Guide Note

Prolific author Mary Higgins Clark has written over 27 suspense novels, many of which have been turned into made for television movies and four feature length films. Many of her novels have become international best sellers and in the United States alone have sold over 80 million copies. Her first book Aspire to the Heavens, a biographical novel about George Washington, was reissued in 2002 as Mount Vernon Love Story. Her memoir titled Kitchen Privileges was published by Simon & Schuster also in 2002. She has co-authored three suspense books, Deck the Halls, He Sees You When You're Sleeping and The Christmas Thief with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark.

Life & Career

Mary Higgins Clark's success as an author was attained through some adversity. Born and raised in the Bronx, her father died when she was 11 years old and her mother struggled to care for her and her two brothers. She graduated from high school and went to secretarial school, taking a job with an advertising agency to help with the family finances. After three years working for Remington-Rand she left to be a stewardess for Pan-American Airlines. Shortly after her marriage to Warren Clark, a neighbor whom she has known since she was sixteen, she began writing short stories and sold her first to Extension Magazine in 1956 for $100.

Her first child, Marilyn, was born only nine months after her wedding, Warren Jr. arriving thirteen months later and David was born two years after his brother. Two months after her first short story was sold her fourth child, Carol, was born.

After being left a widow by the death of her husband from a heart attack she began to write radio scripts and started to write books. Her first book Aspire to the Heavens, a biographical novel about George Washington was published in 1969 by Meredith Publishing (it was later re-released under the name Mount Vernon Love Story in 2002).

She entered Fordham University at Lincoln Center in 1971, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1979, with a B.A. in Philosophy. Her children followed her example and have entered some prestigious careers. Her daughter Carol has become an author of suspense novels.

Her first novel, Where are the Children?, was purchased by Simon & Schuster for $3000.00. The paperback rights were sold for $100,000.00 and the book became a bestseller. Her second novel sold for $1.5 million. As of 2008 she has written 25 suspense novels that have sold more than 80 million copies in the US alone and all of them have become bestsellers and are still in print.

Fast Facts

1. Full Name: Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins Clark Conheeney
2. Birth Date: December 24, 1927
3. Birthplace: Bronx, New York
4. Known as the "Queen of Suspense"
5. Has written over 24 suspense novels
6. Two novels were made into features films
7. Many have been made into TV movies
8. Stewardess for Pan-America Airlines
9. 80 million copies sold in the United States
10. Grandmaster Award in 2000 from the Mystery Writers of America
11. Dame of the Order of St. Gregory the Great
12. Has nineteen honorary doctorates