Review: The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke

 

The Cinderella Murder: An Under Suspicion Novel by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published November 18th 2014 by Simon & Schuster
Source: Borrowed from the library


Description:
Television producer Laurie Moran is delighted when the pilot for her reality drama, Under Suspicion, is a success. Even more, the program - a cold case series that revisits unsolved crimes by recreating them with those affected - is off to a fantastic start when it helps solve an infamous murder in the very first episode.

Now Laurie has the ideal case to feature in the next episode of Under Suspicion: the Cinderella Murder. When Susan Dempsey, a beautiful and multi-talented UCLA student, was found dead, her murder raised numerous questions. Why was her car parked miles from her body? Had she ever shown up for the acting audition she was due to attend at the home of an up-and-coming director? Why does Susan's boyfriend want to avoid questions about their relationship? Was her disappearance connected to a controversial church that was active on campus? Was she close to her computer science professor because of her technological brilliance, or something more? And why was Susan missing one of her shoes when her body was discovered?

With the help of lawyer and Under Suspicion host Alex Buckley, Laurie knows the case will attract great ratings, especially when the former suspects include Hollywood's elite and tech billionaires. The suspense and drama are perfect for the silver screen - but is Cinderella's murderer ready for a close-up? 

My Review:
I love a good mystery that keeps me guessing and I was guessing right up until the end with this one. Mary Higgins Clark is a go-to for me. I've been reading her books for around 25 years and I really do enjoy them.

I enjoyed this one because her last book was about a murder mystery that Laurie was trying to solve with her tv program, Under Suspicion. This story was about another episode that Laurie was going to produce, so the reader sees some of the same familiar characters in a new setting.

Laurie is really smart and really self-reliant. I love how protective her lawyer friend, Alex, and her father, Leo, are of her. I also love seeing how far she's come since her own tragic past. She's moving on and healing. She's determined to help solve a 20 year old case about a talented young college girl who is murdered. She really wants to help put this girl's mother at peace.

There are so many suspects, with more popping up at every turn. I really enjoyed the way it all unfolded. As usual, a great mystery with great characters. It looks like this might be part of a new little series, which I think is wonderful!

Content: I've noticed MHC's other books usually have some swearing, but this one had no language; mention of child abuse, not graphic at all; murders and violence that are very mild; mild romance. Clean.

 

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About the Authors:

Mary Higgins Clark, #1 international and New York Times bestselling author, is the author of 46 books and counting: she’s written thirty-three suspense novels; three collections of short stories; a historical novel, Mount Vernon Love Story; two children’s books, including The Magical Christmas Horse; and a memoir, Kitchen Privileges. She has also written five holiday suspense novels with Carol Higgins Clark and The Cinderella Murder, a new thriller in collaboration with bestselling novelist Alafair Burke.

Clark’s books have sold more than 100 million copies in the United States alone. Her books are beloved around the world and have made her an international bestseller many times over.


  
Alafair Burke is the author of "two power house series" (Sun-Sentinel) that have earned her a reputation for creating strong, believable, and eminently likable female characters, such as NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher and Portland Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid. Alafair's novels grow out of her experience as a prosecutor in America's police precincts and criminal courtrooms, and have been featured by The Today Show, People Magazine, The New York Times, MSNBC, The Washington Post, USA Today, and The Chicago Sun-Times. According to Entertainment Weekly, Alafair "is a terrific web spinner" who "knows when and how to drop clues to keep readers at her mercy."

A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure. Her books have been translated into 12 languages.

Alafair's latest thriller, Long Gone, has been praised by some of the world's most respected crime writers: Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Karin Slaughter, Lisa Scottoline, Lisa Unger, and Nelson DeMille.

Learn more about Alafair at www.alafairburke.com