Not to give anything away... no spoilers but so juicy I want to discuss it right now!

This was a great addition to the Where Are the Children however, it can stand alone. It had been years since I read the story of the abduction of this brother and sister duo. This was another page turner from Mary Higgins Clark and Alfair Burke. It was my honor to be chosen to read one of my favorite authors books before the release date. You will not see the ending coming. Just when you think you have it figured, NOPE. All I want to say it don't have nothing else to do... you will not put this one down!

Omg this book was so amazing. I was literally on the edge of my seat reading it the entire time. I found the first book exciting and was a little apprehensive about the second book being just as good. However, I must say this book by far exceeded my expectations. It pulls the reader in to a point where you really don’t want to put it down. It had me transfixed as if I was there in the book experiencing every moment in real time, if a book can do that, then you know the writer is extremely talented and gifted. I will definitely look for more books written by this author, I highly recommend this book to everyone. I am thankful I was able to get an advanced copy.

this book is a fast easy read, a twisty tale of a woman, abducted as a child whose step daughter gets taken. She finds herself as a suspect with too many coincidences start appearing. Lots of secrets get revealed, at times it felt like a few too many characters to keep track of and their stories. It was fine to read without having read the first book as they filled us in with what we needed to know

Oh boy! I loved Where Are the Children Now. I read Where Are the Children first for background. The main characters in Where Are the Children Now we're attorney and podcaster Melissa, her husband, Charlie, his sister Rachel, Melissa's mother, Nancy, and Melissa's best friend, Katie. There was also Patrick, Melissa's ex-fiancé. Oh yes, and let's not forget Charlie's daughter, Riley, whose favorite cartoon character was Peppa Pig.

Melissa had defended a woman, Jennifer, after she'd been convicted of killing her husband. She had killed him but it had been in self defense; the conviction was overturned. If the conviction had held, her husband's children would have inherited his fortune. As it turned out, Jennifer inherited it.

Charlie told Melissa that he has to go to Antigua for work. While he was gone, Nancy had sold her home and purchased a cottage on Long Island, and Melissa and Mike moved her things to the cottage while Nancy stayed back to tie up loose ends. Riley was left with Melissa rather than with Charlie's sister, Rachel. On their second day there Melissa took Riley to the park. Melissa watched Riley play while sipping an iced coffee. Melissa saw a woman talking to Riley and went to rescue her. The woman went off on Melissa. She had no idea why the woman would say such things. No matter, she went and retrieved her coffee and went back to the cottage. She fell into a deep sleep during which time Riley was kidnapped. Melissa believed she had been drugged.

Mike phoned the police while Melissa went out searching. The police came and took her account of what happened. Charlie came home and Melissa had to tell him what happened. The police had a video of someone who looked like Melissa in her vehicle taking Riley over a bridge and returning without her. They accused Melissa of taking the girl and possibly killing her.

Jayden Kennedy had a home that he had posted online for short rentals. A woman named Helen took him up on his offer. The agreement was for complete anonymity. In his house description he said that there was a child's swing in the back and Helen said it was perfect.

Charlie needed an attorney and Melissa asked her friend Mac to take the case. Charlie had gone to the police station and they showed him the video. He said he didn't know what to believe. Melissa tried repeatedly to phone him but her calls went to voicemail. Finally, Mac phoned her and told her that he had instructed Charlie not to talk to her, but that he could have one conversation with her, at which point he gave the phone to Charlie. He told her about the video. She said it wasn't her but felt he didn't believe her. He basically deserted her.

Melissa had a few theories. One was that the woman in the park had an accomplice who drugged her. Also, Charlie had told her that he and his wife, Linda, had gone to Norway, and that she had fallen off a cliff to her death. Melissa thought that maybe she didn't die and had come back and kidnapped her daughter. She later learned from Mac that Charlie had seen Linda's body and had had her cremated.

Jayden got an alert on his phone that there was flooding in the basement. He sent a message to his tenant that he was coming over to deal with it. He got no response, so he and his girlfriend, Julie, headed over. They entered from the back and alleviated the problem. They were curious about Helen so they looked in the windows. They didn't see her, but they saw the television tuned to Peppa Pig cartoons. Meanwhile, the tenant had sent a message in all caps that he was to absolutely not show up. They remembered what they read about Riley loving Peppa Pig. So Julie went to a pay phone and phoned the police. She gave them Jayden's number and they phones him and he confirmed the story. So they decided to do a wellness check, as Jayden had provided them with a house key. When they got there they saw a sippee cup and a child's plate, and the pajama bottoms that she had been wearing. In the meantime, the pajama top had washed up on the shore.

Charlie had phoned Melissa and told her that he wanted to meet her in his motel room. She knew that there was a diner across the street and, for her safety, wanted to meet him there. Because the police had taken her vehicle, she drove the U-Haul truck. She'd told her friend, Katie, where she was going and told her that if she didn't hear from her in 20 minutes to call the police. When she arrived Charlie climbed into the truck and pulled a gun on her.

So as not to spoil the ending I'll stop here. But suffice it to say, this was a nail biter. Mary Higgins Clark did a fine job with character development. Near the end I was on the edge of my seat. The suspense was chilling. I simply couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend it for book club. I gave it five stars.

Mary Higgins Clark (RIP) has always been one of my favorites. I read Where Are The Children a very long time ago. This is a good story and a good sequel, and can easily be read as a stand-alone. Recommended!

Amazing job! I was very skeptical going into this book that it would do justice to the original. Well, no worries there! Everything from the writing style to the details were very reminiscent of Where Are The Children? The book flowed just like a Mary Higgins Clark novel and the betrayal at the end just crushed me for Melissa! Alafair Burke and Mary Higgin Clark have always written well together and this book was no exception! Perfect sequel!

This book was very twisty and turny! I enjoyed the multiple points of view. Alafair Burke's name is what originally caught my eye. I have not read the original MHC Where Are the Children, but I felt like there was enough information in this sequel for me to follow along quite well. There were definitely some dark and disturbing themes, especially involving children so this might not be for everyone.

Thanks to Netgalley for the book to review.

Love love and loved this book! Can't wait to read more from this author!
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Holy Cow....what a ride. So many twists and surprises. MHC and Alafair Burke are a powerful force! I will read anything these two write. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. Will be recommending this one!! Bravo!

This pair always delivers and this is no exception! Delighted to see them revisit this classic MHC story with a fresh twist. Definitely did not see how this twisty turvy tale would end. Sadly Mary Huggins Clark has died but hope Alafair will keep this great series going (some common characters with the under Suspicion series).

I liked this so much! It made me miss Mary Higgins Clark so much, rest her soul. The characters were so well done in this, and the long time continuation from the first book was well thought out. I loved the setting for this, and it had me stopping to look at maps while reading. I also love when podcasts are brought in to books, so that added to it. I am so glad to get a sequel for one of my childhood favorites!

I remember reading the prequel to this book back many years ago. From there, I read almost all of MHCs books and learned of Alafair Burke from her coauthoring. This book picks up many years after this original novel and focuses on the daughter, Melissa the original child abducted with her brother. Melissa is not a character that I connected with; actually the characters fell flat for me. On the other hand, I did not choose the villain correctly, so- give it a shot! It’s a solid ‘good’ book.

This was a great book, although I didn’t like it quite as much as its predecessor. I figured out the ending partway through, which I’m not usually able to do. It was still an enjoyable read, highly recommended for fans of Mary Higgins Clark.

Mary Higgins Clark was my first introduction to mystery novels back when I was in grade school. I even met her once when I was in my early 20s and she was so gracious. I was both excited and sad. The original novel Where Are the Children was my first MHC book so I was worried what Alfair Burke would bring to the story, but like their other collab books, it was a quick read and enjoyable. I did not re-read the original before I read this one but the summary brought everything back and now I am going to re-read the original.

As a decades long fan of Mary Higgins Clark, “Where Are the Children Now” exceeded my expectations of a years long awaited sequel for “Where Are the Children”. I must credit MHC for my love of thriller books. I started reading her books in middle school and have been a fan ever since. I’m grateful to have had a chance to read her last publication. She is dearly missed but will live on through her books.

Melissa, a lawyer and podcaster, is learning to be happy with life again following the death of her father while trying to cope with being traumatized from a kidnapping when she and her brother were younger. Melissa has fallen in love with Charlie and his adorable daughter, Riley. Things seem perfect but soon after returning home from their honeymoon Riley goes missing. With all fingers pointing to the “evil stepmother that never really wanted kids”, Melissa must set out to figure out the truth about what really led to little Riley’s disappearance and more importantly, whether she’s still alive.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this arc in exchange for a honest review.

Before I read this, I went back and read the first novel, "Where are the Children"? It was really not necessary to read that as this book "catches you up" several times throughout the book so you know what was going on with the characters.

I thought at first it was going to be a rerun of the first book, but it ended up being quite different. There were many twists and turns as I revisited Melissa, her brother, Mike, and their friend Neil.

Without any spoilers, let's just say many of the characters were not who I thought they were - it kept me guessing until the end! It was another great read from two of my favorite authors.

I love MHC books and was looking forward to this book. Unfortunately I had a hard time getting through this book. I found it slow at times and did not keep my interest. Sorry to say….

This was one of my MOST anticipated reads of the year !!! So to get this Arc was incredible ! 🙃
I knew it had to be my first read of the 2023 but then I thought why not read the OG first to refresh my memory & oh do I love a good Mary Higgins Clark book .. RIP Queen ❤️
Reading her books is so comforting. My grandmother passed on all her MHC books & insisted i start with Where Are the Children.. I was 12 ?? Still one of the best books I've read & this sequel was fabulous ! True MHC style. I love how she brings the new & old story together .. all the characters & that twist you didn't see coming ! Maybe some of it but never all of it . Her teaming up with Alafair Burke is genius.. I inhaled The Under Suspicion series & now this sequel. This was an easy 5 ⭐ read for me & a great way to start off my reading year but now I'm left sad because no more books by Mary Higgins Clark by herself or with Alafair Burke .
Truly an end of era . 🥺

I read this book in a day—once I started I could not put it down! I’ve read all of Mary Higgins Clark’s books and all of Alastair Burke’s books and loved them. “Where are the children now?” Contained all of the elements that made the series that they wrote together so page-turning: a focus on true crime and popular media, some unexpected twists, and memorable characters and settings. I love a good mystery and this one drew me in right from the start; I know that fans of these authors will love this book too. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book—highly recommended!

As with every Mary Higgins Clark novel, especially with Alafair Burke, I was intrigued the whole time. Suspenseful and when I thought I had it figured out, I didn’t !