Customer Reviews

Heart Stone

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The criminal justice system is given a once-over in this well-developed, and well-written mystery. Margolin gives us the murder of two upstanding young people on a November night in 1960. Richie Walters has just asked cheerleader Elaine Murray to go steady with him. Their love and hopes for a future together are gone before you know it.
As we examine this murder in depth, we find there are many people involved, and we find ourselves wondering, who really killed this couple? And why?
The immensity of characters doesn't overwhelm the book; you may stop and ask yourself, why are these characters introduced? But by the time the book is finished, you'll see why.
Although the lawyers and the suspected killers are certainly strong focus in the book, I found the heart of the book to be Esther Peglosi, the rather ... teenager who becomes the key witness in the prosecution's case. We first meet Esther as a rather well-developed young woman who doesn't have trouble bedding anybody, but we are also introduced to horrifying facts about her childhood and her parents. Later on, Esther is cunningly seduced by a cop obsessed with the case into being hypnotized, and here we begin to see how the power of suggestion breaks down this girl, and how her love for this cop propels her toward inevitable disaster. Esther's character is very, very well written and she holds the book together.
It's interesting, also, to see the development of young Mark Shaffer, the up and coming lawyer, who finds himself defending the accused Bobby Corbett. He starts out totally ineffectual and enamored with the defendant's live-in girlfriend, and ends up becoming savvy and accomplished. The denouement of this novel is shocking, in what happens to Bobby and Esther. Also, the deathbed confession of the titular character is a whopper.
Can't forget to mention the true villain of this book and that is officer Roy Schindler, who uses his authority to basically fix the case and use poor misguided Esther. Although Al Caproni is culpable, too, he is just another victim of the political schematics.
A STUNNING AND WELL WORTH IT BOOK.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

...this book is both a gripping, page-turning crime story and a tedious, mind-numbingly dull piece of prose. It literally depends on the section of the book you are in.

Prosecutor Al Caproni has a message brought to him that a drifter named Heartstone wants to see him a about a long-past high profile double murder that he helped to prosecute. The narration then flashes back to the night of the murder and follows the original investigation and prosecution of the case.

At times, this section really drags. A star witness is hypnotized and the reader is forced to wade through pages of probing by the psychologist/hypnotist as he tries to unlock her repressed memories(Skimming is recommended). Margolin introduces too many characters but he ties them together wonderfully in the end. As we come back to the present Margolin delivers and ending that hit me like a kick in the belly. Very powerful. I did not see it coming.

All in all - good job!

In a fast trip through previous Margolin books, Hearstone was the first one that I found lacking. The characters were not as well developed as they are in other Margolin books and the plot took too long to get anywhere. If this is your first one, keep reading. Gone But Not Forgotten and The Last Innocent Man were much better.

I have never read any other books by Phillip Margolin but I liked this book. It takes a look at the legal system and the lost memories of people. How witnesses can be turned to "remember" events that never occured. This novel reads more like a true crime novel with all the plots, twists and turns. It sounds like Margolin got the idea from this novel from an old retired cop. Just when you think the novel is over and your sympathies are all lined up, there is a death bed confession with a surprise ending. Keeps you guessing until the very end.

I can't beleive so many people did not like this book. I loved it. The ending is unreal- I screamed when I found out what really had happened. I thought it was one of the better books that he has written. If you do like this book- check out "Gone But Not Forgotten" by Margolin which is just as good.

I had this book for a year and could not get past the first few pages. I purchased the book in anticipation of a 4-hour Chicago-California trip and fell asleep on the plane from boredom! The book lay dormant for a year when I grabbed it on the way out the door to (of all places) Jury Duty, the theory being that I could pass it on to some poor soul who was mindlessly sitting in the jury pool room, waiting to be called. The wait to be called dragged on and I forced myself to get past the first chapter. After that, it was a breeze, and I was somewhat put out when I was finally called to sit on a jury! Needless to say, I found the plot compelling and the characters believable. I particularly enjoyed the author's writing style (after the first chapter).

I am surprised to see negative reviews of this legal thriller.This book is so great I just could not put it down.The characters are bold ,dialogue is fluent and the plot is superb.A very well written book which I highly recommend. Mr Margolin you have a new fan,and this surely wont be the first book of yours I will read.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is well-written and has a plot twist that was brilliant. I just had to write this review because the review giving it a "1" was so hard to believe. I think he must have posted in the wrong place. I can't tell you how much I loved this book. I read it over a year ago and I still think about how great it was and wish I had an opportunity to read another book of that kind

It's nice to hear the other reviewers lauding Margolin's other books because this book left me pretty flat. Indeed, I am wondering what the fuss is about this author -- but I'll give him another try -- someday.

So what's wrong (or right) about this book? Basically, I realized about half way into the book that I really didn't like any of the the characters. Part of the problem is that there are way too many characters so there's no chance to develop a sympathetic protagonist (or even a crook). The book also bounces around between all of these people and lacks any sense of flow.

Margolin may have written other more well received novels, such as "Gone But Not Forgotten", or "The Last Innocent Man", I am told by friends, but to me, here in "Heartstone", he has written a novel that could very well be classified as one of today's true crime expose's. His list of characters is long, but interesting, and very well interwoven as he brings them together and details their inter-relationships.

Starting with the murder of Richie Walters and his cheerleader girlfriend Elaine Murray, who have just agreed to go steady, the plot developes into a multitude of experiences from Esther Peglosi's key witness role, to her seduction by a police officer, to her hypnotic episode, to a lawyers eye opening revelation, all of which lead to a totally acceptable story-tell ending with the deathbed confession of the true murderer. Cleverly written, fast moving, entirely believable, and well worth the time spent in reading it.