The Endora Murders: Heart's Home is a murder mystery novel written by Michelle Ciesielka. Charlene and William Haleow had been horrified when they saw the ambulances and police vehicles surrounding their son Bobby’s new white Jeep; they were devastated when they were informed that he hadn’t survived the crash. The police surmised that he had taken the curve in the road too quickly and had lost control, but Faith, his older sister, wondered about that. Bobby was a skilled driver, even if he did have the tendency to push the car a bit, and he knew that curve intimately. Theirs was a closely knit family. William believed in getting his kids involved in the family business at an early age. As each child reached the age of five years, they started working at the family’s computer parts company. Bobby had just finished his third year of college, and, after graduation, would return to the company full-time. Now, all those plans were gone. Chief Andrew Ransunski could feel the intensity of the family’s grief, but he did need someone to identify the body. As Charlene was under sedation, William and Faith accompanied the chief to the morgue. Along the way, the chief mentioned that the police had been contacted by a witness, who had seen a truck attempting to run a car off the road. But why would anyone want to kill Bobby?

Michelle Ciesielka’s murder mystery novel, The Endora Murders: Heart's Home, is an engaging and thought-provoking debut novel about a relatively sheltered young woman who decides to find out who tried to kill her brother and why. The author’s plot is fresh and intriguing and she manages to give out plenty of red herrings for armchair sleuths to ponder over. My one regret is that the reader doesn’t get to see more of Faith aside from her family relationships, which seems odd for a young, college-educated woman in her mid-twenties. She has no friends or relationships outside of her family and seems to have no interests aside from the family business. The town of Endora and its younger population are also lacking in the complexity that makes fictional places and people come alive. The majority of the young people we see are debauched, drug-dependent and sex-crazed devotees of a grungy dive bar, called The Tramp, and young women from good families who go from being good-time girls to addicted prostitutes. The stark contrast of the Haleow family and those young people kept me from being quite as involved in the story as I would have liked to be; I found it hard to imagine a town like Endora or a young woman like Faith, who seemed to have no identity outside of her family’s business. Those concerns aside, The Endora Murders: Heart’s Home is recommended for those who enjoy sleuth mysteries.

The Endora Murders: Heart's Home by Michelle Ciesielka is a perfect mix of murder and mystery, a story with strong elements of a thriller, well-crafted and with great characters. A woman who is about to take over her family’s $5 million business discovers the death of her brother and everything changes. Faith Haleow couldn’t accept that her brother, Bobby, died in a car accident and, unable to contain her curiosity, she sets out to uncover the truth, but she will be treading a very dangerous path that will lead her into the world of drugs, pornography and prostitution. But the story isn’t just about Bobby, for many other murders are being investigated by the chief of police, and could there be any link between them? It’s for the reader to find out.

Michelle Ciesielka has a great gift for storytelling. Her sense of character arc is refined and it comes out powerfully through this narrative. At first, everything seems normal in the life of the protagonist, then a brother dies and the crisis sets in. The reader has to follow Faith through the most devastating moments of her life and watch her take control, learning and coming to terms with facts. The pacing is fast and well-measured to keep the reader turning the pages. The writing in itself is excellent, interspersed with great dialogues and scenes that are intense. The Endora Murders: Heart's Home is an enjoyable read for fans of the genre, a crime novel from an author with great talent.

The Endora Murders (Heart's Home) by Michelle Ciesielka is a thrilling murder mystery that would appeal most to an audience made up of primarily young adults who enjoy murder mysteries with a strong female protagonist. Faith Haleow has the life that everyone dreams of - she is intelligent, beautiful, and ready to take over her family’s five million dollar business. However, Faith’s life takes a knock when her brother Bobby dies in what appears at first glance to be an auto accident. Faith is not willing to take things at face value and sets out to uncover the truth of her brother’s death. Will Faith’s investigation turn up more than she can handle?
 
The Endora Murders (Heart's Home) by Michelle Ciesielka is a very well written book with a beautifully created cover image that fits the book’s content perfectly. The story itself was very enticing with how the author kept the plot as far away as possible from being predictable. I loved the fact that I had to keep reading to uncover the truth and that I was not able to guess the ending at any point during the story. Faith made for a great main character in that she was willing to do almost anything to uncover the truth of her brother’s death. I felt that the author really captured the emotions that a person might feel if they suspected that there was more to their loved one’s death than an accident. When I finished this book, I was left feeling hopeful that the author would decide to write more murder mystery novels so that I could continue to enjoy more unpredictable mysteries in the future!

Police Chief Andy Wolcott Ransunski left the large city of Philadelphia for the small town of Endora, Pennsylvania. He thought it would be a less violent, quieter setting. A car accident, which soon proved to be intentional, was the beginning of a complicated murder mystery. Twenty-one-year-old Bobby Haleow seemed to be the target, but the lives of his older sister Faith, brother Christopher, and parents William and Charlene may also be in danger. At the same time, Trent Aldrich Marrston tries to buy the Haleow family business. The timing seemed suspicious. It is unclear who can be trusted, and who cannot – even within the local police department. In The Endora Murders: Heart’s Home by Michelle J. Ciesielka, many small-town secrets are eventually revealed. The dark side of drugs, prostitution and pornography, as well as illicit affairs, is eventually exposed.

The plot is both detailed and easy for the reader to follow. As each discovery is made, another piece of the puzzle fits into place, and finally a clear picture emerges. Author Michelle J. Ciesielka has skillfully written a fast-paced, exciting murder mystery in The Endora Murders: Heart’s Home. Although she introduces many characters throughout the plot, each one is clearly distinguishable. The multiple relationships between several families of the town are also intriguing. The tone of the book is somewhat staccato, reminiscent of past television detective shows. It also reflects the Police Chief’s logical crime-solving techniques. This book has many twists and turns, and surprises; it is a true page-turner. An enjoyable read!