Poison Heart: A Novel of Suspense (Claire Watkins Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Mary Logue (Author)

Book Description

Series: Claire Watkins Mysteries | Publication Date: July 26, 2005

Fall comes to Pepin County with a vengeance as Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins confronts a new evil festering beneath the placid surface of the Wisconsin farm community. A refugee from the Twin Cities, Claire has slowly adapted to small-town life–especially now that she loves and lives with Rich Haggard. But in this rural area, other folks are dangerously restless.

One is Daniel Reiner, a wealthy part-time resident who’s been buying up too much land–at least as far as the locals are concerned. Another is gambling addict and aging gold digger Patty Jo Tilde, who recently married a widower twenty years her senior. Patty is itching to inherit her husband’s property, sell it to Reiner, and leave the countryside behind. The only stumbling block–her husband must die.

Add to the mix a suspicious goat-herding daughter-in-law and a wounded elk, and things quickly reach a boiling point. As Claire Watkins delves deeper into the mystery, she believes she’s uncovered a deadly history of lies, deceit, arson, and poison. Her problem is to prove it–and then she learns what happened to Patty Jo’s last husband. . . .

Evoking the strong community values and the natural beauty of the Mississippi River Valley, this new Claire Watkins novel is Logue’s most exciting yet. Poison Heart is a riveting tale of those who live off the land–and those who end up six feet under it.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Deputy sheriff Claire Watkins is on the case once again in Logue's latest mystery (after Bone Harvest), set as usual in the small but not-so-sleepy town of Fort St. Antoine, Wis., population 142. The story opens on ruthless gold-digger Patty Jo Tilde as she idly watches her husband, Walter, suffer a stroke, hoping he'll die so she can sell the family farm. A how-will-she-solve-it rather than a whodunit, the novel's fun is in rooting for Claire as she first suspects and then resourcefully tries to prove what the reader knows all along. With the exception of the nasty Patty Jo—the lone Fort St. Antoine resident with a penchant for murder and arson rather than baking cherry pies—the novel offers an endearing cast of characters. When not busy sleuthing, Claire enjoys a smalltown camaraderie with charming fellow citizens, who include farmers, a retired schoolteacher, a bookstore owner, an artist and Claire's live-in steady, Rich Haggard. Except for a few tense moments, this is a kinder, gentler novel of suspense, engagingly but slowly paced. Logue's fans who have followed Claire's evolution from big city policewoman to smalltown cop and from new widow to contented girlfriend will be cheered by her resilience and continuing crime-solving adventures.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

As this and the previous entries in her Claire Watkins series prove, Logue knows how to create suspense. Where she truly stands out, however, is in her depiction of relationships: complex bonds between lovers, spouses, siblings, and parents and their children. The bad guy in her latest is identified almost immediately, and one level of suspense concerns Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins being able to prove it. But the fascinating part of the story involves the residents in tiny Fort St. Antoine, Wisconsin, population 142. People know each other in Fort St. Antoine, which makes violent crime all the more shocking. As Claire and her sixth-grade daughter, Meg, adjust to their new live-in relationship with Rich Haggard, Claire's sister Bridget leaves her husband and moves into Claire's old house with her toddler. Amidst these personal upheavals, Claire must prove that a cruel woman is responsible for several fires--and possibly two murders. While escaping to the country may be a universal dream, Logue vividly points out that small-town life is not immune to big-time problems. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; First Edition edition (July 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345462246
• ISBN-13: 978-0345462244
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,443,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A enjoyable read, September 28, 2005

By 

A. Christie "bibliofiend508" (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poison Heart: A Novel of Suspense (Claire Watkins Mysteries) (Hardcover)

POISON HEART features Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins set in a Wisconsin farm community. Rich in local color and flavor, POISON HEART, is novel that emphasizes the character and setting over the suspense of a traditional mystery. There is no doubt who does what, and what their motives are. Instead this novel is about character interaction. If you are looking for fast-paced action or intricate plotting, this book is not for you. If you like reading about the simplicity of small-town life and undercurrents, then this novel will not disappointment because Mary Logue is a wonderful storyteller.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!!, August 10, 2005

By 

Lady by the Lake "Mo" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Poison Heart (Claire Watkins Series) (Audio CD)

Good solid mystery. I loved the rural setting along the Mississippi River.

3.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable listen., March 12, 2011

By 

PJ Coldren (Saint Helen, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poison Heart: Claire Watkins #5 (Audible Audio Edition)

I won't go into a long discussion of plot here - that information is readily available elsewhere. I enjoyed listening to Joyce Bean read this work. She does a good job with all the various voices for a wide variety of ages. I listened to an unabridged version, so feel that I didn't miss anything. Between her presentation and the book itself, my attention didn't wander and I wanted to get back in the car to find out what was going to happen next. A good combination for someone as new to audio books as I am.