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queenbethie's review against another edition
3.0
"Where are the Children" was my first MHC book and really, my first adult book. It scared the you-know-what out of me and I've devoured every MHC book since, although they are no longer so scary, are rarely truly suspenseful, and now my game is to see how early in the story I can guess "whodunit."
The Lost Years is just like MHC's other books. Damsel in some kind of distress must figure out the truth behind evidence that seems to blame someone important to here. Alvirah sweeps in and can solve things better than the police, and just at the last minute everyone is safe, the bad person (wouldn't want to imply an ending by giving away gender) is caught, love prevails, and Alvirah has been justified in her surreptitious taping of others, even though I'm pretty sure there are laws against that.
Really, the book probably deserves only 2 stars, but I love MHC, and always will. I will cherish the photo of us together from the time I met her and the autographed book I have. I will not, however, consider her writing great literature that might change the world. Leave that to many other writers, both modern and classic, who challenge our thinking and world view.
MHC will always be a good read while killing time in the airport, curled up in bed on a sick day or lazy reading on the beach.
The Lost Years is just like MHC's other books. Damsel in some kind of distress must figure out the truth behind evidence that seems to blame someone important to here. Alvirah sweeps in and can solve things better than the police, and just at the last minute everyone is safe, the bad person (wouldn't want to imply an ending by giving away gender) is caught, love prevails, and Alvirah has been justified in her surreptitious taping of others, even though I'm pretty sure there are laws against that.
Really, the book probably deserves only 2 stars, but I love MHC, and always will. I will cherish the photo of us together from the time I met her and the autographed book I have. I will not, however, consider her writing great literature that might change the world. Leave that to many other writers, both modern and classic, who challenge our thinking and world view.
MHC will always be a good read while killing time in the airport, curled up in bed on a sick day or lazy reading on the beach.
mhverney's review against another edition
2.0
My first Mary Higgins Clark’s novel and I am not impressed. The premise is amazing - the only letter Christ ever wrote, not seen since the Middle Ages reappears and the man who found it is murdered. That alone is worth two stars but it is infuriating what a poor job the author makes of such a great premise. The plot itself is pretty tight, I was not sure until the end who had committed the murder. But the rest is so poor. The woman who is supposed to be the heroin, Mariah, is such a douche and annoyed me so much that I wanted her to get hurt. The other characters are equally unidimensional. And the writing is incredibly clunky - in particular the heavy reliance on internal dialogue to go through big chunks of back story. I hear her earlier works are better, but not sure I’ll give this author another try.
_lilbey_'s review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
skcaga6's review against another edition
4.0
It was not the best book of hers that I have read, but it was still a good book. It started slow, and had a predictable ending.
ptothelo's review against another edition
2.0
nice predictable Mary Higgins Clark book
It seemed to be trying to jump on the old documents bandwagon but there was no fresh take on it and was just used to provide a motive
It seemed to be trying to jump on the old documents bandwagon but there was no fresh take on it and was just used to provide a motive
mhdenson's review against another edition
2.0
Definitely not Mary’s best book. The bad guy was too obvious and the ending wasn’t suspenseful. Maybe I’ve ready too many of her books and I’m starting to look for the clues or maybe it just wasn’t her best. Either way, Mary Higgins Clark books will always be my guilty pleasure.
meme_too2's review against another edition
4.0
I always enjoy a good Mary Higgins Clark book. They are all predictable, because she is a formula writer, but her formula is killer (pun intended!). This is another Alvirah Meehan book and I have to say I get a kick out of her character.
I don't know about the lost letter written by Jesus Christ, but like I say, Clark's story telling ability is always fresh, fun, and CLEAN!
I don't know about the lost letter written by Jesus Christ, but like I say, Clark's story telling ability is always fresh, fun, and CLEAN!
sassyporcupine's review against another edition
1.0
I thought this was going to be a mystery like Indiana Jones or the davinci code. It wasn't. It was pretty terrible
j3nnplam's review against another edition
2.0
This is probably the most dull religious artifact book I've encountered, which is unfortunate because Clark usually is a strong writer. There was next to nothing in the book about the impact of the existence of a 2000 year old letter with the DNA of Jesus, making it seem rather pointless as far as McGuffins go. If it's going to be a simple murder mystery steeped in the hack motives of greed and jealousy, just go with an heirloom bit of priceless jewelry or something. Don't try to throw religious intrigue into the mix if you're not really going to sell it.
It may be notable that the plot device was suggested by her editor and initially dismissed. Perhaps Clark would be better served listening to her own instincts?
It may be notable that the plot device was suggested by her editor and initially dismissed. Perhaps Clark would be better served listening to her own instincts?