Books › As Time Goes By
As Time Goes By
415 pages
A tense, dual-threaded mystery where the search for personal roots collides with a high-stakes murder trial.
What it feels like
This classic suspense novel delivers a brisk, tightly woven reading experience that balances the emotional weight of a personal quest with the sharp tension of a courtroom drama. The mood is persistently anxious, driven by a ticking-clock urgency as damning evidence mounts and hidden financial motives come to light. The narrative seamlessly intertwines the deeply intimate search for a birth mother with the public spectacle of a high-profile murder trial, creating a layered atmosphere of secrets and deception. Written in an accessible, plot-forward style, the story pulls the reader through a maze of shocking revelations and frantic investigations. It is a perfect fit for readers who crave earnest, fast-paced thrillers where family mysteries and the pursuit of justice collide.
- Mood
- tense
- mysterious
- anxious
- Tone
- suspenseful
- urgent
- earnest
- dramatic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- weight of family secrets · search for identity · pursuit of justice · hidden motives
- The writing
- Accessible and plot-driven, prioritizing suspense and clear, escalating stakes over ornate language.
- The arc
- Moves from a simmering personal longing for connection to a frantic, high-stakes race for the truth.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love classic, fast-paced suspense novels where personal mysteries intertwine with high-stakes courtroom drama.
Content notes
- murder
- Alzheimer's disease
- family betrayal
About the book
" In this exciting thriller from Mary Higgins Clark, the "Queen of Suspense," a news reporter tries to find her birth mother just as she is assigned to cover the high-profile trial of a woman accused of murdering her wealthy husband. Television journalist Delaney Wright is on the brink of stardom after she begins covering a sensational murder trial for the six p.m. news. She should be thrilled, yet her growing desire to locate her birth mother consumes her thoughts. When Delaney's friends Alvirah Meehan and her husband Willy offer to look into the mystery surrounding her birth, they uncover a shocking secret they do not want to reveal. On trial for murder is Betsy Grant, widow of a wealthy doctor who has been an Alzheimer's victim for eight years. When her once-upon-a-time celebrity lawyer urges her to accept a plea bargain, Betsy refuses: she will go to trial to prove her innocence. Betsy's stepson, Alan Grant, bides his time nervously as the trial begins. His substantial inheritance hangs in the balance--his only means of making good on payments he owes his ex-wife, his children, and increasingly angry creditors. As the trial unfolds, and the damning evidence against Betsy piles up, Delaney is convinced that Betsy is not guilty and frantically tries to prove her innocence. A true classic from Mary Higgins Clark, As Time Goes By is a thrilling story by a master of the genre. "--
Description from Open Library.
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