Bleeding Heart

Rating:
Summary: fantastic plot & Characters
Review: He carries an Everest load of guilt deep inside his gut. Grant Holbrook was too bored to watch his two and half-year-old nephew Tyler while his sister Beverly McKenzie went to the mall. Beverly took her son with her, but in the blink of an eye, the child was gone. Two and a half years later, Tyler remains missing.

At the Renaissance Fair in Delbrook, Wisconsin, Maggie Collier and her son Jake take plenty of pictures. Jake's grampa George had the film developed. He recognizes Tyler in the pictures and calls Grant, who immediately travels to Delbrook. However, before Grant arrives, someone kills George and steals the photos. Grant and Maggie exchange stories and begin to work close together to uncover the identity of a killer-kidnapper before someone else is hurt.

Martha Powers tells a grand story that brings fresh life through her deep characters to the lurking monster in human clothing thriller. BLEEDING HEART is a realistic, grim tale that could happen to any small child in any state when an organized, intelligent, but amoral warrior seeks its prey. Once started, there is no helper to stop every mother's worse nightmare from coming true as Martha Power's plot powerfully paints.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: Maggie, a single mom after the death of her husband, and her son Jake relocate to her husband's home town where she buys a book store and lives above it. There is murder and lots of suspense in this story. The very young boy, Tyler, who was a kidnap victim of The Warrior made my heart cry. He was reduced to a basic survivalist at such a young, tender age. Maggie didn't know who to trust and there are no clues while reading this book to let you know who Maggie can trust. But at the end, the odd, twisted and demented kidnapper will surprise you. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing. Very, very good story. The small town group of friends and poker buddies gives this story the "very real, I'm glad I met these people" feeling.

Wonderful book and author. It will keep you interested and involved til the end.

Rating:
Summary: If you like Mary Higgins Clark--you'll love Martha Powers!
Review: Martha Powers writes clean, powerful prose. She'll have you flicking on the lights and locking your doors as you rip through the final pages. A suspense novel is only as good as the build up, both of plot and characters, and Powers delivers.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT READ!
Review: Martha Powers' book grips you from beginning to end. You instantly relate to Maggie's fears, vulnerabilities and inner strength. Tyler captures your heart from the start and you root for his little broken spirit throughout the entire book. A highly entertaining read that makes you wonder who is lurking in your own neighborhood.

Rating:
Summary: Powers Is A Powerful New Voice In The Fiction Genre!
Review: Martha Powers's first mystery novel was titled "Sunflower" and I read it this last summer. That was a magnificent work of mystery and suspense and I was greatly awaiting the release of "Bleeding Heart." In some ways, "Bleeding Heart" is similar to "Sunflower." They both are set in a small town and both of them have strange murders occuring there. Maggie Collier and her son Jake live in a small town in Delbrook, Wisconsin. They moved there after the horrible car accident with Maggie's husband that killed him. Maggie's father in law, George, is knifed to death on a country club's golf course. Maggie later finds out through investigating that George had taken a picture of something secret and he was going to reveal it to the public. Someone killed him in order for that picture to remain a secret. Maggie sees a link between her father in law's death and a series of three kidnappings that have occured around the Wisconsin. Maggie and Grant, the nephew of one of the kidnapped girls must work together to capture this crazed killer and kidnapper, dubbed THE WARRIOR, because of the feathers he leaves at the crime scenes, before Maggie and Grant are the next victims. If you like Erica Spindler and Wendy Corsi Staub, then you'll like Martha Powers.

Brad Stonecipher

Rating:
Summary: Beware--this book will tie you to a chair with suspense!
Review: Martha quickly involves her readers emotionally with a tense plot involving a missing child. She stokes the fire of fear slowly, until you suddenly find yourself sneaking a paragraph at stop lights, long lines and telephone conversations. I am looking forward to the next novel from this writer.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: This is a good romatic mystery. The characters are well written and the plot keeps you interested. However, if the recent real child abductions disturb you, don't read this book -- that is the subject.