Silent Night, Mary Higgins Clark, 2000
My favorite quote: “God rest you merry gentlemen let nothing you dismay.” While this is obviously not the intellectual property of Ms. Higgins Clark, it’s the best collection of words in this book
Notable characters: I don’t know that I’d call any of them “notable,” but the main characters are Catherine Dornan, a mother; Tom, her dying husband; Michael and Brian, her sons; Cally Hunter, some rando who steals Catherine’s wallet; Jimmy, Cally’s brother, who kidnaps little Brian
Most memorable scene: If there was a memorable scene here, it must have slipped past me
Greatest strengths: It tried very hard to capture the spirit of Christmas. Like any wise spirit, however, it fled. Slippery little bastards
Standout achievements: On the cover of the copy I had, there was a bulbous-headed little boy pressing himself against a car window, looking out in what I assume to be terror as the car drove away. I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed at a book cover before but this one made me chuckle
Fun Facts: I recommended this to the small book club I belonged to, and when we were finished a new rule was set in place: No more Mary Higgins Clark. Ever. It’s the only rule our club has ever had
Other media: Who knows. I was about to go look it up and then I was like, meh … who cares
What it taught me: That flat characters and predictability can hollow out even the swiftest pace
How it inspired me: It convinced me never to use the old “life-saving-operation” trope in anything I write, ever. It just feels tired and trite. Or, at least it does in the hands of the “Queen of Suspense,” anyway
Additional thoughts: Of all the Mary Higgins Clark books I’ve read, this one’s my favorite. That’s not an endorsement
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
Alistair Cross 
Go ahead, tell us what you REALLY think of the book.:-) Oh well, not every book is gonna be a winner with every reader. It’s got a lot of good reviews on Amz, but it doesn’t sound like my cup of tea either.
LOL!! I tried!!