I've been reading Mary Higgins Clark since I was a child. Literally. I think I read Where Are the Children when I was in fourth grade. And while that might not be typical 4th grade reading, I was hooked. My favorite of all time was Weep No More My Lady, which takes place at an exclusive spa. I must have read it 20 times throughout junior high and high school.

In Ms. Higgins later years, she wrote with Alafair Burke, and I always found the books to hold the same charm as when Higgins wrote by herself. Pants were "slacks" and descriptions of the characters also depicted a nice conservative 80's career woman. And it was part of the charm. I've loved every single one of her books I've read.

While Where are the Children Now was written in the style of the late Mary Higgins Clark by Alafair Burke, it does Ms. Higgins proud. If you've always loved books by Mary Higgins Clark, check this one out. It will bring back all the feels.

Oh what an awesome who done it! It’s a page turner at its very best! I love Mary Higgins Clark’s books but I think this one is my favorite so far. You need to pick it up very soon and give it a read! Thank you for writing such great books!

Where are the Children Now? is a five star book by my standards. How nice to have a follow up on Where are the Children. I met Mary Higgins Clark at a book and author luncheon that was held at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona. The event was completely memorable and of course a huge success. Readers came from several different states just to hear her speak and purchase a signed copy of as many books as they could carry. I still have my signed editions, and one was Where are the Children! I never dreamed I'd have the opportunity to meet MHC let alone shake her hand. It was an honor.

I read the earlier book when it originally came out years ago, so decided to try this one. I guess, like so many others, the story really did not stay with me. Which gave me a bit of difficulty understanding this one as I read. The author regularly makes references to things that occurred in the earlier story, with little or no elaboration. It makes for difficult understanding when you keep referencing a book that was published and read many years ago, and I was surprised the author, whose books I have regularly read and enjoyed, chose to do this. The plot was also almost the same as the earlier book. Thus, I had a tough time getting into the book and almost put it down as one of those I just would/could not read. However, I kept at it. The story follows a now adult Melissa who has met and married Charlie, a young widower, and becomes step-mother to his daughter Riley. As in the last book, Riley disappears I and the story follows along the same lines as the earlier one. This one has a different ending, however, and one that was a bit surprising to me.

I am not sure why the author chose to do a follow-up this many years after the original book was published, as I am not sure why anyone would think that I could remember a story so many years when I read so many books as many others do. I also was surprised at the plot, which was basically the same as the earlier book’s plot, though this story did bring in a lot from the earlier book and managed to tie it in well, making this story a good follow-on. I also did not take to Melissa, the main character. From the outset, I figured there was something odd about Charlie, her husband, and his sister. I also did not particularly like them. I found Melissa’s one-time relationship with Patrick, which had ended leaving Melissa quite upset (which was part of the story) interesting as the story unfolded, and I wish it could have been a bigger part of the story. Thde book was okay, but, in my opinion, not up to her other books. Still, it was not that bad and could be a good read for the right person, just not me. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

As many fans probably can agree, Mary Higgins Clark is a nostalgic favorite. And I read her on and off from my teens until she passed away. In my humble opinion, the author's best book of all I ever read of hers was Where Are the Children. That book was rough to read and it held very few punches. All her books after it felt like she was aiming very hard at being a clean version of a Lifetime movie of the week. And that isn't a bad thing. I got used to it and those books became palate cleansers for me from when I read heavier or grittier books. But Where Are The Children was the book that was the bar by which I measured all of her other books in terms of quality.

I would say that Where Are The Children Now is definitely in keeping with the post 2000's MHC books. It was entertaining, but not memorable. I went into it with high hopes since Alafair Burke does write books that can match the intensity of Where Are The Children, so I thought this sequel might give Burke a chance to shine with a legacy. It didn't quite do that for me, but I did appreciate that the book genuinely felt like a Mary Higgins Clark book. I just wish it had been unrelated to her best one!

Where Are the Children Now was a great trip to back to Cape Cod area and reunite with Nancy and her children, Melissa and Mike. The sequel didn't disappoint! Melissa's stepdaughter is kidnapped while she sleeps and she is the primes suspect. Her mother and brother Mike try to help her in finding the truth along with characters from the original book.
Like all Mary Higgins Clark books, there was suspense to keep the reader guessing and the twist at the end was a surprise to me. While I loved the story, I did not enjoy how many details of the original book took up the content of this book as the story would be complete without all the details. Overall, it was a great read and follow up.
I received a complimentary copy of Where are the Children Now thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster, but all opinions are my own.

This is by far the best book to come from the Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke collection. It has the pacing and plot of MHC’s earliest releases. I may be biased as a longtime fan of both writers, but Alafair Burke dazzles in paying homage to and refreshing Higgins Clark’s legacy.

Decent book, good characters, good twists and turns throughout to keep you questioning and guessing. Unfortunately, the fact this was billed as a sequel to one of the greatest suspense stories ever didn't work for me. The original Where Are the Children is just too damn good to even attempt to write a sequel. This should have been a stand-alone book with different character names and a few alterations, instead of being billed as a sequel. And yes, I know I'm in the minority in thinking this.

But other than that, it was an average read with decent characters and good twists and turns throughout to keep you questioning and guessing. The characters were okay - Melissa alternated between being interesting and annoying. But none of them really grabbed me and made me connect with them at all. The storyline was good, if not predictable in parts. Ultimately though, nothing really stuck with me. As I write this review after a fair amount of time has passed since reading it, I find myself struggling to remember key parts of the storyline. If you're wanting an average mystery-suspense story with generally good characters for a quick read, this one will do the trick. It just didn't do enough for me to get me excited.

I have been a fan of Mary Higgins Clark ever since I can remember, She helped foster my love of a great suspense novel. Her books always kept me on the edge of my seat and were free of language which I always appreciated. I was so excited when I saw that a sequel to Where are the Children (which was always a fave of mine) was being released. It did not disappoint. The book grabbed my attention quickly and held it until the end. Let me just say that it was an ending I did not see coming.

Some might be wondering if it is necessary to read Where are the Children before reading this one. The answer is no. I have read it, but it had been so long that I didn't really remember much about it. There is enough of a summary of the first book in the beginning that readers will not be confused.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I recently listened to the highly successful prequel to this, Where are the Children?, and found it underwhelming. I had higher hopes for this one, however, since MHC has had decades to improve and I like Alafaire Burke good enough.
Unfortunately, this was a letdown. The dialogue is just as bad as it was in the first book, even with another author to help out. For example, they’ve got attorneys explaining how the law works to other attorneys just to make sure we (the readers) get it. We do. It’s not that hard. Also, the plot points are ridiculous, and the antagonist is obvious right from the get-go.
Thanks to #netgalley and #simonandschuster for this #arc of #wherearethechildrennow in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Mary Higgins Clark was one of the all time best mystery writers. Alafair Burke did a great job of carrying on her legacy. This was a great sequel and a fitting tribute!

Where Are the Children Now? by Alafair Burke is a follow-up to the Mary Higgins Clark novel from decades ago. In this new novel, the children are now adults and one has a new stepdaughter. This stepdaughter disappears which leads the family to relive the trauma from years ago. The search is on for Riley. Is there a connection to the events of the past? Read and enjoy!

I was sooo excited to see this author duo. I absolutely love both of these authors and together, it is an amazing book! I loved reading all about Nancy and then had to go back and read the other book too. Thanks for a great read!

This book had my attention from the start! I love Mary Higgins Clark’s books they never cease to amaze me. So many twists and turns with a mind blowing outcome!

Facing the demons of the past and moving forward isn’t easy but Melissa seems to have done it when she marries Charlie. Having kids was never in her plans but her step daughter Riley is the perfect addition she never knew she wanted. When Riley goes missing her whole world begins to unravel and the nightmares of the past come to the surface as they try to find out where Riley went.

Wow! This book blew me away. I went back and read the first one, but this sequel had enough information from the first that it could have stood alone.

Where Are the Children Now?, by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke is a great sequel to Where are the Children? It isn’t a coincidence that Nancy Harmon’s step granddaughter is kidnapped. People know about her past and 40 years after the tragedy, she t seems that a new tragedy is happening. Her daughter Melissa is marrying the man of her dreams and his daughter. They skip a big wedding and move in together. Melissa is a true crime podcaster and a lawyer and it seems strange that she misses some clear signs of her new husband. Her brother Mike isn’t sure it was the best idea and he has no qualms saying anything. After a weekend moving their mom to the east end of Long Island, things turn upside down. Melissa’s stepdaughter is kidnapped. The police and her husband think it could be her. But she is being set up.. she has to be.. but who would want to set her up? She doesn’t know who trust and where to turn. But in true Mary Higgins Clark fashion, there are so many twists and turns. I had to keep reading to see how this was going to end. It was a quick read but an excellent suspense story. This was a four star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

Oh my, such a great continuation of the wonderful book by Mary Higgins Clark. That book was one of the first "adult" books that I read as a teen. I went on to read all of her books over the years and enjoyed the mystery of all of them! This book is well written and kept my interest. Twister of an ending!

Y’all! Alafair Burke truly has the gift like the Queen of suspense had, Alafair has that way of writing that draws you in and refuses to let you go..until you finish the book. This story..just wowzers!

Where are the Children? was Mary’s biggest seller and this one plays off of the original. Years after Nancy was convicted of killing her children and getting out of prison because the real killer was her husband; Nancy has moved on and has remarried and had two children. Those children were kidnapped and almost murdered by her ex husband but she was able to rescue them. Now years into the future Nancy’s daughter, Missy aka Melissa is about to get married to a widower with a three year old child. Everything is going fine until, that child goes missing…is it her Mom’s ex husband or someone from her lawyer past?

Suspense and mystery greet you with this story and you never want to come up for air until you finish, this story was written so well! The characters were perfectly researched, the plot was good and the anticipation and climax were amazing! I LOVED this story!! Kept me on the edge until the end. Five stars all the way!! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced readers copy!

I really enjoyed this book! While I have read the first book many years ago I was glad that I didn't have to re-read that one to enjoy this one. The author did a wonderful job of explaining things throughout the book. The ending was a surprise to me which I enjoy since some like this can be so predictable. Overall I highly recommend this book!

A FLASH TO THE PAST!

Melissa is a blissfully happy new wife and.stepmother to a beautiful three year old little girl named Riley, although she has been dealing from horrible nightmares stemming from the trauma of her abduction as a young child. Melissa and her new family have been helping her mother (Nancy) relocate to a new home in Cape Cod where she will be closer to her daughter and her family. Within a couple days while Melissa and Riley were napping Riley mysteriously disappears. All the doors and windows were locked so things don't look too good for Melissa and she becomes the prime suspect in the case along with her husband although he was away on a business trip so he has a proven alibi while poor Melissa can't believe how the evidence continues to build against her.

Melissa is an attorney herself so she understands how the legal system works and she realizes she's in huge trouble while her supportive husband begins drifting away from her as the harsh evidence against his wife is casting more and more doubt on her innocence along with some similarities from her own kidnapping years ago. In the meantime Melissa is supported by her immediate family and close friends while she is being villainised in the public eye. While her new marriage is crumbling, Melissa struggles with guilt about feeling responsible for Riley's abduction since the toddler was under her care and she doesn't understand how someone could have taken the child without her hearing or feeling the presence of someone in the house even though she was asleep since she has always been a light sleeper and the slightest noises would usually awaken her.

Melissa knows she must somehow follow the obscure dots to find Riley before it's too late since the detectives are useless right now because they truly believe Melissa did something to Riley and are now looking for a body. No-one outside of her immediate family believes her so she's on her own with finding Riley while hoping she can figure out why and how Riley was kidnapped before the police arrest her knowing she may never see her precious little stepdaughter again.

Why does history seem to be repeating itself? Nancy was also the prime suspect in Melissa's and her brother's kidnapping where they were almost murdered although Nancy's husband at this time never doubted his wife's innocence no.matter what evidence was found and stacked against her. If and when Melissa is found innocent in Riley's disappearance will her marriage have even the slightest chance of surviving?

This was such an enjoyable and entertaining sequel to the first book "Where Are The Children" written decades ago, although this novel can definitely be read as a stand-alone since the authors did a terrific job filling in all the necessary details needed so any reader won't be lost or confused. All the important details has been tastefully included. It was fun to see that the story was written in same style of writing that I remembered from all the earlier "Mary Higgins Clark's" books yet the writing was still current and contemporary. I am so pleased that I had the chance to read this terrific novel and I hope the author "Alafair Burke" who was a co-writer on many of the previous books will continue to produce similar books in the future.

The storyline was wonderful and the plot had many twists and turns right up until the ending which I really appreciated. Just when I thought the story was getting predictable there would be a sharp turn that I didn't see coming and there were plenty more along the way. I did have a problem with a couple of characters. I thought they were shallow with some of their emotions and I couldn't connect with their feelings. All the words were properly written, but I couldn't get a sense of the depth of the loss and tragedy at hand.

Although, Melissa was a high-powered attorney she seemed a little dimwitted to me at times plus she made quite a few stupid decisions which actually made the story more entertaining but she just wasn't the "brightest crayon in the box" in my opinion. Any of my negative thoughts did not affect the enjoyment factor of the book because maybe the characters were meant to be written that way and I may have interpreted them incorrectly. The story had a complex plot, suspense and plenty of mystery, it was definitely a fun ride trying to find out what happened to Riley and the ending was a very satisfying conclusion when all of my questions were answered.

Highly recommend for both old and new fans of the world famous "Mary Higgins Clark".

I want to thank the publisher "Simon & Schuster" for the opportunity to read this story and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this entertaining book a rating of 4 SUSPENSEFUL AND MYSTERIOUS 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!