Book Review: Before I Say Good-bye

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

Before I Say Good-bye     Amazon US PB Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
Mary Higgins Clark
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Psychological Suspense   Amateur Sleuth   Political Intrigue
Simon & Schuster, 2000, £16.99, pp. 332

In Mary Higgins Clark's newest novel, Nell McDermott is devastated when her husband's boat blows up, killing him. Feeling guilty for an argument with him the last time she saw him, she finds herself being drawn to the medium Bonnie Wilson to help her come to terms with what has happened.

Bonnie claims to be receiving instructions from Adam, but Nell does not know that she is being watched and as she draws closer to finding out what happened to her husband, a killer is drawing closer to her.

The novels of Mary Higgins Clark are incredibly easy to read because there is nothing taxing in them, save the amount of characters that she introduces. Here, I was constantly trying to remember who was who and who was doing what. Apart from this, it was an enjoyable read until we came to the big twist - i.e., the identity of the killer. Sadly, this was too predictable, I guessed who it was quite easily, and I feel that any established mystery reader could do the same.

Higgins Clark has written some very good novels and this is her first use of the spirit world. However, I do not think she develops the role that the medium plays well enough and overall, this novel is rather like a meal in a fast food restaurant. It is filling, but only for a very short while. Easy to read, but weak as it is too predictable. Still, it is a novel that fans of this author will enjoy, but she has written better.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Luke Croll - Conference interpreter and translator
http://lukecroll.translatorscafe.com