Friday, June 28, 2019

Two New Favorite Authors

I've been reading books by Mary Higgins Clark for many years even though I find her writing style stilted and awkward. I keep reading her books (some more than once) because the plots are gripping and once I get started, it's hard to stop. Plus I read so many books, I can rarely remember "who done it." Clark's most recent books, the ones that are part of the Under Suspicion series written with Alafair Burke, are better in terms of writing and the plots are just as good.

When I saw that my local public library had recently purchased The Better Sister, I requested it. Now Alafair Burke is on my list of "must read" authors. The twists and turns in this story rival any by Lisa Scottoline (though Lisa's last book, Someone Knows, had a few twists too many making the ending feel contrived).

Another author (actually two writing as one) I really like is Liv Constantine. Her first book, The Last Mrs. Parrish, was a fascinating thriller. When I saw The Last Time I Saw You was available at the library, I immediately requested it and was not disappointed. While I suspected one particular person might be the stalker responsible for "gaslighting" the main character, I had many doubts about his/her guilt (no spoiler alert here) and was vacillating till the end. My only criticism is that some issues (e.g. the husband's financial situation) were left unresolved while over explaining the stalker's background. Both are minor points.

As I get to the end of the series of a specific author and wonder what I'll read next, it's good to know there are always new authors to discover. After all, how many times can I re-read Mary Higgins Clark?