Melissa and Mike are successful adults now and shortly after Melissa marries, her stepdaughter goes missing. While the plot was easy to figure out (similar to the first book), I was still surprised by a couple things at the conclusion. The book is told by multiple POVs but is easy to keep up with. I did like Melissa and felt she was a strong lead character. I feel like this is a nod to the first book where her mother, Nancy, was the strong lead character.

I believe this sequel works as a stand alone book as the important plot points from the first book are seamlessly written into this story to keep the reader in the loop.

This book is a collaboration with author Alafair Burke. I recently reread 'Where Are The Children', which I remember loving in the late-90s when I read it the first time, yet I found it to be very poorly written when I read it the second time. So I went into the sequel with very low expectations. Well Alafair Burke's contribution knocked it out of the park! I''ll be checking into her books now as I liked her writing style.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mary always knocks it out of the park! Another amazing book that I couldn’t put down. I read this in less than 24 hours on vacation. Top notch story with an even better twist!

The addictive follow up to Where Are the Children. This novel follows Nancy Harmon's daughter, Melissa. As children she and her brother were abducted by their mother's first husband and were luckily rescued at the last minute. Now as adults they somehow become enmeshed in yet another case of a missing child. Melissa has recently married a widower named Charlie and has fallen in love with his young daughter, Riley. In a case of history repeating itself, Riley goes missing one afternoon while Melissa was watching her. No one knows what to believe, and Melissa may end up being the prime suspect, just as her mother was years before. The clock is ticking, as Melissa attempts to find the truth and locate Riley before it's too late.

This was an absolute thrill ride. I only recently read Where Are the Children, so the story was fresh in my mind, and this sequel novel was fantastic. It feels just like the previous book, but written for today. It's horrifying to think of being the main suspect in your own child's disappearance, as Nancy and now Melissa have been. One element that I really loved in this one was how Nancy stood up for Melissa and really helped her to retain her strength despite being judged and suspected of harming Riley. A glimpse of a lovely mother daughter relationship. This mystery kept taking unexpected turns, and I definitely did not guess the truth. I was completely engrossed and had to stay up all night to finish the story. Would recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved "Where are the Children". I just recently listened to the audiobook within the last year. So was very excited about this book!

This is truly a worthy successor. It pulled me in, it captured my imagination and was just as captivating as the original. Was surprised with the twist!

Can't go wrong with this one!

Another mastermind of a tale by the Queen herself. A very formula written tale of what someone appears to be, does not turn out to be the case.
While it was light reading, I have been more interested in some of her characters in the past. This time, she utilized podcasts in the background. How naive could one person be

I was super excited when I heard of the existence of Where Are the Children Now? Described as a sequel to Mary Higgins Clark's 1975 novel, Where are the Children? As a MHC devotee, this novel seemed right up my alley. That being said, this additional story co-written by Alafair Burke is enjoyable but not quite the caliber of the original. The police in the story are meant to fumble the case, but grow rather irritating to the reader and the twist ending can be seen miles away, especially to those readers who are familiar with Clark's previous works. Burke does a good job of carrying the story forward, bringing these characters into modern day; but the plot ultimately falls short in my opinion.

Melissa and Mike were kidnapped as children in Cape Cod by an enemy of their mother, however they were successfully rescued and have both gone on to live full lives as adults. While dealing with the trauma that came from those life altering events, Melissa, Mike and their mother, Nancy, all were able to put the past behind them. Now Melissa is set to marry Charlie, a widower, with a young daughter. Though the romance has been fast paced, Melissa is ready to take on the role of stepmother and truly loves her life now. When Riley is kidnapped in a similar fashion to Melissa's own childhood the nightmare continues for the entire Eldredge family.

It is a suspenseful race against the clock, in order to find Riley before harm comes to her and Melissa wonders if history is repeating itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this novel.

I rarely rate books with 5 stars, 4 is my usual rating, enjoyable but not terrific. This book is terrific. The interesting of characters, family, history and happenstance forces you to read the next pag, and the next. These authors are a dynamic duo.

Thank you @simonandschuster @simonbooks for my gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.

I read Mary Higgins Clark’s first novel 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣? years ago, and unlike many other books I have read over the years, I have never forgotten that dramatic and terrifying story! Since then I have read every MHC novel, and though I enjoyed them all, WATC remains my favorite!

So I was delighted when Alifair Burke (who has co-written many books with MHC) came out with this sequel, and it is every bit as suspenseful and intricate as WATC!

Mike and his sister Missy, (who is now known as Melissa), are all grown up! Melissa is married to a widower, with a young child, Riley. Melissa adores Riley like she is her own daughter. When Nancy decides to move to the Hamptons, Melissa and Mike help their mother with the move. One day, while Melissa is alone at the house with Riley, Melissa suddenly becomes sleepy. She puts Riley down for a nap and Melissa falls into a deep sleep. When she wakes up, Riley is gone!

Just like the situation with her mother years ago, suspicions fall on Melissa.

The story unfolds at a great pace. I really sympathized with Melissa and wanted things to work out for her. When I read WATC, I remember feeling fear for the children. I didn’t feel that so much in this novel, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment. I was surprised at the ending, and liked the way it worked out.

Where Are the Children Now?
by Mary Higgins Clark; Alafair Burke
Pub Date 18 Apr 2023
Simon & Schuster
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers



Simon & Schuster and Netgalley provided me with a copy of Where Are the Children Now for review:



The "Queen of Suspense" continues to leave her mark with the highly anticipated sequel to Where Are the Children?, which features Nancy Harmon's children as adults facing peril once again.


Among Mary Higgins Clark's fifty-six bestsellers, Where Are the Children was among the most successful, Where Are the Children was one of Mary Higgins Clark's fifty-six bestsellers, forever transforming the genre of suspense fiction. There was a story in which a young California mother named Nancy Harmon was convicted of murdering hNancy's two children from a second marriage, Mike and Melissa, went missing several years later. Nancy once again became the prime suspect—but this time she was able to confront the secrets buried in her past and rescue her children.
Despite becoming the prime suspect, Nancy was able to confront the secrets buried in her past and save her children.



More than four decades after readers first met Nancy and her children, comes the sequel to the landmark book that set the stage for future generations of psychological suspense novels. Melissa, a lawyer turned successful podcaster, recently married a man whose first wife passed away tragically, leaving him and their young daughter, Riley, behind. Melissa's new stepdaughter goes missing while she and her brother, Mike, assist Nancy in moving from Cape Cod to the equally idyllic Hamptons. In light of the trauma they still experience from their own abduction, Melissa and Mike race to locate Riley in order to prevent her from being subjected to the trauma they are still struggling with.

In the same manner as the original, Where Are the Children Now? This book keeps readers guessing until the very last page and keeps them on the edge of their seats.


I give Where Are the Children Now five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Melissa is a blissfully happy new wife and.stepmother to a beautiful three year old little girl named Riley, although she has been dealing from horrible nightmares stemming from the trauma of her abduction as a young child. Melissa and her new family have been helping her mother (Nancy) relocate to a new home in Cape Cod where she will be closer to her daughter and her family. Within a couple days while Melissa and Riley were napping Riley mysteriously disappears. All the doors and windows were locked so things don't look too good for Melissa and she becomes the prime suspect in the case along with her husband although he was away on a business trip so he has a proven alibi while poor Melissa can't believe how the evidence continues to build against her.

Melissa is an attorney herself so she understands how the legal system works and she realizes she's in huge trouble while her supportive husband begins drifting away from her as the harsh evidence against his wife is casting more and more doubt on her innocence along with some similarities from her own kidnapping years ago. In the meantime Melissa is supported by her immediate family and close friends while she is being villainised in the public eye. Her new marriage is crumbling so Melissa struggles with guilt about feeling responsible for Riley's abduction since the toddler was under her care and she doesn't understand how someone could have taken the child without her hearing or feeling the presence of someone in the house even though she was asleep since she has always been a light sleeper and the slightest noises would usually awaken her.




Why does history seem to be repeating itself? Nancy was also the prime suspect in Melissa's and her brother's kidnapping where they were almost murdered although Nancy's husband at this time never doubted his wife's innocence no.matter what evidence was found and stacked against her. If and when Melissa is found innocent in Riley's disappearance will her marriage have even the slightest chance of surviving? This was such an enjoyable and entertaining sequel to the first book "Where Are The Children" written decades ago, although this novel can definitely be read as a stand-alone since the authors did a terrific job filling in all the necessary details needed so any reader won't feel lost or confused. All the important details has been tastefully included. It was fun to see that the story was written in same style of writing that I remembered from all the earlier "Mary Higgins Clark's" books yet this writing was still current and contemporary. I am so pleased that I had the chance to read this novel and I hope the author "Alafair Burke" who was a co-writer on many of the previous books as well will continue to produce similar books in the future. The storyline was wonderful and the plot had many twists and turns right up until the ending which I really appreciated. Just when I thought the story was getting predictable there would be a sharp turn that I didn't see coming and plenty more along the way.

I did have a problem with a couple of characters that I thought were shallow with some of their emotions and I couldn't connect with their feelings. All the words were properly written, but I just couldn't get a sense of the depth of the loss and tragedy at hand. Although, Melissa was a high-powered attorney she seemed a little dimwitted to me at times plus she made quite a few stupid decisions which actually made the story more entertaining but she just wasn't the "brightest crayon in the box" in my opinion. Any of my negative thoughts did not affect the enjoyment factor of the book because maybe the characters were meant to be written that way and I may have interpreted them incorrectly. The story had a complex plot, suspense and plenty of mystery, it was definitely a fun ride trying to find out what happened to Riley and the ending was a very satisfying conclusion when all of my questions were answered.

Highly recommend for both old and new fans of the world famous "Mary Higgins Clark".

It's been several decades since I read Where Are the Children, so some of the parts of that story had faded from memory. It was still very easy to follow the plot here, though, and this novel could easily be read as a stand alone. It was a nice bookend to MHC's writing career. If there is any criticism I can make, it's that at times it seemed as though the authors were trying a little too hard on the technology front. I understand they were trying to be current, but when I start noticing tech for tech's sake in a novel for adults, it's a bit distracting.

What an amazing follow up to the original classic Where are the children now? This book had me on the edge of my seat and absolutely took my breath away.

Wow, I struggled so in not jumping to the end as the suspense was killing me knowing what happened to Riley. So don’t do it yourself just keep turning the pages, this is so worth the suspense. Very well developed characters, one doesn’t have to have read the first book, and the ending is such a surprise. This will make a great movie.

I have been a fan of Mary Higgins Clark since I was young but haven't read her books in many years. This book reminded me of what I have been missing! This was such a great book! I appreciated that it referenced the original book enough to refresh your memory of you read it or to give you enough background if you didn't. Highly recommend this book! You will not be disappointed!

I really enjoyed this book, especially for the sake of nostalgia. I have read every single one of Mary Higgins Clark's books and to find this book after her passing, was especially sweet! It was written so well with pieces of her woven throughout, with the details she always had in each of her books. Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

Having not read the first book, I wish I knew this was a sequel. However that being said, you can read and understand the storyline. A child has gone missing and the parent is the suspect.

This is a sequel to the Where are the Children by Mary Higgins Clark. In this book Melissa and Mike are grown and they have spent their life trying to forget what happened to them as children. Melissa had done a pretty good job of it. She is newly married to a wonderful man whose first wife died in a terrible accident. She is step mother to cute Riley. She has everything she could ever want. A successful career and a family. Melissa, Mike and Riley are moving Nancy to her new home on Cape Cod. While there Riley is taken and the authorities are pointing a finger at Melissa and it opens all those wounds from their childhood. But as Melissa investigates more she comes to a startling realization. You will have to check out this book to find out if she finds Riley and who it was the kidnapped her and why.

Mary Higgins Clark was one of my all time favorite mystery writers until her death she was “The Queen of Suspense” This story brings back from her first book “Where are the Children “ featuring the children of Nancy Harmon all grown up and again in peril. We last saw Nancy Harmon when tragedy struck her family as she suffered the heartbreak of her first marriage and the deaths of her two children hostile media coverage and the criminal charges against her. Years later Nancy relocated on Cape Cod remarried and had two more children but her worse nightmare resurfaced when they disappeared as well. This was a very enjoyable story following Nancy’s now grown up children and how someone is tormenting them. I would recommend this to all mystery readers and if you have not read “Where are the Children” read that first then Where are they now”

This book ties old and new together to form a fascinating mystery. There is a plot twist that left me gasping. This will appeal to all fans of mystery, whether or not one has read the original.

Perfect followup to what happened to the children! I read "Where are the children" long ago and was able to feel right back to the story. Mysterious and gripping, must read for Mary Higgins Clark fans. Recommend!