Presents a biographical profile of Mary Higgins Clark, author of a number of romantic suspense novels, features a general overview of her writing, and includes analyses of seven novels published between 1996 and 2002.

Unable to forgive herself for the death of her two-year-old son Bobby in a car accident, Menley Nichols' marriage to Adam starts to fall apart- until the birth of their daughter Hannah. Determined to rebuild a life together around their precious baby, Menley and Adam decide to rent a house on Cape Cod for a month, confidant that the tranquility of the place will be ideal for Menley and little Hannah. But the peace they crave is disturbed when strange things start to happen- incidents which make Menley relive the horror of the accident in which she lost Bobby. . . incidents which make her fear for Hannah. And step by step, Menley and Adam are drawn into a dark and sinister web of events whcih threatens their marriage, their child and ultimately Menley's sanity.

Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner turned amateur sleuth, and her husband Willy, private detective Regan Reilly, her new husband Jack, and Regan's parents are all guests on the Royal Mermaid's maiden voyage, the Santa Cruise. The ship's passengers include members of the Oklahoma Readers and Writers group - who are planning a mystery seminar dedicated to a Ghost of Honour, the late Left Hook Louie - as well as assorted other charitable folk all planning on a restful post-Christmas vacation. What the guests don't know is that two escaping criminals have been smuggled on board. The hoped-for tranquility quickly vanishes when a terrified mystery fan swears she has spotted the Ghost of Honour in the ship's chapel, and soon after - while a storm develops outside - an attempt is made on the life of a feeble passenger. As the Royal Mermaid sails on through troubled waters, Alvirah, Regan and Jack are uncovering clues that lead them to dangerous criminals.

A beloved aunt's agreement to help her niece with college essays reawakens past secrets about the night a grandparent was murdered, an event that compels the woman to investigate a treasured music box to uncover the truth.

The second in the thrilling New York Times bestselling series from Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke, follows television producer Laurie Moran as she investigates the cold case of a bride who went missing days before her wedding. Five years ago, Amanda Pierce was excitedly preparing to marry her college sweetheart. She and Jeffrey had already battled through sickness and health, although their livelihoods looked set as Amanda was due to inherit her father’s successful garment company. Then Amanda disappeared the night of her bachelorette party. In present-day New York, Laurie Moran realizes a missing bride is the perfect cold case for her Under Suspicion television series to investigate. By recreating the night of the disappearance at the wedding’s Florida resort with Amanda’s friends and family, Laurie hopes to solve the case. Laurie and her Under Suspicion host Alex Buckley soon find themselves overwhelmed with theories and rumors about the “beloved” bride from those who were involved with the wedding, including Amanda’s former fiancé, a jealous sister, and plenty of playboy groomsmen. One thing is certain, whoever was behind Amanda’s vanishing plans to keep the truth hidden “until death do they part.”

The New York Times bestselling Under Suspicion series by the “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke returns with this gripping mystery following television producer’s Laurie Moran investigation of the unsolved Met Gala murder—in which a wealthy widow was pushed to her death from the famous museum’s rooftop. Laurie Moran’s professional life is a success—her television show Under Suspicion is a hit, both in the ratings and its record of solving cold cases. But her romantic break from former host Alex Buckley has left her with on-air talent she can’t stand—Ryan Nichols—and a crippling sense of loneliness. Now Ryan has suggested a new case. Three years ago, Virginia Wakeling, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and one of the museum’s most generous donors, was found dead in the snow, after being thrown from the museum’s roof on the night of the Met Gala. The leading suspect then and now is her much younger boyfriend and personal trainer, Ivan Gray. Ivan runs a trendy, successful boutique gym called Punch—a business funded in no small part by the late Virginia—which happens to be the gym Ryan frequents. Laurie’s skepticism about the case is upended by a tip from her father’s NYPD connection, and soon Laurie realizes there are a bevy of suspects—including Virginia’s trusted inner circle. As the Under Suspicion crew pries into the lives of a super wealthy real estate family with secrets to hide, danger mounts for several witnesses—and for Laurie.

This incisive exploration probes the relationship between the novels of bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark and the key events and influences of her life. In her 2002 memoir, Kitchen Privileges, Mary Higgins Clark shared the details of her life with her readers, but she offered little significant reflection on those details. For that, readers must look to her fiction, where her themes, characters, and subjects suggest her responses to her life experiences. Mary Higgins Clark: Life and Letters provides readers with an analysis of these connections in a volume that should increase their understanding—and appreciation—of the author and her work. Focusing on subjects associated with the literary elements of representative Clark novels, Linda De Roche explores the relationship between the life of this bestselling author and the books that have won her legions of fans for more than a quarter century. Themes and issues woven into Clark's fiction—such as the role of the past in people's lives, repercussions of violence, and the concept of identity—are considered, while close critical readings uncover psychological, feminist, and sociopolitical interpretations that will delight fans and inform scholars.