Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Read!
Review: "The Gingerbread Man" by Maggie Shayne is a first-class romantic suspense novel that kept me completely captivated from start to finish. With a thrilling plot full of twists and turns and vivid and sympathetic characters, "The Gingerbread Man" is a book you don't want to miss.Syracuse Detective Vince O'Mally made a promise he knew was a mistake. When the mother of two missing children made her umpteenth appearance in his office, Vince promised her he would find her son and daughter and bring them home. So when Vince and his partner follow up a tip on a bad smell coming from a run-down house, Vince is shattered when he finds the savaged bodies of little Bobby and Kara Prague. The only clue is a children's book hidden under the floorboards, "The Gingerbread Man", borrowed nearly twenty years ago from a library in a small town called Dilmun in upstate New York. Vince is haunted by this case day and night, and when the FBI takes the case from the local police, Vince is furious. Concerned with Vince's run-down appearance and obsessive behaviour, the Syracuse Chief of Police orders Vince to either take a month long vacation or see the police psychiatrist for an hour a day until the shrink deems Vince okay. Unable to let this go, Vince takes the forced vacation, traveling to Dilmun to follow up on his only clue. The small town of Dilmun, located on Cayuga Lake is a close-knit and quiet community. Upon his arrival Vince meets the beautiful and troubled Holly Newman, whose own sister was abducted and murdered twenty years ago while carrying the book "The Gingerbread Man", the very same book found in the house with Bobby and Kara Prague. But the thing is, the man who killed Holly's sister confessed and is currently sitting in prison for the crime. Seems open and shut, right? Vince doesn't think so. In fact, Vince is convinced that the man who killed Holly's sister is the same man who killed Bobby and Kara Prague, and he thinks that person lives right there in Dilmun. Vince knows that Holly is the key to solving this case, and that the answers he so desperately needs are locked somewhere in her mind. Vince spends more and more time with Holly as he tries to help her uncover the memories she has suppressed for all these years. And though he has told himself over and over that the seemingly fragile and needy Holly isn't any good for him, Vince falls completely and hopelessly in love. In addition to the two fantastic main characters, "The Gingerbread Man" is filled with intriguing supporting characters too, such as retired and reclusive movie star Reginald D'Voe and his troubled niece Amanda. And when a young girl is kidnapped at Reggie D'Voe's annual Halloween party, Holly finds herself re-living her worst nightmare. But amidst the horror and the fear, Holly finds a core of inner strength she never knew existed, and she and Vince race to find the girl before it's too late. "The Gingerbread Man" is a fabulous read and I found it extremely hard to put down. Shayne expertly kept me guessing through the whole book - the murderer was a complete mystery to me until the very end! Filled with brilliantly rendered images of raging storms and mysterious autumn nights, this book will provide all the thrills and chills you could ask for. The romance between Holly and Vince is beautifully depicted, and is filled with true to life passion and tenderness. "The Gingerbread Man" is a truly fine example of romantic suspense writing, so buy it today. You won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read!
Review: "The Gingerbread Man" by Maggie Shayne is a first-class romantic suspense novel that kept me completely captivated from start to finish. With a thrilling plot full of twists and turns and vivid and sympathetic characters, "The Gingerbread Man" is a book you don't want to miss. Syracuse Detective Vince O'Mally made a promise he knew was a mistake. When the mother of two missing children made her umpteenth appearance in his office, Vince promised her he would find her son and daughter and bring them home. So when Vince and his partner follow up a tip on a bad smell coming from a run-down house, Vince is shattered when he finds the savaged bodies of little Bobby and Kara Prague. The only clue is a children's book hidden under the floorboards, "The Gingerbread Man", borrowed nearly twenty years ago from a library in a small town called Dilmun in upstate New York. Vince is haunted by this case day and night, and when the FBI takes the case from the local police, Vince is furious. Concerned with Vince's run-down appearance and obsessive behaviour, the Syracuse Chief of Police orders Vince to either take a month long vacation or see the police psychiatrist for an hour a day until the shrink deems Vince okay. Unable to let this go, Vince takes the forced vacation, traveling to Dilmun to follow up on his only clue. The small town of Dilmun, located on Cayuga Lake is a close-knit and quiet community. Upon his arrival Vince meets the beautiful and troubled Holly Newman, whose own sister was abducted and murdered twenty years ago while carrying the book "The Gingerbread Man", the very same book found in the house with Bobby and Kara Prague. But the thing is, the man who killed Holly's sister confessed and is currently sitting in prison for the crime. Seems open and shut, right? Vince doesn't think so. In fact, Vince is convinced that the man who killed Holly's sister is the same man who killed Bobby and Kara Prague, and he thinks that person lives right there in Dilmun. Vince knows that Holly is the key to solving this case, and that the answers he so desperately needs are locked somewhere in her mind. Vince spends more and more time with Holly as he tries to help her uncover the memories she has suppressed for all these years. And though he has told himself over and over that the seemingly fragile and needy Holly isn't any good for him, Vince falls completely and hopelessly in love. In addition to the two fantastic main characters, "The Gingerbread Man" is filled with intriguing supporting characters too, such as retired and reclusive movie star Reginald D'Voe and his troubled niece Amanda. And when a young girl is kidnapped at Reggie D'Voe's annual Halloween party, Holly finds herself re-living her worst nightmare. But amidst the horror and the fear, Holly finds a core of inner strength she never knew existed, and she and Vince race to find the girl before it's too late. "The Gingerbread Man" is a fabulous read and I found it extremely hard to put down. Shayne expertly kept me guessing through the whole book - the murderer was a complete mystery to me until the very end! Filled with brilliantly rendered images of raging storms and mysterious autumn nights, this book will provide all the thrills and chills you could ask for. The romance between Holly and Vince is beautifully depicted, and is filled with true to life passion and tenderness. "The Gingerbread Man" is a truly fine example of romantic suspense writing, so buy it today. You won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read!
Review: "The Gingerbread Man" by Maggie Shayne is a first-class romantic suspense novel that kept me completely captivated from start to finish. With a thrilling plot full of twists and turns and vivid and sympathetic characters, "The Gingerbread Man" is a book you don't want to miss. Syracuse Detective Vince O'Mally made a promise he knew was a mistake. When the mother of two missing children made her umpteenth appearance in his office, Vince promised her he would find her son and daughter and bring them home. So when Vince and his partner follow up a tip on a bad smell coming from a run-down house, Vince is shattered when he finds the savaged bodies of little Bobby and Kara Prague. The only clue is a children's book hidden under the floorboards, "The Gingerbread Man", borrowed nearly twenty years ago from a library in a small town called Dilmun in upstate New York. Vince is haunted by this case day and night, and when the FBI takes the case from the local police, Vince is furious. Concerned with Vince's run-down appearance and obsessive behaviour, the Syracuse Chief of Police orders Vince to either take a month long vacation or see the police psychiatrist for an hour a day until the shrink deems Vince okay. Unable to let this go, Vince takes the forced vacation, traveling to Dilmun to follow up on his only clue. The small town of Dilmun, located on Cayuga Lake is a close-knit and quiet community. Upon his arrival Vince meets the beautiful and troubled Holly Newman, whose own sister was abducted and murdered twenty years ago while carrying the book "The Gingerbread Man", the very same book found in the house with Bobby and Kara Prague. But the thing is, the man who killed Holly's sister confessed and is currently sitting in prison for the crime. Seems open and shut, right? Vince doesn't think so. In fact, Vince is convinced that the man who killed Holly's sister is the same man who killed Bobby and Kara Prague, and he thinks that person lives right there in Dilmun. Vince knows that Holly is the key to solving this case, and that the answers he so desperately needs are locked somewhere in her mind. Vince spends more and more time with Holly as he tries to help her uncover the memories she has suppressed for all these years. And though he has told himself over and over that the seemingly fragile and needy Holly isn't any good for him, Vince falls completely and hopelessly in love. In addition to the two fantastic main characters, "The Gingerbread Man" is filled with intriguing supporting characters too, such as retired and reclusive movie star Reginald D'Voe and his troubled niece Amanda. And when a young girl is kidnapped at Reggie D'Voe's annual Halloween party, Holly finds herself re-living her worst nightmare. But amidst the horror and the fear, Holly finds a core of inner strength she never knew existed, and she and Vince race to find the girl before it's too late. "The Gingerbread Man" is a fabulous read and I found it extremely hard to put down. Shayne expertly kept me guessing through the whole book - the murderer was a complete mystery to me until the very end! Filled with brilliantly rendered images of raging storms and mysterious autumn nights, this book will provide all the thrills and chills you could ask for. The romance between Holly and Vince is beautifully depicted, and is filled with true to life passion and tenderness. "The Gingerbread Man" is a truly fine example of romantic suspense writing, so buy it today. You won't be disappointed!
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good Story
Review: A good suspense book with a surprising end. The romance portion was on the weak side, but the mystery was good and the characters were well constructed. This is my 3rd Shayne romantic-suspense and I have found her to be an excellent writer thus far.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good Story
Review: A good suspense book with a surprising end. The romance portion was on the weak side, but the mystery was good and the characters were well constructed. This is my 3rd Shayne romantic-suspense and I have found her to be an excellent writer thus far.
Rating: 
Summary: Predictable
Review: After hearing of a new mystery / thriller being available and being an avid reader, I rushed out to find "The Gingerbread Man".
After finding Maggie Shayne's book I anticipated an afternoon of enjoying a good read. Although not a bad book, I found that it was not one that gripped me right from the start and that by changing names and locations, it became interchangeable with many others of the same genre.
This book went quickly back to the shelf.
My search continued for "The Gingerbread Man" of which I had heard and finally I found the one by Michael Shane, a new author.
This book fit the bill! Although it was priced right between hardcover and softcover pricing, it was well worth it.
From the first page I was immediately captivated by the story and thinking "Here is a new writer with a future".
Michael Shane has managed to create a thrilling new mystery, with many twists, turns, unique characters, interesting locations and singular relationships, to satisfy many varied appetites. Much like when I first discovered Ludlum.
This is certainly not your "run of the mill" pot boiler and will keep one interested and guessing to the very end and wanting more.
Five Stars for Michael Shane's "The Gingerbread Man" and hoping there's more to follow!
Rating:
Summary: Found something new & exciting
Review: As an avid reader (4 to 6 books per week), I didn't think I could find anything new; however, The Gingerbread Man was not only new, it was exciting and made me want to read more Maggie Shayne. A good read for those searching for mystery & romance!
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant Saturday Afternoon Read
Review: Detective Vincent O'Mally has always been the type of police officer that is very calm, rational and objective during the investigation of horrific crimes. He has been decorated for outstanding performance several times by the Syracuse Police Department. But his latest case is taking its toll on him. He can't eat, sleep, or do anything but focus on the kidnapping of two small children. To make matters worse, the mother of the missing children has begun to appear in his office with a picture of her two children wanting to know what the police have discovered. Vince, trying to ease her pain, makes a promise to her he knows he shouldn't. He promises to bring her children home to her. A few days later, he receives a tip on an abandon house. The smell coming out of it is horrible. Vince and his partner investigate only to make a gruesome discovery. Inside the house are the badly decomposed bodies of Sara Prague's children. No clues are found, there is nothing to go on except an old, abandon over due library book called The Gingerbread Man. The FBI is called in to take over the case. Vince is outraged. He wants to continue on the case even though he is clearly not handling it well. He is ordered to take either a thirty-five day leave of absence to get his act together or spend one hour a day for thirty-five days with the department shrink. Vince walks out determined to continue investigating on his own. Vince keeps the overdue library book he found at the scene. It's marked as belonging to Dilmun Public Library in Dilmun, New York. He goes there and finds a quiet little town that only comes to life during tourist season. As he begins to try to find out who checked out the book, which he feels, is a valuable clue, he meets Holly Newman. Holly is a fragile young woman with bright red hair whom the town tries to protect and shelter. She witnessed the kidnapping of her young sister whose body was never found. This drove her to a break down and obsessive compulsion disorder. Holly works for the chief of police who quickly finds out who the book was checked out by without telling Vince. Holly checked it out years ago for her younger sister. How could this book resurface after so many years? Vince and Holly finally team up and begin to discover clues about the kidnapping of several young girls. Someone doesn't want them to be successful. Holly begins to slip into her old pattern of counting things while seeing things that she doesn't know if they are real or a figment of her imagination. Then, at a Halloween party thrown by the town's most famous citizen, tragedy strikes again when a young girl disappears. The host, Reginald D'Voe, is a retired actor who was famous for his horror roles has a secret to hide of his own concerning his niece, Amanda. Soon this quaint little town begins to unravel, as no one can trust anyone. I have never read anything by Maggie Shayne until I read a short story by her in Out of This World a few months ago. Needless to say, I was impressed enough to buy her new book. It doesn't disappoint. The Gingerbread Man is a nifty little mystery. While my ego likes to pride itself on figuring out who the bad guy is in advance, I had some trouble on this one. I will definitely be looking for more of Ms. Shayne's books.
Rating: 
Summary: A VERY GOOD READ!!!1
Review: Gingerbread Man subject matter is dark and distubing, it brings to mind the horrible things that actually happen to children. Ms. Shayne choose not to delve into the crimes to deeply which left it open for the romance of Vincent and Holly to develop. And there is great satisfaction in the ending of this book as the sicko gets exactly whats coming to him. Its a very good read and a credit to her.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT READ, GREAT MYSTERY
Review: I really enjoyed the story except there were many discrepancies. First off, the killer was going to kill and bury Bethany the same day he abducted her; whereas, he kept his other victims for a long time "playing" with them before he murdered them. The sheriff, the doctor and Uncle Marty kept secretly meeting but for what purpose. Nothing ever developed from those meetings. I was a really good story and I enjoyed it.
| 
