Silent Night: A Christmas Suspense Story (1996) - Plot & Excerpts
"Stille Nacht" ist kein Weihnachtsmärchen, was aber Untertitel und Klappentext auf meinem Buch versprechen. Es ist ein normaler Thriller, der sich während der Weihnachtszeit abspielt. Dabei hätte es auch zu einem beliebig anderen Zeitpunkt stattfinden können. Aber so sind die Emotionen, die man verspürt, etwas stärker ausgeprägt. Einzig und allein das Ende ist rührend und ist einem Weihnachtsmärchen würdig. Mir standen hier die Tränen in den Augen, weil das schlicht überwältigend für mich war.Die Geschichte ist interessant und mitreißend. Der kleine Brain mit seiner Christopherus-Medaille zog mich regelrecht in seinen Bann. Er erscheint so süß mit seinem Glauben an dieses Schmuckstück und dem Willen seinem Vater zu helfen. So verspürte ich große Angst, als er ausgerechnet auf den skrupellosen Polizistenmörder trifft und der ihn noch entführt, ohne Aussicht auf eine lebendige Rückkehr. Leider sind die restlichen Charaktere sehr farblos, da man hauptsächlich ihre Aktionen beschrieben bekommt und nur selten Gedanken. Brain hat dagegen etwas mehr Platz abbekommen, jedoch aus meiner Sicht nicht genügend. Wenn er noch weiter ausgebaut worden wäre, hätte ich ihn sogar lieb gewinnen können. Die wenigen Gefühle jedoch, die dem Leser dargeboten werden, sind ebenso wie die Handlungsweisen der Personen sehr realistisch. Alles passt zu ihnen und den äußeren Einflüssen.Überschattet wird diese schöne Geschichte durch sich wiederholende Formulierungen. Teils hat mich das schon sehr genervt.Fazit"Stille Nacht" ist ein seichter Thriller zur Weihnachtszeit mit einem märchenähnlichen Ende, einem süßen kleinen Jungen und einer mitreißenden Geschichte, was nur durch die oberflächlichen Charaktere und dem mangelnden Abwechlungsreichtum bei den Formulierungen gestört wird.
I picked this book up cheap a couple of months ago, and grabbed it off the shelf this morning to read on the train (because I haven’t downloaded the reading I’m supposed to be doing for tonight’s lecture). It’s a very simple book – standard plot, fairly shallow characters, basic style – but it was a good light read.It’s Christmas Eve in new York City, and Catherine is taking her 2 boys to see the sights. Her husband is in hospital with leukaemia and they’re trying to be brave. Also out and about is Cally, the mother of a 4-year-old who spent 2 years without her while Cally was in prison for aiding and abetting her brother, a murderer. Catherine drops her wallet; Cally picks it up without thinking then panics and departs quickly; Brian (the 7-yr-old) follows her because the wallet contains his grandfather’s St Christopher’s Medal which he’s sure is going to cure his father. Back at Cally’s apartment is her brother, laying in wait, and when Brian arrives he kidnaps him, driving north to Canada.Of course, all’s well that ends well, and there are some quite nice bits about people being kind, and a nice amount of suspense. I read it in one ‘sitting’ - the train to Meadowbank, then walking up the hill (it make the walk a lot easier than on Tuesday! – or was it easier because it was the second time.. – nah, it kept me occupied and not noticing how long the hill was, or how steep – yeah, yeah, bring out the violins), and then finished it off over a cup of coffee. I was thinking I might send it BookCrossing, but I might put it with my Christmas collection instead, because it’s quite small.
What do You think about Silent Night: A Christmas Suspense Story (1996)?
Silent Night by Mary Higgins ClarkLove Christmas tales and this will be my first book by this author. The family is in the city for an emergency surgery for their father and the mother drops her wallet. Those who find it have plans on how to spend the money.A St. Christopher medal that had saved the grandfather's live during the war. The young child follows the woman who has taken the wallet....Story also follows others, and we learn about how they play a part in all this. What I liked about this story is it's the holidays and people relatively have good thoughts to one another.The plot doesn't follow the usual predicted line where you know what's gonna happen. Lots of twists and I like how the detectives help with the clues they have and those of ones they learn about. Really liked this book and will find others of the author to read.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
—Julie Barrett
Just in time for the holiday season. In another classic Christmas mystery from Mary Higgins Clark, Silent Night, she told us a heart-warming tale about love and life. For Catherine Dorman, she took her family to New York City for a life-saving operation on her husband who was just diagnosed with leukemia. To lift off their spirits, they went to Rockefeller. But her son Brian saw a woman pickpocket her wallet and steal the St. Christopher medal that would help save his father's life. He chased the woman through the subway and went on his adventure of his own.
—Kristen
I originally bought this book for holiday guests as a treat to read while visiting, but I had never it. I took it with me to my parents home to read Christmas week. While is wasn't one of her best, I will say it was a perfect book for a quick holiday read. I finished it easily in the week that I was there (stretching the last few pages out to last me the whole week). It wasn't too intense for reading during the joyous holidays. And it wasn't such a page-turner that I didn't want to put it down - which allowed me to spend the holidays with family and friends. So, if you are looking for a quick holiday thriller (there is no mystery - you know "whodunit" from the beginning) this is a good book to chose. Or, it makes a great book to put in your guest room for holiday visitors.
—Leigh
