Rating: 
Summary: (4+) Whooo is the Owl?
Review: NOTE: While this review contains detailed information about this story, none of it is in the nature of a spoiler. In fact, more details have been revealed on the bookjacket and in other reviews. My purpose is to provide the reader with the flavor and nature of the story; almost all the things I discuss are general in nature and occur very early in the book.This murder mystery begins with Alison, the owner of one of the country's largest talent agencies, drowning in her own pool in a manner that causes the police to rule the death an accident. However, the reader knows that in truth she has been murdered by an unidentified figure intent on avenging some past wrong. We then learn that Alison had been about to attend her twentieth class reunion at Stonecroft Academy in Cornwall-On-Hudson, N.Y., but instead will be buried in her hometown cemetery and that a memorial service for her will be held during the reunion. Before the reunion can begin, the scene shifts to that small town where local detective and widower Sam Deegan is reviewing the case file regarding the still unsolved brutal killing of local teenager Karen Sommers twenty years ago before he pays his annual visit to Karen's widowed mother Alice on the anniversary of Karen's death. Next we meet Jean Sheridan, who after leaving Stonecroft graduated from Bryn Mawr, received her Ph.D. from Princeton and has gained public recognition through the recent publication of a widely acclaimed historical study. Despite being one of the successful graduates that Stonecroft has chosen to honor during the reunion, Jean has been very reluctant to return to a town which we learn holds very bittersweet memories for her. However, she feels compelled to attend when she is notified that the memorial servive for her girlhood friend Alison will be held during the reunion. We soon learn that Jean's secret boyfriend, a cadet at the adjacent West Point Military Academy, died in a tragic accident just before her graduation and that someone has recently uncovered the secret of their relationship and is using this information to psychologically torture Jean. When Jean arrives on campus the final elements of the plot fall into place when Jake Perkins, a reporter from the campus newspaper attempts to interview her concerning the apparent "coincidence" that Alison was the fourth classmate of a group of six girls who regularly ate lunch together to die over the past twenty years in very tragic but seemingly unrelated accidents. Only Jean and Laura Wilcox, a well known actress who we soon meet when she arrives for the reunion, remain alive. Now that the stage has been set, we meet Jack Emerson, their only classmate who has chosen to remain in their hometown and who has become a very successful real estate developer. Because of his local presence, Jack has agreed to serve as reunion chairman and greets the other honorees as they arrive. First is Carter Stewart, a well known writer of exceedingly dark plays. Next is Mark Fleischman, a therapist specializing in adolescent psychiatry who has become a popular media talk show host. Then Gordon Amory, the incredibly wealthy part owner of several media properties, arrives; he is followed by Robby Brent, a caustic comedian whose empathy and personal warmth are likened to that of Don Rickles. As the story proceeds, Sam Deegan is called upon to investigate some apparently random and unrelated murders that occur in the vicinity. Then Laura Wilcox vanishes and soon after one of the other honorees disappears. What the reader knows is that this is all the work of THE OWL, the mysterious personality buried deep within one of the guests who occasionally emerges to select his prey and then utilize his sharp talons to avenge the humiliations visited upon him as an insecure teenager over twenty years ago. (And of course his mantra is NIGHTTIME IS MY TIME.) So this story is not only a traditional whodunit, but also a "race against time" thriller since the killer's task is unfinished. The strong points of the story are that it has a very interesting plot and it is a real page turner that can easily be read during a rainy day or on a long flight. And the author does a fabulous job of misdirection with regard to the identity of THE OWL. Each of the male attendees seems to have sufficient motivation so that any of them could be the psychotic killer. The plot is interesting, but the number of suspects and their complex relationship required a paper and notepad for me to keep them all straight. There are two negatives which kept me from a five star rating. First, there is almost no character development; NIGHTTIME is about keeping the reader engaged through non-stop action rather than developing empathy with the individuals involved. Second, since this book is written so that the reader has a broader overview of events than any of the individual characters, the outcome of several of the ancillary storylines will be obvious to most readers before Jean and Sam fit all the pieces of the puzzle together and the book reaches its conclusion. Despite these criticisms, I enjoyed the pace of the action, the complexity of the plot, and the fact the the author tied up all the loose ends in an almost "happily ever after" conclusion for the participants fortunate enough to remain alive. As an addendum, if you enjoy interesting murder mysteries with complex plots but prefer substantial character development so that the participants seem three dimensional, I highly recommend THE LAST GOODBYE by Reed Arvin (review 2/17/2004). This is probably the best murder mystery I have read this year, and is well researched and wonderfully informative as well. Tucker Andersen
Rating:
Summary: Mary Higgins Clark should team up with Jamian Snow to write
Review: Nitetime is a fine read no matter what the reviewers say. I thought that the characters were interesting and the way she kept me guessing was why I read all of her novels. Personally, I believe that Ms. Clark would would have another best-seller on her hands if she teamed up with Jamian Snow, author of Shrouded Insanity. I bought his book on Amazon too and now I have two favorite writers. They both write awesome!! They would be dynamic together. But Nitetime is a winner!!!! So, all you Mary Higgins Clark fans and Jamian Snow fans, Read it! You won't be disappointed!
Rating: 
Summary: Nighttime May Be My Time...But it's definitely NOT my book!
Review: I became a MHC fan immediately after reading Where Are The Children? and thoroughly looked forward to each new book she wrote. However, I began to notice that with her last 3 - 4 books, the plots were becoming weak, the dialogue repetitious, and the mysteries, luke warm.
With Nighttime is My Time, I began skipping full pages, just to get through the chapter; that's how tedious the writing was. Also, by the time I found out who the 'Owl' was, I really didn't care, because there was no real rhyme or reason supporting the villain.
When I get to the point where I'm checking the story to see if there are any 'fancy' vocabulary words that I may not know, I realize the book no longer holds my attention. This was the case of Nighttime is My Time. I think I'll begin waiting for MHC books to come out in paperback!
Rating: 
Summary: The real mystery is ... who is the author of this book??
Review: Mary Higgins Clark is a gifted and talented author. As a long time fan of her writing, one has certain expectations of her work. This book screams "undeveloped writer" leading one to question, "Who is the real author?" Did Mary Higgins Clark really write this book or has someone "Snagged" a free ride on her reputation. Loyalty is a fine quality but to deceive her fans is not. It would appear that the only mystery is ... have her fans been duped?
Rating:
Summary: Not Up to Her Usual High Standard
Review: I'm a huge Mary Higgins Clark fan, however, this book is not close to her usual high standard. If she hadn't been listed as author, I would have thought her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark had written it. There are many fake clues about the possible killers. They were annoying; rather than keeping me in suspense, I almost didn't finish her book. I hope Clark has not "jumped the shark".
Rating: 
Summary: review by Jamian Snow, author of SHROUDED INSANITY
Review: Nighttime consumed all of my time! I just couldn't put it down. Mary Higgins Clark is the "Queen of Suspense" and this novel proves it. The story was fast-paced and she kept me guessing. A must read!!
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't even finish it!
Review: What a disappointment! Although I've read all of Ms. Clark's books, I have noticed the quality diminishing of late. This was the last straw - I couldn't even read it through to the end; I just skipped ahead to the solution because, after slogging through half the book, I realized the rest of it just wasn't going to be worth my time. I wasn't drawn to any of the major players; in fact, the bit players were more interesting! What's most bothersome about this latest novel is the writing style - repetitive narrative & an unrealistic form of "stream-of-consciousness" to explain the back story and/or personal reactions. NO ONE talks to herself/himself this way! It seems that many of today's "bestseller" authors are being pressured to write a book a year, and that's too quick for some of them, including Mary Higgins Clark. Don't waste your money or your time on "Nighttime Is My Time". If you must read this, however, borrow it from a library.
Rating:
Summary: finished it despite my better insticts
Review: I love Mary Higgins Clark's earlier works but this one was tedious to read. Wordy and frankly boring. The characters were not fleshed out and difficult to distinguish between at times...all of the suspects were so bitter. I really wanted to like it and stuck it out to the end for the payoff...unfortunately there was none. The murder so conveniently commands his victims to not say his name...and they conveniently obey to keep us in"suspense" pulease! I hope that Ms. Clark goes back to her early character and plot development standards and creates characters we care about. She doesn't need to come out with a book EVERY year...I'd be willing to wait for the quality novel she is more than capable of producing.
Rating:
Summary: Not her best but still very good
Review: I am a very big Mary Higgins Clark fan, owning every single one of her books. I think this book was very well written and in her usual style, but for some reason I had a much harder time getting "into" the book than usual. Still worth the purchase if you're a big fan like me!
Rating:
Summary: A School Without Class
Review: Set in the very real, very familiar town of Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, the exclusive Stonecroft School is holding its 20th Anniversary Reunion. An eclectic cast of characters will be attending, one of whom is a murderer. Each comes with an agenda and with the exception of one character, all are possible suspects. Alison, the hateful brat who delighted in ridiculing her classmates. When she is found dead in her swimming pool, it is impossible to feel sorry for her and one thinks she finally got the come uppance that was long overdue. Laura - the stereotypical Golden Girl. Blond and blue-eyed, she delights in mocking people and is a shallow, selfish character. It is not surprising that she uses people and works closely with the hateful Alison. When she ends up missing, it is very possible that she has her own agenda as well. Dr. Jean Sheridan, the Class Success Story. Armed with a secret past, she fears for her daughter's life, the child she placed for adoption hours after the baby's birth. Joel - the boy Romeo who was the brunt of Alison's satircal wit. An adulterer with a shady financial past, he, too emerges as a possible suspect. Howard/Carter - the Beatle mopped boy who was also a whipping boy for his peers. A successful playright, he exacts revenge by using his classmates as literary targets. Gordon - the scrawny, abused child who suffered further humiliation at Stonecroft. The once browbeaten child becomes a successful television mogul in his own right. He, too has an agenda and is reliving his painful past when the duplicitious Laura uses him to further her career. Mark - The psychiatrist who heals his own painful past by helping adolescents. The son of two callous parents who wrongfully accuse him of a tragedy he did not have any part of, he works hard through and for his patients. It is possible that he might have some insight as to who has been killing his former classmates. Rob - Class clown, now comedian. Another whipping boy, Rob uses his bad experiences at Stonecroft, including mockery from teachers to good use. He verbally scathes his former classmates and a math teacher who humiliated him during his student days. Good grief, since Stonecroft was such a bad experience for these folks, why the heck return for a reunion?! Add to it several former classmates died under mysterious circumstances prior to the reunion. Mark was the only likable character.
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