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No Place Like Home (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 6,442 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In a riveting and unputdownable thriller from the Queen of Suspense, a young woman is ensnared into returning to a place she had wanted to leave behind forever—her childhood home.
At the age of ten, Liza Barton shot her mother, trying desperately to protect her from her estranged stepfather, Ted Cartwright. Despite his claim that the shooting was a deliberate act, the Juvenile Court ruled the death an accident. Many people, however, agreed with Cartwright, and the tabloids compared the child to the infamous murderess Lizzie Borden, pointing even to the similarity of their names.
To erase her past, her adoptive parents change her name to Celia. At age twenty-eight, a successful interior designer in Manhattan, she marries a childless sixty-year-old widower, Laurence Foster, and they have a son. Before their marriage, she reveals to him her true identity. Two years later, on his deathbed, he makes her swear never to tell anyone so that their son, Jack, will not carry the stigma of her past.
Two years later, Celia is happily remarried. Her peace of mind is shattered when her new husband surprises her with a gift—the house where she killed her mother. And it soon becomes clear that there is someone in the community knows Celia.
More and more, there are signs that someone in the community knows Celia’s true identity. When the real estate agent who sold them the house is brutally murdered and Celia is the first on the crime scene, she becomes a suspect. As she fights to prove her innocence, she has no idea that she and her son, Jack, are now the targets of a killer.
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"Ok, this book scared the petoot out of me, but I really get scared easily so that isn't saying much. I still liked it though. It is about a little 10 year old girl named Liza Barton who shoots her mother while trying to protect her from her violent step father. The death is ruled accidental, but the tabloits still call her the murderess Lizzie Borden. Her adoptive parents change her name to Celia and try to cover up her past. She grows up, has a brief marriage and a son, her husband dies and she remarries a young lawyer. Her life is happy until her birthday when he presents her with the gift of a new home. The home she grew up in and shot her mom in. There are a chain of events that are horrible after that and that is the part that scared me. A good read though if you like mystery books!"
— Erin (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Mary Higgins Clark’s awesome gift for storytelling has always been the secret of her strength as a suspense novelist. But let’s credit her as well for something more subtle—her intuitive grasp of the anxieties of everyday life that can spiral into full-blown terror. In the deliciously titled No Place Like Home, this canny writer taps into the tensions that go along with the joys of moving into a new home and comes up with a cunning variation on the haunted-house theme.”
— New York Times -
“With sympathy and strength, Jan Maxwell steadily builds the fearful and dangerous path Celia follows to the truth, exposing the sham of her life and the identity of a new killer. This is a standard Higgins Clark formula, but a solid production and tempo offer a hefty helping of chills.”
— AudioFile -
“A gripping seat-of-your-pants thriller…The intrigue begins on the first page, and the suspense builds rapidly…This is Higgins Clark at her best, a true mystery to satisfy the most ardent fans of the genre.”
— RT Book Reviews, 4½ stars
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
No Place Like Home Listener Reviews
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" Enjoyable listening in the car - round about town for a few days - and then on the way to Melfort - Wed Apr 17/13 - on way to Saskatoon - rode with Cher Cher - to Crit's to go with Leah to band performance at festival (which didn't come about cause the girl got sick!) "
— Darlene, 2/17/2014 -
" Even though I hate murder mystery novels - this one caught me. "
— Sadé, 2/3/2014 -
" Very interesting plot line. I would read this again. "
— Stephanie, 2/1/2014 -
" I like this story. However it was a little bit predictable. MHC keeps you guessing 'till the end. However I kind of figured it out very early in the book! "
— Claudia, 1/20/2014 -
" This is my favorite Mary Higgins Clark book. I love the tie in with the Lizzie Borden story. The main character is Eliza Barton. The story is loosly based off the real Lizzie Borden story, of course with some major changes to make the story her own. "
— Elizabeth, 1/12/2014 -
" I think I like this author! "
— Keli, 1/9/2014 -
" This was a fantastic book that kept me hooked from the first few pages! Ceila Nolan is given a beautiful house by her new husband as a birthday gift. Unfortunately, its the house that Ceila use to live in as a child-when she was known as Liza Barton and was acquitted of murdering her mother. With her hidden past threatening to be revealed, Ceila struggles to figure out what really happened that night while trying to live a normal life and raise her child in 'Little Lizzie Borden's House'. "
— Liberty, 1/7/2014 -
" Very good read. Mary Higgins Clark knows her suspense murder mystery!! It's easy to read, remember the characters, clean, and the plot keeps you busy the whole way through. There were a few situations that I found a little predictable, but never-the-less, a good book to read. "
— Alissa, 1/2/2014 -
" All the same story no matter which book you read by her. I never fully agree with her points. Like Lifetime women movies in book form. "
— Karen, 1/1/2014 -
" Liked this book alot and was very surprised with the ending. Not as predictable as some of her books I have read. "
— Dede, 12/28/2013 -
" I ran across this book today and remember reading it some time ago. Of course, I enjoyed it, as I do all of Mary Higgins Clark books. "
— Fran, 12/17/2013 -
" What a great suspense novel!! This story was clean and gripping! I want to read more by Mary Higgins Clark! "
— Geokowgurl, 12/16/2013 -
" I liked this book, even brought a tear to my eye. Who knew a thriller/mystery could do that? I really liked Celia, and just felt so sorry for her secret. "
— Jessica, 12/2/2013 -
" A hang-on to your seat thriller. "
— Janice, 11/18/2013 -
" A page turner for sure. Love it! Couldn't put it down "
— Faye, 11/12/2013 -
" i really liked this book. It creeped me out, but made me wanting more. "
— chynna, 11/3/2013 -
" Bone chilling, i loved it !!!! "
— Carlee, 11/3/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book and was suprised to find out it was him! Very suspenseful and very interesting! Loved it from start to finish! "
— *~Sammy~*, 9/10/2013 -
" Really enjoyed the book. For me, it was a quick read (two weeks is fast). Recommend reading if you like murder mystery. "
— Pam, 7/8/2013 -
" I listened to this one. It is the first Mary Higgins Clark book I have read/heard. It was good. It was a little predictable but not too bad. There were a few surprises in there. "
— Joyce, 4/27/2013 -
" a ice who dun it novel and throughly enjoy her writing "
— Sandra, 2/10/2013 -
" This may be my first MHC read and it was pretty gripping. It felt a little dated, but otherwise a good gripping read. "
— Amara, 12/22/2012 -
" Good "read" on CD... very surprised ending! "
— Jeanie, 8/10/2012 -
" It was fun figuring out the clues, they didn't come together until the very end. I couldn't put it down! "
— Laura, 2/18/2012 -
" WOW! She definitely did it again! Great ending and VERY (as usual) unexpected! "
— Melody, 1/5/2012 -
" If you're in the mood for a fun suspense thriller, this is a pretty good one. Basic Mary Higgins Clark style! "
— Amber, 12/29/2011 -
" Well written and holds your interset from the first page. Surprise ending. "
— Rose, 11/11/2011 -
" Too long and gets confusing at times. "
— Leslie, 9/7/2011 -
" Typical MHC. I was surprised that I had not read this book yet, simply because I thought I had read every MHC out there. Very quick,light, no brainer... thrilling as well. "
— Becky, 8/21/2011 -
" This book is really good "
— Cikgu, 8/17/2011 -
" I was hooked on Mary Higgins Clark when I read her first mysteries. Now I am a little tired of the society column descriptions of her characters and the predictability of her subplots. But it is good escape reading. "
— Diane, 8/16/2011 -
" It's a story of girl who is suspected of killing her own mother. It happened a long time ago, and this girl have change her identity to stop herself from remembering her bad experience. Until something happened on the same house where they once live. "
— Lilet, 6/15/2011 -
" It was an intense mystery, I couldn't put it down. Mary Higgins Clark has outdone herself. "
— Brittany, 5/15/2011 -
" There's a reason she's called the "Queen of Suspense". Great read. Lots of suspects, lots of suspicious happenings. Who knows that Celia is really Liza?! Great read right until the last page. Very entertaining!!! "
— Diana, 4/25/2011 -
" Girl involved in childhood tragedy is surprised to return to home where tragedy occurred--with no one realizing who she is. Lots of suspense. A good vacation read. "
— Florence, 3/29/2011 -
" I don't think soft-boiled mysteries are for me. "
— Stacey, 3/14/2011 -
" A wonderful book to read from cover to cover. "
— Laurie, 3/7/2011 -
" I was very surprised when the mystery uncovered who put together the setup and why. "
— Suzee, 2/20/2011 -
" Já li todos os livros desta autora, está no top das minhas preferências, irresistível! ( Lar, Doce Lar ) "
— Babete, 2/4/2011 -
" Pretty classic Mary Higgins Clark. I like her books for a quick read. It was suspenseful enough to keep me reading, but like most of her books, it was pretty clear who the "bad guy" was. "
— Leeann, 1/27/2011 -
" The book gave nothing. Predictable characters and story lines written in a mediocre language. "
— Katri, 1/9/2011 -
" I give it 3 1/2 stars "
— Lorna, 12/3/2010 -
" This is one of my favorite books, it is murder mystery with a twist. I like how you don't know whats going to happen next. If you like books with a twist and murder then read it. "
— Starla, 12/2/2010 -
" Quite predictable but was a satisfying mindless diversion. "
— Jami, 11/29/2010
About Mary Higgins Clark
Mary Higgins Clark (1927–2020) was the author of worldwide bestsellers that sold more than one hundred million copies in the United States alone. Twenty-one of her books reached the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list. She was chosen by Mystery Writers of America as Grand Master of the 2000 Edgar Awards. An annual Mary Higgins Clark Award sponsored by Simon & Schuster, to be given to authors of suspense fiction writing in the Mary Higgins Clark tradition, was launched by Mystery Writers of America in 2001. She was the 1987 president of Mystery Writers of America and, for many years, served on their board of directors. In 1988, she served as chairperson of the International Crime Congress.
About Jan Maxwell
Jan Maxwell is an American stage and television actress. She made her Broadway debut in the musical City of Angels and has been nominated for two Tony Awards and two Drama Desk Awards. She won the 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Her Broadway credits include Sixteen Wounded, Match, and The Dinner Party. She is the sister of Obie Award–winning playwright Richard Maxwell.