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The Lost Years
In her long career as America’s most beloved suspense writer, Mary Higgins Clark’s The Lost Years is her most astonishing and dramatic work to date. At its center is a discovery that, if authenticated, may be the most revered document in human history—“the holiest of the holy”—and certainly the most coveted and valuable object in the world.Dr. Richard Callahan, a world-res...more
Audio CD, Abridged, 7 pages
Published
April 3rd 2012
by Simon & Schuster Audio
(first published January 1st 2012)
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Mary Higgins Clark is reliable, if nothing else, for serving up bland murder mysteries for the Matlock set. I didn't go into this thinking "hard-hitting think piece" so much as "of the Golden Girls, I really wish Dorothy would've been the last one. Love me some Maude." Her books aren't terrible, however, and can help you pass time you'd otherwise spend chewing your nails or pondering self-tanner (don't.) Also, she has a free pass for "All Around the Town," and always will, as it was the first bo...more
Let me make this clear: I love Mary Higgins Clark.
I've read plenty of her books and never given any of it below 3-star rating but giving 2 stars to this one feels too generous.
First, this book started off with a Da Vinci Code type of plot which was not needed at all. Instead of that letter written by Jesus stuff, easily there could have been something else used to define the story. Suspense was carried out in classic Clark-style which was a good thing but I don't think she is capable of mix...more
I've read plenty of her books and never given any of it below 3-star rating but giving 2 stars to this one feels too generous.
First, this book started off with a Da Vinci Code type of plot which was not needed at all. Instead of that letter written by Jesus stuff, easily there could have been something else used to define the story. Suspense was carried out in classic Clark-style which was a good thing but I don't think she is capable of mix...more
2 likes · like · see review
Life is too short to read a bad book.
I generally like to finish what I start. I tend to fall asleep on movies, but I'll rewind them (do you rewind a DVD?) when I wake up or start them again the next night--or nights--until I see the whole thing. I read most books all the way to the end, even if I find parts of them dragging.
I had to stop reading this book. It was that bad. If it had been submitted to an agent or editor by a new writer rather than Mary Higgins Clark, it would have gotten a form r...more
I generally like to finish what I start. I tend to fall asleep on movies, but I'll rewind them (do you rewind a DVD?) when I wake up or start them again the next night--or nights--until I see the whole thing. I read most books all the way to the end, even if I find parts of them dragging.
I had to stop reading this book. It was that bad. If it had been submitted to an agent or editor by a new writer rather than Mary Higgins Clark, it would have gotten a form r...more
9 likes · like · see review
In The Lost Years, Mary Higgins Clark, America’s Queen of Suspense, has written her most astonishing novel to date. At its center is a discovery that, if authenticated, may be the most revered document in human history—“the holiest of the holy”—and certainly the most coveted and valuable object in the world.
Biblical scholar Jonathan Lyons believes he has found the rarest of parchments—a letter that may have been written by Jesus Christ. Stolen from the Vatican Library in the 1500s, the letter
A quick read. The author simply takes it as a given that a letter from Jesus to Joseph of Arimathea would fit into Catholicism without any difficulty. It is just one of many clues that Clark is not very familiar with Catholicism. She deals with the surfaces, not the inner life of the sacraments.
Bracketing the theological and liturgical issues, I'm still not entirely thrilled with the thriller. Clark strikes me as a lazy writer who simply provides herself with everything she needs when she's writ...more
Bracketing the theological and liturgical issues, I'm still not entirely thrilled with the thriller. Clark strikes me as a lazy writer who simply provides herself with everything she needs when she's writ...more
I admit that I am quite biased where Mary Higgins Clark is involved. From the time my mother, grandmother and I began reading her books, I fell in love with her mesmerizing storytelling and the endless ideas she comes up with. The Lost Years tells the tale of Mariah Lyons, whose father, Jonathan, is murdered one night, shortly after finding what he believes to be the only letter written by Jesus Christ to his faithful follower, Joseph of Arimathea, which had been stolen from the Vatican Library...more
I like Mary Higgins Clark. Maybe its because she lives in my area, or that I see her shopping at the A&P, or that her grandson went to school with my daughter, or that I've heard her lecture many times (along with Harlen Coben who also lives in my area - I see him pounding away at his laptop at the local Panera). Whatever it is, I like her, and I like her writing. This time, however, she really disappointed me. Mary says that she usually comes up with her plot ideas from reading the newspape...more
A good idea wrapped in a lot of superfluous schmaltz sums up this latest effort by Mary Higgins Clark. The plot involves the discovery by a Biblical scholar, Dr. Jonathan Lyons, of the only letter supposedly ever written by Jesus, and Lyons’ subsequent murder, presumably as a result. The mystery, of course, is which of his various friends and co-workers wants the manuscript to sell on the black market instead of it being returned to the Vatican library from which it was removed in the 1400’s.
Ins...more
Ins...more
1 like · like · see review
Let me preface this review by noting that in the past I have read Mary Higgins Clark. In the past I enjoyed her writing, enjoyed her books, her style. Touted "The Queen of Suspense" Mary Higgins Clark wrote novels that were pleasant summer reads, books to be read while basking in the summer sun while lounging by the beach or the pool. Sadly, that time seems to have passed.
With "The Lost Years" Mary Higgins Clark introduces us to her ghost-writing hack. Poorly written, with laughable plot, ridic...more
With "The Lost Years" Mary Higgins Clark introduces us to her ghost-writing hack. Poorly written, with laughable plot, ridic...more
3 likes · like · see review
I enjoyed this book, but I must be getting too old. I could not keep up with the days as Mary set them up. She was telling the story from many people's angle.
Mariah is an investment banker and lives in New York. Her parents are older, they were married 20 years before she was born. On a Monday night, while getting ready for bed, Mariah gets a phone call that her Dad is dead and they suspect her Mother has killed him. Her Mother is getting dementia and is very confused when Mariah finally gets to...more
Mariah is an investment banker and lives in New York. Her parents are older, they were married 20 years before she was born. On a Monday night, while getting ready for bed, Mariah gets a phone call that her Dad is dead and they suspect her Mother has killed him. Her Mother is getting dementia and is very confused when Mariah finally gets to...more
Great story. Keeps you guessing the whole book long.
The Lost Years -- At its center is a discovery that, if authenticated, may be the most revered document in human history—“the holiest of the holy”—and certainly the most coveted and valuable object in the world. Biblical scholar Jonathan Lyons believes he has found the rarest of parchments—a letter that may have been written by Jesus Christ. Stolen from the Vatican Library in the 1500s, the letter was assumed to be lost forever. Now, under the...more
The Lost Years -- At its center is a discovery that, if authenticated, may be the most revered document in human history—“the holiest of the holy”—and certainly the most coveted and valuable object in the world. Biblical scholar Jonathan Lyons believes he has found the rarest of parchments—a letter that may have been written by Jesus Christ. Stolen from the Vatican Library in the 1500s, the letter was assumed to be lost forever. Now, under the...more
The plot of this book by respected and prolific novelist, Mary Higgins Clark, centers around a letter supposedly written by Jesus to Joseph of Arimathea, the only letter penned by Jesus. Clark says in the forward to the book that the idea came from her longtime editor (and writer), Michael Korda. She shouldn't have listened to him.
Clark crafts an interesting and very readable mystery without the Biblical factor, which I found to be rather distracting and "DaVinci Code"-esque. Did Jesus know how...more
Clark crafts an interesting and very readable mystery without the Biblical factor, which I found to be rather distracting and "DaVinci Code"-esque. Did Jesus know how...more
2 likes · like · see review
I picked up this book because I had been summoned for jury duty and figured there would be a lot of waiting around time at the court house. I wanted something easy to read, something that did not require mental effort, and something with short chapters that I could get through with only small snippets of reading time here and there...... And this book met those requirements. It was a decent mystery, but overall the book seemed a little bland to me. Perhaps it's just because I have read many othe...more
"The Lost Years" is the only book I've ever thrown a fit over having wasted money on ($7.99 plus tax? Should've bought three Chick-fil-As at the airport instead... more appetizing). It's also a book I'll keep in my library to remind myself what authors can get away with once they've established themselves. She's Mary Higgins Clark so she can write what anyone else would get a form rejection for?
Disappointments/Outrages:
- Bought this book because I was intrigued by the idea of a "lost letter writ...more
Disappointments/Outrages:
- Bought this book because I was intrigued by the idea of a "lost letter writ...more
Please do yourself a favor and don't read this book! I gave always liked reading Mary Higgins books because if not anything, they tend to be good mindless mysteries.
Let me honest.and tell you first off that the true reason that I picked up.this book was because it somehow reminded me of "The Da Vinci Code"... I was intrigued by the cover, blurb and the title. But sadly this is nothing but an attempt at a mystery surrounding a sacred parchment which itself has no significance in the plot. The mi...more
Let me honest.and tell you first off that the true reason that I picked up.this book was because it somehow reminded me of "The Da Vinci Code"... I was intrigued by the cover, blurb and the title. But sadly this is nothing but an attempt at a mystery surrounding a sacred parchment which itself has no significance in the plot. The mi...more
Normally, I read MHC as a sort of "palate cleanser"--light, easy reading in-between heavier subject matter. I enjoy her mysteries and her characters normally hook me. I first read "Where are the Children?" more than 20 years ago and I still recall how drawn into the story I was, so much so that I was surprised to find out it was hot and sunny outside when I put the book down. I felt such a part of the story, I thought it was cold and gray and ominous outside.
Not so with her latest, The Lost Yea...more
Not so with her latest, The Lost Yea...more
2 likes · like · see review
Aug 04, 2012
Ursula Gorman
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
entertaining,
family,
family-bond,
forgiveness,
friendship,
kidnapping,
memories,
multiple-story-lines,
murder,
mystery,
police,
sadness,
sorrow
The Lost Years has an interesting premise...A missing parchment has been located, not just any parchment; this is the only letter Jesus ever wrote. Hidden many years ago from the pope that intended to have it destroyed. It turns up in modern times in a safe of an old church about to be torn down...But is it the real deal? Since the man that has it is dead and the parchment is missing, the world may never know.
Dealing with the murder of her father, Mariah must care for her ailing mother, who is s...more
Dealing with the murder of her father, Mariah must care for her ailing mother, who is s...more
This was my first Mary Higgins Clark book, and I have to say that I am not impressed. From the other reviews that I have read, this one wasn't her best, so I will probably read another one, before making any judgements.
What I liked: the story moved at a good pace and there wasn't a lot of useless detail that bogged the story down. That's it for the good unfortunately.
What I didn't like: I didn't feel that the characters were well developed. It could be because there were so many of them. At one...more
What I liked: the story moved at a good pace and there wasn't a lot of useless detail that bogged the story down. That's it for the good unfortunately.
What I didn't like: I didn't feel that the characters were well developed. It could be because there were so many of them. At one...more
As usually Mary Higgins Clark keeps you guessing, she really is the queen of suspense. From the description I was afraid it would be different than her usual works (or too Dan Brown-y) but it wasn’t it was another great mystery/suspense and with the bonus of Alvirah who was not even mentioned in the synopsis which I don’t understand, I am a fan of Alvirah so was happy when her and Willie showed up!
Yes there is a supposed letter/parchment written by Jesus but as I said it doesn’t go into a big ch...more
Yes there is a supposed letter/parchment written by Jesus but as I said it doesn’t go into a big ch...more
This is the first time I read Mary Higgins Clark's books. Writing style is flowing, as expected from a pro; unfortunately I can't say the same of the characters and plots which I don't find them engaging or interesting, watching a mostly busybody playing amateur detective who has figured it all out. Does it really matter if it's an ancient parchment of some significant import, or something else? Does she really believe that they got DNA of Jesus on a two-thousand-year-old parchment that he, what...more
I've read almost all of Mary Higgins Clark's books. I was very disappointed by this one. Normally her books are fun, quick reads that keep me guessing until the end. I had to force myself to finish this one. I figured out the ending well before I read it, which was a let down because I always look forward to a good plot twist and surprise ending with her books. She spent a good deal of time describing what the characters were eating and wearing as well as repeating information that had just been...more
This was not one of MHC's best, but I just can't bring myself to give her less than 3 stars. I mean she is 84 sheesh! In The Lost Year, Professor Jonathan Lyons believes that he has found Christ's lost letter to Joseph of Arimithea. Having shown it to a couple of experts, he is saddened to discover that one only cares about how much he can sell it for on the black market. When Professor Lyons turns up dead detectives will try to locate the parchment to find his killer.
If you have read MHC you kn...more
If you have read MHC you kn...more
1 like · like · see review
Biblical scholar Jonathan Lyons is murdered. Prior to his murder he is asked to authenticate a letter believed to be from Christ to Joseph of Arimathea thanking him for all he had done in His life and for the very last thing he would do for Christ; bury Him in his tomb.
Was Professor Lyons murdered by his wife Kathleen who suffers from Alzheimers? Was he murdered by one of his colleagues with ill intentions for what MAY be the only letter that can be authenticated as written by Christ? Was he mu...more
Was Professor Lyons murdered by his wife Kathleen who suffers from Alzheimers? Was he murdered by one of his colleagues with ill intentions for what MAY be the only letter that can be authenticated as written by Christ? Was he mu...more
Another fine outing from everyone's favorite aunt.
Higgins Clark does not repeat characters, but her strong leading women are almost interchangeable: brilliant lawyer, dedicated doctor, passionate marketer, etc. (Here, Mariah, is a talented financial planner.) Clark's plots are very linear: meet an amazing but troubled lady, see impending doom, run into a series of men of shady backgrounds and intents, someone is murdered, woman is in peril, pick which of the men will harm and which will help, lo...more
Higgins Clark does not repeat characters, but her strong leading women are almost interchangeable: brilliant lawyer, dedicated doctor, passionate marketer, etc. (Here, Mariah, is a talented financial planner.) Clark's plots are very linear: meet an amazing but troubled lady, see impending doom, run into a series of men of shady backgrounds and intents, someone is murdered, woman is in peril, pick which of the men will harm and which will help, lo...more
Biblical scholar Jonathan Lyons believes he has found the rarest of parchments—a letter that may have been written by Jesus Christ. Stolen from the Vatican Library in the 1500s, the letter was assumed to be lost forever.
Now, under the promise of secrecy, Jonathan is able to confirm his findings with several other experts. But he also confides in a family friend his suspicion that someone he once trusted wants to sell the parchment and cash in.
Within days Jonathan is found shot to death in his st...more
Now, under the promise of secrecy, Jonathan is able to confirm his findings with several other experts. But he also confides in a family friend his suspicion that someone he once trusted wants to sell the parchment and cash in.
Within days Jonathan is found shot to death in his st...more
Mary Higgins Clark still writes a good mystery novel even after all these years.She must surely be in her 80's and I began reading her as a young Librarian.
A biblical scholar is murdered after coming upon the rare parchment in an old church about to be torn down. It is thought to be the only letter Christ has ever written and was stolen from the Vatican Library in the late 1400's, naturally after confiding in 4 of his closest associates, someone is greedy enough to covet it and murder him for i...more
A biblical scholar is murdered after coming upon the rare parchment in an old church about to be torn down. It is thought to be the only letter Christ has ever written and was stolen from the Vatican Library in the late 1400's, naturally after confiding in 4 of his closest associates, someone is greedy enough to covet it and murder him for i...more
Very often when I read mystery murder books, I can tell who did it after a few pages, I only thumb through the rest of the book to confirm my suspicions. The Lost Years had me guessing until the last four chapters. It kept the identity of the culprit concealed by presenting three possibilities and all of them turned out to be innocent.
It also showed the dead Professor as being human. Most often the weakness of a subject is not properly exploited, but in this novel, Jonathan Lyons' weakness ha...more
It also showed the dead Professor as being human. Most often the weakness of a subject is not properly exploited, but in this novel, Jonathan Lyons' weakness ha...more
Another good Mary Higgins Clark mystery. A man who is a Bible scholar believes he has found a parchment written by Jesus. Within a short period of time after this he is murdered. The suspect is his wife, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Kathleen, however, is unable to communicate most of the time. Alvirah and her husband, Willy, are recurring characters in Higgins books. they won a lottery and now help solve mysteries. They were friends with Jonathan Lyons, the murdered man, and his fami...more
The Lost Years is pretty good Clark. I think I've read better books written by her, butin this one had lots of things going for it. Aside from a level of awkwardness in needing to call all characters by full names and various kinds of formal English, it's got Clark's classic well mving plot and satisfying twist at the end. The misdirects are effective and the characters are colorful.
The premise that a scholar is killed in connection with a priceless document, a letter to Joseph of Aramathea thou...more
The premise that a scholar is killed in connection with a priceless document, a letter to Joseph of Aramathea thou...more
Several years ago, I had read and loved everything Mary Higgins Clark had written. For many reasons I had not attempted to read one of her books over the past 5 or 6 years. However, the premise of The Lost Years intrigued me so I decided to give the author another try. To my great disappointment, I found this book too difficult to complete.
I stayed with the book for about 100 pages and could not go further. I found myself dreading picking it up to finish it and I, once started, rarely do not com...more
I stayed with the book for about 100 pages and could not go further. I found myself dreading picking it up to finish it and I, once started, rarely do not com...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Moon Book Lo...: March 2013 BOTM - "The Lost Years" by Mary Higgins Clark | 3 | 7 | Feb 16, 2013 02:33pm | |
| Mocha Girls Read: Book of the Month: The Lost Years | 3 | 28 | May 26, 2012 06:31pm |
Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins Clark Conheeney, best known as Mary Higgins Clark, (b December 24, 1927 in the Bronx, New York) is an American author of suspense novels. Each of her twenty-four suspense novels has been a bestseller in the United States and various European countries, and all of her novels remain in print as of 2007, with her debut suspense novel, Where Are The Children, in its sevent...more
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