This is one of Susan Howatch's early 'Gothic' novels. In fact, there are a total of six such novels.

They are relatively short, each with less than 200 pages, and not nearly as powerful as her later family sagas and the Starbridge series. Nevertheless, they are well-written and suspenseful without being overly ghastly. I read this book in about three hours this afternoon, and even though I'm not much of a thriller reader, I didn't find it disturbing at all.

The genre is more similar to Mary Stewart's thrillers than a modern one, as it is set in the pre-computer and pre-mobile phone era. In that time, long distance calls had to be made via an operator and were extremely expensive.

This story begins with Clare Sullivan, who narrates the book in the first person, receiving an anguished phone call in New York from her sister Gina, who is in London. However, the call is suddenly stopped, and Gina seemingly vanishes. Clare's intuition tells her that something is seriously wrong, so she first flies to Paris and then on to London. There, she quickly finds herself embroiled in a dangerous and worrying set of circumstances.

Susan Howatch, showing a distinct flair that becomes more pronounced in her later novels, manages to build up suspense through Clare's research. Clare meets people who know something about Gina or what has happened to her, and they offer their perspectives. Each time, we learn a little more, although we're not entirely sure who can be trusted until the end. The climax of the book is highly dramatic, perhaps a bit over the top in terms of melodrama, but in the context, it appears entirely possible - yet another sign of a great writer!

Eh, I sort of liked it. There was something about it that initially caught my attention. However, as I delved deeper, it became increasingly clear that it felt very unfinished.

Especially when it came to the characters and their motivations. The characters seemed somewhat one-dimensional, lacking the depth and complexity that would have made them truly engaging. Their actions and decisions often felt arbitrary, as if there was no real thought or reasoning behind them.

This lack of development in the characters and their motivations detracted from the overall experience of the story. It made it difficult to fully invest in what was happening and to truly understand the significance of the events.

Despite these flaws, there was still a glimmer of potential in the story. With some further refinement and development, it could have been a really great piece. But as it stands, it falls short of achieving its full potential.

Susan Howatch before she was Susan Howatch! The hints are there.

Before achieving fame as Susan Howatch, there were already signs and hints of her future success.

Perhaps it was in her early writings, where a spark of creativity and talent could be detected.

Maybe it was in the way she observed the world around her, gathering inspiration for her future works.

Even in her personal life, there might have been moments that pointed towards her destiny as a renowned author.

These hints, though perhaps not immediately obvious, were like hidden treasures waiting to be discovered.

And as Susan Howatch developed and grew as a writer, these hints would eventually blossom into the brilliant works that would make her a household name.

Today, we can look back and see the path she took, from those early hints to the heights of literary achievement.

I discovered this tucked away in one of my bookshelves (the ones in real life) and perused it once more.

It must have been approximately twenty years ago when I initially read it. And I was astounded to observe that the book itself was penned in 1967! That clarifies some of the "old-fashioned" perspectives and methods.

(The fact that she (and later on he!) adores the PanAm Building.. I just took a glance at Google.. well....)

But in any case, it was enjoyable to read it again, with its light suspense and light romance (which could have been a touch more ;-)).

Overall, it was a nostalgic trip down memory lane, revisiting a book that had once captured my attention so long ago. It made me realize how much has changed in the world since 1967, both in terms of society and literature. Nevertheless, there was still something charming about this old book that made it worth reading again.

This wasn't my typical choice of reading material.

After delving into the profound works of Tolstoy and Yourcenar, and being in the middle of Turgenev's masterpieces, I craved something that didn't require too much mental effort and that I could breeze through without any pain.

Susan Howatch has the ability to spin an engaging story. At the beginning, it might seem a bit slow and ordinary, but as the novel progresses, especially in the final 20 percent, it truly becomes worthwhile.

It provided decent entertainment during the blustery winter days when I needed a break from the heavier literary works.

It was like a lighthearted escape that allowed me to unwind and simply enjoy the story for what it was.

Sometimes, in the midst of our literary adventures, we need such mindless yet enjoyable reads to balance out the intensity of the great classics.

And Susan Howatch's novel served that purpose perfectly for me at that particular time.

A sister was on a desperate search to find her long-lost sister.

She had spent countless days and nights thinking about her sister, wondering where she could be.

The memories of their childhood together haunted her, making her determination even stronger.

She scoured every possible place, asking people she met along the way if they had seen her sister.

Despite facing many rejections and dead ends, she refused to give up.

One day, while walking through a small town, she heard a rumor about a woman who resembled her sister.

Her heart skipped a beat as she followed the lead.

To her joy, she finally found her sister.

The two sisters embraced, tears of happiness streaming down their faces.

It was a moment of pure joy and relief, and they knew that their bond would never be broken again.

A modelist is going to London for a vacation and gets lost. Her older sister, who lives in New York, has to search for her. Kind-hearted people, secret clues, murders, and mysterious cooperation partners make the story engaging and interesting until the last page.

The modelist's disappearance causes great concern among her family and friends. Her sister, determined to find her, embarks on a journey filled with challenges and surprises. Along the way, she encounters various characters, some of whom seem to have ulterior motives.

The story weaves together elements of mystery, thriller, and adventure, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. As the sister gets closer to uncovering the truth, she discovers a web of secrets and conspiracies that she never expected. Will she be able to find her missing sister in time? Read on to find out.

I have an intense love for all of Susan Howatch's books!

She is truly one of my most cherished and favourite authors.

The paperbacks that I own of her works are in a rather sorry state, with the pages falling apart.

This has led me to the conclusion that it's high time I made the switch and got her books on Kindle.

With Kindle, I can have easy access to all of her wonderful stories, no matter where I am.

It will also be more convenient than carrying around the tattered paperbacks.

I'm really looking forward to being able to enjoy Susan Howatch's novels in a new and more practical format.

Her writing is so engaging and captivating that I know I'll be spending many hours lost in her fictional worlds.

I can't wait to start this new chapter in my reading journey with her books on Kindle.

A sensible Manhattan schoolteacher finds herself drawn overseas due to a panicked call from her sister.

Upon arrival, to her horror, the sister seems to have completely vanished. Our brave heroine then embarks on a mission to solve the mystery. However, she also takes ample time to soak in the sights of beautiful Paris and enjoys numerous cocktails and dinners with a charming stranger who was last seen in her sister's company.

The tension gradually builds up when she discovers that everyone around her is lying. To make matters worse, she realizes that over the course of just 3 days, she has fallen deeply in love with the charming stranger. In a shocking turn of events, when she literally digs up the body of his ex-fiancé from his garden, she doesn't even think of calling the police.

The story is not badly written. Although the insta-love is rather absurd and the motivations of all the characters are quite puzzling, the reader can't help but be somewhat enjoying it until the last couple of chapters. Here, the mystery is revealed in a rather anticlimactic way, much like in a Scooby Doo cartoon, where everyone shows up and offers long-winded monologues explaining everything. In the end, everybody lives happily ever after, except for the murdered and the murderer.

This book was read for the 2017 Romance Bingo. The intention was to use it for the Gothic Romance square, as the author is known for writing gothics and the cover art gives a distinct gothic feel. However, this story lacks most of the key elements of gothic literature. The applicable squares are: Insta-love (the heroine and the mysterious stranger are head over heels in love within 3 days, despite the chaos of missing sisters and dead bodies), and Love is Murder (with crimes of passion aplenty).

From halfway around the world, American Claire Sullivan boards a jet bound for Paris, all because of a desperate phone call she received from her glamorous sister Gina.

Upon her arrival, Gina is nowhere to be found, and her trail leads Claire to a mysterious boyfriend, Garth Cooper, who now lives in London with a secret to hide.

As time passes, Claire starts to understand that Gina's sudden disappearance is not just another one of her sister's crazy stunts.

I typically enjoy Susan Howatch's books, but in my opinion, this one is among her weakest. I would rate this book a C.

Perhaps the plot didn't grip me as tightly as her other works, or maybe the characters didn't come to life in the same vivid way.

Nevertheless, I still respect Howatch's talent as a writer and will continue to explore her other novels in the hope of finding that same magic that I've experienced in the past.

Overall, while this book may not have been a home run for me, it's still an interesting read that offers a glimpse into the world of mystery and suspense that Howatch is known for.

I really loved it.

This particular thing or experience got me completely hooked onto Susan.

It was something about her that just had an irresistible charm.

Maybe it was her smile, which could light up a room.

Or perhaps it was her kind and gentle nature that made me feel at ease.

Every time I was around her, I found myself drawn in, eager to know more about her.

Her presence had a way of making everything seem better.

I couldn't help but be captivated by her.

She had become a central figure in my thoughts and I looked forward to every moment I could spend with her.

I knew that this connection I had with Susan was something special and I was excited to see where it would lead.

The protagonist, Claire, leads a calm and peaceful life in New York. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Gina, is a model and lives in Paris. Everything changes when one night Gina calls Claire in a panic, speaking incoherently. Suddenly, in the middle of the conversation, the phone is disconnected. Claire tries to call her sister back but can't reach her. So, she decides to go to Paris to find Gina and figure out what happened.

As soon as Claire arrives, she discovers that Gina's roommate has no idea where she is. Gina had gone to spend the weekend in London with a man named Garth Cooper and still hadn't returned.

Claire looks for Garth to solve this mystery, and soon an attraction develops between them.

Garth's weekend with Gina results in a fight with his fiancée, the end of their engagement, and the disappearance of both Gina and his ex-fiancée. Therefore, he joins Claire in the hope of finding both of them and uncovering what's going on. However, some people suggest that Garth is involved in the disappearance of Gina and Therese, his ex-fiancée. Claire becomes confused, fearing that she is falling in love with a dangerous person, perhaps even a murderer. Everything gets more complicated when Therese's body is found.

This is a very entertaining book, with a great mystery in the style of Susan Howatch. Among Susan's novels, this is one of the best.