You Belong To Me
Author : Mary Higgins Clarke
No. Of Pages : 373

Mary Higgins Clarke the accomplished author of sixteen suspense novels and three collection of short stories . She was born and raised in New york city, has served as president of Mystery Writers of America. She lives in Saddle River, New Jersey.
Mary Higgins Clarke is incomparable while skillfully drawing the readers into mounting tensions of life gone awry...

The story

Dr. Susan Chandler , a clinical Psychologist with a thriving practice and at the same time had established something of a public persona as host of a popular Radio program : Ask Dr Susan - that aired each weekday. The listeners loved her and she in turn enjoyed interacting and doling out advise to those in trouble or with personal problems.

 
On one of the occasions when she uses her call- in -radio show to explore the issue of lonesome women who disappear and are later found to have been victims of seductive killers, she has no way of knowing that she is exposing herself and those close to her to the very horror that she had been warning others against..

 
After a listener calls in offering information about the mysterious disappearance of a wealthy investment advisor Regina Clausse , while on a cruise, from a Luxury liner- the caller who calls herself as Karen, an almost victim, who tells of meeting a man on a cruise who gave her a ring inscribed 'You Belong to Me', but then disappeared when she refused to leave the ship with him, meets with a terrible accident even as she is on her way to post some important evidence to Susan..

An eye witness who called it a deliberate act, that Karen was pushed under a speeding van is found murdered before the police get her statement and the description of the murderer.
As Susan begins to investigate, she finds herself in a race against time - the assasin targeting not only vulnerable women but anyone who might offer clues to his identity. Inching closer to the truth, Susan makes some shocking discoveries , that the killer may be an important figure in her own life and that she herself might be marked for murder !

My views

This was the first novel of Mary Higgins that i happened to read, and I quite like her style of writing..

This is a true ' keep the reader guessing ' thriller, quite unpredictable and very daring . The suspense keeps you on the edge all through the novel. I find Mary Higgins's style of writing very similar to that of P.D.James, the same dark mood and atmosphere based on the psychological aspect of the killer...

 
The story is very gripping, with no wasted or unnecessary details, keeping one trying to guess at the identity of the murderer. I just couldn't do it right till the end . Mary Higgins throws in many hints and clues, trying to confuse the readers , I guess that is how a good suspense thriller writer keeps the attention of the readers undivided.

 
Susan, the very attractive leading lady here is a strong willed , family oriented person - sensitive to other's needs giving warmth and the much needed support to her lonely mother, also a consentious career woman.Whereas her sister turns out to be a selfish, self centered person looking for opportunities, even at the cost of destroying Susan's happiness.
Susan's parents are caught up in their own personal trauma and she has no one really to fall back on except her own intelligence and inner strength.

 
The climax is a shocker and I was quite unprepared for it..
But on the whole , I personally felt that the reasons for the killings were just not acceptable- it somehow made me wish that Mary Higgins had some stronger points regarding the motive for the killings . That is the only flaw here, but the book itself keeps you engaged and is very interesting to read..

Summary: Lots of plot twists that keep you interested..