- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press (Jun 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0312982879
- ISBN-13: 978-0312982874
- Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.2 x 2.8 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,204,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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18 reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Wiltse is back and he is hot!
20 Feb 2001
Format:Hardcover
After a hiatus that lasted much longer than any of us thought we could endure, David Wiltse has finally brought us a new book. While Heartland does not feature John Becker, it has a protagonist that will seem familiar in many ways. After enduring a terrifying standoff in which his partner was killed, Secret Service agent Billy Tree retreats to his boyhood town of Falls City, Nebraska to re-evaluate his life. An Irish-American who often reverts to a thick Irish brogue, Billy Tree is viewed as something of an outsider, even though the townspeople of this middle American, Small Town USA grew up with him.
The Heartland of America, with it's silos and pick-up trucks is a far cry from the sophisticated flavor we tend to associate with Wiltse's works. It is the perfect setting, however, for Billy Tree, who seems to be existing throughout this story as a man with one foot in each world.
The simplicity of life in Falls City Nebraska paints a jarring contrast to the complexity of the internal war Billy Tree is fighting. When he is called upon to aid the Sheriff in a murder investigation, Billy is forced to face demons he has been fighting to suppress. Readers of Wiltse, who will find this a familiar theme, will not be disappointed in the ease with which the author reintroduces this trait in the form of a new character. If you liked John Becker, you will love Billy Tree. And for those who are wondering if Wiltse has maintained his talent for that torridly sexual encounter his protagonist is capable of bringing to the fore, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!".
Heartland is a book written with the intensity and intelligence we have come to associate with David Wiltse. The plot is tight, the characters are vivid, the protagonist will win you over, and you will not put the book down until the last page. I read all night. Don't put this one off!!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Be Still My Heart
20 Feb 2001
Format:Hardcover
I can think of no book that I've looked more forward to than Heartland by David Wiltse. I must admit at first I was let down that this wasn't a John Becker book. That disappointment lasted about five breathtaking pages before I was quickly sucked into the story of Billy Tree, and I found him to be as compelling, if not more so, than John Becker. Both Billy Tree and John Becker are complex characters, but that is where the similarity ends. Billy is still grounded by his family, particularly his sister. He even takes on the brogue of his Irish ancestors as he takes over the book and the reader's imagination.
After being wounded in a shootout, Billy returns to his home in the heartland of America. His memories of small town USA are slowly replaced by those of a town that is not isolated from the woes of the big city. Before he has time to lick his wounds, he is helping the man he most admired, the town sheriff, solve a murder.
I've learned to expect excellence in books by David Wiltse and consider Heartland to be his best book. The plotting is superb, the characters well drawn and intriguing, and his depiction of the heartland is unblinkingly honest. I absolutely could not put this book down, and I did something I seldom do. I read it again immediately cover to cover. If you are looking for a book with intense and exciting action filled characters you can't seem to leave, I recommend you read Heartland immediately. It is the best book I've read this year, and I sincerely doubt anything will be able to top it. I'm on tenterhooks awaiting information on the next book by Wiltse.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Heartland, straight to the heart
14 Nov 2001
Format:Hardcover
This is my first book by David Wiltse, but it certainly won't be my last. It is a fascinating story of a Secret Service agent, wounded in body and psyche who returns to Falls City, Nebraska, his home town on the prairie, to recuperate and find his spirit again. Terrified of guns after being nearly killed (and possibly killing his own partner)Billy Tree becomes embroiled in what appears to be a shooting of school teachers by a deranged student. I don't want to give away the plot,but it is a gripping story with far more characterization and psychological insight than in most such tales, and the writing is on a higher level altogether. I'm hooked and can't wait for the next Wiltse book.
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