It was in spring 2013. We flew to New York to meet Mary Higgins Clark "at home", with the hope that the writer - then 84 years old - tells us how she continued to find the inspiration and energy to write. The queen of suspense, who died on Friday January 31 at the age of 92, then published her 57th novel.
We had a meeting in a building that bordered Central Park: a modern and very chic building, whose caretaker in a dark suit would not let you access the elevator until you had declined your identity. On the 15th floor, a perky woman opened the door for us.
It was the make-up artist of the writer, who finished powdering her pink and smooth cheeks like silk from her famous client. All smiles, Mary Higgins Clark came to greet us, her indoor sandals slipped into silk stockings. She had invited us to admire the spectacular view from her balcony running over the trees of the largest park in New York. "It's my pied-à-terre," she had explained to us. We then understood that the novelist came in this pretty three-room apartment when she attended shows or “charity dinners” - the very ones for which she kept the table plans to draw from them the first names of her next thrillers.
“I write in New Jersey. Do you want us to go?
"Isn't that where you write?" Had been questioned. And, faced with our polite disappointment, the octogenarian had replied with a smile: "No. I write in my New Jersey home, where I live. Do you want us to go? Mary Higgins Clark then called her driver and we got into the back of her long car, next to the author herself and a photographer hired for the occasion by Le Parisien. Mary's husband was in the front seat. During the trip, which had lasted three quarters of an hour, "MHC" had made the conversation and we were trying to take notes on the turns, fortunately taking advantage of the help of the New York traffic jams.
Once arrived in her opulent house nestled in the greenery, the writer had shown us around the owner, without missing any room: half a dozen rooms, decorated like sweet boxes, bathrooms with large baths and… his office. "There you go, this is where I write! She exclaimed. In this room where her thrillers populated the shelves, she had explained to us how she worked: “First, I take notes. I draw the frame, the decor, the characters… ”
"I am proud to have done what I loved"
We asked her if, over time, it had become easier to write: "Each time, you pray to God that you can still do it," she replied. It is not something I take for granted. Readers are very intelligent: if it is not good, they realize it. There are so many writers who say: I liked him ... before . One day, my editor told me that I could write the Directory and sell it. I answered Yes, but I could only do it once! "Warm, funny, Mary Higgins Clark insisted that when she lacked inspiration, she" thought of two words: copyright! "
When asked what she was most proud of in her life, she who had chained bestsellers but had also raised five children by being a widow at 35 years old, she also replied: "First, of my family. Then I'm proud to have done what I loved. And then, to have been very successful and made a lot of money. Be aware: for my first book, I only received 3,000 dollars (note: 2,330 euros approximately) in advance! "
"50 shades of Gray, that's not my thing"
After his office, we returned to his living room where photos of his children and grandchildren were enthroned. Mary Higgins Clark showed us the photos of a recent family wedding, detailing each face. " You are hungry ? She suddenly asked. A few minutes later, we sat around the kitchen table, with her husband - a charming and elegant man -, the photographer and her. The cook had prepared a delicious meal in a few minutes.
There, we still talked about Mary Higgins Clark's love for France, her friendship with Harlan Coben ("a dear friend"), her readings ... She had just devoured the three volumes of "Millennium", which she had found "great", but refused to delve into "50 shades of Gray": "I'm not interested: it's not that I'm prude, but it's not my thing. "
Newsletter - The essentials of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
At the beginning of the afternoon, after having thanked the author very much for this welcome, this lunch, this time she had given us, we left with her driver to New York. A little dazed by this unforeseen, surreal and unexpected moment.