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Laced: A Regan Reilly Mystery by Carol Higgins Clark
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(Mass Market Paperback - Reprint)
Average Customer Rating: 
(4 ratings)
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
- Pub. Date: February 2008
- ISBN-13: 9781416523376
- Sales Rank: 2,861
- 352pp
- Series: Regan Reilly Series, #10
- Edition Description: Reprint
- Other Formats:
- Hardcover
- Compact Disc - Abridged, 4 CDs, 4 hrs. 30 min.
Synopsis
A haunted Irish castle, international jewel thieves,
and a hotel fire -- New York Times bestselling author
Carol Higgins Clark has sent Regan and Jack Reilly
on a honeymoon like no other!
Private Investigator Regan Reilly and her new husband, Jack, head of the NYPD Major Case Squad, are off to Ireland. But their very first night at romantic Hennessy Castle is interrupted by a fire alarm that distracts hotel employees from the theft of a valuable antique lace tablecloth out of the castle's memorabilia room. A taunting note is left for Jack by the culprits -- a notorious pair of jewel thieves whom he has been pursuing for over a year. Disguised as an elderly couple, they had checked out in the midst of the mayhem. Regan's cousin Gerard Reilly, a Galway resident, is eager to help with the hunt, but their search takes as many twists and turns as the winding country roads of the Emerald Isle.
With Carol Higgins Clark's unique talent for creating quirky characters, this is a classic caper that will keep you laughing, turning pages, and maybe even believing in ghosts.
Biography
Carol Higgins Clark went from typing her famous mom Mary Higgins Clark's manuscripts to following in her bestselling footsteps. Her feisty heroine, P.I. Regan Reilly, keeps readers laughing -- but always looking over their shoulders.
More About the AuthorCustomer Reviews
Number of Reviews: 4
Average Rating:
Write a Review
Light Read
Angela
(charismakitty@gmail.com)
, a book lover, 06/11/2008
I picked this up because I was looking for something light and humurous with a touch of danger, and this was a good solution to that. The mystery wasn't really a mystery but more of an adventurous chase/ghost story. I would have liked to have seen more of the ghost's involvement and more of Regan and Jack having alone time. I liked the setting a lot. I'll definitely be reading more of the series now.
Also recommended: Tell No One by Harlan Coben is excellent if you like thriller mysteries.
Picking up speed since Hitched
A reviewer, Book lover from NE LA, 04/30/2007
Carol brings life back to the Regan Reilly series with this new chapter of Regan and Jack's life. A warm, somewhat funny, and lightly suspenseful story of their honeymoon in Ireland.
Also recommended: Hitched, Decked, Snagged and Iced.
More Customer ReviewsFact File
Name:
Carol Higgins Clark
Current Home:
New York, New York
Place of Birth:
New York, New York
Education:
B.A., Mount Holyoke College, 1978
Awards:
University of Scranton Distinguished Author Award, 2000; Audiofile magazine Earphones Award of Excellence for reading of Jinxed, 2002; Named one of Irish America magazine’s Top 100 Irish Americans, 2005
Biography
If Mary Higgins Clark is the Queen of Suspense, then her daughter, Carol, could be considered the Princess of the Pratfall for the quirky comedy she liberally sprinkles throughout her bestselling Regan Reilly mysteries. As a reviewer once said, "Mary Higgins Clark goes for the jugular; Carol Higgins Clark goes for the funny bone."
Clark's apprenticeship to her mega-bestselling mom began early on. In 1975, when she was a student at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, mama Mary was still working full time, supporting five children on her own while trying to get her fledgling career as a novelist off the ground. Daughter Carol did her part to help, pitching in between term papers and acting classes to peck away at her mother's pages on a manual typewriter, making savvy edits along the way.
She recalled to the Philadelphia Inquirer her early days as an unsung editrix of her mother's work: "In one of her books, Loves Music, Loves to Dance, she had a serial killer who was making dates through the personal ads and then killing the girls. So the best friend of one of the girls he killed is trying to figure out who might have done it, so she's going out on these dates. So I was reading it and going over it with my mother and she had all these bars in New York. I said, 'No one goes there, no one goes there.' So I changed all the bars and restaurants. And People magazine said in its review: 'Clark offers a well-informed tour of New York's singles haunts.' So that was my contribution to that book. But I was really learning a lot."
After a few acting stints in off-Broadway theater, movies, and television -- her first role was as an extra on the soap opera Ryan's Hope -- Clark decided to try her hand at writing her own novel. She conjured up a semi-autobiographical heroine, sleuth Regan Reilly (who just so happens to have a celebrity author mother), and Decked debuted in 1992, garnering nominations for both an Agatha and an Anthony Award for Best First Novel. Clark relishes researching each new Regan Reilly adventure, gleaning inspiration from real-life capers both daffy and decadent.
After establishing herself in her own right as a farcical force to be reckoned with -- all of her Regan Reilly novels hit the New York Times bestseller list -- Clark teamed up with her mother in 2000 to pen their first holiday-themed thriller, Deck the Halls. We think it's pretty safe to say Carol didn't have to do all the typing!
Good to Know
Some outtakes from our interview with Clark:
"My first job was at a dry cleaner's. You'd be amazed at what you find in people's pockets! All sorts of clues about their lives! I had a character in Iced who worked at a dry cleaner's."
"I started out as an actress, and that background has helped me with my books. I love going to the theatre."
Feature Interview
In the spring of 2005, Carol Higgins Clark took some time out to answer some of our questions about her favorite books, authors, and interests. What was the book that most influenced your life or your career as a writer?
The book that most influenced my life as a writer would have to be my mother's second book, A Stranger Is Watching. It was the first book I typed for her and it familiarized me with the whole process of what it takes to write a book and how to tell the tale.
What are your favorite books, and what makes them special to you?
I remember in kindergarten my teacher reading to us The Little Red Lighthouse. I loved it! When my mother and I wrote Deck the Halls, we used that book as a clue. In third grade there was a long waiting list in our school library for The Little Leftover Witch. When it was finally my turn to check it out, I read it in one day. Growing up I read the Nancy Drew series, which intrigued me. I thought she had the most exciting life! Now I enjoy hearing from readers that they think my character Regan Reilly is a grown-up Nancy Drew.
Gone With the Wind was always a favorite. Who can't be captivated by it?
My mother's first suspense novel, Where Are the Children?, hooked me from the time she handed me a few typewritten pages to read when I was in high school and said she was trying her hand at suspense. That book is one of my favorites for a lot of reasons!
When I'm about to start a new book, I often reread John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley. In it the author sets out on a cross-country adventure with his dog. As I start writing a new story, I feel as if I'm going on an adventure with Regan Reilly.
Of course I enjoy all different mysteries as well as the classics. It's wonderful to pull an old book off the shelf and remember the feeling I'd get when I was reading it in high school. There are so many great books out there!
What are some of your favorite films, and what makes them unforgettable to you?
I remember when my mother took us to The Sound of Music. My brothers and sisters and I wanted to go see something else but she told us this was sure to be a good one. She was right. I must have seen it at least a dozen times. Another favorite is The Wizard of Oz. Viewing it once a year was such a special event. That was before videocassettes and DVDs. If you wanted to see a certain old movie, you had to be home when it was on!
I enjoyed being scared to death by Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. The Exorcist was another one that kept me on the edge of my seat. I also enjoy comedies -- everything from It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World to Arthur.
What types of music do you like? Is there any particular kind you like to listen to when you're writing?
I enjoy many different types of music -- classical, jazz, pop. But I can't listen to music when I'm writing. It's too distracting for me.
If you had a book club, what would it be reading?
If I had a book club, I'd want to choose a different kind of book each month. It's always interesting to read a current book that is being talked about. My friends in book clubs say they really enjoy their discussions and exchange of ideas.
What are your favorite kinds of books to give -- and get -- as gifts?
I like to give books that either tell a great story or are in some way meaningful to the recipient -- such as a coffee table-style book on a topic that interests them. It's what I like to receive too!
Do you have any special writing rituals? For example, what do you have on your desk when you're writing?
I like to get up early in the morning, make a pot of coffee, and turn on the computer. It's my best time to write. I have a laptop and I love its flexibility. I move around my apartment and don't have just one place where I work. I often prop myself up in bed on those early mornings!
Many writers are hardly "overnight success" stories. How long did it take for you to get where you are today? Any rejection-slip horror stories or inspirational anecdotes?
To those of you who want to write, please keep at it. Take a course. Accept constructive criticism. Read the kind of book you'd like to write. It takes a lot of work, but you have to keep at it!
What tips or advice do you have for writers still looking to be discovered?
Again, I'd say to take courses and write anytime you get the chance.
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble Review
In Carol Higgins Clark's tale, newlyweds Regan and Jack Reilly are honeymooning in Ireland, spending some much-needed time away from their hectic careers in New York City as private investigator and NYPD detective. But their romantic idyll at Hennessey Castle is rudely interrupted by the intrusion of a three-pronged mystery. First, Regan sees a ghost -- rumored to be the spirit of an 18th-century maid and lacemaker who never recieved payment for a stunning table covering ordered by the owners of the castle. Then a suspicious fire erupts, and the table covering is stolen by a pair of burglars calling themselves Jane and John Doe. Soon the Reillys are off and running all over the Emerald Isle in hot pursuit of international jewel thieves who have not only eluded but openly taunted law enforcement agents for years.
More "cozies" than suspense thrillers or hard-nosed detective fiction, the books in Carol Higgins Clark's lighthearted Regan Reilly series are sure to appeal to mystery fans who enjoy authors like Alexander McCall Smith and Lilian Jackson Braun. Paul Goat Allen
From the Publisher
A haunted Irish castle, international jewel thieves,
and a hotel fire -- New York Times bestselling author
Carol Higgins Clark has sent Regan and Jack Reilly
on a honeymoon like no other!
Private Investigator Regan Reilly and her new husband, Jack, head of the NYPD Major Case Squad, are off to Ireland. But their very first night at romantic Hennessy Castle is interrupted by a fire alarm that distracts hotel employees from the theft of a valuable antique lace tablecloth out of the castle's memorabilia room. A taunting note is left for Jack by the culprits -- a notorious pair of jewel thieves whom he has been pursuing for over a year. Disguised as an elderly couple, they had checked out in the midst of the mayhem. Regan's cousin Gerard Reilly, a Galway resident, is eager to help with the hunt, but their search takes as many twists and turns as the winding country roads of the Emerald Isle.
With Carol Higgins Clark's unique talent for creating quirky characters, this is a classic caper that will keep you laughing, turning pages, and maybe even believing in ghosts.
Customer Reviews
Number of Reviews: 4
Average Rating:
Write a Review
Light Read
Angela (charismakitty@gmail.com), a book lover, 06/11/2008
I picked this up because I was looking for something light and humurous with a touch of danger, and this was a good solution to that. The mystery wasn't really a mystery but more of an adventurous chase/ghost story. I would have liked to have seen more of the ghost's involvement and more of Regan and Jack having alone time. I liked the setting a lot. I'll definitely be reading more of the series now.
Also recommended: Tell No One by Harlan Coben is excellent if you like thriller mysteries.
Picking up speed since Hitched
A reviewer, Book lover from NE LA, 04/30/2007
Carol brings life back to the Regan Reilly series with this new chapter of Regan and Jack's life. A warm, somewhat funny, and lightly suspenseful story of their honeymoon in Ireland.
Also recommended: Hitched, Decked, Snagged and Iced.
A QUICK READ & VERY ENJOYABLE
Paulette Blackman (BookLoaner@aol.com), a BookLover and a BookLoaner, 04/27/2007
This is a definite must-read. I've read a few of the 'Regan Reilly' mysteries and I've enjoyed them. 'Laced' is definitely the best one yet. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. Don't miss this one.
Also recommended: Anything by Mary Higgins Clark, Stuart Woods, Danielle Steel, Barbara Delinsky, Elizabeth Berg, James Patterson, Jodi Picoult, Eileen Goudge and The Molly Murphy series by Rhys Bowen
Delightful
A reviewer, A reviewer, 04/13/2007
Just married private investigator Regan and NYPD Major Case Squad Chief Detective Jack Reilly leave the Big Apple to honeymoon in Ireland with their prime stay at romantic Hennessey Castle. Near their honeymoon lodgings, they spot an old cemetery and stop to look around the first gravestone they see is marked REILLY. The pair writes it off as an odd coincidence especially since he has family all over the Emerald Isle. They learn that lace-maker May Reilly died in 1822 with one of her delicate lovely items, a tablecloth used for special occasions at the castle. Locals insist May Reilly haunts Hennessey because she never was paid for that beautiful masterpiece. --------------------- Not long afterward, Regan swears she seen a woman on the grounds of the castle, who vanished into thin air in a nanosecond. Almost immediately afterward a fire breaks out followed by the Reilly tablecloth apparently stolen by Jane and John Doe, who ridicule Jack for not recognizing them as jewel thieves he has been after for quite a while. With Regan at his side and his Irish Reilly relatives assisting him, Jack gives chase although he knows he is an ocean away from his jurisdiction.----------------- Readers will enjoy the often amusing honeymoon of Regan and Jack as they engage in a couple of lighthearted mysteries both laced to the tablecloth. The story line is a fast-paced Irish cozy (even if the stars are New Yorkers) as the heroes give chase trying to catch a couple of clever thieves. Fans of the Regan Reilly series will appreciate her mysterious honeymoon as she begins her HITCHED life with Reilly.-------------- Harriet Klausner
Product Details
- ISBN:
1416523375
- ISBN-13: 9781416523376
- Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352pp
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
- Pub. Date: February 2008
- Edition Description: Reprint
- Sales Rank: 2,861
- Series: Regan Reilly Series, #10
Read an Excerpt
Chapter OneIn a remote village in the west of Ireland, a light mist rose from the lake behind Hennessy Castle. The afternoon was becoming increasingly gray and brooding as clouds gathered and the skies turned threatening. Inside the castle the fireplaces were lit, providing a cheery warmth for the guests who were already anticipating a wonderful evening meal in the elegant eighteenth-century dining room.
The massive front doors of the castle opened slowly, and newlyweds Regan and Jack Reilly stepped out onto the driveway in their jogging clothes. They'd arrived on an overnight flight from New York, slept for several hours, and decided a quick jog might help alleviate the inevitable jet lag.
Jack looked at his thirty-one-year-old bride, touched her hair, and smiled. "We're in our native land, Mrs. Reilly. Our Irish roots lie before us."
Anyone who saw the handsome couple wouldn't have questioned those roots. Jack was six foot two, with sandy hair, hazel eyes, a firm jaw, and a winning smile. Regan had blue eyes, fair skin, and dark hair -- she was one of the black Irish.
"Well, it certainly is green around here," Regan observed as she glanced around at the lush gardens, wooded trails, and rolling lawn. "Everything is so still and quiet."
"After last week, still and quiet sounds good to me," Jack said. "Let's go."
Together they broke into a jog and crossed a pedestrian bridge that traversed a stream in front of the castle. They turned left and headed down an isolated country road that the concierge told them led right into the village. The only sound was their sneakers hitting the pavement. At a curve in the road they passed an old stone church that lookeddeserted.
Regan pointed toward the steepled building. "I'd love to take a look in there tomorrow."
Jack nodded. "We will." He glanced up at the sky. "I think that rain is coming in faster than we expected. This jog is going to be quick."
But when the road ended at the tiny village, a graveyard with darkened gravestones proved irresistible to Regan. A set of stone steps to their left led up to a courtyard where a broken stone wall surrounded the cemetery. "Jack, let's take a quick look."
"The funeral director's daughter," Jack said affectionately. "You never met a graveyard you didn't like."
Regan smiled. "Those tombstones must be centuries old."
They hurried up the steps, turned right, and stopped in their tracks. The first tombstone they spotted said reilly.
"This is a good omen," Jack muttered.
Regan leaned forward. "May Reilly. Born in 1760 and died in 1822. There don't seem to be any other Reillys here with her."
"Just as long as there aren't any named Regan or Jack."
Regan was deep in thought. "You know that joke my father always tells? The one about how an Irishman proposes?"
"You want to be buried with my mother?"
"That's the one. It looks like poor May didn't have anyone, not even a mother-in-law."
"Some people would consider that a good thing." Jack grabbed Regan's hand as large drops of rain started to come down. "Tomorrow we'll spend as much time as you want here figuring out what went wrong in these people's lives. Come on."
Regan smiled. "I can't help it. I'm an investigator."
"So am I."
They didn't encounter a single soul as they ran through the tiny village, which consisted of a pharmacy, two pubs, a souvenir shop, and a butcher. They wound around and jogged back to the castle where they showered and changed.
At 7:30 they went down to dinner and were seated at a table by a large window overlooking the garden. The rain had stopped, and the night was peaceful. Their waiter greeted them warmly.
"Welcome to Hennessy Castle. I trust you're enjoying yourselves so far."
"We certainly are," Regan answered. "But we stopped by the graveyard in town, and the first tombstone we saw had our name on it."
"Reilly?"
"Yes."
The waiter whistled softly. "You were looking at old May Reilly's grave. She was a talented lacemaker who supposedly haunts the castle, but we haven't heard from her for a while."
"She haunts this place?" Regan asked.
"Apparently May was always complaining that she wasn't appreciated. One of her lace tablecloths is in a display case upstairs in the memorabilia room. She made it for a special banquet of dignitaries who were visiting the Hennessy family, but May got sick and died before they paid her. Legend is that she keeps coming back for her money."
"Sounds like one of my cousins," Jack said.
"I don't blame her," Regan protested. "She should have been paid."
At 4:00 a.m. Regan woke with a start. Jack was sleeping peacefully beside her. The rain had started up again and sounded as if it was coming down harder than before. Regan slipped out of bed and crossed the spacious room to close the window. As she pulled back the curtain, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky. Regan looked down and in the distance saw the figure of a woman dressed in a long black coat, standing on the back lawn in front of the lake. She was staring up at Regan and shaking her fists. One hand was clenching a piece of white material. Could that be lace? Regan wondered.
"Regan, are you all right?" Jack asked.
Regan quickly turned her head away from the window, then just as quickly turned it back. Another bolt of lightning lit up the sky.
The woman was gone.
Jack flicked on the light. "Regan, you look as if you just spotted a ghost."
Before she could answer, the smell of smoke filled their nostrils. A moment later the fire alarm went off.
"So much for peace and quiet," Jack said quickly. "Let's throw on some clothes and get out of here!"
Copyright © 2007 by Carol Higgins Clark
Read a Sample Chapter
Laced
A Regan Reilly MysteryBy Carol Higgins Clark
Scribner
Copyright © 2007 Carol Higgins ClarkAll right reserved.
ISBN: 9780743289436
Chapter One
In a remote village in the west of Ireland, a light mist rose from the lake behind Hennessy Castle. The afternoon was becoming increasingly gray and brooding as clouds gathered and the skies turned threatening. Inside the castle the fireplaces were lit, providing a cheery warmth for the guests who were already anticipating a wonderful evening meal in the elegant eighteenth-century dining room.
The massive front doors of the castle opened slowly, and newlyweds Regan and Jack Reilly stepped out onto the driveway in their jogging clothes. They'd arrived on an overnight flight from New York, slept for several hours, and decided a quick jog might help alleviate the inevitable jet lag.
Jack looked at his thirty-one-year-old bride, touched her hair, and smiled. "We're in our native land, Mrs. Reilly. Our Irish roots lie before us."
Anyone who saw the handsome couple wouldn't have questioned those roots. Jack was six foot two, with sandy hair, hazel eyes, a firm jaw, and a winning smile. Regan had blue eyes, fair skin, and dark hair -- she was one of the black Irish.
"Well, it certainly is green around here," Regan observed as she glanced around at the lush gardens, wooded trails, and rolling lawn. "Everything is so still and quiet."
"After last week, still andquiet sounds good to me," Jack said. "Let's go."
Together they broke into a jog and crossed a pedestrian bridge that traversed a stream in front of the castle. They turned left and headed down an isolated country road that the concierge told them led right into the village. The only sound was their sneakers hitting the pavement. At a curve in the road they passed an old stone church that looked deserted.
Regan pointed toward the steepled building. "I'd love to take a look in there tomorrow."
Jack nodded. "We will." He glanced up at the sky. "I think that rain is coming in faster than we expected. This jog is going to be quick."
But when the road ended at the tiny village, a graveyard with darkened gravestones proved irresistible to Regan. A set of stone steps to their left led up to a courtyard where a broken stone wall surrounded the cemetery. "Jack, let's take a quick look."
"The funeral director's daughter," Jack said affectionately. "You never met a graveyard you didn't like."
Regan smiled. "Those tombstones must be centuries old."
They hurried up the steps, turned right, and stopped in their tracks. The first tombstone they spotted said reilly.
"This is a good omen," Jack muttered.
Regan leaned forward. "May Reilly. Born in 1760 and died in 1822. There don't seem to be any other Reillys here with her."
"Just as long as there aren't any named Regan or Jack."
Regan was deep in thought. "You know that joke my father always tells? The one about how an Irishman proposes?"
"You want to be buried with my mother?"
"That's the one. It looks like poor May didn't have anyone, not even a mother-in-law."
"Some people would consider that a good thing." Jack grabbed Regan's hand as large drops of rain started to come down. "Tomorrow we'll spend as much time as you want here figuring out what went wrong in these people's lives. Come on."
Regan smiled. "I can't help it. I'm an investigator."
"So am I."
They didn't encounter a single soul as they ran through the tiny village, which consisted of a pharmacy, two pubs, a souvenir shop, and a butcher. They wound around and jogged back to the castle where they showered and changed.
At 7:30 they went down to dinner and were seated at a table by a large window overlooking the garden. The rain had stopped, and the night was peaceful. Their waiter greeted them warmly.
"Welcome to Hennessy Castle. I trust you're enjoying yourselves so far."
"We certainly are," Regan answered. "But we stopped by the graveyard in town, and the first tombstone we saw had our name on it."
"Reilly?"
"Yes."
The waiter whistled softly. "You were looking at old May Reilly's grave. She was a talented lacemaker who supposedly haunts the castle, but we haven't heard from her for a while."
"She haunts this place?" Regan asked.
"Apparently May was always complaining that she wasn't appreciated. One of her lace tablecloths is in a display case upstairs in the memorabilia room. She made it for a special banquet of dignitaries who were visiting the Hennessy family, but May got sick and died before they paid her. Legend is that she keeps coming back for her money."
"Sounds like one of my cousins," Jack said.
"I don't blame her," Regan protested. "She should have been paid."
At 4:00 a.m. Regan woke with a start. Jack was sleeping peacefully beside her. The rain had started up again and sounded as if it was coming down harder than before. Regan slipped out of bed and crossed the spacious room to close the window. As she pulled back the curtain, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky. Regan looked down and in the distance saw the figure of a woman dressed in a long black coat, standing on the back lawn in front of the lake. She was staring up at Regan and shaking her fists. One hand was clenching a piece of white material. Could that be lace? Regan wondered.
"Regan, are you all right?" Jack asked.
Regan quickly turned her head away from the window, then just as quickly turned it back. Another bolt of lightning lit up the sky.
The woman was gone.
Jack flicked on the light. "Regan, you look as if you just spotted a ghost."
Before she could answer, the smell of smoke filled their nostrils. A moment later the fire alarm went off.
"So much for peace and quiet," Jack said quickly. "Let's throw on some clothes and get out of here!"
Copyright © 2007 by Carol Higgins Clark
Continues...
Excerpted from Laced by Carol Higgins Clark Copyright © 2007 by Carol Higgins Clark. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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