Nieko geriau už namus

by Mary Higgins Clark, Inga Dievulytė (Translator)

Liza Barton buvo prisiekusi daugiau niekada nebegrįžti į namus, kur, gindama nuo patėvio, netyčia nužudė savo motiną.

Nors tai buvo nelaimingas atsitikimas, o ji pati tebuvo vaikas, daugelis miestelio gyventojų Lizą pasmerkė kaip žiaurią nusikaltėlę. Stengdamasi pamiršti anos tragiškos nakties įvykius, Liza išvyksta iš gimtojo miestelio, vėliau pasikeičia vardą, o po keliolikos metų pagaliau suranda ir laimę.

Tačiau ji trunka neilgai – tik iki tos dienos, kai jos antrasis vyras, nieko nežinantis apie Lizos, kurią jis pažįsta kaip Seliją Foster, praeitį, įteikia nuostabią dovaną – raktus nuo naujų namų...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Adult

414 pages, Hardcover

First published April 5, 2005

About the author

The #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.

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten-year-old Liza Barton accidentally shot and killed her mother while trying to protect her from Liza’s violent stepfather. The stepfather was also shot, but lived, and he claimed that Liza killed her mother on purpose. Liza is found innocent of the crime, but the tabloids have labeled her Little Lizzie Borden because of the name similarity, and many people believe that Liza is really an evil little girl. Relatives of Liza adopt her, take her far away from her hometown, and change her name to Celia to erase all traces of her past so nobody will know who she really is. Twenty-four years later, Celia is newly and happily married and her husband surprises her with a house for her birthday. To Celia’s shock, it is the house in which she killed her mother. Soon after, the house is vandalized with a message painted on the lawn that says “Little Lizzie’s Place--Beware”. Celia worries that somebody must know her true identity. Then when murders with connections to Celia start happening, Celia becomes the prime suspect.

This book was thoroughly entertaining and I never found myself bored. I liked how it was told from multiple points-of-views of the various characters. The cast of characters were interesting and fun and I really enjoyed them all--both the good guys and the bad guys. The story unfolded at a good pace. The suspense was great. In fact, I liked everything about the book. A really great read.

[Merril Anil · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no one like Mary Higgins Clark

There is a reason why Mary Higgins Clark have millions of devout readers . i was late to join the bandwagon, but now that i have finally joined i have started to see the magic she weaves on her audience.

So far i have read two books from her works and what i have noticed is that, she brings forward all these characters that you know for sure are the culprits from the get go, but as soon as you reach the end,you realize that the author had been playing with you the whole time and the real action was happening behind your back. The author just uses the pawns to distract you through the entire book only to reveal her cards at the very end making for a fabulous narration technique and in turn an engaging read

The only problem i had with the book is the numerous characters that keep popping which for my tiny brain had become a hassle to keep track but otherwise the narration is solid and iron clad and keeps you on your toes throughout.

I guess she is the only thriller writer i have come across who will bring forward the culprit in the very beginning of the chapter making you relish in the fact that you don't have to wait till the end, only to find out that the book has just flipped on you to reveal a much complicated side of action which actually upholds the lure of a good thriller.

Over the years the name Mary Higgins Clark has become a synonym for a good thriller book so why say anything else than that this book is written by Mary. A good complex story. so yes this is not going to be an easy and demands time and definitely a bumpy ride as well. Lots of twists and turns that would spin you good but at the end you get the satisfaction of having read a good thriller.

[Paulina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like it. Guessed who it was from the first couple of chapters. Didn't like Celia Nolan. And why did the book have to end in a marriage? So this lady was married three times in the space of like 6 years. Why did she have to marry the DA? I wouldv'e been like "No, man I gotta focus on myself and my little boy for awhile. Just be me. Ask me again in a few years." I felt like she just jumped from one marriage to another. Also the 4 year old boy - I've never heard a 4 year old talk as well as this one did. They still miss up their words, sometimes add an "s" to end of the words. It just pissed me off. If you wanted him to talk that well make him at least 6! Also the time she kept dropping him off at pre-k kept changing. Does he start school at 10 or 8? It would have been simpler to just put him in K or even 1st grade. And so what what the dead husband thought, she should've told Alex the truth when they moved in. But then of course, there would've been no mystery or it could've gone a different way.

[Katya]

Apesar de não ser o meu estilo de eleição, o policial/suspense de Mary Higgins Clark conseguiu despertar atenção suficiente em mim para que o não pousasse até o ter terminado (e dizer isso numa altura em que apenas leio duas ou três páginas páginas por dia, isso é dizer muito).
Um livro destes não se explica, dele não se tiram citações profundas nem ensinamentos valiosos, mas o bom bocado que se passa a lê-lo, entre leituras mais complexas, vale a pena.

[Palabras.desordenadas__ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teneis que leerlo!!!.Es un libro super adictivo que cuenta una serie de asesinatos que comienza cuando sin consultarselo el marido de celia le regala la casa en la que murió la madre de celia,su marido no lo sabe, solo queria que fuese una sorpresa.

Los capitulos son muy cortos y cuando te das cuenta te has leido la mitad del libro.

[Ardent Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story where Liza Barton has to clear her name from the incident where she accidentally shot her mother while trying to protect her from Liza's step father.

I was really hoping for more gripping style of writing and the appearance of new characters here and there in the story made it difficult to keep a track to those people/characters who are really important to the story.

I shall not recommend for those who are willing to read a really exciting and captivating thriller/mystery story.

[Oumaima Karim Allah · Rating 5 out of 5]

No place like home is an incredible, mind-blowing and an awesome thriller that I wholly recommend.

It’s the first time I discover Higgins Clark’s pen, and one thing I’m sure of; it won’t be my last.

No place like home is a thriller full of suspense, surprises and secrets, and I admit, that even if I’d suspected all the characters, I could never ever imagine that unexpected and marvelous ending.
The story is about a little girl named Liza Barton that incidentally killed her mother, and shot her stepfather. (That’s what everyone knows), Twenty four years later, as Celia Nolan, Liza has a kid, and a happy life to manage, but everything will blow up when she discovers that her lovely husband bought for her the same house where she killed her mother as a birthday present.

While Celia is living reluctantly in that house, she will discover too many truths about her parents’ death, in the meanwhile someone else knows about her, and trying his best to disrupt her life, after committing tree murders and relating her to them, He will try to end her life and her son’s.
Who is that person?! Why is He/she wanted to kill Liza?! What did Liza discovered?! Where was Liza all these twenty four years?! Those are the questions that flood my mind for a week.

If you’re looking for an amazing thriller, I entirely recommend this book :)

[Alissa Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Little Liza Barton accidentally killed her mother at age 10 when her stepfather threw her mother at her as Liza was holding a gun. She was trying to protect her mother from harm but it went terribly wrong. She was acquitted of murder but was adopted, legally changed her name, and attempted to live a normal life. 24 years later, her husband buys her a home as a birthday present. This would be a great gift, if the house wasn't her childhood home where she murdered her mother. Suddenly, people are dying in the town, and "Celia" is determined to figure out what is going on, all the while maintaining her secrecy on who she really is....

This was my first Mary Higgins Clark novel and I'm pretty sure it won't be my last. Did this one blow my mind? No. Did it maintain my interest and gave me a nice 'twist' surprise at the end? Sure did. Therefore, this read went just as expected and left me happy.

[Chris St Laurent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liza Barton is ten years old when she accidentally shoots her mother while trying to protect her from an attack from her stepfather. The death is ruled accidental and she is adopted by family, changes her name and starts a new life. Except her new husband happens to buy the house where the shooting took place as a surprise for her. Hmmm.. This book was ok not my favorite Mary Higgins Clark, it did have a twist at the end but I was looking in that direction anyway.

[Daniella · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXPERIMENTAL READ OF THE MONTH: APRIL 2016
Every month my friends and I go out of our comfort zones and embrace the world outside historical and contemporary romance. Thanks for accompanying me on this wild ride, sraxe!

24 April 2016

Dear Diary,

Today, my good pal sraxe and I found our true calling. As much as we enjoyed being drop-dead gorgeous Goodreads reviewers with amazing hair, we thought it was time that we pursued our lifelong dream.

No, it's not becoming Justin Trudeau's concubines, though that was a close second, I assure you. Because really, have you seen those gorgeous eyes? Those long, brown locks of his, just begging to be touched?

That look... I swear, you can get pregnant from it.

And it doesn't help that his principles are also a big turn-on.

My ovaries are completely gone now.



Wait, what was I talking about?

Right. Yeah. True calling. Yup.

So anyway, sraxe and I became detectives today. And we had our first case, which we're calling The Affair of the House in which The Main Character's Mother was Killed, or TAotHittMCMwK for short.

The investigation started rather slowly , really. There were times when my attention wandered because it was a drag having to account for every single thing that happened to every single person within the vicinity. But alas, such is the job of detectives like us.


It didn't take long for sraxe and I to figure out who's the killer, though. I think we were only 1/5 into our investigation when we had a hunch who the perp was. Maybe the case was too predictable? Or maybe we were just blessed with such superior intellect that we're too amazing for our own good? We'll never really know for sure.

Overall, this was a great case and a damn well great start for our career. I'm looking forward to what lies in store for drop-dead gorgeous Goodreads detectives with amazing hair like us.

[Rosa Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

La trama me pareció complicada, puede que por el cambio constante de escenas; Liza personaje principal nos cuenta la historia, con tanta en dos tiempos, su pasado y su presente. La vida de Liza está llena de miedos a causa de un accidente de pequeña, asesino a su madre accidentalmente, este terrible suceso marco su vida y aumento sus miedos. Cambio su nombre a Celia, para dejar su pasado oculto; 24 años después se muda en la misma casa donde vivió de niña y donde ocurrió el horrible accidente, y sus miedos emergen con más fuerza. La historia tiene un montón de personajes secundarios, en muchas ocasiones la trama me aburrió, los capítulos muy largos y en mi opinión innecesario. El final fue sorpresivo, y precipitado, no me lo esperaba, la autora se encargó muy bien de confundir las pistas. 2 1/2 ⭐️

[Vera Brandão · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://verovsky-meninadospoliciais.b...

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good suspenseful book; typical of Mary Higgins Clark.
The characters are amazing. I love Celia's character and kept hoping for her 'happy ending."

[Bent.viena.puslapi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow,na ir pabaiga! Tokio scenarijaus nesitikėjau.
Jaučiu sentimentus šiai rašytojai, nes pradėjus skaityti knygas, ji buvo viena iš mano pirmųjų detektyvų rašytojų, su kuria susipažinau. Detektyvų karaliene vadinama Mary Higgins Clark yra ne vienos prestižinės premijos laureatė.
Mano lentynoje guli dar ne vieną jos knyga, kuri laukia kada bus perskaityta. Kadangi autorė mirė 2020 sausį, turiu tikslą perskaityti visas jos knygas, išverstas į lietuvių kalbą.
"Nieko geriau už namus" lengvas detektyvas. Knygos pradžioje autorė pamažu supažindina su visais veikėjais ir tuo pačiu kuria įtampą. Kalbant vis kito veikėjo vardu bandoma suklaidinti skaitytoją, nes atrodo kad zudikas vienas, bet kitame skyriuje jau pakeiti nuomonę, nes visgi gal žudikas nebe tas, o jau tas kitas ir t.t.
Patiko, megavausi, jaučiau įtampą ir malonumą skaitnat ❤️

[✦BookishlyRichie✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS!!

I really enjoyed this one and wish it were made into a movie because I think it would be an good one. This was just as thrilling as Mary's other books I've read so far and I look forward to reading more of her books in the near future. :)

[Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈ · Rating 3 out of 5]

She never ceases to entertain.

3.5

[Jessica Sinn (Books and Trouble) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leave it to Mary Higgins Clark, known by her steadfast readers as the “Queen of Suspense,” to craft an intricate mystery, chock-full of shady murder suspects, lies and deceit.

The fast-pace story takes off when Clark paints a vivid portrait of Liza Barton’s picture-perfect childhood. At the beginning, Liza had it all: loving parents and a dream home in New Jersey, complete with scenic pastures and horse stables. Little Liza’s seemingly flawless life was ripped out from under her after her beloved father’s mysterious death. Shortly after the tragedy, Liza stumbled upon her new stepfather in the midst of murdering her mother. In an effort to stop her vindictive stepfather dead in his tracks, Liza grabbed a gun and accidentally shot multiple rounds into her mother’s chest. After that fateful night, Liza Barton was dubbed “Lizzie Borden” by the media circus.

Two decades later, Liza (renamed Celia Nolan) wiped away all traces of her past, married a hot-shot lawyer and moved back to her hometown. Celia knew keeping the closeted skeletons at bay would be a challenge, but she wasn’t prepared for the surprise birthday present her unsuspecting husband had in store for her: Her childhood home, complete with painful memories and a vandalized front yard.

Soon after the seemingly happy couple moved into Lizzie’s house of horrors, things go from bad to worse. A slew of dead bodies pop up and everything points to Celia.

True to Clark’s telltale formula, all characters are possible suspects. Clark has a knack for creating atmosphere when describing the beatific East Coast fall scenery; however, these descriptions are few and far between. Despite the story’s lack of ambiance, the characters are fully developed with their own sordid back stories.

The solid who-done-it plot will titillate readers, causing them to anxiously speed through the pages until the wee hours of the night.

[Diego Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a truly big fan of Mary Higgins Clark because I love how she creates mystery, because of that, I couldn't stop myself from reading this book:

-Plot/Development: The book talks about Celia Nolan, who supposedly committed a crime when she was a child, but at the end, it was discovered that everything was planned. With all this, a development is created when the actual husband of Nolan bought the house where she used to live and a series of strange events happened.

I liked that it was really a crime and detectives story, I know it can be kind of predictable everything that happened around the book, but besides that, I enjoyed mostly that it was moving kind of fast and I had certain doubts, because Clark loves playing with our minds.

-Characters: I enjoyed most of the characters, they are different in their own way. Everyone wants to get attention, but for me, was very predictable the people who committed the crimes, the interesting part was their motives.

-Ending: It has the nice and good ending, but the plot twist that everyone loves, it is not only about the past of Celia Nolan, it is also the mystery about her past and what really happened that day.

-Genre: Not much to say because she is the queen of Mystery, so you’ll find a lot of suspense here.

Writing: It is a combination between first and third person, but you don’t get confused, even when there are different characters involved, because explanation is really good.

Favorite Character: Jeff
Favorite Quote: “Person of interest” translated, it meant, we think you’re guilty and we’re breaking our necks to do it.

[Glenn Armstrong · Rating 2 out of 5]

No Place Like Home wasn’t my first book by Mary Higgins-Clark, but was probably the one I enjoyed the least. I think this is partly because my reading has moved on from formulaic murder/mysteries, and partly because this book had too many events which just weren’t believable. The book was certainly a page turner and had enough to keep me interested throughout. Tedious descriptions of what people were wearing or eating became a bit annoying. Some of the things which weren’t believable to me were:

People still living in the same community, in the same jobs after 24 years. Doesn’t anyone move or change jobs?
4yo children teasing another 4yo because he moved into a house where a murder was committed 24 years before. Seriously? 14yo’s perhaps but not 4yo’s.
Husband buys his wife a home as a surprise gift, and it happens to be her childhood home where she accidentally shot her mother 24 years ago. Rather than tell him, and buy somewhere else, she just accepts it
I don’t accept that people who are respectable law-abiding citizens for their entire lives, suddenly become serial killers and shoot people they know in cold blood
Someone’s home is vandalised and within minutes there are reporters and television crews there
The killers are trying to set someone else up for the murders by leaving vague photos at the crime scene. They have full access to her DNA but don’t think about leaving that instead.
A woman has a severe shock and faints. Paramedics attend and recommend she goes home and has tea with whiskey?

Published in 2006 but reads like it is much older.

[Joana’s World · Rating 3 out of 5]

Não me suscitou interesse desde o início. Demorou demasiado tempo até desenrolar a ação.

[Annette mathews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Genre which made me to start this crazy adventure of reading . Yes, i started out with Nancy Drew and loved all her mysteries . As i was browsing through my 2016 Reading Challenge , i found out that i had not read a single book based on Mystery .I couldn't read a lot this year due to some commitments .But its really sad not to read a book under a genre for which i was crazy about once upon a time

Moving onto this book , Celia is gifted with her childhood home by her husband Alex. The home , which brought back her worst memories . The house in which she shot her Mother accidentally .Yes, the house has a history of its own . The same house was gifted to Celia by her Husband Alex who has no idea of her past . Weird things happens after she moves in . Someone vandalizes her new home. The real estate agent is murdered . But it was really easy to guess the suspect . When i had read the first few chapters , it was clear as to who was behind it .So it was little bit of downfall for me .But i wanted to make sure as to whether my predictions were right and if so , what were the reasons behind it to hurt Celia . The last few pages were exciting as i got to know why the suspect was doing this .
People kill for two reasons . One for Money and the other for Love. This time , It was all about the Money .

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since Mary Higgins Clark is another of the more prevalent mystery writers, I thought that I would give one of her books a try. It sounded interesting, and the first few pages were, but then as the book progressed, it was agonizing. There were so many unneccessary descriptions and random characters that just made the story complicated. Several chapters opened by introducing new characters, like a different news reporter or someone's assistant, who were really not mentioned in the rest of the book, which made it very difficult to keep track of the names of the people who were actually important. There were so many descriptions of what Celia decided to wear or what Dru was eating for breakfast that had no bearing on the story at all. If this story had moved along faster and stuck more with the main characters, I might have liked it more,because it really was a decent plot. I gave it three out of five stars because I liked the general idea of the story, but not the execution. So, my recommendation for this book would be to SparkNotes it and skip the book, or only read it if you have nothing else to do.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel as though the Mary Higgins Clark books are good for quick reads.

For me all her books seem to be three point five star books. They’re good if you want something quick to read and yet I never seem to enjoy them as much as I love other authors. They’re sort of just there for when I want something quick to read.

I think my main problem is that they all seem to be a lot of the same, in my opinion. Whether it is simply due to the selection of her books I have read or whether such is the case all over I cannot say. However, I only really recommend them if you want something quick.

For me they’re never all that gripping and I never really connect with the characters. Whilst she is good at making you question characters it is still quite easy to work out the mysteries well in advance. That is probably my biggest issue: the predictability of her books.

As I’ve said, for me they’re nothing spectacular but they do pass the time.

[Shruti · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some books that totally justify Mary Higgins Clark being called the Queen of suspense. Sadly, this was not one such book. There is a certain predictability to some of her books. You don't need any sleuthing skills to guess who the killer is within the first few chapters itself, because the antagonists in her books almost always have the same characteristics. The motive was revealed hurriedly in the last chapter and was unconvincing.

Oh, and the main character just jumps into marriages one after the other. You'd think she'll take some time off to clear her head after all the trauma she has been through and have some quality "me time". She was not all that likeable throughout the book, either.

With a heroine who gets on your nerves sometimes, a weak motive, and a story line that could have been so much more, this book does not deserve more than 2 stars.

[Sian · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 38% because this book is ridiculous and it's getting on my nerves. A boring, unbelievable mash-up of flat characters and irrelevant information. Do I care how the main character prepared her lunch, and what her husband's favourite food is? Not particularly.

What was described in the description of the novel, the murder of the real estate agent, should have happened within the first few chapters. Instead, 100 pages passed with absolutely nothing (except, you know, learning her husband's favourite food and what she had for lunch).

Anyway, I read the ending. Exactly what I predicted from the moment [insert character here] was introduced, plus some more obvious things. This author might be the 'Queen of Suspense' on Goodreads but I highly doubt I'll be checking out any more of her books after this.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those easy to dip in and out, yet interesting thriller with a calculated interesting premise - a woman returns to her hometown after which saw he involved in the killing of one of her mother, whilst protecting her from her estranged and dangerous husband. Whom do the press believe? The most salacious story!
.
I can see why Higgins Clark is a best selling thriller writer, she knows he stuff, she can write good story. Nothing special to see, but still a solid readable story. 6 out of 12.

[RM(Alwaysdaddygirl) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars. I only finish for this book was a gift.


🇺🇸

[Natalie Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio and I think it might be my first every MHC book. I'm leaving a 3* because according to GR's that means I liked it. And I did. However, I wished it was better. The plot seemed a little far-fetched in that the heroine who was accused of killing her mom is surprised by her husband with the family home where she supposedly killed her mom. If that didn't make me question my husband's intentions behind the "coincidence" I don't know what would. It was a little hard to follow all of the characters being narrated (multiple POV-I stopped counting but maybe 10??) and I don't know if reading the paperback would've been better. The end of the story wraps up very quickly, as in, the mystery solved easily as if they knew all along who was behind everything and suddenly the heroine and her son are in danger but then they're saved-the end. There's an epilogue that is even more disappointing in that it just wraps up the story, connecting all of the characters, and tying it up in a big pretty bow...it would've been awesome to have seen some of this sleuthing happening a little more in depth throughout the story. I also wished for a stronger heroine. Easy read, a little disappointing given who MHC is. Will I read another of her books, maybe, but it won't be my first choice.

[J Jahir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un buen libro! Me mantuvo enganchahdo desde el principio, una trama muy interesante con mucha intriga. Es uno de los mejores que he tocado hasta ahora de la autora, que mantiene el suspenso y el giro de tuerca del final es inesperado, no vi venir quién era, lo supo llevar por otro punto. ¿Qué misterio guarda el caso de Liza Barton 24 años después?
Un libro muy recomendable.

[Nadin Doughem · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was interesting and gripping, yet I clearly anticipated the killer from the very beginning.
And here is a tip from your fellow reader: whenever a writer polishes a certain character to be an extremely nice and cute person, then he is probably our prime suspect!