Let me be straight with you. Every Breath You Take was disappointing. At least for me. This is not the MHC I know and love. It hurts to say it, but this is one of the few books written by her, I can´t give anything but an average rating. Sad, but this was almost a boring read. And after a few chapters, I couldn´t get rid of the feeling that I´ve read that story already. Hopefully, the next Laurie Moran thriller will be a hit again. This wasn´t. At least not for me.
Mit Deinem Letzten Atemzug
by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair BurkeUnder Suspicion Series #5
Translation Karl-Heinz Ebnet
Original Title Every Breath You Take*
Publisher Heyne on April 8, 2019
Genre Thriller
Pages 366
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher
✶✶✶
A bombastic gala evening in Manhattan ends in disaster. Virginia Wakeling an extremely wealthy widow and a generous patron of the arts falls to the death from the roof of the Metropolitan Museum. Was it murder? Urgently suspicious: her over twenty years younger lover Ivan. But as the police turn it around, they find no evidence against him. Therefore, Laurie Moran is using her TV program “Under Suspicion” to clear the case. She begins to research in the circle of the super-rich family - and soon encounters dark secrets. (a personal translation of the blurb on the dust cover/German edition by ©Vi at Inkvotary).
Story
Laurie Moran usually has her own way, finding a case that fits for her show. Not this time. Her boss wants her to do the story about Virginia Wakeling and if that wouldn´t be enough, he also has the day set already. A rich family, a heritage big enough to cause some fights and a woman who starts living and pays the ultimate price for it: her life.
Style
The first quarter of the book was wonderful to read. No sign that the rest of the novel sounded very familiar and so as if I´ve read it already somewhere else. The main figure Laurie has her little problems with the way how her male moderator of the show is working, but other than that she sees it when a case is worth being on “Under Suspicions”. What this thriller is missing, is the portion of tension, humor, and kind of action that make you literally jump to the next page just to see how things unfold. Not here. Sure, you are turning the pages – to keep reading – but not with the eagerness to find out who the real bad guy is. Because that is after a few chapters clear. At least it was for me. The author follows the same rules, she used to follow in most of her other work. The quiet and palest figure (I don´t tell any name, so no spoiler here) is the evil person and the reasons why are as boring as the rest of the story. Sad, very sad. Because the plot itself is full of tension and potential and if played outright, this would have been a fantastic book. Well …
Characters
What kept this book from total failure was the personal relationship between Laurie and Alex. In here, they are making some magnificent progress, and to watch that, it was well worth reading this thriller.
Laurie changes in a way that was nice to watch. She still loves her late husband and she still cherishes the memories she is having. But she also starts to realize and understand, that she wants happiness and the feeling being loved and not alone, back in her life. Sure, there is her son and her father, and they both love her, and she loves them. But the love of a man who is not her father or son is something else. Her inner conflict and how she turns things around are presented by Mary Higgins Clark in a very sensitive way. If not to say that those scenes were the best in this thriller.
Conclusion
I am sad and very disappointed. The novel reads lukewarm, without big surprises and lacks wit, charm, and catchy dialogues. Either I´ve expected way too much because the other books of this series were a wonderful read or this just wasn´t for me. But judge for yourself. Maybe for you, it is what you are looking for. For me, it wasn´t.
Happy reading
*This book was kindly provided to me by Heyne in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.
*The title was originally published Every Breath You Take by Simon & Schuster on November 7, 2017
Mary Higgins Clark
Mary Higgins Clark, born in 1927 in New York, lived and worked in Saddle River, New Jersey. She sold her first story in 1956 for $100 to a magazine. After the sudden death of her husband in 1964 she wrote her first book, a biographical novel about George Washington. Her first suspense novel Where are the Children from 1975 meant a turning point in her life and career: He became a bestseller. She is #1 international and New York Times bestselling author, has written thirty-four suspense novels; three collections of short stories; a historical novel; two children´s books; and a memoir, Kitchen Privileges. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she has coauthored five more suspense novels. Her books have sold more than 100 million copies in the United States alone. She is the most successful thriller author worldwide.
Alafair Burke
Alafair Burke is the daughter of James Lee Burke and the youngest of four children. She is a graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon. Now she works as a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure. She lives with Sean and their dogs in Manhattan.