The Cinderella Murder

I can't believe this is the first Mary Higgins Clark book I have read. It was fabulous and kept me interested the whole way through. The story line was great and the cast of characters easy to place as the book advanced. I'm only sorry that I hadn't read the first book in this series, not that that took away from this novel.

This review will appear on the below link approx 12th November

Laurie Moran’s television program Under Suspicion had debuted with huge success. Their very first show had caused a cold case to be solved; a murder which had dogged the police since it had happened. So now Laurie was set to run another; with the approval of her boss Brett, and the help of her assistants, Jerry and Grace, she started on her investigation of the Cinderella Murder. Twenty years previously, nineteen year old UCLA student and only daughter of Jack and Rosemary, Susan Dempsey had been viciously murdered. Her killer had never been found, and Jack had passed away three years previously, having never discovered his daughter’s killer. Now Rosemary was desperate for answers.

Laurie had recently known tragedy herself and now her son, nine year old Timmie and her dad Joe were her life. She juggled her intense workload with her family commitments well, but still she was extremely grateful to her dad for his dedication and care of Timmie. Joe was a retired policeman and kept a close eye on his daughter and grandson. His cop radar was always working.

Getting to know the past players in the Cinderella Murder case was a challenge, but one that Laurie and her team were prepared for. Digging deeply to learn it all could uncover facts the police had missed long ago. That’s what Laurie hoped anyway. When host of Under Suspicion, lawyer Alex Buckley joined the team as they travelled to California, they had no idea that danger was following them all the way. Would Laurie and her team discover Susan’s killer? Would Rosemary know closure after all this time?

The Cinderella Murder is a fabulous start to a new series by two highly successful writers, Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke; my opinion – they have a winning combination! A fabulous thriller with a rocketing pace, loads of tension and suspense to keep you enthralled right the way through. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will be looking for the next in the series – hopefully not too far away. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.

I really liked the approach taken by the writers of basing this crime story as an episode of a reality TV show investigating cold cases. Producer Laurie Moran had a big success with her pilot program and now has the green light to go ahead with an episode on the 20y old murder of beautiful, talented college student, Susan Dempsey. Susan had been on her way to the house of a famous movie director to audition for a part in his new film, however instead her body was found with one shoe missing in a park near his home. There were several unanswered questions at the time. Why was her car found back at the college? How did her room mate manage to get to the Director's so quickly after Susan failed to show up and get the part? Was her boyfriend somehow connected to her death?

Laurie is successful in rounding up Susan's family, her room mates, boyfriend, the movie director, and a college friend and a college professor who she worked for. One of them at least knows more than they are saying but which one is guilty?

With the help of handsome lawyer Alex Buckley, Laurie is able to discover much of what went on that night. The tension and suspense builds gradually as the stories of all involved unfold, culminating in a thrilling ending. Great read! I really loved the combination of these two writers and look forward the next episode in this series.

Four decades ago, Mary Higgins Clark published her first book and since, her standalone novels have been a mainstay of best sellers’ lists. Like many of you, I have lost count of the number of her novels I’ve read.

By comparison, Alafair Burke is a relative newcomer with one decade and 10 bestselling novels to her credit. I have to admit, I haven’t read any of her previous work; fortunately that can be remedied. With some research, I learned Alafair writes crime fiction and, as her novels are frequently based on real world crimes, are known for their authenticity.

Reading the novel, I honestly can’t say I noticed any differences in tone or style, as you might expect from a book with “two masters”. This novel speaks in one voice; it holds the reader’s attention and raises the questions, and offers the red herrings, found in the best suspense novels.

This is the first collaboration for Mary Higgins Clark with an author outside her family and the first time she has embarked on a series. I’ve Got You Under My Skin is the first novel of the Under Suspicion series and was a standalone by Ms Higgins Clark. Will future novels in the series be collaborations or standalones? (I purchased a copy of the first book, but it is not necessary to read it to enjoy, The Cinderella Murder.)

My sincere thanks to Simon and Shuster Australia via NetGalley for my ARC, I’m looking forward to number three. Highly recommended to read yourself and/or give as a gift.