What a blast from the past! Where Are The Children is the first book I read by Mary Higgins Clark. Where are the Children now takes place forty years later and Mike and Missy (Melissa) are once again in peril. Melissa is a well know lawyer turned successful true crime podcaster and has just married the man of her dreams, Charlie. Charlie lost his first wife in a tragic accident and is a single father to three year old Riley. When Riley is kidnapped it’s not too long before Melissa is the prime suspect. With her vast knowledge is it possible she’s guilty. In true Higgins fashion, Burke takes us back to the first novel through memories and writes a compelling sequel. This one brings back warm fuzzies. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thrilled to see this sequel to one of my favorite Mary Higgins Clark books, Where are the Children Now? did not disappoint.​
When the Queen of Suspense died in 2020, Where are the Children? (first published in 1975) was in its 75th edition in paperback and since 2005 has sold more than 1.5 million copies in all formats.​
Clark’s longtime collaborator and co-author of her Under Suspicion series, Alafair Burke, a New York Times bestselling author herself, perfectly honored the original story that launched Clark’s career.

Burke brings us the first book's protagonist, Nancy Harmon, in the midst of a move after the death of her husband and her children, Mike and Melissa, all grown up and in the center of a life or death mystery of their own that echoes the family’s traumatic past. ​
In true Higgins Clark-fashion, Burke keeps the readers guessing with surprise plot twists until the very end. Long live the Queen of Suspense thanks to Alafair Burke.

I highly recommend Where are the Children Now? for all Mary Higgins Clark fans and anyone one who enjoys thrilling suspense.

I received this advance reader copy from Simon & Schuster, courtesy of NetGalley. This review is fair and impartial.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to "Where Are the Children." Having read the first book many, many years ago, it was helpful to have some of the story "recapped" in "Where Are the Children Now." It's certainly not necessary to have read the prequel to understand what is going on in this story. I found it to be fast paced and suspenseful and loved that there were some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Alafair Burke did an excellent job bringing in some "modernity" to the original story but keeping it true to Mary Higgins Clark. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Forty years ago, Nancy Eldredge suffered some of the worst imaginable torments a mother could possibly endure. After being convicted for the murder of her two children, Peter and Lisa, she was released on a technicality. In an effort to make a fresh start for herself, she moved across the country, changing her name and appearance and eventually finding love again in Cape Cod.

Happily married once more, the last thing Nancy expected was for her new offspring, Mike and Melissa, to go missing while playing in their own yard. When the police and press found out about her past, she became the prime suspect in their disappearance, too. Her ultimately successful struggle to get her kids back forged a strong family bond, even if every member of her family continues to deal with the aftermath in their own way.

Mike, her eldest child, is a firm proponent of dealing with everything head-on. A college drop-out who went on to captain ships in the Caribbean, he’s both disciplined and laid back. His younger sister Melissa was spurred by what happened to pursue a career in criminal justice, even as she prefers to think as little about her trauma as possible, opting to “choose happiness” instead:

QUOTE
To Mike, that wasn’t happiness. Happiness, he believed, required honesty. Happiness could be messy, and even painful. If you never feel pain, how do you appreciate its absence? If you’re never afraid, how do you know comfort? But Melissa wanted to live in her perfectly controlled Melissa bubble, brushing off any unwanted emotions as “drama.” Was that why she was marrying a man she’d only known for ten months–to convince herself that she was still happy?
END QUOTE

After the death of their dad, Melissa finally starts going to therapy. In group counseling, she meets handsome widower and single dad Charlie Miller. The two hit it off so well that they decide to marry less than a year after meeting. It helps that Charlie’s three year-old daughter Riley is a ray of sunshine, captivating practically everyone who meets her.

So when Riley goes missing one day, it’s all of the Eldredges’ worst traumas come roaring back to life. At first, it looks like Riley might have just wandered off while she was supposed to be napping. When it becomes more and more clear that someone took her, suspicion quickly falls on Melissa and her family.

As the cops probe harder at her and Charlie’s pasts, separately and together, Melissa gets some tough love from a friend who was also once a high-powered attorney:

QUOTE
When Melissa was finished, Katie did not mince words. “He needs a lawyer. Now. Two hours ago, in fact.”

“I am a lawyer,” Melissa said.

“Sorry, but a lawyer who’s objective. Not his wife.”

“You’re acting like you think Charlie did something wrong. And the police will think we’re guilty if we start calling defense lawyers. I think he should just call [Riley’s estranged] grandparents himself. They should know she’s missing. And then the police can dig into us as much as they need to. There’s nothing to find.”

“Are you listening to yourself? You know better than that. That’s how innocent people end up arrested.”
END QUOTE

As Melissa tries to navigate her way out of this nightmare, she’ll uncover shocking truths about some of the people she loves the most. Will she be able to rescue her beloved stepdaughter from the clutches of a killer, despite her own breaking heart?

Wow, I did not expect this to be as twisty as it was! I wasn’t very familiar with Mary Higgins Clark’s oeuvre before reading this book – I hadn’t even read her seminal Where Are The Children? which not only chronicled Nancy’s original ordeal but also arguably founded the psychological suspense genre – but found this sequel to be incredibly satisfying as a stand-alone novel. It does have a ton of spoilers for the original book, so definitely read that first if you’re already planning to.

Even if you’re not, this is a terrific page-turner all on its own. Alafair Burke does such a great job with Ms Clarke’s material, updating it for the 21st century. I’ll admit that I did think it a bit odd that Nancy kept calling her fully grown daughter “beautiful”, in a way that suggested that it was the accomplished Melissa’s most important attribute. That aside, the narrative was immersive and the twists and betrayals truly surprising, leaving me guessing until the last few pages. Overall, this is an elegantly crafted, highly entertaining thriller that absolutely deserves to be on the shelf with the rest of the Queen Of Suspense’s best-selling novels.

I read the original WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN many years ago. I've read it a couple of times since then too. So when this title came on my TBR list, the "5 star" bar was set very high. But since it's Mary Higgins Clark, of course, the bar was met and exceeded. We meet the same cast of characters, the children are now adults with lives and families of their own. When when a child is suddenly missing, the pace and the tension ramp up quickly. Clues are woven into the story but they can lead to some surprising twists along the way. Overall, it almost seems a crime to only have 5 stars to give this book.

I have never read a book in one sitting until now! To say that Where Are The Children Now is unputdownable is an understatement! Wow, what a ride. This book has everything and you will be so invested in the story that you won't be able to stop reading! The loss of Mary Higgins Clark leaves a huge hole for readers, but Alafair Burke did a phenomenal job of finishing this book. You'll be trying to guess what's happening in this one until the very end and the end will blow your mind! Trust me, you need to read this book.

This book takes place four decades after the first book. Nancy is much older in this book and her two children, Melissa and Mike, are adults. Melissa and Mike were the young children who were kidnapped in the first book. They are both still dealing with their traumatic past, but Melissa has never really gotten help for her memories and nightmares. Melissa is a famous podcaster dealing with true crime after being a lawyer for a bit. She is in love with a man that she met in a therapy group and they are getting married. Melissa will be a stepmom to 2 year old Riley, a sweet girl in love with Peppa Pig. Mike doesn't like that Melissa is getting married so quickly as she hasn't even known her fiancé for a year. There's something about Charlie that Mike just doesn't like.

Melissa just wants to be happy, married, and a stepmom. The wedding goes well and the honeymoon in Italy even better. Everything seems to be perfect in Melissa's life and she couldn't be happier. As time goes by Melissa is getting worn down by work and life. She feels tired all the time and when she sleeps she has terrible nightmares about her kidnapping. She has someone writing horrible things about her and her podcast online. This is concerning to Melissa as her podcast depends on having a strong online presence. This one person makes snide comments every time Melissa posts. Melissa and Mike are helping Nancy pack up her Cape Cod house as she wants to relocate to the Hamptons. Nancy has purchased a house there to be closer to her daughter and family. Mike and Melissa are driving a U-haul with Nancy's stuff in it from the Cape to the Hamptons. Their goal is to get their mom's house set up nicely before she arrives. Riley is with her father.

When Melissa and Mike arrive at the house they unload the U-haul and start setting up the house. Riley joins them as Charlie has to go out of town for work. After a couple of days working, Melissa takes Riley to the local park. She stopped to get an iced coffee first as she is so tired she can barely function. She enjoys seeing Riley so happy. She sits on a bench and checks her phone, writing to her good friend. When Melissa looks up she sees a strange woman speaking to Riley! Melissa goes over and confronts the woman who tells her she's a fraud, a terrible mother who wasn't watching her child, and a horrible person who doesn't deserve to have anything nice. The woman then takes off into the woods. Melissa gathers Riley up and they head to the car. Melissa is really shaken by the encounter and has no idea who that woman was.

When they get home it's almost Riley's nap time and Melissa is thrilled as she's having a hard time keeping her eyes open. She puts Riley down for a nap beside her and Melissa lies on top of the bed. She immediately falls into a deep sleep dreaming horrible dreams. The next thing Melissa knows, Mike is shaking her and asking where Riley is? Melissa is so tired she can't wake up, she can't move, and she can't speak. After a couple minutes of Mike trying to help her stand and wake up, Melissa is finally able to utter the words "call the police". Riley is nowhere to be found and it seems like she either wandered off on her own or someone has taken her! This can't be happening to this poor family again!! How is Melissa going to be able to tell Charlie that his daughter is missing? Melissa feels so guilty, like it's all her fault! She doesn't understand why she's so tired and didn't hear anything.

The police come and take a statement from Melissa. They get a description of what Riley was wearing, a photo of Riley, and that she was taking a nap before she disappeared. Will the police be able to find Riley? How will Charlie react to his daughter disappearing on Melissa's watch? Will this trigger Nancy with terrible memories from her past? Does this have to do with that woman from the park? Will Riley be okay? This book will keep you reading until you've finished it. What a fantastic sequel to one of the best books by Mary Higgins Clark. Enjoy every moment! I rate this book 5 stars and give it my highest recommendation! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Where Are The Children Now in exchange for a fair review. #WhereAreTheChildrenNow

When I was younger, Mary Higgins Clark was my absolute favorite author. Somewhere in the mid 2000s, though, her writing shifted and I stopped reading her new releases. When I learned a sequel to Where Are the Children was coming out, I went back and forth on reading it. I reread the original (which is still a fantastic read) in preparation, which I now think I shouldn't have done. Where Are the Children Now just doesn't compare. I realize I'm in the minority, but truthfully this didn't read like a MHC book. I haven't read any of Clark and Burke's other collaborations, and I probably won't. I guess the reality is that some stories just don't need sequels.

Melissa and her brother Mike are trying to heal and move on from their abduction when they were children. Melissa is now a lawyer turned successful podcaster. She has recently married and had a young stepdaughter, Riley. While Melissa and her brother, Mike, help their mom, Nancy, move, Riley goes missing. They use their own abduction experience to find Riley and save her from the trauma they still struggle with.

Burke does a fantastic job bringing the mystery and intrigue from the first book back.

Unreliable narrators bring red herrings, suspense, and apprehension towards everyone. There are twists and turns throughout the book.

There is also an honest look at the effects of trauma and the reality of online bullying.

If you've never read the first book or it's been over a decade (or more) you can pick this one right up with no problem. I read the original book 2 decades ago and it's stuck with me, but this filled in some of the details I may have forgotten. Even better, I loved that this could he read as a standalone, introducing new readers to Mary Higgins Clark's work.

Mary Higgins Clark was my very favorite author and Where Are the Children was my favorite of her books. Honestly, having read probably a thousand books since I read it so long ago, I did not remember the story, only that it held me in suspense and I could not put it down. Alafair Burke you knocked this one out of the park. You brought the reader up to speed on the first book and then lead us happily into the future so seamlessly. Your writing style with chapter endings causing the reader to read “just one more chapter” are so on par with Mary Higgins Clark’s style of writing. I could not put this read down and stayed up way too late reading “just one more”. I found myself pleading with the characters, much as I would in real life if I knew them. I loved the characters and the settings, having grown up spending every summer on Cape Cod.
Many many thanks to you Alafair Burke for writing this book and creating new memories of a favorite author and book, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for affording me the absolute pleasurable opportunity to read an arc of this just published magical gem. I urge all who loved Where Are the Children to read this amazing sequel. I will definitely be looking for future books by Alafair Burke.

Alafair Burke does an outstanding job of continuing Mary Higgins Clark’s first book! This novel has the same tone as MHC and drew me into the story right away since the characters featured are the children who were kidnapped in the original book. Now, they are all grown up and Melissa has just gotten married with a ready made family, a young stepdaughter who is precocious. Just as expected, Riley disappears while Melissa is napping and her disappearance brings back all of the old nightmares. There are some real twists in the fast-paced plot that were totally unexpected as well as numerous red herrings to lead me down false trails about who the villain was. I enjoyed the family drama that was well portrayed and the emotional scenes that had me almost in tears, not knowing what was happening to poor little Riley. The book was intriguing and kept me engaged with the characters and the clues. I thoroughly enjoyed this walk down memory lane and even read the first book again in order to prepare for this one. I can assure other readers that although the first book is a must read at some time, you don’t need to read it before you can enjoy this one. The author makes sure that you know the backstory of the main characters and builds on that story to create the new one. I highly recommend this book as it kept me captivated from the first page to the satisfying conclusion.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This book is a great read! It's full of twists and turns and will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. If you enjoy a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the end, grab this book!
I received a complimentary copy from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a way to honor Mary Higgins Clark! This book is so good. It can be read as a stand alone as they give a recap to the first book so you don’t necessarily need to read it.

It was so nice to see the old characters from the first book and see what has been happening the past 40 years. This book is mainly about Melissa and the disappearance of her 3 year old step daughter, Riley. Who took her, where did she go, how did she disappear she was in a locked house.

This book was a page turner. I didn’t want to put it down. I throughly enjoyed this book and definitely would recommend it.

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

Where Are The Children Now by Alafair Burke and Mary Higgins Clark is a thriller in which a child gets snatched from a woman who had been snatched as a child and has horrific nightmares because of it. Melissa has just gotten married to a terrific guy. She met him at a grief group that she had joined after her father died. He was there because he’d lost his wife. It all happened fast but she was so in love with Charlie, and with his daughter, Riley, almost three years old. Her brother Mike had come to the wedding, although he was not convinced it was a good idea. Melissa believed that one chose to be happy. Mike thought she was ignoring her past and living in a fool’s paradise. Her mother was there, and her best friend, Katie, both over the moon for her. It all happened in a flash: she and Riley were at the park when Melissa saw a stranger approach Riley. She was up and over there in an instant. The women said something cruel to her, but she just blew it off and went and retrieved her coffee and returned home. They were both tired so when Riley went down for a nap, so did Melissa. Later, when Mike woke her up, he asked her where Riley was. That was how it began.

The evidence was stacking up against her. She knew she hadn’t harmed Riley but even she looked at what the police were gathering and wondered. It was a well-written thriller with the pieces coming together slowly. Melissa was an interesting character, still traumatized from the time she had been kidnapped and abused at three years old. She was relatively well adjusted, even following the breakup with her fiance, Patrick, over a year ago. It hurt, but she mad herself be happy. Then she met Charlie. The people who had Riley were playing the long game and they had though it all out. It was a well-written book, piggybacking on Melissa and Mike’s own story which Clark had written earlier. The characters were strong and the plot was frightening, just as it was supposed to be. Melissa was a lawyer and had a true crime podcast. She knew how to investigate and the reader was with her every step of the way. Good book.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Where Are The Children Now by Simon & Schuster, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #SimonAndSchuster #AlafairBurke #MaryHigginsClark #WhereAreTheChildrenNow

One of the first authors that I remember reading as a young teen was Mary Higgins Clark. As a young adult I purchased every book of hers that I could get my hands on. When I first joined NetGalley last fall, I was so excited to see Where Are The Children Now? and I was shocked that I was granted approval with the minuscule percentage rating and zero reviews under my belt.
Where Are The Children Now? is written by Alafair Burke whom coauthored several books with Mary Higgins Clark before she passed away. Burke’s writing is reminiscent of MHC’s enough to satisfy any long-time MHC fan.
I did not reread Where Are The Children? prior to reading this book. I feel that new fans could read this book as a stand-alone. I think you may be more invested in the characters if you read both books consecutively but I don’t think you lose anything by not doing so.
There is an almost constant sense of mystery and intrigue throughout the book. There are tiny cliffhangers and clues throughout with lots of red herrings. Like every good thriller, you don’t know who to trust and what information is accurate. I was shocked by the ending and I loved the twists.

I will be posting this review on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrLhBTErJae/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5066413991

And Amazon.

This was a wonderful follow up to Where Are the Children? and picks up 40 years after the main character was kidnapped. There is a brief summary at the beginning, so you get a glimpse of the past. I reread the first book because it was always a favorite of mine and then went right into this sequel. The main character is reliving her past when she was kidnapped as a child and her nightmares are becoming more and more frequent. What follows will keep you turning the pages. If you like a mystery with twists and turns, pick this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars

Where Are the Children Now? is a fitting homage to Mark Higgins Clark’s debut novel, and Alafair Burke maintains the voice and pacing of the original in a seamless fashion.

Picking up 40 years after the events of Where Are the Children?, this novel gives readers an insight into the lives of Melissa and Mike and the ways in which they’ve processed their abduction. When Melissa’s stepdaughter goes missing, it seems like the events of the past are repeating themselves. And it’s a race against time to find little Riley.

This book brought me back to the classic MHC books I read as a child, capturing the same evocative storytelling and satisfying twists and turns. It was a joy to step back into that nostalgic place, while still feeling like I was reading a modern story. It was a wonderful way to feel like a piece of the Queen of Suspense lives on, and for that I am truly grateful.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for generously providing an ARC.

What a fantastic book to be able to binge in one sitting! A great way to honor Mary Higgins Clark and give the fans a new twist on an old favorite. This book moves quickly and gives an unexpected twist at the end.

Losing Mary Higgins Clark over three years ago was a blow for all mystery/crime readers. I enjoyed her collaborations with Alafair Burke so when I was approved for this book I waited and waited to read it.
While it’s a sequel to MHC’s first mega hit book, the voice is almost all Burke, which is how it should be.
I have read the first book but it was eons ago, so I looked up a synopsis.
Burke kept me guessing with every turning I’d the page. Late in the game I made a major realization, but the ultimate betrayal hit me broadside.
It’s an excellent read and I wonder if there’s still meat on the bone for another book about these characters.

Where are the children now? Is a fast-paced sequel to a genre bending novel where are the children by Mary Higgins Clark. Although she has passed, alafair Burke does an excellent job at capturing the tone and atmosphere of Clark. The sequel picks up forty years after the events of where are the children? Missy and Mike have grown up and moved on from the events of their childhood with their mother Nancy. Missy is soon to be married to Charlie and will soon be a stepdaughter to his young daughter. However, her stepdaughter soon turns up missing and missy soon falls under suspicion. Missy is determined to find the girl and the real culprit while working on putting the traumas of the past behind her.

The plot moves at breakneck speed, which does cause the characters to feel slightly underdeveloped. I am not sure the sequel adds another new or exciting, other than nostalgia, but the read is an enjoyable time! Sure to please Clark’s legions of fans and earn Burke even new ones!. .

Thanks to the publisher for providing an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent sequel to the original Mary Higgins Clark book Where are the Children? I wasn't sure what to think before reading the book but I was pleasantly surprised.

Melissa was one of the children that was kidnapped in the original book. She has moved on and recently got married and became a stepmother. One evening her stepdaughter, Riley, goes missing. There are a few twists and turns in the book that I didn't predict. Overall, well written and left me wanting to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Simon and Schuster for the ARC for my honest review.