All Around the Town by Mary Higgins Clark

"East side, west side,
All around the town,
The tots sang 'Ring-a-Rosie,'
 'London Bridge is Falling Down.'
Boys and girls together,
Me and Mamie O'Rourke,
Tripped the light fantastic,
On the sidewalks of New York."
                         -lyrics from "The Sidewalks of New York"

This Mary Higgins Clark was as good as any other of hers I have read. She is appropriately called "The Queen of Suspense." Clark is one of my go-to authors when I just want to enjoy a thriller and not think too hard. Our Page Turners group tends to read literature with more challenging plots and more profound themes so an easy read like this is refreshing at times, just mindless fun. Most of Clark's novels are centered around a song, often oldies, and this one is no exception. If I ever hear "The Sidewalks of New York" again it will probably give me goose bumps! And I never want to see a decapitated chicken!

Two sisters are the main characters, one a lawyer and one a troubled young lady with multiple personality disorder. The second sister, Laura, finds herself accused of a murder and the older sister, Sarah, takes on the task of defending her. Short chapters and a gripping plot made this book a true "page turner"---I could hardly put it down! I would give it a 5.

The problem for me with books like this is they are not very memorable and there is really no redeeming social value that I can see. A couple of weeks from now I will have forgotten much of it. It was a great ride while it lasted!