I'll Walk Alone: A Novel

I enjoyed the suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat.I enjoyed the twists and turns that I never expected I like a book that keeps me on my toes Thank you

Interior designer Zan Moreland is on the threshold of a brilliant career in Manhattan, despite the sadness of the past two years following the kidnapping of her three-year-old son Matthew in Central Park. As Matthew's fifth birthday approaches, she is poised to embark on a brilliant new assignment; she is competing, however, with Bartley Longe, her former boss, whose hatred of her has been a constant thorn in her side.So when suddenly strange events begin to unfold, with numerous credit card purchases she did not make and the apparent ordering of materials for a job she hasn't yet obtained, she starts to panic. To climax these events, photos are published that show what appears to be Zan Moreland herself kidnapping her son. The photos, captured by a tourist during that day and discovered later, seem to thoroughly discredit and implicate Zan.Even her friends and supporters begin to doubt Zan, suggesting that she might be suffering from some kind of mental illness.Meanwhile, miles away in a small farmhouse in Middletown, a secretive and reclusive young woman is holding a young boy in a closet.What do a priest in Manhattan, a competitive designer, a young aspiring actress, and persons unknown have to do with the chain of events? And how will those in Zan's corner manage to convince the detectives that someone is actually impersonating Zan? Who is behind the nefarious plots and how has this person managed to pull it off?I loved how the author gave us little tidbits of information, and showed how various characters had pieces of clues that would eventually lead us down the correct pathways. Impatiently I turned pages, guessing who might be behind it all, reluctantly turning away from the obvious choice, until finally, just before the end, I figured it out.If you enjoy fast-paced mysteries with colorful characters, you will love  I'll Walk Alone: A Novel . The satisfying conclusion was definitely well-deserved. Four stars for the slight predictability in the plot.

I’LL WALK ALONE, a novel, by Mary Higgins Clark. The first part of the book is routine and a bit boring but Clark energizes it as the story progresses. Alexandra (Zan) Moreland, an up-and-coming New York City interior designer, has been accused of kidnapping her own three-year-old son. Even the wealthy father who Zan divorced eventually comes to that conclusion based on undeniable evidence. Zan experiences spurious charges to her financial accounts. Strange un-ordered packages turn up on her doorstep. She eventually comes to the conclusion that her former boss, owner of the top interior design firm in the N.Y. City, must be behind the strange goings-on including the abduction of her son. She knows that he was upset that she left his firm and that she rejected his amorous advances while his employee and is now his number one competitor in the City. Soon with overwhelming evidence mounting even Zan’s closest friends find it hard to believe she is innocent. She has recurring fainting and blackout episodes and begins to think she may be going mad. But one new friend stands beside her. The story has several cliffhanger moments but for the most part it is a steady whodunit mystery. The ending is a tear-jerker. I enjoyed the read and give it 4-stars.

When Mary Higgins Clark first came on the scene with gems like "the Cradle will Fall", "Where Are the Children" and "still watch", her books were wonderful. She developed the characters fully and spun the story in depth, keeping you fully engaged and wanting more.When her success grew, she must have gotten a long term book deal where she had to publish one or two a year, and she just grinds them out. Character development -non existent. The story line? More like an outline of a book, not the book itself. It's like she has a formula where she just plugs in the names, motives and actions. They are all fast reads and so generic I can't remember anything about them.I actually enjoyed "I'll Walk Alone" more than any of her efforts over the last 20 years or so. This is not high praise, but she did try and do a little more character development and threw in some curve balls. I liked this one, but still long for the Mary Higgins Clark of old, back when she was actually an author, not a machine spewing out crap.Her new one, "The Lost years", is back to the formulaic crap. Don't waste your money.

Zan Moreland's child Matthew was kidnapped two years previously. The action begins on his fifth birthday when Zan meets her ex husband for dinner to grieve together. They are interrupted by the news that a picture of the kidnapping has surfaced. Meanwhile, Zan is working to land a big client for her design business, and someone has made unauthorized purchases on her charge accounts. The book starts off at a run and doesn't stop til the end.I was surprised to see so many negative reviews on this book. This is the first book I've read in months that when I would put it down, I was looking forward to getting that chance to pick it back up.I'm a big fan of MHC and have purchased every one of her thrillers. And she is one of the only authors of which I've been a long time fan that I am still doing so, many other bestsellers have become "library requests" for me.I was delighted to see Alvirah and Willy back in one of her main novels, they are like old friends.Yes, I'll admit that Mary's and Carol's thrillers tend to "come together" more coincidentally than real life would be. But, so what, it's part of the fun for me. It's all about the ride and it's always exciting.

The characters were really relatable! Keeping track can be a challenge; and that's what makes her an amazing writer☺ On to the next one!!!

A gripping tale of suspense and crime, written in a style that keeps you enthralled from beginning to end.

Ancora una volta la Higgins non ha deluso le mie aspettative, questo romanzo della serie dei testi dove appare Alvirah Meehan mi ha reso impossibile interrompere la lettura. La storia è incentrata sul rapimento di un bambino di 3 anni e, forse perchésono una mamma e anche una nonna, l' ho veramente letto tutto d'un fiato. Adatto qualsiasi tipo di lettore è un giallo che ti attanaglia perché presenta un colpo di scena dietro l'altro e tiene la tua attenzione sempre viva.

will use again :-)

Ich lese M.H-C. gerne - zur Entspannung, etwa so, wie ich auch gerne mal einen Freitagabendkrimi anschaue.In beiden Fällen habe ich keine hoch geschraubten Erwartungen an die Handlung - nur spannend soll es bitte sein, und wenn der Krimi sich dann auch noch durch eine interessante Wendung oder ähnliches vom Standard abhebt, ist das eine schöne Sache.Nun ja, bei M.H-C. kann man sich auf ein paar Dinge verlassen: auf die vorkommenden Personen, auf stilvolle Umgebung, gutes Essen und geschmackvolle Kleidung und auf die Auflösung der Handlung nötigenfalls auch durch sponatane Aktionen der Handelnden, Zufälle oder andere nicht nachzuvollziehende Gegebenheiten.Die vorkommenden Personen laufen sich in der Kleinstadt New York geradezu ständig über den Weg, der Böse wird in letzter Minute gefasst, die Prinzessin findet ihren Prinzen, und der Detektiv hat es eigentlich von Anfang an geahnt ...Auch in diesem Fall ist die Handlung nett und unterhaltend, die Spannung wird durch die häufigen Szenenwechsel gut erhalten, aber im Datenverarbeitungs-Zeitalter hätte man aus dem Doppelgänger-Motiv definitiv mehr herausholen können.

Very nice book