Mary Higgins Clark Author:Linda C. Pelzer Best-selling author Mary Higgins Clark, the "Queen of Suspense," uses a popular literary genre, the novel of mystery and suspense, to explore contemporary social issues and the reality of evil in the lives of ordinary people. This first critical study of her work reveals the serious intent of a popular writer of popular fiction. It examines comm... more »on themes--the consequences of crime on innocent victims, how crime forces its victims to confront their deepest psychological fears, and the terror of the past--and explores Clark's treatment of current social issues from capital punishment to child abuse. The study provides close textual analysis of each novel in turn, revealing the surprising depth of Clark's work and her extraordinary gift for working within a number of literary genres under the guise of popular fiction.« less