Customer Reviews

Lights Out Tonight

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am certainly not going to go into plots or story lines here, as that has been done by others, so don't worry about spoilers. This is a fast reading thriller just stuffed with little intrigues and sub stories. It holds you attention from cover to cover quite well, and is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The writing is clear, with clever syntax and the story line is quite easy to follow and without a myriad of characters to sort out and wade through. This is just the type of novel that is just simply fun to relax with and to enjoy. Job well done Ms. Clark! Recommend this one highly.

What a great, great book this was. I was flying through the pages as fast as I could to figure out whodunnit. There were all the necessary elements to make this book a light, summer beach thriller. The characters were well-drawn, the plot was super interesting, and the ending was fulfilling. What more does one need? I would recommend this book to almost everyone, there is no gratuitous sex scenes so even your old granny would enjoy it. Be warned: once you start reading it's really hard to stop and put it down. Block out a good chunk of time and dig in!

Mary Jane Clark's "Lights Out Tonight" features thirty-four year old Caroline Enright, film and theater critic for the morning news broadcast "KEY to America." Caroline has a great deal on her mind. Linus Nazareth, her executive producer, is condescending, sarcastic, and demanding, and her brand new stepdaughter, twenty-year-old Meg, despises her. However, Caroline adores her new husband, screenwriter Nick McGregor, and she hopes that Meg will soon warm up to her.

Caroline and Nick will soon be traveling to Massachusetts to see Meg, who is an apprentice in the Warrenstown theater program. In addition, Caroline has been assigned to interview one of her favorite actresses, Belinda Winthrop, a veteran of thirty-two films who is about to star in a new play at the Warrenstown Summer Playhouse.

When Caroline sees Meg, she finds her stepdaughter as hostile as ever. However, Caroline distracts herself with work, interviewing not only Belinda Winthrop, but also playwright Victoria Sterling and director Keith Fallows. Living on Belinda's estate are a menacing caretaker and ex-con named Gus Oberon, and Remington Peters, a talented but tormented artist whose unrequited love for Belinda has haunted him for years.

The inhabitants of Warrenstown are stunned when two college students, one of whom was a close friend of Meg, are killed in a car accident. Shortly thereafter, the town librarian is murdered, and following Belinda Winthrop's triumphant debut, she suddenly vanishes. Caroline branches out of her area of expertise to cover these breaking stories, and she quickly realizes that a clever and malicious killer is on the loose. Before the assailant is unmasked, Caroline and her daughter will also be targeted for death.

Mary Jane Clark has written a tidy thriller with a lively cast, fast-paced dialogue and action, and enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing. The details about life on the stage are immensely entertaining, with behind the scenes details on makeup, costumes, and directing. Clark also provides an engrossing look at the ego, ambition, and jealousy that afflict so many people in show business. The author, who writes and produces for CBS News, skillfully shows Caroline experiencing her baptism by fire as a reporter in Warrenstown. "Lights Out Tonight" has short and crisp chapters, clear and precise prose, an engrossing plot, and lively characters, making it an ideal summer read.

First rate author Mary Jane Clark not only knows how to craft a spellbinding thriller (Dancing In The Dark) but she's also particularly skilled at drawing authentic female characters.

This time out heroine is 34-year-old Caroline Enright, a theatre and film critic for TV's KEY To America. She's recently wed to Nick, father of college-age Meg, who is not too thrilled about her new stepmother. Caroline is also an admirer of Oscar winning actress Belinda Winthrop, which makes her the perfect candidate to cover Belinda's performance at the Warrenstown Summer Playhouse in the Berkshires.

Caroline couldn't be more pleased - it's summer in the city (too hot), this will be an opportunity for her to be in a romantic setting with Nick, and maybe if her luck holds out she can even bond with Meg, who has a small part in the play.

As it turns out, Caroline is going to need a great deal more than luck. Suddenly Belinda, an actress idolized by millions, disappears and a pair of Meg's friends are killed. Caroline's reportorial skills tell her this is more than coincidence and that in all probability the deaths were not due to any accident. As bucolic and peaceful as Warrenstown is it soon becomes evident that there's a crazy on the loose. But, who and why?

Tony nominee Isabel Keating allows suspense to build with her carefully paced narration, and her rich voice adds a vividness not found in the printed word.

Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

In Light Out Tonight, Caroline Enright is heading up to Warrenstown, MA to write a review on the latest Belinda Winthrop play. Her step-daughter Meg is doing an internship at the theater and so the weekend will be a family affair. Prior to Caroline arriving, two of Meg's friends are killed in an apparent accident, then after the opening night of the play, Belinda Winthrop goes missing. Caroline, starts to put the pieces together and realizes that the sleepy town of Warrenstown might be dealing with a sociopath. As the puzzle unravels Caroline finds herself the target of the sociopath and has to think quick so as to ensure she's not the next victim...

A another fun read by Mary Jane Clark! I will say that I figured out the who done it before I got to the end, but an overall enjoyable, fun mystery read. If you have read other MJC and like her style, you'll certainly also enjoy Lights Out Tonight.

I enjoy Mary Jane Clark a lot and this book was no exception. I did think the killer's identity was a bit obvious, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.

I love true mysteries, not sensational thrillers full of gore. This is an old time mystery. The other reviewers described the story line so I'll tell what I liked about the writing. It's written in short chapters: 128 in 330 pages. Each one grabs your attention and holds it as you eagerly read the next and the next. It's hard to put down. Sociopaths are definitely intriguing and scary. Mary Jane Clark shines a light on one of these individuals, with a plot twist of course. A step-mother and step-daughter rocky relationship, a beautiful accomplished actress, a talented painter, and a drug dealing grounds keeper all add to the intrigue of the story. I'll definitely be reading more from Mary Jane Clark.

I enjoyed this book as I have enjoyed other Mary Jane Clark books. It is pleasant reading and kept me guessing. I did not "peg" the killer. Will buy future books by Mary Jane Clark.

As is typical with Higgins Clark fashion, I couldn't put it down. A wonderfully told, suspenseful story. I am in love with Mary Jane's style of setting detail. Too much detail tends to bore me, but she does it with such enthusiasm, interest, and talent that I actually find myself wanting to read more.

The characters in this mystery are basically shallow and annoying...or maybe the problem is with the author and her complete lack of character development. The writing is juvenile and the whole summer theater setting is just a bit silly. The only reason I gave this book two stars instead of one is because the author was able to keep me wondering who "the killer" was up until the last fifty pages or so, at which point it gets pretty easy to figure out.