Clark, Mary Higgins (1929-2020), was a popular American author of suspense fiction. Her novels and stories typically portray average women suddenly facing terrifying situations that usually involve murder. In many of her works, the central character confronts and defeats evil forces. Some of her novels explore mental illness.
Clark was born in New York City on Dec. 24, 1929. Her maiden name was Mary Higgins. She married Warren F. Clark, an airline executive, in 1949. She began publishing short stories in magazines in 1956. Her first published book, Aspire to the Heavens (1969, republished in 2002 as Mount Vernon Love Story), was a historical novel about George and Martha Washington. She became a best-selling author with Where Are the Children? (1975), her second published book and first suspense novel. Clark solidified her reputation with her next novel, the thriller A Stranger Is Watching (1978). In 1979, she earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University.
Clark published more than 50 books. Her other novels include The Cradle Will Fall (1980), A Cry in the Night (1982), While My Pretty One Sleeps (1989), I’ll Be Seeing You (1993), Silent Night (1995), You Belong to Me (1998), We’ll Meet Again (1999), Before I Say Good-Bye (2000), On the Street Where You Live (2001), Daddy’s Little Girl (2002), The Second Time Around (2003), Nighttime Is My Time (2004), Two Little Girls in Blue (2006), I Heard That Song Before (2007), Where Are You Now? (2008), The Shadow of Your Smile (2010), I’ll Walk Alone (2011), Daddy’s Gone A Hunting (2013), and Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry (2019). In addition, Clark and fellow author Alafair Burke wrote the “Under Suspicion” series, starting with The Cinderella Murder (2014).
Clark’s stories have been collected in The Anastasia Syndrome (1989), The Lottery Winner (1994), My Gal Sunday (1996), and Death Wears a Beauty Mask (2015). She also edited anthologies of mystery stories. Clark wrote a memoir, Kitchen Privileges (2002). Carol Higgins Clark, her daughter, was also a best-selling writer of suspense fiction. The two writers collaborated on the suspense novels Deck the Halls (2000), He Sees You When You’re Sleeping (2001), The Christmas Thief (2004), Santa Cruise (2006), and Dashing Through the Snow (2008). Mary Higgins Clark died on Jan. 31, 2020.
