I think this is one Higgins Clark's better books. It is an exciting story of a high school reunion in which one member who feels he was taunted as a teen is taking his revenge by killing class members off. Lots of fun!!

Release planned for Monday, June 14, 2004 at postal release in mail, given to a fellow BCer Controlled Releases.

mailed to legs

another of Clark's great ones. The short chapters of 3-5 pgs. were a little distracting though. Thanks to Chapter2 for the RABCK and making my first bookring possible. The ring is still open if anyone else would like to join. So far
Sidney1220--US)
doris-Canada
mamawolfie--US
vsimeone--US(rcvd 1-31-05)
Fantasma--Portugal
Icila-France
legs--Us

Received this book in the mail today. I used to love Mary Higgins Clark but hasn't been able to get into her as much in recent years. We'll see how this one turns out.

There are so many things about this book that bothered me. The dialogue is stilted, not sounding like anything anyone would say in a real conversation. And what's with the continuous stress that the heroine is rich and famous? As if a book about Abigail Adams would attract a mainstream audience. Then there's the old and tired plot device of making every one look guilty just so the readers won't be able to guess who the real culprit is. The result is a book littered with unlikeable characters. In the end, I gave up about 2/3 of the way through and skipped to the last chapter.

Also, for once I would like to read a mystery in which the villain is not emotionally disturbed. Can't they just be plain bad?
_______________________________________________________________________

JEAN SHERIDAN, A COLLEGE DEAN AND PROMINENT HISTORIAN, SETS OUT TO HER HOMETOWN IN CORNALL-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK, TO ATTEND THE TWENTY-YEAR REUNION OF ALUMNI OF STONECROFT ACADEMY, WHERE SHE IS TO BE HONORED ALONG WITH SIX OTHER MEMBERS OF HER CLASS. THERE IS, HOWEVER, SOMETHING UNEASY IN THE AIR: ONE WOMAN IN THE GROUP ABOUT TO BE FETED, ALISON KENDALL, A BEAUTIFUL, HIGH-POWERED HOLLYWOOD AGENT, DIED JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE, DROWNED IN HER POOL DURING AN EARLY-MORNING SWIM, THE FIFTH WOMAN IN THE CLASS WHOSE LIFE HAS COME TO A SUDDEN, MYSTERIOUS END.

ALSO ADDING TO JEAN'S SENSE OF UNEASE IS A TAUNTING, ANONYMOUS FAX SHE HAS JUST RECEIVED, REFERRING TO HER DAUGHTER, LILY, A CHILD SHE HAD GIVEN UP FOR ADOPTION TWENTY YEARS AGO, THE OFFSPRING OF A ROMANCE BETWEEN HER AND A WEST POINT CADET KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT A WEEK BEFORE GRADUATION. SHE HAD ALWAYS KEPT THE CHILD'S EXISTENCE A SECRET, SO WHO HAS FOUND OUT? AND WHY THE IMPLIED THREAT NOW?

STRUGGLING TO CONCEAL HER FEARS, JEAN ARRIVES AT THE HOTEL WHERE THE REUNION IS BEING HELD. ONE BY ONE SHE SEES THE OTHER HONOREES, INCLUDING LAURA WILCOX, THE CLASS BEAUTY, WHOSE DAZZLING EXTERIOR BELIES THE FACT THAT HER TELEVISION CAREER IS SINKING AND THE FOUR MEN WHO, LIKE JEAN, HAD SPENT FOUR BITTERLY UNHAPPY YEARS AT STONECROFT: CARTER (FORMERLY HOWIE) STEWART, AN ACERBIC AND SUCCESSFUL PLAYWRIGHT, ONCE THE CLASS NERD; RENOWNED CHILD PSYCHIATRIST AND TALK-SHOW CELEBRITY MARK FLEISCHMAN, WHO HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PAIN OF HIS OWN ADOLESCENCE; GORDON AMORY, A MEDIA MOGUL, HARDLY RECOGNIZABLE AS THE AWKWARD BOY WHO WAS THE BUTT OF CRUEL JOKES; ROBBY BRENT, A POPULAR COMEDIAN, WHOSE CAUSTIC HUMOR EMANATES FROM A CHILDHOOD OF REJECTION. OMNIPRESENT IS AN OLD CLASSMATE, JACK EMERSON, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE REUNION, WHOSE REASONS FOR SPEARHEADING THE EVENT MAY BE MOTIVATED BY SOMETHING OTHER THAN CLASS SPIRIT.

AT THE AWARD DINNER, JEAN IS INTRODUCED TO SAM DEEGAN, A DETECTIVE OBSESSED FOR YEARS BY THE UNSOLVED MURDER OF A YOUNG WOMAN IN CORNWALL, WHO MAY ALSO HOLD THE KEY TO THE IDENTITY OF THE STONECROFT KILLER AND THE SOURCE OF THE ANONYMOUS THREAT TO HER CHILD. SHE DOES NOT SUSPECT THAT AMONG THE DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE SHE IS GREATING IS THE OWL, A MURDERER NEARING THE COUNTDOWN ON HIS MISSION OF VENGEANCE AGAINST THE STONECROFT WOMEN WHO HAD MOCKED AND HUMILIATED HIM, WITH JEAN HIS FINAL INTENDED VICTIM.

IN NIGHTTIME IS MY TIME, MARY HIGGINS CLARK CREATES A RIVETING NOVEL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE, PENETRATING BEHIND THE PREVAILING FACADE OF STATUS AND RESPECTABILITY TO DEPICT THE MIND OF A KILLER.

Released on Wednesday, July 28, 2004 at Postal Release in McLean, Virginia USA.

Mailed this book today. Its next destination is Canada.

Received this book today. Looking forward to starting it as I really enjoy M. H. Clark. I just started another book and am quite far into it so, once I am done with it, I will start on this one. Will not be long.

Thanks legs for sending this out as a ring!

I just finished this book and what can I say? I have never read a book that I was literally skipping through the chapters to get to the end. This book was too long and had a very thin plot. The killer is screwed up over a stupid reason and I just wanted the book to get to the end to see who it was. Not a good one from M H Clark at all and I have read almost all of her books. I was happy to get to the end which is not a good thing in this case. There were too many characters and you could not build up any feelings toward except for the main character who I thought was weak even though she was meant to come across as strong and smart. Too much talk and the like, the action seemed unbelievable and the characters were so oblivious to the obvious. Not plausible.

Thank you for including me in your ring and I have PM'ed the next person to get it sent out to them

Keep smilin!

Released on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 at about 10:00:00 AM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at Controlled Mail Release in N/A, Quebec Canada.

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed to mamawolfie. Sorry about the delay!

Thanks for sharing!

Excellent book. I really liked it. Mailed on to vsimeone

Just received in today's mail. I'm anxious to get it started. I have a couple of rings in front of it but will read it and send it on as soon as possible. Thanks for including me in the ring!

This was a great story and a surprise, twist ending! It was my first Mary Higgins Clark and I'm sure there will be more! I am so sorry that I took so long with this book. I am FINALLY caught up with ALL of my bookrings!!! I have PM'ed Fantasma for an address to send it on to as soon as I hear! Thanks for letting me participate in the ring!

Here it is, after such a long time of waiting!! :)

Thanks vsimeone and legs, yesterday I received also another bookring (why do they always come in pairs?! ;o) ), but I'll try to be quick!

Definitly not one of MHC's best works...
As it was said before, there were way too many caracters in the book so we're unable to follow any of them a little deeper. And what a bunch of suspects! It almost didn't matter who the culprit was because we didn't like any of them anyway ;)
I prefer when you have a real surprise, even if we get disapointed because we liked that person.

And why couldn't anyone say his name?? Just because he wanted to be the Owl and nothing more?

Well, I've read worse, but I've certainly read a lot better!! :)

Thanks anyway, legs, sending now to Icila asap!!!

**Mailed 13 May**

I just got it fine. I'm the last on the list. Perhaps a new call on the forum for more participants ?

I finished it today. I enjoyed the reading with the main characters but I was confused with the too many others. I still doesn't spot who is the owl.