ADIn 2000, after increasingly generous advances over the years, Simon and Schuster awarded Mrs. Clark a $64 million contract for five books. Her books were practically guaranteed to be page-turners from their covers, which often were emblazoned with the words MARY HIGGINS CLARK in type larger than the font used for their shuddersome titles. A typical Mary Higgins Clark protagonist was a self-possessed, professional woman whose life, through no fault of her own, was struck by evil. ADADHis widow took in boarders, offering them “kitchen privileges,” a phrase Mrs. Clark resurrected years later for her memoir. Mrs. Clark, a former president of the Mystery Writers of America, found that her genre offered reassurance amid the precariousness of life.

Source: Washington Post February 01, 2020 03:11 UTC