I have not read a book by Mary Higgins Clark in quite some time. So I really didn't know what to expect when reading The Cinderella Murder. However, I did enjoy Clark's latest for its methodical plotting.

Mary Higgins Clark's The Cinderella Murder
Simon and Schuster
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Clark and Alafair Burke draft concise chapters which detail the characters' mindsets and actions both in the past as well as in the present. I am especially drawn to the way Alex Buckley, a renowned criminal defense attorney, interviewed various suspects.

Buckley's questioning of the witnesses "ranged from gentle empathy to grueling cross-examination." (27) In these passages, Buckley's personality and the inner workings of his mind are revealed. The reader could grab hold of his line of questioning without getting caught up in the emotion of the UCLA student's death. Here is where the meticulous step-by-step progression of the story really pushes forward.

Take time out for yourself for the afternoon to read The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. You won't be disappointed!

THE CINDERELLA MURDER
By Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke
320 pp. Simon & Schuster. $26.99.

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