Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
368th out of 1,297 books
—
10,683 voters
The Shadow of Your Smile
"In "The Shadow of Your Smile, "worldwide bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark weaves a spellbinding thriller revolving around a long-held family secret that threatens to emerge and take the life of an unsuspecting heiress. "At age eighty-two and in failing health, Olivia Morrow knows she has little time left. The last of her line, she faces a momentous choice: expose a l...more
Hardcover, 319 pages
Published
April 13th 2010
by Simon & Schuster
(first published January 1st 2010)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Forget "50 Shades," this is MY guilty pleasure read! :-)
Saints. How do you feel about them and particularly about the Catholic church recognizing a new one? Sister Catherine is about to be declared blessed at the beginning of this book in spite of the fact that she appears to have had a child around the time of her entrance into the monastery. I wasn't sure at first what the real problem was but it turns out that the question is whether the relationship was consensual or not. Hmm. They have an apparent miracle in the curing of a boy's brain cancer by...more
The story opens with 82-year-old Olivia Morrow sitting in her doctor's office, having just been told she has only weeks to live. With a light touch, the author tells us the diagnosis, the history and the general story outline, to wit, that the woman has no surviving family and is ready to pass on, but not before she decides what to do with a secret she has held for a long time.
When her mother lay dying she told Olivia that Olivia's cousin Catherine gave birth to a child, who that child is, and...more
When her mother lay dying she told Olivia that Olivia's cousin Catherine gave birth to a child, who that child is, and...more
When a person of high standing in the community has reached his position by less than honorable means, he will do anything to protect his secret; in this case that anything means murder and the target has no idea as to why or how she was targeted....
The characters: eighty-two-year old Olivia Morrow who holds a long-held family secret; Catherine, who gave birth to a son at the age seventeen gave him up for adoption following her calling, she becomes a nun,and is now being considered for beatifica...more
The characters: eighty-two-year old Olivia Morrow who holds a long-held family secret; Catherine, who gave birth to a son at the age seventeen gave him up for adoption following her calling, she becomes a nun,and is now being considered for beatifica...more
Mary Higgins Clark is not one of the authors I consciously think “I CAN’T WAIT FOR HER NEXT BOOK”. However saying this I must admit I have read all her books and have become familiar with her work.
Her books are filled with light suspense, no bad language, violence and graphic sex scenes and her female characters are always gentle lady-like independent women. Naturally there has to be some murders and a bit of romance too but nothing heavy
I enjoy her style of writing short chapters that end wit...more
Her books are filled with light suspense, no bad language, violence and graphic sex scenes and her female characters are always gentle lady-like independent women. Naturally there has to be some murders and a bit of romance too but nothing heavy
I enjoy her style of writing short chapters that end wit...more
4 likes · like · see review
Dr. Monica Farrel never understood why her father was obsessed with discovering who his biological parents were until strange things begin to happen in her own life. Seemingly unrelated events start to fit together and yet it still isn't clear where the danger is coming from. While rushing on a busy NY city street Dr. Monica is pushed in front of a passing bus. She makes it very clear to the police that she thinks that this was an accident and that someone was in a hurry and inadvertently shoved...more
Once in a while I tread myself to a Mary Higgins Clark book, her books deal only with the upper class in our society, her friends are Montsigniors, people in high political places, they are always well to do, have inherited or are living on moneys which has been in the family for years.
This story deals with a family, and in the background a Nun who is up for beatification, a process just recently watched this process from Rome a Pope, whose coffin has been dug up, hauled into St Peter.s, so peop...more
This story deals with a family, and in the background a Nun who is up for beatification, a process just recently watched this process from Rome a Pope, whose coffin has been dug up, hauled into St Peter.s, so peop...more
The Shadow of Your Smile is not the best book of Mary Higgins Clark. I have read a lot better ones. But still it kept me fascinated and I did not want to stop reading. As with all novels by Mary Higgins Clark, this one as well is written in many small chapters switching perspective between the characters every few seconds. I love this style of writing because it keeps the tension up. It is similar to a daily soap. You get a relatively small bit of information and then the episode ends with somet...more
The story opens with Olivia Morrow learning she has weeks to live. Olivia is in her 80s and knows she has lived a good life. Knowing the end is near, there is a secret that she has been harboring for most of her adult life. Olivia is torn on whether to keep her family’s secret or reveal the truth and the consequences that will inevitably follow.
Monica Farrell is a successful pediatrician. Her current case centers around Sally, a sweet girl who has seen the inside of a hospital too many times in...more
Monica Farrell is a successful pediatrician. Her current case centers around Sally, a sweet girl who has seen the inside of a hospital too many times in...more
It has been at least a year since I've reviewed a book here, and only my complete and utter disgust has motivated me now. It can all be summed up with this "the old lady is losing her touch." I've enjoyed M.H.C. since I was a teenager, but with this addition she has lost my respect. The main character is supposed to be a pediatrician but it appears the author thought her advancing years were sufficient research because she certainly never actually talked to a pediatrician.
Rather than being horri...more
Rather than being horri...more
3 likes · like · see review
Formulaic. In the case of the vast majority of frothy mystery writers (think Janet Evanovich or Sandra Brown), “formulaic” not only describes the plot but also comments on the nutritional value.
Mary Higgins Clark, very much like Agatha Christie before her, takes formulaic and makes it comforting (no gratuitous violence – are you following, James Patterson?), empowering (strong female characters – are you listening, Stuart Woods?) and fun (yes, Robert Crais, it doesn’t have to be intense from co...more
Mary Higgins Clark, very much like Agatha Christie before her, takes formulaic and makes it comforting (no gratuitous violence – are you following, James Patterson?), empowering (strong female characters – are you listening, Stuart Woods?) and fun (yes, Robert Crais, it doesn’t have to be intense from co...more
5 likes · like · see review
Mary Higgins Clark is one of my all-time favorite authors. I started reading her books back in high school, and I have enjoyed them ever since. What I love about Mary Higgins Clark’s books is that it is obvious the book is well planned. The storyline flows, and the characters are woven to together perfectly. Like most books by Clark, the protagonist Monica is a strong, independent woman who is able to think and act for herself (with the help of a nice guy).
Even though the reader knows who the m...more
Even though the reader knows who the m...more
Riveting new thriller, spellbinding!
Olivia Morrow, 82 and dying, has a terrible problem. Her deceased cousin Catherine, a Catholic nun, who is being considered for beatification, the first step toward sainthood in the Catholic Church, due to the miraculous recovery of a child dying of brain tumor that is attributed to her, had a secret few knew about. At seventeen Catherine had a love child by Alex Gannon, who went on to become a famous doctor and inventor, and Olivia has the letters to prove i...more
I'm not sure why I love the writing of Mary Higgins Clark so much, but I do. Part of it is that I started reading her right at the beginning of high school. And after all these years, her writing feels so familiar and takes me back. The other reason I have stayed a devoted fan is that her stories are always so positive. Yes, I know, they are mysteries – which means someone always ends up dying, but still.... The characters are really nice, interesting people that I always think would make really...more
I admit it. I have been a fan of Mary Higgins Clark for many, many years now. So it was a no brainer to pick up the newest tome “The Shadow of Your Smile”. I have to also admit that I didn’t like it at first and this surprised me. I usually pick it up and finish it within the first day. This wasn’t happening. Why? I would have to say that while I did ultimately enjoy the read; it was a very predictable Mary Higgins Clark story. Could it be possible that I have outgrown her? Could be.
This all bei...more
This all bei...more
I've loved Mary Higgins Clark for years; I'm never disappointed with her masterful story telling and The Shadow of Your Smile is no exception. Olivia Marrow has carried a bombshell of a family secret for years and whether to keep it or not has been weighing heavily on her as she nears the end of her life. Her cousin, Sister Catherine, is being considered for beatification by the Catholic church and the knowledge Olivia possesses could have a huge impact on the process. Catherine gave birth to a...more
I will admit it. I'm a Mary Higgins Clark fan. While I tend to stay away from the more popular authors (that means YOU- James Patterson and Nora Roberts), I have a soft spot in my reading heart for MHC. I'm not much of a mystery fan, but for some reason I always enjoy one of Ms. Clark's stories about strong, always drop-dead gorgeous, intelligent and successful females innocently caught in a web of intrigue and danger. "The Shadow of Your Smile" certainly did not let me down. In her latest work,...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
When I was in middle and high school, I read and owned every single Mary Higgins Clark novel. I couldn't wait for the next one to be released! After reading this one, I'm sad to say I was a little disappointed. The story was still good - a young doctor trying to learn about her heritage while caught up in the midst of a murder investigation with someone coming after her. I don't know why, but something was just a little lacking for me. While I still liked the book, I didn't have that feeling whe...more
This has to be one of the worse books I have ever read. Looking at the book critcially I have found no redeaming qualities in either the writting style or plot. I am convinced that no one edited this book before it was submitted. Not only were there grammer errors, which if I can spot is means it's pretty bad, but the sentence structure was muddled and confusing. Also there was too much inner dialog and pointless details. I as a reader am not reallyconcerned about what the numerous charecters ha...more
2 likes · like · see review
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
When 82-year-old Olivia Morrow receives the news that she is dying and has little time left, she must make a big decision. Many years ago, her deceased cousin Catherine, who became a nun, had a big secret. And Olivia has letters in her possession that confirm the details of the fact that, at age seventeen, Catherine gave birth to a baby boy, whom she subsequently put up for adoption. The child's father, Alex Gannon, went on to become a world-famous doctor, scientist, and inventor holding medical...more
The research and collection of testimonies needed for a person being elevated to a Saint by the Roman Catholic Church is laborious and intensive. The search for one's own genealogy is also time intensive and many times futile, however, sometimes we are successful. When the searches are overlapped, then we encounter the Shadow of Your Smile.
This book opens in the world of medicine and secrets. It also is a story of following your life's path, whether it be the Church or out in the high world of f...more
This book opens in the world of medicine and secrets. It also is a story of following your life's path, whether it be the Church or out in the high world of f...more
It is true that there are certain expectations when you pick up a Mary Higgins Clark book, and I suppose this one contained all those things. But I will tell you this was far from satisfying. I will admit that there are one or two small surprises, but overall the predictability is so prevalent that it is distracting.
But my biggest issue with the book--all the inner dialogue. Nearly every character recounts events in their mind over coffee the next morning. Very little action occurred in real ti...more
But my biggest issue with the book--all the inner dialogue. Nearly every character recounts events in their mind over coffee the next morning. Very little action occurred in real ti...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Cela fait longtemps que je ne me suis pas plonger dans un livre de Mary Higgins Clark, c’est donc avec plaisir que je me suis jeter sur celui-ci à sa sortie. Peut-être n’ai-je plus l’habitude du style de l’auteur mais j’ai eu un peu de mal à m’y retrouver dans les personnages au début.
Je trouve que, contrairement à d’habitude, l’intrigue est plus longue à se mettre en place et donc l’action met un certain temps à arriver. En effet, on apprend tout de suite que certains personnes veulent en élim...more
Je trouve que, contrairement à d’habitude, l’intrigue est plus longue à se mettre en place et donc l’action met un certain temps à arriver. En effet, on apprend tout de suite que certains personnes veulent en élim...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
So I got to the end of this book....and they were talking about some dude who I can't for the life of me remember. This has started happening often and I worry for the state of my brain. Clearly it has lost the ability to retain information. Otherwise, just another typical Mary Higgins Clark novel. Crime fiction is my go-to indulgence genre even though it never actually makes me go "wow fantastic!" I just like the mystery I guess. Anyway...worth a read if you're already a fan but there are far b...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
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
More about Mary Higgins Clark...
Share This Book
2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
Jun 06, 2012 11:07am
I love that, Linda! I'll have to remember that one! :-)
Jun 06, 2012 12:13pm