THE SLEEPING BEAUTY KILLER

4 stars out of 5


This is the third book in the Under Suspicion trilogy, and it's a good one (as are the first two, both of which I read). The only thing that threw me for a loop is the ending - which was confusing and made me wonder what I missed. And alas, if this really is a trilogy, I guess I'm never going to find out.

As in the previous books, Lorie Moran is the producer of Under Suspicion, a reality TV show based in New York that showcases cold cases. This time, Casey Carter parks herself in Laurie's office after being released from prison, where she served 15 years. She was convicted of manslaughter in the death of her well-known philanthropist and well-connected fiance Hunter Raleigh III, and over all those years she's vehemently denied her guilt. Because Casey claims to have been in a drug-induced sleep in the living room while her fiance was shot upstairs in his bedroom, she's been dubbed the "Sleeping Beauty"killer."

But if Laurie will agree to do her story on the TV show, Casey believes, her innocence can be proved once and for all. Laurie is apprehensive, but Casey persists - even bringing in case files and naming five possible suspects who had motive and opportunity to kill Hunter. Learning that others, including Casey's mother, are apprehensive about putting the spotlight back on Casey, Laurie's doubts increase.

Besides that, she has another concern in that she's just lost her trusted and popular on-air host, lawyer Alex Buckley, who's also her boyfriend. Laurie's boss brings in Ryan Nichols, a former federal prosecutor whose know-it-all attitude rubs Laurie the wrong way right from the start. But finally, when Casey mentions a tidbit that wasn't in evidence nor mentioned at trial, Laurie decides Casey just may spent 15 years in jail for a crime she did not commit.

Of course, Casey and her capable crew gather information from the five suspects Casey mentioned as well as other family members, a few of whom reluctantly agree to be interviewed. As the facts begin to come together, though, Laurie starts to suspect Casey may not be as innocent as she claims.

Everything comes together at the end, of course (well, except for the part I mentioned at the beginning). Other than that, it's an intricately woven, intriguing story that won't give you nightmares and makes me sorry to see the series come to an end.

Check out my reviews of the first two in the series:

The Cinderella Murder

All Dressed in White


The Sleeping Beauty Killer by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (Simon & Schuster, November 2016); 320 pp.

ALL DRESSED IN WHITE

5 stars out of 5

Every now and then, I just want to sit back and be entertained. Mind you, I still want a good whodunit - I'm just not in the mood for blood and guts, big guns blasting in the desert or super-heroes (or heroines) who can take down a dozen martial arts professionals with one hand tied behind their back and the other in a cast.

Enter Mary Higgins Clark, who's pretty much guaranteed to come through on that score, and this one - the second in the Under Suspicion series co-written with Alafair Burke - fills the bill nicely. It's well written in what I'd call "civilized" language, has a well-thought-out plot and believable characters and held my attention throughout. 

Like its predecessor, The Cinderella Murder (which earned 4 stars from me, BTW), this one features New York reality TV show producer Laurie Moran, who's trying to settle on the cold case to showcase in her next investigative series titled Under Suspicion. Just as she's about to make her pick, she's visited by the still-distraught mother of an almost-bride named Amanda who disappeared on the eve of her wedding in Palm Beach five years ago. The mother pleads with Laurie to do a show about her daughter, and after some checking around, Laurie agrees it's a great idea. So, she and her team head to Florida to recreate the pre-wedding activities at a posh hotel, reeling in members of the wedding party to be interviewed by show host (and Laurie's love interest) attorney Alex Buckley.

The actions and emotions of all the wedding participants are put under the microscope as Laurie, helped by her retired-cop father, start digging deeper into what really happened. As might be expected, just about every character comes under suspicion at one point or another right up to the end, when the murderer is revealed. I didn't guess the identity of the culprit beforehand, but neither was I surprised since they all had reason to at the very least dislike Amanda and most also had means, motive and opportunity.

If you like murder on the lighter side - even once in a while, like me - give this one a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

All Dressed in White by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (Simon & Schuster, November 2015); 271 pp.