Rating: 
Summary: "Run, run, fast as you can. You can't catch me,
Review: I'm the gingerbread man!"After giving a mother false hope for the return of her two children, Bobby and Kara Prague, detective Vince O'Mally becomes quite distraught after discovering them murdered in a old, dilapidated house in Syracuse. Through his search, however, he comes across a broken floorboard with a book called "The Gingerbread Man" hidden underneath it, which was last checked out at the Dilmun library in upstate New York. Thinking that it might be a possible clue to the crime scene at hand, he secretly stashes it away and continues his search for the killer, even after he's been taken off of the Prague case because of an extensive FBI involvement and because of letting himself get too emotionally attached to Sara Prague and her unfortunate mishap. Vince O'Mally was prepared for just about anything (mainly due to low expectations of uncovering any incriminating evidence) but what he wasn't prepared for was Holly Newman: a young, fragile beauty with a falsified demeanor as her life was based upon daily habits and continual order. It's when he senses a dark secret suppressed within her carefully constructed facade that her step becomes unsteady as her course is thrown off by the unnerving curiousity of the "stranger" in town, whom is welcomed with a cold shoulder by the small town locals. He manages to weave his way into Holly's life however and steadily unearths a ghastly memory that has haunted her for years. A memory that had once pushed her to take numerous pills and seek ample amounts of therapy. When he learns of Holly's secret (that Holly had witnessed the abduction of her little sister Ivy some twenty years age and was dying inside because of survivor's guilt), he perceives her as being stronger than everyone lets on and starts to lose himself in his determination to make all of the wrong in her life more barable. Then again he also sees Holly as the key; the missing piece to the puzzle, and begins to link the two murders together and suspect that they were done by the same person, and that he may even live here in Dilmun! "The Gingerbread Man" by Maggie Shayne is different from the other books I've read by her but if you appreciate good writing with hooking suspense and enthralling romance that's real and not sappy than this is a must read for it truly is amazing!
Rating:
Summary: Romantic Suspense in the Truest Sense
Review: In a departure from the fantasy element of earlier novels, Ms. Shayne has delivered one of her best yet, a novel rich with spine-tingling mystery and an abundance of suspense. Syracuse police detective Vince O'Mally oversteps the bounds of his profession and becomes too involved in his latest case. Two children are found murdered, and the only clue he discovers is an old library edition of THE GINGERBREAD MAN. That one clue leads him to Dilmun, New York, a small town on Cayuga Lake. There, Vince encounters Holly Newman, last-known borrower of THE GINGERBREAD MAN, and secretary to the Dilmun Chief of Police. Vince and Holly's paths keep crossing, and he senses that she could provide a connection to his recent case. Holly, deftly portrayed as the fragile, yet strong heroine, can't decide whether she is attracted to or disturbed by the very forthright Vince. Suddenly, many of Holly's old fears return as strange happenings grip the town of Dilmun leaving Holly and Vince in the eye of the storm. With a truly skillful manifestation of clues and possible suspects, the reader is kept guessing as much as any of the players. As Holly and Vince get closer to the truth and to each other, an eerily familiar series of events forces Holly to come to terms with her past. Can they catch the killer before it is too late? In some novels, the suspense is over long before the book is finished. Not so in this case, as the answer to "who done it?" is made known when it should be, at the novel's conclusion. The nail-biting conclusion will leave readers white-knuckled for some time to come. True romance readers won't be disappointed, either, as the love scenes become more memorable because they are not overplayed. With sizzling love scenes and suspense that just won't quit, Ms. Shayne has created a praise-worthy novel truly deserving of its classification as romantic suspense.
Rating:
Summary: A Surprise Twist!
Review: Let me begin by saying this book started out slow but gradually became more intense every minute I read on. Any reader who enjoys suspense stories should read this book. The suspense keeps you guessing and the reader will not want to put this book down.
Vince O'Mally is a Syracuse Police detective who gets involved in many horrific crimes but has always been levelheaded until he finds two missing children. Vince is in over his head and is asked to take some time off so the FBI can proceed with the case. Reluctantly, Vince agrees but promises himself that he will find the killer. He travels to Dilmun, New York with the only piece of evidence he has - a book entitled "The Gingerbread Man" - to try and piece together who the killer might be.
At the town's tiny police department, Vince encounters Holly Newman who is a very fragile woman. Vince finds out that Holly's past has caused her a great deal of pain, which led her to seek therapy. Holly's younger sister, Ivy, was abducted and killed twenty years ago just like the previous children that Vince found. Vince is certain that Ivy's death is linked to the killings before and is determined to get Holly to remember her sister's abduction even though Holly has repressed all of her feelings. Vince feels that Holly is not this fragile woman everyone in Dilmun makes her out to be, on the contrary, he feels that Holly is a very strong person and that she is the key to helping determine whom the killer is if she could only remember her past.
Throughout the story, Holly and Vince face major problems together- Holly coming face-to-face with the "supposed" criminal who killed her sister (although the man was not the actual killer of Holly's sister), another local girl being kidnapped, and finding out that her aunt was killed by the same man who took Holly's sister and the local child.
When the local child is kidnapped, Holly feels as if she is experiencing her horrifying ordeal with her sister all over again. But she finds an inner strength she never knew she had, and her and Vince hurry to find the missing child.
This book was very entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who the killer was along with Vince and Holly. I like the fact that Maggie Shayne writes a couple pages about what the character is thinking and feeling, then she will go on to describe the scene and what is happening. The only major problem I came across is when Mrs. Shayne will be describing one thing in a paragraph and then she will begin a new paragraph about something totally different, which confused me at times. Mrs. Shayne describes the characters to the point where the reader feels as if they can relate with the character. These characters include a retired horror movie star, the movie star's mysterious young niece, and a Native American physician. But the plot is amazing! It has many different twists and turns. The book goes from a raging storm to a mysterious autumn night. Even though the book is fictional, the characters are very believable. This book is more believable than her vampire stories. The ending is what brings the entire book together.
Once the reader finds out who the killer is, they will kick themselves for not seeing it beforehand. I could not believe who captured the murderer either. This book is a great read. It is very well written and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in suspense novels and a little bit of romance in the process.
Rating: 
Summary: The Least Expected
Review: Let me begin by saying this book started out slow but gradually became more intense every minute I read on. Any reader who enjoys suspense stories should read this book. The suspense keeps you guessing and the reader will not want to put this book down.
Vince O'Mally is a Syracuse Police detective who gets involved in many horrific crimes but has always been levelheaded until he finds two missing children. Vince is in over his head and is asked to take some time off so the FBI can proceed with the case. Reluctantly, Vince agrees but promises himself that he will find the killer. He travels to Dilmun, New York with the only piece of evidence he has - a book entitled "The Gingerbread Man" - to try and piece together who the killer might be.
At the town's tiny police department, Vince encounters Holly Newman who is a very fragile woman. Vince finds out that Holly's past has caused her a great deal of pain, which led her to seek therapy. Holly's younger sister, Ivy, was abducted and killed twenty years ago just like the previous children that Vince found. Vince is certain that Ivy's death is linked to the killings before and is determined to get Holly to remember her sister's abduction even though Holly has repressed all of her feelings. Vince feels that Holly is not this fragile woman everyone in Dilmun makes her out to be, on the contrary, he feels that Holly is a very strong person and that she is the key to helping determine whom the killer is if she could only remember her past.
Throughout the story, Holly and Vince face major problems together- Holly coming face-to-face with the "supposed" criminal who killed her sister (although the man was not the actual killer of Holly's sister), another local girl being kidnapped, and finding out that her aunt was killed by the same man who took Holly's sister and the local child.
When the local child is kidnapped, Holly feels as if she is experiencing her horrifying ordeal with her sister all over again. But she finds an inner strength she never knew she had, and her and Vince hurry to find the missing child.
This book was very entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who the killer was along with Vince and Holly. I like the fact that Maggie Shayne writes a couple pages about what the character is thinking and feeling, then she will go on to describe the scene and what is happening. The only major problem I came across is when Mrs. Shayne will be describing one thing in a paragraph and then she will begin a new paragraph about something totally different, which confused me at times. Mrs. Shayne describes the characters to the point where the reader feels as if they can relate with the character. These characters include a retired horror movie star, the movie star's mysterious young niece, and a Native American physician. But the plot is amazing! It has many different twists and turns. The book goes from a raging storm to a mysterious autumn night. Even though the book is fictional, the characters are very believable. This book is more believable than her vampire stories. The ending is what brings the entire book together.
Once the reader finds out who the killer is, they will kick themselves for not seeing it beforehand. I could not believe who captured the murderer either. This book is a great read. It is very well written and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in suspense novels and a little bit of romance in the process.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of Coincidence, but so what?
Review: Maggie Shayne had me hooked by the time I got through the first 3 pages or so. Too many coincidences to have the ring of truth, but who cares? It's a great page turner.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of Coincidence, but so what?
Review: Maggie Shayne had me hooked by the time I got through the first 3 pages or so. Too many coincidences to have the ring of truth, but who cares? It's a great page turner.
Rating:
Summary: Aan exciting non-stop thriller
Review: Syracuse, New York Detective Vince Donovan always keeps his professional distance during an investigation, but this one haunts him due to the desperate pleas of Sara Prague. No happy ending as Vince and his partner discover the murdered corpses of little Bobby and Kara. A few days later, Chief Rogers removes his two detectives from the case as the FBI claims jurisdiction since similar homicides in the nearby states have also occurred. The Chief informs Vince to take leave or see the shrink because he seems haunted and is acting obsessed.
Unable to drop it, Vince follows his only clue, a library book that takes him to Dilmun, New York. He meets Holly Newman, who years ago managed to escape a similar abduction, but whose sister is assumed dead. The culprit resides in prison, but Vince thinks otherwise. He believes the answer is locked inside the mind of Holly if he can only reach her, but he never expected to love her too.
THE GINGERBREAD MAN is an exciting non-stop thriller that fans of police investigations, serial killers, and romantic suspense will read in one sitting. The tone is set early as the audience will feel as haunted by the Prague siblings and their pleading mother as much as Vince. Other characters grab the audience in similar fashion as the cast adds depth and chills to this stalwart story line. Maggie Shayne deserves wider recognition for her strong portrayal of the trauma left with survivors struggling to overcome tragedy. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Good Mystery
Review: This book begins with Detective Vince O'Malley finding two missing children dead in an abandoned house. He makes a promise to their mother to solve the case and when his superiors feel he has become too involved they send him on a forced vacation. He has a clue and ends up following it to vacation in Dilmun, a small town in upstate New York, "where nothing bad ever happens". Here he meets Holly Newman who has a connection to the clue and the story unfolds from here.
I particularly liked the human qualities in this book that many main characters often lack. Vince, a seasoned cop, is deeply disturbed and overwhelmed at finding the children's bodies. Holly is a fragile and compulsive woman who has to count steps in her head so her mind doesn't wander to frightening depths.
There is a twist and ,of course, the who done it? part of this book. I knew the twist early on but I didn't figure out the murderer.
There were a few small things that I didn't think worked like why the three townsmen met in private at late hours to have secret meetings.....for what? Why would Reginald D'Voe move back to that town when clearly Amanda had frightening things happen to her near there and bad memories would resurface. However, overall it was an enjoyable read and I will look for others by Maggie Shayne.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Work!The New Agatha Christie!
Review: This is an excellent mystery novel that I could not put down!I have moved to Mystery anthologies recently bec. the newer mysteries could not hold my attention for a long time until I read this book !Though I more or less gathered who the culprit was, the story was packed with so many twists and excitement until the end that I kept changing my mind who the killer was.Absolutely fascinating!
Rating:
Summary: Bravo, Maggie Shayne!!!
Review: This is the first book I have read by Maggie Shayne. The plot is twisitng and turning at every moment. It will keep you guessing until the heart-stopping climax. The main character, Holly, has been traumitized for many years. When a mysterious man strolls into her town, her nightmares come back to haunt her. This mystery is mixed beautifully with suspense and romance. Don't miss this great read!!
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