The Tulip Eaters

August 19, 2013
Van Heugten’s sophomore effort (after Saving Max) chronicles the ordeal a mother goes through to rescue her kidnapped daughter, uncovering the truth behind her own mother’s past along the way. In 1980 Houston, pediatric surgeon Nora de Jong comes home to discover her mother Anneke’s mutilated dead body next to that of a man Nora’s never seen before. Missing from the house is Nora’s six-month-old daughter, Rose. Fed up with police bureaucracy, Nora takes matters into her own hands, traveling to Holland, the de Jongs’ homeland, to chase down clues. She’s aided by Nico, whom she fell in love with when she studied in Amsterdam but reluctantly left behind to pursue a career in America. Though riveting from start to finish, the book’s credibility suffers as the villain grows more cartoonish and evil, and van Heugten stumbles by letting us into the kidnapper’s mind early on, reducing the element of mystery. The story remains absorbing nonetheless, working best as that of a daughter discovering things about her mother and her family. Agent: Al Zuckerman, Writers House.

September 15, 2013
Nora de Jong's life is turned upside down when she comes home from work to find her mother murdered and her infant daughter gone; following the minute clues leads her to some devastating secrets from her family's past and a violent legacy of betrayal and resentment. Suddenly, in one tragic moment, Nora goes from being blissfully happy to being distraught over her mother's murder and her daughter's disappearance. But there is another body at the scene of the crime, someone Nora doesn't know. Why he would be there and what he has to do with her daughter's abduction are driving questions that will force Nora to re-examine everything she knows about her Dutch parents, their past and her heritage. Following what seems like bread crumbs, Nora winds up in Amsterdam and the dusty archives of the War Institute, where endless files and records from the Nazi occupation are kept. What she finds there will shed light on Europe's dark history during World War II and the suffering the Dutch populace endured under Hitler's brutal grip. She will learn that her own family's history reflected a microcosm of the violence and confusion of savage times and that the hate and misunderstanding of war can shadow generations. Author van Heugten's novel plots an ambitious mystery that blends historical elements with a modern kidnapping arc. As Nora seeks clues to find her daughter, she must research her family's history and uncover the secrets of her past; along the way, the author takes the opportunity to highlight some forgotten details of Dutch wartime history. This is a worthy and noble story, but there are too many moments that don't quite work--awkward segues, simplistic character reactions, graceless dialogue. However, the arcs will keep readers engaged, and this war-torn family drama will win fans despite its weaknesses. Flawed yet gripping.

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October 15, 2013

Upon arriving home from work, Nora de Jong discovers her mother murdered, her hair hacked off in a manner used to disgrace Dutch war criminals at the end of World War II. Even more perplexing is an unknown elderly man who lies dead at the scene, a German pistol in his hand. Most upsetting of all, however, is the disappearance of Nora's six-month-old daughter, Rose, whom her mother had been babysitting. Frantic to find her baby and frustrated with ineffectual local police, Nora begins an investigation that leads to the Netherlands, where she must confront the horrible realities of her mother's past. VERDICT After that gripping opening that hints at a motive without revealing it entirely, this second novel by van Heugten (Saving Max) meanders slightly but finally hits its stride as it nears the climax and final resolution. Characters are deeply flawed, and it is difficult to find sympathy for some of them--even if they are Holocaust survivors. Readers of cold-case mysteries and mysteries set within a historical context will enjoy this book.--Vicki Briner, City Coll. Lib., Fort Lauderdale, FL

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2013
How far would you go to find your infant daughter? Would you travel back in time to where painful memories and hidden, harrowing truths lurk? That is what Nora de Jong is forced to do after she returns home one day to find her mother murdered; her baby, Rose, missing; and an unknown man dead on the floor, still clutching a Luger. After getting nowhere with the local authorities, Nora launches her own investigation, willing herself to finally confront her family's painful, long-concealed WWII legacy, which seems to have a lot to do with the current horrors. When she finds an old, locked metal box in her parent's attic, much is revealed, including the fact that the dead man was no stranger. In a gripping journey of lies, betrayal, and heartbreakand an absorbing chase from beginning to endbest-selling author and former international trial lawyer van Heugten (Saving Max, 2010) creates a spellbinding tale of motherly love and family secrets that will keep readers up late into the night.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)