Well, this is Mary Higgins Clark’s final book. In my opinion, she finished strong with this story. Gina, a freelance journalist is sought out to investigate one woman’s report of a bad experience with her previous employer in the news media industry. The investigation quickly evolves and grows into several women having more than just a bad experience. The investigation impacts Gina’s personal and work life, forcing her to make impossible decisions. All the while, she is navigating the recent loss of her mother. ( )

Review to come. Audiobook. ( )

Kiss the Girls and Make them Cry by Mary Higgins Clark is a 2019 Simon & Schuster publication.

Gina Kane, an investigative reporter, is onto to a good story- she feels it in her bones. After being contacted by a woman who claims she had a terrible experience while working for REL, a TV news network and suggests she wasn’t the only one, Gina begins to follow up on the story. But she learns the woman who sent her the email has died in a terrible jet ski accident while on vacation.

REL counsel, Mike Carter, finds himself in an awkward position. When he confronts the CEO about sexual allegations made against him by several female employees, he is told to buy them off. If he does what he is told, it will make him a rich man.

As Michael struggles to put out more fires than he bargained for, Gina is hot on his trail as evidence mounts of a cover up and maybe even murder....

This is a descent enough novel of suspense, with a relevant theme, centered around the #MeToo movement. The story moves a little slowly, and is not terribly exciting, to be honest, but there were some surprise twists along the way, especially in the last quarter of the book, when things really started to come together.

As most mystery fans know by now, Mary Higgins Clark passed away this past January at the age of 92, just a few short months after the release of this book. These musings are not a review of the book, so you are welcome to skip my pulpit pounding.

For the record- I've fudged the rating on this book a notch. I wrestled with my conscience a little because in all honesty, the book is okay and I liked it- a solid 3 star effort, but because this could be the last solo release for Clark, I went with 3.5 and rounded it up because frankly, if I make it to ninety years of age, I hope I'm as lucid as MHC and she deserves a little more credit than was given her.

I realize that many people have remarked upon the quality of Ms. Clark’s novels over the past few years and may have thought it was well past time for her to retire. I can’t lie and say I had not noticed the slippage, but despite the simpler plot lines and lack of cohesiveness, her stories were still entertaining enough, and I enjoyed them for what they were. I didn’t go in with great expectations, and usually still found myself involved in the story and considered the books well worth the time I invested in them.

I also wonder if it is fair to compare Clark's more recent releases with her older novels. How many ninety year olds do you know who are still working? Do you hold them to the same standard of quality and productivity you would for someone in their thirties and forties?

I have also been told, on occasion, from fellow mystery lovers that Mary Higgins Clark was a favorite author back in their youth, which of course is a time when clean reads with limited language, graphic violence, and sexual content is encouraged.

I read Clark’s work well past that period in my life and found her stories more complex than she was given credit for, but I too reached a point when I lost track of Clark, and went through a phase where the darker and more twisted a book was, the better.

However, in recent years, I rediscovered Clark, mainly through her collaboration with Alafair Burke. I found my reviews for Clark’s books often received comments that suggested her work was too simplistic or formulaic for more advanced readers- which also suggested I, too was 'limited' and not too sophisticated. But, that's fine. I'm happy and that's all that matters.

For some reason, no matter how good the story is, if the book is not crammed with colorful metaphors, erotic passages, and lurid violence and gore, society deems it unimportant and of no value.

Don’t get me wrong, I read my fair share of dark, twisted novels, but a book doesn’t lose it’s worth or become juvenile simply because it is clean, nor do books with gratuitous content pass for highbrow literature, in my opinion- and I get a little tired of having to defend what I read sometimes.

In Clark’s defense, I am glad she continued writing, even if she did so past her prime. She did a pretty darn good job for a woman in her nineties and she had every right to continue to do what she loved, no matter what her age, or what other people thought. Clark was true to her audience, by keeping her books clean, and they returned the favor with their loyalty. For that, she earns even more of my respect.

I have not read every one of Clark’s novels, but I’ve read enough to know she was fine writer of over fifty books, all of them bestsellers- and she kept me entertained for many hours. I for one am thankful for her many contributions to the mystery/thriller genre! RIP Mary Higgins Clark and thanks for all the great stories ( )

As far as I know, this was Mary Higgins Clark last published work before her passing. She was one of my favorite authors. I read this book knowing she would not be writing anymore. Gina, a freelance investigative journalist receives an email that states that she had a horrible experience at a top news station. Gina can't get in touch with this woman to get the story, instead she finds out the woman has died in a jet ski accident. Gina investigates this story which leads to more, a corporate coverup and more. I liked this, it a fast read. ( )

Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry is an apropos title to the book. The book is a good story from the first page through the last. There is suspense, cover-ups and what seemed like a plot that was influenced by current events. The book was not too long or too short. The story had an ending that tied up all of the loose ends. Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry is recommended. ( )