Rating: 
Summary: Really Disappointing
Review: Mary Higgins Clark is one of my favorite authors and I always look forward to each new book. Her last book, Daddy's Little Girl was somewhat disappointing; this book is extremely disappointing. The book is poorly written and contains some major plot flaws. As an example, one of the main characters, Ned Cooper, suffers from an infected, burned hand that is featured prominently in the first half of the book. However, once the injury has served its purpose in advancing the plot, it is never mentioned again. One day, Ned's hand is so swollen and painful he can't use it. The very next day, Ned is back to shaving, emailing, etc without any difficulty. I found flaws like this to be very distracting. I also found the basic medical and financial sabotage plot to be rather implausible. Let's hope Mary Higgins Clark returns to her full potential in her next book.
Rating:
Summary: Outside the Strike Zone
Review: This was my first MHC novel, and perhaps it was not the best one to start off with. But, given that the issue of medical research fraud interests me, I thought I'd give it a read.MHC probably spends more time talking about what her main character had for lunch than any sort of believable medical research (fraudulent or not), so I assume (very unkindly) that it was a plot device to make this novel different from all the others she has written. By the time I was done, I was thinking that I might have just read an outline for a "Murder, She Wrote" episode. So, I did not find the plot to be particularly innovative, the medical information to be particularly well-researched, or the obligatory tension-building scenes to be... well, anything but obligatory. If there was a bin for "Pulp Suspense", this would fill it nicely. Two stars for the fact I was able to finish it without throwing it out in disgust. But there were moments.....
Rating: 
Summary: hammock, lemonade, Mary Higgins Clark
Review: "The Second Time Around" is a great hammock-read for summer time as Mary Higgins Clark delivers again, with a suspenseful story, a plucky heroine, and a revengeful killer. In true MHC style, she's plugged into the trends of the times, letting us know that if answering machines ring four or more times, the person being called has probably left home only recently; if there are any messages, the machine will ring twice only. She's aware of hotmail.com and its uses for email anonymity. Mary Higgins Clark is a storyteller in the great tradition; her stories unwind effortlessly with expertly-timed plots, well-defined and identifiable characters, and trendy touches like those mentioned. Kudoes to her for another page-turner!
Rating: 
Summary: Mary Higgins Clark Excels With Novel Of Medical Fraud
Review: I am a huge Mary Higgins Clark fan, and although this book was most enjoyable, I may have reached the end of my fascination for the "young girl in jeopardy" plot MHC has so successfully mastered. After more than twenty novels following the same basic pattern, the plots have become a little too familiar, the ending a bit too predictable. With that being said, I still enjoyed this one. The deception and suspense were first-rate as always and the idea of corporate fraud very timely. The charismatic Nicholas Spencer who is determined to develop his vaccine that cures cancer is larger-than-life. Readers are drawn to him as we learn about his first wife's ill-fated battle with cancer and his concern for his own son and the millions of children he wants to save from the heartbreak of losing a parent to cancer. Investigative reporter Carley DeCarlo is the heroine who has not only a professional interest in the disappearance of Nicholas Spencer but also a personal one. She is the stepsister of his second wife and wants to either clear his name of the fraud he is accused of or be satisfied that he did indeed loot the company and offer false hope to patients. Carley is led on a hot trail of clues as she tries to establish Spencer's guilt or innocence while a disturbed killer who lost money on the vaccine methodically kills every person he feels has committed an injustice against him. Watching the threads come together and uncovering the a world of medical fraud and financial manipulation is interesting, but it is the cancer patients themselves who make this book tug at your heartstrings. A young girl and a grown man find new life thanks to Spencer's vaccine, but others will fall hard as the truth comes to light. Meanwhile, Carley's own tragic past is revealed and a new love gives her support and hope as she discovers love the second time around.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This book was so not the usual Mary Higgins Clark mystery novel. I had to force myself to continue reading it as there was no pull at all and really no excitement to the story. Hopefully her next novel will be back to her great writing.
Rating: 
Summary: Typical MHC
Review: Mary Higgins Clark is like the Danielle Steel of the mystery genre. If you don't go in expecting too much you can be in for a pleasant lightweight reading experience. SECOND TIME AROUND was what I expected-middle of the road okay MHC-not great, not bad. It's a good beach read-something that you don't have to concentrate on too hard. It's the kind of book you can read in one day and forget about it on the next day.
Rating: 
Summary: Mary Higgins Clark is Missing in Action
Review: For more years than I care to admit, I have been reading Mary Higgins Clark mysteries, anxiously purchasing each new book in hard cover. When Carol Higgins Clark, her daughter, began writing mysteries of her own, I purchased the first one, hot off the press too. It ended up being the LAST Carol Higgins Clark book that I bought...so much did I hate her writing style. Well, it's sad to say, but I think that Carol may have convinced her mother to take a break and penned The Second Time Around herself. Gone are Mary's cliff hanging chapter endings, charming and interesting characters, and diabolical plotlines. Instead, the reader must endure simplistic dialogue in the first person, empty, boring plotlines, and characters so flat, one could slide them under a door.
In the past, I couldn't put Mary Higgins Clark books down, but with The Second Time Around, it was the complete reverse...I had to force myself to read each chapter, and only continued reading to see if the ending, at least, would be good. Well, like the rest of the book, it wasn't! I've always dreaded the day when Mary Higgins Clark would no longer turn out her wonderful mysteries...unfortunately that day has arrived, and a very sad day it is for all of her fans!
Rating:
Summary: Applause for MHC
Review: Second Time Around is true to Clark's reputation. I would recommend it to those who enjoy mysteries with intricate, twisting plots, but could do without strong language and goriness, Well written, intriguing storyline, likable characters, etc. I read and enjoy MHC when I need a good escape. Her books do not require a great deal of concentration, they're simply enjoyable and fun to read. .
Rating:
Summary: My first and last MHC Novel
Review: I decided to give MHC a try because the premise to this book seemed exciting. Boy, was I wrong!!! This is one of the worst books I've ever read.... The language is so elemental and simplistic, even a 12-year old could've written this! I got tired of the heroine's silly first-person narrative (in particular, when she describes how people look and how the places she visits are decorated) and her "can't do anything wrong" luck as she goes around interviewing an endless parade of characters who seemed cut out of cardboard like herself. The story is boring and repetitive - nothing exciting happens in the first 200 pages (I must confess I've given up and stopped reading).
Rating:
Summary: Very disappointed
Review: I've read all of MHC's novels and always look forward to purchasing her latest thriller. Usually I can read her book in a day instead it was a huge struggle just to read a single chapter. I found it to be boring and at times very confusing. I thought the ending was going to be more exciting but instead it ended abruptly. Overall, this book was a disappointment. I hope her next book is better than this novel.
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