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Summary
Summary
In this new novel, a dark secret from a family's past threatens the lives of two sisters, Kate and Hannah Connelly.
Summary
In her latest novel Mary Higgins Clark, the beloved, bestselling "Queen of Suspense," exposes a dark secret from a family's past that threatens the lives of two sisters, Kate and Hannah Connelly, when the family-owned furniture firm in Long Island City, founded by their grandfather and famous for its fine reproductions of antiques, explodes into flames in the middle of the night, leveling the buildings to the ground, including the museum where priceless antiques have been on permanent display for years.
The ashes reveal a startling and grisly discovery, and provoke a host of suspicions and questions. Was the explosion deliberately set? What was Kate-tall, gorgeous, blond, a CPA for one of the biggest accounting firms in the country, and sister of a rising fashion designer-doing in the museum when it burst into flames? Why was Gus, a retired and disgruntled craftsman, with her at that time of night? What if someone isn't who he claims to be?
Now Gus is dead, and Kate lies in the hospital badly injured and in a coma, so neither can tell what drew them there, or what the tragedy may have to do with the hunt for a young woman missing for many years, nor can they warn that somebody may be covering his tracks, willing to kill to save himself . . .
Step by step, in a novel of dazzling suspense and excitement, Mary Higgins Clark once again demonstrates the mastery of her craft that has made her books international bestsellers for years. She presents the reader with a perplexing mystery, a puzzling question of identity, and a fascinating cast of characters-one of whom may just be a ruthless killer . . .
Author Notes
Mary Higgins Clark was born in the Bronx, New York on December 24, 1927. After graduating from high school and before she got married, she worked as a secretary, a copy editor, and an airline stewardess. She supplemented the family's income by writing short stories. After her husband died in 1964, leaving her with five children, she worked for many years writing four-minute radio scripts before turning to novels. Her debut novel, Aspire to the Heavens, which is a fictionalized account of the life of George Washington, did not sell well. She decided to focus on writing mystery/suspense novels and in 1975 Where Are the Children? was published. She received a B.A. in philosophy from Fordham University in 1979.
Her other works include While My Pretty One Sleeps, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Moonlight Becomes You, Pretend You Don't See Her, No Place Like Home, The Lost Years, The Melody Lingers On, As Time Goes By and Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry. She is the author of the Alvirah and Willy series, which began with Weep No More, My Lady. She is also the co-author, with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, of several holiday crossover books including Deck the Halls, He Sees You When You're Sleeping, Santa Cruise, The Christmas Thief, and Dashing Through the Snow. She writes the Under Suspicion series with Alafair Burke. In 2001, Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir was published. She received numerous honors including the Grand Prix de Literature of France in 1980), the Horatio Alger Award in 1997, the Gold Medal of Honor from the American-Irish Historical Society, the Spirit of Achievement Award from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University the first Reader's Digest Author of the Year Award 2002 and the Christopher Life Achievement Award in 2003.
Many of her titles have made the best sellers list. Her recent books include All By Myself, Alone, I've Got My Eyes On You, and You Don't Own Me.
Bestselling suspense novelist, Mary Higgins Clark died on January 31, 2020 at the age of 92.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this tale about three seemingly separate murders committed years apart, Jan Maxwell's skillful narration ranges from intimate (when detailing the characters' backstories) to cold and clinical (when describing the characters' bad behavior). Since the novel, set in New York, involves murder in triplicate, the cast is extraordinarily large-with some characters connected to the long-ago disappearance of a young waitress, some to the not-so-long-ago drowning of a social worker, and still others to a more recent explosion at protagonist Hannah Connelly's family-owned furniture store. That explosion took the life of former employee Gus Schmidt and left Hannah's sister Kate in a coma. Maxwell carefully provides each character with a unique voice. For example, Hannah's initially quiet speech takes on a gradually increasing edginess the closer she comes to uncovering the identities of the villains and revealing her family's secrets. Gus's aged widow has just enough of a Germanic accent to suggest her European roots. The rest of the players are given fully imagined voices, from Hannah's self-centered father, whose florid bombast is often slurred by drink, to a homeless Vietnam vet whose native New York accent is spoken with a thick tongue and inflected by mental and physical illness. A Simon & Schuster hardcover. (April) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Clark follows a complicated family mystery in this familiar story of individuals caught up in past misdeeds and present tragedies. As sisters, Kate and Hannah Connelly couldn't be more unalike: One is tall, blonde and good with numbers, the other, short with charcoal brown hair, is a budding fashion designer. But the two sisters share more than simply the bond that comes with being siblings--they have a father who is distant, self-absorbed and disinterested in their concerns. The three are tied together by virtue of the family business, which produces high-quality antique reproductions. When the quality of the products and orders fall off, the girls pressure their father, who wants to be called by his first name, Doug, to sell out. He refuses, despite their best efforts. Then, one night, the complex explodes, killing a former employee and landing Kate in the hospital, unconscious and fighting for her life. Clark then trots out the current plant manager; the widow and daughter of the dead man; two fire marshals, along with the wife of one of them; a woman whose daughter disappeared after moving to New York City in order to become an actress and her son, who is a lawyer; the family of a college student who was murdered two years earlier; a retired police detective; Hannah's best friend; and a plethora of other characters, all of whom are described down to their dental work. Also figuring heavily in the plot is a long-ago accident in which a boat driven by Doug Connelly sank and killed his wife, Susan, and his brother and the aftereffects of the Vietnam War. While the two fire marshals inexplicably continue to follow a case that spreads to include not simply arson, but other, more serious crimes that are not related to the explosion, the other characters find their lives and fates converging. Too many characters and too much extraneous information pad this lackluster tale that will resonate with Clark die-hards but won't bring new converts to the fold.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
In Clark's (Just Take My Heart) latest suspense novel, the Connelly family's antique furniture reproduction factory explodes in the predawn hours. The explosion kills Gus, one of its master craftsmen, and severely injures Kate, the owner's daughter. A grisly 28-year-old secret is unearthed in the rubble. Many twists and turns and seemingly unrelated incidents are masterfully brought together at the conclusion of the tale. Jan Maxwell does an excellent job reading the book. Using tone of voice and regional accents, Maxwell captures each character's personality and behavior traits. VERDICT Highly recommended for all Clark fans and patrons who want to listen to a great mystery. ["Clark still delivers a delicious mystery after a 40-year reign as the prolific queen of suspense. Her tautly interwoven story lines, colorful characters, and suspenseful twists will enthrall mystery and fiction readers," read the review of the New York Times best-selling S. & S. hc, LJ Xpress Reviews, 3/29/13.-Ed.]-Ilka Gordon, Aaron Garber Lib., Cleveland (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Daddy's Gone A Hunting 1 Thursday, November 14 At four o'clock in the morning, Gus Schmidt dressed silently in the bedroom of his modest home on Long Island, hoping not to disturb his wife of fifty-five years. He was not successful. Lottie Schmidt's hand shot out to fumble for the lamp on the night table. Blinking to clear eyes that were heavy with sleep, she noticed that Gus was wearing a heavy jacket, and demanded to know where he was going. "Lottie, I'm just going over to the plant. Something came up." "Is that why Kate called you yesterday?" Kate was the daughter of Douglas Connelly, the owner of Connelly Fine Antique Reproductions, the furniture complex in nearby Long Island City where Gus had worked until his retirement five years earlier. Lottie, a slight seventy-five-year-old with thinning white hair, slipped on her glasses and glanced at the clock. "Gus, are you crazy? Do you know what time it is?" "It's four o'clock and Kate asked me to meet her there at four thirty. She must have had her reasons and that's why I'm going." Lottie could see that he was clearly upset. Lottie knew better than to ask the question that was on both their minds. "Gus, I've had a bad feeling lately. I know you don't want to hear me talk like this, but I sense something dark is going to happen. I don't want you to go." In the shadowy 60-watt light of the night table lamp they glared at each other. Even as Gus spoke, he knew deep down he was frightened. Lottie's claim to be psychic both irritated and scared him. "Lottie, go back to sleep," he said angrily. "No matter what the problem is, I'll be back for breakfast." Gus was not a demonstrative man but some instinct made him walk over to the bed, lean down, kiss his wife's forehead, and run his hand over her hair. "Don't worry," he said firmly. They were the last words she would ever hear him say. Excerpted from Daddy's Gone a Hunting by Mary Higgins Clark All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
