We'll Meet Again
by Mary Higgins Clark
(Simon & Schuster, $25.00, V) ISBN 0-684-83597-5
****
This is one of Mary Higgins Clark's best books lately, comparable to her early thrillers like A Stranger Is Watching and Where Are the Children? The main character, Molly Carpenter Lasch, has just been released from prison after serving five-and-a-half years for the murder of her husband, prominent doctor Gary Lasch.

The doctor was killed by one of his own statues at his office desk in his own den. The housekeeper found Molly in bed, fully dressed, covered in blood, professing no knowledge of what happened. She was sentenced to ten years in prison, after pleading to manslaughter, although she never remembered what had occurred.

After her release, Molly declares that she does not believe that she really did kill her husband and vows to find out the truth. Her statements lead to a great deal of cynicism from the world in general, but some unease in other circles. Her old schoolmate, Fran Simmons, now a TV reporter for a show called True Crime is recruited to help Molly search for the truth, with the promise of televising the results.

Of course, more murders follow and Molly is blamed for these, too. She begins to wonder about her own sanity and culpability. When she begins to lose hope and give up, Fran becomes convinced that Molly is not guilty and works even harder, interviewing all who had any contact with Molly. Many secrets crop up, from those of the housekeeper to some having to do with a tragedy in Fran's own life. Meanwhile, Molly's memory starts to return – just not enough to give her a complete picture of the past.

Good, strong, believable characters, the horrors of medical help and HMO's and hints of romance plus murder make for a good psychological murder mystery. We'll Meet Again is a winner! It is a page-turner that you won't want to put down.

--Kay Black


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