A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark
First Published 1982 by Pocket
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Mystery
352 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Add on Goodreads
Get it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O5jLZU
Divorcee Jenny MacPartland’s struggle to support herself and her two small daughters is not helped by her irresponsible ex-husband. But suddenly a new man steps into her life. Rich, handsome Erich Krueger sweeps her off her feet and off to his mansion in the country. Everything seems to be perfect, and Jenny feels like a fairy-tale princess. But gradually the fairy-tale turns into a nightmare. Something is very wrong in the great house that has slowly, imperceptively, become her prison. Something that threatens her marriage, her life – and her children.
Review
I first read this book 2 or 3 years ago and I remember it being a suspense story and full of thrill. When I decided to read it again I couldn’t recall all the details of it. I only recall about the psycho husband and the reason why the baby died. I never thought I would still like it even after reading it for the second time. Most books don’t really hold up, but this one managed to still make me feel uneasy like the way I first read it.
In this creepy book, Jenny, is a struggling mother of two young girls named Beth 3 years old and Tina 2 years old. She then meets Erich, a man who seems to be her Prince Charming. After a whirlwind romance, Jenny, together with her girls, moved to Minneapolis with him. While living in his mansion, she discovers a lot about him. She realized how stubborn, perfectionist, manipulative, and abusive he is.
I recall I almost fell in love with Erich for he was so sweet and romantic with Jenny in the first few chapters of the book, most especially on their first acquaintance. But in the next chapter, I noticed that there’s something wrong with him especially on how organized he was. He organized things without consulting Jenny first. I know I remembered about a psycho husband and I assumed it’s him.
One thing I don’t like about the character of Erich is that he was so insecure, so jealous, super dominant, and inconsiderable. He used to be a very nice guy and a prince charming in the first chapter. I also noticed how she was so fond about Caroline, his mother. He even told Jenny to use her mother’s evening gown. Woah! Imagine wearing a gown who belongs to a dead person. That’s really creepy.
There’s a lot of suspense in the story and was introduced in a very detailed way. And her “who done it” style never really fails to confuse me. Even after reading it the second time, I’m still confused on who the bad guy was. Though honestly, I already know who the killer was, but while reading the story, it makes me doubt if I really do know the real suspect or not.
Actually, I suspected a lot of characters in the story. They all seemed guilty. I even suspected Jenny. It was because she seems like she really does a lot of things while sleeping. That was really so lame of me. This story will really make you guess until the end.
This is definitely one of my favourites. I like how she combines mystery and romance together. I’m always a sucker of her happy endings but honestly, I kinda didn’t like the ending of this book. But overall, it was a very nice story to read. I remember how I managed to stay late at night just to finish the story. I salute Clark for she still managed to get me hooked even after reading it for the second time.
I am forever her fan and I would definitely recommend this to everyone. It sure is worth your time!
Book Preview
Check out my book shelf for book suggestions and recommendations!
