Customer Reviews

Heartstopper

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Packed with plenty of suspense, a plethora of suspects and a look into the mind of a serial killer, HEARTSTOPPER is a book you will find hard to put down once you start reading.

The opening chapter begins with an excerpt from the killer's journal describing the "cat and mouse" game being played with the girl who is about to be murdered. This gambit immediately hooks the reader and you eagerly get on board for the rest of this ride.

Fielding gives us a liberal amount of suspense, but in addition she give us an up close and personal look at life in a small town (pop. 4,160) where every adults sins and foibles are known to the entire community, high school is a place where taunting and humiliation are the order of the day and being different is akin to wearing a scarlet letter on your chest.

The book is written from the perspective of several of the characters, both adult and adolescent, and leads the reader on a merry chase as each new chapter exposes more and more personal truths about the residents of Torrance, Florida that continuously reshape and alter your thoughts as to the identity of the culprit.

I liked the fact that descriptive scenes of actual bloodletting and gore were held to a minimum, and instead the author chose to portray the cerebral by focusing on the thoughts and emotions of the murderer, the victims and the people of the town.

All in all, Heartstopper has a strong sense of character and place, excellent dialogue, and a story that crackles like lightening.

This latest novel from the always satisfying Joy Fielding is a definite page turner and one of the best from her entire career.

I haven't read a book this fast in ages. I could not put it down. She does a measterful job of incorporating the mystery of some murders taking place in a small Florida community with wonderful three dimensional portrayals of all the players.

These people are real. You care about them. And the suspense grows throughout and is very believable. I was on the edge of my seat and making sure I didn't peak ahead. Try to avoid any reviews here that give away too much of the plot. This is a book you want to unfold in front of you as you can't wait to turn the page.

The ending was totally satisfying. I remember how much I loved SEE JANE RUN which was my introduction to this author. HEARTSTOPPER is even better. She is often put in the same category as Mary Higgins Clark and this is so unfair. The only similarity is that the main character tends to be a woman. Joy Fielding writes with a depth and psychological insight that Clark doesn't come close to.

Thanks Joy for a book I never wanted to end. You are always at the top of my favorite seller's list. Keep em coming !

I just finished this book and must say, I was quite disappointed. First, the author frequently sermonizes on: society and its expectations for women (primarily thinness but also extreme beauty), marijuana use, popularity issues in high school - a lot of issues glossed over and mentioned again and again, but without any impact on the story.

The most likable character is Sandy, the spurned wife of a doctor who left for a surgically-enhanced Barbie doll. I'm assuming we're supposed to be upset that the Barbie character gets so much attention (and indeed, much time is devoted to explaining why she had multiple cosmetic surgeries), but the character is actually quite nice and displays sympathetic qualities. Why this is so is never explored - we're not led to believe she's either great or awful... like many of the characters, she's just there. Another character, Megan, is the star of the third act - but is portrayed as an empty-headed teenager who spends her brief mentions in the first 2/3 of the book mooning over a teenage boy named Greg. Oh, and Greg is a popular kid who's alternately mean, sensitive, moody, sweet, gets beaten up by his father and yet stars in the high school musical.

Lastly, there is only one male character in the entire book that you even have a chance of liking - and he's cheated on his wife multiple times. Another couple of male characers, teenage boys, you might like if the author had spent a little more time developing them instead of creating Joey, the archtypical popular teenage boy who calls everyone homophobic slurs and teases the girls.

I'm loathe to post a negative review, but I was very disappointed in this book. The author would have better served her readers by cutting the sermonizing, focusing a little more on character development, and forgoing the character cliches. (Oh and a few less mentions of apple martinis.)

HEARTSTOPPER by Joy Fielding

Amazon Rating: 4/5 stars

Joy Fielding's latest thriller is a page-turner. Starting with the opening chapter that comes straight from the killer's journal, the reader will enjoy HEARTSTOPPER until the killer is finally revealed. In a nutshell, the story takes place in a small Florida town, where a pretty (and popular) young teenage girl has gone missing. When her body turns up, the town begins to talk, and soon people realize there is a murderer on the loose. Signs point to a serial killer, and now it's up to the authorities to find him. In between the murder mystery, the story delves into the lives of several key characters, with varying viewpoints to allow the reader to try to figure out who the killer is. A very enjoyable book!

I've read a few Joy Fielding books, and have enjoyed each one, but this book I think out of all of them had the most potential for some gruesome violent scenes. However, there is not much gore depicted at all, and a lot is left to the reader's imagination, which I found refreshing. Fans of Fielding will enjoy HEART STOPPER. I read it in two days flat, and did not figure out the killer until the end. It's probably going to be one of my favorite Joy Fielding books so far!

What a great book. I started it one day and just couldn't put it down. All along I was trying to guess who did it and was very surprised. A really wonderful book!!!!!!

Heartstopper is centered around a certain group of high school kids. There has been trouble in Terrance Florida when girls disappear suddenly, and Liana Martin is found dead. The book begins with the killer trapping Liana inside a room and then shattering her body to pieces soon after. Sandy Crosbie, the english teacher is deeply concerned for her daughter Megan. Sandy and her kids moved from Rochester New York after a bitter divorce from her doctor husband. They thought it would be great place to live with her new teaching position at the school until the murders started happening beginning with Liann and continuing.

Sheriff John Weber tries to solve the case, but doesn't have any real leads. It seems this male killer is covering his tracks very well. It is not until near the end that a big surprise is in store. And Megan almost gets killed along with her boyfriend Greg.

I am a true blue Joy Fielding fan, having read, (& loved), everything she has written, this being no exception... I thought I knew who the culprit was fairly early, & I was right, which is the first time Joy has failed to completly surprise me in the end, but I still loved the book, Joy just has a way of writing that makes even a boring story interesting. she is most definatly one of, if not THE best mystery/suspense authors to date. I am very much looking forward to her next book, I think will be called *Charlie's Web*, & I am very confident it will be nothing less than wonderful, as only Joy can do. the only reason I gave this one 4 stars instead of 5, is because I knew who it was before it was revealed, but even with that, it was still a fantastic read. thank you again, Joy!

HEARTSTOPPER opens with a page out of the killer's journal, in which he describes in detail the girl he is about to murder. This is enough to reel in readers, who will not be able to put the book down until it's over. In the next chapter, high school English teacher Sandy Crosbie has her students take out their journals and asks a few of them to read a page out loud.

When Liana Martin doesn't show up for class and appears to have vanished, friends as well as Sandy wonder if this is more than just Liana skipping school. Sadly, her lifeless body soon turns up, and fellow citizens think that a killer is on the loose. At the same time, a girl goes missing in a neighboring town. Is this merely a coincidence, or might there be a connection between the two cases?

While all of this is going on, Sandy's husband has been having an affair with the mother of one of her students, Delilah Franklin. A quiet, overweight girl, Delilah is constantly taunted by classmates and can never seem to fit in. Sandy tries her best to act sympathetically towards Delilah, but it's difficult as she's constantly reminded of her husband's indiscretions.

As it becomes evident that there may be a serial killer involved in the brutal death of Liana Martin, the reader will be caught up in all the individuals that reside in the town of Torrance, Florida, as they try to piece together the mystery behind the murder. As various characters are introduced and described, including many of the students and at least one teacher, it's apparent that the killer can be anyone.

I especially liked that there wasn't a lot of gore in this book, although there was plenty of opportunity for author Joy Fielding to go into detail concerning the heinous acts performed by the murderer. Instead, she focuses on solving the crime, with viewpoints changing between Delilah, Sandy and various other characters, and the murderer (via his journal) to give perspective on who possibly could be the culprit. As other bodies turn up, the list of potential suspects is narrowed down, but it wasn't until the very end that I was able to figure it all out.

I read HEARTSTOPPER in two days flat and had trouble putting it down. Fielding's books always keep me on the edge of my seat, and this one is no exception.

--- Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton

Joy Fielding has always been a hit or miss author with me. I enjoyed Mad River Road and I thoroughly enjoyed her newest offering Heartstopper until the end. While I won't give details to spoil the plot, I will say that as a voracious follower of true crime sagas, I found the killer's identity to be highly unlikely. However, I still rated this book so highly because of other elements. Interspersed throughout the book is the "Killer's Journal," which provided character development usually lacking in this genre. Usually all of the development is focused on the "main" characters with not much thought given to the killer. So, even though I was a little unnerved by the killer's identity, Fielding made it work. The perfect comparison--once I read the book and discovered the killer's identity, I immediately read the book over again, and sure enough, there were clues EVERYWHERE, just like in the movie Sixth Sense. If you've seen that movie (and who hasn't?!) you surely remember the shocking ending. However, if you watched the movie again, the pieces were all there--subtle, but there.

A great read for both long-time fans and readers searching for a satisfying, consuming thriller.

I swore after I read Fielding's prior - about a wife on the run and hiding in Ohio, I think - that I would never waste time on her again. Well, too bad I didn't recall my oath. "Heartstopper" is a serial killer type novel which drags on and on, with needless loose dialogue and very little suspense. A family relocates from upper NY to Florida when the dad has an online affair. The premise is weak and the wronged wife is even weaker. The students she teaches are all sterotypes and not worth a second look. I easily put down this book and only finished it by skimming. I figured out fairly easily half way through (in spite of obvious 'clues' to mislead the reader) who the killer was and I hate that. I do NOT want to figure out who done it. So many better writers out there, that I am sorry to say Joy Fielding must be resting on her earlier laurels. A shame. She is totally boring. I do believe I could write this book and that is not a compliment. Avoid it at all costs.