Dr. Monica Farrell's father Edward was very forthright about the fact that he was adopted. He was fortunate in that he was adopted by fine people but as he got older he seemed driven by his desire to search out information about his biological parents. He spent great amounts of time looking at photos to see if he could determine any resemblance and in fact had mentioned an uncanny resemblance to Alexander Gannon inventor of joint replacements. Gannon's inventions and patents had left his heirs quite wealthy with several years of payments due them. But those same heirs were systematically draining the funds so that even the philanthropic organization formed in Alexander Gannon's name was beginning to hit bottom. Monica was aware of her father's quest and at times wished he had been successful so that she would have family. As it was she was pretty much on her own with no relatives or siblings.
Olivia Morrow knew her health was failing and time was her enemy. She needed more time. Time to do what she should have taken care of years before -- contact Monica Farrell with information of her father's birthright. Olivia's niece, Catherine, had given birth to Edward, out of wedlock just prior to entering a convent and Olivia had proof of who the father was, Alexander Gannon. Well the web was getting more tangled as the day went on with the news that Catherine was being considered for sainthood and her life was going to be under a microscope -- meaning the facts surrounding the birth of Edward was going to be public knowledge. Monica was still in the dark about any connection she had with Catherine other than her own involvement with mortally sick children. But someone was becoming aware of the existence of a direct descendant of Alex and would go to any extreme to see that this news not see the light of day. Lives, reputations and fortunes were at stake.
A seemingly unending labyrinth of relationships that could be difficult to follow but Higgins Clark is a master of keeping the reader on target. With so many bad guys to watch you begin to wonder just who is the real villain of this story. Higgins Clark doesn't go for the insignificant fellow -- her victims are important to the story which is why their demise hits hard. With paths to truth being systematically destroyed the reader begins to wonder if the truth will get out. Read and find out for yourself. Great summer read on the beach. Don't forget your sunscreen. Enjoy.
At age eighty-two and in failing health, Olivia Morrow
knows she has little time left. The last of her line, she
faces a momentous choice: expose a long-held family
secret, or take it with her to her grave.
Olivia has in her possession letters from her deceased
cousin Catherine, a nun, now being considered for
beatification by the Catholic Churchβthe final step before
sainthood. In her lifetime, Sister Catherine had founded
seven hospitals for disabled children. Now the cure of a
four-year-old boy dying of brain cancer is being
attributed to her. After his case was pronounced medically
hopeless, the boyβs desperate mother had organized a
prayer crusade to Sister Catherine, leading to his
miraculous recovery.
The letters Olivia holds are the evidence that Catherine
gave birth at age seventeen to a child, a son, and gave
him up for adoption. Olivia knows the identity of the
young man who fathered Catherineβs child: Alex Gannon, who
went on to become a world-famous doctor, scientist, and
inventor holding medical patents.
Now, two generations later, thirty-one-year-old
pediatrician Dr. Monica Farrell, Catherineβs
granddaughter, stands as the rightful heir to what remains
of the family fortune. But in telling Monica who she
really is, Olivia would have to betray Catherineβs wishes
and reveal the story behind Monicaβs ancestry.
The Gannon fortune is being squandered by Alexβs nephews
Greg and Peter Gannon, and other board members of the
Gannon Foundation, who camouflage their profligate
lifestyles with philanthropy.
Now their carefully constructed image is cracking. Greg, a
prominent financier, is under criminal investigation, and
Peter, a Broadway producer, is a suspect in the murder of
a young woman who has been extorting money from him.
The only people aware of Oliviaβs impending choice are
those exploiting the Gannon inheritance. To silence Olivia
and prevent Monica from learning the secret, some of them
will stop at nothingβeven murder.
Clarkβs riveting new novel explores the juxtaposition of
medical science and religious faith, and the search for
identity by the daughter of a man adopted at birth.
No excerpt available.
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