BLEEDING HEARTS (The Gregor Demarkian Holiday Series) - Softcover

Charmingly original, with the occasional cuteness redeemed by a suddenly exposed hard edge, Haddam's ninth Gregor Demarkian holiday mystery begins in February on the busy streets of an Armenian neighborhood in Philadelphia. Tongues wag when 58-year-old Hannah Krekorian takes up with Paul Hazzard, a psychologist famous for his books and his seminars and for the nasty death of his wife four years earlier, a crime for which he was tried but never convicted. When Hazzard is murdered in Hannah's bedroom, his blood staining the same ornamental dagger that also figured in his wife's death, Hannah is an immediate suspect. Series hero Gregor, a former FBI agent, takes up Hannah's cause and casts his eye on the dead man's magnificently dysfunctional trio of grown-up children and his former mistress, who is soon to publish a tell-all tale. Aiding Gregor is his no-nonsense lover, fantasy writer Bennis Hannaford. While Gregor considers the unusual entry wounds on Hazzard's body and those featured on the next victim, the author details several believable romances that flourish and flounder on Cavanaugh Street. Never quite cozy and never quite tough, this tale combines the best of both styles to stunning effect.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Haddam's nine previous Gregor Demarkian stories each features a holiday theme. Her latest focuses on Valentine's Day as it's celebrated on Philadelphia's Cavanaugh Street, home to retired FBI agent Demarkian and a host of fellow Armenian immigrants. Everyone in the neighborhood is surprised when homely Hanna Krekorian turns up with a new man in her life, but Demarkian is especially shocked when he finds that Hanna's friend is none other than Paul Hazzard, who was once suspected of violently murdering his wife. Hazzard may have some kind of twisted motive for courting Hanna--but what? To compound the mystery, Hazzard's former lover, Candida DeWitt, is on the verge of publishing her tell-all memoirs, which may reveal whether Hazzard was indeed guilty of murder. When Hazzard is stabbed to death at Hanna's house and Hanna seems the most likely suspect, Demarkian decides it's time to step in. Loyal Demarkian fans will thoroughly enjoy the formidable detective's latest adventure, which sports Haddam's usual deft writing, skillful plotting, and gentle humor. Readers who don't know the series will find Demarkian and his Armenian neighbors refreshing and entertaining. Emily Melton