Mary Higgins Clark, born Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins, was an American author renowned for her suspense novels, all of which became bestsellers in the United States and various European countries. As of 2015, her debut suspense novel, Where Are the Children?, was in its 75th printing. Clark's journey in writing began at a young age; after working as a secretary and copy editor, she spent a year as a stewardess for Pan-American Airlines. Following her husband's death in 1964, she began writing four-minute radio scripts, eventually transitioning to novels upon the advice of her agent.

Her success was remarkable, with her works selling over 100 million copies in the United States alone. She co-authored several novels with bestselling author Alafair Burke in the Under Suspicion series, and with her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, she coauthored five more suspense novels. Her influence extended into her family, with her former daughter-in-law, Mary Jane Clark, also becoming a writer.