Through the years my reading choices changed many times, and I recently decided to try the next Mary Higgins Clark book that I found. The Melody Lingers On was recently released, and I was back visiting with the "Queen of Suspense." I like it. I don't love it. The story is a current one. Parker Bennett disappeared two years ago while sailing in the Caribbean. What complicated matters was the missing $5 billion dollars from a fund he had been managing. Unfortunately, he left his wife and son to handle the fallout, and much of their wealth is seized by the government.
Enter Elaine "Lane" Harmon, an assistant to a famous interior designer. She takes on the job of redecorating a small townhouse for Bennett's wife and finds herself falling for his son, Eric. While authorities suspect wife and son are involved in the money scam, Eric is determined to prove everyone's innocence. Lane finds herself, and her young daughter, in a dangerous position when the FBI try to prove Eric's involvement, and one of Parker's victims decides to handle things on his own.
I don't remember if Ms. Clark was always as descriptive or I am just less tolerant of minute detail, but that seems to take away from the suspense for me. I do enjoy that she stays current and still love the way she weaves romance into her stories. We get to know the characters and want them to be "good guys" in a world where those kind of endings are rare. Am I happy I read this...definitely. Will I get the next of her novels...probably not. I think that in the years since she began writing, her competition in suspense has gotten a great deal more sophisticated, and I somehow expect a bit more edge of the seat action. Her fan base is enormous though, and I am happy to recommend this book to you as a quick and comfortable suspense novel.
- Beverly
Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Date of Publication - June 23, 2015