Product Description

Ellie Cavanaugh was only seven years old when her fifteen-year-old sister, Andrea, was murdered near their home in a rural village in New York's Westchester County. There were three suspects: Rob Westerfield, nineteen-year-old scion of a wealthy, prominent family whom Andrea has been secretly dating; Paul Stroebel, a sixteen-uear-old schoolmate, who had a crush on Andrea, and Will Nebels, a local handyman in his 40s.

It was Ellie who had led her parents to a hideout in which Andrea's body was found -- a secret hideaway where she met her friends. And it was Ellie who was blamed by her parents for her sister's death for not telling them about this place the night Andrea was missing. Ellie's testimony eventually led to the conviciton of the man she was convinced was the killer. Steadfastly denying his guilt, he spent the next twenty-two years in prison.

When he comes up for parole, Ellie, now an investigative reporter for an Atlanta newspaper, protests his release. Nonetheless, the convicted killer is set free and returns to Oldham. Determined to thwart his attempts to whitewash his reputation, Ellie also returns to Oldham, intent on creating a Website and writing a book that will conclusively prove his guilt. As she delves deeper into her research, she uncovers horrifying and unknown facts that shed new light on her sister's murder. With each discovery, she comes closer to a confrontation with a desperate killer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1738933 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-01
• Formats: Abridged, Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Binding: Audio CD

From Publishers Weekly
Writing in the first person a rarity for this veteran author has inspired and energized Clark. Her 21st novel of intrigue is her best in years, a tightly woven, emotionally potent tale of suspense and revenge. Clark's new heroine is Atlanta investigative journalist Ellie Cavanaugh, who was seven when her sister, Andrea, 15, was beaten to death by 20-year-old Rob Westerfield, scion of the wealthiest family in a small Westchester town. Now Westerfield is up for parole, so Ellie, now 30, returns home to speak out against him. When Westerfield is released, Ellie begins to write a book aimed at re-proving his guilt. Digging for evidence, she uncovers clues that Westerfield may have committed another murder as a youth, but that digging also enrages the Westerfields and other town members who think the man was railroaded. Before long, Ellie's life is in danger, as someone breaks into the house she's staying in, then later sets fire to it, nearly killing her, and as Westerfield himself begins to shadow her moves. What makes this novel work isn't only the considerable tension Clark teases from Ellie's precarious position, but the thoughtful backgrounding to the action. Ellie is cast as a lonely woman, without a lover and estranged from her father and half-brother: will she accept one or the other into her guarded life?; and she carries a heavy load of guilt for her sister's death, wondering at times if she is blinded by her thirst for vengeance. With its textured plot, well-sketched secondary characters, strong pacing and appealing heroine, this is Clark at her most winning. (On sale, Apr. 16)
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
At the parole hearing for Donald Waring, Trish Duncan begins to wonder whether he was wrongly convicted of killing her sister 20 years ago.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Mary Higgins Clark displays her unmatched storytelling in this mystery about 7-year-old Ellie and her murdered 15-year old sister, Andrea. When Andrea disappears, Ellie suspects she's at the "hideout," but she doesn't tell. She waits until morning, only to find Andrea dead. Her guilt is compounded by her mother's spiral into alcoholism. Twenty-three years later, Ellie, now an investigative reporter, learns Andrea's killer is scheduled for parole. Jan Maxwell switches characters and gender roles with such ease it sometimes sounds as if there's more than one narrator. Her performance gives added tension to this suspenseful story. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine