The Girl with a Clock for a Heart

Swanson, Peter. The Girl with a Clock for a Heart. New York: William Morrow. 2014. Print.

First Sentences:

It was dark, but as he turned onto the rutted driveway he could make out the perimeter of yellow tape that still circled the property

George parked his Saab, but left the engine running. He tried not to think about the last time he'd been to this almost-hidden house on a dead-end road in New Essex.

Description:

What would you do if your college love approached you in a bar after 25 years of non-communication? What if she had a favor for you to do that involved delivering half a million dollars to the man she stole it from? But what if you also remembered that this was the same woman had apparently committed suicide during her freshman year at college, right in the middle of your relationship?

In Peter Swanson's The Girl with a Clock for a Heart, George Foss weighs each of these ideas before leaping to assist Liana Dector (or as he knew her, Audrey Beck, now known as Jane Byrne, the woman who stole the money). The decision? Maybe if he helps her they will get back together. So he does.

But what a tangled mess he soon finds himself in when Liana's former lover (from whom she stole the money) turns up dead with an open safe and a boatload of missing diamonds. Naturally, there are several very bad men in the picture who threaten George to unless he returns the diamonds (which he never had), as well as the police who are just trying to untangle the deaths and stole property they are investigating.

Liane/Audrey/Jane keeps stringing George along until even he gets suspicious of her motivations as well as her interest in him. But what is the reason for her multiple personalities and involvements with nefarious men who end up dead? And who are these very tough guys who keep popping up looking for Liana and anyone else aiding her?

A hugely interesting story that unfolds slowly to reveal George and Liana's past love as well as their new relationship with all its bumps and bruises. Up to the very last paragraph, the book is intriguing, puzzling, and deliciously mysterious in the identities and motivations of the major characters.

Very satisfying read to try to unravel, with characters who both encourage and reject your sympathy through their plots and actions. Swanson is a terrific writer and storyteller., one of my new favorites. Loved it. 

Happy reading. 


Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Swanson, Peter. The Kind Worth Killing

Lily overhears a stranger talking about his wife's infidelities and how she deserves to die. So Lily and Ted team up and hatch a plot to kill her. Should work. After all, Lily has already killed twice before and gotten away with it. Can she succeed again ... and what's in it for her? (previously reviewed here).

Lutz, Lisa. The Passenger

A woman assumes several new identities and personalities as she flees from discovery after being suspected of committing several murders, including that of her own husband.