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Alvirah & Willy #8
Op een mooie zomerdag
Zan Moreland, succesvol binnenhuisarchitecte, beleeft de nachtmerrie van iedere moeder: op klaarlichte dag wordt haar zoontje in Central Park uit de kinderwagen gestolen. Vijf jaar later duiken er opeens foto's op die laten zien dat Zan haar kind zélf uit de wagen tilt... Iedereen lijkt haar te verdenken. Dan ontdekt ze dat iemand haar identiteit probeert te stelen. Staat Zan er helemaal alleen voor? En leeft haar zoontje nog?
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2011
1186 people are currently reading
7491 people want to read
About the author
Mary Higgins Clark
630 books13.5k followersThe #1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark has written thirty-eight suspense novels, four collections of short stories, a historical novel, a memoir, and two children’s books. With bestselling author Alafair Burke she wrote the Under Suspicion series. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she has coauthored five more suspense novels. Her sister-in-law is the also author Mary Jane Clark.
Clark’s books have sold more than 100 million copies in the United States alone. Her books are beloved around the world and made her an international bestseller many times over.
Clark’s books have sold more than 100 million copies in the United States alone. Her books are beloved around the world and made her an international bestseller many times over.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,564 reviews
April 13, 2011
A book by Mary Higgins Clark is like a warm blanket or a favorite sweater, it's comforting and comfortable and you know what to expect- an attractive female protagonist in her early thirties will be victimized and most people will not believe her story with the exception of a handsome, clean-cut professional single male in his late thirties and maybe an older female relative or friend or a priest or two. Throw in a scene or two in Neary's pub, many references to a tall, slender build and long, auburn hair, some character with an Irish brogue, the willowy, strong yet fragile heroine narrowly avoiding tragedy and then being vindicated in the end and reunited with her lost son/parent/sibling/self/etc. and you have the book.
This is not to say I don't like Mary Higgins Clarks' books. On the contrary, I eat them up like candy. I read them as soon as they come out and I like them. I like their predictability, I like their one-dimensional characters, I like their 'ripped from the headlines' storylines, I like their ease of reading. This particular book was no exception. It probably won't be one of my all-time MHC faves, but I did enjoy it more than her last couple of fictional outings. Why did I like it more? The priest was enjoyable and I liked the dramatic and yet predictable from page one scene of the shooting in the confessional. I also enjoyed the priest's melodramatic struggle with what to do with the information he had received in the confessional (it's actually rare that MHC makes me think very hard, but I did ponder over the rightness of the confessional secrecy). I also liked the handsome Irish bachelor architect who fell in love with 'Zan' practically immediately in spite of the fact he knew almost nothing about her and she was suspected in her son's kidnapping and was arrested. the ending was happy and the kid ended up a redhead again. Is it realistic? No, not at all. But that's why it's so enjoyable! Bring on some more, MHC!
This is not to say I don't like Mary Higgins Clarks' books. On the contrary, I eat them up like candy. I read them as soon as they come out and I like them. I like their predictability, I like their one-dimensional characters, I like their 'ripped from the headlines' storylines, I like their ease of reading. This particular book was no exception. It probably won't be one of my all-time MHC faves, but I did enjoy it more than her last couple of fictional outings. Why did I like it more? The priest was enjoyable and I liked the dramatic and yet predictable from page one scene of the shooting in the confessional. I also enjoyed the priest's melodramatic struggle with what to do with the information he had received in the confessional (it's actually rare that MHC makes me think very hard, but I did ponder over the rightness of the confessional secrecy). I also liked the handsome Irish bachelor architect who fell in love with 'Zan' practically immediately in spite of the fact he knew almost nothing about her and she was suspected in her son's kidnapping and was arrested. the ending was happy and the kid ended up a redhead again. Is it realistic? No, not at all. But that's why it's so enjoyable! Bring on some more, MHC!
February 2, 2016
This is a great book if you like:
Shallow, stupid characters, a contrived plot based on non-normal human behavior and farcical coincidences, keystone cops, soap opera appropriate interactions, few adjectives and no metaphors, and inane dialogue. For instance you must like a character who almost gets kill with a bullet to the chest, wrestles the gun from someone and then announces "And don't think I don't know how to use it. I went hunting with my father when I was a young girl in Texas." Right really what someone in that situation would say. I listened to this book on tape and plodded through because since my smart wife had picked it to listen to I figured there must be some redeeming quality . I was wrong. Perhaps this is the equivalent of sports for her.
If you don't like the things I mentioned avoid this book like the plague. If you start it, don't like it but want to find out what happens send me a note and I will tell you the ending.
Addendum. Turns out my wife got it because she thought I liked the author. And I had forgotten that I read (listened to) another inane book by MHC "Where Are The Children?" and panned it also. So my wife was mistaken and I have no memory.
Shallow, stupid characters, a contrived plot based on non-normal human behavior and farcical coincidences, keystone cops, soap opera appropriate interactions, few adjectives and no metaphors, and inane dialogue. For instance you must like a character who almost gets kill with a bullet to the chest, wrestles the gun from someone and then announces "And don't think I don't know how to use it. I went hunting with my father when I was a young girl in Texas." Right really what someone in that situation would say. I listened to this book on tape and plodded through because since my smart wife had picked it to listen to I figured there must be some redeeming quality . I was wrong. Perhaps this is the equivalent of sports for her.
If you don't like the things I mentioned avoid this book like the plague. If you start it, don't like it but want to find out what happens send me a note and I will tell you the ending.
Addendum. Turns out my wife got it because she thought I liked the author. And I had forgotten that I read (listened to) another inane book by MHC "Where Are The Children?" and panned it also. So my wife was mistaken and I have no memory.
March 30, 2019
3.5*
Interesting plot but my mind did wander about. This was a very dramatic take on stolen identity though! It was a crazy plot but was a bit slow. I really found it a good read but not the best of the series. I was glad for the ending though. It was a satisfying conclusion to the book. Now on to the another Mary Higgins Clark during my binge reading.
My quick and simple overall: good but other books in the series have kept my attention more.
Interesting plot but my mind did wander about. This was a very dramatic take on stolen identity though! It was a crazy plot but was a bit slow. I really found it a good read but not the best of the series. I was glad for the ending though. It was a satisfying conclusion to the book. Now on to the another Mary Higgins Clark during my binge reading.
My quick and simple overall: good but other books in the series have kept my attention more.
August 16, 2014
I don't like reading about these sorts of people. They seem very unreal to me, with their swanky condominia and designer suits and bizarre sense of entitlement. It is possible to write about wealthy, well-to-do folks and make it interesting, but I almost feel that kind of thing is a relic of past literature that the rest of us can now admire from a distance. I know the sort of high society people Clark writes about really do exist, although I would hope they aren't as shallow and sickly sweet as depicted here, but I think in the best literature you wouldnt' even notice how extravagant these people live unless the author was making a point about it; you would think that these are real people like you or me and that the amount of money they happen to make is irrelevant. Mary Higgins just can't get over the hurdle, I think, and perhaps she doesn't even want to.
In any case, this story is hopeless in every sense. She's known as a "suspense" writer, but there was barely a sense of real danger or tension present in any of this. I must say that Clark fails on a very basic level: her readers are always several steps ahead of most of the characters, who spend the rest of the book trying to catch up. Do people really enjoy reading pages and pages of self-doubt and dialogue that's rendered meaningless before it even comes out of the mouth? I just don't understand. What's the payoff? Surely there must be some answer, because she's apparently a bestselling author of astounding proportions.
I'm also very unimpressed with the way Clark tries to throw us a red herring about who the kidnapper might be. It's not just that it's an obvious red herring, because actually it isn't, quite, it's the smug way in which she goes about writing it, as though she's rubbing her hands together and thinking to herself "god, I really am going to surprise them by revealing who it really is, aren't I???" The thing is, even if you weren't expecting the truth, it's pretty meaningless: there are only two possibilities for culprit ever given, and neither of them are really people Clark invests a lot of time and attention to, so we simply don't care, don't feel betrayed or upset by this revelation.
So, another book from the workplace that's simply not for me. It is occasionally amusing in a strictly unintentional way, but mostly it's all a bit sickening, especially when Clark piles on the gooey and cloying sentimentality. I understand the woman is quite old now and probably far from the top of her game, so perhaps I should be easy on her, but I'm not going anywhere near her other books.
In any case, this story is hopeless in every sense. She's known as a "suspense" writer, but there was barely a sense of real danger or tension present in any of this. I must say that Clark fails on a very basic level: her readers are always several steps ahead of most of the characters, who spend the rest of the book trying to catch up. Do people really enjoy reading pages and pages of self-doubt and dialogue that's rendered meaningless before it even comes out of the mouth? I just don't understand. What's the payoff? Surely there must be some answer, because she's apparently a bestselling author of astounding proportions.
I'm also very unimpressed with the way Clark tries to throw us a red herring about who the kidnapper might be. It's not just that it's an obvious red herring, because actually it isn't, quite, it's the smug way in which she goes about writing it, as though she's rubbing her hands together and thinking to herself "god, I really am going to surprise them by revealing who it really is, aren't I???" The thing is, even if you weren't expecting the truth, it's pretty meaningless: there are only two possibilities for culprit ever given, and neither of them are really people Clark invests a lot of time and attention to, so we simply don't care, don't feel betrayed or upset by this revelation.
So, another book from the workplace that's simply not for me. It is occasionally amusing in a strictly unintentional way, but mostly it's all a bit sickening, especially when Clark piles on the gooey and cloying sentimentality. I understand the woman is quite old now and probably far from the top of her game, so perhaps I should be easy on her, but I'm not going anywhere near her other books.
April 21, 2011
The tell. From Wikipedia: a "tell' in poker is a subtle but detectable change in a player's behavior or demeanor that gives clues to that player's assessment of his hand. A player gains an advantage if he observes and understands the meaning of another player's tell, particularly if the tell is unconscious and reliable.
With Mary Higgins Clark, the unconscious and reliable tell is when her heroine is described as wearing her hair in a "chignon." From that point forward, despite the nefarious men in her life and the seeming possibility that the female lead might be culpable, your sympathies/concern are correctly placed on her behalf. Note: page 136 in "I'll Walk Alone;" page 54 in "The Shadow of Your Smile;" page 270 in "Where are We Now;" page 220 in "No Place Like Home;" page 362 in Daddy's Little Girl."
Higgins Clark does not repeat characters, but her strong leading women are almost interchangeable: brilliant lawyer, dedicated doctor, passionate marketer, etc. (Here, Zan is a talented interior designer.) Clark's plots are very linear: meet an amazing but troubled lady, see impending doom, run into a series of men of shady backgrounds and intents, someone is murdered, woman is in peril, pick which of the men will harm and which will help, love triumphs.
In a way, it is Mary Higgins Clark's very familiarity -- her tells -- which make her so relaxing a diversion. No heavy mental lifting nor gratuitous violence. Saturday morning cartoons and Nell conquering Snidely Whiplash with an assist from Dudley. Spending time with Mary Higgins Clark is like having high tea with a gentle, yet spunky maiden aunt. You don’t want to make a habit of it, but every time you go and she pours into her tea that little “strengthener” from the flask she keeps in her brocade handbag, you wonder why it is so long between visits.
With Mary Higgins Clark, the unconscious and reliable tell is when her heroine is described as wearing her hair in a "chignon." From that point forward, despite the nefarious men in her life and the seeming possibility that the female lead might be culpable, your sympathies/concern are correctly placed on her behalf. Note: page 136 in "I'll Walk Alone;" page 54 in "The Shadow of Your Smile;" page 270 in "Where are We Now;" page 220 in "No Place Like Home;" page 362 in Daddy's Little Girl."
Higgins Clark does not repeat characters, but her strong leading women are almost interchangeable: brilliant lawyer, dedicated doctor, passionate marketer, etc. (Here, Zan is a talented interior designer.) Clark's plots are very linear: meet an amazing but troubled lady, see impending doom, run into a series of men of shady backgrounds and intents, someone is murdered, woman is in peril, pick which of the men will harm and which will help, love triumphs.
In a way, it is Mary Higgins Clark's very familiarity -- her tells -- which make her so relaxing a diversion. No heavy mental lifting nor gratuitous violence. Saturday morning cartoons and Nell conquering Snidely Whiplash with an assist from Dudley. Spending time with Mary Higgins Clark is like having high tea with a gentle, yet spunky maiden aunt. You don’t want to make a habit of it, but every time you go and she pours into her tea that little “strengthener” from the flask she keeps in her brocade handbag, you wonder why it is so long between visits.
April 10, 2011
MHC is one of my favorite authors over the past 20 years. Unfortunately, as each year passes, so does the magic of her books. Her older books (pre-2000) are the best ones by far.
The Shadow....is her latest novel, supposedly about identity theft. This was one of my least favorite books by her; even Alvirah and Willy couldn't save it. They were thrown in simply to fill up pages, it seems.
Formulaic MHC:
Kidnapped child: Check.
(Single) mother with tragic past: Check
Ex-husband who may or may not be the criminal: Check
Obvious criminal: Check
Handsome single client who believes in the innocence of the mother even though he doesn't know her: Check
Solving the case a mile away: Check.
Without giving away the ending, it was fairly obvious early on who committed the crime, and who was responsible for it. And don't writers get that the more they point to someone over and over, the more obvious it is that someone else committed the crime? And all the 'near misses' of the case being solved, but oops, someone's at the door, gotta go....ugh. The character development was lax. The ending where the person is finally 'outed' is not satisfying, and cheats the readers.
I wish I'd just waited for it at the library, and spent money on one of her earlier books for my collection.
The Shadow....is her latest novel, supposedly about identity theft. This was one of my least favorite books by her; even Alvirah and Willy couldn't save it. They were thrown in simply to fill up pages, it seems.
Formulaic MHC:
Kidnapped child: Check.
(Single) mother with tragic past: Check
Ex-husband who may or may not be the criminal: Check
Obvious criminal: Check
Handsome single client who believes in the innocence of the mother even though he doesn't know her: Check
Solving the case a mile away: Check.
Without giving away the ending, it was fairly obvious early on who committed the crime, and who was responsible for it. And don't writers get that the more they point to someone over and over, the more obvious it is that someone else committed the crime? And all the 'near misses' of the case being solved, but oops, someone's at the door, gotta go....ugh. The character development was lax. The ending where the person is finally 'outed' is not satisfying, and cheats the readers.
I wish I'd just waited for it at the library, and spent money on one of her earlier books for my collection.
February 16, 2018
This book is awful. I don't know why anyone would give it more than one star. There was a time long ago that I love MHC books. They were so well-written, but this doesn't seem like the same author. I think these are ghost written and they slap her name on it.
The entire premise of the book is just stupid. Someone concocts an elaborate plot to make everyone think the main character kidnapped her child. And I'm sorry, but no one looks that much like someone. I found the idea that the priest mixed them up after meeting face to face was silly. Also, the fact that this plot took years to act out also doesn't make sense. There seems to be no good reason that he waited the two years.
I also hate how the book implies the interior design fella as the kidnapper and it turns out to be her husband. And was the husband that good of an actor? I hate when authors mislead you with internal dialogue of a character. It's a cheat.
Overall, I don't know why I read the whole book. It was a giant waste of time.
The entire premise of the book is just stupid. Someone concocts an elaborate plot to make everyone think the main character kidnapped her child. And I'm sorry, but no one looks that much like someone. I found the idea that the priest mixed them up after meeting face to face was silly. Also, the fact that this plot took years to act out also doesn't make sense. There seems to be no good reason that he waited the two years.
I also hate how the book implies the interior design fella as the kidnapper and it turns out to be her husband. And was the husband that good of an actor? I hate when authors mislead you with internal dialogue of a character. It's a cheat.
Overall, I don't know why I read the whole book. It was a giant waste of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2011
That’s it! I think I’m done with Mary Higgins Clark. Someone beg her to retire! I have read quite a few of her books (and honestly can never remember which ones I’ve read and which I haven’t) and while I usually find them at least 3 star worthy she does annoy me. Many times you can figure out “who done it” before you’re even halfway through the story, so her plots are kind of obvious. Still, the books tend to be a semi-enjoyable ride other then the annoying fact that everyone in her books lives some sort of indulgent, wealthy lifestyle and they’re all kind of flat characters without a lot of depth. The main character, regardless of her circumstances of life, does things like through on her cashmere sweater and pearl necklace to have a simple dinner at home alone. These little things, they grate on my nerves. I try to remind myself that the author is older and perhaps she’s writing about an unrealistic way of life because it represents the ideals of her time. The annoyance of her characters not having much depth and their annoying ways of life take away from the books some.
This book had all the usual annoyances but had completely lost me by around page 70. I could put up with the usual flat characters and their well-off lifestyles; that’s nothing new. I was able to swallow everyone believing the main character, Zan, had orchestrated the kidnapping of her own son two years before because of a new picture coming to light that shows someone in the distance that looks like her taking him. What I could not believe and ended up infuriating me to the point that I wanted to quit reading was that even Zan questions herself. There is a character that has spent two years trying every resource she could access to try to find her darling little boy, that knew she had been somewhere else when he had been kidnapped, and as soon as the pictures come out and people start doubting her she starts wondering if maybe she did kidnap him and if so then what did she do with him? I’m sorry, but I just can’t believe that a mother that hasn’t had a history of mental illness, substance abuse, or anything like that (although Zan did have times she couldn’t remember after her parents’ deaths, but honestly AFTER a time of great tragedy there’s parts of the time period that are a blur for a lot of people), she’s just not going to randomly think she did one thing and really kidnapped her son. I could have gone along with the ride, put up with everyone in the book believing that she must have been the kidnapper but I just can’t believe that an innocent mother that was positive of where she had been would suddenly start believing that maybe she really did do it. That was the point where I felt the book was completely unrealistic and questioned why I should keep reading it.
I did keep reading it though because I’m a stickler for finishing a book. I didn’t read it closely though, I sort of skimmed through it so I didn’t absorb a whole lot of the information. I think that is the reason I didn’t see the real villain coming. I was surprised who was really behind the kidnapping. There was no satisfaction in the surprise though because I still don’t really understand why the villain planned and put into action the kidnapping. This grand, elaborate scheme and the book ends with me wondering why in the world that person would do all that. There is a paragraph that is intended to explain the motivation, but it feels more like a slapped on reasoning. Kind of like the mastermind and the details of the crime were revealed with an almost flourish and as an afterthought a few sentences were thrown in to give a motive. The motive might has well have been “because I can” because it makes about as much sense.
This book had all the usual annoyances but had completely lost me by around page 70. I could put up with the usual flat characters and their well-off lifestyles; that’s nothing new. I was able to swallow everyone believing the main character, Zan, had orchestrated the kidnapping of her own son two years before because of a new picture coming to light that shows someone in the distance that looks like her taking him. What I could not believe and ended up infuriating me to the point that I wanted to quit reading was that even Zan questions herself. There is a character that has spent two years trying every resource she could access to try to find her darling little boy, that knew she had been somewhere else when he had been kidnapped, and as soon as the pictures come out and people start doubting her she starts wondering if maybe she did kidnap him and if so then what did she do with him? I’m sorry, but I just can’t believe that a mother that hasn’t had a history of mental illness, substance abuse, or anything like that (although Zan did have times she couldn’t remember after her parents’ deaths, but honestly AFTER a time of great tragedy there’s parts of the time period that are a blur for a lot of people), she’s just not going to randomly think she did one thing and really kidnapped her son. I could have gone along with the ride, put up with everyone in the book believing that she must have been the kidnapper but I just can’t believe that an innocent mother that was positive of where she had been would suddenly start believing that maybe she really did do it. That was the point where I felt the book was completely unrealistic and questioned why I should keep reading it.
I did keep reading it though because I’m a stickler for finishing a book. I didn’t read it closely though, I sort of skimmed through it so I didn’t absorb a whole lot of the information. I think that is the reason I didn’t see the real villain coming. I was surprised who was really behind the kidnapping. There was no satisfaction in the surprise though because I still don’t really understand why the villain planned and put into action the kidnapping. This grand, elaborate scheme and the book ends with me wondering why in the world that person would do all that. There is a paragraph that is intended to explain the motivation, but it feels more like a slapped on reasoning. Kind of like the mastermind and the details of the crime were revealed with an almost flourish and as an afterthought a few sentences were thrown in to give a motive. The motive might has well have been “because I can” because it makes about as much sense.
July 26, 2021
Bueno para pasar el rato.
March 16, 2025
Zan Moreland, een succesvol binnenhuisarchitecte, beleeft de nachtmerrie van iedere moeder: op klaarlichte dag wordt haar zoontje Matthew in Central Park uit de kinderwagen ontvoerd. Nu zijn er foto's opgedoken die duidelijk laten zien dat Zan haar kind zélf uit de wagen tilt. Iedereen, zelfs haar vrienden en ex-man, denkt dat zij schuldig is. Terwijl Zan wordt belaagd door journalisten, komt ze erachter dat iemand haar identiteit probeert aan te nemen....
Spannend verhaal, vol emoties. Het leest ook zeer vlot, en is moeilijk weg te leggen.
Spannend verhaal, vol emoties. Het leest ook zeer vlot, en is moeilijk weg te leggen.
April 21, 2019
Otra buen libro de la autora. Mantiene la intriga sobre la trama, los hechos y los personajes, para develarlo con clase en los últimos capítulos.
January 27, 2021
Fantástico, devorei este livro, adoro esta escritora......
Recomendo.....
Recomendo.....
March 17, 2017
Livro tão bom ! Recomendo !
April 29, 2011
I PEGGED IT!!! For the first time ever, I predicted the criminal in the first one hundred pages. To be honest, I really started questioning myself the last fifty pages or so. I love Mary Higgins Clark because she masterfully weaves the story so that you do question yourself every time.
I have read every one of Mary Higgins Clark's books. This one so far is my favorite. As fantastic a storyteller as she is, I have a difficult time relating to her female protagonists. They always live in New York or somewhere outrageously expensive. They never have financial problems. And they are always dressing up in designer clothes that I may or may not have heard of. And they have someone who falls madly in love with them and have a whirlwind romance while trying to not die. But in this one, Zan had a lot on her plate. Yes, she lived in New York, but she lived in a cheap little apartment. She was a working mom trying hard to keep her family as a top priority. When her son was kidnapped, she spent every spare penny on trying to find him. She lived as cheaply as she could, but worked harder to make more to find Matthew. She becomes the victim of identity theft. Now she has even more financial problems. There is the romantic interest that does come in to the picture, but it never gets blown out of proportion. Zan is so busy trying to deal with everything that is being thrown at her that she really doesn't notice the interest that Kevin is taking in her. He also takes it slow and does not force himself into her life. There is never more than a hug on his part. But he is there to help bring the nightmare to a close for her. It is in the epilogue that you find out the romance has gone further, as is logical. I loved this book.
I have read every one of Mary Higgins Clark's books. This one so far is my favorite. As fantastic a storyteller as she is, I have a difficult time relating to her female protagonists. They always live in New York or somewhere outrageously expensive. They never have financial problems. And they are always dressing up in designer clothes that I may or may not have heard of. And they have someone who falls madly in love with them and have a whirlwind romance while trying to not die. But in this one, Zan had a lot on her plate. Yes, she lived in New York, but she lived in a cheap little apartment. She was a working mom trying hard to keep her family as a top priority. When her son was kidnapped, she spent every spare penny on trying to find him. She lived as cheaply as she could, but worked harder to make more to find Matthew. She becomes the victim of identity theft. Now she has even more financial problems. There is the romantic interest that does come in to the picture, but it never gets blown out of proportion. Zan is so busy trying to deal with everything that is being thrown at her that she really doesn't notice the interest that Kevin is taking in her. He also takes it slow and does not force himself into her life. There is never more than a hug on his part. But he is there to help bring the nightmare to a close for her. It is in the epilogue that you find out the romance has gone further, as is logical. I loved this book.
September 10, 2020
“Era posible que hubiera conseguido bajar del cochecito y que alguien, al verlo solo, se lo hubiera llevado?, se preguntaba Zan una y otra vez. Hay muchos pervertidos en los parques. Por favor, Dios mío, que no haya sucedido eso, suplicó.” ~ Sé que volverás de Mary Higgins Clark.
Zan y Ted son padres de Mathew que lleva desparecido dos años desde que una tarde en Central Park su niñera se quedó dormida y alguien se llevó el niño. Zan sigue convencida de que su hijo sigue vivo y todo lo que ahorra lo destina a su búsqueda.
Ahora, salen a la luz unas imágenes tomadas ese día por un turista en el parque. En ellas se ve a una mujer que se lleva al niño y esa mujer parece Zan. Ella niega cualquier implicación en los hechos pero la reapertura del caso comienza a pasarle factura ya que las nuevas evidencias y las declaraciones apuntan hacia ella. ¿Es realmente culpable? Si ha sido ella la secuestradora del niño, ¿dónde está el pequeño?
Mucha pregunta para un libro tan plano, aburrido y lleno de clichés. Yo defino a este tipo de libros como libros puente. Libros entretenidos sin mucho que pensar para intercalar entre otros más densos o más tensos. Pero la verdad es que este, al que le doy un aprobado raspado porque la autora escribe bien, no lo cogería ni como libro puente.
Zan y Ted son padres de Mathew que lleva desparecido dos años desde que una tarde en Central Park su niñera se quedó dormida y alguien se llevó el niño. Zan sigue convencida de que su hijo sigue vivo y todo lo que ahorra lo destina a su búsqueda.
Ahora, salen a la luz unas imágenes tomadas ese día por un turista en el parque. En ellas se ve a una mujer que se lleva al niño y esa mujer parece Zan. Ella niega cualquier implicación en los hechos pero la reapertura del caso comienza a pasarle factura ya que las nuevas evidencias y las declaraciones apuntan hacia ella. ¿Es realmente culpable? Si ha sido ella la secuestradora del niño, ¿dónde está el pequeño?
Mucha pregunta para un libro tan plano, aburrido y lleno de clichés. Yo defino a este tipo de libros como libros puente. Libros entretenidos sin mucho que pensar para intercalar entre otros más densos o más tensos. Pero la verdad es que este, al que le doy un aprobado raspado porque la autora escribe bien, no lo cogería ni como libro puente.
May 24, 2018
A minha opinião em vídeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0gyx...
December 30, 2020
4.5 This was such a good book! Liked figuring it out and how it jumped to different characters.
I didn’t know I could enjoy a Mary Huggins Clark book this much!
I didn’t know I could enjoy a Mary Huggins Clark book this much!
June 25, 2013
I have to admit that I hardly ever read Mystery's. I never read thrillers or horror. I'm just a big, big chicken. Honest. I don't watch scary movies or even really intense ones. But, I can also tell you that I rarely have nightmares and I'm not afraid to shower. I like it that way.
Mary Higgins Clark is probably the one exception to my mystery rule because she doesn't scare me. I honestly love the way she writes her stories. I know it's the same format every time but I like it. I like how she plays the characters out. It is easy reading and doesn't require a lot of thinking. It's a good pool or beach read, you know?
This book takes identity theft to a whole new level. It's more than just identity theft and honestly, it was a bit heartbreaking. How would it be to have everyone believing you guilty of something horrific when you are innocent? Even your friends? Awful. That's how.
I couldn't read these kind of books one right after another, but one a year is a good time for me. I enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant diversion from my usual reads.
Content: mild swearing
Mary Higgins Clark is probably the one exception to my mystery rule because she doesn't scare me. I honestly love the way she writes her stories. I know it's the same format every time but I like it. I like how she plays the characters out. It is easy reading and doesn't require a lot of thinking. It's a good pool or beach read, you know?
This book takes identity theft to a whole new level. It's more than just identity theft and honestly, it was a bit heartbreaking. How would it be to have everyone believing you guilty of something horrific when you are innocent? Even your friends? Awful. That's how.
I couldn't read these kind of books one right after another, but one a year is a good time for me. I enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant diversion from my usual reads.
Content: mild swearing
February 28, 2016
Anul trecut am citit "Casa blestemata" (No Place Like Home) de MHC, primul roman scris de ea. Ce am descoperit? O intriga simpatica, premisa interesanta pana la urma, un evantai aparte de personaje si o naratiune foarte bine inchegata. MHC stie cum sa scrie un roman de suspans (doar scrie de peste 40 de ani romane polististe si de suspans si este cunoscuta ca "regina suspansului"). Cum cei mai multi scriitori americani au o reteta de la care nu se abat, nici MHC nu face exceptie de la regula asta. Si de aici si ii scad o steluta. Pana unde merge repetarea retetei? Pana la preluarea numelui unui personaj: Ted Carpenter (spune-i Jones, daca ai mai folosit Carpenter cu alte ocazii) din (soc!) "Casa blestemata". Sunt mai multe coincidente, dar nu vreau sa dau spoilere.
Dar sa nu credeti ca romanul este unul prost: are o intriga omogena, se citeste repede si este entertaining, dar cam atat. Dupa ce o sa citesti alte trei carti, o sa uiti cu totul romanul acesta.
Dar sa nu credeti ca romanul este unul prost: are o intriga omogena, se citeste repede si este entertaining, dar cam atat. Dupa ce o sa citesti alte trei carti, o sa uiti cu totul romanul acesta.
March 15, 2024
The book dragged on a bit and the motive was weakly explained at best. But I did get a Bingo on the MHC tropes and descriptors bingo game (yay for hassocks and slacks), so, win?
January 27, 2018
Mais um excelente livro da "Rainha do Suspense".
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May 15, 2020
It’s been about 8 years since I read a book by MHC. Now I remember why I stopped. While it was quick reading, it’s somewhat predictable and I had a lot of eye rolling moments. The story was a bit far fetched and the ending was too quick and tidy.
January 8, 2024
Love a good 16 hr flight binge read!
April 26, 2022
This was an enjoyable story, just a little drawn out and repetitious. This is the third book I’ve read in recent weeks with a missing kid, it’s hair being dyed and the perpetrator experiencing blackouts/fainting/sleepwalking - time to move on to something different.
March 23, 2020
Frustratingly repetitive
October 14, 2022
I thought that this book was good
January 4, 2013
Es el primer libro que leo de esta autora y no va a ser el único, puesto que la fama que tiene de que es la reina de la novela de suspense, se la tiene mas que merecida.
Desde que empieza hasta que finaliza nos encontramos con un monton de giros argumentales,pero ,lo que mas me ha llamado la atencion, es como Mary Higgins Clark, va presentandonos paulatinamente a todos los personajes y que estos, en algún momento de la novela tengan un nexo en comun, que hara que vosotros como lectores terminéis, sin saber quien es el culpable, terminareis jugando al raton y al gato sin saber que va a suceder en la pagina siguiente.a
Es un sin vivir, es la angustia de una madre, que hace tres años perdió a su hijo, pero el destino parece que al acercarse el cumpleaños (cinco años) de Matthew sucedan cosas, que harán que se os pongan los pelos de punta.
Como si estuviéramos dentro del propio libro, la autora nos hace participes de todo lo que pasa en la mente de los protagonistas, pero sin duda alguna destacan a mi parecer los secundarios, esos personajes que se dejan ver poco pero cuando lo hacen serán transcendentales y un soplo de aire fresco, como es el caso de Alvirah.
Conforme iba pasando las paginas y casi me acercaba al final, todos los personajes para mi eran sospechosos, y no me imagine en ningún momento el final, que Mary Higgings en dos capítulos ha resuelto sin titubear ni un segundo.
Un buen inicio de año con esta nueva lectura y con esta autora, que sabe como mantener en vilo al lector con una historia sencilla pero a la vez compleja.
Desde que empieza hasta que finaliza nos encontramos con un monton de giros argumentales,pero ,lo que mas me ha llamado la atencion, es como Mary Higgins Clark, va presentandonos paulatinamente a todos los personajes y que estos, en algún momento de la novela tengan un nexo en comun, que hara que vosotros como lectores terminéis, sin saber quien es el culpable, terminareis jugando al raton y al gato sin saber que va a suceder en la pagina siguiente.a
Es un sin vivir, es la angustia de una madre, que hace tres años perdió a su hijo, pero el destino parece que al acercarse el cumpleaños (cinco años) de Matthew sucedan cosas, que harán que se os pongan los pelos de punta.
Como si estuviéramos dentro del propio libro, la autora nos hace participes de todo lo que pasa en la mente de los protagonistas, pero sin duda alguna destacan a mi parecer los secundarios, esos personajes que se dejan ver poco pero cuando lo hacen serán transcendentales y un soplo de aire fresco, como es el caso de Alvirah.
Conforme iba pasando las paginas y casi me acercaba al final, todos los personajes para mi eran sospechosos, y no me imagine en ningún momento el final, que Mary Higgings en dos capítulos ha resuelto sin titubear ni un segundo.
Un buen inicio de año con esta nueva lectura y con esta autora, que sabe como mantener en vilo al lector con una historia sencilla pero a la vez compleja.
November 10, 2022
Vor zwei Jahren brach die Welt von Zan Moreland zusammen: ihr Sohn Matthew verschwand am helllichten Tag aus dem Central Park. Während die Babysitterin nur kurz eingeschlafen war, nahm jemand den Dreijährigen aus dem Kinderwagen und verschwand mit ihm. Alle Ermittlungen blieben erfolglos.
An Matthews fünften Geburtstag tauchen plötzlich neue Bilder von diesem Tag aus. Darauf kann man deutlich die Frau sehen, die den Jungen damals mitgenommen hat- sieht aus wie Zan. Doch das sind nicht die einzigen unerklärlichen Dinge. Vom Konto von Zans kleiner Firma verschwindet Geld, es werden Flüge gebucht und viel zu große Mengen Waren bestellt. Als sich Zans Assistent auf die Suche nach dem Schuldigen macht, weist alles auf Zan selbst hin.
Meine Meinung
Die Geschichte ist nicht neu, dafür aber bewährt: einer schönen und erfolgreichen Heldin stößt etwas Schreckliches zu. Aber das ist erst der Anfang. Nach und nach passieren Dinge, die nur einen Schluss nahe legen: jemand will sie nach und nach in den Wahnsinn treiben. Verdächtige gibt es genug und natürlich erscheint auch ein Retter am Horizont. Aber wird er schnell genug sein?
Man darf sich von dem oberen Abschnitt nicht täuschen lassen: Ich folge deinem Schatten hat mir gut gefallen, auch wenn ich diese oder ähnliche Geschichten schon mehr als einmal gelesen habe. Aber es hat mir Spaß gemacht zu sehen, dass der Täter immer noch eine weitere Fiesheit im Ärmel hatte, wenn Zan ihm gerade auf die Spur gekommen war. Und auch das Rätseln, wer dahinter steckt, hat Spaß gemacht.
An Matthews fünften Geburtstag tauchen plötzlich neue Bilder von diesem Tag aus. Darauf kann man deutlich die Frau sehen, die den Jungen damals mitgenommen hat- sieht aus wie Zan. Doch das sind nicht die einzigen unerklärlichen Dinge. Vom Konto von Zans kleiner Firma verschwindet Geld, es werden Flüge gebucht und viel zu große Mengen Waren bestellt. Als sich Zans Assistent auf die Suche nach dem Schuldigen macht, weist alles auf Zan selbst hin.
Meine Meinung
Die Geschichte ist nicht neu, dafür aber bewährt: einer schönen und erfolgreichen Heldin stößt etwas Schreckliches zu. Aber das ist erst der Anfang. Nach und nach passieren Dinge, die nur einen Schluss nahe legen: jemand will sie nach und nach in den Wahnsinn treiben. Verdächtige gibt es genug und natürlich erscheint auch ein Retter am Horizont. Aber wird er schnell genug sein?
Man darf sich von dem oberen Abschnitt nicht täuschen lassen: Ich folge deinem Schatten hat mir gut gefallen, auch wenn ich diese oder ähnliche Geschichten schon mehr als einmal gelesen habe. Aber es hat mir Spaß gemacht zu sehen, dass der Täter immer noch eine weitere Fiesheit im Ärmel hatte, wenn Zan ihm gerade auf die Spur gekommen war. Und auch das Rätseln, wer dahinter steckt, hat Spaß gemacht.
May 31, 2011
This is cleanly written, well paced mystery book. It lacks any depth in it's characters. This is a serious (to me) flaw.
We see a beautiful woman, Zan, (Alexandra) lost her three year old son to kidnap two years before. Zan is clear eyed, all, slender, well dressed, courageous, smart, successful NYC designer, with thick straight hair and a great wardrobe and she's slender. But the child's disappearance, obviously, leaves her heartbroken heartbroken.
Then Zan, who's thin and well dressed with gorgeous clear eyes, becomes a suspect in the Kidnap.
Alvira Meehan is apparently a recurring amateur sleuth character in Ms Clark's novels. She becomes involved.
Clark is a very successful writer;millions o books worldwide. She's doing a lot right, so please give the book a chance if you're a fan
I just couldn't take the good looking NYC characters. The successful, tall, muscular, Big-hearted, with beautiful eyes, architect who's on Zan's side is so kind and thoughtful...well, men just aren't that good. And Zan, if I read who thin and gorgeous she was once I read it a dozen times.
The characters were just flat. And that doesn't do for me. I don't expect Ceckov when I read, but I do expect a attempt to flesh people out a bit. In that important sense, this book was a let-down.
Sean
We see a beautiful woman, Zan, (Alexandra) lost her three year old son to kidnap two years before. Zan is clear eyed, all, slender, well dressed, courageous, smart, successful NYC designer, with thick straight hair and a great wardrobe and she's slender. But the child's disappearance, obviously, leaves her heartbroken heartbroken.
Then Zan, who's thin and well dressed with gorgeous clear eyes, becomes a suspect in the Kidnap.
Alvira Meehan is apparently a recurring amateur sleuth character in Ms Clark's novels. She becomes involved.
Clark is a very successful writer;millions o books worldwide. She's doing a lot right, so please give the book a chance if you're a fan
I just couldn't take the good looking NYC characters. The successful, tall, muscular, Big-hearted, with beautiful eyes, architect who's on Zan's side is so kind and thoughtful...well, men just aren't that good. And Zan, if I read who thin and gorgeous she was once I read it a dozen times.
The characters were just flat. And that doesn't do for me. I don't expect Ceckov when I read, but I do expect a attempt to flesh people out a bit. In that important sense, this book was a let-down.
Sean
January 3, 2012
This was my first Mary Higgins Clark book...and perhaps my last! This is not to say that I didn't enjoy it but I can tell from the formulaic mystery writing that many of her other 30+ books would be too similar and not that challenging for me.
In this book, a 30-year-old-ish divorced interior designer named Zan Moreland has lost her son, Matthew. He was stolen out of a park while her young babysitter was watching him and fell asleep. The big twist was that a few years after the son was stolen, someone blew up photos from that day that seemed to prove that Zan herself had stolen her son. If this was true, what had she done with him? Why did she pretend someone else stole him?
I must admit that the cliffhanger endings of every chapter kept me reading and reading and reading! I think I finished this 340 page book in two or three days tops. But my active-reader predicting brain was right on throughout. Would I say this book was too predictable? For a 40-year-old English teacher, yes. For a 14-year-old student? No. It was perfect.
It's clean and appropriate and I think I'll try and buy up as many of Mary Higgins Clark's novels as I can!
In this book, a 30-year-old-ish divorced interior designer named Zan Moreland has lost her son, Matthew. He was stolen out of a park while her young babysitter was watching him and fell asleep. The big twist was that a few years after the son was stolen, someone blew up photos from that day that seemed to prove that Zan herself had stolen her son. If this was true, what had she done with him? Why did she pretend someone else stole him?
I must admit that the cliffhanger endings of every chapter kept me reading and reading and reading! I think I finished this 340 page book in two or three days tops. But my active-reader predicting brain was right on throughout. Would I say this book was too predictable? For a 40-year-old English teacher, yes. For a 14-year-old student? No. It was perfect.
It's clean and appropriate and I think I'll try and buy up as many of Mary Higgins Clark's novels as I can!
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