Monday, July 7, 2014

[Review] Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark

Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark 
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publishing Date: April 1, 2003
Format: paperback, purchased
384 Pages
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Synopsis 

Ellie Cavanaugh was only seven years old when her fifteen-year-old sister, Andrea, was murdered near their home in Oldham-on-the-Hudson, a rural village in New York's Westchester County. There were three suspects: Rob Westerfield, nineteen-year-old scion of a wealthy, prominent family, whom Andrea has been secretly dating; Paul Stroebel, a sixteen-year-old schoolmate, who had a crush on Andrea; and Will Nebels, a local handyman in his forties.

It was Ellie who had led her parents to a hideout in which Andrea's body was found -- a secret hideaway in which she met her friends. And it was Ellie who was blamed by her parents for her sister's death for not telling them about this place the night Andrea was missing. It was also Ellie's testimony that led to the conviction of the man she was firmly convinced was the killer. Steadfastly denying his guilt, he spent the next twenty-two years in prison.

When he comes up for parole, Ellie, now an investigative reporter for an Atlanta newspaper, protests his release. Nonetheless, the convicted killer is set free and returns to Oldham. Determined to thwart his attempts to whitewash his reputation, Ellie also returns to Oldham, intent on creating a Website and writing a book that will conclusively prove his guilt. As she delves deeper into her research, however, she uncovers horrifying and heretofore unknown facts that shed new light on her sister's murder. With each discovery, she comes closer to a confrontation with a desperate killer.

Gripping and relentlessly compelling, Daddy's Little Girl, a portrayal of a family shattered by crime, reflects Mary Higgins Clark's uncanny insight into the twisted mind of a killer and is further evidence of why she is America's favorite author of suspense. 

My Review

This is the first Mary Higgins Clark book I've read. My mom had this book years ago, and I tried reading it, but just couldn't get into it. I don't think it had anything to do with the book or writing, I just wasn't that interested in reading mysteries at that time. Now, however, I love mysteries/suspense/thrillers! I saw this at a garage sale and knew that I wanted to read it since I tried to so many years ago. 

While I enjoyed this story, it wasn't the best I've ever read. I think Mary Higgins Clark is a very talented author, and the story line was intriguing. But it didn't captivate me like I wished it would have. I though Ellie was an interesting character, and I can definitely see why she wanted to learn the truth about what happened. I wouldn't say this story was predictable, but at the same time, it wasn't full of twists and turns either, and while I wasn't bored with the story, I found myself watching a lot more TV over the weekend than reading. 

This won't be my first and only book by this author. She interested me enough to continue reading her work, and I believe I have another garage sale pick by her at home. But overall, it was a decent book that I'm glad to have read. However, it won't be a reread for me. 

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