Delacorte, Dec 2000, 24.95, 296 pp.
ISBN: 0385333838
The urgent call sent millionaire Ed Vincent flying from Charleston to La Guardia in his Cessna in order to learn the identity of his rival on a property deal. After Ed debarks from his plane, a Sigma automatic greets him. In a coma, he is rushed to the hospital where the emergency staff struggles to save his life. Knowing he is going to die, Ed worries what will happen to his beloved Zelda, who will probably be the next target.
Zelda, who is actually Melba Merrydew, rushes to the hospital because she plans to keep her new found love alive. Zelda meets NYPD detective Marco Camelia who is assigned to the case. A happily married man with four kids, Marco finds himself desiring Melba. As they work together to uncover a killer, someone wants to make Zelda toast.
IN A HEARTBEAT is an exciting romantic suspense that fans of romance, police procedural, and thrillers will enjoy, particularly because of the exhilarating plot. The story line is fast-paced, loaded with twists and turns, and never eases up on the pace. Zelda and Ed (even in a coma) are wonderful characters, but readers will believe this novel belongs to the street tough, vulnerable Marco. Best-selling author Elizabeth Adler will gain a new group of fans with this superb story.
"Ed Vincent, millionare property investor, has been shot, and just barely clings to life in hospital. Marco Camelia is the detective on the case of finding the assassin. Ed was only able to whisper one name to staff before he fell into a coma; that name was Zelda. Zelda turns out to be a sexy young lady called Melba Merrydew, Ed's girlfriend. After elimating her as a suspect, Mario and Melba team up to find the killer together. Melba had seen the killer when he tried to dispose of her. She met Ed while trying to warn him of the killer's agenda.
On the search for the killer, we find out about Ed's past. His real name was Theo Farrar and that he grew up in a poor household. His family was tragically killed in a murderous plot by his brother Mitch. Only Ed and his evil brother Mitch survived the carnage. The search through Ed's past soon help solve the riddle of the killers."
Louisa Eggleton, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of In A Heartbeat
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases - 15% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 45% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 35%
Tone of story
- depressing/sad
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
- Moderately Challenging
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 40%
Special suspect?
- relative
Murder of certain profession?
- businessmen
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- "All in the family" murder
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
- Female
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- accused criminal
- killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
- an average amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
The antagonists are:
- big business leader(s)
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
City?
Yes
City:
- New York
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 0 (not a murder mystery)
- 2
Sex
Yes
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
