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)
On This Page
Description
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
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Mary and Carol Higgins Clark team up once again for a light heartwarming and fun Christmas Mystery.
Alvirah and company are back in this Christmas caper involving one of Alvirah's friends, Opal.
Opal was swindled out of her lottery winnings by Packy Noonan. Packy has now been released from prison and together with his cronies are out to find a stash of diamonds that have been hidden in special tree in Vermont for thirteen years.
But, Packy soon discovers that the tree is about to be cut down and will grace Rockefeller Center this year. So, in a mad dash he races to get to the tree before anyone else does.
Alvirah and her husband and their friends, including Opal all head for Vermont to ski and relax. But, when Opal thinks she has spotted show more one the swindlers that stole her money things go terribly awry.
If you are looking for something profound or deep, skip this one. As for me, during the holidays I think we all feel more like indulging is lighter fare and this mystery is suitable for everyone. There are some really funny moments involving Packy's bumbling cohorts, and a sweet backstory about the tree where Packy stashed his diamonds.
This book is less that 300 pages long and the story is so light, it probably won't take you over a day to read it.
I know that lines get a bit blurred when it comes to placing mysteries is specific categories, and I wouldn't ordinarily place MHC in the cozy genre, but his one is for sure a cozy.
Oveall I would give it an A show less
Alvirah and company are back in this Christmas caper involving one of Alvirah's friends, Opal.
Opal was swindled out of her lottery winnings by Packy Noonan. Packy has now been released from prison and together with his cronies are out to find a stash of diamonds that have been hidden in special tree in Vermont for thirteen years.
But, Packy soon discovers that the tree is about to be cut down and will grace Rockefeller Center this year. So, in a mad dash he races to get to the tree before anyone else does.
Alvirah and her husband and their friends, including Opal all head for Vermont to ski and relax. But, when Opal thinks she has spotted show more one the swindlers that stole her money things go terribly awry.
If you are looking for something profound or deep, skip this one. As for me, during the holidays I think we all feel more like indulging is lighter fare and this mystery is suitable for everyone. There are some really funny moments involving Packy's bumbling cohorts, and a sweet backstory about the tree where Packy stashed his diamonds.
This book is less that 300 pages long and the story is so light, it probably won't take you over a day to read it.
I know that lines get a bit blurred when it comes to placing mysteries is specific categories, and I wouldn't ordinarily place MHC in the cozy genre, but his one is for sure a cozy.
Oveall I would give it an A 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.
This is a fun, fast read. Light, humorous. I don't care for Carol's style of writing, but I love Mary's. This suspenceful story traces a con artist as he is released from prison, catches up with his accomplices, and steals away to Vermont, where he hid a flask full of diamonds in the branches of a spruce tree years ago. Too bad that very tree has been selected as the tree to be displayed in Rockefeller Center, and is about to be cut down!
Con man Packy Noonan has been sitting in prison for 13 years. Before his incarceration, he took the precaution of hiding the cache of diamonds he'd purchased with the millions he'd swindled from gullible investors, and he has plans to retrieve the diamonds and hightail it to Brazil.
Unfortunately for Packy, the tree where he'd hidden his stash has been selected to grace Rockerfeller Center, and is about to be cermoniously cut down and reomved from its current location near the Von Trapp family lodge near Stowe., VT..
Complicating things even further for Packy is the fact that Opal Fogarty, a former lottery winner whom Packy had devastated with one of his scams, is enjoying a vacation at the Von Trapp ski resort. Among the friends show more accompanying Opal are amateur sleuth Alivirah Meehan and P.I. Regan Reilly.
I enjoyed this enough to finish it. It was cute and light, but not quite to my taste. I'm not sure exactly why. I don't think there was anything really wrong with it at all. I'm sure others would appreciate it more. At least I spent an entertaining day with this book. show less
Unfortunately for Packy, the tree where he'd hidden his stash has been selected to grace Rockerfeller Center, and is about to be cermoniously cut down and reomved from its current location near the Von Trapp family lodge near Stowe., VT..
Complicating things even further for Packy is the fact that Opal Fogarty, a former lottery winner whom Packy had devastated with one of his scams, is enjoying a vacation at the Von Trapp ski resort. Among the friends show more accompanying Opal are amateur sleuth Alivirah Meehan and P.I. Regan Reilly.
I enjoyed this enough to finish it. It was cute and light, but not quite to my taste. I'm not sure exactly why. I don't think there was anything really wrong with it at all. I'm sure others would appreciate it more. At least I spent an entertaining day with this book. 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've enjoyed several of MHC's books, and was curious to read a joint effort between her and her daughter. I got a bunch of MHC books from a coworker and this was one of them. I sure am glad I did not spend money on it. This book was unfortunately lacking in any flair or anything special. Nothing personal against these two ladies, but this simply was not a very good effort. It is a very 'light' read, without real substance. I found myself easily bored with it and had to force myself to finish it. Sure, there were a couple of interesting characters, like Packy Noonan, but really, this book is not worth it.
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Books Read in 2022
5,226 works; 115 members
Best Christmas Mysteries
114 works; 2 members
Author Information
359+ Works 98,544 Members
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
41+ Works 14,727 Members
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
Distinctions
Series
Work Relationships
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
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 1,317
- Popularity
- 18,393
- Reviews
- 29
- Rating
- (3.20)
- Languages
- 6 — Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 33
- ASINs
- 6