The Christmas Thief: A Novel
by Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark
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Book Summary Information
Author: Carol Higgins Clark, Mary Higgins ClarkEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-11-09
ISBN: 0743271556
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Book Reviews of The Christmas Thief: A Novel
Book Review: (2+) This Idea Deserved a Better Story
Summary: 2 Stars
This disappointing story results from a suggestion to the authors by one of their editors that they write a story about the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree being stolen. That idea forms the basis of a plot that with a little more effort could have been a reasonably suspenseful mystery. Unfortunately, the whole storyline is revealed on the bookjacket notes, so the only readers to whom this will probably appeal are people just looking for a brief light feel-good holiday story or devoted fans of Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark. (In fact, this reads like a book written by a committee, it probably would have been a better story if one of them had taken on the assignment by herself rather than the two of them attempting to collaborate.)
Supposedly this is a Regan Reilly mystery, and Regan and her fiancee Jack Reilly as well as her parents Luke and Nora all do play minor roles in the story, since the tree destined for Rockefeller center is stolen from the neighboring property during their weekend in Stowe, VT. Simultaneously, Opal Fogarty, a woman accompanying their friends Alvirah and Willy Meehan for the weekend, disappears and the search for Opal leads them to believe that Packy Noonan, a scam artist just released from prison and the man who had swindled Opal out her lottery winnings might be involved. Unfortunately, the story is told from the multiple viewpoints of all the main characters, so there are no surprises for the reader and the few attempts to inject any suspense into the story mostly fall flat. Finally, the trio of bumbling villians are more like the gang who couldn't shoot straight than dangerous desperadoes. Thus, this short book which makes no pretense of anything other than light holiday reading, barely even fulfills that criteria in its attempt to avoid any real tension and end happily.
Three elements rescued this book from a one star rating. First, the story is told in an easy to read manner, it's very brief and can be finished on a short trip or a stormy evening. Second, with the usual discount it is priced right. Third, it is after all supposed to be only a light feel-good Christmas story, and in that spirit it deserves a generous rating. Nevertheless, fans of the authors will undoubtedly find the more complicated plots of their other books and the greater degree of suspense which they provide much more fulfilling. Finally, for readers looking for a truly enjoyable holiday read (and obviously many publishers believe that there is a huge demand for the genre given the recent proliferation of books aimed at the "Christmas story" audience), I strongly suggest THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN by David Baldacci. That book (review 11/20/2002) succeeds in every aspect where THE CHRISTMAS THIEF fails. It really is a clever mystery which at least keeps the reader in suspense, although in keeping with the holiday tradition it eschews real tension. Baldacci's character development is far superior and additionally it manages to involves a wonderful romantic theme and captures the true holiday spirit. As a Baldacci fan, I felt THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN clearly revealed his skills as a storyteller and heartily recommend that book as far superior to this one.
Tucker Andersen
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