Jane Mitchell (5)

Southern Gothic, April 10, 2007
By Elliott Swift

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.





An Excellent Book, June 11, 2007
By Barbara Mooney

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.



A cherished child disappears..., April 13, 2007
By Linda Hawkins


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!… (meer)