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Mary Higgins Clark is most definitely the Queen of Suspense. My hair and nails are a thing of the past after reading I’ll Walk Alone—the suspense nearly drove me to madness.
Two years ago, Alexandra “Zan” Moreland lost her son to a kidnapping. Someone took him out of his stroller while the babysitter slept on a blanket nearby. Devastated, Zan goes through the motions of running her interior design business while hoping that her son will someday be found alive. However, an unexpected turn of events points the finger directly back to Zan herself. Now everyone believes that she kidnapped her own son, and they want to know what she’s done with him.
As she fights to stay strong in the face of an angry ex-husband, a vindictive business rival, police who now believe that she’s guilty, and the constant hounding of the press, she tries to find out who took her child and why they’re going to such great lengths to make it look like she did it. She can only count on a handful of people, but even they seem to think that she may suffer from mental instability. If she’s going to find out what happened to her son, she’ll definitely have to do it alone.
From beginning to end, you’ll be swept up in I’ll Walk Alone, a mysterious story of identity theft with a new twist. Not even when the boss walked through the office could I put it aside to avoid getting caught reading while on the job. As the suspense builds and builds, you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to figure it all out, which is a whole lot of fun, even if it’s somewhat torturous.
Zan is the perfect tragic heroine; you’ll be able to feel her resolve slipping even as strength pours through her veins. She has absolutely no one she can truly lean on, and you’ll want to punch a few faces on her behalf. I couldn’t wait for this character to be vindicated, so I could dance around, point my finger, and say, I told ya so! I know it’s only a novel, but Ms. Clark makes it come alive.
Ms. Clark brilliantly captures human nature with I’ll Walk Alone. How many times have you watched the news and branded someone guilty without knowing all the facts (maybe Michael Jackson comes to mind)? That’s basically what happens with Zan. Everyone from the police to the press to the average Joe on the street and even her friends believe that she’s guilty. It’s enough to make you grit your teeth in frustration.
With its nail-biting, hair-pulling psychological suspense, I’ll Walk Alone is one of the best mystery/thrillers I’ve read in ages. It makes me want to head out and load up on Mary Higgins Clark mysteries.
