Rabbit Heart

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cmcray, April 8, 2006 (view all comments by cmcray)
RABBIT HEART by COLLEEN HITCHCOCK
ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING BOOKS I'VE READ IN YEARS!

She?s the mistress every man wants and feels he must possess. How can you not be intrigued when the first line of the book reads, ?There was a dead man in my boudoir?? It also puts a whole new slant on the phrase la petite mort, doesn?t it? Unfortunately, that death was permanent.

It?s August 1891, and Nicollette Caron?s thirteenth lover has just died in her arms trying to please her. She did her best to convince Denton not make love to her. He didn?t listen and now he?s paid with his life.

Nicollette is re-dressing Denton?s lifeless body when Marie stumbles upon the garish scene. They devise a plan to dispose of the body and make it appear Denton died from an accident. Once they?ve completed the task, Nicollette runs off to Glastonbury. Numbers fourteen and fifteen await her arrival.

Following her trail is Scotland Yard?s best detective; Jackson Lang. He?s determined to find the person who murdered Denton. They meet when he journeys to Glastonbury on business and pleasure. He is quite intrigued with the young lady.

Two more bodies are found. A telegram reaches Jackson with news that twelve bodies were discovered in Italy and France in much the same condition. He?s convinced that Nicollette is guilty; however, he must have evidence to prove it.

Queen Victoria wants the murderer found and hanged. When she receives word the suspect is most likely a French woman, she asks that the guillotine be borrowed from France. What better way to execute a French citizen?

In the meantime, Nicollette has caught the eye of Lord Baston. He?s determined to have her and nothing she can say will prevent it. Will he be able to save her from kneeling at the feet of Madame Guillotine?

Colleen Hitchcock?s RABBIT HEART is a compelling and somewhat dark Victorian story. She introduces a young woman whose heart is as innocent as a babe?s but who is cursed with a physical flaw in her heart that kills people who get too close. Nicollette?s story is told in the first person and offers a glimpse into her tortured soul. She wants nothing more than to be loved as a woman should be without the complications.

The story reaches its climax, no pun intended, when Jackson is forced to arrest her. The trial that follows is filled with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, chewing on your nails and turning the pages.

Jackson?s interest in the forensic sciences was incorporated into the storyline and became an essential piece of the plot. I was intrigued with his analytical mind and the questions he posed to the doctors. He had no qualms asking for detailed information about the conditions of the corpses.

RABBIT HEART is not for everyone. But if you?re interested in reading something a little out of the ordinary, this one?s great. This was one of the most intriguing books I've read in years! It?s a keeper and a recommended read. I anxiously wait for the next one in the series.

The quote was used with the permission. Rated 5 RIBBONS

( 5 Ribbons - a book I would gush about to all my friends and recommend to anyone and everyone. A real page-turner. )

--Claudia McRay, Editor/Reviewer, Romance Junkies www.romancejunkies.com

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takeahollyday, April 8, 2006 (view all comments by takeahollyday)
Holly Schroeder, Freelance Writer & Performer, February 24, 2006, 5 out of 5 stars
RABBIT HEART Book Review by Holly Schroeder
Rabbit Heart is the story about a French temptress in 1891 London, so beautiful that she 'excites' men to their death. The Prologue to Colleen Hitchcock's suspense novel, Rabbit Heart, begins with Nicollette Caron suffering the death of her thirteenth lover. 'There was a dead man in my boudoir. He lay spread-eagle as I dressed his still figure in the midmorning's dark. It was a difficult task, as he was a tall man to manage and death seemed to have doubled his weight. I had to rock him back and forth to re-dress him. And with each cumbersome move, I stopped to mourn the loss of my lover with a prayer or a tear.' Rabbit Heart has a tight and suspenseful plot with interesting characters and exciting twists. I found Hitchcock's debut novel a fast read and hard-to-put down book. Hitchcock's writing is an original voice that lets us inside her characters as she shifts points of view from Nicollette to third person. Her characters come alive with witting dialogue and a unique voice throughout her story. In another excerpt from the prologue Nicollette let's us in on her thoughts: 'Once a horror has taken place in the room, the room is never the same. It forever bears the marks of the event's sadness, and I felt my boudoir respond to my recent trauma. Though I was alone, I didn't feel alone. I sensed a thousand eyes examining me--even the lamp, bed, and chair were witness to my lover's expiration. And if they were not enough, I had Denton's sweet face seeing it all. All of it. His eyes were startled, yet his lips still smiled, as if he might come back from the dead to resume our courtship. That smile made me shiver in my abandoned state--and daggered my guilty soul deeper still. 'Oh walls, do not tell of me. Lace curtains, do not proclaim my wrongdoing. Let my shoes hold their tongue. Please, none of you tell of my crime-- 'I heard footsteps coming to my door and a quick hand rattle the doorknob.' As Nicollette grows mad from the haunt of her dead lovers, she must face the tenacious Scotland Yard Inspector, Jackson Lang, who will stop at nothing to prove that Nicollette is a murderess and the powerful Lord Baston, who is equally determined to make Nicollette his mistress-- despite her breathless warnings. Meanwhile Queen Victoria is both threatened and urgent to end Nicollette's promiscuity and stop the murders of Englishmen left in her wake. p The fiction world has been longing for a new femme fatale and I expect that Nicollette will become a recurring beloved character, as Rabbit Heart is the first in the book series published by Simon & Schuster Pocket Books. Hitchcock is the poet that is well known for Ascension, a poem featured in best-selling author, Tom Clancy's Without Remorse, that has traveled the world over as one of the most popular contemporary memorial poems written today. Perhaps it is her poetic rhythm or the songwriting background that makes for such a smooth fun read. But it is not short for action, murder, and exciting lovemaking--as Hitchcock doesn't hold back for Nicollette's erotic sexual escapades. Bravo to the publishers for finding a fresh writing voice and put me on the list for Rabbit Heart 2. ---Book Review by Holly Schroeder takeahollyday@visi.com

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Product Details

ISBN:

9781416509516

Author:

Hitchcock, Colleen

Publisher:

Pocket Books

Subject:

Erotica

Subject:

Romance - Historical

Subject:

Romance - Adult

Subject:

Erotica - General

Subject:

Suspense - Romance - General - Historical Fiction - Erotica

Copyright:

2006

Edition Description:

B102

Publication Date:

May 2006

Binding:

Trade Paperback

Grade Level:

General/trade

Language:

English

Pages:

368

Dimensions:

8.25 x 5.31 in 16.03 oz