'Dashing Through the Snow'

★★★

Hard To Decide

I have read multiple books by Mary Higgins Clark and have enjoyed them but haven't ever read any books by Carol Higgins Clark and was curious to see how they would do writing together. Ummm...I'm kind of conflicted. 

​The synopsis of the book gives about half of the story away, which made it easily predictable when other events occurred that were not mentioned on the book flaps. Which is rather disappointing.

One major aspect that popped out at me that I found rather irritating, due to lack of creativity, was the mention of several characters winning the lottery. I say this because in the first book I ever read of Mary Higgins Clark, ‘Weep No More, My Lady’ that was printed back in 1987, I read as a teenager, mentioned a woman having won the lottery, who was also brought into this book, 33 years later. Which leads me to another point, lack of continuity. The woman who won the lottery in ‘Weep No More, My Lady,’ mentions having won the lottery ‘several years ago,’ in this book, which is obviously not the case since it has been 33 years between the two books OR they had her win the lottery again in one of her other books, which again points to lack of creativity. Either way you look at it, it isn’t great.

When I was introduced to more and more characters, I felt like I was supposed to know a few of them already and just hadn’t read those particular books yet. This is in no way the author’s fault at all, but all of these characters coming together in this book, at this particular event and at least half of them in fields that can help with the situation occurring felt unrealistic. The plot also felt rushed, less than 230 pages in this book, and unrealistic as well, as if they were trying to tie up a few loose ends in one book. 

I didn’t see any issues with the dialogue in the book and only saw one mechanical error. Though I found it difficult to connect with the characters, I still felt some emotions towards certain plights the characters dealt with.

All in all, this particular book was kind of a let down by both of these authors. I am hoping that the next one I decide to read written by both mother and daughter will be better.