Dashing through the snow? More like grinding to a halt! (Dashing Through the Snow - Mary Higgins Clark)

Member Name: rachelwestall

Product:	Dashing Through the Snow - Mary Higgins Clark
Date:	13/02/09 (221 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick read

Disadvantages: Rushed ending

Dashing through the Snow.

When I saw this title in the library I thought that it was an appropriate read for this week!

~Mary and Carol Higgins Clark~

The Dooyoo title description above implies that this novel was written solely by Mary Higgins Clark. In fact the authors of this novel are a mother and daughter team. Mary (the mum or should it be Mom?) has written 31 worldwide bestselling suspense novels, of which I have read several. She has teamed up with her daughter Carol to write five titles together. Carol is an author in her own right having written eleven of the 'Regan Reilly' mysteries.

This is a new title written by the duo, and was published in 2008.

~The cover~

I am not sure why Dooyoo have not included a picture of this book, as I gave them a link, so here is a breif description of the cover.

It is dark blue with large gold lettering proclaiming the authors names. Mary at the top and Carol at the bottom. The title is in much smaller lettering in the middle situated underneath a picture of a couple of houses lit up at night, in a snowy setting. In italics it says ' The Chilling New Christmas Thriller'.

~The Plot~

It is quite difficult with this novel to say too much about the storyline with out giving the game away, so this section will be quite brief. Although Christmas is mentioned on the front cover, I wouldn't really say it's a Christmasy book, just set during a winter festival. It is the fifth book that uses the same sleuths - Alvirah Meehan, amateur detective and Regan Reilly, Private investigator, and along with them also come their partners.It is quite a fast paced story set in the pretty New Hampshire town of Branscombe. (I assume this is a fictional place.) The locals are preparing for a Christmas festival.

As there are quite a few central characters, initially it was quite challenging trying to remember who everyone was. The main plot revolves around five workers from a family run supermarket (Conklins) who win the lottery - Glenda, the head cashier, Ralph the butcher, Marion, who runs the bakery, Tommy who works in the sandwich department and Duncan who is head of produce. On the night of the big win Duncan unexpectedly goes missing. Strangely, there is another winning ticket bought in the next town, but the winner hasn't come forward.

Also thrown into the mix are Edmund and Woodrow Winthrop, two financial experts who have been advising folk from Branscombe about how to look after their money. It is obvious from the start that these two are crooks and are up to no good.

Another character we are introduced to is Flower, Duncan's girlfriend. She too goes missing as the plot deepens. However Alvirah Meehan and Regan Reilly arrive in Branscombe for the weekend to enjoy the festival. They are just the people to find out what is going on, and as they dig beneath the surface, they find that life in Branscombe is not as tranquil as it appears.

What are the Winthrop's up to, and will the missing characters be found alive?


~My thoughts~

If you have read any books by Mary Higgins Clark you will know that she has a particular style and formula to her crime thriller novels. There is an American wholesomeness to the stories that I like. Yes murders and crimes are committed, and that's not wholesome, but the books are not full of foul language, gratuitous violence or scenes of an overtly sexual nature. I realise that this may disappoint some of you!! Some may regard this as twee, but I am getting very squeamish as I get older and I find I can cope with the level of tension that Higgins- Clark provides.

This book is only 226 pages long and took me an afternoon to read. I was drawn into the story quickly and although there were many characters I was able to place them allwithout too much effort. There is mystery enough and the authors create page turning tension for most of the book. There is also the obligatory romantic storyline - Duncan and Flower are in love, but will they ever see each other again?

I find the character of Alvirah to be a bit of a busy body! She is always in the right place at the right time. She too is a lottery winner and was able to give up her job as a cleaner and enjoy life as a socialite. However she seems to stumble upon crimes on a regular basis. It's a bit like Midsommer Murders - if you see John Nettles (Inspector Barnaby) coming, head in the opposite direction because you know someone is going to die!

The criminal element of the story (the Winthrop brothers and others - can't say too much!) lack dimension. There is not enough time spent building up their characters, whom I feel come across as weak and ineffective. As a reader I did not feel that they were portrayed as 'bad' enough. Perhaps thats what you get for enjoying more 'wholesome' crime stories!

The main criticism I have is with the story ending, which I felt was too abrupt. There was scope to prolong the tension and maybe add a few twists and turns, but this did not happen and I was left feeling a bit short changed.

Would I recommend this book - Yes! Despite my criticisms, it was a good read and I enjoyed it. There was enough to the story to keep me reading and to stop me thinking about all the jobs I should be doing! If I don't like a book I don't plough on to the bitter end regardless, especially as I usually get them from the library and I don't feel as though I am wasting money.

You can buy this book at the moment on Amazon for £6.49 (Hardback edition)
It is published by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd

Thank you for reading.

Summary: A good read!