The Shadow of Your Smile

by Mary Higgins Clark

Book Overview

In The Shadow of Your Smile, worldwide bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark weaves a spellbinding thriller revolving around a long-held family secret that threatens to emerge and take the life of an unsuspecting heiress. At age eighty-two and in failing health, Olivia Morrow knows she has little time left. The last of her line, she faces a momentous choice: expose a long-held family secret, or take it with her to her grave. Olivia has in her possession letters from her deceased cousin Catherine, a nun, now being considered for beatification by the Catholic Churchthe final step before sainthood. In her lifetime, Sister Catherine had founded seven hospitals for disabled children. Now the cure of a four-year-old boy dying of brain cancer is being attributed to her. After his case was pronounced medically hopeless, the boy's desperate mother had organized a prayer crusade to Sister Catherine, leading to his miraculous recovery. The letters Olivia holds are the evidence that Catherine gave birth at age seventeen to a child, a son, and gave him up for adoption. Olivia knows the identity of the young man who fathered Catherine's child: Alex Gannon, who went on to become a world-famous doctor, scientist, and inventor holding medical patents. Now, two generations later, thirty-one-year-old pediatrician Dr. Monica Farrell, Catherine's granddaughter, stands as the rightful heir to what remains of the family fortune. But in telling Monica who she really is, Olivia would have to betray Catherine's wishes and reveal the story behind Monica's ancestry. The Gannon fortune is being squandered by Alex's nephews Greg and Peter Gannon, and other board members of the Gannon Foundation, who camouflage their profligate lifestyles with philanthropy. Now their carefully constructed image is cracking. Greg, a prominent financier, is under criminal investigation, and Peter, a Broadway producer, is a suspect in the murder of a young woman who has been extorting money from him. The only people aware of Olivia's impending choice are those exploiting the Gannon inheritance. To silence Olivia and prevent Monica from learning the secret, some of them will stop at nothingeven murder. Clark's riveting new novel explores the juxtaposition of medical science and religious faith, and the search for identity by the daughter of a man adopted at birth.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1439172269
• ISBN13: 9781439172261
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 319 Pages
• Weight: 1.13 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

THE SECRET HEIRESS

When 82-year-old Olivia Morrow receives the news that she is dying and has little time left, she must make a big decision. Many years ago, her deceased cousin Catherine, who became a nun, had a big secret. And Olivia has letters in her possession that confirm the details of the fact that, at age seventeen, Catherine gave birth to a baby boy, whom she subsequently put up for adoption. The child's father, Alex Gannon, went on to become a world-famous doctor, scientist, and inventor holding medical patents. Just to complicate things a bit further, this same nun is being considered for "beatification" because of alleged miracles she has performed, by healing terminally ill children. Meanwhile, also living in New York City is Dr. Monica Farrell, daughter of that same child, completely unaware that she is the only living "issue" of that famous man. His other relatives--nephew, etc.--are squandering the fortune and are involved in nefarious activities. Unaware of the possible connection between them, Dr. Farrell is being called upon to "testify" as to the medical facts and supposed miracle that healed one of her patients, all in support of the sainthood of this nun. So the scene is set. What will Olivia do? And what will certain others do to keep the truth from coming to life? Through the pages and chapters, which I am rapidly turning as the suspense builds, we see glimpses of each of these characters and watch as events speed up and tensions heighten, while lives hang in the balance--literally. I enjoyed the way the author pulled in supposedly incidental characters and created unique circumstances that would help bring down the house of cards built by the unworthy characters, somehow forestalling disaster. This was a very quick read, due in large part to the way this author builds suspense and gives us layers of the story, with each subsequent chapter bringing us closer to the ultimate conclusion. The Shadow of Your Smile was a definite five star read for me!

Clark's great writing

Mary Higgins Clark has done it again. A fast read and a great story. Don't miss it

More Than What You Would Expect

Monica Farrell is a pediatrician in a small New York hospital. She is single, lives alone, and is completely devoted to her work. As far as Monica knows, she has no living relatives and has adjusted to that state of affairs well. Her father was an adopted child with no knowledge of his birth family. When he was alive, he was very anxious to find out any information about where he came from. Matriarch Olivia Morrow is 82 years old and has just been told she is on the threshold of death. She has a secret she's been keeping for decades and must decide if she should reveal it or take it to her grave. She has information that pertains to Monica's father that could also change Monica's life. The proof is in the form of letters from her cousin, Sister Catherine. Sister Catherine is being considered for beatification, and the secret she has in her possession could turn this small world upside down. She was assaulted just before she became a novitiate and gave birth to a son, who was quickly adopted. What Monica doesn't know is that she is the rightful heir to the foundation's fortune since her great-grandfather founded Gannon Enterprise. The Gannons are a rich and philanthropic family. Their moneyed lives are legendary, and no one has any suspicion that things are not on the up and up. Gannon Enterprise has told the hospital that they will grant them millions of dollars in order to expand and offer more services to the neighborhood. But then they suddenly withdraw their offer. The young turks of the family and some members of the board have squandered away millions of dollars and will stop at nothing to keep this from going public. One of the main subplots in THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE is the role of faith and the possibility of miracles in peoples' lives. Monica has a young patient with terminal brain cancer. No medical procedure can save his life, yet his mother vows he will not die. She says she will pray to Sister Catherine, who is known for her care and healing of children. The family decides that prayer will cure the cancer, and it does. No one in the medical field, regardless of specialty, can account for the enormous brain tumor disappearing. Is it a miracle? In her Acknowledgements, Mary Higgins Clark says, "... I attended the Beatification Ceremony of a nun who founded seven hospitals for the aged and infirm and is credited, by the power of prayer, with saving the life of a child." She goes on to relate: "This story concerns a ... miracle, one that medical science cannot explain." This unforgettable experience inspired her to write THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE. As always, she gives her readers more than they expect. Her prose and characters are clearly drawn, which makes for delightful reading. Once again the Queen of Suspense delivers, and I'm hoping we don't have to wait too long for her next heart-pounding bestseller.

mary higgins clark thiller

i just love mary higgins clark books these one didnt disponet it was excellent i would so recommend these book to all my friends

Loved it.

I've read nearly all MHC's books. I loved this one just as much as the others. Certainly, it's nothing very complex--it's just lots of fun. In fact, when I was teaching eighth grade I introduced my students to her books in literature circles. They had never read anything with any length or teeth whatsoever unless they had done it on their own. Her books were perfect for 13 year olds--short chapters, great plots, very few curse words, yet challenging because of the cyclical instead of linear plots--and length. After sorting out a little confusion regarding the plots, some of my students nearly missed their busses because they were so enveloped in their novels! Now, that speaks volumes in my opinion! This newest book follows all the standards that MHC set years ago, it's a good, easy read, and something I would recommend to anybody who just wants to have a little fun.