5 stars! Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke have done it again! Everything they have written together is great! This book should be on your to be read pile!

I read Mary Higgins Clark's first novel "Where Are The Children?" when I was a teenager and was very excited to see there was a sequel. I actually re-read the first book right before I read this one to refresh my memory. This book can definitely be read as a standalone but I strongly recommend reading the original first.

Missy, now known as Melissa, is an attorney turned true crime podcast host who marries a widower with a three year old daughter. We are also reunited with her brother Michael and her mother Nancy. Sadly, her father Ray, who was one of my favorite characters in the original story, died about a year before this story takes place. Melissa's step-daughter Riley is kidnapped early on in the story much like Melissa and her brother were as young children. The story is fast paced and keeps the reader guessing who the kidnapper is from beginning to end.

However, I did have some issues with the book. I had a really hard time keeping track of all of the side characters and felt that there were way too many of them. I also felt that Melissa was incredibly naive and trusting to be a prosecutor and then a defense attorney. Unlike her mother Nancy in the first story, she just wasn't a likeable character. And, without giving anything away, I'll have to say the ending was really confusing and somewhat far-fetched. It's a shame because the story had a lot of potential, but I just wasn't able to suspend my disbelief enough to truly say this one of my favorites from these co-authors.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review. The publication date is set for April 18, 2023.

A close comparison to Clark's original Where Are the Children?. Burke worked closely with Clark for several years before Clark died. Though Burke's style is a close, she isn't Clark. Overall I enjoyed this book and will purchase a copy for our library.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a few years since the Queen of Suspense passed away and it has been a few years since her final novel was published. This new tale, a sequel, to her legendary Where Are The Children? is written as though it is from Mary’s hand. Alafair Burke based on her working with Mary and from outlines that she and Mary worked on has completed this wonderful book. There are so many wonderful nods to the original (which I finished in a single night). But the story is wholly it’s own and stands on its own. Suppose that similar events happened to Nancy’s children well over 30 years later. Where Are The Children Now? provides chills and thrills just like the original did and will make you want to hold your child or pet or any loved one just a bit closer after finishing.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and chose to write and honest review.

Where Are the Children, Now? By Mary Higgins Clark is the intriguing follow-up of heartbreaking events that afflicted Nancy, Mike & Melissa in now a recurrent calamity.

After almost 50 years since the original best-selling novel Where Are the Children? came out, the sequel is here to enrapture fans with a family update. Mike & Melissa, the children missing from the first book, are now adults with lives of their own. Unfortunately, Melissa life & more specifically her now husband & stepdaughter’s lives will never be the same as her stepdaughter Riley goes missing. Who took her? Why did they do it? & does it have any relation to the horror that happened to Mile & Melissa?! Read this one to find out!

At under 300 pages, this is a quick & fascinating mystery to get lost in. I enjoyed being able to see what happened to the family after all this time. I loved that it had short chapters! In true Mary Higgins Clark fashion, I was surprised at the twist & turns of the ending, which made for an interesting read.


I’ve read & enjoyed Mary Higgins Clark’s books since I was a teenager. She always had the ability to simultaneously terrify me with her mysteries & captivate me with her storytelling abilities in her writing. The first book, Where Are the Children?, was one of my first adult section books I read as a teen. The fact that I now get to review the sequel all these years later is such a neat moment that I’m very grateful for.


For mystery fans & especially fans that enjoyed Where Are the Children?, this is a great read!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.


Trigger Warnings: This book mentions &/or contains missing child, kidnapping, grief, loss of loved one & violence.

I flew through this book (literally, I read it on my flight)! I am a huge MHC fan and was heartbroken when she passed. I've read several of her works with Alafair Burke and they never let me down. This novel was no different. It was good on my soul to read one more MHC book.

Although I'm fairly sure I read the late Mary Higgins Clark's "Where Are the Children?" many years ago (1975??), I have to be honest and say I don't remember a thing about it - heck, I can't even remember where we lived that long ago, much less a book that's been superseded by hundreds of others I've read over the ensuing years. So I'm glad that this one, billed as a follow-up, has enough explanatory references to that one to keep me from being totally lost. But despite being thoroughly engrossing, it's not on my Top 10 list of favorite MHC books.

In part, that's because it's not a favorite topic; I've never really enjoyed reading about children who have been kidnapped, murdered or otherwise abused. But here we are, and in this case, history seems to be repeating itself. Speaking of repetition, I must say there's plenty of that here, although in fairness some is necessary so readers can relate both to this story and its predecessor. In that book, the two children of a young Nancy Harmon were murdered, and she was convicted of killing them. While she "got off" on a technicality (a good thing because she really didn't do it), few believed in her innocence, and ultimately she relocated from California to Cape Cod, remarried and had two more children, Mike and Melissa - who would themselves become the victims of a cruel kidnapper.

That was something like 40 years ago, and now grown-ups Mike and Melissa are leading their own lives - Melissa as a lawyer with a successful podcast, a relatively new husband she loves and a 3-year-old stepdaughter Riley she adores and Mike as a charter boat captain. They're all getting together to help their mother Nancy move to a swanky spot on Long Island. Readers soon learn, of course, that all this sweet bliss is about to turn sour.

And it does, when Riley goes missing right from under Melissa's nose as she sleeps in her mother's new house. Of course, for Melissa and Mike, it's sort of deja vu all over again - and for her husband Charlie, it's the continuation of a nightmare that started with the unexpected death of his first wife, Riley's mother, from a freak accident not all that long ago.

The police, though, follow a path similar to the one police carved with Nancy's case all those years ago; Melissa, the evil stepmother, must be the prime suspect (aided and abetted by all those awful experiences from her childhood). Even Melissa's good friend and podcast assistant, attorney Grant Macintosh, gets in on the act, but we've all heard about the road to good intentions.

For the most part, Melissa second-guesses herself and everybody else with more fervor than I'd expect from a competent attorney, but then wishy-washy, questioning females just aren't my thing no matter what their background. The only characters who seem reasonably tuned into reality in this one are her brother Mike and her mother Nancy. As for the ending, well, once again not exactly what I'd expect from a successful professional, but there's something to be said, I guess, for Melissa's mantra that happiness is a choice. All in all, it's an enjoyable experience, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

This was a good follow up to the novel written by Clark in the 70's. It was co-written by Alafair Burke and finished posthumously. It definitely reads a lot more like Clark's novels. I was a little distracted by all these different character POV's without knowing how they will connect. I appreciate the recap of the previous book because I forgot what exactly happened. Overall, I liked the twists at the end and appreciate the follow up book.

I had never read the prequel to this book but it was easy to follow along with the events of the past to see how they would affect Mike and Melissa, who were kidnapped as children many years ago. Mike lives an idyllic life as a boat captain in St. Maarten and has traveled to Cape Cod to attend his sister’s wedding. He wasn’t thrilled that she was marrying a man she didn’t know very well, but he just wanted her to be happy. Mike knew Melissa still had nightmares about their abduction and he worried about her every day. Melissa was a very successful attorney and had a popular podcast, but something was missing from her life, and Charlie and his precious daughter Riley, were an answer to her prayers. She was looking forward to being a wife and step-mother and knew that her future looked brighter with them in her life.

I was filled with fear and curiosity the minute Mike and Melissa realized Riley had been kidnapped. She certainly didn’t walk away on her own and I immediately began compiling a list of possible suspects. I felt that the detectives on the case had unjustly accused Melissa of the kidnapping without looking into the lives of her husband's family. I was glad that Melissa took it upon herself to dig deep into the background of her new husband because in the end, her brother Mike had been correct in his assumption that his sister had married the wrong person.

I was completely surprised by the shocking ending and I was amazed at how little Melissa knew about the people who were close to her. The elaborate plan to kidnap little Riley was based on anger, jealousy, greed and manipulation. Melissa never gave up hope that Riley would be found and she used her inner strength, along with help from Mike and her mother Nancy, to face her demons head on, which resulted in a happy ending for all of them.

Mary Higgins Clark is one of the first mystery authors that I started to read in my 20's. She opened my eyes to a new genre that I was drawn in to. Where are the children is probably one of the first I read. Even though this is written by Alafair Burkes, it still delivers just Mary Higgins Clark would.
Kidnapped with her brother at a young age, she never thought her own stepdaughter would be kidnapped. It brings back memories of her traumatic experience. We surroound ourselves with those we can trust but do we really know them.. Melissa will find out.

"Where Are the Children Now?" by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke is an exciting and captivating sequel to the groundbreaking novel, "Where Are The Children?" The story follows Nancy Harmon's grown-up children, Mike and Melissa, who are faced with danger once again. Melissa, a successful podcaster, marries a widower with a young daughter, Riley. But when Riley goes missing, Melissa and Mike race against time to save her from a dangerous predator.

The book features a complex plot with secrets and lies that keep readers guessing until the end. The past influences the present situation, making for an intriguing read. Despite being a sequel, readers who have not read the first book will not feel lost as the story is well explained. The characters are relatable and likable, and the authors do a great job of crafting a modern tale while paying homage to the original.

"Where Are the Children Now?" is a page-turner that will keep you hooked from start to finish. The writing is clever and the story is well-crafted, making for an engaging read. Fans of Mary Higgins Clark will not be disappointed with this exciting follow-up to her iconic novel. It's a must-read for anyone who loves suspenseful and thrilling books.

Where Are The Children Now is the follow up to Mary Higgins Clarke’s breakout hit, Where are the Children? The novel that transformed the genre of suspense thrillers. This story checks in with the Eldridge Family forty years after the kidnapping of Missy and Mike by their mothers first husband. Missy has recently been married to a man whose wife died in a tragic accident leaving him and their three year old daughter behind. When Missy’s stepdaughter goes missing and there are too many similarities to her kidnapping for it to be a coincidence. Missy and Mike must use their own experience to help find her before she suffers the same trauma or worse.

I love Mary Higgins Clarke’s writing and I especially enjoyed the books she wrote with Alafair Burke. Where are the Children Now? has all the twists and suspense that Mary Higgins Clarke is known for! It started off a little slow but I was hooked within the first few chapters. The cliffhangers at the end of the chapters made it impossible to put this book down. The author throws so much suspicion around that it was impossible to figure out who the kidnapper was. I went through so many suspects before I found out who actually took Riley. Even after discovering who the kidnapper is there was still one final twist that I was truly shocked by!

I really enjoyed the characters in this novel, both old and new. I liked seeing the character development in Missy, Mike and Nancy. I was also excited to see characters from the Under Suspicion series mentioned in this novel.

I also enjoyed the side characters and subplots. They didn’t play major roles in the novels but they allowed you to see more aspects of the investigation as it was going on.

I would recommend reading Where are the Children? first. However, I think this book can be read as a stand-alone. There is enough background information provided for the story to make sense.

Picked this book up because I like the author, Mary Higgins Clark. I have read quite a few of her books and enjoyed them. This one is the sequel to Where Are the Children, Clark's first novel, and it kept me guessing until the end with some shocking surprises.

For this book Nancy's children, Mike and Melissa are grown up. Melissa has just married Charlie, a widower with a 5-year-0ld daughter, Riley, that Melissa adores. Then Riley goes missing and the nightmare begins.

I was engrossed from start to finish! There is a lot going on in this book and the past is influencing the present situation. There are lots of secrets and lies - things are not as they seem and I couldn't wait to find out the true answers.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on April 18, 2023.

I have never read the original story, but this book can 100% be a standalone. I figured out the "twist" pretty early on, but it was still a very quick read and worth the time to see the approach. Keeping the two suspects apart and the way that people take sides during times of strife creates some good moments for discussion. MC was easy to root for, and supporting cast was large enough to allow multiple story lines without overwhelming and convoluting the story unnecessarily. (I'll also be returning to the original story to see what kicked this tale off.)

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: trauma, mental health issues, kidnapping

**Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the free ARC prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.**

First let me thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, Mary Higgins Clark, and Alafair Burke for an ARC for this book. I have been a fan of Mary Higgins Clark's books for years. I believe I read the book Where Are The Children? in the mid-'70s. I used to devour her books one after another, but then children came and my reading slowed down. Well, I remember why I was so in love with her writing and I have to say thank you again for reintroducing me to the world of MHC.
This book is great! So many twists and the characters are wonderful in how they interact with each other and develop as the story unfolds. I love how we can see Melissa's mind working on all the different ways the puzzle will be solved. I hope that there will be more books by Alafair Burke as she is wonderful in her writing. What an artist to be able to take a masterpiece and not only create a new masterpiece but improve on it.

A close comparison to Clark's original. Burke worked closely with Clark for several years before Clark died. Though Burke's style is a good facsimile, she still isn't Clark.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Where are the children now?
What can be said about a book that is written by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. One of the first books I read years ago was "Where are the children". This book is as amazing as the first. I love bring back old characters and new ones. I highly recommend this book.

I received this complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Many years after Where Are the Children was published we have the sequel which will delight all her old fans and create new ones. A great storyline with enough twists and turns to delight her readers.

4.5 rounded up
Kept me guessing. Well written and great characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Is a review really necessary? ,,..it IS 2 of the greatest authors. This novel exceeded my expectations! I hope they do more work together!


5 out of 5!!