Book Review: The Lost Year - Mary Higgins Clark

I'm so excited to live near a library!
I manage to grab the newest book from my favourite author, Mary Higgins Clark :D

The story:
Jonathan Lyons, a biblical scholar, was murdered. The house was almost empty. His daughter, Mariah found his dad's dead body, and saw her mother hiding in the study closet.
The thing is, her mother, Kathleen, got a really bad hit from Alzheimer. She barely remember things when it get worse.
Police suspect Kathleen, since no one else was in the house, and there were no sign of forced entry.
On the funeral day, the priest, Father Aiden, told Mariah that Jonathan told him, he found a sacred letter.
It was believed that Jesus wrote one letter to thank Joseph Arimatea for his kindness. Another believe was, Joseph was the one helping Jesus to study abroad from 9 years, until when He start His ministry. Jesus also knew that His time in the earth was going to end, and He will be buried in a tomb provided by Joseph. Thus, He wrote the one and only letter.
Mariah was beheld by her thoughts, was it her mother who killed her father in rage. Well, Jonathan was having an affair for quite sometime with one of his colleague, Lilian.
Also, Mariah felt she didn't treat her father well due to his affair. She felt a bit quilty for not accepting his father wholely.
On the other side, Jonathan's colleagues are also curious because Jonathan said he found the sacred letter, but apparantly the letter goes missing.
The police held Kathleen for treatment, they are still believing that Kathleen murdered her own husband.
It is now Mariah's task to clean up her mother's name, to find the killer, and save the sacred letter. And maybe her own life.....


My opinion:
Good book! I love Mary Higgins Clark. It is fun to read her book, and to re-connect with her favourite so-called-detectives, Alvirah and Willy. Oh, it was quite shocking to find who the real killer is, but the love-side was quite detectable :p
Also a intriquing part about the Jesus' story. But it was fun to read :)

Gonna try to get Carol Higgins Clark's new book next. Wish me luck!! :D

Book Review: I'll Walk Alone - Mary Higgins Clark

I have just realize i missed the release date for this book :(
It's out sometime ago, last April if i'm not wrong..
And yet, i just know it today! What a awful fan..

Storyline

Alexandra Moreland, known as Zan to her close friends, was already separated with her husband Edward "Ted" Carpenter when she noticed that she's pregnant. When her husband offered her to take a responsibility of the kid, Zan refuses him, as she though he wasn't expecting it. But Ted has been nice and accepted her refusal. So they lived separatedly, and Ted was in a state where he had to pretend to love an artist under his management, Melissa Knight.  Melissa was a huge and famous artist, she was irreplaceable in his company, and he needed the money he get from taking care her. All three of them lived quite peacefully, until one day, when Zan was in a hurry for a meeting with a potential client, she let their son, Matthew, to be taken care by Tiffany. Tiffany was a girl Zan trusted, she's been babysitting Matthew several times. But that day Tiffany was a bit sick, so Zan gave her a drink, and a flu medicine.
Later that afternoon, Matthew was sleeping at the baby carriage, and Tiff take him to the park. Tiff fallen asleep as well, and wake up two hours later, finding that Matthew is gone! It put her into a very stressful condition, and she just didn't know how she's going to tell Zan.

Two years later, Matthew is still gone. No one heard anything about him.
On the other side, Matthew was save with Gloria. All Matthew knew was they're hiding from bad people. And Glory was there to help him hide. They have been moving around several times, and Matthew missed her mother so much. He's been putting soap under his pillow, because it smells just like mommy.

Gloria was an make-up artist, so she could do imposter very well. This task started to iritate her, because it was longer than it intended to do. She also started to like this little boy, as he's so smart. But at the same time, she wanted it all to be done, and went on with her career as an actress. The man who plan all of this said it's going to be done soon. And it will end with a death!

As a catholic, Gloria went to church, she felt guilty. When she saw the Father, Father Aiden O'Brien, at the Reconciliation Room, she was just able to say "I know a murder that someone is planning to commit and I can't stop it." And feeling guily, she didn't tell him the rest. Father Aiden was left in shocked.

It was on Matthew's 5th birthday, that Ted called Zan up for a dinner. And so they had it. In the middle of the dinner, Josh, Zan's dear assistant, rushed in. He showed them a picture taken by a tourist when the day Matthew gone. It seems that the woman taking Matthew from the baby carriage was Zan! Ted can't believe it, and he just went mad at her.

Since then, Zan's life was shaken. It seems that all evidence shown that it was indeed her, kindapping Matthew. Even the baby sitter, Tiff, started to say bad about her, how it is possible that Zan put a sleeping pills into the pepsi she drank. Tiff was a bit irritated because these years, people has been accusing her for being careless. Ted didn't believe her as well. Zan's also getting her bank account drawn by unknown hacker, and some strange purchases appeared on her credit card. The key witness who Zan was talking with during Matthew's kidnap suddenly said Zan was late on their meeting. Her ex-bos, Barthley Longe, has did his best to beat her in every project she's going. Even the new potential customer, Kevin, who first thought he'll give the project to Zan, decided to choose Longe because of these matter. The world seems to be against her.

After dreadful details, Zan was put into jail, but Willy Meehan bailed him out. Willy and Alvirah were a good friend of Zan, since Zan wrote to Alvirah on how she loves Alvirah's article on kidnap. Alvirah liked Zan, and ordered her to re-do their apartment. Since then they're good friends.

Then Zan realized someone has set this trap for her. It was in her mind that the one to blame was her ex-bos, Longe. However, no one believed her, not even the detectives.
With Kevin, Willy, and Alvirah's help, and also the lawyer, Charles, they started to seek for the truth..

For sure, it wasn't Zan. If she said it wasn't her, so it can't be her, they trusted her.
And at the end, it was proved that some one did imposter her. It started with an ex-cop saying that there was 2 woman looked like Zan.. Which is ofcourse Gloria and Zan..
And Kevin found out that Ted was the one behind this all, since he found a spy-camera in Zan's rooms.

But there is only small time left, will the police able to reach Gloria's house and safe Matthew before Ted's man come and kill them? Will Zan ever saw her son again?


My review
It's been quite sometime since the last time i read Mary Higgins Clark's book. I recall last time, I could guessed easily who is the bad guy. But this time, i think i lose that ability :p
I fall miserably by believing that it was Barthley Longe who set up all these plots against Zan.
But I do like how Mrs. Clark put all the small details, like how Tiff notice the sandals that Zan's imposter looked different. Or how Father O'Brien notice the woman's hand is smaller than Zan's hand..
And she use Alvirah again! Alvirah is still one of my favourite character.. And it's good to imagine how she did good again..
But after finishing the book, and thinking for several seconds, it seems that Mrs. Clark was back at her usual plots after all. She hasn't changed! She put the small details that made us guessed the wrong person, and the bad guy was actually the guy we thought was kind, and how the police was wrong but able to resolve the problems at the end..
Anyway, this book is definetly shouldn't be missed if you're a Mary Higgins Clark's fan
:)

Book Review: Two Little Girls in Blue ~ Mary Higgins Clark

Do you believe in TWIN'S POWER?
I always dreamed of having a twin sister..  Starting from the movie i watched long time ago, where there is 2 twin girls, having the ability to teleport to their sister's place, or knew exactly what her sister think..
I also wanted to have a twin daughter.. Which I thought must be lovely.. :)
Anyway.. This book, Two Little Girls in Blue, basically tells a story about twin girls..

The story..
Steve and Margaret Frawley has 2 daughter, Kathy and Kelly. That day was the twin's birthday. After celebrating their kids' birthday, Steve and Margaret went to a dinner in New York. They went home eventually, and their kids are gone! Kidnapped.. The worst nightmare that a parent have..
Eight million dollar. That's the amount asked by the kidnapper.. Steve's company, which is in a bad condition, thought that it's the time to increase their reputation, by helping Steve to pay the sum.
The day came, and Steve manage to give the money. He expect to see both his kids in exchange, however, all he found was a car, a dead-driver, and his daughter Kelly. There's also a note, saying that the driver is sorry, he had killed Kathy and dumped her body.
On the other side, the kidnapper's group was helped by a lady (Angie), who wanted to have a child. Kidnapping both girls have made her dreams came through, and as Kathy is sick, Angie loves her more than Kelly. And when Kelly is returned, Angie held Kathy and threat her as her own daughter.
Steve and Margaret, being broken hearted by the death of Kathy, held a private memorial. However, during the service, Kelly constantly said that Kathy wanted to be home. Margaret heard this, and eventually became anxious.. If Kathy is alive, she should be found as soon as possible.
Lead by Kelly's warning, Margaret found the strength to force the FBI agents, and also her husband, who didn't believe that Kathy is still alive.
Kathy is in a very sick conditions, and Angie started to be mad at her. As Kathy getting weaker, her conditions became more in danger. The FBI agent tried to found her, depending on Kelly's institution. However, as Kathy getting weaker, so does Kelly..
At the end, there are a surprise on who the plan maker for the whole kidnap scenario.. Read it!! :)

My comment:
I actually read this book 3x.. First was around 5/6 years ago, and the last was somewhere around last November. It was great to read about twin's telephaty, and their interaction.
In my humble opinion, in this type of writing Mary Higgins Clark is the best. She manage to involved me on Kelly's feeling, and also Margaret's stress. I felt that, a mother should be loving her kids, and I am really pleased in how MHC express Margaret's feeling and frustration when no one believed her and Kelly.
I enjoyed reading each and every pages.
I really hated Angie, for being so selfish and so ignorance. And also I found the clerk's role a bit weird, why she didn't contact police, but go and check the kidnapper.. And there are a lot of people who actually suspect the kidnapper, but they didn't say a word to the police.. weird..
Anyway, I truly recommend this book.

Book Review: Mary and Carol Higgins Clark ~ Dashing Through the Snow

Another Christmas Time book from MHC and CHC :)

The story involved Alvirah, Willy, Luke, Norah, Regan and Jake... The setting was in the village of Branscombe, New Hampshire, where people are preparing for the first (and many hope annual) Festival of Joy.
There were a local market, own by a man who's recently wed. His wife is sort-of-full of ego, that she decided to force hum not to give any bonusses as usual to the employee, but only giving them a picture frame!!
The employees, needing money, learn that they have won $160 million in the lottery. Alvirah and Willy understand the joy and pitfalls of lottery winnings as they won $40 million a few years ago.  One of the co-workers, Duncan, decided at the last minute, on the advice of a pair of crooks masquerading as financial advisers, not to play. But he's actually the one providing the numbers, and was incharge of buying the lottery for his co-workers. Then he suddenly goes missing!! These two advisers is a liar ofcourse. They do not have any ability to be a financial adviser at all! A second winning lottery ticket was purchased in the next town, but the winner hasn't come forward. Could Duncan have secretly bought it?
Duncan's lover flew over fom California to New Hampshire, trying to surprice Duncan. However as Duncan missing, she is the one to be surprised..

As Alvirah and Regan is in the village, they started to help finding Duncan, and unfold the mistery.
My Comment:
Yay.. another book!! I love christmas! And I always love this mother-daughter duo's christmas series..
More over, I love Alvirah's character.. hihihi..
Alvirah, a former cleaning lady who won $40 million in the lottery, her husband Willy, Nora Regan Reilly, a mystery author, her husband Luke, their daughter Regan, a private investigator, and her husband Jack, from the NYPD is all in this story.. What more can I ask.. I miss them!!! :)
I recommend this book highly, I just can't put the book off, as I enjoyed it so much.
I totally hate the fnancial adviser's character!! And also the wife of market's owner! huh.. And felt sorry for Duncan and her lover..
I love the final part when everything is unfold.. The workers got their bonusses, and the b*tchy lady got her part for being a b*tch.. ups.. did i say that? lol..

Book Review: Just Take my Heart - Mary Higgins Clark

Just Take My Heart is released on the middle of 2010. I live in Indonesia, so not until late December then I have the chance to have it.

The story is basically about Greg Aldrich, the husband of a Broadway star, Natalie Raines. And Emily Wallace, an attractive 32 year-old assistant prosecutor.
So Natalie Raines live with her friend, Jamie Evans. And she recently tried to divorced Aldrich. Aldrich was too much to handle as he always stalked Natalie, trying to find if she had any lovers.
When Natalie was found dead in her house, Aldrich is the person to be accused, more over, Jimmy, a criminal, said that Aldrich paid him to kill Natalie, but Jimmy didn't accept it. Did Aldrich really plan the murder?
Emily Wallace is assigned to the case. As she spends increasingly long hours preparing for the trial, a seemingly well-meaning neighbor offers to take care of her dog in her absence. Unaware of his violent past, she gives him a key to her home...
Aldrich's trial is making headlines, because it involves a star, murder plan, and romance, what else can the public want? Her boss warns Emily that this high-profile case will reveal personal matters about her, esp. the fact that she had a heart transplant. And guess who the donor is!!
As Emily is getting busy, her dog is being ignored. A nice neighbor offer help. Emily thought that Zach is so nice, and she did ingore her dog too long, so she just simply give her keys to Zach. Without her knowing, Zach is a bit creepy, touches Emily's personal things.. Ewwww...
During the trial, Emily experiences sentiments (guessed it's from the heart?) kinda make her judgement blur?? And the jury decided Gregg Aldrich's fate, but Emily senses something is not right.. Her heart keeps on giving memories about the case (weird).. She keeps on searching informations, and her life is actually on risk...

My comment:
After reading this, I hate to say, that I could guessed the end.. And it's kinda weird if you're in an office and someone had heart transplant and no one knows? I thought at least she would need several days before and after the transplantation. More, the heart source is also weird, is it possible to be a donor without no one knowing?
Then Emily's reasoning and the juror session was a bit boring, perhaps as I'm not into law? I guessed it was too long.. hehe..
This is good to read for a lazy afternoon, but probably better if i borrowed from the library instead of buying it..
I would definetly reccomend her previous books to bought though. But for the sake of MHC, and as I'm good fan, I keep the book at my bookshelf.. :)
Anyway, I always love MHC's book, and after long time not reading her books, this kind of reminds me to her older books. And I do re-read My Gals Sunday after this.. haha..

My favourite author: Mary Higgins Clark

Mrs. Clark is my favourite author. I've been following her books since I was in highschool, and thankful that the library was so good, that they have almost all her books.
I started reading The Anastasia Syndrom, followed by Loves Music, Loves to Dance, and ever since, I read almost all her book.
Someone message my facebook today, and I just realize that I never even had any post dedicated to her.. What a bad fan! :(
Anyway, I'll try to make a review of her books, and post the links beside the list. And I'll try to update it as soon as possible, because there are so many books. I do have read them all, but I might not remmember all, so probably I could review some of her latest books only. And no worries, I'll update the list, if any new book coming..

MHC and CHC:

1. He sees you when you are sleeping
2. Christmas Thief
3. Santa Cruise
4. Deck the Hall
5. Dashing Through the Snow (reviewed)

MHC:

1. Where Are The Children?
2. A Stranger is Watching
3. The Cradle Will Fall
4. A Cry in the Night
5. Stillwatch
6. Weep No More, My Lady
7. While My Pretty One Sleeps
8. The Anastasia Syndrome and Other Stories
9. Loves Music, Loves to Dance
10. All Around the Town
11. I'll Be Seeing You
12. Death on the Cape and Other Stories
13. Remember Me
14. The Lottery Winner and Other Stories
15. Let Me Call You Sweetheart
16. Silent Night
17. Moonlight Becomes You
18. My Gal Sunday: Henry and Sunday Stories
19. Pretend You Don't See Her
20. You Belong to Me
21. All Through The Night
22. We'll Meet Again
23. Before I Say Good-Bye
24. On The Street Where You Live
25. Daddy's Little Girl
26. The Second Time Around
27. Nighttime Is My Time
28. You Belong to Me
29. No Place Like Home
30. Two Little Girls in Blue (reviewed)
31. Ghost Ship: A Cape Cod Story
32. I heard that song before
33. Where Are You Now?
34. Just Take My Heart (reviewed)
35. The Shadow of Your Smile

COMING:  I'll Walk Alone (April 5th, 2011)

 :)