery. It all starts when psychologist Tommie McCloud goes back to Texas for her father's funeral. She receiv...more
But in spite of those things, Playing Dead was a fun, fast-paced, twisty mystery. It all starts when psychologist Tommie McCloud goes back to Texas for her father's funeral. She receiv...more
The main character in this story, Tommie McCloud, received a letter shortly after her beloved father's funeral. "Dear Tommie: Have you ever wondered about who you are?"
That sentence sets off a wild Texas ride with a heroine who is determined not to give up or give in. She pulls the reader into the drama and we chase around the country, from Chicago to Okalahoma and back trying to figure out who is the bad guy and who can be trusted. Some of the storyline was a bit over the top but I couldn't hel...more
That sentence sets off a wild Texas ride with a heroine who is determined not to give up or give in. She pulls the reader into the drama and we chase around the country, from Chicago to Okalahoma and back trying to figure out who is the bad guy and who can be trusted. Some of the storyline was a bit over the top but I couldn't hel...more
This is an entertaining thriller that is set in the Fort Worth, Texas area. As I read it, I thought that the book was "over the top" in regard to being Texan, but then I realized that I know Texans who are exactly like these characters. (I have lived in Texas for 40 years.) I also thought that the plot was a bit far-fetched, but then I remembered growing up in the Chicago area and all of the stories about Mafia activities. There was actually a boy in my high school who was reportedly the son of...more
I liked this one. There are a hundred twists and turns, including one at the end that I did not see coming. The main character, Tommie, thinks her life is going along just fine until she receives a mysterious letter questioning who her mother is. Her father has recently died, and her mother has dementia. (This is not a spoiler, you find this all out in the first chapter.) the rest of the story is devoted to her search for the truth. I did wonder why a couple of nuances were added to the plot, as...more
I bought this book specifically to read at the beach while on vacation. It served its purpose. It was interesting enough to keep my attention, and it was an easy enough read that I didn't have to concentrate too hard. However, I was a little disappointed. From the description I had expected a little more substance. It read like a thousand other crime dramas with a female protagonist. There was even the ex military heart throb appearing just in time to save her when she got in trouble. I don't th...more
Up front, I really had some problems with this book. Using a first person voice is a tricky business as you're automatically hoping that the reader can achieve some sort of personal connection with your central character. That doesn't always automatically have to be "like", but it's certainly got to include believe. The other thing you're going to have to do in a thriller where you spend a lot of time in the main character's head, is use motivations and actions that make sense. Alas neither opti...more
I've just read some reviews of this book on here & i'm astounded that some people gave it 5 stars .... FIVE !! WTF !! This book is a walking Texas cliche right down to the faded red boots & the ten gallon hats .... Surprise, surprise the men are mean & moody and the women are split right down the middle, as it seems in Texas you are either a pinafored homemaker or a lasso throwing, horse riding, gun toting 'gal' taking the game to the boy's ... just like our good 'ole heroine Tommie...more
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Julia Heaberlin, is an award-winning journalist who has directed arts and lifestyle coverage at the Fort-Worth Star Telegram and The Detroit News. She lives with her family in Texas, where she is at work on her next novel of psychological suspense.
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