Mary Higgins Clark was one of my all-time favorite authors. It was a sad day for her readers when she passed. That being said, this book, Where Are the Children Now, is an awesome sequel to the book that put her on the map. Assisted by Alafair Burke, this sequel continues Mary’s writing style faithfully. Nancy’s children are now grown and living their own lives. Melissa has just married a widower with a small child. Riley is kidnapped while taking a nap, and all of the memories for Nancy, Melissa, and Mike come flooding back. Things go from bad to worse, when details of Melissa and Mike’s abduction become the focus of the investigation instead of the missing child. The twists and turns and especially the endingin this book are spectacular! I couldn’t put it down. Highly suggest that you read this book – it is amazing! A great tribute to a wonderful author, who will truly be missed. Thanks to NetGally for the ARC of this book.

Alafair Burke delivers a long-awaited sequel to Mary Higgins Clark’s first classic psychological thriller with “Where are the Children Now?”

Taking place 40 years after the disappearance of Nancy Harmon’s children in “Where are the Children?,” son Mike is now a boat captain and daughter Melissa is a criminal justice reform advocate and newly married with a 3-year-old stepdaughter Riley.

When Riley is kidnapped, Melissa and her family find themselves reliving the horrific events of their family’s past. And when she finds herself under suspicion, Melissa finds herself wondering whom she can truly trust.

Burke brilliantly weaves together a thrilling plot filled with twists and turns, all in the same voice and style as Mary Higgins Clark. She blends together the two stories seamlessly, using the same techniques the classic mystery writer with whom she has previously collaborated with uses.

Besides being a great story, which is due out April 18, she also manages to fill “Where are the Children Now?” with some good themes, like the past never leaves; what is happiness?; overcoming trauma; and learning whom you can trust.

Five stars out of five.

Simon & Schuster provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Although I reread the first book before reading this one, they did a great job of catching you up/refreshing your memory of the first book. I like how they adapted the plot to reflect the change in times since the first novel. Melissa being a podcaster was a great nod to that and I like that that wasn’t the focal point of this story. The case she covers on her podcast (although fictional) is very similar to Kyron Horman’s real life disappearance and as a true crime fan- I enjoyed the subtle nod. Also, I loved that they included characters that were outside of the core family from the original novel. As I began, I thought I had this fully figured out and was disappointed. I kept reading in hopes I was wrong and boy was I!!! Loved loved loved how fluidly things unfolded. Sometimes authors add twists that don’t fully connect all the dots or don’t seem relevant, but this all came together beautifully. As a long time Mary Higgins Clark fan, I am curious how much was written posthumously. Alafair Burke is a great author and I think their work together speaks volumes to their skills.


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4.5 rounded up to 5 ⭐️ for Where Are The Children Now?

Mary Higgins Clark was one of the first adult authors I read when I was a teenager and her books started my love for mysteries and thrillers. I remember reading Where are the Children? in high school, so this was such an amazing opportunity to get an advanced copy of the follow up book.

Burke did an amazing job honoring the first book and I thought it was a great, fast paced thriller. I liked the characters, the story and the twist. I don’t think anyone would need to go back and read the first to enjoy this one either!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book!

I love this author so much. I was so excited to get my hands on this book and I couldn't put it down at all. I highly recommend this book. Cover fits the story. I always loved the way this author writes and I can't wait to see if more is coming or not. 5 star book.

I fell in love with Mary Higgins Clark when I read the original Where Are The Children when it first came out, and I think I have read every book she wrote. I enjoyed the Under Suspicion series co-written with Alafair Burke but for some reason I have never read any of her other books, an error i plan to correct soon. This book is an excellent follow-up to the original with history repeating itself with a grown up Melissa. I could definitely feel the presence of the Queen Of Suspense here. The writing flows and is as readable as Ms Clark's books are. It grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go until the twisty end (at 4AM in my case). The suspense builds slowly as we get to know our characters and then really ramps up at the end. Congratulations Ms. Burke. I think the Queen would be very proud of you.

You would never know this was written by Alafair Burke and not Mary Higgins Clark herself, it was that good. It flowed so nicely with its predecessor, where are the children? This one was unputdownable, I stayed up much too late to finish it. The characters were well shaped and the storyline was 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Loved it! Never saw it coming. Couldn't put it down. Highly recommend this book. Clarke and Birke make a great pair.

I have always enjoyed the books written by Mary Higgins Clark and have read most if not all of them. When I learned I was going to be reading the sequel Where Are The Children Now I immediately reread Where Are The Children before I began the sequel. I loved the first one just as much this time as I did when I read it many years ago. As I started reading the sequel as much as I loved reconnecting with Nancy, Michael and Missy I began to feel like it was just an updated version of the original story and was finding myself disappointed. But as I kept reading I began to look forward to getting back to the story as it included new mystery and twists and turns. I raced through the book and could not wait find out what was going happen. Congratulations Alafair Burke for continuing the legacy of Mary Higgins Clark and thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read the unpublished version.

I love Mary Higgins Clark. That being said I wasn’t sure about a sequel to a book written so long ago. I did go and read the first “Where are the Children”. However, you don’t have too. She puts enough information in the beginning of the book for you to get the gist of what happened in the past. I read the books back to back and loved it for the character development of Nancy, Mike and Melissa. Overall, great book. She keeps you guessing and wondering the whole time. The relationship and memory of Melissa with her brother and family are interesting to watch her navigate. It’s a true story of getting to know and be true to yourself and that you can’t always keep the past in the past.

I was excited to see that there’s a sequel to the amazing book Where Are The Children. This one does not disappoint. I think MHC would be proud of the way it turned out.

I first read Where Are The Children over my first tear of marriage 48 years ago. Mary Higgins Clark set me on the path of reading hundreds of psychological thrillers. I was thrilled that NetGalley gave me access to Where Are The Children Now. I read this exciting sequel in one day while recovering from surgery at home. The story was quite exciting and though I guessed who one of the villains was, I never figured out the extent of the very twisted lot. Great finale for MHC and Alafair Burke

I was hoping this story would be a good sequel to the original, but wow, was I blown away to find it was SOOOO good! This story was very engaging and had enough background so that it could be read as a standalone book. The plot was great and I couldn’t stop turning pages! Loved it!

Burke did an admirable job of keeping the voice reminiscent of Mary Higgins Clark. I read the original many years ago, but I didn't go back and reread it. I believe this book could be read as a standalone. The reader is easily pulled in, and the pace keeps the reader turning the pages. While I did figure out the "twist," this was still a quick, enjoyable read.

Melissa has moved on from her childhood trauma, but she is still struggling with it, at least on a subconscious level. When the police peg her as their primary suspect, she finds herself doubting herself. Could she have done something so terrible and not remember it? With the support of family and good friends, she stumbles along as she tries to understand who would take Riley and why. She soon finds herelf questioning the motives/sincerity of various people in her life. Potential suspects abound, and the "likely culprit" changes and/or flipflops as the tale unfolds.

This was a well-written, suspense-filled read, with an abundance of red herrings, twists and turns to keep you guessing. When I finished reading the book at 4:30 in the morning, all I could think was "Wow" - I really didn't see that final plot twist coming.

BTW, although this is a sequel of sorts, it can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone read.

Melissa and Mike Elridge are now grown their dad is deceased and their mom is now in a place where she can look towards the future. So much so she selling their Cape Cod home and moving to the Hamptons to be closer to Melissa. Melissa is a celebrity attorney and she’s marrying“Charles“ and single dad to Riley and then she met at a support group for people mourning the loss of loved ones. Mike Elridge is a professional boat captain who lives in the Chaldean except during hurricane season. The wedding is a small affair with only her best friend Kate another good friend Nick and her family Charles sister Rachel was invited but because she had a dislike for Melissa she didn’t attend. Melissa became a celebrity lawyer when she represented a woman found guilty for the murder of her husband but Melissa took on her case got a new trial and she was found not guilty due to self-defense. Although her and the woman had a falling out the case still made her popular and she even had a true crime podcast that was doing well in the ratings. It seemed her life couldn’t get any better but soon after her marriage her and little Riley were spending the weekend getting her mom‘s Southampton home ready for her but after spending the day at the park and an ugly run in with a Stranger Melissa was woken up by her brother Mike asking where is Riley? Charles was on his way home from a business trip her mom was still at the Cape and so they had no clue as to where the precious little three year old could’ve gone. After calling the police it seems they all took turns being suspect.s. Melissa couldn’t decide if she should tell the police about “truth teller“ her troll on her social media platforms I mean it’s not like this person threatened her period before it’s over however Melissa will know not only who truth teller yes but some people she already thought she knew. This book is a twisty piece of work and OMG it is a definite five star read this is a book I would definitely give more than five stars to if I could. I hope they turn it into an audiobook so I will have a reason to read it again. I loved the first book the tortoise book was way better if that’s possible! What more can I say if you love a good twisty thriller with no eye rolling or headshaking in disbelief then you need to read Where Are The Children Now? By Mary Higgins Clark in a laugher Burke you will not be disappointed. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Amazing thriller, I couldn't put it down!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Reading this book reminded me of just how much I enjoyed every one of Mary Higgins Clark’s books. I’ve read them all including Where The Children Are, her first book that I read many years ago.
Though completed by Alastair Burke, it definitely kept the voice of Mary Higgins Clark alive throughout. The story kept me interested from page one and was every bit the mystery thriller I hoped it would be.
Thank you to publishers Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This suspense and fast paced story takes you on a wild ride of suspects and unrelenting drama. Just as nail biting, edge of your seat as the original “Where are the Children!”
This review is my opinion and I thank Netgalley and Publisher Simon Schuster for an early copy of this twisted book.

Great book. I hated to put it down. I usually don't remember books I've read a while ago but the first book was one that stuck. This one will as well I'm sure.
From the wedding to the packing up of the mothers house and helping her move to her new place has great detail so you'd never guess who done it! I suggest making sure you have time to read this when you start or you will never get anything done uptil you do..