Where are the Children was the very first book I ever read from Mary Higgins Clark and it was the book that made me fall in love with her writing. Therefore, when I got the opportunity to read this new release that is a sequel to the original, I was so excited!! So thank you Net Galley, Marry Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke and Simon&Schuster for a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book will grab you from the very start and keep you turning the pages until the very end. While you do not have to read the original story of "Where are the Children", I do recommend it just to get a better sense of the characters and what they went through. But this book will provide a synopsis of first book to give some details on what happened in the first book.

This story is mainly told in Melissa's point of view. She just got married to a man that she met just a few short months ago and she now has a step daughter, Riley, that goes missing.

The books moves fast through the storyline and how the police are trying to find out who took Riley. In true Mary Higgins Clark fashion, this book has chapters that will provide different people that appear to be random but then have a tie in to the story line in their own way. I love how she always make you see how anyone could be involved with the story.

I thought I had the book figured out and knew who took Riley, when BAM huge plot twist. Such a great ending to this story!

I cannot recommend this book enough and it needs to be added to all reading lists in 2023. The duo of Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke is just a phenomenal duo, you cannot miss this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Where Are the Children Now?

My first Mary Higgins Clark book was Where Are the Children? and I remember being blown away, by the story, by the characters, by the suspense.

Of course, I was a spring chicken at the time but that book made me a fan of Mary Higgins Clark and I devoured most of her books for years after that.

Naturally, I was excited to see a sequel and doubly excited when my request was approved.

Sadly, I'm in the minority on this since this didn't wow me.

It might be because I've read so many books like this since I started reading mysteries and suspense novels; a duplicitous husband, a clueless spouse (almost always a woman), a character who arrives to help who becomes a new love interest (very classic Mary Higgins Clark, I almost forgot).

I thought Melissa was a silly, unlikable protagonist. I had to remind myself she was a lawyer because despite her apparent intelligence, she's still a fool.

She's book smart, but not street smart.

Her family, friends, and con man husband repeatedly reference her dopey mantra: choose to be happy. That has to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Choose to be happy sounds like ignoring the rest of your feelings, feelings you're entitled to feel and deal with.

I can't believe any woman would marry a man without knowing the circumstances and details behind his first wife's death or not knowing anything about his company or what he does for a living.

Like so many typical cliches in these types of books, Melissa and her fiance marry after just 10 months of knowing each other.

A dead giveaway this marriage isn't going to work.

I even guessed the identity of one of the accomplices, but like I said, I've read a lot of these books since my first Mary Higgins Clark book. It takes a lot to trick me and throw me off my game.

Consistent with a Mary Higgins Clark book (it's been awhile since I've read one so I've forgotten this is a trademark of hers), there are nearly a dozen POVs from supporting and minor characters, the police, neighbors, people that only show up in a sentence or two from five chapters ago.

I did like Nancy and Mike, I always love reading about supportive family and sibs, though the narrative did lean heavily on how much Melissa missed her father after his death, which I understand.

But it was mentioned often enough that I wondered if the authors wanted the readers to realize Melissa's grief made her fall for a con man, and that should excuse her poor choices.

This didn't wow me like the original but I'll always hold Mary Higgins Clark in high regard for being one of my favorite suspense authors when I was young.

A great sequel of sorts to one of my favorite Mary Higgins Clark books!

The author does an amazing job recalling the past and bringing the reader into the present of Mike and Melissa’s lives.

The story drew me in right away and kept me turning pages. Engaging mystery with twists, turns and a surprise ending.

Thank you to Alafair Burke, Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy in exchange for a honest review

As a huge fan of the original, I was blown away by this super-suspenseful sequel. This is a must read for those that love twists, turns, and WTH just happened moments!

Of the fifty-six bestsellers the “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark published in her lifetime, Where Are the Children? was her biggest, selling millions of copies and forever transforming the genre of suspense fiction. In that story, a young California mother named Nancy Harmon was convicted of murdering her two children. Though released on a technicality, she was abandoned by her husband and became such a pariah in the media that she was forced to move across the country to Cape Cod, change her identity and appearance, and start a new life. Years later her two children from a second marriage, Mike and Melissa, would go missing, and Nancy yet again became the prime suspect—but this time, Nancy was able to confront the secrets buried in her past and rescue her kids from a dangerous predator.

Now, more than four decades since readers first met Nancy and her children, comes the thrilling sequel to the groundbreaking book that set the stage for future generations of psychological suspense novels. A lawyer turned successful podcaster, Melissa has recently married a man whose first wife died tragically, leaving him and their young daughter, Riley, behind. While Melissa and her brother, Mike, help their mom, Nancy, relocate from Cape Cod to the equally idyllic Hamptons, Melissa’s new stepdaughter goes missing. Drawing on the experience of their own abduction, Melissa and Mike race to find Riley to save her from the trauma they still struggle with—or worse.

Just like the original, Where Are the Children Now? keeps readers guessing and holding their breath until the very last page. Highly recommended for all fans of Mary Higgins Clark. #WhereAreTheChildrenNow? #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

What a great way to honor Mary Higgins Clark loved the first story this was just as good and it connected so easily to the first storyline.

Four decades after the original story ends, Melissa who now grown up is getting married. She turns her knowledge as a lawyer into a successful podcast When she marries Charlie, she gains a new stepdaughter. When Melissa and her brother Mike go to the Hamptons to set up the new house for their mother, tragedy strikes. Melissa's stepdaughter goes missing. It becomes a repeat from the nightmare of their past when after their mother was accused of killing her two children then having to move away after her conviction was overturned, she marries and her stepchildren go missing. Luckily, Melissa and Mike were found but they suffered the consequences from that experience in different ways. Melissa refuses to talk about it and suppresses the memories from the past which start to resurface as nightmares. Is someone playing tricks on them by bringing up the past and having them confront those memories again? Or, is it something altogether different and more sinister? Can Melissa trust her memories and get to the truth before time runs out and the past repeats itself, or will she ignore what she remembers and allow the past to ruin her future?

We find out how Melissa, Mike, and their mother Nancy have coped since we saw them last and get to catch up with them. We also see how differently the events from the past have changed each person and how that affects how they interact and react to situations. There are twists and turns as we go on this journey with them to get to the truth. It keeps you wanting to turn the page to see what happens next in their story until you reach the end wanting to stay with them a bit longer.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this privilege.

Book Title: Where are the Children now?
Author: Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: April 18, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars!

I have been a huge fan of MHC for decades and have enjoyed all her books. I do remember reading “Where are the Children” back in 1975!
We fans know she died January 31, 2020 shortly after turning 93 on December 24! I saw an interview shortly before she died and she said she is often asked ~ when are you going to retire?
She always answered “Why would I stop doing something I love?” ~
Awww What an inspiration to everyone to do what you love to do!

In this sequel Alafair Burke continues with MHC’s legacy and follows up with one her iconic novels. This story features Melissa and Mike - Nancy Harman’s adult children.
If you read [book: Where are the Children] you know that Nancy was living in California with her husband Carl and their two little children Peter and Lisa. The children were drowned and Nancy was convicted of their murder- she did get off on a technically. She moved from California to Cape Cod with a new identity and was able to establish a new life and a new family.
Only misfortune happens again. Melissa and Mike children from her second marriage go missing. Nancy is the prime suspect. However, she was able to find and rescue her children from a very dangerous situation. Turns out Carl her first husband was a very evil person and not only followed her to Cape Cod but he is the one who murdered Peter and Lisa
Nancy is now seventy-one and Melissa is about to marry Charlie a wonderful guy who is a widow with an adorable little girl Riley who is almost three.

Now young Riley goes missing, which reminds both Melissa and her brother Mike of the trauma they experienced when they were abduction. The authorities suspect everyone including Melissa and her brother Mike. They also have their suspicions about the accidental death of Linda, Charlie’s first wife as her parents believe Charlie had something to do with that.
There is so much going on in this story I started to take notes to keep it clean as to who is who and what is what!~
I read a lot of thrillers and this one had me on the edge of my seat.
I remember the ol’ MHC novels that were always full of suspense and then her novels became ‘mysteries for beginners’. Trust me ~ this was not a mystery just for beginners!

Want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for granted me the pleasure of reading this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 18, 2023

Wow! What a sequel! Like the first book (Where Are The Children), this book keeps the reader guessing until the very end. If you like Mary Higgins Clark and Alafaire Burke, this is another must read!

This was a fast-paced thriller with a back story that I had read years ago. The current drama is a child is taken and the twists and turns to find her and figure out why she was taken. The chapters are short a n quick, and the resolution is satisfactory. This book did hold my interest.

Where Are the Children Now? is the sequel to Mary Higgins Clark’s first suspense novel, Where Are the Children? Originally published in 1975, Where Are the Children? was the novel that skyrocketed MHC to her well-deserved fame as the Queen of Suspense. In this highly anticipated follow-up, Nancy’s children Mike and Melissa are all grown up, and Melissa has just gotten married to a handsome widower. When Melissa’s little stepdaughter Riley goes missing, it’s like history is repeating itself.

I immediately pushed aside my entire TBR the second I got this book – that’s how excited I was to read it! MHC was one of the first “grown up” authors I read, and she remains a favorite more than thirty years later. Alafair Burke does an admirable job of bringing MHC’s characters back to life. The novel’s structure is very MHC-esque but feels very modern too. This is a page-turning read and the nolstagia factor of the classic characters can’t be beat!

MHC fans will not want to miss this book! There’s plenty of background info within the story to bring the reader up to speed on the characters’ past, so you don’t have to read the original to enjoy this sequel – but you should anyway, because it’s great! Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an advance copy of this book.

It was nice to revisit Nancy and her two children in this sequel. Now all grown up another child disappears. This was a real thrilling follow up. It kept me interested and I thought I had it figured out but in the end I was wrong. I would recommend this thrilling read to Mary Higgins Clark die hard original fans.

This is a follow up to Clark's Where are the Children. In the original book, Nancy Harmon is convicted of murdering her two children. She is released on a technicality and moves to Cape Cod and changes her identity. With this book, it is years later, she has remarried and has two children, Mike and Melissa. When they go missing, Nany is the prime suspect and is forced to confront her past and rescue the children. Melissa, a lawyer, has married a man whose wife has died. and left a young daughter Riley.. Melissa's stepdaughter goes missing. Drawing on their own experience, Melissa and Mike try to find her. This one will keep you guessing until the end.

I was a fan of Mary Higgins Clark when I was a teenager and was eager to see where this book would go. I was not disappointed. The story is full of twists, turns, danger, secrets, revenge, and so much more. Mike seems to have learned to cope with the horror of having been kidnapped and abused as a young child, along with his sister, Melissa. Melissa claims she’s fine, but her nightmares and lack of sleep say otherwise. And now Melissa’s 3-year-old stepdaughter has been kidnapped and she becomes the prime suspect. The police don’t seem to want to hear any of her suspicions, having already pegged her as the guilty party. Mike and their mother, Nancy, know she’s not guilty and do everything in their power to help prove her innocence and rescue young Riley. Will they find her in time?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a life long fan of Mary Higgins Clark, I was so excited to read “Where Are the Children Now?, “ and I was not disappointed! The story picks up forty years after Mike and Melissa were kidnapped by their mother’s first husband. Melissa is getting married to a single father and adores his little girl Riley. Then the unthinkable happens when Riley is kidnapped while in Melissa’s care. The novel follows the classic MHC pattern, plenty of red herrings with great pacing and never a slow moment. There are plenty of Easter eggs to MHC prior books, including a mention of a character from the joint MHC and Alafair Burke novels. While I highly recommend reading the first book “Where Are the Children” it is not necessary to read before this book, the main points of the first book are retold.

I loved every minute of this book and was sad when I was done as this is likely our last MHC book. MHC is a master in her craft and her books are always a must read in my opinion. She also introduced me to Alafair Burke and I’ve become a huge fan of her work as well. I will be purchasing this book to complete my collection.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending this book for review considerations. All opinions are my own.

This was actually my very first Mary Higgins Clark book and will NOT be my last! I really enjoyed it!

Excellent book. Hard to believe it wasn’t written by the late Mary Higgins Clark. Definitely her style.
The plot kept me turning pages long after I should have put the book down. Believable characters and situations that pull the reader in. Big twist at the end.

I absolutely love Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke! This incredibly engaging sequel to one of MHC’s best novels does not disappoint! Edgy, intense and impossible to put down. A true classic from a beloved author, whose work I greatly admire and miss since her passing. It was an honor to be given an ARC of this book!

I wish I could read this book for the first time a million times over. It was so good! The writing was incredible, as expected. The suspense had me racing through the book. I loved all of the characters. You can read this as a standalone but having read the first one, I loved seeing the old characters back. Easy 5 stars!

Where Are the Children Now is a fast-read mystery by the prolific mystery writer Mary Higgins Clark with the help of Alafair Burke. The book is actually a sequel to a book written early in Clark's career, Where Are The Children.

It revisits the same character with a traumatic past who is encountering the same horrific events that ruined her old life.

The family comes together to solve the mystery of a disappearing step-daughter.

A fast pace, lots of twists that I didn't see coming and a "stay up late" kind of read.