Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on April 18th.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Poor Nancy (Harmon) Eldredge. She and her family have been through. it. After being kidnapped when they were young, Nancy’s grown children, Mike and Melissa, are dealing with their trauma as best they can. When Melissa’s new step-daughter, Riley, goes missing, and she becomes a prime suspect, her family’s “curse” seems to have reared its head again. As everyone races to find Riley, twist after twist will keep you guessing until the end.

Mary Higgins Clark passed away in 2020, and while she didn’t write any of this book, she and Alafair Burke collaborated on several books before her death. I’m glad Burke was the one to write this sequel. It really felt like a MHC book, and the nostalgia factor was definitely felt.

I really liked this book. I think it’s better than the first one, but that could be my recency bias. Or it could be because there was less misogyny and no epithets. I also really enjoyed the plot twists. There were just enough clues to keep you guessing without giving everything away. I’ve had some of Alafair Burke’s novels on my TBR for a while, and I think it’s it’s time to move them toward the top.

This book was so special to me! I feel so honored to have received an advanced copy from one of my 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨. Mary Higgins Clark is, of course, the 𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓾𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓮, and I accredit her for my love of the mystery/suspense/thriller genre. My mom, aunts, grandma, and I would always get her new book every summer and pass it along to each other as we finished.

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛 was Mary Higgins Clark’s first, and arguably most 𝕚𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕔, suspense novel. Originally published in 1975, and now almost 50 years later we are blessed with a follow up novel! I was worried that this book wouldn’t live up to my expectations, but I am thrilled to say that it not only lived up to but 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 them! Alafair Burke did a phenomenal job keeping the c͟l͟a͟s͟s͟i͟c 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍. I loved the throwbacks to 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛. It had the standard MHC storyline where you jump back and forth between lots of characters which feels a bit all over the place at the time but all comes together perfectly at the end. The entire story was fast-paced and gripping. I couldn’t put it down until I knew how it ended. And let me tell you, the twists at the end of this story were incredible! I didn’t see any of it coming. I was left speechless.

Before diving into this one, of course I had to reread 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛. It still holds up as one of my favorite books! It’s not necessary for reading this book, but I do highly recommend!

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝑵𝒐𝒘 follows Nancy’s adult daughter, Melissa, 40 years after her own abduction. After losing her father, Melissa joined a grief group where she meets single father and widower, Charlie and his daughter, Riley. Charlie is out of the country for work, and has left Riley in the care of Melissa. Riley goes missing while Melissa is napping and the family is instantly swept into a nightmarish deja vu.

Absolutely loved this book. My first one by this duo. I understand it is the second in a series so I will have to go back and read the first. Great characters and writing

Where Are the Children Now by Mary Higgins Clark, Alafair Burke is a thriller that you don’t want to skip. It’s an easy day at the beach read or a night thriller.
In Where Are the Children, which I probably read 20 years ago), Nancy Harmon is convicted of the murder of her two children, but gets out of prison on a technicality. She marries again and has two children, Mike and Mellissa. Believe it or not, they go missing. This time Nancy uses what she knows about the first murder to save her children from the real murderer.

Fast forward four decades later (this is where the new book begins). Melissa and Mike are grown adults with some baggage from years past. However, they try to move on in their life. Melissa gets married and has a step-daughter named Riley. You could probably guess that Riley now goes missing. (This does not ruin the plot at all… it’s still a great thriller. ) Who has Riley? Is she alive for dead.

Seriously, this is a great novel for a thriller fan. It might not be a classic read, but oh my it was a quick and easy read that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
This book will be published on April 18., 2023

Where Are the Children Now? was such a delight to read. It brought back all the feels of classic Mary Higgins Clark. The book is filled with suspense and wonderful characters. I highly recommend this book.

Alafair Burke writes an excellent sequel to Higgins Clark's iconic first suspense novel, Where Are The Children, first published in 1975. I devoured it!

Forty years after the first book's events, this one focuses on characters who were young children in the first book, now grown and one of them facing the unimaginable. Melissa still struggles with memories of when she and her brother were abducted but has become an attorney turned successful true crime podcaster. She has just married a widower with a young daughter. When her stepdaughter goes missing, Melissa must draw on her personal and professional experiences to help find the girl before it's too late.

I was SO excited to receive this ARC! As a fan of the original (which I quickly re-read before reading this one), I think Alafair Burke nailed it! The writing style and plot of the book read very much like Clark, "the Queen of Suspense," who sadly passed away in 2020. I don't know if the two collaborated before Clark's death, but either way, this is a compelling read. And I particularly found that the character of Nancy was totally in keeping with the original, although now a 71-year-old version of herself. However, if you still need to read the first one, this sequel does a good job with the backstory and works as a stand-alone.

With a high stakes and twisty plot, this book's short chapters and fast pacing ramp up the tension and suspense. I could not put it down! Both Mary Higgins Clark fans and those who love attention-grabbing suspense novels will enjoy this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to review this ARC. I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a complimentary copy of this novel! All opinions expressed in this review are my own. I requested this book not even realizing this was a sequel. So before reading this novel I had to go back and read the first one by Mary Higgins Clark, “Where Are the Children?”. You don’t have to read the first one to understand this sequel, but I highly recommend you do! They don’t call Mary Higgins Clark “The Queen of Suspense” for nothing!!! These are the first two books I’ve read of hers I’ll be honest, but I was not disappointed at all!!! I’m hooked! This second novel is co-authored with Alafair Burke. I’ve read some of hers too and she doesn’t disappoint either!!! Where Are the Children Now will be available April 18, 2023! You will be in the edge of your seat and won’t want to put this book down until you’ve read the last page!!! The ending was a complete and total shocker!!!

Suspenseful and quick paced. Having just read, “Where are the Children?”, I was very familiar with the characters. There is a slight difference due to one major factor, that the first book was written almost 50!years ago, before Mary finessed her craft. I have. When reading the books pair with Alafair and I really liked them. This was no exception. This book reminds the reader of the past, while describing a great follow up mystery with the same family. If you enjoy MHC books, add this one to your list.

Where Are the Children Now? is a modern-day sequel to Mary Higgins Clark's classic bestseller Where Are the Children? The children from the original story are grown, and Missy (now called Melissa) is married with a stepdaughter of her own. Of course, her stepdaughter gets abducted. Melissa is a lawyer turned true crime Podcaster, so she has attracted attention of some crazy people (i.e. an online troll). This sequel was finished by Alafair Burke after Mary Higgins Clark's passing, but he retains a lot of the character of the original story. It's a fast-paced thriller with lots of twists and turns, and will make you question who you can trust. If you liked the original, you'll probably like this one, too.
Thank you to Alafair Burke, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a must read for fans of Where Are the Children. If you haven't read the first book, get a copy now so you are ready to dive in when Where are The Children Now is released. This book delivers and kept me guessing to the end. Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Where Are the Children Now is a sequel to Where Are the Children. If you haven't read Where Are the Children, you can still read Where Are the Children Now and understand everything that is going on. What you needed to know from the first book is summarized for you in this book, which is a good thing, as the first book was originally published 40 years ago. Mary Higgins Clark is billed as the "Queen of Suspense". This book, as with the majority of her books, keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. Where Are the Children Now is not the "scary" type of suspense but instead is more of a beach read type suspense. If you are a Mary Higgins Clark fan, this book reads like most of her other books. Having read a number of her books, I was happy to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have followed Mary Higgins Clark for a long time and when I saw this I knew I had to read it.
The rehash of the previous book seemed to be seamlessly woven into the plot of this one. Which I truly appreciated the way it become part of the story. Seeing the plight of the children yet again decades later was very thrilling and the wonderful twist.at the end was great. I loved this book as much as the first one.
Thank you Alafair Burke for this and of course a thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

I KNOW I read the first novel but it was, well, back in the 1970s and therefore this was a standalone for me- as I suspect it will be for many readers. This is all about generational trauma and kidnapping. Melissa and Mike have moved their mother Nancy to the Hamptons, where Melissa, a podcaster, is raising her stepdaughter Riley with her husband Charlie. All seems well and then Riley disappears. Standard thriller stuff except for Nancy's backstory and the fact that Melissa and Mike were also taken and found. Now the two of them must find Riley. Know that it might be a bit of a challenge to keep everyone straight at first but also that the short chapters, which always end with a bit of a zing, will keep you turning the pages. The funny thing is that MHC's plot from the original has become a trope but Alafair Burke has updated it and worked a little magic to make it fresher. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. No spoilers from me.

Great mystery and follow up from Mary Higgans Clark original Where are the Children. It's not necessary to have read the original, This fills you in well with the back story. Once the book gets going its a great mystery and watching Melissa and family figure out what's happening with the kidnap of her new stepdaughter. Fast moving rapidly changing situations. An enjoyable read from NetGalley and the publishers.

Where are the Children? was my first suspense novel, and my first novel from Mary Higgins Clark, back when I was in my teens in the mid-80s, so I was a little concerned that Where are the Children Now? could tarnish that memory... Thankfully that hasn't happened! Indeed, the "sequel" has again reinstated my love for all things Mary Higgins Clark. I was also concerned about the addition of Alafair Burke, which again was an unfounded concern. The story grabbed me and held me captive from the start, just like the original, and kept me guessing until the end. A true mystery from start to finish, and a true tribute to MHC and her legacy. All I've left to say is Thank You.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC

I ate this book right up. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. I loved how reminiscent it was of the original and how the main characters were still working through the happenings of that book in their own ways.

I didn’t necessarily see all of the twists either which I really enjoyed. MHC was my Grandmothers favorite author and Alafair Burke co-writing this just made my heart so happy.

All in all, I Loved it.

I read the original book many years ago. I was skeptical at the beginning if i would be able to follow the book since its been a while but was able to pick up and it was an amazing sequel to the original book with all its twists and turns of mystery in the book. To the amazing end of the book thank you to Net galley for giving me an advanced copy I really enjoyed reading this book!!!

This was a wonderful follow up to Mary Higgins Clark classic Where Are The Children? The story picked up well enough after forty years and it was great that she showed that the kids didn’t have a perfect life. So many times you get left with a happy ever after feeling but this shows us that the children grew up and that they struggled with their kidnapping and then it is compounded when Missy’s stepdaughter is taken after she’s been drugged. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves Mary Higgins Clark. Even if you have never read the first book this one fills you in enough to make it quite enjoyable.

I loved this book! I finished it in about 4 days while on vacation. As in several books, I figured out part of the twist about 3/4 in but it was definitely suspenseful. I thought the writing was great and I enjoyed the characters depicted. Now I want to go back and read the original Where Are the Children again since I last read it in my 20s.
This was my first Alafair Burke book and I really liked her writing style. Ironically I had recently checked out an audiobook from the library by her which I also listened to on my trip. I’m adding her to my list of favorite authors !

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster, NetGalley, Mary Higgins Clark, and Alafair Burke for this advanced copy of the book!

I read the first book, Where Are The Children, and found it to be really good, so I was excited to see this sequel getting ready to be released. The previous book's storyline picks up with Mike, Melissa, and their mom. This time, there is a roller coaster of a missing child, a race against the clock to save her, and the ultimate betrayal. The pacing of the book helped to build up the suspense, and once I realized what was happening and who was responsible, I could not help but think, “how clever.” I love a cleaver who dun it. The level of betrayal that Melissa experienced made me empathize with her. But she was so strong and determined! There was a part where the plan was unhatched, and I had trouble understanding why one particular character did what they did because it seemed so disjointed, but betrayal is betrayal, no matter who it is. Good read!