5 comments about Pretend You Don't See Her.

1. 'Pretend You Don't See Her' didn't have the wallop of some of Mary Higgins Clark's other books(particularly the older 'Stillwatch' or the more recent 'Daddy's Little Girl' or 'Night Time Is My Time'). This one seems to have just sort of fallen together, as we're quickly told a few things about Lacey, and almost too much about the supporting characters. The journal that's supposed to tie everything together only muddles things even more. The stereotypical 'Italian mobster' bad guys, and the sometimes stilted and outdated dialogue, seem out of place for a mid-90s book. The tension is drawn-out and forced, and can't over come the predictability of what's going to happen(or actually, what's not going to happen; the major flaw of the book is that it makes a point of suspense out of something the reader knows isn't going to happen, anyway).
   Sure, it has a happy ending...it's the beginning and middle that need help.



2. This was a quick, easy read. Unfortunately, Clark seems to have no faith in her readers, feeling the need to smack us in the face with the clues. This was a very predictable book - predictable plot, predictable addition of characters and their actions, predictable outcome. Because of her hamhanded treatment of the clues and red herrings I knew immediately what would happen. A bit more finesse might have kept me guessing until the end. She never even explained how and why the conveniently placed villains (police dept, restaurant) reported to each other. I was disappointed she never tied up loose ends. Other novels of hers are better, but perhaps try another author!



3. THis is definitly one of the best novels ive read from mary higgins clark it was very easy to read, but it had too many characters as usual and dificult to remember LOL but i loved it i was so happy with the ending and it kept me in suspence at all times!!!



4. It feels like Mary Higgins Clark put a lot of herself into Lacey, the main character. She's created a multi-dimensional heroine driven from her beloved Manhattan after witnessing a murder. Lacey is someone I would like and it's easy to get caught up in her fear and frustration.
   The side characters provide plenty of suspects as the possible mastermind who hired the hitman. The story deftly slips from Lacey's efforts to figure out why this is all happening and into the thoughts of the hitman as he closes in on her. Additonal dimension is added through the thoughts of her mother, Tom (a romantic prospect), and other key characters. All fit into the puzzle somewhere and the reader struggles to work it out.
   This is the best MHC that I've read in recent years. I don't know how I missed it when it came out in 1997 as I try to catch all her books for immediate reading. Pick this up for a good dose of suspense.



5. Overall, a readable book, short and to the point, it doesn't drag in any particular one spot. But I'm confused about something.
   
   SPOILER ALERT. What was it that Isabella Waring supposedly saw in Heather's journal that was so obvious that it caused her to take such extraordinary measures to see that the journal got to her ex? Lacey Farrell only connects the dots in the journal herself after noting a change in tone in the writing in the journal after the journal mentions a lunch date with Max Hoffman, but only learns that Heather had fallen for the mobbed-up Steve Abbott after talking to Max's widow. There's no way Ms Waring could have known that information from just the journal itself or known the importance of talking to Max Hoffman.

1 comments about The Classic Clark Collection.

1. LOVES MUSIC, LOVES TO DANCE: Nona, a film maker, Darcy, owner of a small decorating business and Erin, a jewelry designer are good friends. Nona is filming a story about people and why they write personal ads. She talked Darcy and Erin into writing and answering a personal ad.
   
   One night the three are to meet for dinner but Erin never shows up. Darcy becomes worried but Nona thinks Erin has just lost track of time. Unfortunately, Darcy's fears come true. Erin has gone missing. Even more to worry about is the re-investigation of a 15-year-old murder where the victim was found with one dancing shoe and one shoe she had been wearing. Can the two be related? Surely not!
   
   There are three men in the picture. A doctor who is writing a book on people who write/answer personal ads, a philandering husband and a man who tells people he is Erin's agent. What do these three have to do with the fact that Erin is missing? Everything? Nothing? But wait; there is yet another man - the brother of the girl that was murdered 15 years ago. Darcy is attracted to him. Can this be a good thing or even a safe thing?
   
   In investigating Erin's disappearance, more girls are found to have gone missing. Now the mates to the shoes found on the first victim turn up and other similar pairs are being found. What is happening? Where is Erin? Is Darcy safe? Grab a copy of LOVES MUSIC, LOVES TO DANCE and find out.
   
   
   ALL AROUND THE TOWN: I have always been fascinated with the Multiple Personality Syndrome (MPS) and with the fact that one human being can inflict so much pain on another. With these two themes, Ms. Clark writes an engrossing tale of 4-year-old Lorie who is taken by Bic and Opal and kept for two years. She is then returned to her family with threats of death repeated to her many times before the couple lets her go.
   
   Because of the fear Lorie lived with during those two years, other "people" have come to help her cope with life. Lorie is in college when one of her "people" show themselves to a professor. Then the professor is found dead and Lorie is accused. Sarah, Lorie's sister, is an attorney and takes up her case. A detective takes up Lorie's case to help Sarah prove her sister's innocence. Lorie goes into therapy to get help with the MPS and to discover who really killed the professor before the sentencing deadline causes Lorie to be sent to prison.
   
   The story is fast-paced and well written. The two themes work well together and prove the listener with a tale that is hard to put down.
   
   
   WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN: Nancy Harmon keeps to herself because seven years ago, she was on trial for murdering her two small children. During the trial, the prosecution's only witness goes missing so they are unable to prove Nancy committed the murders. Nancy is set free and flees to a small town in Maine where she meets and marries Ray Harmon, a real estate agent. Only Ray's assistant, Dorothy knows the truth about Nancy as Nancy wouldn't marry Ray until she told him the truth. Dorothy wants to be with Ray and Nancy but a client has scheduled a visit to a property that Ray has for sale. A Mr. Parrish lives in the apartment at the top of the house and isn't happy that Dorothy is showing the house this day.
   
   Life begins again for Nancy and she has two more children, Michael and Missy. Nancy lets the children out to play and the horror of missing children begins all over again. Someone takes them and Nancy is the sheriff's main suspect. Now Nancy needs a lawyer and a neighbor comes to her aid. He is an attorney who is writing a book on the ten most famous unsolved murders, one of which is murder trial of Nancy.
   
   Also in the mix is a psychiatrist that was a good friend of Nancy's mothers. When Nancy was put on trial for murder, he wanted to come to her aid but he didn't know if Nancy's mother had told her of their relationship and didn't want to add to her burden. But now he can't stay away and comes to help her try to remember the actual facts of the first set of missing children.
   
   Her husband, Ray, doesn't believe for a moment that Nancy could hurt their children, nor does he believe she hurt her first children. With all the support of Ray, Dorothy, her attorney and her psychiatrist, Nancy is able to "let go" of some hidden thoughts. This, with the addition of a barely audible phone call from her son, Michael, brings the story to its conclusion.
   
   
   I'LL BE SEEING YOU: Megan Collins is a news reporter with a law degree. Her mother, Katherine owns an Inn. Her father, Edwin, is supposedly dead almost a year because of a bridge/river accident but no body has ever been recovered. A few weeks before he died, he took all the cash value out of his insurance policies and the insurance company has yet to pay on the policies that is causing Katherine cash flow problems.
   
   Megan is at the hospital covering a past senatorial candidate's illness when a stabbing victim comes in DOA. In covering the stabbing story, Megan sees a girl that looks to be her twin. She dismisses it. Then she is sent to cover a party held at the Infertility Clinic where all the children born with the help the Clinic provides gathers yearly. There is a mother about ready to give birth to her 3-year-old son's identical twin. What a story this will be Megan thinks. In the meantime, Megan goes to see Edwin's business partner, Phillip Cater and begins to clear out her fathers belongs so the firm can move on.
   
   Not to give too much of the story away, Ms. Clark intertwines several stories into one and tells a story with all the intrigue only she can write. With a parking attendant and his mother, a former sweetheart and his son, a shady employee of Edwin's firm, a bio-geneticist doctor and several police and detectives, Ms. Clark brings the story to a spellbinding conclusion that only she can do.

5 comments about Nighttime Is My Time (<Nulll>).

1. I enjoyed Night Time is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark
   tremendously.It's the best mystery I've ever read.
   
   Stonecroft is having it's twentieth year reunion. The
   trouble is there's a murderer on the loose, and everyone is a suspect.
   
   I love this book and gave it 5 stars:)



2. This was my first MH Clark book. I read a lot and enjoy most genres, including suspense. There are so many excellent writers today that I can't imagine reading another of hers. I imagine this as the kind of novel an artificial-intelligence computer program could generate when fed a standard formula. Dialogue was stiff, wordy and unnatural; even the teenagers speak careful, precise sentences. The story and characters were highly contrived, implausible and irritating. There's no attempt at thoughtful pacing: page after page spent on dull events while the most climatic events, including the ending, get a few sentences. There's so much better out there, folks; break out of the rut of buying the same hack author over and over and give a new writer, and yourself, a chance.



3. One by one the once large group of girls began to die in the order of the way they had always sat at lunch. He had killed the first five but had yet to kill the two now adult women, Laura and Jean. An author and history professor, Dr. Jean Sheridan, received an invitation to attend her twentieth year high school reunion and receive a special honoree degree for her success. When her friend disappeared during their visit at the reunion Jean became worried. Meanwhile someone had been faxing her messages threatening her daughter Lilly that she had given up for adoption. Jean and her boyfriend were to be married when he died a few days before his graduation leaving her pregnant with their unborn child. After Laura had been missing for several days another honoree disappeared. The Owl, as the serial called himself, captured Laura and kidnapped Meredith, which was the name the adoptive parents gave Lilly, and then Jean disappeared. A school journalist had been covering the reunion discovered where they were being held and who "The Owl" really was. When the cops arrived Gordon Amory, the Owl and one of the honorees, shot himself in the head. He had killed the other missing honoree because he had caught on to his plan. The deaths of the five women occurred because they had once picked on him. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who likes horror and thriller stories.
   The main reason I enjoyed the story was the author had written the book so that along with Jean's point of view you saw the story through the serial killer and other honorees eyes. While you heard the serial killer describe himself you would never be told which of the five male honorees the killer was. I found it interesting when at one point "The Owl" was watching a woman he was planning to kill while he was in her home. He watched her every day and began to remember her schedule and then one day killed her because she had picked on him once in school. Every few chapters you would see through Laura's eyes and once she described her captor. Laura would complain how uncomfortable she was tied down in a room so that she couldn't move her arms or legs. Her captor would not allow her to use his name and left her in a room alone all day with little food. The boy who was covering the story for his paper would also tell his part. He would sneak around and listen in on the honorees conversations and on his own was able to solve where everyone was and who the threat was.
   I found that the characters were very realistic. As the author introduced the successful honoree she would describe how they had been in high school. I found it realistic because no one acts like a teenager twenty years after graduation. Jean had been a quiet girl who wasn't a cheerleader and had parents that would often argue in public. Even after the humiliation of her parents' arguments Jean held her head high and was able to develop from a shy teenager into a beautiful author and history professor. Gordon Amory had been very nerdy and disliked but Jean had sympathized with him. As an adult he owned several television channels and ran the shows but spent his money on a plastic surgeon to make him a handsome man. Mark, an honoree and her future husband, had been a quiet kid who was disliked by his own parents. His mother had always preferred his brother, Dennis, and along with blaming Mark for Dennis's death she had wished that he had died instead. Mark was able to live through the pain of longing for his parents love and become a psychiatrist with his own show that helped adolescents with their problems.
   The author was often twisting the story by describing something about the killer and then comparing it to an honoree. I found it interesting when the killer said that he had to rent a car because he had used his own in one of his killings so he rented a black sedan. Later the author described how Mark had rented a car for his stay in town. Once the killer who had kidnapped Laura had a call made to Jean in Laura's voice that told her that she was okay but then the author said that one of the honorees, a comedian, specialized in mimicking people. Once the killer described how he once had asked Laura to a dance and she had turned him down. When the honorees were trying to find who would kidnap Laura the comedian honoree mentioned that Jack Emerson, an honoree, had a framed picture of Laura in his office.
   I found the book very interesting and consider it one of Mary Higgins Clark's best novels. The authors unique formatting of the chapters was very unique and caught my eye. The characters were totally realistic and original and the puzzling hints to the identity of the killer were only a few of the reasons I enjoyed this novel. I would recommend this book to mainly teenage or adult women because I think they would find it more interesting.
   M.Becouvarakis



4. My, my, the Queen of Suspense certainly is slipping. I had the opportunity to read two of Ms. Clark's novels within a span of 15 days - "Two little girls in Blue" and "Nighttime is my time". Both of them were huge disappointments, although they helped me pass the time during my flights.
   
   Ms. Clark had built her reputation and earned my interest in her earlier books by creating in each novel, a strong and slightly unique plot, characters who all subtly hint at sinister motives, a smart and strong-willed leading woman whose strength of character shines through out the story, a romance gradually made to progress through the plot twists and turns, the goings-on narrated from the unknown perpetrator's point of view and a grand finale where the evil is revealed and the good once and for all vanquishes the evil.
   
   Now for "Nighttime is My Time":
   1. It has what passes for a plot - a former tormented student killing off his/ her tormentors one by one at a high school reunion. Wow, never in a million years would I have imagined that plot for a mystery novel.
   2. In an effort to keep us guessing, Ms. Clark has all characters at the reunion hint, nay, shout their sinister motives from roof-tops throughout the pages of the novel. The reason for this, I can't help but think, is because Ms. Clark hadn't decided until the last chapter whom the killer was going to be and to cover her bases built up everyone to be one... you know, just in case.
   3. All that Ms. Clark lets the readers know of the leading lady is that she comes from a broken home, had given up a baby for adoption after high school, and now is a successful writer who is very very sad and always sad, never happy, in tears at times... in fact, I can't remember a single page where she was happy and smiling and sure about herself and her success except perhaps in the last two pages. Really Ms. Clark, you can't think of one single reason why this woman should be happy now - she made the toughest decision any woman can make at the most difficult point in her life and has succeeded despite or because of it, and all she can feel is sadness?
   4. The premise for romance is very feeble and is limited to two cups of tea, two club sandwiches and some 5 minutes of soul-baring amid swirling doubts of "is he or isn't he" ...the killer, that is.
   5. Now the narration from the owl's point of view is what dominates the novel and gets pretty tiresome pretty fast. A lot of pages devoted to convey absolutely nothing. I recommend skipping these pages. Another confirmation of my nagging suspicion that Ms. Clark hadn't decided on the identity of the killer yet.
   6. The grand finale is over in a rush and the only information I was eager to get to was whom had Ms. Clark decided to be the killer, in that instant she started writing the paragraph that reveals him.
   
   All in all, I would say the re-runs of "Murder, She Wrote" and "Matlock" easily trump the last two novels I read of Ms. Clark's.



5. Nine CD's is a lot of mystery! I enjoy hearing Jan Maxwell's voice reading the book. I load my CD player and listen to the story as I fall asleep at night. It really puts me out as I focus on the voice and the story. I just wonder why this book was so very long. I don't know if I would have been able to read it as it just seemed to take forever to make it's point.

2 comments about The Night Collection.

1. After Catherine Dornan's husband is diagnosed with leukimia, Cathering and their 2 sons go to New York so Mr.Dornan can a a life-saving operation. To get her son's minds off their father for a while they go to view Christmas decorations in the streets of New york. Catherine drops her wallet and a stranger, Cally Hunter, sister of escaped convict, Jimmy Siddons picks it up. The wallet holds a precious memento their grandmother just gave them, a St. Christopher medal. 7-year-old Brian sees Cally and is unable to get his mother's attention so he follows Cally to get back the medal. Brian follows Cally all the way to her apartment where Jimmy Siddons gets a hold of hime and kidnaps Brian as he runs away from the cops. This book is written with warmth for the holiday seasons. It is very intriguing and puts you in suspense as you wonder what will happen next.



2. SILENT NIGHT - Catherine Dornan always had the picture-perfect life. Two healthy, happy sons - Brian and Michael - and a loving husband, Tom, who still had the power to make her feel like a teenager. Even with the long hours he must keep, making his rounds at the hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, where they make their home, their marriage and family life have never suffered. Until he's struck down with Leukemia, and must be rushed to New York City for emergency surgery - right before Christmas.
   
   Cally Siddons has always struggled to provide a happy home life for her young daughter, Gigi. Doing so, however, has not been easy, what with her troublesome younger brother, Jimmy, constantly appearing and disappearing, leaving their lives in shambles with each new arrival and departure. Cally already spent over a year in prison for helping her ex-con brother, and doesn't plan on being separated from Gigi again. Especially not around the holidays. But when Jimmy escapes from prison, she just knows that he'll somehow find her again, and that's one thing she can't face.
   
   The paths cross between these two individuals when, attempting to take Michael and Brian's minds off of the fact that their father is sick, Catherine takes her two sons out for a night on the town in Manhattan to view the holiday festivities. After a few hours spent singing carols, visiting Rockefeller Center, and viewing the Christmas displays at the upscale department stores, they plan on visiting Tom in the hospital and giving him a St. Christopher's medal. The family has faith that St. Christopher will help him through this difficult time in his life, and prompt him to get better. But when Cally Siddons steals Catherine's wallet - the very same wallet that contains the St. Christopher's medal - Catherine's youngest son, Brian, vows to get it back, and ends up in the midst of a deadly tango between a homicidal ex-con, and his naive, well-meaning younger sister. One that could mean a very silent night. 5 stars.
   
   ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT - Seven years ago, when Sondra was just eighteen-years-old, the promising violinist trekked to New York City, in the dead of winter, to give birth to her baby, and leave the small child on the steps of St. Clement's Church in Manhattan. Knowing that she was unable to care for her child, what with taking care of her grandfather, and attending classes to fulfill her dream of becoming a professional violinist, the young mother believed that the child would fare better if brought up by the kindly Monsignor, or at least be placed in a proper home.
   
   On that same night, when Sondra abandoned her tiny baby girl, Lenny, a petty thief, was casing St. Clement's. At the time, he was searching for money, and eager to steal a silver chalice, harboring a star-shaped diamond, which once belonged to Bishop Joseph Santori. At the time, Lenny knew that the star-shaped diamond would bring him a pretty penny. But as he's escaping St. Clement's after the successful heist, he stumbles upon a weatherworn stroller, and walks off with it. It is only when he arrives at his Aunt's apartment that he finds the tiny baby girl bundled up inside. In an attempt to ward off questions from his Aunt, he claim's the baby as his own, aptly naming her Star - Stellina, in Italian - and vows to raise her as his own.
   
   Seven years later, Sondra is now 25-years-old, and back in Manhattan to play a violin concert at Carnegie Hall, her debut to the world. Unfortunately, the fate of her child is the only thing on her mind, making it difficult for her to concentrate on her coming performance. When she meets Alvirah Meehan, a lottery winner and amateur sleuth, she begins to think that all of her Christmas dreams have come true. Alvirah agrees to help Sondra find her little girl. Now, Alvirah has taken on two cases for the holidays. She can only hope that each will have a happy ending; otherwise, she may not sleep all through the night. 5 stars.
   
   Over the years, I have read many of the Christmas novels that Mary Higgins Clark releases with her daughter, Carol; however, I have never delved into one of Mary Higgins Clark's own novels. SILENT NIGHT and ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT were wonderful stepping stones for me. While SILENT NIGHT is mystery-light, and centers more around a slightly suspenseful story, laced with thoughts of spending the holidays with the ones you love, I still found it extremely entertaining, and, oddly enough, heartwarming. Out of the two featured in this collection, however, I have to admit that ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT was my favorite. The characters, and the magic of the holiday truly came to life within this mystery, and display the true meaning of Christmas marvelously. Clark has woven two delightful holiday stories that will warm you from head to toe.
   
   Erika Sorocco
   Freelance Reviewer

5 comments about Mount Vernon Love Story : A Novel of George and Martha Washington.

1. I really liked this book. It was friendly, charming, and undemanding. It flowed gently and easily without too much undue excitement, but enough to keep from being bored. Its pace was like that of a good marriage: Simple, straightforward, honest, reassuring, with occasional surprises to keep things interesting.
   
   I read a lot of really intellectual and fast paced, intricately dramatic stuff. This book was just sweet and light -- I read it in three evenings -- but made me want to be a better person, and made me proud of my country's heritage (if not its current political situation). I like our founding father even more now that I realize he was a real person with real emotions and struggles not unlike my own.
   
   On the other hand, it is much more of a biography of George than a story of his simple yet real romance with Patsy (Martha). I did feel like I got to know her (and would have liked her) pretty well, though. Its original title, Aspire to the Heavens, is also a bit too grandiose, however. I might have called it simply George Washington at Home.



2. I found this book to have interesting information about our first President. However, I was not hooked on this book. I know a book has been great when I am disappointed to finish it. That did not happen with this book.
   I encountered an error at the beginning of the chapter where Sally is in Bath, England waking up thinking about Washington. It states that it is 7am in Bath and must be noon in the States. This is untrue. There is indeed a 5 hour time difference between England and the Eastern time zone, however England is 5 hours AHEAD of the east coast. 7am in England would be 2am on the east coast. Noon on the east coast is 5pm in England.



3. This is by far one of the very best historical novels that I have ever read. I read it as a part of a book club to which I belong. Mary Higgins Clark made George and Martha Washington and those who surrounded them very real people, not just historical figures whom we have revered. It was warm, wonderful and a totally delightful read. The review by members of our book club was absolutely glowing.



4. Very interesting historical novel about an aspect of our first president not commonly appreciated.



5. This is a quick read and has some good information. It's a book for the young teenagers.

5 comments about No Place Like Home: A Novel.

1. Mary Higgins Clark once again delivered an enjoyable book. It was based on a grown women who killed her mother when she was a child. The characters were well developed as was the story line. There was one part of the mystery which was apparent from almost the beginning but there were some twists.



2. GREAT BOOK ON CD. I ENJOY LISTENING TO IT WHILE ON LONG DRIVES IN MY CAR.



3. I have been listening to the Audio Book version of this novel. I've never written a review before, nor have I ever listened or read anything by Mary Higgins Clark before. This book is so awful that it's laughable and I just had to go to Amazon and read some other thoughts. Surprised I was, no flabbergasted, to find good reviews! If you're at all a discerning reader/listener, you can approach this epic for a good laugh, or forget it.



4. Similar to another book of MHC "On the street where you live", this one is also very predictable.
   
   No doubt, it is still an interesting read. MHC linked the infamous Lizzie Bordon's case, and projected the victim here as 'little lizzie'. Her return to the very house that she shot her mother die and attempted to kill the stepfather was a surprise to her. The house was presented to her by her newly married husband, Alex, who is an attorney in NY.
   
   On the day she moved in, there were vandalism and threats, all implying someone knows her true identity. Her life and her son's are in danger.
   
   Very interesting and entertaining story. However, I could guess the 'bad guy' even at the very beginning. I don't think I have a good detective mind, but MHC's stories have the same traits. Once you read a few, you can almost predict the next one. I'm going to stop reading any of her books for a while, as it starts to lose fun already.



5. At first this book was a little slow reading to me and it got better about half way through the book as all the chartacters came into play .The ending sure caught me off guard .
   
   Liza Borden has finally come home using a different name "Cecila Nolans "husband buys her a house as a gift and it turns out it is the same house that Liza accendially killed her mother in when she was 10 yrs old .
   
   Living in the house and all the events start to unfold the officals discover that Mrs . Nolan is actually Liza Borden . But oh the husband didnt buy the house for her to be nice he bought it so ..
   
   This book has several twist and turns and Ms Clark weaves them together at the end to make this one great read .

5 comments about Two Little Girls in Blue: A Novel.

1. I'd have to say this book is one of my favorites. I loved how they portrayed the twins being telepathic, or their sense that one was in danger. The characters are vivid, the story line was wonderful. It was hard to put it down. Definitely on the top!



2. I have always been a big fan of MHC. I've read all of her books. I enjoyed reading Two Little Girls in Blue. I only wish that the kidnapper's identity wouldn't have been so obvious. I think that the story would have been more mysterious if the Pied Piper had been someone that people would never have suspected in a million years.
   Other than that, it was a nice read.



3. This is the first book by Mary Higgins Clark that has not "grabbed" me and kept me reading as soon as I could find any spare time. She's a great author, but this one is below average.



4. I have not yet read this book. Someone suggested it as good reading so I ordered it.



5. The Book was good, the plotline a little familiar but not boring, the way the pieces of the mystery were strand together were a little unrealistic but it kept the book exciting;however, the ending of the book just fell flat. The whole book was like 'going up a roller coaster' but the end made it just stop. Overall it was a really good book to pass time, I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery!

5 comments about Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea.

1. Alittle goofy of course but a nice light hearted story for the holiday season. Sometimes it is good to listen to something alittle different than the usual mystery thriller. I recommend this one for a change of pace and alittle smile. Off the wall is alittle good sometimes!



2. I had to listen to this book on CD as I drove to various locations during Christmas. The characters are all 1 dimensional and the plot goes no where. It has to be one of the worst books I have ever listened to. Don't waste your time! If I could give no stars, I would.



3. Because I've enjoyed previous Higgins Clarks' Alvirah and Willy mysteries and was about embark on a cruise in Hawaii, I thought this book would be perfect! Was I wrong!! It has a paper thin plot, if any, and even the usual cast of characters is weakly drawn. It's almost as if it were given as a class assignment - "Write a novel in the Mary Higgins Clark/Carol Higgins Clark STYLE." It was awful! One redeeming feature - the authors did their homework about cruises - all the details were there - passenger photos with the captain, food, etc., it clicked in that way. But the plot was downright silly! Can you imagine Alvirah being able to swim all the way around a 400-passenger ship and then catch a box in her hand? PLEASE do not buy this book, especially at full price as I did, thinking it would be just right for my cruise experience. I wanted to throw it overboard!



4. This was a fun, light read! The story went quickly and was very entertaining.



5. Do you like bungles and bumps? Then you will like this book. It tickled my funny bone many times.

5 comments about I Heard That Song Before: A Novel.

1. I've read all of MHC's books and this is pure drivel. I started reading this book back in March and probably won't finish it. I even went back to see if it was written by someone else and she just put her name on it. The characters are barely one dimensional. There is absolutely no interest sparked in finding out more about them. What I've read so far has been a total waste of time and certainly not in keeping with MHC's style.



2. I am not sure how any of the previous people could say this book was disappointing. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and had some really shocking moments in it for me. I did not guess who the killer was. When all the evidence was presented, I thought it was someone else. I have read a handful of MHC books and they have all been good but this one, has to be one of the greatest! I could not put it down.. I didn't want it to end and it painted such a great picture of the mansion to me that I wanted to visit. I loved this book!



3. I think the fact that I found the heroine, Kay rather vapid and her husband Peter Carrington, one dimensional, turned me off on this book. There was some suspense concerning who killed Susan Althorp and Grace Carrington and what happened to Kay's father. Kay was rabidly loyal to her husband arrested as a suspect for murder but there was little shown about their relationship and what led them to marry in the first place.
   
   It's a page turner but there are some long stretches and also the conclusion left (at least to me) some unresolved issues for Kay.



4. I have read almost all Mary Higgins Clark's books, and I couldn't hardly put this one down (except when I had to). There are many suspects, as well as some unexplained deaths (suicides or murders?). This does lead to many characters to keep track of, so if you don't keep up reading it; you may need to reread parts. I would recommend it for any Mary Higgins Clark fan or any fan of mystery/suspense novels.



5. I used to look forward to every new offering by MHC; however, in 'I HEARD THAT SONG BEFORE', she seems to have lost her ability to inspire.
   She only seems able to write about an 'elite society' that is foreign to most readers. The Carringtons are filty rich but her rambling on with familiar modifiers and boring details has finally taken its toll on this reader.
   
   She might only be able to recapture my interest IF she were to write about some 'ordinary folk' like those offered by the alphabet mystery heroine, Sue Grafton.
   
   This book was a waste of my time and, I suspect, that of many of her previous loyalists.

5 comments about Where Are You Now?: A Novel.

1. This is another great Mary Higgins Clark suspense. When you think you have it figured out she throws another curve at you. Excellent book.



2. The author says she got the idea for this novel from a true news story about a college student who disappeared without a trace just before graduation.
   
   The missing young man of Clark's novel also seemed to have everything going for him when he disappeared without a trace and for no apparent reason. The family of the young man, Mack, has hoped for 10 years that he is alive. Their hope is fueled by a once-a-year phone call from Mack on Mother's Day. As the novel begins, Mack's mother is overwhelmed with the grief of not only losing her son, but now she has lost her husband on 9/11. Mac's little sister, Carolyn, is a recent law school grad who is determined to find him and see her mother happy again.
   
   Then another student disappears, a young girl who is a neighbor of Carolyn's, and the police believe Mack may be responsible.
   
   As Carolyn investigates, her own life is put in danger.
   
   You'll want to read this book in one sitting, because every time you think you have it all figured out, another character's secret is revealed.



3. Talk about boring. MHC started boring me with "On The Street Where You Live". I didn't finish that book and I forced myself to finish this one. She use to be one of my favorites, but this is it for me. As mentioned before, there were just too many characters to keep up with. I had to flip back a few times to see if I'd missed a certain characters introduction. There was absolutely nothing compelling about this novel. I'll admit to being surprised over who the killer was, but even that reveal fell kind of flat. I'm so glad I borrowed this from the libary.



4. I've read every Mary Higgins Clark book ever written. Love the lady and love the way she weaves suspense and great characters (in this day and age, it's wonderful to find characters you can LIKE!). In recent years, MHC has shown glimmers, too, of delving into more complex psychological areas ala Ruth Rendell. Alas, to me, this book was incredibly formulaic. I never really got to KNOW Carolyn, the main character, or sympathize with her. Another issue I've noted lately is the author's tendency to write kindly of the wealthy and privileged - while those less financially fortunate characters are always portrayed as devious plotters. This is one of the few MHC books I may not finish - I simply don't care to find out "whodunnit."



5. I have been a fan of MHC for many years, dating back to when I was in junior high. While I was very excited to read this book, I was ultimately very disappointed.
   
   The premise is really intriguing: a young man has been missing for 10 years and only calls his family once a year (on Mother's Day). The book gets off to a good start but loses momentum somewhere in the middle. I felt that MHC was stretching the events of the novel to fill pages. I was pretty bored with the novel after the first 150 pages and had to push myself to finish it.
   
   Other thoughts:
   - MHC always balances a full cast of characters, but there were simply too many characters in this novel! I had to constantly return to earlier pages because I couldn't remember who certain characters were.
   - This is another one of those books where every major character has attended Princeton, Harvard, Columbia, etc. Why?? There are plenty of strong, non-Ivy league colleges in the country. The wealth and prestige of the main family added nothing to the book for me.
   - The behavior of the police was unrealistic and their dialogue was very repetitive.
   - The ending, while unexpected, lacked any tension or excitement.
   
   While this was a nice change of pace from the traditional romantic suspense MHC wrote in the 80's & 90's, I expected better. It could have been better plotted.