Spotlight: I’ve Got My Eyes on You by Mary Higgins Clark

I’ve Got My Eyes on You by Mary Higgins Clark releases on April 3rd. My birthday is the 4th. See the connection? Best birthday present ever!

Doesn’t the title sound deliciously creepy and sinister? The suspense and mystery fan in me is itching to read this book.

About the Story:

After a party when her parents are away, eighteen-year-old Kerry Dowling is found fully dressed at the bottom of the family pool.

The immediate suspect is her boyfriend who had a bitter argument with her at the party. Then there is a twenty-year-old neighbor who was angry because she didn’t invite him to the party.

Or is there someone else who has not yet been seen on the radar?

Kerry’s older sister Aline, a twenty-eight-year-old guidance counselor, is determined to assist the Prosecutor’s Office in learning the truth. She does not realize that now she is putting her own life in danger…

About the Author:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark has written thirty-seven suspense novels, four collections of short stories, a historical novel, a memoir, and two children’s books. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she has coauthored five more suspense novels, and also wrote The Cinderella Murder, All Dressed in White, The Sleeping Beauty Killer, and Every Breath You Take with bestselling author Alafair Burke. More than one hundred million copies of her books are in print in the United States alone. Her books are international bestsellers.

Connect with Mary on her website or Facebook.

Spotlight: As Time Goes By | Mary Higgins Clark

She’s back! The Queen of Suspense returns with a new stand alone novel, As Time Goes By. Mary Higgins Clark has been one of my favorite contemporary authors since I devoured Nighttime Is My Time in high school. I have read every novel of hers I could get my hands on, watched many of her books-turned-movies, and each year I eagerly await Clark’s latest release. It goes without saying that I am counting down the days till As Time Goes By hits the store shelves on April 5. Furthermore, I’m thrilled that Clark’s recurring and beloved characters Willy and Alvirah Meehan will make an appearance once again.

A news reporter tries to find her birth mother just as she is assigned to cover the high-profile trial of a woman accused of murdering her wealthy husband.

Television journalist Delaney Wright is on the brink of stardom after she begins covering a sensational murder trial for the six p.m. news. She should be thrilled, yet her growing desire to locate her birth mother consumes her thoughts. When Delaney’s friends Alvirah Meehan and her husband Willy offer to look into the mystery surrounding her birth, they uncover a shocking secret they do not want to reveal.

On trial for murder is Betsy Grant, widow of a wealthy doctor who has been an Alzheimer’s victim for eight years. When her once-upon-a-time celebrity lawyer urges her to accept a plea bargain, Betsy refuses: she will go to trial to prove her innocence.

Betsy’s stepson, Alan Grant, bides his time nervously as the trial begins. His substantial inheritance hangs in the balance—his only means of making good on payments he owes his ex-wife, his children, and increasingly angry creditors.

As the trial unfolds, and the damning evidence against Betsy piles up, Delaney is convinced that Betsy is not guilty and frantically tries to prove her innocence.

The Melody Lingers On by Mary Higgins Clark

Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: June 2015

As the assistant to a renowned, upscale interior designer, Lane Harmon is no stranger to lavish homes and their wealthy owners. Despite the challenges, she finds her work rewarding and depends on it to care for her five-year-old daughter, Katie. However, when commissioned to assist with the redecoration of a townhouse in Bergen County, her mostly simple life takes a drastic turn.

Two years ago, financier Parker Bennett vanished along with the billions people had invested through him. Wanting to flee the disgrace of her missing husband’s reputation, Anne decides to move and hires Glady and Lane to prepare her new place.

As Lane befriends Anne and her son, Eric, she finds herself drawn to them and their plight. For months, Parker’s alleged actions have cast a stigma on his family, and Lane is determined to help them clear his name. However, unbeknownst to Lane, the renewed interest in the case and the attempts to unearth what really happened, have landed her and her daughter in the middle of the scandal, placing them in harm’s way.

In recent years, Mary Higgins Clark’s novels have been hit and miss. The Melody Lingers On definitely falls under the hit category. Chockfull with suspense and mystery, Clark doesn’t leave the reader guessing by making characters look innocent and then delivering a shocking twist at the end. Rather, she makes everyone appear guilty but leaves the reader just enough reason to doubt the veracity of the ever-mounting incriminating evidence. This kept me pinned to my chair flipping pages, desperate to know the truth.

Clark created a full cast that yanked me deep into the tangled web. I could empathize with Lane’s struggle to be loyal to Anne and Eric, while wanting to do the best by her daughter. Anne’s heart-wrenching character drew me in the most with her unwavering love and devotion to her husband and the way she remained kind and caring despite everything. Eric is a strong man who still manages to extract the reader’s protective instinct as s/he witnessed all the struggles and prejudice Eric has faced because of his father. Glady, Lane’s boss, is that character one loves and hates at the same time. While difficult and demanding, she also has her good points.

While the ending doesn’t come as a shock because Clark masterfully paved the path that led to the culminating event, it didn’t arrive without inflicting a tinge of sadness at the pain and betrayal brought on by some. I recommend The Melody Lingers On to Clark and suspense fans alike.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thanks!

**Originally posted on Life is Story.

Death Wears a Beauty Mask and Other Stories by Mary Higgins Clark

Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: April 2015

Mary Higgins Clark’s Death Wears a Beauty Mask and Other Stories delivers the never-before-published title novella and revisits nine previously released short stories. As someone who has only read Clark’s full-length novels, I enjoyed experiencing these tales. However, readers who are familiar with her short stories, should keep in mind this combination of old and new to avoid confusion or disappointment.

Death Wears a Beauty Mask was by far my favorite. A young newlywed couple head to New York to meet the bride’s (Janice) sister (Alexandra). However, when Alexandra fails to meet them at the airport, what should have been a time of celebrating quickly turns into a nightmare. As I read this novella, I travelled back in time, reminded of Clark’s earliest novels, which to this day remain some of my favorites. Michael and Janice’s angst, fears, and pain quickly became my own as I joined the couple in attempting to piece the hours prior to Alexandra’s failure to meet them. Brimming with the classic Clark suspense and suspects galore, I didn’t want to see this tale come to an end.

Stowaway was my least favorite. A determined and dangerous Police Commissioner hunts for an escaped man while Carol, a stewardess on a flight out of the country, risks everything to hide the young stowaway. While I understand these are short stories, too much lacked from this one. I couldn’t connect with the characters or understand their motives. Carol herself hides the runaway but for all she knows, the young man could very easily be guilty of what he’s accused of. Even by the end, I still didn’t know why she believed him innocent, making her actions stupid at best — a long shot from the selfless Carol readers are supposed to see.

When the Bough Breaks had a melancholic feel to it as readers watch Marian cope with the death of her son and her struggles with the boy she holds responsible. Clark did a fabulous job at bringing the sense of loss to life while still offering a budding sense of hope by the end as Marian takes her first steps toward healing.

Voices in the Coalbin is the creepiest of the collection. A young woman is haunted by nightmares and tales of the past. With almost a touch of horror to it, this story carries a heart-pounding sense of doom from beginning to end. The reader knows a collision is inevitable but finds him/herself unable to look away.

The Cape Cod Masquerade — Though I’d never read this story before, I do know Clark’s beloved characters Willy and Alvirah Meehan from her other books. I enjoyed reuniting with them as they joined forces to help Cynthia clear her name after she’s spent years in prison for her stepfather’s murder.

Definitely, A Crime of Passion — Another one of Clark’s well-known sleuthing teams, Henry Parker Britland IV and his wife Sunday, make an appearance in this short story to help their friend and former Secretary of State, Tom, when he is accused of murdering his second wife.

The Man Next Door offers the chilling tale of a man with a secret place to “host visitors,” and his latest guest is his pretty next-door neighbor.

Haven’t We Met Before? Assistant District Attorney Jack questions William about his attempted murder of Emily, the young woman William blames for his death in a previous life.

The Funniest Thing Has Been Happening Lately — For years, Fred has patiently waited and plotted, but the time has finally arrived to exact his revenge on the people he holds responsible for the death of his daughter.

I have combined my thoughts of these last two short stories because, as a big fan of Clark’s, I’ve seen and own many of her stories-turned-to-movies. These are two of those. The latter (known as Try to Remember) is my favorite Clark movie, making it extra fun to read. I loved experiencing the stories that inspired the films and seeing in what areas they held true to the original and in what instances they made changes.

The Tell-Tale Purr — Not wanting to wait to claim his inheritance, Fred plots to kill his aging grandmother. A plan that leads to an unforeseeable turn of events. Though on the lower end of the enjoyment scale in comparison with some of the others, The Tell-Tale Purr almost had a comical tone by the end as Fred’s guilty conscious got the better of him.

I recommend Death Wears a Beauty Mask and Other Stories to Clark’s fans who wish to experience the new title novella or to anyone who has yet to read any of her short stories.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thanks!

**Originally posted on Life is Story.

The Cinderella Murder (Book #1 Under Suspicion) by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke

Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: November 2014

After the raving success of their pilot show, Laurie Moran and the Under Suspicion crew return to highlight yet another cold case – the 20-year-old murder of a gifted and talented UCLA student and budding actress Susan Dempsey.

Back in the day, and even in the years that followed, the case garnered heavy media attention with its lineup of big-name suspects. With ties to Hollywood’s elite, tech billionaires, and a notorious cult, The Cinderella Murder has all the makings of another hit. However, as Laurie and her team delve into the mystery, it becomes evident that some people still hide secrets, and in some cases will do anything to keep them from surfacing.

The Queen of Suspense, Mary Higgins Clark, joins forces with Alafair Burke to create the new Under Suspicion series. True to Clark’s style, multiple POVs allow readers a glimpse into the respective lives, fears, and motives of the various characters. With many of them guilty of something, Clark and Burke offer plenty of red-herrings as the reader works his/her way through the maze of lies and deceit to figure out who is guilty of what.

That being said, the repetitious explanation of several concepts, events, and facts from each perspective does become tedious, bogging down the story at times. Trudging through recurring explanations of the purpose and details behind the Under Suspicion show quickly became old when experienced through the eyes of each character.

The dialogue, too, felt a bit forced and unnatural at times. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed piecing together the clues to this 20-year-old mystery and I couldn’t help but hold my breath at times wondering how Laurie would manage to extricate herself from some sticky situations.

All in all, I would recommend The Cinderella Murder to Clark’s fans as well as anyone looking to solve an intriguing mystery while still enjoying a clean read.

Review copy provided by publisher. Thanks!

**Originally posted on Life is Story.