Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1987
“No man becomes enamored to a woman fifteen years his senior unless there’s something he wants“
When Leila, a superstar actress, plunges to death from her balcony after a day of drunkenness and angry outbursts, everybody assumes that she either committed suicide or accidentally tripped... Until an eyewitness claims it’s a homicide.
The main suspect is Ted, Leila’s husband, an influential billionaire. Regardless, all that is required to prove Ted’s guilt is a statement from the first witness and an affirmation from Elizabeth (Leila’s sister), who was speaking to Leila on the telephone minutes before her death.
A week before trial, friends of Elizabeth and Ted arrange an “accidental “ meeting between the two in an attempt to reconcile them and discourage Elizabeth from taking to the witness’ stand. Meanwhile, poison-pen letters are discovered among Leila’s fan mails, providing hints about Leila’s foul mood in the days preceding her death. The contents of these letters indicate that they were written by somebody in Leila’s inner circle.
When Ted admits that he might have killed Leila, and that he is ready to take a plea bargain, the doubt that Elizabeth has been fighting all this while on whether Ted is capable of murder becomes more and more apparent. She embarks on a mission to find the truth, which means that she must treat all her friends as suspects.
Only then does she realize that each and everyone of her confidantes had enough reason to want to destroy Leila . But who went ahead and did it? HINT: It’s the character you’ll least suspect as you read the book
MY TAKE
Like all distinguished crime fiction writers, Mary Higgins Clark throws hints along the reader’s path that keeps them actively engaged in trying to find Leila’s killer.
I like the fact that the author has not overloaded the plot with romance or sex, allowing the reader to focus on the main issues.
On the downside, the book is conspicuously low on humor.
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