Playing Dead

“In a word, this book is fun.” —Fort-Worth Star-Telegram   
 
“Tommie is a smart, sassy, loving, and doggedly persistent narrator in this fast-moving mystery that occasionally tugs at the heartstrings.  A promising debut.” 
—Booklist
 
“Tommie McCloud is the kind of character that every female reader ends up wanting as a sister of best friend—a friend of passionate loyalties, a no-nonsense woman who doesn’t possess the insincerity gene, a not-too-girly Texas spitfire…feverishly compelling….Heaberlintells the story with whip-smart dialogue, an insistent pace and keen wit; it’s irresistible enough that I sped through all 300-plus pages in one sitting.”  —Dallas Morning News
 
“A terrific debut . . . Like the Chicken-Fried Steak that its characters love, Playing Dead combines Texas and Noir in unexpectedly wonderful ways, with a refreshingly real heroine  and a plot thatmoves and twists with the unpredictability of a rodeo bull.” 
—Susanna Kearsley, author of The Rose Garden

“A debut crime novel from an author with a very promising future….Heaberlin can certainly keep the suspense going and dangled me like a fish on a line….Heaberlin’s debut is excellently written with a great mix of intrigue, murder and mystery to keep the reader determined to see what happens on Tommie’s journey.”  —Crimesquad
“As Heaberlin leads the reader through several complex threads, her fast-paced narrative rarely flags.”  —Detroit News
 
“Impressive….her debut’s most striking feature is Tommie’s narrative voice, which is so winning and vivacious.”  —Sunday Times (UK)