When I got this book I wasn´t really aware of the fact, that it was actually a Christmas story. But despite that, it is a wonderful, heartwarming novel with a little cutie called Stellina and her story is just beautiful. I had a few nice hours with her and this short story. It is not really known around here, that Alvirah and Willy have their own series, written by the author. At least those books are not specifically called by their names. When I figured out a few weeks ago, that I already have some of those books, I was happy and looked for the others – and found this one.
In Einer Winternacht*
by Mary Higgins ClarkAlvirah And Willy Series #3
Original Title All Through The Night
Publisher Heyne on October 11, 2016
Genre Thriller
Pages 192
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher
Goodreads
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All of Alvirah´s deductive powers and Willy´s world-class common sense are called upon as the two stumble into a Christmas mystery. A woman abandons her newborn at a Manhattan church. Simultaneously, a thief is absconding with a treasured artifact, a chalice adorned with a star-shaped diamond. The elude police, he grabs the stroller and disappears. Seven years later, the mother returns to the scene and finds Alvirah and Willy helping neighborhood kids prepare for a Christmas pageant at an after-school shelter. Soon the savvy sleuths set out to solve the puzzle of the missing child and chalice – and to unmask scam artists threatening to shut down the shelter.
Story
Sondra is desperate. The father of her newborn baby is married, and her grandfather, who raised her, expects her to become a musician. But how study with a baby girl and no man at her side? Years later, Sondra wants to know what had happened to her daughter, if she found a loving and caring family, only to discover, that her baby was never found by the church, where she had left her. Alvirah wants to help her and goes on a hunt, to find her daughter and the chalice that was stolen the same night, Sondra left the stroller right outside the church.
Style
Mary Higgins Clark wrote this novel in a nice, soft tone and used her style she became famous for. Decent, with some little action but no blood or other things like that. Instead, Alvirah uses her brain, combines facts in a way that you can only smile and keep reading. Yes, All Through The Night is the almost perfect story for Christmas and for sure a nice read during the day when you´ve got nothing else to do.
Characters
Stellina is such a cutie. She loves her Nonna very much and feels by instinct that her father isn´t really a good guy. To know, that the place she loves to go after school will soon no longer available for her, is not really comforting her, and to see that her Nonna isn´t in good health doesn´t make her life easier. But she feels, that she only has to bring some of her most precious things to the church and her life will turn around.
Conclusion
No doubt, a wonderfully written book about Christmas time without being too kitschy or with all the usual decorating this time of year has. And reading it during a hot summer day was, at least for me, a nice contrast. So, if you like to read such stories around Christmas, this is your book.
Happy reading
*This book was kindly provided to me by Heyne in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review. The book was published All Through The Night by Simon & Schuster on October 1, 1999.
Mary Higgins Clark
Mary Higgins Clark, born in 1928 in New York, lived and worked in Saddle River, New Jersey. She sold her first story in 1956 for $100 to a magazine. After the sudden death of her husband in 1964 she wrote her first book, a biographical novel about George Washington. Her first suspense novel Where are the Children from 1975 meant a turning point in her life and career: He became a bestseller. She is #1 international and New York Times bestselling author, has written thirty-four suspense novels; three collections of short stories; a historical novel; two children´s books; and a memoir, Kitchen Privileges. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she has coauthored five more suspense novels. Her books have sold more than 100 million copies in the United States alone. She is the most successful thriller author worldwide.
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