(I received a free copy of this novel from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Television producer Laurie Moran is elated 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 instalment of Under Suspicion: the Cinderella Murder. When Susan Dempsey, a beautiful and multi-talented UCLA student, was found dead, her murder left 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? Why was Susan so concerned about her roommate's infatuation with a new-age religious sect? 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 make a great program, 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?

Long-time crime/mystery novelist Mary Higgins Clark teams up with Alafair Burke, novelist, and daughter of the great James Lee Burke. Sounded like an awesome combination, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it...

...and then it took an age for me to get through it. Three attempts I made to read this but it never quite gelled together for me.

If we work from the basics first - the plot: a reality TV show that solves cold cases. In this "episode", we get a UCLA student who is found murdered, but a lot of questions arise from it. All suitably handled by the show. When the investigation starts to get the Hollywood elite, will anyone be safe?

The story was alright - nothing to get really excited about. It just felt like any of the other dozens of MHG books that I have read. My biggest issue with this was: to what extent did Alafair Burke participate in this novel? I have read enough novels by both to be able to identify style - and I don't think I saw any of Burke's writing in this. Was she there as a consultant for the social media component? Did she actually improve MHG's usually drab dialogue? I just didn't feel that Burke was too involved in the writing.

The rest of the book? Just very much the "same old thing" from MHG - loads of questions about the murder, no real suspects, and a bunch of red-herrings to keep everyone guessing...

An alright book that could have used more input from Alafair Burke - at least, her story-telling style.


Paul
ARH