Beat of my Heart: a Sandyland crime novel

This is an excellent book---a mystery with a great sense of place and a smart, likeable female detective that I certainly hope we're going to see more of. I usually avoid mysteries that involve kidnapping, but this one was relatively painless. It was also very well written, and definitely left me wishing for more.

Ms. Mitchell's portrayal of a small southern town in crisis mode is chock full of wonderful characters and gut wrenching action. A young girl, the only child of a divorced couple, disappears on a quite Sunday afternoon; the townspeople rally to pray and search. But evil is lurking in unexpected places. I found myself imaging who might play the pot-bellied sheriff and his tough (woman) deputy in the movie!

A mother's worst fear: the kidnapping of her daughter is the focus of "Beat of my Heart, A Sandyland crime novel" by Jane Mitchell. Set in a small town near the Alabama Gulf coast, the author spins out a tale of 10 year old Hallie's abduction and the attempt by her parents, the Sandyland community and law enforcement officials to find the girl. The novel is a rich composite of local patois, humor, and references to literature, music, politics and religion. Ms. Mitchell cleverly intercuts Hallie's experience, via internal monologue, with the action taken to uncover who kidnapped her, why, and the search to free her. The hunt for Hallie leads to a porno ring that uses the Internet to entice young girls into a life of sexual slavery. Along with an excellent ear for Southern dialect and speech and the ability to convey the raw horror of what it is like for a child to be forced to commit obscene sexual acts with older men, the author has provided amusing and insightful character details and a series of exciting plot twists.

The abduction of a 10-year-old girl unites the townspeople in this well-paced novel set in semi-rural Alabama. The hunt is led by Sgt. Sonny Falon, pot-belled and impatient with his new female deputy, recently transferred from Birmingham. But Buck Haney proves her worth in tracking down the girl and helping to capture her kidnapper. Author Jane Mitchell brings to life the atmosphere and especially the unique speech of the deep South ("All these questions ain't feeding the bulldog."). The subtitle of this book is "A Sandyland crime novel," implying that there will be more to come and that Sonny and Buck will once again be at the center. This is a most satisfying beginning.

If you are like me, you hate news items about abducted children and yet find you must pay attention, checking the news again and again to see if--please God--everything turned out o.k. This novel has that feel of suspense, sadness, and hope. The motif of the fragile beating heart and the characterization of a community of humans good and evil makes for a satisfying read. Mitchell's earlier novel, And Grace Will Lead Me Home, has the same careful portrayal of community, but the little town of Sandyland is one of those places on the edge--still a bit rural, close to the tourist spots but not one, working and middle classes side by side with the homeless. And like her earlier works, Mitchell's use of pop culture thickens the story's weave. Wrap yourself up in it.