Death Wears a Beauty Mask and other stories by Mary Higgins Clark

I was once asked to make a list of all my favorite authors.  At that time the list encompassed over 50 authors and I'd have to say that I am still adding favorites.  Many of those authors on the original list have recently released new novels.  Some of these new entries are not reflective of their best work. Since this entry is really a compilation of stories written in the early years, they do not represent the intensity of some of her later works.

While the title story had an interesting plot, the other stories did not do it for me.  I found them boring and predictable.  The author states that she began writing the title novella in 1972, then put it aside to write Where Are The Children? which gave Ms. Clark a jumping-off place to a career filled with very suspenseful books.  There is some indication as to when each of the other stories were written which was helpful because, as written, they would not have been plausible in current times.

Although the inside flap indicates that this collection of stories "is a spine-tingling read and glimpse into the evolution of her world-class writing career", I would suggest that the second part of that quote is more true than the first part.

Mary Higgins Clark is a consumate mystery writer.  I always liked the titles of her books which were often taken from the lyrics of popular songs.  The familiarity of those titles often drew me into "the rest of the story".  After reading her first novel all those years ago, I could not wait for a new entry and she never disappointed me.

If you read this collection, please do not relegate your reading of this author to this book.  Rather, use it as a starting point toward reading the rest of her collection.

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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

An accomplished author who has written twenty-two books, many of which I have read- I looked forward to reading her latest entry.  I was not disappointed.

Although many authors have currently taken up the theme of WWII, this book focused on the inner strength of two sisters.  The setting is a small town on the outskirts of Paris during the German occupation of France.  Vianne, the elder of the two sisters is esconced in a small cottage where she is awaiting the return of her husband from the warfront and caring for a small child.  Isabelle has taken up with the Resistance and becomes responsible for delivering secret messages, ultimately helping several downed pilots escape to safety.

In my opinion, the story seemed familiar to me.  Having read a good selection of fictional accounts of this period in history, I was not suprised by what was happening in the story.  However, the characters displayed an indomitable spirit that was only brought to the surface during a time of extreme duress.  These two women risked everything to pursue justice and liberty.

The closing paragraphs of this novel bring it to a plausible conclusion.  A well-written story about a time in our history that was fraught with injustice, death and destruction.

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The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

This author's best-known work thus far is The Secret Life of Bees which was also made into a movie. This entry deals with slavery in the 1800's.  The main characters in this book are based on actual people.

I first discovered this author by reading Guideposts magazine.  She wrote about her relationship with Jesus Christ.  I have thoroughly enjoyed all of her books and I looked forward to reading this one as well.  This book was published in 2014 but deals with a subject that is never forgotten.  Indeed with the most recent happening in the south, makes us mindful of a time in our history whose attitudes continue to prevail in current times.

The two main characters in this novel are Hetty Grimke (a slave) and Sarah Grimk (her owner).  The interesting thing about both women is their indominitable spirit.  They both shared an uncommon attitude of positive self-worth.   They also were not afraid to declare their feelings about a system that was barbaric.

The author sets the book up in chronological sections which deal with the progression of each characters plight through the years, always focusing on their intent to make right a gross wrong.

Although this work is historical fiction, it goes a long way toward imagining how things may have transpired.  Nonetheless, I feel it is a book worth reading.  It will provide the reader with a good sense of what may have transpired during that time and give one a sense of what it means to pursue a better way of life without the support of those closest to you.

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Cash Landing by James Grippando

This is the story of a major heist.  Ruban Bentancourt has decided it is time to take a risk.  The loss of his restaurant business and his home incite him to strike back.  He decides that his retribution will be to steal a great deal of money.  Through an inside informant, he learns that each week, a hundred million dollars in funds is transported via plane to the Miami International Airport.  The funds are shipped by German Banks with the final destination of The Federal Reserve.

The novel opens with the perpetration of the heist.   The rest of the novel deals with what happens after the fact.  As the story unfolds, you may feel as if you are reading true crime.  As a matter of fact, you are.  The author indicates on his acknowledgment page that the book is based on "actual events".

Cash Landing is a good example of what can happen to the best laid plans.   A great read!


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The Fixer by Joseph Finder

I have read several of this author's previous work which includes such titles as High Crimes, Buried Secrets and Suspicion to name but a few.  In my opinion, his strories keep the reader interested and he presents plausible plots.

The Fixer is a stand-alone novel.  Rick Hoffman, the main character, has just lost his job, his girlfriend, and his abode.  He decides to live in his family's decrepit homestead.   While there he is approached by a neighbor who is willing to renovate the home.  Rick starts to pull apart the house and discovers money in the walls, totalling over three million dollars.

Intent on determining to whom this great treasure belongs to, he begins to investigate his father's past and uncovers a myriad of reasons why his father might have stashed the loot in the family home.

A well-planned plot which will keep you riveted till the end.

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The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand

This is the second book that I have read in as many weeks that left me a bit disenchanted with a heretofore favorite author.  If you have been reading this blog for a while, you should know that I have many "favorite" authors.  As such, I expect a certain type of story from them.

This latest entry took place on the island of Nantucket as all of this author's books do.  This story is bsically about two couples whose lives intertwine by virtue of the fact that their offspring have a relationship.  Madeline and Grace are best friends.  Madeline is married to Trevor and they have a son named Brick.  Grace is married to "fast" Eddie and they have twin daughters, Hope and Allegra.

Madeline is an author and suffers from writers block.  Whiile trying to get motivated to start something new, she remembers the old adage to "write about what you know".  This leads to a book about a love affair between her best friend and the gardener.

The story, as stories go, was simplistic enough and true to the form previously established by this author.  My problem with it was the graphic depictions of the sexual scenes, primarily among the teenaged offspring.   My other issue was the fact that the story seems to undermind those things which I venture to guess are of paramount concern to many people and they include moral turpitude and the deterioration of trust in our fellow human beings.  The story reeks with gossip and speculations which may or may not be true but which seek to destroy the parties involved.

The fact that I enjoy reading should come as no surprise. Over the past nine years I have maintained this blog, I have read a variety of stories which have encompassed a variety of scenarios, some of which I embrace and others which I do not.

At this point in my life I am looking forward to reading more books (both fiction and non-fiction) that foster kindness to our fellow human beings and hold characters up to higher standards.  I hope I am not disappointed.

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All the Single Ladies by Dorothea Benton Frank

This is the story of four girlfriends.   Lisa, a nurse and her less-than-perfect daughter, Marianne; Kathy (a patient of Lisa's who is battling a terminal illness); Carrie and Suzanne.  Together they form the basis of the storyline from this prolific author of women's fiction.

I've had the distinct pleasure of reading much of this author's body of work.  My personal favorites include Porch Lights, Pawley's Island  and Full of Grace. All of her stories have settings in South Carolina and offer readers a chance to escape to a southern way of life.

In All the Single Ladies readers are introduced to a group of ladies who deal with the usual ups and downs of life including divorce, death and love.  We see the relationship between the young women and a 99-year old matriarch, a troubled daughter and sibling rivalry.

Not a "heavy" novel but one that will help readers escape into a world that is both familiar and different.  Good beach reading material.

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The Sound of Glass by Karen White

Merritt Heyward is coping with the death of her husband two years ago.  She receives unexpected news that she is now the sole owner of a home in Beaufort, South Carolina.  Still coping with the loss of her husband and her own demons from her childhood, Merritt embarks on a journey of discovery.

She discovers that her husband kept many secrets from her which when revealed portray a troubled individual.  She also discovers that although life is certainly fraught with ups and downs, a person can continue to have the resilience that keeps them moving forward.

Living in a new home, mingling with a group of relatives she has never met before, Merritt begins to unravel the parts of her story that can ultimately lead to healing.

The story itself is nothing that hasn't been written about before and truth be told, I found it slow going but the author's ability to describe a setting invites you into the story and you feel as if you are part of it all.

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Dancing Dogs by Jon Katz

Jon Katz has written many books about animals that live on his farm in upstate New York.  Many of his books feature dogs.  However, one of my personal favorites is about a sheep.  In his writings, he explores the world from the viewpoint of animals, as well as his own comments about why they behave the way that they do.

Dancing Dogs is a compilation of stories about a variety of animals including dogs, sheep, chickens and cats.  If I were to catergorize all of them, I would say that they are poignant.  They certainly tug at your heartstrings but all in all they each offer a positive slant on the barnyard of life.

My personal favorite is "Puppy Commando" which is the story about a little girl who wants a puppy in the worst way.  Her parents come up with all sorts of reasons  why she cannot have one.  She is on a class trip and manages to get into a protected area and discovers a damaged puppy who melts her heart in one glance.  She trys every way she can think of to convince her parents that this dog is meant for her.

An engaging collection of stories about the relationships that animals experience between each other and humans.

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Radiant Angel by Nelson DeMille

My first encounter with Mr. DeMille's writing was listening to his book Plum Island while on vacation.  We were stuck in traffic on the turnpike and Mr. DeMille was able to keep us focused on the story and not stressing out.

I went on to read most, if not all of his work.  For the most part, I have enjoyed his writing.  His themes appear to be thought provoking and the stories move along quickly.  I particularly like the character of John Corey.  Corey is a member of the Anti-Terrorist Task Force and becomes embroiled in a variety of unsavory situtations.

In this entry, Corey has left the task force and returned to New York City to take a position with less intensity, or so he thought.  He is given the task of surveilling Russian diplomats working at the U.N.
The plot involves Russians and a nuclear device housed in a suitcase.

This is a contemporary, fast-paced thriller that has all the excitement often fostered by a motion picture.  Great story.

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The Green Road by Ann Enright

This author is the recipient of a Man Booker Prize for her novel The Gathering.  This prize is awarded each year for the best original novel. That is what prompted me to pick up her latest entry entitled "The Green Road".

This story tells of a family saga spanning 30 years.  It is the story of the Madigan clan who leave their home in western Ireland to seek out adventure in Dublin, West Africa and Mali.   It is a story about the travails that many families incur.

I checked this book out from the library several weeks ago.  It sat in a stack on my desk and I tried getting into it several times.  I did get as far a chapter 3 but could not motivate myself to read further. I found the story to be sluggish and it just didn't keep my attention.

You may have better luck with it!

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