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All Around The Town
Mary Higgins Clark, the Queen of Suspense, crafts a terrifying story of murder and obsession with "a slambam finish" (Los Angeles Times Book Review). ALL AROUND THE TOWN
When Laurie Kenyon, a twenty-one-year-old student, is accused of murdering her English professor, she has no memory of the crime. Her fingerprints, however, are everywhere. When she asks her sister, attorne...more
When Laurie Kenyon, a twenty-one-year-old student, is accused of murdering her English professor, she has no memory of the crime. Her fingerprints, however, are everywhere. When she asks her sister, attorne...more
ebook, 304 pages
Published
May 25th 2000
by Simon & Schuster
(first published January 1st 1992)
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Almost as bad as the other Higgins Clark I read. Characters were made of cardboard and female frailty seems to indicate their inner goodness. Too many "almosts" to make me roll my eyes (as in someone almost does something or sees something or gets something that would reveal the bad guy). All in all a weak and cheap book.
Dec 01, 2008
Bailey Jane
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
young adults, adults, women
Totally suspenseful! Another great one by Clark. You really can't go wrong with these novels. They are easy reads with twisting, exciting plots...especially this one.
3 likes · like · see review
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Jul 10, 2007
Heather
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Mystery Lovers
Shelves:
mysteryandsuspense
A little girl is kidnapped at age four. Two years later, she is returned to her family. When tragedy strikes during her college years, those horrible two years come back to her in the form of the alter personalities that protected her during that time. She finds herself charged with murder, and her big sister fights to defend her in the hopeless case.
This book is one of my favorites by Mary Higgins Clark. She keeps you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages until you're finished. As usua...more
This book is one of my favorites by Mary Higgins Clark. She keeps you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages until you're finished. As usua...more
ISBN 0671793489 - Makes ya wanna hug your kids. And it makes you want to hug them often. (Which is not, usually, for me, a ringing endorsement.) Read the book, because it's a good book; hug your kids whether you read it or not.
The lack of great detail about Laurie's sexual abuse is an unexpected blessing - everyone knows, and no one really needs to read the details. Alluding to it was enough to give the reader the idea without specifics.
Abducted and abused by a pair of Bible-thumping ex-hippies,...more
The lack of great detail about Laurie's sexual abuse is an unexpected blessing - everyone knows, and no one really needs to read the details. Alluding to it was enough to give the reader the idea without specifics.
Abducted and abused by a pair of Bible-thumping ex-hippies,...more
This was one of the most enjoyful thriller to experience. The story begins simply with a four year old girl wanting to go to the pool for a swim, but unexpectedly get's kidnapped by a couple who take her away for two years. But during those two years, the little girl is sexually abused by her male abductor. Although they do not hold her hostage for a long amount of time, when she actually returned to her family her mind is erased of what had happend during those years that she was being abused....more
Mar 28, 2012
Devon Padley
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Devon by:
My Grandmother
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I've read all of the MHC books that are out on paperback and I really enjoy them and they are a fast read. I did learn my lesson about making sure my husband was home when I read them b/c I got a little creeped out one night when I was home alone and the book I was reading had a character stalking her outside of her house. I just picked a few of my favorites for my bookshelf so it didn't get too crowded.
This is a re-read, which I first read when I was in high school. It wasn't my first Mary Higgins Clark book, but it was the one that piqued my interest in psychology as a potential career.
I remember really liking this book, but I wasn't as impressed as I read it this time. I think the main reason for that is that my reading tastes have changed. It was a good book and still an exciting read. I didn't like the amount of curse words that was used throughout the book. I don't use that kind of langu...more
I remember really liking this book, but I wasn't as impressed as I read it this time. I think the main reason for that is that my reading tastes have changed. It was a good book and still an exciting read. I didn't like the amount of curse words that was used throughout the book. I don't use that kind of langu...more
This book is a fantastic mystery. It keeps you guessing the whole time, and the true killer is a complete surprise. The book is about a girl who gets kidnapped for two years as a young child, and is returned to her family after the two years. She has no memory of her kidnapping but when her parents die 14 years later, it begins to bring back the trauma of her kidnapping. This combined with her English professor getting murdered makes for a very compelling mystery. Also, all the trauma of her chi...more
This was one of my faveorite Mary Higgins books! This books deals alot with Psychology, it envolves a girl named Laurie who was kidnapped when she was a child and held by her kidnappers for two years finally they let her go thinking that the cops are getting to close. When Laurie returns home her family notices she is alot different but figure its just the trauma of being kidnapped. Then years later she accused of killing one of her collage professers, but her older sister believes her when she...more
This book is about a girl named Laurie who was kidnapped at the age of four and held hostage for two years. Laurie's experience causes her to develop a multi-personality disorder, but her alter personalities come back when she is 21 years old, the age she was when her mother and father die in a car accident. Laurie's abductors have secretly watched her grow up, frightened that she might remember them and get them arrested. One of Laurie's alter personalities murder a professor at her college, b...more
This book had a definite wow factor there were two plots in one novel and they both had their own ending it was really a great way to go about this novel you really started to feel for the different characters and mind frames you knew where they were coming from and exactly how they felt the ending could have been a little longer but that's not my decision the whole novel in all had beautiful writing style and kept you guessing, i will admit i saw one of the endings coming but i had doubts the w...more
I really love Mary Higgins Clark and this was no exception. It had an ending that I did not even consider so that was fun. However, the part that I didn't like about this book is that it's the story of a grown woman who had been kidnapped as a child and abused. They never talk about it much during the book but you know it's always there. She has multiple personality disorder as an adult as a result of being abused while captive. In the end of the book, she does say that she'd been raped. I just...more
Really, it's two and a half stars, but there aren't halves, and I don't have the heart to give it only two stars. The idea of multiple personalities is really neat, and writing them is good and interesting and MHC does it well. But evil evangelicals creep me out a lot, and also there wasn't the tautness that MHC books can have. She overdid it, I think, and I felt like half the book I felt like this:
.
That's frustrating after a while, and I get tired of being frustrated with the characters. So it'...more
.That's frustrating after a while, and I get tired of being frustrated with the characters. So it'...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This was a riveting story of the after affects of childhood trauma and abuse. It was a chilling reminder of how untreated trauma can affect someone dramatically while they seem to have a normal life.
It was also, in a way, a comedy of errors, as people deliberately didn't pass on comments (I'm not a gossip, says one old lady) or figure something isn't important so it is ignored. In some instances its just plain lack of attention to detail, but it gets our young heroine arrested and charged with m...more
It was also, in a way, a comedy of errors, as people deliberately didn't pass on comments (I'm not a gossip, says one old lady) or figure something isn't important so it is ignored. In some instances its just plain lack of attention to detail, but it gets our young heroine arrested and charged with m...more
This was a well written nail bitter. I just wanted something I could read fast while on a mini trip. This book gave me insight into a multiple personality, and how "innocent" a patient with this diagnosis could be of his alter ego acting out things totally out of character.
I never like when I see a minister of the gospel portrayed in the stereotype of a "self-serving, insincere, money grabbing creep". There are so many truly, altruistic, sincere men of God...and yes there are some like "Bic, the...more
I never like when I see a minister of the gospel portrayed in the stereotype of a "self-serving, insincere, money grabbing creep". There are so many truly, altruistic, sincere men of God...and yes there are some like "Bic, the...more
Apr 01, 2009
Sarah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes a mystery and a bit of suspense
a four year old girl was taken from her home and lived for two years with her kidnappers. when she comes back home she is awkward at first, but then seems to fit right back in. the only problem is she can't remember those two years at all. 15 years later when her parents die in a tragic car accident, the memories start coming back. she starts acting weird and is accused of things she can't remember doing. she ends up having multiple personality disorder. basically the guy who was her kidnapper i...more
Writer reminds me of the fragility of human both mentally and physically; the power of religion and one of the way that it can be misused; and the wickedness of humankind that know no boundaries. But in all that there are a true beauty that engulf all the irony of life and makes all things bearable - love. The unconditional love of Sarah, Gregg, Dr Carpenter and Dr Donnelly to Laurie is so precious. It reminds me the importance of those around us that loves us so much, and my responsibility to l...more
One of the best climax I ever read. Mary Higgins Clark sure knows how to deliver. No wonder she's been dubbed the 'Queen of Suspense' 'All Around The Town' takes you on the breathtaking journey into the mind of a tortured young woman, Laurie Kenyon, her alter personalities; Lee, Debbie, Leona and
Kate as they struggle to retrieve the memories of her bitter past. A past, which retrieved, can only better her future and keep her out of prison. Breathtaking pace, memorable characters, you will hardly...more
Kate as they struggle to retrieve the memories of her bitter past. A past, which retrieved, can only better her future and keep her out of prison. Breathtaking pace, memorable characters, you will hardly...more
Jul 03, 2010
Annette2009
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
great-lit-for-teens
This was my first Mary Higgins Clark book, and it put me on quite a reading spree for a time. I found the back story of the little girl very suspenseful and frightening, and now that we have the Jaycee Lee Dugard case, the plot seems even more horrifying. Later, after reading several other Clark books, I came to realize that they are pretty interchangeable. It's not a good sign that I've read several and can't tell from the titles which ones! Have to give this four stars because I really enjoyed...more
I am the type of person who really enjoys reading about mysterious and suspence so this book was perfect for my taste. I love how the author really puts emotion and good description in each page, though I found some parts a little bit confusing but the author ties all lose ends together as you keep reading.
Even though this book is old I still enjoyed reading it. I find that older stories captivate my interest better, though what happened in this story is more commen now. but I really enjoyed re...more
Even though this book is old I still enjoyed reading it. I find that older stories captivate my interest better, though what happened in this story is more commen now. but I really enjoyed re...more
Admittedly, Mary Higgins Clark is my guilty pleasure. Since the seventh grade I have devoured her trashy suspense novels in two days or less. To decide if a book is trashy, there are two determining factors: the title is smaller than the author’s name, and the back cover, instead of displaying quotes from reviewers and a brief synopsis, is devoted to a full sized picture of the author (yeah that means you James Patterson). Mary Higgins Clark is guilty on both counts; however she somehow passes u...more
i loved this book because it has lots of saspense. this book mainly focuses on a 22 year old women who kiddnaped when she was four. it all starte when her mom was having a paty. so the little girl went out side and a car that was pulled over snachted her. she didint know what was going on at the time but the she started to cry. a few had pasted and the little girl was still missing and her family cryed all the time wondering if she was ever going to come home. now a year has past and the family...more
Aug 10, 2008
Jodi
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Shelves:
thrillers
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Feb 11, 2010
Victoria
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-thriller,
mpd
Going on with both the mystery/thriller genre and autographed copies of books, I chose to re-read this old favorite of mine. It definitely is my favorite book by Mary Higgins Clark. I am a sucker for Multiple Personality Disorder (Dissociative Identity Disorder) books...
What was somewhat depressing was how little of it I actually remembered and I have read this more than once or twice before... but my forgetfulness did make it a good book to re-read!
What was somewhat depressing was how little of it I actually remembered and I have read this more than once or twice before... but my forgetfulness did make it a good book to re-read!
I love everything written by Mary Higgins Clark. She is one of my favorite authors and never ceases to come up with story after story of spellbinding tales. This book was about a 4 yr old girl who is kidnapped and returned 2 yrs later. I also love MHC's books because she does not need to go into unpleasant details to get the story across. Although the beginning is sad and the story keeps you riveted throughout the ending is a happy one.
I enjoyed this book so much! I could not put it down, literally, so I finished it in 2 days. All Around the Town is a mystery with a lot of phycology in it, which is why I loved the book so much. You have no idea what to expect. Discovering Laurie's multiple personalities throughout the book is what really kept me hooked. At some points, I thought Laurie was the murderer, even though I didn't want it to be true. I felt like I wanted to take care of Laurie sometimes, even though it was just a boo...more
This is one of my alltime favorite books as it discussed psychology, particularly MPD or multiple personality disorder which I am really interested about. Actually this was the book that got me into a reading frenzy for a couple of months until I got everything under control - that is if you can ever control reading books! - and totally hooked with Mary Higgins Clark at the same time so I am giving it a five as it truly deserves it.
Good, fast, thought provoking..and an aside..I love music 'boxes'.
People that can seem to write and write, story after story, for the pleasure of strangers all over the world..those amazing people (the writers) are incredibly wonderful. I hope that ALL of them write for their own pleasure. Mary Higgins Clark and her stories..and other fictional writers of books that I read to fill up my time..I thank those people..every story.
People that can seem to write and write, story after story, for the pleasure of strangers all over the world..those amazing people (the writers) are incredibly wonderful. I hope that ALL of them write for their own pleasure. Mary Higgins Clark and her stories..and other fictional writers of books that I read to fill up my time..I thank those people..every story.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mary Higgins Clark Formula | 4 | 39 | May 03, 2012 03:16pm |
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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