Ce soir je veillerai sur toi

by Clark Carol Higgins Damour Anne Clark Mary Higgins

Les portes du paradis ne s’ouvriront pour Sterling Brooks qu’à une condition : retourner sur terre et sauver une personne en danger.

Sa mission : aider Marissa, une petite fille de six ans.

Ses parents ont divorcé, elle se sent triste et seule en cette veille du 25 décembre. Une terrible menace pèse sur son père… Sterling va faire tout ce qui est en son pouvoir pour que Noël soit pour Marissa la plus inoubliable des fêtes et non un horrible cauchemar.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Holiday, Thriller

193 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2004

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hark, the Herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

Sterling Brooks has been waiting for decades in the heavenly waiting room. He is sent down to earth by the heavenly council to help a little girl be reunited with her father and grandmother for Christmas. While the theology on this one is really loosey goosey, I did enjoy the story. Sterling (like Clarence in "It's a Wonderful Life") takes some time completing his mission and is able to jump back in time to give us background info. Not my favorite from this duo, but a heartwarming read.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sterling Brooks has been denied entry to Heaven for forty-six years. Now, with Christmas approaching, the Heavenly Council is giving Sterling a chance to redeem himself by helping somebody on Earth. Sterling finds a sad little seven-year-old girl (Marissa) who’s been separated from her father and grandmother who are in Witness Protection after hearing gangster brothers plotting a crime. Sterling’s goal is to reunite this family by Christmas and hopefully earn himself a place in Heaven.

This was such an entertaining Christmas fantasy. I really liked Sterling a lot. He may have been self-absorbed in his human life, but he has seen the error of his ways and really gave his all in trying to help young Marissa and her family. The story was heartwarming and humorous, and it was filled with an interesting and lively cast of characters. Fun and uplifting, this was a great read for the holiday season.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully written Christmas story loosely based on "It's a Wonderful Life". It is a second chance story and quite clever. I loved how Sterling was able to use his innate knowledge of human nature to bring about a Christmas Miricle for a little girl.

Sterling Brooks has been sitting in the Celestial Waiting Room for over forty years. It appears that they don't quite know what to do with him, so the Heavenly Council gives him a chance at redemption and a pass into Heaven. His mission: a young girl named Marissa. Marissa's father and grandmother were caught up with a crime family and are in witness protection. Marissa misses them terribly and has lost her Christmas Spirit and her faith that they will return. Stirling must figure out how this all came about and then somehow fix it. He has one big problem, only Marissa can see and talk to him. But Stirling is a can-do guy and with a little Celestial help, he can bring Marissa her Christmas wish.

[MeChell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book and a week or so later got a kitten. I had no name for him and everything did not fit. I had put this book on the shelf and remembered there was a name I liked. I opened the book and said, "Sterling?" he let out a meow and I said a gouple more names then again I said "Sterling" and he meowed. He was MY Christmas Angel.

[Connie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

"He Sees You When You're Sleeping" is a holiday story about Sterling Brooks, a man in the celestial waiting room outside the gates of Heaven. He wasn't a bad man during his life, but he also never went out of his way to help other people. The Heavenly Council sends him back to New York, giving him the chance to show that he's a caring, helpful person worthy of admission into Heaven.

The story is a light fantasy involving a young girl whose father and grandfather are in hiding. They had overheard a conversation between a couple of gangsters, and their lives are now in danger. Sterling must devise a plan to capture the gangsters and reunite the girl's family. The criminals' mother adds lots of humor to the story. There are also heartfelt moments about caring for others and family love. December is always a busy month so I enjoy reading an occasional "fluffy" holiday book to relax.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

This is my second book by Mary Higgins Clark and I find her writing style very engaging. I enjoyed the message this story provides and the idea of it is very sweet.

The title however is a little misleading or makes you think of a heavier crime story or something different. I can assure that it has slight crime elements but it is more of a Christmas kindness and joy type book.
The characters are strong in their own way and even tho I felt it went a little flat for me in the middle, it was an enjoyable story.
I have another couple of this author's books(somewhere) and I will definitely look forward to reading them.

[David Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to start with a little story.I like to read Christmas related books around Christmas.Usually I go with mysteries since they are the easiest to find.This year I was lucky enough to find the reprints of the Christmas mysteries by Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter Carol Higgins Clark.Upon reading them I realized I was missing one.I could not find He Sees You When You Are Sleeping.My mother also read all of the books I found and looked for the last one as well.I figured I was going to have to order if I wanted it.On Christmas day, my mother was telling one of my sisters about the books, when she replied that she had read a couple of them and had one. The one she had was He Sees You When You Sleeping.Definitely a nice little Christmas surprise.

This mystery is different from the other mysteries by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark.All of the others feature Alvirah Meehan teaming up with Regan Reilley. This novel features Sterling Brooks.He finds himself in the Celestial Waiting Room.He was not a bad man while alive.The problem is that he also wasn't a very good man either.Sterling is given the chance to go back to Earth so he can help someone and earn some time in Heaven. He finds himself drawn to a young girl named Marissa.Her father and grandmother overheard 2 mobsters planning a crime.Now they are in witness protection and can not see Marissa.Can Sterling manage to bring this family back together in time for Christmas?

This is a very touching story filled with love, redemption, and humor.i loved the concept of the Celestial Waiting Room and the angel in training program.The authors left an opening for future novels, which I would really like to read.As with all the other Christmas mysteries by these 2 authors, this is an excellent holiday read for the whole family.

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Mary Higgins Clark book and one of my favorite Christmas stories. This is unbelievably touching and heart-warming.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Fast paced and very funny. Junior and Eddie are hilarious! A couple of bumbling idiots. Their mother is also funny. I love how Sterling realizes his mistakes he made in life while he was alive...

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual genre but a truly enjoyable book. Very much like Clarence so if you enjoyed that you will also enjoy this title.

[Linda Galella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the Little Free Library in my development, I was able to read an hardcover copy of this 25 year old story from mother and daughter team, Mary & Carol Higgins Clark.

HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU’RE SLEEPING is a contemporary twist on It’s a Wonderful Life - an angel that hasn’t made grade for entrance to Heaven is sent back to earth on a mission to earn admission. The supervising Heavenly Council is an ecumenical smorgasbord of spiritual representatives. The theology is fluid, to say the least; something for everyone.

There are so many tropes and caricatures in this story, you will find yourself comparing it to many movies you’ve seen and you’ll picture actors/actresses playing the characters. From early on, you’ll know what’s going to happen but won’t really mind. This is an easy read that’s a bit nostalgic and corny. Thankfully, this is a clean story; free from foul language, descriptive sex and violence.

While you find yourself humming an odd assortment of Christmas songs, the only real storyline link to the holiday is that the deadline for the angel to complete his task is Christmas Eve. Otherwise, the story bounces around over the period of about a year while the angel does research and develops his plan to make it into Heaven.

[Tannaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتاب‌های خانم کلارک همیشه بی نظیرند.

[Danylle DuPris · Rating 5 out of 5]

"He Sees You When You're Sleeping" by Mary Higgins Clark is such an amazing book, I did not want to put it down once I started reading it. It's such a inspiration. Sterling is such a kind hearted person since he found out he was really selfish. Sterling had to make a deal with The Heavenly Council, help someone on Earth and if succeeded, be able to go to the Heavenly Christmas Party. He went back to help this little girl, Marissa. If Sterling could help Marissa she could finally have her wish come true. Her dad and grandmother (Billy and NorNor) had to go away because they were in danger. All Marissa would like was for her father and grandma back for her birthday, Christmas Eve. Sterling pulled some "magic", along with the helped of the Heavenly Council, and helped people put the bad guys in prison, for Charlie and his wife to be safe at last, and for Billy and Nor to come back on Marissa's birthday.
Once Sterling finished his task to help someone other than himself, he told the Heavenly Council that from now on, every Christmas he wanted to help someone new.
I recommend this book to mostly everyone; it really does tell an amazing story that could even change how other people think about themselves and others.

[Johnsergeant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Downloaded from Audible.com

Narrator: Carol Higgins Clark
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio, 2001
Length: 4 hours and 36 min.

Publisher's Summary
Meet Sterling Brooks. His was not an exemplary life; his misdeeds were few. His were sins of omission, not commission.

A few days before Christmas, Sterling watches those around him gain passage through the celestial gates. The Heavenly Council poses a test - Sterling will be sent back to earth and given an opportunity to prove his worthiness by helping someone else.

And so, Sterling Brooks finds himself in Manhattan, at the skating rink in Rockefeller Center. Among the skaters is a sad-faced young girl named Marissa whose family has been forced into the Federal Witness Protection Program because the mobster Blodgett brothers have put a price on their heads. Using his ability to go back and forth in time, Sterling masterminds a plan to eliminate the Blodgett brothers and reunite Marissa with her loved ones.

Filled with suspense and humor, He Sees You When You're Sleeping is a perfect story for the holidays, a delightful and warmhearted tale of perseverance, redemption, and love.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I despise this tenth month we're in, so I'm going anti-October by reading Christmas novels throughout this month. He Sees You When You're Sleeping is a light-hearted, cutesy, saccharine sweet Yuletide read. Even the content is largely innocent; as bad as it gets is two or three profanities, though some may quibble with its depiction of heaven. Though it wasn't anything groundbreaking, this book was so enthralling that I must give it four stars.

[Terry Engel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new take on It’s a Wonderful Life. The angel gets its wings in an interesting story. I like the little girl Marissa. A cute story.

[un.garçon.qui.lit · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

C’est le sixième roman que je lis de l’autrice et comme quoi, parfois c’est bien de forcer un peu. J’ai souvent été déçu par ses intrigues mais je dois avouer que celle-là m’a plutôt convaincu !

On va suivre Sterling, qui se voit refuser l’accès au Paradis. Pour y accéder, il va devoir retourner sur Terre pour effectuer une mission : permettre à Marissa, une petite fille de 7 ans, de retrouver le bonheur, l’ayant perdu à cause d’une sombre histoire liée à son père et sa grand-mère.

Comme vous l’aurez compris, on est ici dans un thriller avec une touche fantastique, qui se déroule en plus dans la période de Noël ! Il y a également un jeu passé-présent bien exploité et globalement, j’ai trouvé que toute l’histoire tenait la route.

Le roman très court, avec un rythme qui nous permet de ne pas le lâcher. Il n’y a pas de longueurs et, même si l’histoire n’est pas la plus originale, elle fait l’affaire.

En plus de tout cela, Mary Higgins Clark et sa fille nous offrent un beau message à la fin et nous transmet quelques émotions touchantes à travers les personnages de l’histoire. Je me suis directement attaché à Sterling et Marissa en particulier.

C’est un chouette petit roman que je vous recommande pour découvrir l’autrice et pour passer un moment sympa en cette période !

[The Wintermute System · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too sentimental, but helped bring out New Girl at the end, she was definitely crying and trying to hope no one else in the hot tub at our gym pool noticed. Yikes.

Clark is a good writer and I enjoyed All Around the Town which was the most respectful book/least weird fiction book I've read about DID that wasn't a comic. So I picked this up in a free little library not realizing it was a Christmas story, but gave it a shot anyway. I recycled it like I did the other book - the Everything Box which I had as an ARC - because the hot water that splashed all over them warped both books.

The prose isn't very purple, which is a plus to me: direct, simple even, but not without a good deal of thought behind the plot and characteristics. The whole saints thing made me and the angriest roll our eyes, but like I said, by the end, New Girl came out - and I've been trying to engage her more anyway since I thought she was dormant but then she came out again and wanted to let herself be known and that she liked the more romantic - and I guess sentimental - books so overall I had a more positive experience than negative. Achievement unlocked, I'd suggest it for people who aren't Jewish more so than, uh, us though, lol.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in NYC. 208 pp. This was OK although not what I was expecting. A retelling/takeoff of It's a Wonderful Life. A bit preachy for me, but the basic story beyond the heaven part was interesting enough.

He Sees You When You're Sleeping by Mary Higgins Clark

[Kayla Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was indeed a slightly unhinged holiday read, but it was also entertaining, cute, and quick! Think “It’s a Wonderful Life” written as a thriller with mobster villains and a more contemporary NYC setting. The book is barely 200 pages, but it has decently developed characters for its length. I’d definitely read a sequel to it if one existed! It was a fun ride.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend it for a quick holiday read! 3.5⭐️’s

[Kristina Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! Mary Higgins Clark is one of my favorite authors. This Christmas setting was a perfect read for me right now. It was different from other books I’ve read, but refreshing. As the reviews state, it has the same feel as “It’s a Wonderful Life” with a twist. That’s my favorite Christmas movie so I was intrigued. I was not disappointed. I love a good Christmas story!

[Cindy DeLong · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very few books are sent to the burn pile, but this is definitely one of them! Some guy is stuck at the gates of heaven needing to do a good deed to get in. So wrong in so many ways! All the good deeds in the world won't get anyone into heaven.

[Aldara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ha sido como ver la típica película navideña en formato libro. A quien le gusten, le encantará esta historia, pero no es lo mío.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never saw this concept before.

[Allison Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it’s mostly nostalgia that makes this 5 stars for me. My mom and I used to listen to this book on CD each Christmas on our drive to visit family.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favs but a quick and pleasant read.

[Rahmadiyanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sudah lama juga nggak baca lagi novelnya MHC. Ini juga sudah beli sekian tahun lalu, eh tiba-tiba kemarin kelihatan di rak, seakan memanggil-manggil minta dibaca :D. Baiklah, wahai buku, kau kubaca.

Masih genrenya MHC, yakni misteri. Tapi kali ini dibumbui sedikit fantasi. Tentang seorang pria, Sterling Brooks, yang 46 tahun tertahan di ruang tunggu surgawi sebelum bisa masuk ke surga. Pasti ada apa-apa dong kenapa Sterling belum bisa masuk surga? Ya, Dewan Surgawi (8 orang suci yang menentukan kapan seseorang masuk surga) memberi misi kepada Sterling untuk menyelesaikan satu masalah di bumi. Misi tsb adalah mempertemukan kembali Marissa, gadis cilik 8 tahun, dengan ayah dan neneknya sebelum Natal.

Kelihatannya mudah, tapi ternyata masalah yang dihadapi Billy dan Nor, tidak lah simpel. Ayah dan nenek Marissa harus sembunyi dari duo mafia (Eddy dan Junior) yang memburu mereka karena menjadi saksi kejahatan. Di sini lah Sterling harus menemukan cara agar Marissa kembali bertemu dengan ayah dan neneknya, yang di satu sisi merupakan kunci baginya untuk masuk surga.

Sepertinya dari novel-novel MHC yang sudah saya baca, baru kali ini misteri dibalut kekonyolan. Eddy dan Junior, meski jahat tapi konyol. Mama Heddy-Anna juga menghibur. Dewan Surgawi juga, dialog-dialognya kocak. So, sekali duduk saja bacanya.

Oh ya, novel ini ditulis bersama putrinya, Carol Higgins Clark. Asyik ya, ibu anak menulis bareng.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bacaan ringan sebelum tidur. Gue membaca buku ini selama beberapa malam sebelum gue tidur.

Biasanya, buku yang gue suka banget, selalu gue 'habiskan' maksimal dalam dua malam. Tapi buku ini, kayaknya hampir semingguan deh HAHAHAHA..

Bukannya ngga menarik. Buku ini menarik. Kalo gue bacanya pas tahun 90-an kali yah. Pas gue masih sd. Jadi feelnya masih berasa.
Soalnya kayaknya latar belakang ceritanya juga rada jadul gitu. Jadi berasa nonton film dimana pemeran wanitanya rambutnya keriting dikuncir tinggi dengan rok berbentuk lonceng yang dipake di bawah dada persis, dan atasannya pake blus satin yang mengilap.

So... akhir taun 80an banget deh. Jaman2nya Michael J. Fox masih ngetop karena film Back to the Future..

Tapi ceritanya sendiri gue suka. Membawa keajaiban natal yang selalu berhasil membuat gue suka sama bulan Desember.
Gue muslim. Suka natal karena libur panjang dan banyak film kartun.

Rekomendasi untuk dibaca. Sama angkatan nyokap gue :D

[Jerry B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice novella for Christmas -- goes well with hearth/home...

We've enjoyed virtually every Mary Higgins Clark book (all of them), including her last Christmas season book also co-authored with her daughter Carol (who we're not particularly fond of), but it's not really obvious two authors are at work (unlike, for example, the two Stephen King / Peter Straub collaborations). This pleasant little tale of an angel wannabe coming back to earth to earn his full passage through the pearly gates has just enough plot, just enough character development, and just enough suspense to please -- with everything wrapped up so nicely at the end. But at the same time, we doubt the authors planned it for anything more than it is -- an hour and a half of nice-ness at Christmas time, very suitable for easy chair by the fire with a glass of wine while awaiting Santa. How does one complain about that?! Merry Christmas.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those gentle stories where you pretty much know where it is going from the first couple of pages. Yes I guess it wont be for everyone but when you have a hectic day and you want to just disconnect from the world this is pretty dependable.
So what of the story - I guess you can say it is typical Higgins Clark work - a large cast of characters often going their separate ways but all linked to each other in various ways. Only usually drawn together in the last few pages.
It does feel at times that these books are written for a season (I seem to be doing a great job of stumbling over the Christmas ones at the moment) which is not a bad thing but you do then realise that the sentiment of that season is reflected in the story.
So I did enjoy this story as a distraction - could I read many more of them - probably not but I came I saw I read and for that all is well in the world.