The Anastasia Syndrome and Other Stories » (Reissue)

Mary Higgins Clark likes to delve into different worlds in her crackerjack novels of suspense; but while the milieus change, her stories are always compelling. As she puts it: "I write about people going about their daily lives, not looking for trouble, who are suddenly plunged into menacing situations."

In the short novel The Anastasia Syndrome, prominent historical writer Judith Chase is living in London and preparing for her marriage to Sir Stephen Hallett, expected to become England's next Prime Minister. Orphaned during World War II, Judith wants to trace her origins.

Herbert Mitgang

''The Anastasia Syndrome,'' a novella that leads off her first collection of short stories, is a perfect example of escape literature: undemanding, unbelievable and entertaining....In four short stories that follow ''The Anastasia Syndrome,'' Ms. Clark writes about a lost angel at Christmas; a supernatural phenomenon; an attempted murder involving twins and the theater, and a class reunion that turns into a frightening obsession of a rejected lover that almost leads to disaster. Of these stories, only ''Terror Stalks the Class Reunion'' is fully realized and in the strong, straightforward style of Mrs. Clark's best-selling novels. -- New York Times