Daddy's Gone A-Hunting

By Mary Higgins Clark

Hannah Connelly, a twenty-eight-year old designer and rising star in the fashion world, is plunged into a web of horror and grief when she learns that Connelly Fine Reproductions, the family-owned furniture business founded by her grandfather, has been levelled by an explosion in the middle of the night. Everything has been destroyed - the warehouse, the showrooms, and the mansion where priceless antiques have been on permanent display. Worse, to escape the flames, Hannah's older sister, Kate, had jumped from a window and is now hospitalized in a medically induced coma, suffering from life-threatening injuries. The fire marshal on the scene is openly suspicious that someone, maybe even Kate, intentionally planned the explosion.
Agonized with worry, Hannah can't understand why Kate would be in the warehouse at that hour of the night. What Hannah does not know is that Kate is most at risk from the people who have access to her in the hospital room. One of them is determined not to let her regain consciousness. That person is out to thwart Hannah, too, as she pursues her quest for the truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Apr 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781471130496

Mary Higgins Clark

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.

Reviews for Daddy's Gone A-Hunting

[mhanover10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very fast paced book with short chapters. It was nice to have a different chapter when the story was talking about someone else. There were a few guesses on who started the fire and killed who. Not too in depth on the characters. Just a light murder mystery. I do feel like I've read this storyline before and had to double check when this was published. Mary never disappoints with her story.

[skinglist · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My first return to MHC's work in some time and I was pleased to find it the same quick beach read that I remember. I got excited with this one when I realized - a few pages before the reveal - what the twist was. Unlike many books with multiple overlapping cases, I loved this one and didn't feel as if it were too far fetched for them to intersect.

[teeth_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great page tuner and a quick read. The story is about two sisters and their family business that goes up in flames. This book keeps you guessing until the very end!

[bookczuk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

MHC does Long Island City as well as NYC and dysfunctional families.

[sandra.k.heinzman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was a good book and a page turner. Not great, hence only 3 stars.

[knittingmomof3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It has been quite some time since I have read anything by Mary Higgins Clark and I was delighted to learn her writing was still as fast paced as I recalled. Daddy’s Gone A Hunting is a wonderful roller coaster ride of plot twists, which will keep the reader thoroughly engaged. I would recommend Daddy’s Gone A Hunting to fans of suspense mysteries.

[dennisonjill-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mary Higgins Clark has become known as the “Queen of Suspense” in the years since her first novel, Where Are the Children (1975) and for good reason. Her suspense/mystery books are reminiscent of Agatha Christie with plot twists and turns, multiple red herrings, and a dramatic conclusion that the reader comes to understand only in the last pages of the book. Her novels for the last decade or so have focused on the uncanny sleuthing skills of Alvirah Meehan and her husband Willy and did not have the same edge as her earlier works. Daddy’s Gone A Hunting, however, is more of a return to her earlier style and was a quick, easy and suspenseful read with just the right mix of suspense, loveable and hate-able characters, plot twists and humor. My only complaint, if in fact I have one, is that there are so many characters that it becomes difficult to remember who’s who. Since I read the Kindle version, I must say the x-ray feature would have been of great benefit in this case, but unfortunately was not available for this book.The story begins with a deadly explosion in the furniture warehouse of the Connelly family of New York, known for their high quality reproductions of fine antique furniture. Injured in the explosion is daughter Kate Connelly and dead is Gus Schmidt, a long-time employee who was bitter over having been fired five years earlier. Kate had called Gus, asking him to meet her at the warehouse in the wee hours of the morning, and now Kate is in a coma and Gus is dead; suspicion naturally falls on these two who cannot tell what actually happened. This is also the story of lawyer Mark Sloan from Chicago, his mother, and his sister Tracey who disappeared 28 years prior when she went to New York to pursue her dream of an acting career. And it is the story of a man named Clyde, a hero, a decorated Vietnam Vet who came home emotionally damaged after the war and left his family for a life on the streets. Their lives all convene in this tale of greed and subterfuge with just a little romance folded into the mix. The book is fun, fairly non-violent for a mystery and appropriate for any age group from teens to seniors. While I have also enjoyed Ms. Clark’s aforementioned series with Alvirah and Willy, this was a welcome switch back to her earlier style which led me to be a fan of her writing decades ago. Don't be put off by my 3-star rating ... those who follow my reviews know that I only give 4 or 5 star ratings to books I believe have significant social value, are destined to become classics, or are among the best books I've ever read.

[readinggeek451 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable but a bit schematic, as if Clark was just going through the motions. I did see several of the major plot points coming--a flaw in a mystery/suspense novel for me--although others took me by surprise.

[susangibsonsnodgrss · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have been reading Mary Higgins Clark's books since she wrote 'Where Are The Children?' in 1975. She always knows her stiff and no matter how hard I try, I can't figure out the bad guy/girl.I love her books and always will.

[briandrewz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pretty good suspense story told by a master of her craft. Mary Higgins Clark gives us an engaging, yet quick, tale of mystery. Kate Connelly is injured in an explosion. Yet, it is unknown if she is the one of set it. Murder is in the air, as a man Kate used to employ at the company died during the explosion. Clark takes us through to the end, when the real perpetrator is revealed.