Book Review - Mary Higgins Clark "The Lost Years"

I have always been a Mary Higgins Clark fan. I started reading her when I was probably twelve or thirteen because my mom loved her books... and I fell in love with them too. They typically are keep-you-up-at-night thrillers and I adore them. I still think of scenes from Remember Me and Weep No More, My Lady, books that touched me and drew me in.

The newest one, The Lost Years was so far gone from those books I loved it's actually sad.

 

The premise was good. Here's the blurb from the book cover: "Just weeks after discovering a letter that may have been written by Jesus Christ himself, biblical scholar Jonathan Lyons is found shot to death in his study. Police suspect his wife, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, murdered him in a jealous rage. But the priceless parchment is missing, and Jonathan had recently confided to a family friend his suspicions that someone he once trusted had designs on the ancient document. It is up to his daughter, Mariah, to clear her mother of murder charges and unravel the real mystery behind her father’s death—before her own revelations become her last."

 

I was interested.... BUT when I tried to read it, I could not get into it. I forced myself past the first chapter... and then past the second chapter and so forth. It was never a can't-put-down novel, despite my best efforts. I found Mariah, a 28 year old, to be OLD. Her conversations sounded like a 50 year old woman, her mental state and the way she handled everything was not what a girl in her twenties would do. I should know... I am one! Even the love interest part was annoying... how do you go from "I am non-commital about you, since you are my dad's friend" to "I hate you because you probably killed my dad" to "I love you" all in a matter of chapters? Totally unrealistic.

 

Not to mention, all that aside, the premise of the ancient document was hardly touched upon. They had a blurb that was repeated almost word for word about the document that said "It was written by Christ to Joseph of Arimithea to thank him for his kindness" or something along those lines, and that was about all we got. I wanted more of a Dan Brown feel to it... give me something more!

 

Overall? Not her best work. I'd give it a 3 star rating... simply because I can't bear to give her worse than that! If you want a good mystery, stick to her earlier books. You will love them. But as for this one? Pass, unless you are a die hard fan.

 

xox Have a great day everyone!

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