Review of 'Daddy's Little Girl' by Mary Higgins Clark
Clark has hit one out of the ballpark with this book! If you like murder, drama, and quick-paced action, this one is for you. Twenty-three years ago, a somewhat rebellious young girl of fifteen, Andrea, lies to her parents and sneaks to a secret hideout to meet her older boyfriend. She never comes home. Little sister Ellie, age 8, knows about this meeting place, but doesn't tell her parents because her beloved big sister swore her to secrecy. When a kind police detective coaxes the information out of her, the family finds the body of their daughter on a pallet of blankets in the garage belonging to the elderly grandmother of the secret boyfriend.
Robson Westerfield has an alibi, but the jury doesn't buy it, and the pampered rich boy spends 20 years in prison. Each time he is up for parole, Ellie is there to remind the board of his heinous crime and to plead for parole to be denied. This time, however, he wins his freedom in spite of her pleas. Now he is out, having served his time, and is looked upon with, if not sympathy, at least acceptance because he has 'served his time.'
Ellie is now 30 years old and works as an investigative reporter. She has endured the loss of her sister, the divorce of her parents, and the death of her mother, and plans to write a book about the whole sordid story. To that end, she quits her job and moves from Atlanta back to her old hometown. Soon, clear lines are drawn between citizens of the town; those who believe that Rob was innocent and wrongly convicted, and those who believe he was guilty. Could he possibly be innocent? Could the killer be a sleazy handyman who loved to hug and kiss young girls? Or maybe the guilty party is the somewhat slow-witted classmate who loved Andrea. Read this thriller to find out. I really enjoyed this book. Goodreads says 3.92, but I rated it a bit higher. Great summer read! Relax and read!
~Connie, Library Assistant