An interesting combination of authors caught my eyes as I was re-shelving books the other day.  And the combo being that of Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke; Ms. Clark is the author of over 34 suspense novels, mainly those featuring very interesting characters, and Ms. Burke is the daughter of famed mystery writer, James Lee Burke; she is also a graduate of the prestigious Reed College in Portland Oregon, and served as a prosecuting attorney in that city.  She has written a number of novels, some featuring an attorney and some living the life of a homicide detective in NYC.

Reading both books: the first being THE CINDERELLA MURDER and the second ALL DRESSED IN WHITE, I was struck with the problem of trying to delineate which author wrote which: characters or plot.  I finally came to the conclusion that Ms. Clark had handled the characters as that seems to be her strong point, leaving Ms. Burke to handle the plot.  But the overriding question was: who thought of the story?

I hope the reader enjoys the books and will be interested in learning of any conclusions reached regarding the foregoing.

ALL DAY AND A NIGHT by Alafair Burke is the fifth book in the series featuring NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher and her partner J.J. Rogan.  A plot concerning a convicted serial killer and a young ambitious defense attorney suddenly involves Detectives Hatcher and Rogan as part of a “fresh look” team to re-investigate the facts and evidence attributed in the previous conviction.  However, further investigation in not only NYC but also Syracuse, NY reveals additional facts not previously known.

Ms. Burke’s books are very strong and powerful; the characters, both good and bad, are so skillfully drawn by the author that the reader cannot hesitate in believing their existence.  I look forward to many more books by this intriguing author.

Another female writer, this time Lisa Gardner with her book CATCH ME gives the reader not only an excellent character, but an outstanding description of life in various areas of Boston.  Ms. Gardner is a very powerful and descriptive writer; she uses short and semi-short sentences to set her plot, and with these skills draws in the reader in total involvement.  Her heroine this time features Detective D.D. Warren in a terrifying plot that begins when the main character visits her with the news that she is going to be killed on a certain date.

Launching an immediate investigation, Detective Warren then learns of others’ involvement in the life of the character; some of whom had not made an appearance in her life earlier.  Ms. Gardner has written other books, some involving D.D. Warren and some strictly a stand-alone novel.  But her books are the type that will keep you up at night once you start a chapter; I recommend lots of coffee the next morning.

“When an old person dies, a Library burns down.”
Karin Gillespie