A Stranger is Watching

A Stranger is Watching

By Mary Higgins Clark

After a busy few days, I managed to finish reading the Mary Higgins Clark novel A Stranger is Watching. Having read this book after reading her first novel (Where Are the Children?), my experience was one of intrigue, despite the fact that I felt like there were a number of similarities between this novel and the other.

Once again, Clark proves that she may develop a fascinating tale of suspense and intrigue, right up until the second-to-last page (I write that in the most literal sense- this book barely has a resolution that ties everything up neatly.). This time, however, Clark has improved on her characterization and has succeeded in creating some characters that are wildly different from one another. Rather than creating the same kind of strong man dynamic present in her first novel. This creates a beautiful balance of energy within the text that reads refreshing for the reader.

It is also noteworthy that, in comparison to her first novel, she has further developed her sense of setting, pacing, and symbolism. The settings appeared to be even more realistic than the previous novel while not being as obvious to the antagonist's "lair" (so to speak). She managed to craft her settings with care for detailed description.

In addition, the pacing was brilliant, allowing the reader to feel as though they were right on the brink until the very end (again, no sense of epilogue). While this absence of epilogue did, at first, disappoint me, when it is taken into consideration with the novel's symbolism, it becomes quite brilliant. The symbolism by itself begs the question of whether or not human beings are qualified to play God and if the justice system is all that it's cracked up to be. This factor is enough to make Clark's novel worth a read.

The problem, nonetheless, is with her similarities between A Stranger is Watching and Where Are the Children. The structure appeared to be almost formula in its duplication; I would have preferred to see something a little different. I write this with the utmost respect because I truly believe that this is an incredible novel that exceeds my expectations of what a "second novel" for an author would be. I just would have been more excited to see a little more of her breaking away from the basic structure that she employed in Where Are the Children; this critique is only a minor one.

In conclusion, Clark has proved once more that she is more than capable of crafting a novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats while still posing a deeper meaning within the text. It's no surprise that this lady's novels are still being reprinted today.