Book Review--"Please Take My Heart" by Mary Higgins Clark

Two years ago, a young acclaimed actress is returning to New Jersey from Cape Cod. She is deeply troubled. Several days ago, she saw a man nicknamed "Jess," who seems to be the same man her roommate, murdered 15 years ago, had for a lover. She also may be worried about her ex-husband, who may be stalking her.

When she returns to her house, she sees an intruder, who shoots her several times. Later, a neighbor sees the open door, finds her, but she cannot be saved.

The ex-husband is a person of interest, but the cops don’t have enough to charge him.

Today, however, a convict, in return for a promise of a reduced sentence, says the ex husband offered him money to kill the ex wife. He later refused, but the key is, he says he talked with the ex- husband in the latter's apartment. Even more significant, he describes in detail the squeaky desk drawer from which the ex husband removed the proposed murder payment.

This is enough to charge the ex-husband with the actress’ murder. A jury trial begins.

The protagonist is the assistant DA, who leads the case against the ex-husband. Her DA boss is about to leave his office, since he is up for nomination to be US attorney general. The woman talks to the two cops who originally worked the case of the actress' murder. She dislikes one of them, although he is the DA's cousin.

The key is the ex husband's testimony. During the trial, when he is on the stand, the assistant trips him up. He doesn't understand how the con could have known about the squeaky desk drawer. He gets flustered and looks guilty to everyone.

The jury convicts him and his bail is of course remanded, pending sentencing.

However, a furniture mover in Brooklyn, who often hires men off the books, is urged by his wife to say he and the convict had moved another piece of furniture into the ex-husband's apartment. They dealt with the housekeeper at the time, since dead. He knows he left the con alone for awhile. Since the convict was later confirmed to be a petty thief, he could have examined the desk drawer and known how it squeaks.

In the meantime, the convict complains about his reduced, still 4 year, sentence. He says he wants probation or will provide additional testimony to mess up the assistant's case. There may be a question as to whether the one obnoxious cop had led him on as to what to testify to. But back in jail, before he can make good on his threat, he is poisoned.

Finally, the mover comes forward and shows how he and the convict had in fact been in the ex- husband's apartment. He provides journal entries to show he had hired the deceased felon. This is grounds for letting the ex husband out on bail.

The DA is furious with his assistant at this reversal of the case. He says that, somehow, she should have known about the furniture mover's activities. An acquittal for the ex husband will endanger his nomination. He orders her off the case.

In the meantime, a serial killer, wanted nationwide, has been living next to the assistant DA. He has targeted her as his next victim. Although now on the lam from New Jersey as well, he has returned with the aim of finishing her off.

But the assistant goes into NYC to look at the 15 year old case file on the murdered friend. What she finds is a stunning twist that may enable her to solve the case. In the meantime, she has to deal with threats to her life from two sources.

This latest Mary Higgins Clark provides expected suspense until all conflicts are resolved in a just manner.

Norman E. Hill, FSA, MAAA, Member AICPA, ASCPA
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