Clark's heroines all share a common trait: pluck. When the situation demands it, they tap into deep reserves of determination and bravery. Take Nancy, for instance. Despite her psychological traumas, the lingering guilt that haunts her, and her overwhelming fatigue, she manages to get out of bed, find Carl's hideout, and fight him to protect her children. The power of a mother's love can surmount incredible challenges. Nancy is also able to confront her unresolved guilt well enough to rebuild her life and begin anew with Ray and their children. Such resilience is truly extraordinary.

In Clark's fiction, while overcoming obstacles is a common theme for female characters, they often ultimately rely on male support systems. This contradiction fits within the thriller genre conventions she adheres to. Mary Higgins Clark does not position herself as a feminist in this aspect, nor do her stories, despite featuring strong women, promote feminist ideas. Her female protagonists never fully operate independently. Their self-sufficiency and independence are insufficient to break away from traditional roles of marriage and motherhood. Without the intervention of other men, Nancy would be overwhelmed by Carl and Rob Legler. The responsibility she feels for Peter and Lisa's deaths would persist without the legal assistance of Jonathan Knowles or the medical help of Dr. Miles. She and Missy would have likely perished if not for Ray's timely intervention. It is intriguing that much of Nancy's strength ultimately gets reintegrated into the patriarchal society that initially endangered her. These contrasts are not exclusive to Mary Higgins Clark's writing but are common in the literary traditions she draws from.