Mary Higgins Clark has her formula down pat. There’s no question that the protagonist will survive to find happiness, it’s just a matter of with whom and what she has to go through to get there, and this book is no exception.
The Shadow of Your Smile is her29th suspense novel, excluding the five holiday novels she’s written with her daughter Carol. That doesn’t include her short story collections (three), a children’s book, an historical novel and a memoir.
In the interests of summer reading, this predictability turns out to be a good thing. This one goes down like an icy pina colada, quick and easy. The plot revolves around a long-standing family secret that threatens the life of an heiress, who, in true MHC fashion, doesn’t know she IS one. Pediatrician Dr. Monica Farrell fills this bill nicely.
A greedy foundation, battling family members, and even the beatification of a saint all come into play. Really. Of course, there’s the little question of murder here and there, but it all gets sorted out at the end of the day.
I’ll have another pina colada, thank you.
Auntiemwrites Crime-Mystery Author M K Graff 
Dear Marnie — I love to get your blogs and then forward them to keene.murray@gmail.com for Bill to read — but really would make more sense if you would just send them there. I agree about Mary Higgins Clark. Except some of her predictability gets annoying. And her characters can be very self-righteous. Bill heard a program on NPR about a woman last named “Rose” who self published her mystery and went around selling and publicizing. Have you heard of her? In my writers group Katherine Leiner is self publishing “Growing Roots” and has had great ideas about promoting. Check out her website. There is a chapter about Josh and Juliana. Miss you. Wish we had seen each other. Oh well. Let’s write more. Now that school is winding down I will have time for that and maybe a chat? big hugs. Gretta
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Hi Gretta, Yes, miss you guys, too. How is Bill hanging in? And you?
Have been away for the longest time ever. Had a wonderful time with the Grands, had never spent to much consecutive time with them. They will be here for 10 days from July 3rd and I can’t wait.
Utah had a moving moment: Nina had neighbors in for a reading and one guy is an English teacher. He sat through our readings with his eyes closed for each of us, said he likes the words to give him a picture image. This time I read a bit from where Val comes home to her empty apartment, sees a photo of a little girl ready to leap onto the forbidden quad, etc. Afterward he came up to me and told me he could “See” that little girl, and that I had captured Val’s grief completely and moved him. I thought to myself: this is why I do this, for that one passage that gleams to someone or makes perfect sense.
Have been busy setting up signings and have 3 good ones end of July; waiting to hear right now from Maine and when I know that date, I can plan my time to come to you. Right now it looks like it will be the last week in September. I can’t wait to see you both again and hug you both in person! I can’t wait to meet your friends, too, and thanks for that referral, I will check her out.
I’m finding it hard to find time to write with everything going on, beyond the odd blog. And now we’re putting our Screw Iowa craft book into paperback and I’m dealing with that. But I’ve set aside a few weeks in August to concentrate on the new one.
i’m having a huge cup of PG tips right now in your honor. You looked so cute in that photo! Much love, M
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