From the queen of suspense comes another romantic thriller sure to appeal to the many fans of Mary Higgins Clark. Her latest novel, published in 2005, opens with 10-
year-od Liza Barton accidentally shooting her mother, and then her stepfather in self defence. Acquitted of murder, she is adopted by distant relatives, moves away and tries to put the past behind her, renamed as Celia. However, many in the town continue to believe in her guilt.
Twenty four years later, Celia is happily married - to her second
husband - and a mother to 4-year-old Jack. Following her death bed promise to her first husband, no one, other than her adoptive parents, is aware of her real
identity. For her birthday, her husband purchases a new
house for the three of them - her childhood home!
From the moment they move in, events suggest that someone is aware of her real identity and is using that knowledge to frame her for the series of deaths that follow. Celia desperately tries to remove herself and her family from the home without revealing her identity but finds herself implicated at every turn.
While I felt that some of the underlying
plot twists
required a stretch of credibility, I still enjoyed the challenge of guessing who was ultimately responsible for the crimes and the resolution of the plot. The stimulus behind the
story, that a real estate agent is required by law to disclose any stigma attached to a house before the sale, is an intriguing and crucial aspect of the story. As always, Ms Clark has produced a well written and researched novel.
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