Mary Higgins Clark (December 24, 1927 - January 31, 2020)
Hello Readers.
I knew that I would one day be writing this post. I knew that this day was coming. This knowledge did not make the news from January 31st any easier. One of my favorite authors has died and I am hit with emotions. I knew that this was coming but knowing did not make it any less upsetting.
I remember as a young child that my parents enjoyed reading. My dad would read random things. I was never quite sure what he would be reading. He really liked to read. My mom was different. She loved reading so much. I remember looking at the beautiful books in her bookcases. So many books.
She was open to a lot of books but she had genres that called to her. Her favorite genre was mystery.
My mom did not just like a good mystery, she loved them. Needless to say, Mary Higgins Clark was all over those shelves. She adored her work and shared it with me. She would read some of the books out loud and I would just listen. My mind would play the movie being presented to me. I would ask questions. I was a kid after all. I did not always understand the book but I loved how excited my mom would get as she shared them with me.
Before long, I was a fan. Then I started reading the books myself. In fact, I managed to get copies confiscated in school. I was "reading above my appropriate level". My mom would come to school and basically go off on the teacher for trying to extinguish my passion for reading. I still remember her words. "Yes, I am aware that she has that book. I gave it to her." The book would be returned and the teacher would ignore me any time I brought out a book that was not "age appropriate" from then on. There were a lot of Mary Higgins Clark's books taken in those days.
Some times, when having a slump, I would read one of her books. I knew that her way with words would take me right out of that slump. I would leave my world and enter into the ones she had written. I had the immense privilege to get to meet all these characters and learn about all these places. It was amazing. Life could get so crazy and I knew that I could read one of Mary's books and escape even if just for a moment or two.
Then my mom died. The person that understood my love of reading was gone. I was lost and did not know what to do. I did not pick up a book for months. Part of me wanted to read but I could not do it. It just hurt too much. One day, I was going through a box of my mom's things and I found a copy of Remember Me. It had seen better days. It was old and well loved. I set it aside and continued what I was doing. A few days later, I picked it up and sat down with it. I read it in one afternoon. Mary's words had brought me comfort in a time when I thought I would never have comfort again.
Mary Higgins Clark was an amazing writer. She knew how to draw the reader into her work. She was passionate about writing and loved her fans. She wrote until the end of her life. What an incredible mark this woman has had in the literary world. Her work lives on and she will be deeply missed.
InkedBookDragon
Here is a list of her work. It is extensive. She was called "The Queen of Suspense" for a reason. Some of the books were co-authored through the years but most were written solely by Mary.
Mount Vernon Love Story – 1968
Where Are The Children? – 1975
A Stranger Is Watching – 1977
The Cradle Will Fall – 1980
A Cry In The Night – 1982
Stillwatch – 1984
Weep No More, My Lady – 1987
While My Pretty One Sleeps – 1989
The Anastasia Syndrome And Other Stories – 1989
That’s The Ticket – 1990
Voices In The Coal Bin – 1990
Loves Music, Loves To Dance – 1991
All Around The Town – 1992
Milk Run – 1993
Stowaway – 1993
I’ll Be Seeing You – 1993
Death On The Cape And Other Stories – 1993
Remember Me – 1994
The Lottery Winner And Other Stories – 1994
Let Me Call You Sweetheart – 1995
Silent Night – 1995
Moonlight Becomes You – 1996
My Gal Sunday – 1996
Pretend You Don’t See Her – 1997
You Belong To Me – 1998
All Through The Night – 1998
We’ll Meet Again – 1999
Before I Say Goodbye – 2000
Deck The Halls – 2000
On The Street Where You Live – 2001
He Sees You When You’re Sleeping – 2001
Daddy’s Little Girl – 2002
Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir – 2002
The Second Time Around – 2003
Nighttime Is My Time – 2004
The Christmas Thief – 2004
No Place Like Home – 2005
Two Little Girls In Blue – 2006
Santa Cruise – 2006
Ghost Ship – 2007
I Heard That Song Before – 2007
Where Are You Now? – 2008
Dashing Through The Snow – 2008
Just Take My Heart – 2009
The Shadow Of Your Smile – 2010
I’ll Walk Alone – 2011
The Magical Christmas Horse – 2011
The Lost Years – 2012
Daddy’s Gone A Hunting – 2013
Inherit The Dead – 2013
I’ve Got You Under My Skin – 2014
The Cinderella Murder – 2014
The Mystery Writers Of America Cookbook – 2015
Death Wears A Beauty Mask And Other Stories – 2015
The Five-Dollar Dress – 2015
The Melody Lingers On – 2015
All Dressed In White – 2015
As Time Goes By – 2016
The Sleeping Beauty Killer – 2016
All By Myself, Alone – 2017
Every Breath You Take – 2017
I’ve Got My Eyes On You – 2018
You Don’t Own Me – 2018
Kiss The Girls And Make Them Cry – 2019
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