Heartbreaker

by Robert Ferrigno

Book Overview

lt opens with a killing on a south Florida beach. Val Duran, an undercover cop, is forced to witness the murder of his partner, which has been arranged by a drug kingpin called Junior. In retaliation,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446608912
• Release Date: November 2000
• Publisher: Vision
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.1" x 0.9" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Finally, a Ferrigno novel as good as his first

It's a shame that Robert Ferrigno's first novel, "The Horse Latitudes," is out of print. That work showed a terrific sense of style and mood, and marked Ferrigno as a great writer to watch. Unfortunately, his next few works fell short of the promise he displayed in "THL." It wasn't that his books were dull; they just were missing the ingredients that made "THL" so readable: noirish atmosphere, sharp characterization and dialogue, and brief but explosive bits of violence and action.In "Heartbreaker," Ferrigno rediscovers his touch. In plot, "Heartbreaker" is basically a revenge and chase novel: the main character is an undercover cop (sort of), whose partner gets murdered and his cover gets blown. So he runs from the bad guy, and along the way, falls in with a beautiful biologist with a quirky family. Brother is a loser sociopath who is hooked up with an even more sociopathic knockout redhead with murderous thoughts. The main character gets drawn into the looney family, at the same time, taunting yet trying to evade the bad guy who killed his partner.But it isn't the plot that makes this so readable. Ferrigno captures a certain almost romantic sense of adventure, akin to Raymond Chandler's novels, but with a modern feel.The ending is a little maudlin, but generally works.

Summer reading...

It was a blast! Heartbreaker was just the right thing for a summer's afternoon. The characters were a little shallow; but, what the heck! It was still fun. The story was fast paced and action filled. Take a copy with you on your next vacation.

Gripping and fun

I can't remember the last time a I read a book in a day because I couldn't wait to find out what happens next and the characters were so compelling. I remember liking THE HORSE LATITUDES but did not read the two novels in between. Terrific and entertaining read!

Excellent! Fast-paced and involving.

My first Ferrigno. I can't wait to read the rest of his books. Lots of action and humor. I hope that Valentine will be back many times!

Terrific!

Eight months ago in Miami, the Jackson brothers, working for Junior, a drugpin, kill undercover cop Steffano. At a Cuban restaurant Steffano's police partner Val Duran shares a meal with the Jacksons. The hired guns take immense pleasure in bragging to Val about the bombing death of Steffano as much as the meal they savor. Fearing for his own life, the next morning Val flees for Los Angeles. Not wanting to obtain any jobs involving law enforcement, Val quickly accepts work as a stuntman. Val also meets and falls in love with Kyle Abbott. However, he soon finds himself embroiled with a family on the ropes. Kyle's half-brother hires some thugs to kill his wealthy stepmother. Adding to his woes, Junior wants Val dead. As both situations and his passion for Kyle heat up, Val finds himself in the middle of trouble that easily could leave him dead. No one who enjoys a fast-paced Hollywood mystery will suffer from a broken heart after reading Robert Ferrigno's best novel in about a decade (since THE HORSE LATITUDES). The story line is reminiscent of Elmore Leonard's Shorty tales as the myriad of subplots blends together into an action-packed story line where California dreaming meets Miami vice. Fans of the sub-genre will cherish Val for his quest for love even as thugs threaten his life. Readers will definitely desire his return in a sequel.Harriet Klausner