Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark - Hardcover
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Daddy's Little GirlHardcover

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From Mary Higgins Clark, America’s bestselling “Queen of Suspense,” comes a chilling story of murder that reaches the heights of suspense while exploring the depths of the criminal mind as one woman searches for the killer of her sister—and one man tries to prove his innocence.

Ellie Cavanaugh was seven years old when her older sister was murdered near their home in New York’s Westchester County. It was young Ellie’s tearful testimony that put Rob Westerfield, the nineteen-year-old scion of a prominent family, in jail despite the existence of two other viable suspects. Twenty-two years later, Westerfield, who maintains his innocence, is paroled. Determined to thwart his attempts to pin the crime on another, Ellie, an investigative reporter for an Atlanta newspaper, returns home and starts writing a book that will conclusively prove Westerfield’s guilt. As she delves deeper into her research, however, she uncovers horrifying facts that shed new light on her sister’s murder. With each discovery she comes closer to a confrontation with a desperate killer.

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ISBN-10

1668069369

ISBN-13

978-1668069363

Print length

304 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Simon & Schuster

Publication date

September 16, 2024

Dimensions

5.5 x 0.8 x 8.38 inches

Item weight

8.1 ounces


Product details

ASIN :

B000FBJHMQ

File size :

1990 KB

Text-to-speech :

Enabled

Screen reader :

Supported

Enhanced typesetting :

Enabled

X-Ray :

Enabled

Word wise :

Enabled


Editorial reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Writing in the first person a rarity for this veteran author has inspired and energized Clark. Her 21st novel of intrigue is her best in years, a tightly woven, emotionally potent tale of suspense and revenge. Clark's new heroine is Atlanta investigative journalist Ellie Cavanaugh, who was seven when her sister, Andrea, 15, was beaten to death by 20-year-old Rob Westerfield, scion of the wealthiest family in a small Westchester town. Now Westerfield is up for parole, so Ellie, now 30, returns home to speak out against him. When Westerfield is released, Ellie begins to write a book aimed at re-proving his guilt. Digging for evidence, she uncovers clues that Westerfield may have committed another murder as a youth, but that digging also enrages the Westerfields and other town members who think the man was railroaded. Before long, Ellie's life is in danger, as someone breaks into the house she's staying in, then later sets fire to it, nearly killing her, and as Westerfield himself begins to shadow her moves. What makes this novel work isn't only the considerable tension Clark teases from Ellie's precarious position, but the thoughtful backgrounding to the action. Ellie is cast as a lonely woman, without a lover and estranged from her father and half-brother: will she accept one or the other into her guarded life?; and she carries a heavy load of guilt for her sister's death, wondering at times if she is blinded by her thirst for vengeance. With its textured plot, well-sketched secondary characters, strong pacing and appealing heroine, this is Clark at her most winning. (On sale, Apr. 16)

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

At the parole hearing for Donald Waring, Trish Duncan begins to wonder whether he was wrongly convicted of killing her sister 20 years ago.

Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Clark's latest thriller deviates from her usual, by-the-book whodunit by revealing the villain early on. Rob Westerfield, a rich, sociopath, beat Andrea Cavanaugh to death when he was only 19. Andrea's family is torn apart--her parents divorce, and her younger sister, Ellie, becomes obsessed with the murder and Westerfield's guilt. When, 23 years after the murder, Westerfield is up for parole, Ellie, now an investigative reporter, vehemently opposes it. Rob has never admitted his guilt, and now his family has found a witness who says someone else committed the murder. Will Nebels, a local handyman, points the finger at Paulie Stroebel, a sweet but slow man who had a crush on Andrea. Ellie is incensed; she is totally convinced of Westerfield's guilt and knows that this new witness is merely a ploy to prevent Rob's grandmother from disinheriting him. Ellie begins an investigation to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Westerfield is guilty. Though many people are afraid to talk to her because of the Westerfields' clout, Ellie does manage to find a few people who will tell her about Rob's cruel behavior prior to Andrea's murder. She is also shocked to uncover what may be another murder. But as Ellie probes more deeply into Rob's past, enemies dog her, burning the apartment she's staying in and even threatening her life. A solid if unremarkable page-turner. Kristine Huntley

Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Tulsa World After [more than 20] bestselling suspense novels, you might think Clark could not improve. You'd be wrong....A superb suspense story.

Boston Globe Clark doesn't let the reader off the hook until the very last word.

About the Author

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark wrote over forty suspense novels, four collections of short stories, a his­torical novel, a memoir, and two children’s books. With bestselling author Alafair Burke she wrote the Under Suspicion series including The Cinderella Murder, All Dressed in White, The Sleeping Beauty Killer, Every Breath You Take, You Don’t Own Me, and Piece of My Heart. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she coauthored five suspense novels. More than one hundred million copies of her books are in print in the United States alone. Her books are international bestsellers.

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Sample

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

When Ellie awoke that morning, it was with the sense that something terrible had happened.

Instinctively she reached for Bones, the soft and cuddly stuffed dog who had shared her pillow ever since she could remember. When she'd had her seventh birthday last month, Andrea, her fifteen-year-old sister, had teased her that it was time to toss Bones in the attic.

Then Ellie remembered what was wrong: Andrea hadn't come home last night. After dinner, she had gone to her best friend Joan's house to study for a math test. She had promised to be home by nine o'clock. At quarter of nine, Mommy went to Joan's house to walk Andrea home, but they said Andrea had left at eight o'clock.

Mommy had come back home worried and almost crying, just as Daddy got in from work. Daddy was a lieutenant in the New York State Police. Right away he and Mommy had started calling all of Andrea's friends, but no one had seen her. Then Daddy said he was going to drive around to the bowling alley and to the ice cream parlor, just in case Andrea had gone there.

"If she lied about doing homework until nine o'clock, she won't set foot out of this house for six months," he'd said angrily, and then he'd turned to Mommy: "If I said it once, I've said it a thousand times -- I don't want her to go out after dark alone."

Despite his raised voice, Ellie could tell that Daddy was more worried than angry.

"For heaven's sake, Ted, she went out at seven o'clock. She got to Joan's. She was planning to be home by nine, and I even walked over there to meet her."

"Then where is she?"

They made Ellie go to bed, and, eventually, she fell asleep waking only now. Maybe Andrea was home by now, she thought hopefully. She slipped out of bed, rushed across the room, and darted down the hall to Andrea's room. Be there, she begged. Please be there. She opened the door. Andrea's bed had not been slept in.

Her bare feet silent on the steps, Ellie hurried downstairs. Their neighbor, Mrs. Hilmer, was sitting with Mommy in the kitchen. Mommy was wearing the same clothes she had on last night, and she looked as if she'd been crying for a long time.

Ellie ran to her. "Mommy."

Mommy hugged her and began to sob. Ellie felt Mommy's hand clutching her shoulder, so hard that she was almost hurting her.

"Mommy, where's Andrea?"

"We...don't...know. Daddy and the police are looking for her."

"Ellie, why don't you get dressed, and I'll fix you some breakfast?" Mrs. Hilmer asked.

No one was saying that she should hurry up because the school bus would be coming pretty soon. Without asking, Ellie knew she wouldn't be going to school today.

She dutifully washed her face and hands and brushed her teeth and hair, and then put on play clothes -- a turtleneck shirt and her favorite blue slacks -- and went downstairs again.

Just as she sat at the table where Mrs. Hilmer had put out juice and cornflakes, Daddy came through the kitchen door. "No sign of her," he said. "We've looked everywhere. There was a guy collecting for some phony charity ringing doorbells in town yesterday. He was in the diner last night and left around eight o'clock. He would have passed Joan's house on the way to the highway around the time Andrea left. They're looking for him."

Ellie could tell that Daddy was almost crying. He also hadn't seemed to notice her, but she didn't mind. Sometimes when Daddy came home he was upset because something sad had happened while he was at work, and for a while he'd be very quiet. He had that same look on his face now.

Andrea was hiding -- Ellie was sure of it. She had probably left Joan's house early on purpose because she was meeting Rob Westerfield in the hideout, then maybe it got late and she was afraid to come home. Daddy had said that if she ever lied again about where she'd been, he'd make her quit the school band. He'd said that when he found out she had gone for a ride with Rob Westerfield in his car when she was supposed to be at the library.

Andrea loved being in the band; last year she'd been the only freshman chosen for the flute section. But if she'd left Joan's house early and gone to the hideout to meet Rob, and Daddy found out, that would mean she'd have to give it up. Mommy always said that Andrea could twist Daddy around her little finger, but she didn't say that last month when one of the state troopers told Daddy he'd stopped Rob Westerfield to give him a ticket for speeding and that Andrea was with him at the time.

Daddy hadn't said anything about it until after dinner. Then he asked Andrea how long she'd been at the library.

She didn't answer him.

Then he said, "I see you're smart enough to realize that the trooper who gave Westerfield the ticket would tell me you were with him. Andrea, that guy is not only rich and spoiled, he's a bad apple through and through. When he kills himself speeding, you're not going to be in the car. You are absolutely forbidden to have anything to do with him."

The hideout was in the garage behind the great big house that old Mrs. Westerfield, Rob's grandmother, lived in all summer. It was always unlocked, and sometimes Andrea and her friends sneaked in there and smoked cigarettes. Andrea had taken Ellie there a couple of times when she was babysitting her.

Her friends had been really mad at Andrea for bringing her along, but she had said, "Ellie is a good kid. She's not a snitch." Hearing that had made Ellie feel great, but Andrea hadn't let Ellie have even one puff of the cigarette.

Ellie was sure that last night Andrea had left Joan's house

early because she was planning to meet Rob Westerfield. Ellie had heard her when she talked to him on the phone yesterday, and when she was finished, she was practically crying. "I told Rob I was going to the mixer with Paulie," she said, "and now he's really mad at me."

Ellie thought about the conversation as she finished the cornflakes and juice. Daddy was standing at the stove. He was holding a cup of coffee. Mommy was crying again but making almost no sound.

Then, for the first time, Daddy seemed to notice her: "Ellie, I think you'd be better off in school. At lunchtime I'll take you over."

"Is it all right if I go outside now?"

"Yes. But stay around the house."

Ellie ran for her jacket and was quickly out the door. It was the fifteenth of November, and the leaves were damp and felt sloshy underfoot. The sky was heavy with clouds, and she could tell it was going to rain again. Ellie wished they were back in Irvington where they used to live. It was lonesome here. Mrs. Hilmer's house was the only other one on this road.

Daddy had liked living in Irvington, but they'd moved here, five towns away, because Mommy wanted a bigger house and more property. They found they could afford that if they moved farther up in Westchester, to a town that hadn't yet become a suburb of New York City.

When Daddy said he missed Irvington, where he'd grown up and where they'd lived until two years ago, Mommy would tell him how great the new house was. Then he'd say that in Irvington we had a million-dollar view of the Hudson River and the Tappan Zee Bridge, and he didn't have to drive five miles for a newspaper or a loaf of bread.

There were woods all around their property. The big Westerfield house was directly behind theirs, but on the other side of the woods. Glancing back at the kitchen window to make sure no one had seen her, Ellie began to dart through the trees.

Five minutes later she reached the clearing and ran across the field to where the Westerfield property began. Feeling more and more alone, she raced up the long driveway and darted around the mansion, a small figure lost in the lengthening shadows of the approaching storm.

There was a side door to the garage, and that was the one that was unlocked. Even so, it was hard for Ellie to turn the handle.

Finally she succeeded and stepped into the gloom of the interior. The garage was big enough to hold four cars, but the only one Mrs. Westerfield left after the summer was the van. Andrea and her friends had brought some old blankets to sit on when they went there. They always sat in the same spot, at the back of the garage behind the van, so that if anyone happened to look in the window, they wouldn't be able to see them. Ellie knew that was where Andrea would be hiding if she was here.

She didn't know why she felt suddenly afraid, but she did. Now, instead of running, she had to practically drag her feet to make them move toward the back of the garage. But then she saw it -- the edge of the blanket peeking out from behind the van. Andrea was here! She and her friends would never have left the blankets out; when they left, they always folded them and hid them in the cabinet with the cleaning supplies.

"Andrea..." Now she ran, calling softly so that Andrea wouldn't be scared. She was probably asleep, Ellie decided.

Yes, she was. Even though the garage was filled with shadows, Ellie could see Andrea's long hair trailing out from under the blankets.

"Andrea, it's me." Ellie sank to her knees beside Andrea and pulled back the blanket covering her face.

Andrea had a mask on, a terrible monster mask that looked all sticky and gummy. Ellie reached down to pull it off, and her fingers went into a broken space in Andrea's forehead. As she jerked back, she became aware of the pool of Andrea's blood, soaking through her slacks.

Then, from somewhere in the big room, she was sure she heard someone breathing -- harsh, heavy, sucking-in breaths that broke off in a kind of giggle.

Terrified, she tried to get up, but her knees slid in the blood and she fell forward across Andrea's chest. Her lips grazed something smooth and cold -- Andrea's gold locket. Then she managed to scramble to her feet, and she turned and began to run.

She did not know she was shrieking until she was almost home, and Ted and Genine Cavanaugh ran into the backyard to see their younger daughter burst out of the woods, her arms outstretched, her little form covered in her sister's blood.

Copyright © 2002 by Mary Higgins Clark

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About the authors

Mary Higgins Clark

Mary Higgins Clark

Mary Higgins Clark is the author of twenty-two worldwide bestselling works of fiction and a memoir. She lives in Saddle River, New Jersey, with her husband.


Reviews

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

2,150 global ratings

Sharon R.

Sharon R.

5

Haunting tale of how families are affected by tragedy

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024

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Written in the first person there’s little doubt that the story’s heroine will survive. I was mesmerized by the fierce and brave fight Ellie engages in to prove her sister’s murderer was not wrongly convicted. Mary Higgins Clark has always been one of my favorite authors and as I read some of her older stories I can follow and enjoy her growth as a writer.

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Bez C

Bez C

5

Great read.

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2022

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I haven't read a Mary Higgins Clark book for several years. Now I want to read more. I forgot how much I enjoyed them. This one will not disappoint.

5 people found this helpful

Erin

Erin

5

couldn’t put it down!

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2024

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Mary Higgins Clark continues to write stories that make you think about the importance of each paragraph and the clues that lead you to that final chapter which is worth waiting for!

Christi Love4Books.me

Christi Love4Books.me

5

I Remember Now Why I Love Suspense

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2024

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Title: Daddy’s Little Girl Author: Mary Higgins Clark Format: ebook Genre: Suspense Standalone: yes Part of a Series: no POV: Elie (mostly) Steam Level: none 5/5

It’s been ages since I’ve read Mary Higgins Clark and frankly I forgot how much I like her work. Despite owning the hardback version of this book, I snapped this book up when I saw it on KU.

I was enthralled from the start. Daddy’s Little Girl drew me in and didn’t want to let go until it was done. I loved the mystery, suspense and wild chases this book led me on. I remember now why Mary Higgins Clark is considered the Queen of Suspense. Daddy’s Little Girl brought me back to my roots of loving a gray mystery.

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lynda gauthier

lynda gauthier

5

Daddy's Little Girl

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2024

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Loved the story kept you on edge waiting what was going to happen again this story was well written .I'd tell anybody to read this book it was so good.

3 people found this helpful

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