It Only Takes a Moment

"It Only Takes A Moment" by Mary Jane Clark Eliza Blake, is a very a successful anchor at a top rated morning News show. She thinks that she has seen the worst that man can do to man, until one day her young daughter and housekeeper are abducted. Now the horrors that Eliza has faced vicariously during her career, has become personal. Very personal. We, as the audience are treated to a behind the scenes look at what happens to a TV personality when their lives fall apart and we get to view it in brutal living color with a wide screen and high definition. This is a fast paced book about the four most critical days of abduction. It's tightly written with short, well paced chapters. Great characters, that are also very well written and for the most part, believable; if a little stereotypical. The red herrings alone add to the enjoyment of this novel; and keep you guessing and questioning yourself as to who-dun-it right up to near the bitter end. I enjoyed "It Only Takes a Moment" so much, that I will be purchasing several more of Ms Clark's earlier novels, and this one is defiantly a keeper.

Broadcast journalism, as we know, is an exciting sometimes no-holds-barred field, and that is where Mary Jane Clark spent almost 30 years of her professional life. She knows that world well and she brings it to stunning life. Not only is Clark a former writer and producer for CBS News but her father was an FBI agent who investigated headline grabbing kidnaping and extortion cases, such as the Patty Hearst case and the kidnaping of Calvin Klein's daughter. As Clark has said, "kidnaping was my father's specialty......and I paid a lot of attention to the details at an impressionable age." Now, bring together her knowledge of the broadcast journalist's life with her memories of what she learned from her father and you have a wow of a story, a can't-stop-reading suspense tale propelled by sharp dialogue and heart thumping twists. With the second book in Clark's Sunrise Suspense society series we find Eliza Blake preparing for one more interview. Hers is a face much of the world knows as she's the host of one of our country's top-rated television programs - KEY to America. She's also a widow with Janie, a seven-year-old daughter whom she adores. Janie is reminded of her mother's devotion when the housekeeper, Mrs. Garcia, calls her "tesoro," explaining that the word means treasure, and says, " You are your mama's tesoro. She loves you more than anything." That love is reiterated in Eliza's interview when the reporter asks her about Janie, and she replies, "Janie is my top priority." With this background readers more than empathize with Eliza, they almost feel her pain when Janie is kidnaped. Two intruders wearing Popeye and Olive Oyl masks break into the Clark household one morning, and terrorize Mrs. Garcia into making a call to Janie's day camp saying that she must come and pick up the child as her mother needs her. When Eliza returns home after a long day at work she is somewhat surprised not to find Mrs. Garcia there, but assumes she has gone on an errand. But Janie's camp bus should have delivered her to the house at 5:30, and it is soon past six. With fear filled l voice Eliza calls the police, and the chase begins. However, the combined efforts of law enforcement aren't enough. Eliza turns to her friends - Annabelle Murphy, blessed with incredible instincts; B. J. D'Ellia, photographer extra ordinaire; and Margot Gonzalez, who knows criminal minds. It Only Takes A Moment fires forward from the first page, bristling with pinpoint characterizations and plotting par excellence. A compelling read! - Gail Cooke

In Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, successful TV host of KEY to America, widow Eliza Blake loves her seven year old daughter Janie and trusts her Guatemalan housekeeper Carmen Garcia. However, after Janie goes off to day camp, a man masquerading as Popeye and a woman as Olive Oyl invade the Blake home they inform a distraught Mrs. Garcia that they will harm the child if she fails to obey their demands. Wired, Mrs. Garcia signs out Janie from Camp Musquapsink, but leaves a note "Call Police" on the log. --- When Eliza comes home she is surprised that her housekeeper is not there. Soon she becomes worried and calls the police. Because of who she is the FBI send Agent Barbara Gephart to head the investigation in which the prime suspect is Mrs. Garcia, but also focus on crazy fan mail and sex offenders. Her Sunrise Suspense Society cronies decide to activate while a seemingly successful psychic Stephanie Quick offers her services. As each hour ticks away, the chances of saving her daughter slips away exponentially. --- The KEY to the latest "musical" New Jersey thriller (see WHEN DAY BREAKS, DANCING IN THE DARK, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET and NOWHERE TO RUN) is Eliza as readers will feel her fear and pain. The story line is fast-paced, but clearly character driven by the beleaguered mother, the kidnappers and the snatched pair. The tension mounts as each minute and page that passes makes it unlikely Janie will be found alive while parents will ponder the apropos title that IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE to have one's life nuked. Fans will appreciate this strong abduction thriller with a stunning final denouement.

I have read quite a few of Mary Jane Clark's books and have enjoyed every one. There have been several using KEY News staff such as Eliza Blake. This book begins with a prologue set several days in the future in a funeral home with tons of flowers and a small casket with Eliza slowly walking up to it. Right away the reader is drawn in. As the story begins, Janie, Eliza's 7 year old daughter, is watching her mom on the morning show and is excited that her mom is wearing the beaded bracelet she made for her at day camp. Mrs. Garcia, the housekeeper/babysitter, is also happy for Janie. Janie finishes her breakfast and runs out and gets on the camp bus. Mrs. Garcia goes about her day's routine when she is suddenly attacked. We flip back to Eliza at KEY News finishing her show and making calls, holding interviews, etc. The reader is then back with Mrs. Garcia and her attackers who force her to call the day camp and say she is picking up Janie. As the plot unfolds, there are many suspects including Eliza herself who the FBI suspects. How Eliza's friends and neighbors rally around her and help provide important clues and how the book finally concludes makes for many exciting twists and turns and danger and suspense. A fine mystery! Highly recommended. Valerie Matteson Ann Arbor, MI

"It only takes a moment" is an excellent novel of suspense. Eliza Blake's day started like any other when she goes off to work and her daughter Janie goes off to summer camp. But while Mrs. Garcia, Eliza's nanny/housekeeper is home alone, two masked strangers come and demand that she get Janie from summer camp. After that, it's a chase to find Janie, Mrs. Garcia and the people who kidnapped them. From the moment the book started, I was into it. It's quite high-paced with chapters of just a few pages long and jumping from different place to different place. There are a lot of characters introduced, especially one right after the other and it was slightly confusing. It was also little hard to keep straight who was who. Another slight complaint was that the book seemed to end abruptly. The case was solved but it felt like there should have been a little more to it. I was kind of expecting an epilogue that featured Eliza and her family in the future after the craziness had calmed down and things went back to normal. But I thought that overall, the book was very good and I would recommend this book to any Mary Jane Clark fan or people who like suspenseful thrillers.It's a book that keeps you guessing and until literally the last page. Not to be missed.