For Mystery Lovers (and More): Honoring Mary Higgins Clark

Mystery-writing icon Mary Higgins Clark passed away last month, leaving behind a 40+year career of writing best-selling mystery books. Clark wrote the kind of books you pick up and keep up until you reach the last page; the kind of books where you can’t do anything else until you know what really happened; the kind of books that stay with you so long, you even begin to mistrust the guy at the deli who makes your morning coffee.

Clark’s novels have been a staple in libraries and bookstores for my entire life; her covers are familiar and instantly recognizable—her omnipresence making it all the more jarring to be reminded once more that humans are, in fact, mortal. Luckily for us bibliophiles, Brooklyn Public Library possesses a trove of titles to sort through in celebration of Clark’s voluminous literary career, of which I’ve provided only the smallest of snippets to get you started. Whether you already enjoy Mary's books or are coming to her fresh, I've added a couple of readalikes, in addition to the five selections below, to help you dive in:

Where Are the Children?  Clark’s first book with Simon & Schuster is about a seemingly normal and regular mom/wife who—are you ready—had a previous family in which she may or may not have killed her own kids! If reading about filicide is your thing (and if so, no judgement here), read on with:

• Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, Camille Preaker returns to her small town to investigate a string of brutal murders, that all seem to trace back to her family.
• Beloved by Toni Morrison, slightly off theme, but Morrison’s book about the vengeful ‘ghost’ of a murdered child is still a book you need in your life.

A Cry in the Night, imagine marrying the man of your dreams, only to find you married a nightmare; a potentially murderous nightmare at that. For other stories about ‘good’ marriages turned really, really bad, you should also check out:

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Amy goes missing on the day of her fifth wedding anniversary and her husband Nick is the no. 1 suspect.
• The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapeña, Anne and Marco seem to have it all, until their baby goes missing and all their secrets come to light.

Pretend You Don’t See Her, Lacey Farrell is a real estate agent who witnesses the murder of a client and is dragged into the investigation after a deathbed confession. You can read more about regular people being at the wrong place at the wrongest of times with:

• The Witness by Nora Roberts, Abigail Lowery witnesses a mafia murder; 15 years later a small town cop could bring her secret to light!
• How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon, a white shooter, a black victim, and too many versions of what really happened.

No Place Like Home, Liza, who ‘accidentally’ shot her mother years ago as a child, is now gifted the house where it all happened. And of course, strange things begin to happen. Want to read more about murderous kids?

• Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson, did nine-year-old Mary really kill that baby? Or did she take the fall for her own mother?
• Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage, in Suzette’s life, it’s mom vs. kid, the kid being Hannah, who really loves her dad but wishes mom was…elsewhere…and the end result could mean murder!

The Sleeping Beauty Killer with Alafair Burke, the third in the Under Suspicion Series, TV producer Laurie Moran risks everything to help Casey Carter—a woman Moran believes was wrongfully convicted of murdering her rich fiancé. For more books about characters suffering through accusations for crimes of which they are most likely innocent, check out:

• Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig, Flynn’s girlfriend January is missing and with the many secrets Flynn is trying to keep buried, all fingers point to him!
• A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, a little off topic BUT, here’s a version of the other side of being falsely accused, with no way back to the truth.