Rating: 
Summary: Tighter editing might have improved murder mystery
Review: We are longtime readers of Clark [every book except her memoirs] and would like to express some amazement that she keeps pumping them out at age 75. But while the premise of this attempted thriller is OK, the storyline gets tiresome -- the novel might well be somebody's master's thesis on red herrings! The plot reveals that in the over 20+ years since a male classmate, playing an owl in a school skit, is humiliated by his classmates, he systematically murders off the list of seven girlfriends who always ate lunch together. Five are already dead when the 20th reunion arrives, but he has been so clever that nobody in law enforcement has even suspected foul play, let alone the connection between the deaths. As the classmates arrive for the big weekend, he is not only planning the imminent deaths of the remaining two, Laura and Jean, but also plans to off Jean's adopted-at-birth baby girl whose identity he has somehow learned. The prime male attendees are all suspects for the "Owl", including dark playwright Carter, caustic comedian Robby, real-estate tycoon Jack, sit-com producer Gordon, and talk-show psychiatrist Mark. For a couple of hundred pages, short chapters alternate between all these players, throwing out suspicion after suspicion to keep us readers totally on edge. Unfortunately, the red herrings soon grow into a mountain, and we just started getting tired and wanted the whole thing over. When the Owl kidnaps Laura (but conveniently keeps her alive so that he can kill Jean and her daughter while she watches), and then Jean, it's a long stretch to believe the women would follow his commandment to never utter his name (so that we wouldn't know who). In the end, while the bad guy was a modest surprise, we were pretty much beyond caring.This time Clark's story took on a somewhat different nature. She lately has featured high-achieving leading ladies who go on to solve any and every crime despite the best but ineffective efforts of the professionals. Sometimes these women are unbelievably gorgeous, smart, and resourceful, which gets to be a strain of credibility. But in "Nighttime", the serial killer gets most of the attention, which may help explain why we weren't that thrilled by the climax -- we just weren't that terror stricken for the intended victims. If some of the nearly hundred chapters, all short and almost all featuring numerous changes of scenes and speaking characters, could have been pared and led us straighter line to a satisfying ending, we might have been more enamored with this tale. As it is, we hope Clark will go for higher quality next time, or get better editors, or (gasp) consider whether it might be time to retire the word processor. We'd prefer the former.
Rating: 
Summary: BORING
Review: Instead of 370 pages, this book could have been written in 200 or less. It just went on and on until I thought I couldn't stand it anymore. Even the sentence structure was odd at times so I found myself re-reading because it just didn't make any sense. I get very resentful when I spend hours reading a book and realize, when I finish, that I have wasted precious time. Don't bother with this one. MHC, retire!
Rating:
Summary: Going Downhill
Review: First, I have to say that Mary Higgins Clark was my favorite author for years. Her early books were excellent. However, her last few books have become more and more disappointing. Her plot lines are just too predictable. The suspense just isn't there anymore, and instead of being engrossed in the mystery, I find I don't really care "whodunnit." Nighttime Is My Time is just another example of why M.H.C.'s latest efforts remind me of that sit-com you used to love, but it just went one season too long. Eventually, the writers just run out of fresh ideas. But I will still always have a soft spot for Mary Higgins Clark. She has written many more really great mysteries than disappointing ones.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent thriller
Review: She would prefer to ignore the invitation to return to Stonecraft Academy for her class' twentieth anniversary reunion, but renowned historian Jean Sheridan is one of six recipients being honored at the gala for their accomplishments. Still the award would not have propelled Jean to return to the academy, but posthumously honoring another winner is the reason for the author to drive to Croton on the Hudson to attend the festivities. At the hotel, Jean receives a fax that follows up on a package sent to her that contains evidence that someone kidnapped her teenage child, who she gave up for adoption at birth. She is further stunned when attendee Laura Wilcox followed by Robby Brent vanish. When Laura calls to confess that she sent the fax and wants to meet Jean, the historian has no idea the danger she will be stepping into. The serial killer the Owl has made a home at Stonecraft Academy and Jean would be a prize addition to the victim list of at least five from the class of two decades ago. Though the plot seems anemic in spite of a serial killer and the abduction, the suspense is at its usual stratospheric levels as expected from a Mary Higgins Clark thriller. The story line focuses on the Professor dealing with two crises that interconnect with her. Readers will appreciate the heroism of the reluctant female champion as she grits her teeth and goes forth to do battle against an unknown enemy who might be abetted by a peer betrayer. Ms. Clark shows why she is amongst the top echelon of psychological suspense authors with this taut tale. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Keeps you guessing
Review: I thought this was a marvelous read. I didnt guess who the murderer was until the very end. I love that!
Mary Higgins Clark has shown she is still one of the top mystery writers with this book.
Rating:
Summary: Nighttime Is Not The Time
Review: This is definitely not one of Mary Higgins Clark's best. The book begins with Jean Sheridan heading to upstate New York to receive honors, along with six others. But when one dies and one disappears, it soon comes forward that one of the honorees is hiding a shameful secret - that he is a killer known as The Owl. The Owl, so named because of a humiliating grade school performance in which he stuttered his line about owls and wet his pants, is seeking vengeance on the popular group of students who made his school years miserable. Jean, who is hiding her own secrets about her past, must protect someone close to her who may be in danger. If this sounds thrilling, well it isn't. The five suspects - Carter, Gordon, Jack, Mark, and Robby - are interchangeable. All were nerds picked on by the popular kids who have since become popular in their own right, and they all have motives. They're also all pretty much the same person. A gruff widower detective named Sam is on the case, helping Jean wherever she goes. An annoying 16-year-old student, Jake, is also on the case, taking photos and managing to crack the case that has been unsolved for 20 years. In the end...well not to spoil it, but when I learned the identity of the Owl, I was severely disappointed. Even the reasons for the Owl's murderous rampage are explained away pretty quickly in about three pages, all for the predictable conclusion. If you like Mary Higgins Clark, well you know what you're going to get here. Some melodrama, some romance, a heroine in peril, the elderly man who tries to save her, and secret shady pasts held by nearly everyone. If you've never read Mary Higgins Clark, try another one of her many books first.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting page turner!!!
Review: I have read almost all of MHC books. I have to say that I was slightly disappointed with her latest offerings, such as "Daddy's little girl" and "The second time around". This fact notwithstanding,, I hurried to buy her latest book and I am glad I did. "Nighttime..." was really excellent. I can't begin to understand what other readers are talking about, especially the ones commenting that they had to read the sentences twice in order to understand their meaning!!!!!! I finished the book in two days, since I just could not stop reading. To be honest, I liked the change from the usual "damsel-in-distress" type of plot that MHC most often uses. An intelligent plot, fast pacing, good characterization...what else can you ask from a suspense novel?
Rating:
Summary: Deadly Class Reunion
Review: I am a fan of Mary Higgins Clark (MHC) so any book that she writes is always a treat. This book is no exception. The book revolves around Jean Sheridan who is attending a class reunion and finds that most of the girls that she went to school with have died under mysterious circumstances. Not only does she have to worry about one of her classmate (Laura) who has disappeared from the reunion but someone is sending Jean threatening notes regarding her daughter, which she gave up for adoption when she graduated from Stonecraft Academy. This book is a little bit different in that MHC gives us many suspects (5 or 6). During this story you are continually trying to guess which of the former classmate is threatening Jean and her daughter. I only gave the book 4 stars because when the psycho is finally unveiled you are left wondering why was he so obsessed with Jean. Throughtout the story MHC gives us a little bit of what is going on in his head and why he is "loco" but you kinda expect a confrontation with the killer and Jean, who was really his target all along. I enjoyed the book very much but I just wanted the ending to have more of an impact.
Rating:
Summary: Psychological Thriller Is Late Night PageTurner
Review: Mary Higgins Clark takes us to the twenty-year reunion of what must have been the unhappiest high school ever. Six members of the class are being honored, and you would be hard-pressed to find another group of such obvious malcontents. However, amongst the honorees is renowned historian Jean Sheridan who harbors the secret of having given up her out-of-wedlock child for adoption. Now, not only Jean, but her child and everyone who shared her lunch table is systematically being eliminated by a disturbed fellow student who identifies himself as "the Owl" because nighttime is his time. This is a look into the mind of a psychopathic serial killer and the lasting effects of childhood bullying. Interestingly enough, all the men being honored were bullied as high schoolers, but all have become successful in their chosen fields. However, those long-ago scars cause serious repercussions that erupt at the reunion. My main complaint with this book is there are too many characters to keep track of. The four men being honored are barely distinguishable one from the other and it is virtually anitclimatic when the killer is finally exposed. On the other hand, the suspense you expect from Mary Higgins Clark is present as well as two sub-plots involving romance. If you are already a fan of her work, this one will not disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: Nighttime Is My Time
Review: I must say that I have read many of MHC's books and I happened to enjoy this one, as I have many of her books I've read. It was a little hard to keep up with all the characters at times, but I was able to finish the book in a few days. "Nighttime Is My Time" is a good, fun read.
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