Product Description

From beloved mother-daughter duo Mary Higgins Clark, America's Queen of Suspense, and Carol Higgins Clark, author of the hugely popular Regan Reilly mystery series, comes Dashing Through the Snow, a holiday treat you won't want to miss.

In the picturesque village of Branscombe, New Hampshire, the townsfolk are all pitching in to prepare for the first (and many hope annual) Festival of Joy. The night before the festival begins, a group of employees at the local market learn that they have won $160 million in the lottery. One of their co-workers, Duncan, decided at the last minute, on the advice of a pair of crooks masquerading as financial advisers, not to play. Then he goes missing. A second winning lottery ticket was purchased in the next town, but the winner hasn't come forward. Could Duncan have secretly bought it?

The Clarks' endearing heroes -- Alvirah Meehan, the amateur sleuth, and private investigator Regan Reilly -- have arrived in Branscombe for the festival. They are just the people to find out what is amiss. As they dig beneath the surface, they find that life in Branscombe is not as tranquil as it appears. So much for an old-fashioned weekend in the country. This fast-paced holiday caper will keep you dashing through the pages!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26261 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The festive fifth holiday mystery from the bestselling mother-daughter Clarks (after 2006s Santa Cruise) focuses on a wish-fulfillment theme many Americans dream about—winning a fortune in the lottery. As Christmas approaches, the folks of Branscombe, N.H., are celebrating their first Festival of Joy. Visiting from New York City are novelist Nora Regan Reilly and her PI daughter, Regan Reilly, and their close friends Alvirah and Will Meehan, who won $40 million in the lottery a few years earlier. When four employees of Conklins Market win $160 million using numbers supplied by their associate Duncan Graham, they decide to share their winnings with Duncan. Duncan, alas, has vanished. The Reillys and Meehans soon get on a trail of intrigue involving an abduction, thieves, con men and a second winning lottery ticket. Though the plotting and the characterization can be as thin as early winter ice, this trifle still rates a cheerful ho ho ho. (Nov. 18)
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From Booklist
In the fifth Christmas mystery by the real-life mother-daughter team (Mary and Carol), the fictional mother-daughter team (Nora and Regan) is on the way to Branscombe, New Hampshire, for an old-fashioned, small-town Christmas festival. With the carefully orchestrated festival only days away, the workers at Conklin’s market, which is set to cater the affair, are disgruntled by unfair treatment from Old Man Conklin’s newest wife, especially when she denies them their expected bonuses. But when four of the workers realize that they hold a winning lottery ticket worth $160 million, they gladly snub Conklin and his wife, leaving them shorthanded with the festivities approaching. The group is concerned, though, when a fifth worker, Duncan, who has been part of their lottery-buying co-op for years but had opted out this time, cannot be found, as they planned to share the winnings with him anyway. Duncan had been cutting back on “useless” expenses, based on the dubious advice of scam-artist “investors,” and now he finds himself holding secrets that put him in serious danger. The amiable cast of characters—from the townsfolk to the two bumbling crooks to Regan and Nora’s group of friends—gives this pleasant holiday diversion a light charm that would be welcome any time of the year. --Mary Frances Wilkens

About the Author
Mary Higgins Clark's books are world-wide bestsellers. In the U.S. alone, her books have sold over 85 million copies.

She is the author of twenty-seven previous suspense novels. Her first book, a biographical novel about George Washington, was re-issued with the title, Mount Vernon Love Story, in June 2002. Her memoir, Kitchen Privileges, was published by Simon & Schuster in November 2002. Her first children's book, Ghost Ship, illustrated by Wendell Minor, was published in April 2007 as a Paula Wiseman Book/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

She is co-author, with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, of four holiday suspense novels Deck the Halls (2000), He Sees You When You're Sleeping (2001), The Christmas Thief (2004) and Santa Cruise (2006).

Mary Higgins Clark was chosen by Mystery Writers of America as Grand Master of the 2000 Edgar Awards. An annual Mary Higgins Clark Award sponsored by Simon & Schuster, to be given to authors of suspense fiction writing in the Mary Higgins Clark tradition, was launched by Mystery Writers of America during Edgars week in April 2001. She was the 1987 president of Mystery Writers of America and, for many years, served on their Board of Directors. In May 1988, she was Chairman of the International Crime Congress.

Carol Higgins Clark is the author of nine previous bestselling Regan Reilly mysteries. She is coauthor, along with her mother, Mary Higgins Clark, of a bestselling holiday mystery series. Also an actress, Carol Higgins Clark studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and has recorded several of her mother's works as well as her own novels. She received AudioFile's Earphones Award of Excellence for her reading of Jinxed. She lives in New York City.

Her website is www.carolhigginsclark.com.

Customer Reviews

Holiday Cheer from Our Favorite Mother & Daughter Writing Team
Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark have come up with another of their Christmas mysteries featuring Alvirah, former cleaning lady now lottery winner, her husband Willy, Nora Regan Reilly (MHC's alter ego, a mystery writer), her husband Luke, their daughter Regan, and her husband Jack (no relation) Reilly. As usual, it is a fast, fun read. There are the usual assortment of quirky characters, most of whom are good people. There are, however, a few who are not including The Skunk, wife of the local storekeeper. Of course there are a couple of bumbling criminals who really aren't evil when push comes to shove. But there are two others. . .

Set in a little town in New Hampshire, the short but sweet novel takes place during the first annual Festival of Joy, which the young mayor and his camera-happy wife hope will put their charming little town on the map.
A group of disgruntled employees of the local grocery, who have reason to be unhappy because the owner's wife has given them wedding pictures of herself and her husband instead of the monetary Christmas bonuses they were counting on, have won the powerball lottery. But another winning ticket was sold in the next town. Who has it? And where is it?

Add to that a lovestruck grocery clerk and his sweetheart, who has flown from California to surprise him but has gone missing, and you have a situation just made for Alvirah & Regan.

I enjoyed this book, and you will, too. Take it with you on your holiday flight--it should fill the time between airports. I look forward each year to the Clarks' Christmas novel and to Anne Perry's Christmas novel. They did not disappoint me.

A great start to the Holiday Season...
I wanted a light, fun read to get me in the mood for the holidays..seems like they are coming so fast...and I was not disappointed by Mary H Clark and Carol H Clark's new book.

It has all my favorite characters...the darling and dashing team of Regan and Jack O'Reilly, sophisticated mom Nora and her stoic husband, Luke Reilly, and those lucky lottery winners, Alvirah and Willy Meehan, who haven't let winning all that money stop them from being such great people.

The book is 226 pages, and I didn't want it to end!

It has the usual good guys and bad guys and I love the quirks and devious plot revolving around people that have money, and those that want to take it from them!

If you are concerned that this book is a re-print, it is brand new and has not previously been published.

If you have enjoyed any of their previous books, you won't be disappointed. If you haven't read any of them, you can still read this book without knowing all the back stories and be entertained. Then you'll want to get all the rest!

Barely OK
Wow, I can't believe that this book got so many 4 and 5 star reviews. It was, at best, a 3.

Obviously designed to make a quick buck as a Christmas present, plot is silly, dialogue is juvenile ... I like Mary Higgins Clark alot (haven't read Carol), but this is nothing like what she normally writes.

Avoid this gimmick!