In a Heartbeat [Mass Market Paperback]

Elizabeth Adler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2001

Once she was his secret. Now she is his only hope....

In a New York hospital, a powerful real estate developer lies suspended between life and death while police scramble to solve the mystery of his shooting. With Ed Vincent slipping in and out of consciousness, a detective has one clue to begin his hunt — a name that lingered on Vincent’s lips.

But who is the woman Vincent calls Zelda? Is she his killer — or lover?

When Detective Marco Camelia finds Zelda, and as she begins to tell him an extraordinary story, another series of mysteries emerge: of a man who is not what people thought him to be, of the woman he loved, and of the ties that can hold two people together even when so much keeps them apart.

For Detective Camelia, an explosive case is becoming a haunting journey of passion, pain, and awakening, as he struggles to protect an unforgettable woman from everything she knows — and the one thing she doesn’t....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Acceptable as a substitute for daytime soap opera viewing, if nothing else, this contemporary romantic thriller fails to live up to favorite Adler titles like Peach and Fortune Is a Woman. Heavy on the romance and light on the thrills, the writer's 13th novel is all lather and featherweight intrigue. Ed Vincent, a real estate tycoon with a mysterious past, has been shot by a would-be assassin and lies comatose in a New York hospital. His love interest, Georgia peach Melba Merrydew, also a target, comes to grieve by Ed's bedside. Enter Marco Camelia, a handsome homicide detective, who, with Melba's help, investigates Ed's shadowy past, all the while falling in lust with Melba's Southern charm and sun-kissed legs. The one-dimensional characters are modeled not on real-life counterparts but on their movie star prototypes (Adler reminds the reader a number of times that Melba looks like Sharon Stone and Marco is a ringer for Pacino, while Ed owns a building named Vincent Towers, la Trump Tower). The slow-moving, clich -ridden tale is not rescued by the action-packed finaleDtoo little, too late. Even Adler's fans may find her latest outing uninspiring, although chances are they'll go along for the ride; but Adler won't pick up many new readers based on this title. (Dec.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Adler's latest thriller offers a clever twist on an old theme. Millionaire Ed Vincent is nearly killed by four bullets to the chest. As Vincent's lover, Zelda Merrydew, helps a charming homicide detective investigate the attempted murder, she uncovers things about the man she loves that he'd rather she didn't know. Adler's enjoyable characters and lively dialogue alone wouldn't quite overcome this tired premise. But there's one other thing that makes the novel different: Ed Vincent himself, lying in the hospital, unable to communicate in any way, is a principal character in the story. Like Dalton Trumbo's classic Johnny Got His Gun, Adler's novel features scenes in which the reader is inside a man's mind, feeling the helplessness of wanting desperately to cry out while being utterly unable to make a sound. Vincent is an immensely sympathetic character, and he turns this otherwise typical novel of buried secrets into something special. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Dell (October 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440234972
• ISBN-13: 978-0440234975
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth Adler is a self-confessed romantic, a travel addict and a foodie, all of which she brings to the reader in her novels, along with a tough thrust of suspense and an unfolding mystery that keeps you on your toes. Elizabeth has lived in many countries and when she's not writing spends time discovering even more places to bring to you, with her husband, Richard - still in love after all these years - as are the characters featured in her past three novels, Mac Reilly the Malibu PI and Sunny Alvarez, his lover and side kick. You have to read about them to know them! Elizabeth lives in California and has the ability to take you to all those romantic places she knows so well, Capri, Venice, Tuscany, St. Tropez, Monte Carlo, and of course, Malibu. You will feel you are there, with her, sitting on that Italian terrace, sipping that coffee, smelling the delicious food, savoring the heat and the sunshine and the mystery unfolding for you. Elizabeth is five-three and wishes she were taller, blind as a bat without her glasses that anyway she is too vain to wear, and at 128 lbs till thinking about that diet. She has one daughter, Anabelle who is married to rock musician Eric Avery and two kitties, the Siamese, Sweet Pea who rules the household, and an adorable black cat Sunny.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful work 0f romantic suspense, November 29, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In a Heartbeat (Hardcover)

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.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars In a Month, January 10, 2002

By 

A. Massey (CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In a Heartbeat (Mass Market Paperback)

That's about how long it took me to read this book. Not because I'm slow, just because I did not enjoy it. If I didn't know any better I would have assumed this book was Adler's first attempt at a novel. But it isn't. Well, the main characters are likeable enough. I'll give her that. Except for the alcoholic old woman. She added nothing to the book. The plot is weak, there is too much dialouge, and too little effort put in. By the end of Ed's killer is revealed. I couldn't really recall why he wanted Ed dead. But I didn't care. I was just happy that I was done and that I could move on to something better. Do yourself a favor and pass on this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Stretches credibility, December 12, 2001

By 

"sunnykissed" (Rolling Hills Estates, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In a Heartbeat (Mass Market Paperback)

The plot in this one stretches credibility about as thin as it can get with every new page. It's also just a little too sappy for my taste. But if you love those Hallmark movies then this is for you.