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259th out of 1,229 books
—
6,471 voters
Just Take My Heart
In her new thriller, America's #1 bestselling Queen of Suspense delves into a legal battle over the guilt or innocence of a man accused of murdering his wife. Woven into her plot is an eerie, little-understood but documented medical phenomenon -- the emergence of a donor's traits and memories in the recipient of a heart transplant. Natalie Raines, one of Broadway's brighte...more
Hardcover, 322 pages
Published
April 7th 2009
by Simon & Schuster
(first published January 1st 2009)
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Okay, so Mary Higgins Clark has been my all-time favorite author practically my whole reading lifetime. I would stay up all night reading her latest book and then re-read all of her old ones. I guess, all of my goodread friends and all your great recommendations for books that I've been reading has put a little damper on poor Mary Higgins... her books just pale in comparison. I will admit that I did stay up late to finish it, but it was pretty predictable and way too cheesy (I know, you would ne...more
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I really enjoyed reading this book. I found this to be a little different from her other mystery novels, and I have read all of them.
In this one, Emily Wallace is a prosecutor trying a man for murder but is fighting with her inner feelings of his innocence. Her star witness is not exactly credible. What would you do if you were facing 10 years jail time? She is also a heart transplant patient and a war widow. Lives by herself in a small, New Jersey town next to an older man who she is not exactl...more
In this one, Emily Wallace is a prosecutor trying a man for murder but is fighting with her inner feelings of his innocence. Her star witness is not exactly credible. What would you do if you were facing 10 years jail time? She is also a heart transplant patient and a war widow. Lives by herself in a small, New Jersey town next to an older man who she is not exactl...more
I've been reading Clark's books for 15 years now, since age 11, and I have to say I have finally managed to completely guess the outcome of one of her books. That doesn't mean I didn't utterly love it, though. It was a different form, more or less, from other of her novels, but enjoyable nonetheless. Figuring it out may have just been a matter of becoming better at spotting Clark's hints, but I generally don't try to expend much effort in guessing anyway - a book loses its entertainment value if...more
Just Take My Heart, by Mary Higgins Clark, was a really good read. Her writing is very distinctive, but that is one of the reasons she is a really successful author. My favorite part of this book in my opinion is the beginning. In this part one of the main characters of the book, famous actress Natalie Raines, was found by her neighbor's housekeeper as she was dying on her kitchen floor because of a gun wound. The last thing she said was "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.", a...more
I enjoyed the book. It was suspenseful and kept me interested. However, (and if you haven't read the book, please do not read this portion), at the ending when it was revealed that the prosecutor had received the murder victims heart in a transplant well , thats just a complete suspension of reality. The victim died from a gunshot wound to the chest. The heart was not damaged by the bullet but the heart stopped before she was taken to the hospital . Organ donations (especially the heart) are not...more
Famous Broadway star Natalie Raines is dead. What no one knows is that just before she is murdered, she comes face-to-face with the man who she believes murdered her best friend years ago.
Two years later, Natalie’s ex-husband is charged with her murder, a case that is held together with the testimony of a career criminal.
Emily Wallace is the prosecutor in the case. She is certain Jimmy’s testimony is true, but bit-by-bit the pieces start to unravel and Emily isn’t so sure the right man is behind...more
Two years later, Natalie’s ex-husband is charged with her murder, a case that is held together with the testimony of a career criminal.
Emily Wallace is the prosecutor in the case. She is certain Jimmy’s testimony is true, but bit-by-bit the pieces start to unravel and Emily isn’t so sure the right man is behind...more
When famous Broadway Actress Natalie Raines is found dying from a gunshot wound in her home, the obvious suspect is the husband she was in the process of divorcing. When a career criminal comes forward and claims that her husband offered him money to kill her, the case seems to be a slam dunk. Of course, in true Mary Higgins Clark style everything quickly goes pear-shaped, nothing is ever what it seems.
I do love Mary Higgins Clark. Where are the Children was the first “grown up” book I read as a...more
I do love Mary Higgins Clark. Where are the Children was the first “grown up” book I read as a...more
Just Take My Heart is a mystery thriller written by Mary Higgins Clark, who is one of my most favourite authors. All the time I am reading a novel written by her she is able to surprise me in the end. There is always something I did not expect throughout the whole story.
This story actually consists of two independent stories that seem to have almost nothing to do with each other until the very end of the book. It is about an assistant prosecutor, Emily, who is trying to elucidate the murder of a...more
This story actually consists of two independent stories that seem to have almost nothing to do with each other until the very end of the book. It is about an assistant prosecutor, Emily, who is trying to elucidate the murder of a...more
WOW! Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark is full of suspense and true-to-life characters. It’s a murder mystery because although the husband, Greg Aldrich, is on trial for killing his wife, Natalie, he claims he didn’t do it. It is a high profile case that is discussed every evening on the show, “Courtside” which is hosted by Greg’s best friend.
Emily, the prosecuting attorney, goes after a conviction even though she has some doubt about the defendant’s guilt. She has a soft spot for him wh...more
Emily, the prosecuting attorney, goes after a conviction even though she has some doubt about the defendant’s guilt. She has a soft spot for him wh...more
3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 star read -- you know everyone loves Mary Higgins Clark, June 20, 2009
This review is from: Just Take My Heart: A Novel (Hardcover)
No matter how predictable - and this novel was the kind where you know who did it and have the mystery solved by the end of the first chapter - you just can't help but admit that Mary Higgins Clark is a master storyteller. She pulls you into the lives of the characters and spins the tale so adroitly that you can't help being hooked. We are dr...more
This review is from: Just Take My Heart: A Novel (Hardcover)
No matter how predictable - and this novel was the kind where you know who did it and have the mystery solved by the end of the first chapter - you just can't help but admit that Mary Higgins Clark is a master storyteller. She pulls you into the lives of the characters and spins the tale so adroitly that you can't help being hooked. We are dr...more
As this book opens, Natalie Raines, a prominent Broadway star, is planning to end her marriage to her agent and husband Greg Aldrich. It’s more than obvious that the two still love one another, but the marriage nonetheless has stumbled badly. While at a cast party following a show, Natalie runs into a man who had engaged in an affair with her former roommate years earlier. She casually called him by the pet name her roommate used and was stunned by his reaction. Her roommate had been murdered ye...more
I have been reading a lot of deeper things lately - some that I add to Goodreads and some that I don't, so it was time for lighter fare. That's usually when I pull out something like a Mary Higgins Clark book. I will admit that her plots and characters are usually way over the top or extremely unbelievable but I can typically suspend belief to enjoy them. This one, however, pushed the envelope even for me. This is not spoiling anything because you learn this either on the book jacket of very ear...more
Mary Higgins Clark books will always remind me of my grandma. Whenever a new book she writes is released my Gram will purchase it. I love it. Her bookcase downstairs is filled with every single novel, I daresay, Clark has written. Also for as long as I can remember, my Gram is always gracious enough to let my sisters, aunt and I borrow it. This was the case with Just Take My Heart. Like most Higgins Clark mystery/thrillers, this was a light quick read. A famous actress, in the midst of a divorce...more
Broadway actress Natalie Raines is murdered. She thought she noticed the man she suspected of killing her roommate, Jamie, years before. She returns to her home and opens the door to find the killer.
However, it is Natalie's estranged husband Greg Aldrich who is accused of her murder.
Emily Wallace, assistant prosecutor is given the case. As Emily is pondering this, we learn that Zach Lanning has been spying on her and set up a microphone in her home. When she's at home, he watches her through the...more
However, it is Natalie's estranged husband Greg Aldrich who is accused of her murder.
Emily Wallace, assistant prosecutor is given the case. As Emily is pondering this, we learn that Zach Lanning has been spying on her and set up a microphone in her home. When she's at home, he watches her through the...more
If I could give this 3.5 stars, I would, because it was actually one of the better recent Clark thrillers. Here, she takes some of the standard elements from her previous books, but mixes them up and uses them more as red herrings than to the ends they served in other stories. A far better, clearer tale than the weird high-school reunion book I read several months back.
That said, it's interesting to read her directly after what is possibly one of Dorothy Sayers' best Lord Peter Wimsey books, "St...more
That said, it's interesting to read her directly after what is possibly one of Dorothy Sayers' best Lord Peter Wimsey books, "St...more
It had the potential to be a great crime/law novel!!!!! But that ending was pathetic!
It's like the first 3/4 of the boom is in slow mo, giving great detail and building up the characters. And then the last part was just rushed! It's like MHC just wanted the book to end. There was no flair at all!
And I forgave the fact that the two killers wanted to kill Emily at the same time so they met but it could have been made more interesting. Like she could have at least described Tryon's reaction to Lann...more
It's like the first 3/4 of the boom is in slow mo, giving great detail and building up the characters. And then the last part was just rushed! It's like MHC just wanted the book to end. There was no flair at all!
And I forgave the fact that the two killers wanted to kill Emily at the same time so they met but it could have been made more interesting. Like she could have at least described Tryon's reaction to Lann...more
JUST TAKE MY HEART was my first book by Mary Higging Clark whom I've heard is an awesome writer. They were not kidding. She IS awesome.
When I started the book, I was a bit confused because there were so many narrators, but, as it went on, I realized that that helped understand better what was going on. I enjoy reading suspense novels, but I don't usually read about the trial. Normally, I read about the investigation. The change was refreshing.
This book starts with the murder of Natalie Raines,...more
When I started the book, I was a bit confused because there were so many narrators, but, as it went on, I realized that that helped understand better what was going on. I enjoy reading suspense novels, but I don't usually read about the trial. Normally, I read about the investigation. The change was refreshing.
This book starts with the murder of Natalie Raines,...more
Actress Natalie Raines flees to her Cape Cod vacation home – to think and to escape the fear that whoever killed her friend Jamie years ago has just reappeared in her life. Someone whose picture she has seen, but which was missing from Jamie’s wallet when the body was found all those years ago.
Estranged spouse Gregg Aldrich has been persistent in his efforts to persuade Natalie to reconcile. Almost to the point that he is “stalking” her.
Returning to her New Jersey home, Natalie is accosted and s...more
Estranged spouse Gregg Aldrich has been persistent in his efforts to persuade Natalie to reconcile. Almost to the point that he is “stalking” her.
Returning to her New Jersey home, Natalie is accosted and s...more
This was another Mary Higgins Clark book I picked up on CD and listened to while working around the house. This is something I've come to love doing as it often gets me to do projects I really don't want to do (de-cluttering, folding laundry etc.) I like Mary Higgins Clark, but I do have to take her books in moderation. I guessed fairly early on who the bad guy was, and there were very few surprises (though how the whole thing went down in the end was unexpected, even if all the players were exp...more
Just Take My Heart is the first book by Mary Higgins Clark that I've read. It's actually one of the few courtroom dramas that I've read, as well (I'm usually more into what happens before the trial rather than during). My overall impression of the book was that it was good, but not the best thing I've ever read. I'll definitely pick up more books by the author, because she does tell a good story and seems to be a good writer, but I think I'll go for some of her older works and make my way forwar...more
This one was slow to get going and the trial took up the first half. I don't really like reading long drawn out trials. Also this book is full of coincidences. Just unbelievably full of them. There is the heart transplant, the prosecutor knowing the killer, the delivery man who just happened to both meet the guy on trail for murder and make a delivery to his apartment. Natalie who just happens to meet the killer of her roommate from many years earlier, and even recognizes him from a small snapsh...more
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Mar 26, 2013
Marla
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
adult,
mystery,
audiobook,
2013,
2013-team-challenge-wild-blue-d,
challenged,
serial-killers
First Mary Higgins Clark book that I have read since I read Where Are the Children? and others back in high school. It was a little predictable in spots, but I liked the 2 story lines and the characters of prosecutor, Emily Wallace and accused agent/husband, Gregg Aldrich.
I liked the TV shows in the book. Court Side and the host, Mark, Matt or Mike, who was Gregg Aldrich's friend. And her neighbor likes to watch Fugitive Hunt.
I expected more about the heart transplant after the initial teaser a...more
I liked the TV shows in the book. Court Side and the host, Mark, Matt or Mike, who was Gregg Aldrich's friend. And her neighbor likes to watch Fugitive Hunt.
I expected more about the heart transplant after the initial teaser a...more
It starts with this woman named Natalie, who is an actress, who sees a man she recognizes from fifteen years before. He is the same guy who is in a picture that her roommate Jamie had in her wallet. Her roommate was found strangled in the park while out jogging on morning. Jamie had a pet name for him, called him Jess. Natalie makes the mistake of calling him that, and he hears it. Later she is found dead, but as it turns out he might not have been the only one wanting her dead... He ex-husband...more
Being that Mary Higgins Clairk is of an older generation ( pre-baby boomer) I was acutely aware of her writing/speaking style. I would describe it as mannered and out of date. This book was written in 2009 and there's hardly any reference to the way technology such as smart phones and the internet would have affected the way the murder mystery transpired. (example: characters waited until the tv show aired the tip hotline phone number, in relatity most would have googled the number at that very...more
Just Take My Heart did not reach my expectations. In fact, it went far below my expectations. When I start reading a Mary Higgins Clark book I always think of twists, unexpected endings. Maybe it's because I have read a lot of books like that, that I found this book to be really boring. I could guess what would happen next and how it would turn out. The most exciting part of a well-written mystery book is that the ending would be also unexpected. But this book doesn't even do that. The killer ca...more
A good mystery read. The plot synopsis from amazon.com: "After famous actress Natalie Raines is found in her home, dying from a gunshot wound, police immediately suspect her theatrical agent and jealous soon-to-be-ex-husband, Gregg Aldrich. But no charges are brought against him until two years later, when a career criminal suddenly claims Aldrich had tried to hire him to kill her. The case is a plum assignment for attractive thirty-two-year-old assistant prosecutor Emily Wallace. She spends lon...more
Another Mary Higgins Clark entry, this time intertwining two womens' lives in a way that I didn't really expect. Emily Wallace is given the assignment of proving that the husband of a rising Broadway star killed her. The story of the victim and her past as well as that of Emily come together in a very interesting manner. Emily has her case all figured out - or so she thinks. Along the way, people and circumstances start to worry her, and she is no longer 100% convinced that the defendant is guil...more
I almost didn't finish this book. I was about half way through and it still hadn't gotten any better. But I am glad that I stuck with it because the second half of the book was like many other Mary Higgins Clark books, it had lots of suspense and left you guessing. I guess what I didn't like most about the beginning of the book was the trial. It was a page by page of the Greg Aldrich trial, a man who was being accused of murdering his wife. But after the book started going and Emily's neighbor,...more
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I'd have to say this is another good book from Mary Higgins Clark, one of my favorite authors. Normally I can predict what will happen with the endings of her books and I did guess this one but there was one last detail that was revealed on the last page that made me go "hum" that I wasn't expecting. I was waiting for something to develop between the main character and one of the detectives and it didn't, almost thought the book could have used a few more pages to wrap up some additional little...more
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Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins Clark Conheeney, best known as Mary Higgins Clark, (b December 24, 1927 in the Bronx, New York) is an American author of suspense novels. Each of her twenty-four suspense novels has been a bestseller in the United States and various European countries, and all of her novels remain in print as of 2007, with her debut suspense novel, Where Are The Children, in its sevent...more
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