Mary Higgins Clark, the “Queen of Suspense,” has crafted a very special holiday story about a child’s courage in the face of danger, and the power of love. Charged with menace and thrilling suspense, it is the #1 New York Times bestselling author’s gift to readers for all seasons. When Catherine Dornan’s husband, Tom, is diagnosed with leukemia, she and their two young sons travel with him to … with him to New York during the holiday season for a lifesaving operation. On Christmas Eve, hoping to lift the boys’ spirits, Catherine takes them to see Rockefeller Center’s famous Christmas tree; while there, seven-year-old Brian notices a woman taking his mother’s wallet. A St. Christopher medal tucked inside the wallet saved his grandfather’s life in World War II, and Brian believes with all his heart that it will protect his father now. Impulsively, Brian follows the thief into the subway, and the most dangerous adventure of his young life begins…
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Mary Higgins Clark has been a favorite of mine for a long time, but her Christmas book, Silent Night, is a perfect example of why I loved her books so much over the years. She puts you in the hearts and minds of her characters. A mother living through horror and paralyzing fear when her little boy goes missing, the anger, frustration, and desperation of the hardened criminal who took him, and a little boy with a special St. Christopher medal that he believes will protect him and bring him safely home. This is a Christmas story that will warm your heart and bring a tear or two.
Silent Night, Mary Higgins Clark, 2000
My favorite quote: “God rest you merry gentlemen let nothing you dismay.” While this is obviously not the intellectual property of Ms. Higgins Clark, it’s the best collection of words in this book
Notable characters: I don’t know that I’d call any of them “notable,” but the main characters are Catherine Dornan, a mother; Tom, her dying husband; Michael and Brian, her sons; Cally Hunter, some rando who steals Catherine’s wallet; Jimmy, Cally’s brother, who kidnaps little Brian
Most memorable scene: If there was a memorable scene here, it must have slipped past me
Greatest strengths: It tried very hard to capture the spirit of Christmas. Like any wise spirit, however, it fled. Slippery little bastards
Standout achievements: On the cover of the copy I had, there was a bulbous-headed little boy pressing himself against a car window, looking out in what I assume to be terror as the car drove away. I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed at a book cover before but this one made me chuckle
Fun Facts: I recommended this to the small book club I belonged to, and when we were finished a new rule was set in place: No more Mary Higgins Clark. Ever. It’s the only rule our club has ever had
Other media: Who knows. I was about to go look it up and then I was like, meh … who cares
What it taught me: That flat characters and predictability can hollow out even the swiftest pace
How it inspired me: It convinced me never to use the old “life-saving-operation” trope in anything I write, ever. It just feels tired and trite. Or, at least it does in the hands of the “Queen of Suspense,” anyway
Additional thoughts: Of all the Mary Higgins Clark books I’ve read, this one’s my favorite. That’s not an endorsement
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
As MHC books go, this one was more chilling than thrilling, as one might expect from a shorter holiday story, but not as cheesy as some of her books of this nature have been.
What I liked about “Silent Night”:
Entertaining – The story was completely predictable, but it was still fun to see how the moments of tension were going to be deployed. There was no real element of mystery to it, but more one of mild suspense.
What I didn’t care for:
The timeline – The back and forth in time and between the various character perspectives to tell the story felt herky-jerky to me. Transitions could have been smoothed out a bit and the disclosure of relevant history needed some tweaking to make it feel more natural and less abrupt.
I won’t say it’s the best thing I’ve ever read, but it made for a quick and easy tale. It was enough feel-good to be a holiday read within the suspense genre. There really isn’t much more to be said about it. It isn’t what I’d consider a good introduction to true MHC, though; it was a very watered down, holiday-friendly version of what you’d typically expect from her books.
I love everything she writes!