Rating: Summary: Slightly, Suspenseful Halls Review: Actually I would give "Deck the Halls" 3.5 stars a notch slightly above "Silent Night" another recent read of mine for the holidays. This book involves a kidnapping, a mystery writer's husband and oddly enough the bumbling kidnappers decide to use her mystery novels as a plan for the ransom drop. Add in some little subplots (including a recently rich sleuth, Alvirah my favorite character for gutsy and nosey determination) that help flesh out the story and you have an effective little suspense novel written by a good mother and daughter writer team. I am interested in reading the other "Christmas" novels in Mary and Carol Higgins Clark chain, but I think I will wait until next year. I'm kind of surprised that the television networks haven't already optioned this.
Rating: Summary: dragged a little Review: Although the book moved fast towards the beginnig as it reached the 150th page it seemed like it shouldve already been over. It wasnt suppenseful like most of her other book but you could read it for a good laugh.
Rating: Summary: Interesting Twist Falls Flat Review: As one who looks forward to any new Mary Higgins Clark book, I have to sadly admit that this was a disappointment. Being a lover of mysteries set at Christmas, I was totally captivated by her previous Christmas novella, "All Through The Night." This current one, while starting out on an interesting note (loved having Alvirah connect with Regan Reilly), falls flat quickly due to the lack of suspense. Is there any reader who does not know from early into the book how this is going to turn out? The suspense is virtually non-existent. Also, Mary has gone to the kidnapping at Christmas plot once too often. It worked so well in "All Through the Night" because the reader was caught up in the suspense of the helpless infant being the victim. It's hard to muster the same level of concern for two adults who seem far wiser than their inept kidnappers. I've read all of MHC's books and this one goes on the bottom of my list when ranking favorites. But I hope she does another Christmas one in 2001; just want her to be more imaginative and suspenseful.
Rating: Summary: 'Tis The Season Review: Both Mary and Carol Higgins Clark are well-renowned authors, and have written countless good books between the two of them. Finally, we get the chance to see them work together. This collaborative effort is quite good.In DECK THE HALLS, writer Nora Reilly is in the hospital with a broken leg. Her husband and his driver are kidnapped by a client, and held for $1 million ransom. In a race against time, not to mention the own personal friction between the two kidnappers, several characters from the past are included in the suspense. What truly makes this novel entertaining is the diverse mesh of interesting characters. Both writers include some of your favorites from other stories. With a plethora of plot twists peppered with some incredibly zany situations, DECK THE HALLS is a real good read. The storyline is easy to follow, and the witty dialogue helps move it along nicely. This is a pleasurable, light read, and one that is perfect for this time of year. DECK THE HALLS will definately leave you feeling quite jolly.
Rating: Summary: A bit of fluff !! Review: Deck the Halls by the mother and daughter team of Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark is ideal for an afternoons read by the fire.Two private detectives, each a favourite character in the respective writers novels, team up to solve a kidnapping.It's a light,pleasant bit of flummery and, being such a slim volume, takes only a couple of hours to read without any brain strain. The crooks are bumbling idiots and the outcome is very obvious right from the beginning. Another thing that bothered me was the writing style-I seem to remember this speech pattern from my schoolgirl stories when I was a child and it just doesn't suit adult books.
Rating: Summary: Good Not Great Review: First of all, both Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark are great writers. This just wasn't their best book. I feel that the book was a little slow moving, and could really get boring at certain parts. It was pretty easy to see that both kidnapped victims Luke and Rosita would be home safe and sound for Christmas, from the very beginning of the book. A little predictable, but still a good read. I recommend this book to any fans of Mary Higgins Clark and/or Carol Higgins Clark.
Rating: Summary: An okay read Review: I admit this isn't one of Mary Higgins Clark's best. I've never read any of the books they've wrote together, so I didn't know what to expect. I had been wanting to read it for some time, but it didn't have a lot of suspense in it so I only gave it three stars.
Rating: Summary: Deck the Halls Review: I have read several novels by Mary Higgins Clark, but none by her daughter Carol. They team up to write "Deck the Halls", which has Carol's series character, Regan Reilly, and Mary's character, Alvirah Meehan, who has appeared in several of her novels. The novel centers around the kidnapping of Regan's father, Luke Reilly, and his driver just days before Christmas. Regan and Alvirah team up to help solve the crime. The kidnappers follow a plot used by Regan's mother, Nora, who is a mystery writer. This is an enjoyable read, and is recommended for 3-4 hours of holiday fun.
Rating: Summary: Add A Star If You Are A Big Mary Higgins Clark Fan Review: It has become an annual tradition for Mary Higgins Clark to put out a Christmas thriller. They are shorter books than her usual fare and I guess they are marketed as great stocking stuffers. Lately, I have found myself enjoying Clark's books less and less. They have become much too predictable and at best can be described as "lite" thrillers. If this type of book appeals to you, you will enjoy Deck The Halls. Loyal fans of Clark's work will find the usual elements that attract them to her books. For those readers looking for something fresh and exciting, this book is not for you. I have never read any of the books written by her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark(who she cowrote this book with), so I have no point of comparison on her end. I will say that reading Deck The Halls does not inspire to go out and read any of Carol's other work. This is not an awful book, it's just not an interesting one. Any mystery and thriller fan will be able to predict all the action in this book by the time they've reached page fifty. I realize that is actually a positive characteristic for avid Mary Higgins Clark fans. The familiarity of both the plot and characters is attractive to these fans and the formula will produce another New York Times Bestseller. For those who have never read Clark before this is not the place to start. Go back to one of her earlier works when her plots seemed fresh and new. A true Christmas present from Clark would be to write a book as good as those early ones. These books are an annual tradition I could live without.
Rating: Summary: Tendrils of Tension Review: The Mother/Daughter Author Team merges two sets of detectives in this tightly written kidnapping at Christmas saga. In 202 pages, they craft a very suspenseful "night before Christmas" mystery with an amazing set of characters including Santa and two young boys looking at life without their mama. The tension takes over and the reader is privy to the pressures of time that police work under every day. As the minutes tick, the ever delightful Alvirah and Willy and Regan Reilly join the police in pursuing clues and rushing down empty alleys. Will the incredibly inept bad guys be successful? Will sifting through the clues provide the answer in time to get Luke & Rosita to their respective homes for Christmas? Or, will grim luck take over and everything go wrong? And could romance possibly be lurking? Quite an AMAZING read, and one I highly recommend.
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