This novel is consistent with much of Clark's earlier fiction. Outside of her fictional biography of George Washington, Aspire to the Heavens (1968), Clark has written a total of twenty-two mystery novels.

All of her novels concentrate on a topical issue in the news, and typically, they feature a female protagonist who, out of exigency, adopts the role of amateur sleuth.

The theme of female victimization also appears frequently in her fiction. In Let Me Call You Sweetheart (1995),a beautiful woman is murdered by her male lover, and in You Belong to Me (1998), a ruthless and deranged man hunts lonely women on cruise ships.

Clark's novels also typically focus on the professional classes. We'll Meet Again (1999) bases its story on a female journalist and a doctor's wife. The Lottery Winner: Alvirah and Willy Stories (1994) is a notable exception to this spotlight on the professional classes. Alvirah, the...