Delaney Wright, a 26-year-old anchor at a news station in New Jersey, is the protagonist of Mary Higgins Clark’s new thriller, AS TIME GOES BY. Her assignment for the evening is the beginning of the trial of Betsy Grant, who is accused of murdering her husband. At first, it was thought that Ted Grant, a patient suffering from early onset Alzheimer's disease, died of natural causes. That is, until the medical examiner found a "soft spot" on the back of his head --- an injury that could only happen from a hard blow.

Since Betsy was alone in the house with Ted, she is accused of the crime. One of the main pieces of evidence against her is that she hosted a birthday party for him with his former partners and their wives. He lost his temper and slapped her across the face. She sobs that she can't take it anymore, leading prosecutors to believe that this was a sort of confession. Actually, what she meant was that she was ready to put him in a nursing home.

"In true Mary Higgins Clark fashion, the 'Queen of Suspense' sets the reader up with false leads and red herrings."

Still, in the early chapters, we learn that Delaney was adopted literally at birth with no papers or legal proceedings --- all private and secretive for a price. She has three stepbrothers, and at an early age notices that her color and demeanor are different from them and the rest of the family. Her adoptive parents finally tell her the truth, which triggers an overwhelming need in her to find her birth mother. Even as a child, she wanted to know who her mother was and where she came from.

As luck would have it, two of Delaney’s friends won a fortune in the lottery. Since they no longer work and are curious, they take on the job of trying to investigate her adoption. Piece by piece, they find snippets of information that help put together the puzzle.

The next person on the scene who plays a major role in the narrative is Ted’s son, Alan, who is involved in a contentious interaction with his ex-wife. The tension between them is so volatile that their children run away. Alan owes many months of child support; he is deeply in debt to a number of people and has not paid his bills. He is sure that his stepmother is going to be found guilty of killing his father, which means that their $15 million estate will come to him.

In true Mary Higgins Clark fashion, the “Queen of Suspense” sets the reader up with false leads and red herrings. Fans and newcomers alike will not be disappointed in her latest bestselling masterpiece.