Dying for Mercy

Mary Jane Clark is the unofficial successor to the "Queen of Suspense" similarly named Mary Higgins Clark. DYING FOR MERCY is Clark's latest magnus opus and arguably her best to date. Eliza Blake, her comely damsel in distress, reaches new heights and seems to grow male body parts in this puzzling, twisting tale of murder and deception. Eliza is ready to kick some butt this time around, even attending a fundraiser for The Special Olympics mere hours after nearly being killed. I loved all the references to Saint Francis of Asissi and, as a somewhat lapsed Catholic, I appreciated the refresher course in the rituals of the Catholic Church as well as the history lesson on Jesus' crucifixion. The chapters in this book are short and to the point. I found myself flying through them and having a hard time putting the book down even though it was WAY past my bedtime (I paid for it today at work...argh!) The ending of this book seemed a bit rushed, and I never did find out what happened to Susannah, the wannabee Black Tie Club member. A considerable amount of attention was paid to Susannah throughout the story but we never heard what became of her...did she gain membership in the club? Probably not important but I tend to pick up on weird and sometime insignificant nuances while reading. Overall, I found DYING FOR MERCY to be an extremely interesting and puzzling book. Highly recommended for all readers and age groups.

From the very beginning this story has you intrigued. Only Mary Jane Clark can write like this.Its a very unusual story, I never read anything like it before and you along with the characters are looking for pieces of the puzzle not knowing what or where it is all leading to. You will not want to put the book down once you start. In the end YOU will be Dying for Mercy to know the outcome.

Great read for a hot summer day by the pool! I finished it in 2-3 days. If you like puzzles and mysteries, you'll definitely like this!

Mary Jane Clark's latest, Dying for Mercy, is her most imaginative suspense novel yet. Beginning with a gruesome suicide, the story just gallops forward as Eliza Blake, Clark's savvy heroine, begins an investigation and soon comes across an intricate puzzle left behind by the dead man - a puzzle meant to expose the perpetrators of a long-forgotten crime. Eliza is joined by her KEY News colleagues, Annabelle Murphy, B.J. D'Elia and Margo Gonzalez - dubbed the Sunrise Suspense Society - and as each puzzle piece is unearthed, a killer is hiding in the shadows to make sure that a 20-year-old mystery never comes to light. Eliza's on-again, off-again romance with Mack McBride seems to be deepening, but as the killer closes in on Eliza, Mack becomes "collateral damage." The Associated Press review says it all: "As Agatha Christie did with her classic `And Then There Were None,' Clark . . . deftly combines the clue-searching and puzzle-solving fun of mysteries with the action-packed, emotion-driven narrative thrust of thrillers." This is a fast-moving and inspired tale that takes place in New York State's Tuxedo Park, a walled-in enclave for the rich and famous - and in Clark's latest, no amount of wealth or status can keep these pampered residents safe. The killer thinks that some puzzles probably shouldn't be solved, but Mary Jane Clark fuels this page-turner with enough puzzle-solving fun - and menace - that getting to the explosive finale is a nail-biting joyride!