We'll Meet Again (novel)

{{Short description|1999 American novel}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox book

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| name = We'll Meet Again

| image = We'll Meet Again (novel).jpg

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| author = Mary Higgins Clark

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| country = United States

| language = English

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| genre = Mystery

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| publisher = Simon & Schuster

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| media_type = Print (hardback, paperback), ebook, audiobook

| pages = 320 pages

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| isbn = 0-684-83597-5

| isbn_note = First edition hardback (US)

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| preceded_by = You Belong to Me

| followed_by = The Night Awakens

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We'll Meet Again is a 1999 mystery novel by American novelist Mary Higgins Clark. It was published by Simon & Schuster and spent multiple weeks on the New York Times' Bestseller lists for its hardback and paperback editions. A made for TV film was released in 2002, starring Laura Leighton and Brandy Ledford.

Synopsis

Socialite Molly Lasch is married to Gary, a prominent physician and founder of the Remington Health Management HMO. She's horrified to learn that he has been cheating on her with one of his nurses, even having a child with her. When he's discovered murdered, his head bashed in by a statue and Molly standing over his body, the police assume that she is the culprit. Claiming to have no memory of the events and that she is innocent, Molly agrees to plead guilty to manslaughter rather than face trial over murder charges. She gains early parole and once out, begins to once again proclaim her innocence. Among the reporters is her old college friend Fran, who Molly contacts in hopes that she can help her case. During the course of their investigation the two discover evidence that points towards the true killer being someone else, including evidence that Gary was involved in unsavory dealings. When the mistress is found dead in a parking lot the police immediately suspect Molly, as the two had recently spoken.

Release

We'll Meet Again was first published in hardback in the United States on April 26, 1999 through Simon & Schuster.{{Cite book|last=Clark|first=Mary Higgins|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40748754|title=We'll meet again|date=1999|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=0-684-83597-5|location=New York|oclc=40748754}} An audiobook adaptation read by Jan Maxwell was released on the same day in audiocassette and CD formats, also through Simon & Schuster.{{Citation|last=Clark|first=Mary Higgins|title=We'll meet again|date=1999|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/41227416|others=Maxwell, Jan|place=New York|publisher=Simon & Schuster Audio|isbn=0-671-04381-1|oclc=41227416|access-date=2021-11-25}} The novel was released in paperback format the following year.{{Cite book|last=Clark|first=Mary Higgins|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/970524606|title=We'll meet again|date=2000|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-0-671-00456-9|location=New York|language=English|oclc=970524606}}

Since its publication the novel has been released in multiple countries and given translations into languages such as Spanish,{{Cite book|last1=Clark|first1=Mary Higgins|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/43831941|title=Perdida en su memoria|last2=Murillo|first2=Eduardo G|date=2000|publisher=Plaza & Jane's Editores|isbn=978-84-01-32798-8|location=Barcelona|language=Spanish|oclc=43831941}} Polish,{{Cite book|last1=Clark|first1=Mary Higgins|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/47049277|title=Przyjdź i mnie zabij|last2=Ciepłowska|first2=Agnieszka|date=2000|publisher=Prószyński i S-ka|isbn=978-83-7255-762-9|location=Warszawa|language=Polish|oclc=47049277}} and Italian.{{Cite book|last1=Clark|first1=Mary Higgins|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/797338185|title=Ci incontreremo ancora: romanzo|last2=Mondadori|date=2000|publisher=Mondolibri|location=Milano|language=Italian|oclc=797338185}}

= Sales =

Copies of We'll Meet Again sold well and the novel placed on the New York Times' Bestsellers List. It held the number one spot for hardcover fiction for the weeks of May 9 and 16, 1999, dropping to second after the release of the Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace novelization.{{Cite news|date=1999-05-23|title=BEST SELLERS: May 23, 1999|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/23/books/best-sellers-may-23-1999.html|access-date=2021-11-25|issn=0362-4331}} The paperback edition of the novel also held the number one place for mass-market paperbacks for the weeks of May 7 and 21, 2000.{{Cite news|date=2000-05-14|title=BEST SELLERS: May 14, 2000|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/14/books/best-sellers-may-14-2000.html|access-date=2021-11-25|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news|date=2000-05-07|title=PAPERBACK BEST SELLERS: May 7, 2000|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/07/books/paperback-best-sellers-may-7-2000.html|access-date=2021-11-25|issn=0362-4331}}

Film adaptation

On November 11, 2002 PAX TV aired a made for TV adaptation of We'll Meet Again, directed by Michael Storey. The film starred Laura Leighton and Brandy Ledford as Fran and Molly, respectively. Gedeon Burkhard, Andrew Jackson, and Anne Openshaw also starred in the movie.

Reception

Critical reception for We'll Meet Again was generally favorable.{{Cite news|last=Baker|first=Debra|date=June 17, 1999|title=Pleading the defense of mystery|work=The Town Talk (Newspapers.com)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/213044952/?terms=%22We%27ll%20Meet%20Again%22%20Higgins%20Clark&match=1}}{{Cite news|last=Gillespie|first=Mike|date=May 23, 1999|title=We'll Meet Again (review)|work=The Ottawa Citizen (Newspapers.com)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/466489171/?terms=%22We%27ll%20Meet%20Again%22%20Higgins%20Clark&match=1}} Reviewers for the Star Tribune and Wisconsin State Journal both praised the novel,{{Cite news|last=Wineke|first=William|date=July 11, 1999|title=Higgins Clark mystery among her best|work=Wisconsin State Journal (Newspapers.com)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/404127250/?terms=%22We%27ll%20Meet%20Again%22%20Higgins%20Clark&match=1}} with the former stating that while the novel is formulaic it "works" as "What's wrong with a formula? Certain tactics become formulas because they work every time."{{Cite news|last=Slater|first=Joyce|date=May 2, 1999|title=We'll Meet Again is formulaic, but it works|work=Star Tribune (Newspapers.com)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/195587719/?terms=%22We%27ll%20Meet%20Again%22%20Higgins%20Clark&match=1}} A reviewer for the Associated Press was more critical, as they felt that the novel was "hodgepodge, and not very interesting or well-written."{{Cite news|last=Hajela|first=Deepti|date=June 6, 1999|title=We'll Meet Again (review)|work=The Post-Crescent (Newspapers.com)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/290701934/?terms=%22We%27ll%20Meet%20Again%22%20Higgins%20Clark&match=1}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{Cite book|last=Roche|first=Linda De|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YihTqNVfp04C&dq=we%27ll+meet+again+mary+higgins+clark+spoilers&pg=PA101|title=Revisiting Mary Higgins Clark: A Critical Companion|date=2003|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-32039-2|pages=100–110|language=en}}