Heart of the World (Carlotta Carlyle Mysteries) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Cold. It was as bitter a January morning as New England could spew..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Barnes's fast-paced 11th mystery (after 2004's Deep Pockets) finds Boston PI Carlotta Carlyle involved in a deeply personal case: Paolina, a spunky teen whom Carlotta loves like a daughter, has disappeared. Paolina's mother, too busy with her new boyfriend and her latest hairdo to realize that Paolina might be in danger, is no help. Carlotta begins to suspect that Paolina didn't run away, but was kidnapped by her biological father, a Colombian drug lord known as Roldán. Finding Roldán, whom much of the world mistakenly believes is dead, is a challenge for even an expert sleuth like Carlotta; no one who knows the elusive kingpin's whereabouts is talking. Carlotta travels first to Miami, where she tracks down Roldán's erstwhile lawyer, and then to Bogotá. Barnes captures Carlotta's quest for Roldán and Paolina in taut, exciting prose. In a strong subplot, Sam, Carlotta's lover, proposes to her, but his mob ties make Carlotta hesitate. These connections culminate in an emotionally cliff-hanging ending that will leave readers waiting impatiently for the 12th installment of Carlotta's exploits.
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Review

Praise for Linda Barnes and Carlotta Carlyle:

 

“With every novel, Linda Barnes reminds us of two key facts—she was one of the first and she remains one of the best. Heart of the World has everything that Carlotta Carlyle fans have come to expect from this seminal series. Barnes has never been better, and that’s saying a lot.”
—Laura Lippman, author of To the Power of Three
 
“Linda Barnes has long been one of the most skilled and artful writers of the crime novel. With Heart of the World she proves it and takes it up to a new level. This is her best.”
—Michael Connelly, author of The Lincoln Lawyer
 
“Heart of the World illuminates the power of our deepest regrets and the fleeting chances we sometimes get to fill the emptiness in our souls. Writing with sensitivity and grace, Linda Barnes once more demonstrates why ex-cop Carlotta Carlyle has become a treasured mainstay in the field of crime fiction.”
—Robert Crais, author of The Forgotten Man
 
“An astonishing installment in what was already one of the best private-eye series ever.”
—Harlan Coben, author of The Innocent on Heart of the World

 

"Nobody knows Boston like Linda Barnes's red-haired private investigator Carlotta Carlyle... Barnes's knack for crisp, snappy dialogue and devising a mystery that has both timeless and contemporary appeal is a winner."

--The Boston Herald

 

"The savviest, most spirited of three-dimensional heroines."

--Kirkus Reviews

 

"It's always a pleasure to spend time with this zesty detective... Carlotta has class and spirit to spare..."

--The Baltimore Sun

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur (May 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312332874
• ISBN-13: 978-0312332877
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #808,644 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Series' Absolute Best, May 12, 2006

By	W. Carol "dog lover" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

For those who follow Linda Barnes' delightful Carlotta Carlyle series, be prepared to be blown away by this latest, absolutely brilliant, entry in the series. It truly marks a step up in talent, plotting, suspense and mystery, and is a page-turner from start to finish.

As fans of the series know, Carlotta has a "little sister," a hispanic girl named Paolina whom Carlotta befriended as a "big sister" when the child was 7. Through the years, their relationship has deepened, and now Paolina is in her very difficult early teen years--and a brat. But Carlotta loves her as much as her own child, and herein lies the plot of "Heart of the World."

Paolina is missing. Did she run away? Was she kidnapped? Did she meet with foul play? Carlotta is frantic, and can get very little information from Paolina's embittered mother, Marta. Obsessed with Paolina's safety, Carlotta pulls out the stops to find her--dead or alive. Her search takes her to the dangerous jungles of Colombia, where Paolina's birth father, a famous drug lord supposedly killed in a plane crash, holds the only possible key to the mystery.

Carlotta puts her own life on the line in a big way as she tries to unravel secret after secret, involving the Colombian government, clandestine American operations, underground business dealings with U.S. corporations, and various guerilla factions--all of whom seem to want her dead. The suspense keeps growing on every page, as the reader joins Carlotta in the steamy jungles with danger at every turn.

The ending is a cliff hanger, and a good one--and left this reader absolutely desperate for the next in the series. That's how good this book is...recommended not only for Carlotta fans, but for new readers as well. This book can stand alone.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Love and Loyalty, July 16, 2006

By	Andrea Glander (Gwynn Oak, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

P.I. Carlotta Carlyle doesn't have a family, so she hangs close to those she calls friends and one person she's been very close to is her sort of adopted little sister Paolina. Paolina's got a mother who, well let's just say Mom has other things on her mind than raising her children, like men and good times. Carlotta has done everything she can to replace the love and affection the girl doesn't get at home. However, Paolina has grown up, she's a teenager now and she wants to meet the father she's never know. He's a Colombian drug lord.

When Paolina's mother calls Carlotta and tells her that her daughter has disappeared, Carlotta at first assumes she's run off with her boyfriend. Then it appears that maybe she's with some people who are taking her to her father. Carlotta is, of course, worried about the child's safety and this is going to propel her into the means streets of crime fueled by drugs to the jungles of Colombia in this tale of love and loyalty. As I said, Carlotta hangs close to those she calls friends.

This book is well into the series, but you can pick it up and start fresh even if you haven't read any of the books by Ms. Barnes. From the streets of Boston to the Colombian jungle, from her life of safety to her kidnapping by Paolina's father, you won't be able to put down this book. It'll grab you by the seat of the pants on Page One and keep you there right up to the end.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful heroine, July 6, 2006

By	J. D. Fegler (Chesterfield, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was my first book in Linda Barnes' Carlotta Carlyle series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Carlotta is similar in ways to Stephanie Plum. In this book she follows her "little sister" Paolina to Colombia where she believes Paolina's Father may have taken her following Paolina's disappearance from Boston. I was totally taken in by Carlotta's adventures and the unravelling of mysteries. I look forward to Linda Barnes' next book to see what happens to some of the enticing characters she introduces us to.