Sunday, May 13, 2012

Playing Dead-Julia Heaberlin

Playing Dead


Julia Heaberlin

Ballantine, May 29 2012, $15.00

ISBN: 9780345527011



Thirty-something Tommie McCloud returns home to Ponder, Texas for the funeral of her father. Her dad’s sexagenarian secretary Melva gives Tommie a letter addressed to her that she assumed would be a sympathy card. Instead the author starts with “Dear Tommie: Have you ever wondered about who you are?” From there she claims that Tommie is her kidnapped daughter taken from her over three decades ago.



Though she assumes the note is sick joke especially when she thinks about growing up with her sister Sadie and her late brother Tuck on a Texas ranch, Tommie still looks back for anomalies in her childhood. Her mom suffers from dementia so offers nothing to Tommie. Still motivated, she begins to search for the author of the letter. As Tommie uncovers harrowing deadly truths about her genealogy, several interested parties watch her every move but one plans to kill to keep the past buried.



This is an exciting suspense thriller starring a fascinating purposely stereotyped protagonist whose search of identity teaches her sometimes the truth can be deadly. Told by Tommie and filled with twists that many readers will anticipate, Playing Dead is an exhilarating multi-family drama as fans will wonder whose Tommie’s biological parents?



Harriet Klausner



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