About the book: As the sole assistant to a famous upscale interior designer, Lane Harmon, mother to five-year-old Katie, is accustomed to visiting opulent homes around the tri-state area. A born optimist, Lane finds the glimpse into these gilded worlds fascinating, and loves the reward of exceeding the expectations of their often-demanding owners. When she is called to assist in redecorating a modest townhouse in Bergen County, she knows the job is unusual. Then she learns the home belongs to the wife of a notorious and disgraced financier named Parker Bennett.
Parker Bennett has been missing for two years. He dropped out of sight just before it was discovered that the $5 billion dollars in the fund he had been managing had vanished. Bennett had gone out on his sailboat in the Caribbean. Was it suicide or had he staged his disappearance? The scandal around his name has not died down. His clients and the federal government all want to trace the money and find Bennett if he is still alive.
Lane is surprised to find herself moved by Mrs. Bennett’s calm dignity and apparently sincere belief in her husband’s innocence. Gradually, Lane finds herself drawn to Eric, the Bennetts’ son, who is similarly determined to prove that his father is not guilty. Lane doesn’t know that the closer she gets to the Bennetts, the more she puts her life―and her daughter’s life―in jeopardy.
My review: Mary Higgins Clark's suspense novels are some of my very favorites. I love the way she writes and I love the way that the sights and sounds of the New York/New Jersey area are so infused in her book.
This was a really great one. I loved Lane and her cute daughter Katie. Lane has been through a lot. Her dad died when she was young and her husband died when she was pregnant with Katie, now she's a single mom trying to do her best as an interior designer's assistant and both mom and dad to Katie. I really enjoyed the way she looked at the world.
The mystery in this one is great too! I liked the way everyone figured the thief was still alive and not dead as thing seemed, but they didn't really know for sure until the end whether he was alive or dead. I hadn't figured out just who the bad guy was in this one until the very end. It makes for some quick page turns!
I like the way that she goes back and forth between all of the characters, so you get a really clear picture of what's going on in every stage of the book.
If you like suspense, make sure you grab one of her books, so awesome!
I borrowed this book from my local library.
Labels: clean suspense, Mary Higgins Clark
