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Regan Reilly Mysteries #13
Wrecked
New York Times bestselling author Carol Higgins Clark delivers the thirteenth installment in her crowd pleasing Regan Reilly mystery series, this time with Regan trying to find a mysterious woman’s identity while on vacation in Cape Cod, in a story The Daily Beast calls “thrilling.”
Private Investigator Regan Reilly and her husband, Jack “no relation” Reilly, head of the NYPD Major Case Squad, are about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They are looking forward to a quiet romantic weekend out of town. Wouldn’t you know their choice of destination provides them with anything but!
Regan and Jack had considered going to Bermuda, but instead they decide to spend four days at his parents’ beautiful beachfront home on Cape Cod, a wonderful spot where they’d never been alone. During the summer the house overflowed with Jack’s family, bubbling with activity from morning until night. But to be up there for a weekend in April, just the two of them, sounded like a perfect escape.
However, the best laid plans...
In the bedroom, Regan opens the curtains to find Skip, the Reillys’ young caretaker, pressing his nose against the glass, supposedly checking for leaks. A moment later, Jack arrives home from the market, two gossipy older women who live up the street in tow. A branch crashed through their living room window, and they need a place to stay. When Regan thought things couldn’t get any worse, Skip comes running into the house, distraught that he’d just discovered Adele Hopkins, the woman renting the house next door, in a heap at the bottom of her staircase to the beach. Regan and Jack run back down with him, but huge waves are crashing on the shore. Hopkins is gone, presumably swept out to sea.
Regan and Jack begin an investigation to help their friends track down Hopkins’s family. They start by interviewing two young women who own the shop where Adele had bought the pillows. Pippy and Ellen opened Pillow Talk after they both lost their jobs. When a newspaper article revealing the terrible way the women had been treated by their former employers was posted on the Internet, business took off, they started to become well-known, and the Pillow Talk website became a place for people who had had similar experiences to vent their feelings.
Pippy and Ellen just received an anonymous e-mail from someone who spews venom about her former rowing coach—Adele Hopkins. Could she be the same Adele Hopkins?
Regan and Jack’s search for clues to this mysterious woman’s identity makes for an anniversary weekend they’ll never forget!
Private Investigator Regan Reilly and her husband, Jack “no relation” Reilly, head of the NYPD Major Case Squad, are about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They are looking forward to a quiet romantic weekend out of town. Wouldn’t you know their choice of destination provides them with anything but!
Regan and Jack had considered going to Bermuda, but instead they decide to spend four days at his parents’ beautiful beachfront home on Cape Cod, a wonderful spot where they’d never been alone. During the summer the house overflowed with Jack’s family, bubbling with activity from morning until night. But to be up there for a weekend in April, just the two of them, sounded like a perfect escape.
However, the best laid plans...
In the bedroom, Regan opens the curtains to find Skip, the Reillys’ young caretaker, pressing his nose against the glass, supposedly checking for leaks. A moment later, Jack arrives home from the market, two gossipy older women who live up the street in tow. A branch crashed through their living room window, and they need a place to stay. When Regan thought things couldn’t get any worse, Skip comes running into the house, distraught that he’d just discovered Adele Hopkins, the woman renting the house next door, in a heap at the bottom of her staircase to the beach. Regan and Jack run back down with him, but huge waves are crashing on the shore. Hopkins is gone, presumably swept out to sea.
Regan and Jack begin an investigation to help their friends track down Hopkins’s family. They start by interviewing two young women who own the shop where Adele had bought the pillows. Pippy and Ellen opened Pillow Talk after they both lost their jobs. When a newspaper article revealing the terrible way the women had been treated by their former employers was posted on the Internet, business took off, they started to become well-known, and the Pillow Talk website became a place for people who had had similar experiences to vent their feelings.
Pippy and Ellen just received an anonymous e-mail from someone who spews venom about her former rowing coach—Adele Hopkins. Could she be the same Adele Hopkins?
Regan and Jack’s search for clues to this mysterious woman’s identity makes for an anniversary weekend they’ll never forget!
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First published April 13, 2010
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About the author
Carol Higgins Clark
71 books838 followersCarol Higgins Clark was an American mystery author. She was the daughter of author Mary Higgins Clark , with whom she co-authored novels, and the former sister-in-law of author Mary Jane Clark.
Born in New York City, Clark received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College in 1978 and then studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. She was the author of the Regan Reilly mystery series. She also acted in several films.
Clark's New York apartment building, The Belaire, was hit by a small plane flown by New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle on October 11, 2006. Her 38th floor condominium was just a floor below the main impact zone. She was not injured in the accident.
She appeared on the game show, To Tell The Truth.
Carol died at the age of 66 on June 12, 2023 of appendix cancer.
Born in New York City, Clark received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College in 1978 and then studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. She was the author of the Regan Reilly mystery series. She also acted in several films.
Clark's New York apartment building, The Belaire, was hit by a small plane flown by New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle on October 11, 2006. Her 38th floor condominium was just a floor below the main impact zone. She was not injured in the accident.
She appeared on the game show, To Tell The Truth.
Carol died at the age of 66 on June 12, 2023 of appendix cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
May 17, 2010
Wrecked is the latest in the Regan Reilly series by Carol Higgins Clark. I liked the other books in the series. However, this one was terrible. It used too many farfetched coincidences that were sometimes clues and sometimes red herrings but never believable. Worse, it had no real mystery for the reader to solve. The book was written from several characters’ points of view. One of them is the protagonist so the reader is just waiting for Jack and Regan to catch up with what the reader has already read earlier.
Again, this book was just horrible. Clean your closets or polish your shoes rather than read this drivel. I hope the next entry in the series is better or I may just stick with Carolyn Hart’s Death on Demand series from now on.
Again, this book was just horrible. Clean your closets or polish your shoes rather than read this drivel. I hope the next entry in the series is better or I may just stick with Carolyn Hart’s Death on Demand series from now on.
May 9, 2010
Wow. If one of my students had written this, it would have gotten an Approaching. There was absolutely no character development, and the plot was sketchy at best. The only reason it got 2 stars instead of 1 is the weight of the series, but I really don't think that this installment added anything. Perhaps it is time to retire Regan Reilly.
October 1, 2022
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Carol Higgins Clark books featuring Regan Reilly a PI, and her husband Jack, a NYC detective. Unfortunately I found Wrecked to be predictable and a slower read than previous ones I have read. It will not, however deter me from reading the rest of the series. Carol Higgins Clark, is the daughter of Mary Higgins Clark, and like her late mother, usually crafts an intriguing and engaging story.
May 17, 2010
I look forward to the Reilly family mysteries each time. This book was no disappointment to me. The mysteries were tightly written and very interesting. I highly recommend this series to those who love suspense.
September 4, 2010
This book was horrible. How it can even be called literature is beyond me!
May 22, 2019
I have read a few in this series. Theyre good for quick reads. This one was a little...cheesey and seemed amateurly written, but i still enjoyed it. I love carol and mary Higgins clark so ill always pick up one of theirs.
August 12, 2010
not the greatest one at all would not waste my time picking it up.
March 18, 2025
Easy read, slightly cheesy and predictable, but it held my interest nonetheless!
June 9, 2021
Regan and Jack are supposedly taking an anniversary trip to the cabin in Cape Cod, but as soon as they arrive a horrible storm hits and a neighbor is found dead at the bottom of her beach stairs by their maintenance man.
This is perhaps one of the more humorous cozies that I have read by Carol Higgins Clark. What can go wrong did go wrong with all of the characters involved in the cast; and even the ending, was a humorous surprise.
This is perhaps one of the more humorous cozies that I have read by Carol Higgins Clark. What can go wrong did go wrong with all of the characters involved in the cast; and even the ending, was a humorous surprise.
March 14, 2023
Noioso ed infantile,finale scontato e per niente avvincente. Poche pagine lette a fatica
March 28, 2026
I mainly read this book because the cover art caught my eye. The artwork gets 5 stars.
I have enjoyed a few of Mary Higgins Clark’s books, so I thought I would give her daughter a try, but…alas…
Not for me…
I have enjoyed a few of Mary Higgins Clark’s books, so I thought I would give her daughter a try, but…alas…
Not for me…
December 19, 2017
I don't know that I would call this a mystery as the author lets the reader know just about everything that is going on in all the different camps. There are many humorous moments. The mystery is for the main characters to solve; not only for Regan and Jack but for the handyman, Skip, who is suffering from a lot of guilt, in that while he ran for help, Adele Hopkins' body washed away in the storm seas, for the nosy Brewer sisters, who consider the deceased a rude and unfriendly neighbor, and due to their window being smashed move in with the Reilly couple and for Pippy and Ellen, owners of a new store, Pillow Talk, which sold Adele cards and pillows, which seem to indicate that she had a lot of people to whom she needed to apologize for something or other.
The story has some history for the characters listed; especially Ellen who only got involved in the venture of this new store after being led/seduced by Reed Danfoth to give up a good job to work for him in his new restaurant which went bankrupt after only two months. And then there is the other neighbor whose presence remains a secret to this aforementioned group until late in the story - Floyd Wellington, a aging but well know actor with narcissistic and violent tendencies.
Jack and Regan come to rue their decision to spend their first anniversary on Cape Cod as a violent storm brews and they find not only no privacy but also a mystery as to the background, family or acquaintances of the "deceased" woman. They seek help from the couple who own the house Adele was renting, assuming that they would have gotten references and contacts in renting to her. When that turns up a blank page they turn to their parents for help.
This was a quick read but left something to be desired. I just did not feel that I was kept in limbo as most mysteries do to the reader. The only anticipation was at the end in how rescuing a certain lady would turn out.
The story has some history for the characters listed; especially Ellen who only got involved in the venture of this new store after being led/seduced by Reed Danfoth to give up a good job to work for him in his new restaurant which went bankrupt after only two months. And then there is the other neighbor whose presence remains a secret to this aforementioned group until late in the story - Floyd Wellington, a aging but well know actor with narcissistic and violent tendencies.
Jack and Regan come to rue their decision to spend their first anniversary on Cape Cod as a violent storm brews and they find not only no privacy but also a mystery as to the background, family or acquaintances of the "deceased" woman. They seek help from the couple who own the house Adele was renting, assuming that they would have gotten references and contacts in renting to her. When that turns up a blank page they turn to their parents for help.
This was a quick read but left something to be desired. I just did not feel that I was kept in limbo as most mysteries do to the reader. The only anticipation was at the end in how rescuing a certain lady would turn out.
April 1, 2016
A pleasant enough little fiction, an undemanding light read (it took me less than a day to get through).
Two people go to a remote summer cottage in winter to celebrate their first anniversary. Whatshisname and whatshername are barely there when a dead body appears, then vanishes (I gather this sort of thing happens to them a lot) and a storm deposits two gossipy busybody neighbors in the cottage with them for the duration. Had the romantically challenged couple been in any way upset about this, I could have been indignant on their behalf however they seem totally ok with having their anniversary screwed up, so I can only shrug it off.
Not sure how to class this story; an un- mysteriousness mystery perhaps? Since everything that is happening is thoroughly explained from several viewpoints all the time there is really no mystery at all. Well, the bit about the milk was mystifying, but only in the sense that I am mystified as to what the author thought they were getting at there.
A thriller with all thrill surgically removed? It is hard to feel any sense of thrill when nothing unexpected ever happens and every ending is pretty well telegraphed ahead.
Certainly not a romance! All characters are bland (I gather you are meant to know them from previous books, because they are certainly not fleshed out in any way here) and two dimensional. As first anniversary couples go these two seem to find each others as exciting as cold stew, so, not a romance.
Despite the above criticisms I did still quite enjoy it.
Two people go to a remote summer cottage in winter to celebrate their first anniversary. Whatshisname and whatshername are barely there when a dead body appears, then vanishes (I gather this sort of thing happens to them a lot) and a storm deposits two gossipy busybody neighbors in the cottage with them for the duration. Had the romantically challenged couple been in any way upset about this, I could have been indignant on their behalf however they seem totally ok with having their anniversary screwed up, so I can only shrug it off.
Not sure how to class this story; an un- mysteriousness mystery perhaps? Since everything that is happening is thoroughly explained from several viewpoints all the time there is really no mystery at all. Well, the bit about the milk was mystifying, but only in the sense that I am mystified as to what the author thought they were getting at there.
A thriller with all thrill surgically removed? It is hard to feel any sense of thrill when nothing unexpected ever happens and every ending is pretty well telegraphed ahead.
Certainly not a romance! All characters are bland (I gather you are meant to know them from previous books, because they are certainly not fleshed out in any way here) and two dimensional. As first anniversary couples go these two seem to find each others as exciting as cold stew, so, not a romance.
Despite the above criticisms I did still quite enjoy it.
June 14, 2011
Entertaining romp with the Reilly's who I know from other novels. Details were dribbled out so you couldn't guess the whole story plot or who the villian was until close to the end. I enjoy reading a series of novels with the same characters who are progressing thru life, it's troubles, triumphs and day to day stuff. A PI married to a NYPD major case squad leader lends itself to many many stories. I look forward to reading them all.
December 17, 2015
I am a fan of both Higgins writers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My heart went out to Adele. It seemed she just had a string of bad luck. Skip was just a misfortunate lot. Fran and Ginny was a hot mess but Floyd? It climaxed kind of quickly for me. I would have liked to at least hear some resolution with Floyd. I liked the concluding touch with Regan and Jack though and I would love to eat at Fern's, lol.
February 6, 2013
I toyed between rating this book a 1 or a 2, but due to the amount of times I reverted back to my middle school days by rolling my eyes, I simply could not get past numero uno. I have not read any other books in this series, so perhaps those are better. However, I will never know because this one was enough for me.
October 8, 2010
It is unfair to only give it two stars, but compared to the other books I have read recently I felt that this was very superficial. It was a quick read without really any mystery to it. I have read Clark's books before and was hoping for something a little more clever.
June 2, 2010
Always enjoy this author and have to keep reading until the book is finished. Especially enjoy her Regan Reilly series and hope another one is published shortly.
July 22, 2010
Another cute entry into a series of mysteries that I love. The plot of these books is pretty standard but I love Regan and Jack and enjoy reading the books. It is a quick and enjoyable read.
November 24, 2010
Regan Reilly and Jack celebrate their first wedding anniversary - in Cape Cod - not without suspense, humour, romance. Enjoyable read - - -
September 3, 2016
Un petit Carole Higgins Clark c'est toujours sympa !
June 30, 2018
This book made me want to never read again. I'm gonna just go in the back yard and watch my artificial lawn grow.
April 3, 2021
What a badly written book!
January 4, 2020
Regan and Jack Reilly have decided on a quiet weekend at Jack’s family cottage on Cape Cod to celebrate their first anniversary. If they would have had a little indication of what this weekend would turn into, they would have gone to Bermuda!
Jack and Regan arrive just as a major storm lets loose over the Cape. Well, when life hands you lemons….Regan figures she could simply sit with Jack watching the storm; but, those best laid plans!!!!
Jack takes a quick run to the local store for supplies and to Regan’s consternation returns with the two gossipy, older sisters who live down the lane. A branch had crashed through their living room window and, although Jack had quickly placed plastic over the window, they needed a place to stay until they could the window fix. Just what Regan wanted!
Just as Regan begins to believe that things could not get worse, Skip, the young caretaker runs into the house. He is distraught, believing that he has found the only other year round resident dead on the beach below. With Regan and Jack tight on his heels, the trio make their way to the beach only to learn that huge waves now cover the beach and they fear the body has been swept into the sea.
No one seems to know anything about Adele Hopkins, including their landlord, friends of Jack’s family. The only clues Jack and Regan have been able to find are apology cards and pillows made by a local business partnership.
Regan and Jack’s search for clues concerning the mysterious woman lead to an unforgettable weekend!
Jack and Regan arrive just as a major storm lets loose over the Cape. Well, when life hands you lemons….Regan figures she could simply sit with Jack watching the storm; but, those best laid plans!!!!
Jack takes a quick run to the local store for supplies and to Regan’s consternation returns with the two gossipy, older sisters who live down the lane. A branch had crashed through their living room window and, although Jack had quickly placed plastic over the window, they needed a place to stay until they could the window fix. Just what Regan wanted!
Just as Regan begins to believe that things could not get worse, Skip, the young caretaker runs into the house. He is distraught, believing that he has found the only other year round resident dead on the beach below. With Regan and Jack tight on his heels, the trio make their way to the beach only to learn that huge waves now cover the beach and they fear the body has been swept into the sea.
No one seems to know anything about Adele Hopkins, including their landlord, friends of Jack’s family. The only clues Jack and Regan have been able to find are apology cards and pillows made by a local business partnership.
Regan and Jack’s search for clues concerning the mysterious woman lead to an unforgettable weekend!
August 12, 2018
I chose this book because we visited Cape Cod briefly on our summer vacation and I wanted to read a book set in that location. This was an easy, relaxing read. It was different than the typical mystery where a dead body is found and the detectives are trying to find the killer. In this story, the young caretaker Skip finds a body, leaves the body there and runs to get help, then comes back and the body is gone, presumably washed out to sea. It was clearly an accident and the big mystery is who the victim was. No ID was found in her house, only some unusual things like a lot of apology cards. There are a couple of competing storylines, all of them fairly simple and easy to read, that come together towards the end of the book. I like the writing style, which is straightforward and simple without lengthy, flowery details. The author tells the readers what they need to know and that's it. Carol Higgins Clark's book is not as suspenseful as her mother's (Mary Higgins Clark) books, but it's still a nice, light read.
June 14, 2025
Too many characters, annoying characters, similar names that make you confused (Fern/Fran, Ginny/Jimmy), too much repeated dialogue, confusing character development (I don’t know how to explain this one, but I got weird vibes off of different characters when it was obviously being portrayed that they had different feelings than were being described in the book), no story progression then it closes up quickly at the end. The biggest disappointment is that most of the characters are not convincing of who they are, and the other characters are just really annoying. Overall, frustrating to get through. One or two real action scenes and it was over quickly.
January 28, 2017
"Private Investigator Regan Reilly and her husband, Jack "no relation" Reilly, head of the NYPD Major Case Squad, are about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They are looking forward to a quiet romantic weekend out of town. Wouldn’t you know their choice of destination provides them with anything but!"
I'd categorize this as a beach read. Writing style was very elementary and somewhat boring. It worked for me, though, because I'm caring for my grandson. With many interruptions, it's easy to pick back up and follow the story line.
I'd categorize this as a beach read. Writing style was very elementary and somewhat boring. It worked for me, though, because I'm caring for my grandson. With many interruptions, it's easy to pick back up and follow the story line.
October 3, 2020
Jack and Regan go to his parents house in Cape Cod to celebrate their first anniversary and to be away from the crowds. However, a neighbor renting a friend's house next door is discovered missing after she's been seen unconcious on her beach and is assumed she's been washed out to sea. Lots of interesting characters get involved as they try to find the missing woman's family so they can be told. There is a traveling theater group and a couple of nosy neighbors that complicate things. All in all it's a great light read!
May 21, 2017
Content PG . Possibly some very mild cussing ( it doesn't stand out in my memory) and no sex scenes.
My husband and I listened to this while we were on vacation in the evenings and we really enjoyed it. It's the same type of books that her mom Mary Higgins Clark writes but there was more humor and I really like that. There is a series of her books call the "Reagan and Riley series" and this is like the 12th or 13th in the series. I have not read any of her others. I hope they're as good.
My husband and I listened to this while we were on vacation in the evenings and we really enjoyed it. It's the same type of books that her mom Mary Higgins Clark writes but there was more humor and I really like that. There is a series of her books call the "Reagan and Riley series" and this is like the 12th or 13th in the series. I have not read any of her others. I hope they're as good.
June 21, 2020
Reagan Reilly Mysteries #13. Read by Michele Pawk. 2010. Regan and Jack escape to Jack's parents place on Cape Cod to enjoy their first wedding anniversary. A woman, renting the place next door, is found bloody faced on the beach by the caretaker of the Reilly's house. He runs for help and upon returning, finds her missing. She is presumed taken out to the ocean by the current wild storm. But, is that what really happened?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews