Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark

reviewed by Gerti

Mary Higgins Clark can be an excellent writer, and the book “Daddy’s Little Girl” is a shining example of that. It is written in the first person, which is apparently a departure for the popular suspense writer, as it is mentioned several times in reviews of the novel. It is the story of an investigative journalist named Ellie Cavanaugh who was only a child when her older sister was murdered. Now, decades later, the man convicted of her murder is preparing to be set free, with help from his uber rich and powerful family. Ellie is determined to use her investigative skills to make sure that doesn’t happen, and in a modern twist, starts a website to prove his guilt, if not in her sister’s murder, than in other shocking crimes, like trying to kill his grandmother for her money.

Ellie is a compelling heroine, made more so by the fact that for many years she felt guilty about her sister Andrea’s murder, as she knew about the hideout where her rebellious older sis would meet boyfriends and girlfriends to commit teenaged indiscretions. It is Ellie’s belief that her parents felt the same way, and that Andrea’s murder was the thing that broke up their marriage. Ellie’s mother has died, after being an alcoholic for a long time, and after dragging Ellie all around the country to maintain her job. Ellie’s father, who she practically refuses to speak to because she feels he abandoned them, has remarried, and Ellie has a half-brother who is a rising star in the basketball world.

The secondary characters in this story are also brilliantly drawn. They are Rob Westerfield, the 19-year-old convicted of Andrea’s murder, who thanks to his money and connections now has a crime writer working on a biography to prove he did not commit this crime. Will Nebels is the shiftless local handyman, who suddenly emerges with a new piece of evidence pointing the finger at another local teenager, the mentally challenged Paulie Stroebel, who was working at a garage the night of the murder and had access to Westerfield’s car (and the murder weapon – a tire jack). Stroebel’s mother wants to keep him out of another trial just to save his fragile mental health, not because he killed the girl.

As the plot goes on, it is Ellie’s investigative skill that gets her evidence of other crimes and misdemeanors committed by Westerfield, but how far will his family go to keep it all quiet? The book kept me reading far into the night, with its engaging heroine, dramatic plotline (involving a fire and a suicide attempt), and heartless villain, who has a history of crimes against women. The suspense only builds as Ellie finally puts the puzzle together, but will Westerfield and his cronies stop her before she can tell anyone else? “Daddy’s Little Girl” is a rich and complex novel, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves crime fiction AND happy endings.