The Christmas Thief
by Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark
Alvirah Meehan and Regan Reilly Christmas mystery (2), Alvirah and Willy (5), Regan Reilly (7.5)
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Alvirah Meehan and Reagan Reilly get in the middle of a case involving a beautiful eight-foot blue spruce that has been chosen to spend the holidays as Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree. The folks who picked the tree don't have a clue that attached to one of its branches is a flask chock-full of priceless diamonds that Packy Noonan, a scam artist just released from prison, had hidden there over twelve years ago.Tags
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Member Reviews
This story reads like a Nancy Drew novel; everyone is two dimensional, there is no real mystery, and you don't particularly care for any of the characters. Also there was an unnecessary amount of characters in this short story, honestly most of them contributed nothing to the plot other than tripping me up on who was who. It's a brainless little mystery, set in November so it's not even all that holiday related. There is a Christmas tree but that's about it. I like the occasional brainless holiday or mystery novel but this satisfied neither of those requirements. I'd never read Mary Higgins Clark before and if this is representative of her other mysteries then I certainly have no desire to try out any others. Ugh.
Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner turned amateur sleuth, teams up with private investigator Regan Reilly to solve another Christmas mystery. A beautiful eighty foot blue spruce has been chosen as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The people who picked the tree don't have a clue that attached to one of its branches is a flask full of priceless diamonds that Packy Noonan, a scam artist, hid there twelve years ago. I am not a big fan of Mary HIggins Clark although I don't mind her daughter;s stuff (Carolyn HIggins Clark). They teamed up for this very simple read - don't expect anything in depth. I read this for a bookclub for our December meeting. This isn't a big group and no one seemed to like it at all and only a few of us read show more the entire book. I finished it, but it wasn't a long read. I did think the main idea of stealing the Rockerfeller Christmas tree was a fun idea. show less
This was a quick Christmas read. Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter, Carol, have given us a crossover with their signature characters.
Set in the cozy Vermont area of Stowe, the story revolves around the choosing of the Christmas tree for Rockefeller Center. There's definitely no guesswork when it comes to the "mystery". It's all laid out. But it's fun to watch it come together. A perfect way to get a quick Christmas read in for the holidays.
Set in the cozy Vermont area of Stowe, the story revolves around the choosing of the Christmas tree for Rockefeller Center. There's definitely no guesswork when it comes to the "mystery". It's all laid out. But it's fun to watch it come together. A perfect way to get a quick Christmas read in for the holidays.
Opening Sentence: ‘…Packy Noonan carefully placed an X on the calender he had pinned to the wall of his cell in the federal prison located near Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love…’
The story starts with swindler Packy Noonan being released from jail, and he is planning on jumping parole, recovering a flask of diamonds he has hidden in a fir tree, and heading for freedom and Mexico. Packy’s accomplices are the very stupid Como twins, Benny and JoJo. What Packy doesn’t know is that his ‘tresure’ tree has been chosen to be the centre piece at the Rockefeller Center. Previous characters, Regan, fiancé Jack, parents Luke and Nora, and friend Alvirah Meehan are joined by Alvirah’s friend Opal, who lost millions from show more her lottery winnings to Packy Noonan’s scam, for a weekend in Vermont, where they plan to attend the ceremonial cutting down of the Rockefeller Center tree. A rival tree farmer who had been planning to sabotage the tree gets caught up in the scam when he finds the diamonds first. Thieves are everywhere, and Packy is not happy
This is the third Christmas mystery written by this mother/daughter combination and I have to say that it was not the best. It is easy and quick to read. The plot had so much potential for suspense – could have been a great comedy of errors sort of a mystery - but it just lacked soul for me – the characters seemed dead on the pages and none of them came alive for me. I sensed that there was suppose to be humor – but it didn’t really raise a smile.
It wasn’t a horrible book – just very average when I know both authors can do so much better. Is really just a Christmas fluff read but I sort of expected more. show less
The story starts with swindler Packy Noonan being released from jail, and he is planning on jumping parole, recovering a flask of diamonds he has hidden in a fir tree, and heading for freedom and Mexico. Packy’s accomplices are the very stupid Como twins, Benny and JoJo. What Packy doesn’t know is that his ‘tresure’ tree has been chosen to be the centre piece at the Rockefeller Center. Previous characters, Regan, fiancé Jack, parents Luke and Nora, and friend Alvirah Meehan are joined by Alvirah’s friend Opal, who lost millions from show more her lottery winnings to Packy Noonan’s scam, for a weekend in Vermont, where they plan to attend the ceremonial cutting down of the Rockefeller Center tree. A rival tree farmer who had been planning to sabotage the tree gets caught up in the scam when he finds the diamonds first. Thieves are everywhere, and Packy is not happy
This is the third Christmas mystery written by this mother/daughter combination and I have to say that it was not the best. It is easy and quick to read. The plot had so much potential for suspense – could have been a great comedy of errors sort of a mystery - but it just lacked soul for me – the characters seemed dead on the pages and none of them came alive for me. I sensed that there was suppose to be humor – but it didn’t really raise a smile.
It wasn’t a horrible book – just very average when I know both authors can do so much better. Is really just a Christmas fluff read but I sort of expected more. show less
Audiobook performed by Carol Higgins Clark
From the book jacket: Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner turned amateur sleuth, teams up with private investigator Regan Reilly to solve another Christmas mystery. This time the case involves an eighty-foot blue spruce that has been chosen as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The folks who picked the tree don’t have a clue that attached to one of its branches is a flask full of diamonds that Packy Noonan, a scam artist just released from prison, had hidden there over twelve years ago.
My Reactions
There’s not much holiday spirit in this slim volume; it is more a fun and entertaining comic crime caper than a mystery. The coincidences required for the plot to work stretch credulity a bit, show more but they do add to the suspense and enjoyment. I like this cast of characters: Alvirah and her husband, Willy; Regan and her fiancé, Jack, as well as her parents, Luke and Nora; and Alivirah’s friend Opal, a fellow lottery winner, who lost her money to Packy’s scam. And then there’s Packy and his band of incompetents: Jo-Jo, Benny and Milo.
Carol Higgins Clark narrates the audio version. Her pacing is good, but the voices she used for the various characters just irritated me. show less
From the book jacket: Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner turned amateur sleuth, teams up with private investigator Regan Reilly to solve another Christmas mystery. This time the case involves an eighty-foot blue spruce that has been chosen as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The folks who picked the tree don’t have a clue that attached to one of its branches is a flask full of diamonds that Packy Noonan, a scam artist just released from prison, had hidden there over twelve years ago.
My Reactions
There’s not much holiday spirit in this slim volume; it is more a fun and entertaining comic crime caper than a mystery. The coincidences required for the plot to work stretch credulity a bit, show more but they do add to the suspense and enjoyment. I like this cast of characters: Alvirah and her husband, Willy; Regan and her fiancé, Jack, as well as her parents, Luke and Nora; and Alivirah’s friend Opal, a fellow lottery winner, who lost her money to Packy’s scam. And then there’s Packy and his band of incompetents: Jo-Jo, Benny and Milo.
Carol Higgins Clark narrates the audio version. Her pacing is good, but the voices she used for the various characters just irritated me. show less
What happens if the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree gets stolen? When MH Clark heard this idea, she decided to write a book about it and by golly if she didn’t pull it off in a most excellent way! Really, how is such a plot plausible? If it is stolen the night before it’s to be cut down. And why would someone want to do that? Well, that’s the complex plot the Clarks wrote. And it works. Lots of characters and twists and turns. I loved it!
I kind of don't know where to start with this book. I think the problem is that while it was a terribly written book - I really did enjoy reading it, and got exactly what I wanted out of the experience.
Let me explain. Around Christmastime, I got a strange urge to read some light, Christmas-themed mysteries. I went to the discount isle at my local bookstore and wound up picking up this one and two others. I wanted to read something that wouldn't strain my brain very much, and would give me a pleasant, Christmas-time kind of feeling.
Well, above and beyond the other two books of its kind that I read, this book managed to be what I wanted. It was a very light, pleasant, uncomplicated book that left me with a pleasant, Christmast-time kind show more of feeling.
However (and I apologize to all the Mary Higgins Clark fans out there) this is *NOT* a well-written book. Absolutely none of the characters are believable. The story is inane and silly. The descriptions of characters are poor and the dialogue is about as stiff and unrealistic as it could get.
And yet... I enjoyed it. In fact, its badness could be a major factor in why I enjoyed it. It was fun to laugh at how poorly it was written while I was reading it.
But that isn't the complete picture, because this book succeeds in being what it was meant to be - a piece of light reading for a particular audience. It was never MEANT to be a great work of literature. It is the literary equivalent of a Big Mac, and in that it suceeds fabulously. show less
Let me explain. Around Christmastime, I got a strange urge to read some light, Christmas-themed mysteries. I went to the discount isle at my local bookstore and wound up picking up this one and two others. I wanted to read something that wouldn't strain my brain very much, and would give me a pleasant, Christmas-time kind of feeling.
Well, above and beyond the other two books of its kind that I read, this book managed to be what I wanted. It was a very light, pleasant, uncomplicated book that left me with a pleasant, Christmast-time kind show more of feeling.
However (and I apologize to all the Mary Higgins Clark fans out there) this is *NOT* a well-written book. Absolutely none of the characters are believable. The story is inane and silly. The descriptions of characters are poor and the dialogue is about as stiff and unrealistic as it could get.
And yet... I enjoyed it. In fact, its badness could be a major factor in why I enjoyed it. It was fun to laugh at how poorly it was written while I was reading it.
But that isn't the complete picture, because this book succeeds in being what it was meant to be - a piece of light reading for a particular audience. It was never MEANT to be a great work of literature. It is the literary equivalent of a Big Mac, and in that it suceeds fabulously. show less
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Mary Higgins Clark was born in the Bronx, New York on December 24, 1927. After graduating from high school and before she got married, she worked as a secretary, a copy editor, and an airline stewardess. She supplemented the family's income by writing short stories. After her husband died in 1964, leaving her with five children, she worked for show more many years writing four-minute radio scripts before turning to novels. Her debut novel, Aspire to the Heavens, which is a fictionalized account of the life of George Washington, did not sell well. She decided to focus on writing mystery/suspense novels and in 1975 Where Are the Children? was published. She received a B.A. in philosophy from Fordham University in 1979. Her other works include While My Pretty One Sleeps, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Moonlight Becomes You, Pretend You Don't See Her, No Place Like Home, The Lost Years, The Melody Lingers On, As Time Goes By and Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry. She is the author of the Alvirah and Willy series, which began with Weep No More, My Lady. She is also the co-author, with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, of several holiday crossover books including Deck the Halls, He Sees You When You're Sleeping, Santa Cruise, The Christmas Thief, and Dashing Through the Snow. She writes the Under Suspicion series with Alafair Burke. In 2001, Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir was published. She received numerous honors including the Grand Prix de Literature of France in 1980), the Horatio Alger Award in 1997, the Gold Medal of Honor from the American-Irish Historical Society, the Spirit of Achievement Award from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University the first Reader's Digest Author of the Year Award 2002 and the Christopher Life Achievement Award in 2003. Many of her titles have made the best sellers list. Her recent books include All By Myself, Alone, I've Got My Eyes On You, and You Don't Own Me. Bestselling suspense novelist, Mary Higgins Clark died on January 31, 2020 at the age of 92. (Bowker Author Biography) Mary Higgins Clark has written nineteen novels & three short story collections since 1975. She has served as president of the Mystery Writers of America & lives in Saddle River, New Jersey. (Publisher Provided) show less
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Carol Higgins Clark was born in New York City in 1956 to suspense writer Mary Higgins Clark. She received a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College before studying acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. She is the author of the Regan Reilly mystery series. Her novel Decked was nominated for both an Agatha and Anthony Award for Best First Novel. She has show more also co-authored several books with her mother including Deck the Halls, The Christmas Thief, Santa Cruise, and Dashing through the Snow. As an actress, she has appeared in numerous television, film, and theater productions, including A Cry in the Night, a 1992 television movie based on a novel written by her mother. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
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Series
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Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Christmas Thief
- Original title
- The Christmas thief
- Original publication date
- 2004
- People/Characters
- Patrick Coogan Noonan "Packy"; Guiseppe Como "Jo-Jo"; Benny Como; Alvirah Meehan; Willy Meehan; Regan Reilly (show all 21); Jack Reilly; Nora Regan Reilly; Luke Reilly; Baroness Min von Schreiber; Sister Cordelia; Herman Hicks; Opal Fogarty; Milo Brosky; Lemuel Abner Pickens "Lem"; Vidya Pickens "Viddy"; Wayne Covel; Lorna; Bobby Granger; Janice Granger; Bill Granger
- Important places
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York, New York, USA; Stowe, Vermont, USA; Summit, New Jersey, USA
- Epigraph
- I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
--Joyce Kilmer - Dedication
- In joyful memory of our dear friend Buddy Lynch. He was the best of the best - a truly great guy.
- First words
- Packy Noonan carefully placed a x on the calendar he had pinned to the wall of his cell in the federal prison located near Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)They watched as in a brilliant and breathtaking moment the tree they had loved for fifty years was suddenly ablaze with thousands of colored lights, and everyone in the gathered throng began to cheer.
- Disambiguation notice
- with Carol Higgins Clark
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- Reviews
- 29
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- (3.20)
- Languages
- 6 — Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish
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- ISBNs
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- ASINs
- 6