Do You Want to Know a Secret?

Mary Jane Clark is one of my all time favorite authors. I own every book in hard & soft cover. I even troll for the foreign editions. Not many come close to the awe-inspiring Mary Jane Clark. I have been hooked on Mary Jane Clark since the Summer of 2000, when I picked up the nail-biting suspense soaked Do You Promise Not to Tell? I was 22 & kicking it by the pool, drenched in SPF, soaking up the sun & frantically searching for amazing reads while out of town stuck in a place that rolled up their sidewalks by 8:00 7:00 p.m. ~ I'm being a bit generous. Mary Jane Clark saved me from turning into a listless baked potato in Bumpkinville. Thank you, MJC!!! To this day, I still think about the main character, Farrell Slater. For me, that is the indelible mark of a gifted scribe. Creating characters so real you wonder about them long after you close the book. Mary Jane Clark does that with each & every high octane thriller. Do You Want to Know a Secret? is a sharply designed spine-chiller. Mary Jane Clark is a masterful storyteller. She weaves thrillers infused w/fireworks so powerful you feel like you have just stepped into the intense, unforgettable, hold-you-breath scene she has created & have become the main character. Ms. Clark knows her stuff. Mary Jane Clark's distinct, accelerated prose allows readers an insider's glimpse of the broadcast-news business as the fictional KEY News takes you along for one adventurous ride. Ms. Clark holds nothing back as she siphons her searing topics from bona fide headlines. Do You Want to Know a Secret? is a tightly knit whodunit with nonstop action, a suspenseful plot that packs a wallop & absorbing characters. Eliza Blake is one of the most empowering characters formulated. She is authentic, delightful, charming, intelligent & stunning. Eliza is one of my absolute favorite fictional characters ever constructed in story land. She is the type of woman every girl should aspire to be ~ honest, compassionate, brilliant & real. No Hollywood-doll here. Eliza is definitely as far from a Holl-doll as one could get & it is refreshing since she is in the public eye. She never gets bratty on or off camera. Eliza is a kindred spirit. She evokes emotions. I laughed & cried along with Eliza. I felt her anger & frustration. I rooted for her. I cied with her. I understood why she was the person she was & why behaved the way she did. All of the characters were magnetic. Range was so richly developed you just wanted to know more about him. Mac was an intriguing, smart hero who is flawed which makes him engaging & endearing. Janie is simply adorable. Do You Want to Know a Secret? is a must read book for readers of every genre. Ms. Clark kept me guessing right up to the last page-turning stimulating climax. I devoured this in one sitting ~ I do this w/ all of her books. Which can be a horrible habit, since I have to wait until the following Summer for the next Mary Jane Clark roller coaster ~

Mary Jane Clark has given us a mystery filled with riveting twists and turns. And her descriptions of the Sacred Heart Cathedral left me thinking a trip to Newark would be interesting!?! Perhaps like Mary Jane Clark's book, the city offers more than one would expect. I'm looking forward to reading her next book. Thanks reader from NJ for clearing up the reader from Florida's disturbing misunderstanding of Catholic compassion.

In Mary Jane Clark's wonderful "insider's view" of television news, presidential politics, and murder, Catholic readers (especially) receive a needed "update" on their Church's theology regarding suicide victims: they are, of course, afforded burial from a Catholic Mass (there is, as proof, a special prayer in the newly revised official ritual to be said by the priest at such a Mass -- I should know: I'm a priest!), and they are given burial in "sacred ground," too. Ms. Clark, her editor and her publishers present an honest snapshot of the Catholic Church's rituals and personalities, a breathtakingly detailed description of Newark's Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica, and an accurate picture of behind-the-scences television news and political campaigning -- all of it at the service of a murder mystery that grips the reader from the very first page and doesn't let go until the "you'll never guess it" ending! Brava, Ms. Clark. Keep 'em coming!

Mary Jane Clark has cooked up a wonderful blend of suspense and adrenaline in this, her first novel.. you'd think she was an old pro after the surprise ending!Eliza Blake is a sympathetic, endearing heroine in a hectic world of broadcast news. Clark's hawk-eye attention to detail allows us all a peak into the sometimes ugly world of TV news. So, it's a double whammy...a good mystery (be prepared to stay up through the night to finish it!) and a great behind-the-scenes tell-all. READ THIS BOOK! You will NOT regret it!

Bill Kendell, senior news anchor for Key News, suddenly dies without any warning. His friends and associates are divided in their reaction to the news of his death. His former wife and son are stunned and deeply grieving his passing. His co-anchor Eliza Blake, who was just coming out of the morose of her own spouse's death, is shocked and mourns her loss. On the contrary, several individuals are elated that Bill is out of the picture. As cutthroat as the industry can be, Eliza begins to wonder why some folks are gleefully celebrating Bill's death. She starts inquiring into the background of Bill and several persons who are absolutely thrilled by the news reporter's death. However, Eliza is unaware as she begins her queries that her investigation will take her to people occupying positions of power in the highest levels of the government, an action which placs her life in danger. Fans of Mary Higgins Clark will recognize and enjoy the flattering approach to suspense that her namesake Mary Jane Clark employs. The chapters are tiny, the heroine grieves yet achieves against all odds, and New Jersey (not Eerie, Indiana) is the center of weirdness in the universe. In spite of using the Clark (MH not MJ) formula, this reviewer promises to tell fans that DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET is an enjoyable fun, no brainer tale of suspense. Harriet Klausner