Heart of a Killer: Engaging Legal Mystery

Title: Heart of a Killer
Author: David Rosenfelt
Pages: 304
Genre: Mystery / Suspense

David Rosenfelt is better known for his irreverent Andy Carpenter legal thrillers. Heart of a Killer isn’t an Andy Carpenter book, but the hero of the book, Jamie Wagner, bears a startling resemblance to Carpenter in that he’s got the wisecracks down pat, together with a desire to champion the underdog and see justice done. For all of Wagner’s humor, at the heart of Heart of a Killer are some serious issues. What would a Mother do for her child? And can (and should) the State dictate what she can and cannot do?

In rather Grisham-esque fashion, Jamie’s is a young lawyer in a large firm who’s asked to take on a pro bono case. He’s a bright guy, but is happy to be just getting by in the firm. He’s assigned to be the lawyer for Sheryl Harrison, a woman serving a thirty-year sentence after she confessed to murdering her husband. Sheryl doesn’t want Jamie to prove her innocent – she confessed, after all. All she wants is to find a way to give her heart to her daughter, Karen. Karen suffers from a congenital heart defect and needs a heart transplant soon. Sheryl’s the best match, given Karen’s rare blood type.

Naturally the powers that be won’t allow it. It’s a politically explosive issue of whether the State would be assisting suicide versus Sheryl’s right to choose and decide. Jamie realizes that his only shot is to find a way to prove Sheryl innocent so that she can be exonerated. He convinces Lieutenant Novack, the detective who first arrested Sheryl, to re-open the case. Novack’s never fully believed that Sheryl was guilty – and Sheryl later confirms that she was coerced into confessing to a crime that she did not commit. All Jamie has to do is to convince everyone else. Jamie knows that only when Sheryl has her life back will she be able to choose to give her heart to her daughter.

Rosenfelt actually has two plot lines going in his book – the first and more obvious one is Sheryl’s fight for the right to decide. The other is a plot involving ruthless acts of domestic terrorism that seem to be perpetrated by computer experts who want a heck of a lot of money. It takes a while, but Rosenfelt finally gets the two plot lines to merge.

It’s all a bit far-fetched, but Rosenfelt is such a good writer that he carries you along on the strength of his… for want of a better word… charisma. The book’s ending is a bit of a cop out, but all in all, this was a very enjoyable read that’ll keep you turning the pages trying to find out who the criminal mastermind behind Sheryl’s husband’s murder, and the terrorist acts are. Wagner’s a great new character, and so is Novack. I enjoyed Heart of a Killer enough that I’m hoping that these two characters come back for an encore performance in another book.