No Place Like Home: A Novel

No Place Lie Home by Mary Higgins Clark

Daddy’s Little Girl was the last book by Clark I read. There was a familiarty of style that came through on this book. At first I thought I was rereading a story but the stories are not the same. I guess it is style. This was a good mystery with a satisfyingly complex plot.

Clark has a young woman with a troubled past as her protagonist in this book. She has a lot of self doubt and a measure of self loathing. She is thrust into a psychologically damaging environment and struggles to keep her head above water.

Clark manages to keep you in the dark until the very end. Well done!

I recommend the book.

Mary Higgins Clark consistently writes wonderful stories and "No Place Like Home" is no exception. The story takes place in Morris County New Jersey. This will add an additional thrill to those residents reading about points of interest in familiar towns. To other readers, the author has overdone mentioning of these towns but in no way detracts from this great story.

The story gets really exciting at the get go when 10 year old Liza hers her mother scream and witnesses her stepfather, Ted Cartwright, trying to kill her mother, Audry Barton. Liza goes for the hidden family firearm and ends-up accidentally killing her mother and seriously wounding Ted.

At a later date, Liza is charged with her mother's murder. Ted hires a sleazy attorney the turns the truth 180 degrees around and Liza is convicted with murder and because of her age gets sent to a juvenile institution. Many years after she serves her term of correction she changes her name to Celia and marries a wealthy husband Alex Noland.

Alex secretly buys an exclusive and expensive home in Mendham as a surprise. When Alex takes her to her new home, Celia is horrified because this was her old home! The story takes on many thrilling twists and turns that will keep you enthralled to the end of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and have purposely left out the rest of the story, so that you may enjoy it as well.

STORY BRIEF:
24 years ago: Stepfather Ted is abusing mom. Ten year old daughter Liza aims a gun at Ted. Ted throws Mom toward Liza, which causes the gun to go off and kill the mom. Then Liza shoots Ted, wounding him. Liza has too much psychological trauma to properly defend herself. She does not go to jail but due to Ted's lies everyone believes she wanted to kill her parents. She was adopted by distant relatives who changed her name to Celia.

Now: Celia's first husband died. She has a four-year-old son Jack. She recently married Alex. Alex does not know Celia is Liza. Alex coincidentally bought the house (where the shooting took place) as a "surprise" gift for Celia. On the day they move in, the words "Little Lizzie's Place" have been painted on the lawn with other damage. Celia faints.

Celia decides to gather evidence to prove that she and her mother were victims of Ted. Other murders happen which are linked to Celia's past.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
Mary Higgins Clark has been a bestselling author among women for around 40 years. I wasn't sure what her genre was - mystery, thriller, or romance. So this was my introduction - my first book of hers. I see this as mostly mystery with suspense. I wouldn't call it a thriller because thrillers have us watching the bad guy throughout. That's not the case here. This has us seeing murders and vandalism after the fact and wondering who is doing it and why. It's good as far as watching Celia and officials slowly uncover evidence and clues. Some mystery authors just tell us things at the end which I don't like. This book has decent discovery and build up. So I assume that women who love mysteries love this author. Me, I prefer romance novels which have interesting dialogue and interaction between a couple. I like seeing relationship and emotional development. This does not have that. I also like fiction with fascinating characters and plot development, for example Stieg Larsson and John Grisham books. This book was not at that level. So I probably won't read any more by this author. But it is good for mystery lovers. The ending was excellent - the way everything was tied together and explained. Very feel good. The narrator was fine.

Celia's part is told in first person. All the other characters are told in third person. This worked fine.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 9 hours 26 minutes. Narrator: Jan Maxwell. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day Mendham, New Jersey. Copyright: 2005. Genre: mystery suspense.

When Ceila Nolan's husband Alex buys a new house, Ceila is horrified to discover it's her childhood home. Celia has a past - she killed her mother and tried to kill her stepfather in this house when she was a child. Now with a new identity, a new husband and a four-year-old son, Ceila is thrown back into the community she thought she had left behind. And as murders begin to happen around her, it seems the past is determined to catch up with her.

Higgins Clark writes smoothly and well. This book is part murder mystery, part thriller and part romance. Another reviewer has compared her to Agatha Christie and this is a valid comparison in some respects. Like Christie, her main characters are well off, living in affluent areas. There's no graphic violence or language - the book almost, but not quite, falls into the 'cosy crime' genre. But unlike Christie, the plotting is loose and transparent. The bad guys are obvious villains and the heroine is one-dimensionally good. This means that there's very little tension or mystery and the ending comes as no surprise.

Overall, however, a reasonably enjoyable, undemanding read that pleasantly whiled away a few hours.

We were worried after barely plodding through til the end of Clark's just prior novel, "Nighttime is My Time", that our author had lost her charm after passing age 80. Imagine our thrill to discover in "Home" that our "Queen of Suspense" is back in good form, almost reminiscent of her earliest fine work. While some reviewers feel the villain (there's not necessarily just one) is a little too obvious, and our heroine, Celia Nolan, a little too dumb for her own good, if you can tolerate the coincidence that starts off this novel, then you're in for a good ride.

Nolan had the misfortune as a ten-year-old to fire a gun that killed her own mother and injured her step-father; she was acquitted of murder in a notorious trial. She was adopted and departed for parts unknown, and, needless to say, changed identities. Now her second husband (she's widowed from a first, with a son by him) has bought her a house by surprise, and it turns out to be the very one where the tragedy occurred (right, tough to swallow). Soon a spate of murders threatens to not only expose her past, but Celia herself seems a good suspect for the killings, even though we know she's not. But getting to who-really-dunit takes us down many paths until an unexpected twist at the end wraps things up in a most satisfying finale.

Clark could always craft a good plot. Sometimes her leading ladies are just so wonderful, we get a little sick of them. Not here: Nolan seems a little short on smarts in a crisis, and for once the cops pretty much know what they're doing. So combine a clever story with plenty of villains to go around, with lots of reporters and busybodies to keep the creative juices flowing, and we have a tale which turns pages fast, always a good sign! We don't know how many books our matriarch might have left in her, but if she can produce a few more like this one, we say bring `em on!

to another great mystery by the Queen of Suspense. I always look forward to an MHC book. She can come up with a great murder an add a couple of suspects that have a strong motives for committing the crime. She manages to create a tingly, creepy mood without having to resort to the use of violence and gore that is prevelant among other mystery authors.

This novel revolves around a girl named Liza Barton (i.e.,hence Lizzie Borden) who was acquitted of killing her mother and shooting her much hated stepfather. She manages to move away from the tragedy and start a new life as Celia Nolan. Problems begin when Celia's second husband decides to surprise her by buying her a house for her birthday. Not aware of his wife's secret past, he unknowingly buys her the house where her mother was killed and plunges Celia into the limelight again and a whole new nightmare emerges when people connected to "Little Lizzie's" house start dying.

Great story with the usual twist and turn that we come to expect from MHC.

Heard NO PLACE LIKE HOME, the latest thriller by

Mary Higgins Clark . . . this one is about a woman hiding a

terrible secret from her new husband . . . it seems that when

she was a child, she accidentally shot and killed her own mother.

You can pretty much guess how things will turn out, yet

even though that is the case, I liked the twists and turns along

the way . . . in addition, I found myself interested in the main

character and could almost feel the difficulties she was going through.

The New Jersey setting was an added plus for me . . . it felt like I was

in the suburbia that I know quite well.

By design, I hadn't read any Clark books for quite some time because

they are often too formulaic . . . however, NO PLACE LIKE HOME might

just get me to become a fan again of this prolific mystery author.

Celia is a 34 year old interior designer, who lucked into marrying a 60 year old millionaire. They have a child, and on his deathbed, her husband makes her promise to never reveal her true identity to their child. She quickly marries a 'poor" relation of her husband's without bothering to check him out first. Celia is conflicted about revealing her true identity to her new husband. As it turns out, as a child, Celia was tried and acquitted for the murder of her mother and attempted murder of her step-father. In trying to protect her mother, she got a gun and told her step-father to let her go. He then threw her mother on top of her, the gun went off and killed her, then Liza (her real name) shot repeatedly at her step-father, never managing to kill him, what a shame. Adopted by some distant cousins, Liza changes her name to Celia, but continues to beat herself up for this childhood episode.

Strangely enough, her new husband buys her childhood home for her birthday present without consulting her, and murders and mystery ensue. I must confess I figured out the instigator at the very beginning, but it was pleasant enough reading.

Still trying to figure out the papier mache decorated porch...I think she meant crepe paper.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME Mary Higgins Clark

Celia Nolan and her "four-year-old son, Jack [thought they were going] to see a horse show in Peapack, an upscale town in northern New Jersey, when suddenly Alex [Nolan, her husband of six months] detoured to Mendham, a neighboring town. It was only then that he told [her] he had a wonderful surprise for [her thirty-fourth] birthday and drove down the road." He parked in front of a house he said was hers as he handed her the deed. "I cannot believe I am standing in the exact spot where I was standing when I killed my mother."

Thus begins chapter one of NO PLACE LIKE HOME by Mary Higgins Clark. Needless to say, Celia is speechless and hopes she is having a nightmare, rather than living one. When Alex takes Jack to explore the house, Celia is left with Mr. Paley, who is filling in for his boss, Georgette Grove, the realtor who sold the house to Alex. He is telling the shocked new homeowner about how Alex got to the house and "apparently fell in love with it immediately. The house is quite simply an architectural treasure, and it's situated on ten acres in the premier location in a premier town."

Celia is still struck dumb as she thinks: "I know it is a treasure. My father was the architect who restored a crumbling eighteenth-century mansion, turning it into this charming and spacious home." She feels as though she is free falling in time back to the night her mother died.

"Ted pinning Mother against the wall ...

"Mother sobbing ...

"I am pointing the gun at him. Daddy's gun ...

"Let go of my mother ...

"Sure ...

"Ted spinning Mother around and shoving her at me ...

"Mother's terrified eyes looking at me ...

"The gun going off ...

"Lizzie Borden had an axe ..."

Her name had been Liza Barton but she quickly became "Liza Borden" and the house earned the appellation "LITTLE LIZZIE'S PLACE. BEWARE!"

Although the tragedy happened twenty-five years ago, and Celia was acquitted, she was an orphan, a ward of the state who spent time in a juvenile shelter. "Martin and Kathleen Kellogg of Santa Barbara, California, were the distant cousins who adopted [her]. At the time of [her] Mother's death, they had been living in Saudi Arabia where he was with an engineering firm. They did not learn anything about what had happened until the company relocated them back to Santa Barbara. Childless themselves, they learned of what had happened, then, quietly and without a hint of publicity, came to Morris County and petitioned to adopt [her]. They were genuinely compassionate. Liza went with them willingly." They changed her name to Celia Kellogg, and for seven years she lived as normal a life as she could under the protection of her adoptive parents.

She came east to attend college and opened a design studio in Manhattan after graduation. She was very successful in her work and very much in love with her first husband with whom she had Jack. Celia had made a promise to him on his deathbed --- not to tell a soul about her background. Thus, Alex Nolan, her new spouse, has no idea about what returning to "the scene of the crime" is going to do to his wife, their son, their marriage, and the community. As the body count starts to rise and long-buried secrets emerge from the darkness of the past, Celia is not only the prime suspect in the killings but she and her son become targets of the killer as well.

In her Acknowledgements Clark tells her readers, "Last year, my friend ... who is a real estate agent, asked me if I knew about a New Jersey law that states that a real estate agent must inform a prospective buyer if the home he or she is considering carries a stigma that might cause psychological damage to the purchaser. Maybe there's a book in it for you," suggested the woman. That law was the genesis of this current novel.

Mary Higgins Clark is known for her tightly woven narratives, interesting characters, and the intricate twists in the storyline. But unfortunately, even with its great premise, NO PLACE LIKE HOME falls far short of her usually fast-paced, challenging novels. Once readers understand the introduction to the plot they don't have to use too many "little gray cells" to guess how events will unfold. Submerged in banality and predictability, the plot is tedious and holds none of the suspense Clark has built her reputation upon. Readers can only hope that Clark has another book in the offing that will, like so many of her other novels, be a page-turner.

--- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

© Copyright 1996-2005, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.

Celia's new husband unknowingly buys her childhood home to surprise her. She tries to find the missing links that led to her accidental killing of her mother there, as the tragedy of 24 years earlier comes back to haunt her.
Clark knocks off character after character, as Celia uncovers another clue involving each one. The police investigate the murders and become more and more interested in the current occupant of the tragic house.
Although the character development is a bit stiff and the dialogue is strictly to forward the plot, the reader stays hooked. Almost everyone has some motive or opportunity, so you second-guess, trying to weed out the too obvious. Still the author pulls a final surprise ending.
I look forward to her next novel, but now have to catch up on my sleep after a late night of reading to the very end. You can't sleep knowing the heroine and child are in danger.

Normally I am not an avid reader of mysteries but I've read every book that Mary Higgins Clark has written.

First of all, Ms. Clark's book is set in New Jersey and I lived my whole life in New Jersey and secondly, I love a book that has a good and well paced story. As usual I devour this author's books in one day; she'll never be able to keep up with me!

Celia Kellog thought she'd put her past behind her. She's promised her adoptive parents and her dying husband that she'd never reveal the secret of her childhood.

She'd started life with another name, Liza Barton. Seven year old Liza's life is idyllic. She and her parents live in a lovely old mansion in the horse country of NJ and in the historic town of Mendham (a short commute to NYC) and she has everything a child could want. One day, her father is suddenly killed in a horseback riding accident. Liza's life changes forever and without her beloved father, she's not the carefree child she was or ever will be again.

Wealthy builder Ted Cartwright and her mother have now married but things have not gone well. Liza does not want a relationship with Ted as her stepfather, she only wants her daddy back. Ted scares Liza and she never feels comfortable with him in the house.

Finally after a series of drunken or abusive events with Ted toward Liza's mother, Audrey Barton Cartwright demands that he leave and says she wants a divorce.

Liza feels the tension in the house increase though, because Ted keeps trying to get Audrey to take him back and his behavior borders on stalking. Both Audrey and Liza are terrified of him now.

One night, Liza hears the voices of Ted & her mother shouting in her mother's sitting room. In a state of fear, Liza goes and gets her father's gun. She wants to threaten Ted with it to get him to leave them alone. She enters the sitting room and while pointing the gun at him screams at Ted, "let go of my mother". Ted does just that, and as he let's go of Audrey, he pushes her violently towards Liza. Audrey crashes into Liza with so much force that the gun goes off. Liza has shot her own mother,; then the gun goes off again and again striking Ted. Audrey dies in Liza's arms while Ted lying wounded across the room dials 911.

Ted accuses Liza of trying to kill him and her mother because she hated them both for marrying after her father's death. The police take her away.

After months spent in a catatonic state, Liza is finally deemed fit to be tried in juvenile court. Every one in town has seemed to turn against the little girl who has lost everything. She trusts no one, not even her court appointed attorney. She is, however found not guilty. The town folk do not agree with the verdict. Some people start to equate Liza with Lizzie Borden. They even call her home "Little Lizzie's Place", so both Liza and her lovely home are stigmatized.

After the trial is over, Liza is adopted by some distant relatives, who take her to another state and change her name to Celia Kellog. Liza now has to forget who she really is and live a new life with a new identity. She has to live with the knowledge that she killed her own mother.

Celia eventually grows into a lovely young woman. She falls in love with an older wealthy man and they have a son Jack. Her husband dies while Jack is a toddler. He makes Celia promise never to reveal who she really is because he fears that Jack will be stimatized by the notoriety of the case.

Celia is able to keep her promise to Jack's father and her adoptive parents. Eventually, Celia falls in love with sweet and handsome Alex Nolan. Alex and Jack become best buddies too and Celia is touched by Alex's care and concern for them both.

Celia and Alex marry when Jack is 3 1/2. After they've been married for about six months the couple make plans to take Jack to see a horse show in Peapack, NJ but Alex has a surprise up his sleeve for Celia. As a birthday gift, he has bought her a beautiful old mansion in Mendham, NJ. Imagine Celia's horror as Alex pulls the car up in front of the same home where Celia/Liza had killed her own mother 24 year ago.

Celia cannot just come out and tell her new husband about her history with this house. She can't explain in front of her little son. She promised never to tell anyone.

Alex can tell that Celia is less than pleased, but is it just because he bought a house without telling her about it?

Reluctantly, Celia moves into the house but almost immediately someone vandalizes the mansion and grounds and names the house again as "Little Lizzie's".

After that, the speculations of the townspeople run rampant and the bodies begin to fall.

You will meet some pretty amazing characters along the way and you will love the journey to the truth that this story takes you on.

I loved Mary Higgins Clarks' books at first. I read the first five (from "Where Are the Children") to the fifth ("Stillwatch") and then stopped. They were all the same--some beautiful young woman (usually with kids) put in some terrible danger from her past. Unfortunately she hasn't changed her formula.

Liza Barton (at the age of 10) accidentally shoots her mother to death while trying to protect her from her vicious stepfather. She is found not guilty of murder and is adopted by a couple and has her name changed. 24 years later she has been married, widowed and has a young child. Her new husband buys her a house...and it just happens to be the house she grew up in! She keeps it a secret but then the bodies start piling up...

What a DULL book! 472 lllooooooonnnggggg pages till this is all finished. The book is slow and there are far too many characters thrown into it. It's also needlessly convoluted with some truly stupid jaw-dropping twists in it. There's also a HUGE logical mistake halfway through. Worst of all I was able to guess who was responsible AND why in about the first 100 pages.

Long, slow and incredibly dull. Clark can do a lot better than this.

I've been very disappointed with Mary Higgins Clark's recent attempts at mystery. That's probably why it took me so many months to pick up NO PLACE LIKE HOME and read it. I actually reached for it a few times in the bookcase, but then passed it up for something else. I finally bit the bullet and read it. I have to say it is better than some of her recent books, but still not the type of suspense that made me a fan twenty years ago!

Twenty-four years ago Liza Barton awakens to find her stepfather, Ted Cartright, in a heated argument with her mother. She took her mother's gun out of the nightstand and tried to protect them, but ended up killing her mother and wounding Ted. She stood trial and was dubbed "Little Lizzie Borden". Upon her acquittal, she was adopted by distant cousins and moved to the West Coast. Now this is where the story gets a bit farfetched. Liza changed her name and identity when she was adopted. She's now Celia Foster Nolan, a widow who recently married her late husband's cousin, Alex Nolan. Alex decides to buy a house for Celia as a birthday gift and it just happens to be her childhood home - the one where her mother was killed. Seems New Jersey has a law about stigmatized homes and the realtor forgets to mention the house's history until after the sale. Not wanting to upset her new husband, Celia agrees to move in. Weird things begin to happen on the day they move in - the house is vandalized, soon followed by the realtor being murdered, a landscaper (who was the culprit behind the defacing) being killed, and a horse riding instructor being shot. A lot of things happen in the small town of Mendham in a short amount of time.

The police department and district attorney seem to be one step behind the killer. The villain is an expert at framing Celia. And so the story goes focusing on Celia trying to convince the authorities that she's a victim without revealing her identity. The part that is frustrating is that Celia is supposed to be an educated woman, but she blunders through these crimes like an idiot. She's her own worst enemy!

The plot is unbelievable - I'm not sure of anyone who would move into a home that still causes nightmares just to appease their spouse. The killer is so obvious that it was apparent in the first few chapters. The red herrings tossed out are so numerous that it has one second guessing themselves for about two seconds.

What Mary Higgins Clark does well is develop interesting characters. Celia is likeable and the reader can almost relate to her. I wanted to shake some sense into her, but she was still charming. Other than her not using her brain, she's got depth. Alex moves between cocky and unsure of himself, which gives him a sweet disposition with the reader. Ted Cartright is just plain obnoxious and I took an instant dislike to him. The support characters are well developed, even if their numbers are many.

SPOILER

The ending was a bit too tidy. Ted confessing to a murder in which there was little evidence was unthinkable - any good defense attorney would have had him out of jail in a few years. And as for the subplots, well it just went together too neatly for my taste.

END SPOILER

This story and subplots were all a bit too predictable and left me wondering what really happened. And I'm still wondering why Celia would ever move back to the same vicinity where she grew up. I'd think being across the US would be a good idea!

Overall NO PLACE LIKE HOME is a decent book, and would be just above average.

Alex Nolan saw the house in Mendham, New Jersey and bought it as a surprise for his wife Celia as a birthday present. Celia is shocked and speechless because it is the same home where she grew up in until she was 10 years old. Her mother, Audrey Barton was accidentally shot by Celia, known back then as Liza Barton, and her stepfather, Ted Cartwright was seriously wounded. There was a trial, but Liza was acquitted. She was adopted by distant relatives and relocated to California. Liza returned years later as "Celia Kellog" to New York to attend the Fashion Institute and fell in love with her first husband Larry Foster. When he died, Larry left his estate to his wife and son, holding her to the promise that she would never reveal her true identity. She met Alex Nolan and a romance very quickly blossomed. Living in Mendham was a chance for them to start fresh. Alex was a successful attorney and was going to head his firm's New Jersey office. Alex seemingly did not pay attention when his realtor Georgette Grove tried to disclose the story of Liza Barton to him. Their house over the years had become known as Little Liza's place and had been recently vandalized. As police try to follow up on the vandalism, two murders take place. Celia is suspected in both, especially as her former identity is disclosed. As she is haunted by her own memories, Celia becomes more determined to reveal the truth of what happened 24 years ago. Well-done, nicely tied together, with great twist at the end.

It has been awhile since Mary Higgnis Clark has written a book that truly kept my attention. Her most recent books have been

a disappointment, in my opinion. The mystery and suspense of her first few novels still compel me to continue to read her books.

No Place Like Home has some of the twists and turns of Clark's previous works. The central character, Celia Nolan, returns to her hometown to start a new life with her husbnad, Alex, and son, Jack. This turns out to be a hometown where she was acquitted of murder 20 some years prior to the opening of the story.

The plot evolves around vandalism and death; efforts to scare Celia into mental collapse. The who and why behind each act is the mystery behind the novel.

Reader, a word of caution. Don't trust anyone!

Prolific author Higgins-Clark who's been around forever has not lost any of her talent at writing a good mystery. I had read some of her books over thirty years ago and for this one, I was absorbed from the prologue through the conclusion.
Normally I am not a crime drama mystery fan per se but this one was really good.
I kept wondering how long Celia was going to keep this secret of her past from her husband. I was prepared for her to tell him and maybe lose him or something, but not for what happened.
The book has a first rate plot and a twist at the end that was totally unexpected as well as being a jaw dropper for me. Normally I am good at figuring things out when it comes to suspects but in this instance, I didn't see it coming at all. Great writing!

"No Place Like Home" suggests a novel that would take place in a cozy farmhouse with a porch swing and a grapevine wreath on the door. The scents of fresh baked bread and a slow cooker full of roast with potatoes and carrots would be wafting through every room. A cool breeze would billow Priscilla curtains, as muffled sounds of a family's joyful interaction would be heard throughout the house.

Wrong.

Mary Higgins Clark's newest mystery novel is set in a home that holds chilling memories of murder for the woman who lived there as a child.

When her new husband bought the beautiful older house for her as a surprise, he believed it would be the house of her dreams. He had no way of knowing that for twenty-four years, it had been the house of her nightmares.

Mary Higgins Clark has done it again, retaining her title as Queen of Suspense.

Mary Higgins Clark serves up another helping of mystery in her latest novel, "No Place Like Home." Liza Borden has finally come home, but in a rather unexpected manner. Liza has been living a Celia Nolan, a beautiful and sophisticated married woman with a lovely 4-year-old son. When Liza/Celia's husband purchases the home of little Lizzie Borden, the home of a 10-year-old girl who murdered her mother and tried to kill her step-father, he could have no way of knowing that his beautiful wife and little Lizzie Borden were one in the same. And Liza/Celia wants to keep it that way. But how can she live in the house where she murdered her own mother? And the cruel pranks and phone calls about Lizzie Borden...does someone know who she really is?

I am a long time fan of Mary Higgins Clark, but lately, I have been very disappointed with her work. Her last, good novel was On the Street Where You Live. Since then, her novels have gone in the toilet. The plots are lame and/or completely predictable, the characters are insuffrable, and buy the end of the book, I wish I had my money back.

I cannot recommend this book or most of MHC's later works to anyone, but I highly recommend her older novels.

This is certainly among the worst mysteries I've ever read--and I've read hundreds of them. The wonder is that it was ever published, that an editor didn't whack it to pieces with a blue pencil

The plot is ludicrous, filled with coincidences and changes of gear. At the outset we're asked to accept the fact that a woman's husband buys a house without her seeing it, and that the house, of all the houses in this country, turns out to be the very house where she killed her mother decades ago. Of course, she had never told her husband that this had occurred. The plot goes further awry from there.

The characters are unreal, scarcely two dimensional, and there's not a single one that is likeable or with whom a reader can comfortably identify. The four-year old boy can serve as an example. "Cute" is not character.

The dialogue is wooden on every page. Characters speak as if they were refugees from a third-rate Victorian melodrama.

The atmosphere, a wealthy bedroom community in New Jersey is boring. It's all just too, too pretty.

The only reason that I read this book to its inevitable conclusion is that I wanted to see just how bad it could get. The novel didn't disappoint. When I thought it couldn't possibly get sillier, it could.

I love Mary Higgins Clark books. I have read every single one. With that said, I can't say this is her best, or even in her top 15. But I did read it all the way through, and it was entertaining, though somewhat unbelievable.

Positive points: admirable protagonist, beautiful and smart (typical, of course!) Many characters to draw suspects from, several twists and turns that keep you reading. Also, family-friendly writing; you can always lend MHC books to your teenager and your grandma without worrying about the content.

Not so great points: The "coincidences" that were pretty hard to believe. Also, the circumstances that the storyline takes place within are also questionable. You may question the main character's judgment at times and wonder what she was/is thinking. As long as you don't think about it too hard, you'll be able to look past these things.

Bottom line- if you like a quick mystery/thriller and aren't bothered by glitches in the storytelling or circumstances, then you'll enjoy this book.

This was the first time that I found myself tempted to abandon a book midway. Is it just me, or did this work of MHC come across as boring, mechanical, and just plain uninspired? I have read and loved most of MHC's earlier works, but this one read more like a hastily thrown together newspaper story. I especially found the scene where the landscaper is supposedly mulling over his situation ( where he had to buy another cell phone), to be redundant, boring, and begging to be weeded out of the manuscript. I agree with the other review I just read. Please, MHC, you're killing me.

This was definitely the best new (relatively - or at least, new-to-me) Mary Higgins Clark mystery that I've read in the last few months. Intricately plotted (with some surprising twists - and some predictable ones) and peopled with likable characters; I had a fun time reading this mystery. It was fast, fun, and hard to put down. I really had forgotten just how much I've always enjoyed reading her books. This was just so thrilling!

Similar to another book of MHC "On the street where you live", this one is also very predictable.

No doubt, it is still an interesting read. MHC linked the infamous Lizzie Bordon's case, and projected the victim here as 'little lizzie'. Her return to the very house that she shot her mother die and attempted to kill the stepfather was a surprise to her. The house was presented to her by her newly married husband, Alex, who is an attorney in NY.

On the day she moved in, there were vandalism and threats, all implying someone knows her true identity. Her life and her son's are in danger.

Very interesting and entertaining story. However, I could guess the 'bad guy' even at the very beginning. I don't think I have a good detective mind, but MHC's stories have the same traits. Once you read a few, you can almost predict the next one. I'm going to stop reading any of her books for a while, as it starts to lose fun already.

Very well written with a lot of twists and turns, you have no clue as to who the real bad guys are until the very end. Mary Higgins Clark is one of the best mystery writers, I try to read all of the books she has written.

For me, Clark is the teflon author. Despite the fact that her dialogue is laughable (writes like a 70 year old even though her characters are 30 somethings), and her plots are getting totally predictable, I am always engrossed by her books until the very last word on the very last page. The thing is she still knows how to concoct a swift and enjoyable read, that makes at least this reader forget all the flaws. She will always be one of my favorites.

Her first novels are her best. Mary Higgins Clark's writing goes bad as she wrote book after book ofer the years. It is fine to read her, of course, but her stories are going the same way - all! I was surprised as I read a time ago, that Brian de Palma would make a film by Higgins Clarks first bopvel "Where are the children", but than he cancelled the projekt, because Stephen King's "Carrie" calls. "Carrie" is a classical horror movie, and how good is it to the film world to have it! But I wish, that de Palma did the Clark-novel, too. He didn't - very sad, because "Where are the children" is my< best-love novel by Mary Higgins Clark.

Lisa Barton, dubbed, Little Lizzie Borden, after she shot her mother at the tender age of 10 in their family home at One Old Mill Lane, has grown up, changed her name, and married the man of her dreams. Not knowing his wife's true identity, Alex Nolan presents Celia with a house he purchased for her at One Old Mill Lane. Shortly thereafter the Realtor who sold him the house is murdered. Gripping, powerful mystery.

Reviewed by Janet Sue Terry, author of the contemporary romance, "Set Me Free" series Possibilities and Resolutions. President of Just My best Book Publishing Company. [...]

Mary Higgins Clark is one of my favorite authors and I have read all the books she has written. I struggled to read this book. I've picked it up a few times to read, but only putting it down to start another book. This time I told myself to start it and to finish it. It was just ok. From the beginning, I realized who the killer was. I thought I would be wrong at the end, thinking she only wanted the reader to think they knew who the person was, only to be shocked at the end. So I kept reading only to realize that I was right all along. I didn't think this was as good as her previous novels. Her writing style was a bit different to me. But, having said that, I'm still a huge fan of hers and will continue to read her future novels.

Her first novels are her best. Mary Higgins Clark's writing goes bad as she wrote book after book ofer the years. It is fine to read her, of course, but her stories are going the same way - all! I was surprised as I read a time ago, that Brian de Palma would make a film by Higgins Clarks first bopvel "Where are the children", but than he cancelled the projekt, because Stephen King's "Carrie" calls. "Carrie" is a classical horror movie, and how good is it to the film world to have it! But I wish, that de Palma did the Clark-novel, too. He didn't - very sad, because "Where are the children" is my< best-love novel by Mary Higgins Clark.

Lisa Barton, dubbed, Little Lizzie Borden, after she shot her mother at the tender age of 10 in their family home at One Old Mill Lane, has grown up, changed her name, and married the man of her dreams. Not knowing his wife's true identity, Alex Nolan presents Celia with a house he purchased for her at One Old Mill Lane. Shortly thereafter the Realtor who sold him the house is murdered. Gripping, powerful mystery.

Reviewed by Janet Sue Terry, author of the contemporary romance, "Set Me Free" series Possibilities and Resolutions. President of Just My best Book Publishing Company. [...]

Mary Higgins Clark is one of my favorite authors and I have read all the books she has written. I struggled to read this book. I've picked it up a few times to read, but only putting it down to start another book. This time I told myself to start it and to finish it. It was just ok. From the beginning, I realized who the killer was. I thought I would be wrong at the end, thinking she only wanted the reader to think they knew who the person was, only to be shocked at the end. So I kept reading only to realize that I was right all along. I didn't think this was as good as her previous novels. Her writing style was a bit different to me. But, having said that, I'm still a huge fan of hers and will continue to read her future novels.

I was driving to Ohio from North Carolina and borrowed this unabridged audio book cd from the video store I worked at. I figured it would be more stimulating than the radio (especially when going thru the back woods of Virginia & West Virginia - where signals are weak). I had never listened to an audio book before and thought, if I don't like it, I don't have to listen to it... Little did I know, I listened to it the entire trip. I even left it on when refilling my gas so I could still listen to it. I don't think that this is her BEST book, but I did bring the last cd into my friends house to finish it that night. I enjoyed it for what it was... and have since looked for additional audio books of hers.

My husband and I listened to the unabridged audio cd of this book on a car trip and we were captivated! This author is exceptional. We couldn't wait to hear what happened next as we listened to each mesmerizing chapter. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good old fashioned mystery filled with intrigue. Great character development and the reader was terrific. Don't hesitate... buy this one!

In the dramatic three page prologue which opens this rapidly paced murder mystery, ten-year-old Liza Barton is awakened from her favorite dream (which recalls her dead father Will) by a violent argument betwen her mother Audrey and her estranged stepfather Ted Cartwright. Liza then accidentally kills her mother while trying to defend her and also subsequently wounds Ted; the injury will leave him with a lifelong limp. As we learn in later flashbacks, despite testimony from a vengeful Ted that the shooting was a deliberate act by Liza, the Juvenile Court returns a verdict of not guilty. As a result of the fact that Liza has no immediate family in her hometown of Mendham, N.J. and has been labeled "Little Lizzie Borden" by the sensationalist press coverage of the case, all the case records are sealed and she is relocated to Santa Barbara, CA. and raised as Celia Kellogg by distant relatives.

After several months of remaining almost completely mute, she eventually begins to speak again and following several years of therapy she returns to the East Coast to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. She later marries Larry Foster, a wealthy older investment manager whom she meets when he hires her interior design firm. She reveals her past to Larry, then on his hospital deathbed he makes her promise that she will keep it a secret from everyone else so that their son Jack (now four years old) will not suffer the stigma of being taunted as the child of "Little Lizzie Borden". After great indecision and much regret over the deathbed promise to Larry, when Celia (Liza) later marries Alex Nolan, a distant relative of Larry whom she had met during her first husband's illness, she honors Larry's request with vague foreboding but with no conception of the disatrous consequences which would result from maintaining the secret of her true identity.

As the story opens, Alex has given Celia Nolan/Foster nee Kellogg (really Liza Barton) a surprise birthday present which leaves her both speechless and terrified; the "dream home" often described by Celia so that they can fulfill their desire to move to suburban N.J. and which Alex has secretly purchased is in fact the house where she killed her mother twenty-four years ago. How can she solve the dilemma posed by her secret? She recognizes her grave error in not revealing her past to Alex, yet now feels not only bound by her promise to Larry but is concerned by Alex's potential reaction if she belatedly reveals the truth to him. Upon their on moving day, they find the lawn covered with the message LITTLE LIZZIE'S PLACE - BEWARE and the house despoiled by bright red paint. There is also an elaborate skull and crossbones carved into the front door. Not only does does Celia faint and the press have a field day resurrecting the Little Lizzie story, but Georgette Grove, the realtor, quickly panics when she realizes that Alex has purchased the house in Celia's name and Celia has not been warned of the stigma attached to the house and thus the sale can be rescinded and Georgette's huge commision will be lost. (She had in fact casually tried to warn Alex both of the house's history and incidents experienced by previous owners, but he was unconcerned and was convinced that the house was the perfect birthday surprise for Celia.) In fact, it is this New Jersey law regarding all residential real estate sales in the state which gave the author the initial idea for the plot and serves as a "hook" on which a significant segment of the storyline is based.

Soon, additional harrassment of the Nolans takes place; before long it is clear someone knows Celia's true identity. Furthermore, she is terified that she will be recognized by townspeople who knew her family; this fear intensifies when the policeman who shows up to investigate the vandalism is Sergeant Early, the same cop who twenty four years ago wrapped a shocked and mute Liza Barton in a blanket in his patrol car after the shooting. Soon the stakes are raised much higher as subsequent murders occur in the quiet suburban community. As the above detailed plot description should make obvious to Mary Higgins Clark's devoted readers, this book follows her usual practice of having a fast developing story line and a backstory that is gradually revealed as the novel proceeds. There are numerous individuals whose motivations are unclear (you might want to keep a list); in addition to the above mentioned Ted Cartwright, the roles of Georgette's employees Henry Paley and Robin Carpenter gradually evolve as the story proceeds. What is the role of the unknown Zach, whose name is the only word a terified Liza spoke for months? There is also the neighbor Marcella Williams, wonderfully drawn as the busybody everybody loves to despise but who may have crucial information about events both past and present. Benjamin Fletcher, the lawyer who defended Liza but is unaware of Celia's true identity is suddenly drawn back into the current case; he soon tangles with Jeffrey MacKingsley, the Morris County prosecutor who realizes that this bizarre turn of events may be the steppingstone which affords him the fame necessary to achieve his goal of winning the next N.J. gubernatorial election.

Thus, this is not only an action filled murder mystery but also a real psychological thriller . Tension abounds, not only for the characters but the reader as well. While I have sufficient minor criticisms to not award the book a full five star rating (especially regarding the occasional seemingly ridiculous actions of a few of the characters and the overwhelming number of coincidences upon which the plot superficially depends),these flaws did not detract from my enjoyment to any significant extent as they apparently did for many other reviewers. I am only an infrequent reader of the author's work so cannot place it in a broader context; however, I am glad that I read NO PLACE LIKE HOME based on my wife's strong recommendation and enjoyed it more than her other books which I have read. The myriad suspects, the N.J. setting with which I am familiar as a former resident of the state, and the frequent and well plotted misdirection which the author frequently employed right up until the conclusion all combined to produce five star enjoyment for me. While certainly not an enduring work of classic fiction, this is a perfect example of why the author continues to see her books at the top of the best seller lists for popular fiction. If you are a mystery fan, it is certainly worth a few hours of your time to see how the story eventually ends for Celia or is it Liza or maybe Lizzie Borden, no Barton or perhaps Kellogg, then Foster and now Nolan.

Tucker Andersen

Let me first say, I have always loved Mary Higgins Clark. Mostly because the plots are great and the reading is quick, generally comfortable, easy reading.

For some reason, I am having a horrible time getting through this book. I have been reading it for a week now, off and on, and it still hasn't grabbed me. I think I have figured out the ending and as I am 2/3's of the way through, I will go ahead and finish it.

If you are a true Mary Higgins Clark fan, you WILL be disappointed with this one.

Final note: I couldn't finish the book. It went to the recycle bin. Ugh!

Mary Higgins Clark's last few novels have been very up and down. One good, the next one not so good. This was not one of the better ones. The plot was far-fetched and easily figured out. The first person writing was not has good as the rest of her third-person writing and really narrowed the focus of the novel.

If you want a good book, go back and read one of her early works, but skip this one. I wish I wouldn't have spent the money on the hardback!

The novel has quite a clever premise and the easy style keeps you reading. My main quibble with Mary Higgins Clark is that her heroines tend to be a bit feeble-minded and the bad guys are irredeemably bad and unbelievable. However, she certainly knows how to write drama. For another great drama set within a "haunted" house, try The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons.

Mary Higgins Clark once again delivered an enjoyable book. It was based on a grown women who killed her mother when she was a child. The characters were well developed as was the story line. There was one part of the mystery which was apparent from almost the beginning but there were some twists.

Mary Higgins Clark is an excellent mystery writer. Her use of flashback writing always brings the reader a strong connection to the main character. This novel is no exception. Here the main character Celia lives in fear that her true identity will be found out. She struggles to remember what happened the night that she accidentally killed her mother and injured her stepfather. This struggle allows the reader to sympathize with Celia, and immediately draws the reader into the mystery of what really happened. Although the character keeps most people at arms length, her obvious devotion to her family comes through in this story.