5 stars out of 5
Sometimes, you just want to sit back and be entertained - and this series, one of my favorites, never fails to satisfy. This one I finished in the equivalent of one day not long before the Thanksgiving holiday, providing a much-needed respite before my anxiety over whether the turkey and mashed potatoes will be done at the same time kicks in.
Five years earlier, a prominent physician is murdered - shot just as he returned home from work. His emotionally distressed wife, Kendra, was upstairs sleeping; no one saw the shooting take place, and the killer was never found. Now, the doctor's hoity-toity parents, who are convinced their daughter-in-law somehow masterminded the murder, are demanding that Laurie Moran, producer of the popular TV show "Under Suspicion," feature the case on the show. Years ago, Laurie turned down their offer, largely because Kendra refused to cooperate.
For whatever reason, she's on board this time around; so while Laurie is still a bit reluctant, she agrees that the show must go on. In the middle of trying to gather background information and people to interview, she's making plans to marry her fiance Alex, a district attorney who's about to be sworn in as a federal court judge, and find a new place where she, Alex, and her young son can live.
Quickly, she learns that what appears on the surface isn't necessarily true. Kendra has some serious issues, and her dead husband had some secrets of his own. Digging deeper, Laurie finds herself in danger as well, but is it related to the doctor's murder or something else? Good question, but one for me to know and you to find out by reading it for yourself. Another good one!
You Don't Own Me by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (Simon and Schuster, November 2018); 288 pp.
4 stars out of 5
I've now read four of the authors' Under Suspicion series, and quite honestly, I've enjoyed every one. Some of my enthusiasm, I know, comes from the media angle; I spent years in the industry, albeit on the print side of the desk - so if it involves news reporting, I'm all in. That said, holding my interest goes well beyond the setting; a solid story and relatable characters need to be in the mix as well.
And they are. Mind you, I'd call all these books lightweights when it comes to blood-and-guts type action; in this case, there's just one murder - a mega-wealthy businesswoman is tossed off the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If that's not your style, you may want to pass; but that's perfectly okay with me. What's not, though, is that the romance parts in this one go way beyond sappy (for the most part accounting for my rating of 4 stars instead of 5). The rest of the story, though, held my attention throughout.
Here's the deal: Laurie Moran produces a popular TV show titled, appropriately, "Under Suspicion," which opens new eyes on cold cases. Although it's been only three years since that aforementioned woman took a header off the museum roof and the case in theory remains under investigation, Attorney Ryan Nichols, who replaced Laurie's now-estranged love interest, Attorney Alex Buckley, as the show's host, is hot to trot on taking it on. Ryan, as it turns out, is friends with and believes to be innocent the primary suspect in the case: The 20-years-younger fiance of the murdered woman, Virginia Wakeling.
Laurie is reluctant at first - partly because she misses Alex terribly and is no fan of Ryan - but when further investigation reveals that several of the victim's family members, including a daughter, son and son-in-law, may have had means, motive and opportunity as well, she capitulates and the game is on. Aided by her father, Leo Farley, retired NYPD first deputy commissioner who now serves on an anti-terrorism task force, she begins to obtain requisite permissions, line up interviews and secure background footage for what looks to be another hit show.
But not everyone is thrilled at the prospect of airing dirty linen on TV - most notably the killer, who, needless to say, is dead set on remaining unidentified. If that means stopping Laurie dead in her tracks, so be it. Beyond that, if Laurie is able to survive all that befalls her and an hour later chow down on dinner and drinks (God forbid losing a reservation at a fancy restaurant), bless her heart. That kind of intestinal fortitude makes me reasonably certain she'll make it to another day and another book - and I'll be waiting to read it.
Every Breath You Take by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (Simon & Schuster, Novembeer 2017); 305 pp.
Sometimes, you just want to sit back and be entertained - and this series, one of my favorites, never fails to satisfy. This one I finished in the equivalent of one day not long before the Thanksgiving holiday, providing a much-needed respite before my anxiety over whether the turkey and mashed potatoes will be done at the same time kicks in.