A Second Generation of Mystery

Carol Higgins Clark is making her mother proud. The daughter of America's Queen of Suspense, Mary Higgins Clark, is a successful actress who has starred in many theater, film and television productions, including the 1992 TV move A Cry in the Night, based on a novel by her mother. Caril is also an extremely talented and succssful writer. All of her Regan Reilly mysteries have been New York Times bestsellers and her novel Decked was nominated for awards for Best First Novel.

Following is an excerpt from the Bookreporter.com interview with Carol Higgins Clark prior to the release of her latest book, Twanged.

CHCLARK: Good evening everyone.

BookpgJL: We're on the eve of St. Patrick's Day and your book is set partly in Ireland. How will you be celebrating the day?

CHCLARK: I'm going to be on a radio show with Frank McCourt who wrote Angela's Ashes. Tomorrow night, I'm having dinner with some friends. It's especially fun this year because Twanged is partially set in Ireland and it deals with Irish superstitions.

BookpgJL: What would you imagine Regan Reilly would be up to?

CHCLARK: She's probably somewhere drinking a green beer! And looking for trouble...

BookpgJL: Twanged centers on a country music singer. Do you harbor secret singing dreams?

CHCLARK: I might harbor them, but they're impossible because whenever I get near a mike, people stare. I'm not a singer, and never could be, but I like to sing in the shower.

BookpgJL: But you are an actress. Tell us a little about that.

CHCLARK: Right now I am working more on the books, but I still will pursue the acting. I like to pursue comedic roles.

Question: Carol, I love your books and your mothers, have all of them. Have you ever thought of writing a book with your mother?

CHCLARK: We probably won't do that, but we might do a play sometime together. We both have contracts with different publishers, so writing a book could not happen for a long time, but a play could work. ***

BookpgJL: Why is the comedy in your books so important to you?

CHCLARK: In my family, humor was always very important. Everyone told stories at the dinner table. My mother is very funny, too. She just writes novels that have more suspense in them. It's something that came out naturally when I started writing. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

BookpgJL: Speaking of your parents, how autobiographical are Regan's parents in your books? Was your father really a funeral director?

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