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Flashback 20 days to the night photographer Maggie Holloway meets her long-ago stepmother, Nuala Moore, and Nuala invites her to visit her place in Newport. Before Maggie's arrival, though—and, more crucially, before Nuala can carry out her plan to move into the nonpareil Latham Manor Residence—Nuala is killed and her house ransacked, and Maggie finds to her astonishment that Nuala's will leaves the Newport house to her. Why would anybody want to kill an inoffensive old lady like Nuala? Well, somebody might be trying to pick up her house for a song (somebody like Nuala's attorney Malcolm Norton or shady broker Douglas Hansen); or somebody might be after the fat deposit the next applicant for Nuala's new suite would have to pay Latham Manor (somebody like incompetent director Dr. William Lane or nosey nurse Zelda Markey); or somebody might need to shut Nuala up about her knowledge of several other suspect deaths, with another still impending, of Latham Manor residents (whoever may have helped those residents into the great beyond); or somebody might be just a little obsessed with the whole subject of death (somebody like wild-eyed funeral expert Prof. Earl Bateman). As usual in her recent work, Clark ends up tying all these threats in together, so that the land grab, the nursing-home deposit scam, the investment fraud, the sinister messages sent by a series of funeral bells, and the Latham Manor murders all turn out to be the work of a single diligent soul, who (don't forget) has the same wicked designs on Maggie as on Nuala.
About average for Clark's G-rated thrillers, as if you were counting—with enough material on funerary customs to make you resolve to live forever.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark has written thirty-two suspense novels; three collections of short stories; an historical novel, Mount Vernon Love Story; and a memoir, Kitchen Privileges and two children’s books, The Magical Christmas Horse and Ghost Ship. She is the coauthor with Carol Higgins Clark of five suspense novels: Dashing Through the Snow, Deck the Halls, He Sees You When You’re Sleeping, The Christmas Thief, and Santa Cruise. More than 100 million copies of her books are in print in the United States alone, and her books are worldwide bestsellers.
In the early years of her marriage, Clark began writing short stories, making her first sale in 1956 to Extension Magazine. Between writing and raising a family, the decade flew by. Then, in 1964, Warren Clark suffered a fatal heart attack, leaving his young widow with five children to support. She went to work writing radio scripts; and, around this time, she decided to try her hand at writing books. Inspired by a radio series she was working on, she drafted a biographical novel about George Washington. It was published in 1969 under the title Aspire to the Heavens. (In 2002, it was re-issued as Mount Vernon Love Story.) Her first suspense novel, Where Are the Children?, appeared in print in 1975. It was a huge hit and marked a turning point in her life. Since then, she has developed a loyal fan base, and each of her novels has hit the bestseller lists. She has also co-written stories and novels with her daughter Carol, a successful author in her own right.
In the 1970s, Clark enrolled in Fordham University at Lincoln Center, graduating summa cum laude in 1979. A great supporter of education, she has served as a trustee of her alma mater and Providence College and holds numerous honorary degrees. She remains active in Catholic affairs and has been honored with many awards. Her publisher, Simon & Schuster, funds an annual award in her name to be given to authors of suspense fiction writing in the Mary Higgins Clark tradition.
From Chapter Nine
Except for that uptight art director, it had been a good week, Maggie reflected as she turned off Route 138 in Newport. Both photo shoots this week had turned out exceptionally well, especially the one for Vogue.
But after the meticulous attention she had to give to noting how the camera was capturing every fold of the astronomically priced gowns she was photographing, it was a distinct joy to put on jeans and a plaid shirt. In fact, with the exception of a blue silk print blouse and matching long skirt she planned to wear tonight for Nuala's dinner party, everything she had brought to wear on this vacation was quite casual.
We're going to have such fun, she thought. Two uninterrupted weeks in Newport. Nuala and I really will have a chance to catch up with each other! She smiled at the prospect. It had been a surprise when Liam called to say that he would be at Nuala's tonight, as well, although she should have realized he spent a fair amount of time in Newport. "It's an easy drive from Boston," he had pointed out. "I go there fairly regularly for weekends, especially off-season."
"I didn't know that," she had said.
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Maggie. Maybe if you weren't out of town so much..."
"And maybe if you didn't live in Boston and use your New York apartment so little..."
Maggie smiled again. Liam is fun, she thought, even though he does take himself too seriously much of the time. Stopping at a red light, she glanced down and rechecked her directions. Nuala lived just off the fabled Ocean Drive, on Garrison Avenue. "I even have a view of the ocean from the third floor," she had explained. "Wait till you see it and my studio."
She had called three times this week to be sure there were no changes of plan. "You are coming, Maggie? You won't disappoint?"
"Of course not," she had assured her. Still, Maggie had wondered if it was only her imagination or was there something in Nuala's voice, an uneasiness that perhaps she had detected in her face the night they had dinner in Manhattan. At the time, she had rationalized that Nuala's husband had died only last year, and she was starting to lose her friends as well, one of the nonjoys of living long enough to get old. Naturally a sense of mortality has to be setting in, she reasoned.
She had seen the same look on the faces of nursing home residents she had photographed for Life magazine last year. One woman had said wistfully, "Sometimes it bothers me a lot that there's no one left who remembers me when I was young."
Maggie shivered, then realized the temperature in the car had dropped rapidly. Turning off the air-conditioning, she opened the window a few inches and sniffed the tangy scent of the sea that permeated the air. When you've been raised in the Midwest, she thought, you can't ever get enough of the ocean.
Checking her watch, she realized it was ten of eight. She would barely have time to freshen up and change before the other guests began to arrive. At least she had phoned Nuala to let her know she was getting off to a late start. She had told her she should be arriving just about now.
She turned onto Garrison Avenue and saw the ocean in front of her. She slowed the car, then stopped in front of a charming clapboard house with weathered shingles and a wraparound porch. This had to be Nuala's home, she thought, but it seemed so dark. There were no outside lights turned on at all, and she could detect only a faint light coming from the front windows.
She pulled into the driveway, got out, and, without bothering to open the trunk for her suitcase, ran up the steps. Expectantly she rang the bell. From inside she could hear the faint sound of chimes.
As she waited, she sniffed. The windows facing the street were open, and she thought she detected a harsh, burning smell coming from inside. She pressed the doorbell again, and again the chimes reverberated through the house.
There was still no answer, no sound of footsteps. Something has to be wrong, she thought anxiously. Where was Nuala? Maggie walked over to the nearest window and crouched down, straining to see past the lacy fringe on the partly drawn shade, into the darkness inside.
Then her mouth went dry. The little she could see of the shadowy room suggested it was in wild disorder. The contents of a drawer were strewn on the hooked carpet, and the drawer itself was leaning haphazardly against the ottoman. The fireplace was opposite the windows and flanked by cabinets. All of them were open.
What faint light there was came from a pair of sconces over the mantel. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Maggie was able to pick out a single high-heeled shoe, turned on its side in front of the fireplace.
What was that? She squinted and leaned forward, then realized she was seeing a small stockinged foot, extending from behind a love seat near where the shoe had fallen. She lunged back to the door and twisted the handle, but it was locked.
Blindly, she rushed to the car, grabbed the car phone and punched in 911. Then she stopped, remembering: Her phone was attached to a New York area code. This was Rhode Island; Nuala's number began with a 401 area code. With trembling fingers she punched in 401 — 911.
When the call was answered, she managed to say "I'm at 1 Garrison Avenue in Newport. I can't get in. I can see someone lying on the floor. I think it's Nuala."
I'm babbling, she told herself. Stop it. But as the calm, unhurried questions came from the dispatcher, with absolute certainty Maggie's mind was shouting three words: Nuala is dead.
Copyright © 1996 by Mary Higgins Clark
PiccolaEJ
Posted June 19, 2012
I recently finished reading Moonlight Becomes You. The story opens with the main character, Maggie Holloway, reuniting unexpectedly with her beloved stepmother, Nuala. Less than a week later, however, Nuala is found murdered in her home. The police classify the attack to have been committed by a "random" burglar. But when Nuala's close friend is found dead six days later, Maggie begins to suspect there is someone who is carefully plotting out these crimes. As she continues to delve deeper into the investigation, she is unknowingly putting herself at risk.
I have always been a fan of mystery and suspense novels, and I rate Mary Higgins Clark at the top of my list. I've read many of her novels, and I was unsurprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed this one as much as the others. With its thrilling cliffhangers and well-constructed plot, this novel accomplished all that it was designed to do. The back cover of the book states, "Stay up all night with the Queen of Suspense." I found this to be true for two reasons: First, the plot sucks you in to the point where you don't want to put the book down. Second, the suspense keeps you thrillingly chilled to the bone. Take, for instance, the scene right before Nuala is murdered, prior to the discovery of who the murderer is:
"For a moment Nuala was startled, but as the door opened and her visitor stepped in, she smiled warmly. 'Hello there,' she said, 'Good to see you, but you're not due for a couple of hours[for the party] so you can't stay long.' 'I don't plan to stay long,' her visitor said quietly." (p.19)
The only negative about this book is that there were almost too many characters to keep up with. Up to chapter eight, it was basically just an introduction of each new character and the explanation of their background. Later in the book, I found myself wondering, "Wait, now who is that character again?" I would frequently have to go back and search through the pages.
Besides that minor flaw, Moonlight Becomes You was a wonderful suspense novel filled with captivating plot-twists and thrilling cliffhangers. I highly recommend it as a must-read for all who seek a little healthy dose of fear.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 11, 2007
I was unable to put this book on hiatus for any length of time- I had the unrelenting need to keep turning the page. Anything that can elude its ending from me is well worth reading. Count on the unpredictable that's in plain sight.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 9, 2007
Moonlight Becomes You is an awesome book. It kept me wondering what was going to happen, and it didn't ever really give anything away. It was a little slow in the begining and confusing with the different people 'talking' but after a while it made sense. I haven't read many of Mary Higgins Clark's books but the ones i have, have been fantastic. I recommend this book to anyone who loves horror and suspence.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 16, 2011
I began reading this book in 4th grade, unfortunately I picked it up too close to the end of the semester and wasn't yet the speedy reader I am now. Before the more interesting, the slower I read, somehow trying to fall into the pages, and I definitely fell and never forgot. I always finish a book I've started, so I searched and searched through titles. Even Clark's name resonated in me over the years, and I read first chapter after first chapter of so many titles. When finally I saw this book again, I knew automatically I'd finally found it. Moonight Becomes You.
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Posted October 12, 2011
loved the book. shes a great writer and cant wait for her next book to come out
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 5, 2010
I LOVE Mary Higgins Clarks books - this was as good as all her other books. Another one you can't put down - have to continue reading on till the next chapter.
I don't know where she gets her ideas but they are GREAT! Love when she talks about the Metropolitan area - she mentions so many things that I'm farmilar with I feel I'm part of the book!
I just read this book for the second time, the first time was 5 yrs ago or so. I really liked it then. Although it wasn't such a surprise to me, due to the fact i read it once, I still enjoyed it. I really like Mary Higgins Clark. This is one of the first books i read by her. I liked it so much I have read most of her books and this one is probably in the top 10. I recommend it to anyone that likes Mary Higgins Clark books!
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Posted August 30, 2009
I did not buy this book.
0 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 1, 2005
The 'Queen Of Suspense' Strikes Again! Mary Higgins Clark did an awesome job on this book. 'Moonlight Becomes You' kept me guessing the entire way. Maggie Hollaway, the main character, reunites with her former step-mother,Nuala,at a family reunion with her new boyfriend Liam. It starts out friendly enough, Maggie and Nuala go to lunch and exchange phone numbers. Then Maggie decides she would spend two weeks with Nuala. That didn't go as planned. When Maggie arrived at the house she found Nuala lying on the floor. She had been murdered by a intuder, a familiar intruder. Throughout the book I guessed and guessed who the killer was, but then when I found out who it was I was totally shocked. It is a great book and I would recommend it to everyone.
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Posted March 1, 2005
I tried to read this book once and then a new book in a series came out and I read that and didn't finish this one. Now I have read it all and it is one of my favorites by Clark. I figured it out right before the end and was always held in suspense. I love her mysteries so much.
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Posted March 10, 2004
Moonlight Becomes You This book is absolutely thrilling and mind-boggling. I would suggest that everyone reads the first chapter; it¿s a flashback about the main character and her surprising end. This book has many secrets and characters but when you figure them out, it¿s nothing you could have ever imagined. The author reveals the characters to us, in a third-person omniscient point of view. Though she lets us, the reader, try in figure out who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist. Other than the flashback, the setting is where Maggie is coming to Newport for a shoot for a photography project she is working on, and in this she meets her stepmother, Finnuala Moore. But much to Maggie¿s disappointment, her stepmother as well as some other characters, are murdered. It¿s up to Maggie to find out what happened and who did what. But the challenge to this is that she has to figure it out before she becomes the new victim. The book I had chosen to read was effective enough to make me continue to read all night until three o `clock in the morning in which I started at seven p.m. The beginning of this book was rather weak and uninteresting, but about five semi -chapters later things started to come out which began to boggle my mind and the friend in which was listening to me read. The author used her similes and metaphors wisely to keep you going about who had been where and done what. This book does seem to jump around to different people every semi-chapter, but it keeps you informed about the characters and their actions. Like this for instance, ¿Maggie peered through the old windows of the Victorian house to find Nuala slumped over the chair in the living room, it took a moment then Maggie had started to panic and cry, noticing that Nuala was dead.¿ then it will switch semi-chapters to ¿Nurse Markey had a thing for barging in on the residents at Latham Manor¿¿ Not until the end does the chapters start to clash together in an ensemble of metaphors that get you wondering what was happening. I would suggest this book to anyone who loves horror/mystery. This book does give you messages like locking your door¿s and window¿s, to following your instances, and in doubt to go never go alone in an odd new place. One thing I find important that is kind of good to follow, and that¿s get to know what your ¿friends¿ and acquaintances think of you and know a little of their back ground before you trust them with you or your life. This is a book I find best for a bedtime read. Its not to scary but its up with reality. And always remember things aren¿t always what they seem.
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Posted January 31, 2004
Mary Higgins Clark is an honorable author and i love her books i really do but moonlight becomes you was not her best, i read reviews from this website and didnt believe the reviews that were not exactly praising her book, so i bought the book and wanted to rip the pages and throw the cover to the wall out of frustration, i knew the characters before the ending, no surprise ending, no suspense, i was glad when the book was over. Although the book was not her greatest i still bought other books of hers the next day because I knew she could do way better but the plot was interesting and the beginning of the story was well written, slow, but well written.
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Posted November 15, 2002
I HAVE READ 6 OF MARYS BOOKS,SHE IS DEFINATELY A GOOD WRITER.IM A 11 YEAR OLD BUT I CAN GET A MENTAL PICTURE OF EVERYTHING MARY IS WRITING.HER WORD JUMP AT YOU AND STICK YOU YOUR MIND LIKE GLUE!ITS WONDERFUL AND ENJOYING TO READ ANY OF HER BOOKS!
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Posted June 25, 2002
Only the very best detective could have figured out 'Who done it', in this book. That and the fact that a step-mother was seen in a good light, for a change, were the best parts.
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Posted July 15, 2001
this book was very slow at the beginning but gets a little better at the end. i wouldnt read it again or recommend it to anyone.
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Posted July 26, 2001
This book took a particularly slow start, but by midway through the book you find your self completely intwined with the twisted plot. Everyone seemed to be a suspect and MHC kept me guessing right to the end! Great Read!!!
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Posted January 26, 2001
Of all MHC's books, I think I enjoyed this one the most. The ending, especially, was riveting. Her main character was likeable and a fairly 'normal' person with whom you could relate. As for the mystery aspect, I thought I knew who did it but was sure there would be some twists and turns and there were! I found 'Moonlight Becomes You' an enjoyable and suspenseful read, recommended for anyone.
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Posted June 6, 2000
this is the best book that i have ever read in my entire life. i just couldn't put this book down! all of mary higgins clark books are exellent but i have to say that this one is one of my favorites! :O) nikki t.
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Posted January 8, 2000
Moonlight Becomes You is a very disappointing book by Mary Higgins Clark. One thing I did not like was that it had too many characters in it and I kept mixing people up. I would have given it two stars but I gave it three because the killer's identity shocked me. I would only read this again if I had noting else to read. If you are looking for a good Mary Higgins Clark book don't read this.
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Posted January 4, 2000
I was very dissipointed in this Mary Higgins Clark novel. I had read A Cry In The Night before this, which was an excellant book, and was expecting the same with this one. NOT! This book was very slow and somewhat confusing. The only time I enjoyed reading it was when Maggie was the one 'talking'. It was very strange how all these different topics were brought in the book. There were some chapters that were very interesting and filled with suspense, but there were only a few. I did find the last 70so pages very well writen and capturing. But at the end of the book, so many things happen that are so fake and would NEVER happen in the real world. But this book did hold its grounds and I think deserves an average rating.
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