Lost Angel [Hardcover]

Marilyn Wallace (Author), Gary Isaacs (Jacket) (Photographer), Amy C. King (Designer)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1996

Working as a companion to a handicapped woman, single mother Valerie Vincent is plunged into a nightmare when her babysitter is murdered and her daughter is taken from police custody by a woman claiming to be Valerie. By the author of Primary Target. 12,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Single mother Valerie Vincent is on Long Island at her job as a companion to a wealthy blind woman when she sees her toddler daughter's face on the TV, identified as Baby Jane Doe, who was found in her fatally wounded baby-sitter's Brooklyn apartment. Rushing to the police station, Valerie arrives shortly after the baby has been released to another woman who says she is the baby's mother. Valerie's prime suspects are her former in-laws, Martha and Lucas Starr, members of a fundamentalist group who have suggested that Valerie is involved in satanic worship and have threatened to sue for custody of the child. After meeting a reporter who has been investigating a group that "rescues" children from devil worshippers and becoming convinced that they have her daughter, Valerie makes plans to infiltrate the group. Subtly building parallels between the Salem witch trials and modern fanaticism and self-indulgence, Wallace (The Seduction) steadily ratchets up the suspense in this solid, gripping tale, preparing the way to a surprising, credible conclusion.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 275 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385474474
• ISBN-13: 978-0385474474
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,611,793 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lost "Structure", April 14, 2003

By 

"wendy0528" (South Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lost Angel (Hardcover)

Valerie Vincent is a single-mother, doing the best she can. While working in Long Island as a companion to a wealthy blind woman who's confined to a wheelchair, Valerie sees her 18-month-old daughter's face on the news. The police, referring to the child as "Baby Jane Doe," found the child at the home of the babysitter, a close family-friend of Valerie, who was brutally murdered. When Valerie arrives at the police station to claim her child, she learns that her daughter was released to another woman who claimed to be the child's mother. The search is on. Valerie suspects that her ex-in-laws, Martha and Lucas Starr, may have something to do with her daughter's kidnapping. The Starrs are wacko - members of an organization called D.A.S.H. (Deliverance And Safe Haven). They think Valerie is some kind of devil-worshiper. The mission of D.A.S.H. is to "rescue" children who are being subject to abuse and satanic rituals by adults. Valerie sets out to risk her life for her child and infiltrates the group known as D.A.S.H. to find her daughter. Only the truth is more shocking than she had imagined.

While the premise of this book was good, the writing style left me frustrated and impatient. It took a lot of patience for me to recall what I'd read if I went too fast. The vocabulary and sentence structure just didn't flow smoothly enough for me. Other than that, not a bad story.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, May 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lost Angel (Mass Market Paperback)

All I need to see on a novel is the name Marilyn Wallace, and my hand reaches out for the book to buy it. Suspense novels are a dime a dozen, but beautifully written ones are rare and to be savored. Her early detective novels are also excellent, and unusual for the high quality of the writing. I highly recommend all of her work.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars thrilling and informative and wonderful!, May 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lost Angel (Mass Market Paperback)

This book would have knocked my socks off regardless, it was so suspenseful and well-written. But it was also so informative. The mother of a kidnapped child has been writing a thesis on the era of witchcraft trials, and this adds great richness and to the fast-paced plot. Wallace really captures emotions and setting. Her writing is pitch-perfect. I cannot recommend this one highly enough!