Carol Higgins Clark

Carol Higgins Clark (July 28, 1956 – June 12, 2023) was an American mystery author and actress. She was the daughter of suspense writer Mary Higgins Clark, with whom she co-authored several Christmas novels, and the former sister-in-law of author Mary Jane Clark.

Carol Higgins Clark
Higgins Clark at the 2000 Distinguished Author Award
Higgins Clark at the 2000 Distinguished Author Award
Born(1956-07-28)July 28, 1956
New York City, U.S.
DiedJune 12, 2023(2023-06-12) (aged 66)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationNovelist, actress
Alma materMount Holyoke College (BA)
GenreMystery
Notable worksRegan Reilly series
Relatives
Mary Higgins Clark (mother)

Mary Jane Clark
(former sister-in-law)

Writing career

Born in New York City and raised in Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey,[1] Clark attended Immaculate Heart Academy.[2] She received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College. During college, she began re-typing her mother's transcripts. She also made contributions such as renaming locations and characters.[3] She was the only one of the five Clark siblings to become a writer. One thing that influenced this decision was helping her mother. While Mary Higgins Clark attempted juggling a full-time job and trying to finish her second book, the younger Higgins Clark grasped this opportunity to familiarize herself with the process of writing a book and telling tales, not knowing this would be her start in becoming a well-known author.[4] Just as her mother did, Clark wrote suspense books. One difference in the mother and daughter's writings is that Clark's books contain a slight sense of humor that her mother's do not possess.[5] All of her novels feature Regan Reilly (a famous recurring character), plot points about male escorts, and pantyhose conventions that come from real sources.[6] In her video for NJN Public Television, Clark explains how she used her first job experience to help her with ideas about her book. In her book Iced, she uses a woman who is working at a dry cleaners. The woman uncovers evidence found in the pockets of a customer.

Acting

Clark chose acting as her profession[7] and began to study acting after graduating from Mount Holyoke College. In 1975, she starred in "Who Killed Amy Lang", which aired on Good Morning America. She also performed in Wendy Wasserstein's play "Uncommon Women". She played the lead in the film A Cry In The Night, based on a novel by her mother.[8]

Personal life and death

In 2001, Clark appeared as a contestant on the game show To Tell The Truth; three of the panelists correctly identified her.[9]

The impact damage to the Belaire Apartments

Clark's New York apartment building, The Belaire, was hit by a small plane on October 11, 2006 flown by New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle.[10] Her 38th floor condominium was just a floor below the main impact zone; she was not at home during the accident.[10]

Clark died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of appendix cancer on June 12, 2023, at the age of 66.[11]

Bibliography

Regan Reilly series
  • Clark, Carol Higgins (1992). Decked. New York: Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0-446-51549-3. OCLC 24627336.
  • ————————— (1993). Snagged. New York: Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-51548-5. OCLC 27897123.
  • ————————— (1997). Iced. London: Warner Boosk. ISBN 0-7515-1674-0. OCLC 43225710.
  • ————————— (1998). Twanged. New York: Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-51763-1. OCLC 37801332.
  • Clark, Mary Higgins (2000). Deck the Halls. Carol Higgins Clark. New York: Simon & Schuster/Scribner. ISBN 0-7432-1200-2. OCLC 44640199. (co-written with Mary Higgins Clark; crossover with Mary's Willy & Alvirah series)
  • Clark, Carol Higgins (2001). Fleeced. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0-7432-0581-2. OCLC 47623810.
  • ————————— (2002). Jinxed. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0-7432-0582-0. OCLC 50435405.
  • ————————— (2003). Popped. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-7665-4. OCLC 55850168.
  • Clark, Mary Higgins (2006). The Christmas Thief. Carol Higgins Clark. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-7432-7225-4. OCLC 75407602. (co-written with Mary Higgins Clark; crossover with Mary's Willy & Alvirah series)
  • Clark, Carol Higgins (2005). Burned. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0-7432-4275-0. OCLC 57641681.
  • ————————— (2006). Hitched. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0-7432-8942-0. OCLC 65284653.
  • Clark, Mary Higgins (2006). Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea. Carol Higgins Clark. New York: Simon & Schuster / Scribner. ISBN 978-1-4165-3552-2. OCLC 77076961. (co-written with Mary Higgins Clark; crossover with Mary's Willy & Alvirah series)
  • Clark, Carol Higgins (2008). Laced. New York: Pocket Star Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-2337-6. OCLC 194155472.
  • ————————— (2009). Zapped. New York: Pocket Star Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-6382-2. OCLC 301707390.
  • Clark, Mary Higgins (2008). Dashing Through the Snow. Carol Higgins Clark. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4391-3008-7. OCLC 701235836. (co-written with Mary Higgins Clark; crossover with Mary's Willy & Alvirah series)
  • Clark, Carol Higgins (2009). Cursed. New York: Scribner. ISBN 978-1-4165-6217-7. OCLC 232979179.
  • ————————— (2010). Wrecked. New York. ISBN 978-1-4391-7025-0. OCLC 424555495.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • ————————— (2012). Mobbed. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4391-7029-8. OCLC 741542639.
  • ————————— (2012). Gypped. New York: Scribner. ISBN 978-1-4391-7031-1. OCLC 765969859.
  • ————————— (2015). Knocked. New York. ISBN 978-1-4767-1051-8. OCLC 883147492.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) (due date per publisher)

Other novels co-authored with her mother

Collections co-authored with her mother

Awards

Clark's début novel Decked was nominated for the 1992 Agatha Award and the 1993 Anthony Award for "Best First Novel".[12][13]

See also

References
  1. Rohan, Virginia. "Mystery is in this Jersey writer’s blood", The Record (Bergen County), April 10, 2011. Accessed December 22, 2013. "For her 14th Regan Reilly mystery novel, Carol Higgins Clark chose a backdrop she knew well.... Mobbed is the first Regan Reilly book that Clark, who grew up in Washington Township, has set in the Garden State."
  2. Longo, Rosalie. "Author-actress finds her flair runs in family", Herald News, July 7, 1992. Accessed June 18, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Carol Higgins Clark is certainly a woman of mystery.... The Bergen-reared author (graduate of Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township) says she enjoys both but admits lhat each has a different discipline."
  3. Flamm, Matthew. "An Author Typecast by Heredity? Hardly." Galileo, Apr. 19, 1998. Accessed July 1, 2010.
  4. Bancroft, Colette. "The Other Higgins Clark." Galileo, October 30, 2003. Accessed July 30, 2010.
  5. Due Brade, Tananarive. "Writer Inherits Mom's Talent for Hot Mysteries." Galileo, December 15, 1995. Accessed July 3, 2010.
  6. Shih, Evelyn. "Reactive Connections Highlights Chapters of Their Lives." Lexis Nexis. Galileo, April 8, 2008. Web. July 6, 2010.
  7. Miliokas, Nick. "The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)." Lexis Nexis. Galileo, February 18, 2004. Web. July 29, 2010.
  8. Carol Higgins Clark at IMDb
  9. "Carol Higgins Clark Speaker". Total Speakers. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  10. "Lidle dies after plane crashes into NYC high-rise". ESPN. October 12, 2006. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  11. "Carol Ann Clark". dignitymemorial. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  12. "Malice Domestic Convention - Bethesda, MD". Malicedomestic.org. August 23, 1988. Archived from the original on April 12, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  13. "Bouchercon World Mystery Convention : Anthony Awards Nominees". Bouchercon.info. October 2, 2003. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
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