Where Are the Children Now? by Alafair Burke is a follow-up to the Mary Higgins Clark novel from decades ago. In this new novel, the children are now adults and one has a new stepdaughter. This stepdaughter disappears which leads the family to relive the trauma from years ago. The search is on for Riley. Is there a connection to the events of the past? Read and enjoy!

I was sooo excited to see this author duo. I absolutely love both of these authors and together, it is an amazing book! I loved reading all about Nancy and then had to go back and read the other book too. Thanks for a great read!

This book had my attention from the start! I love Mary Higgins Clark’s books they never cease to amaze me. So many twists and turns with a mind blowing outcome!

Facing the demons of the past and moving forward isn’t easy but Melissa seems to have done it when she marries Charlie. Having kids was never in her plans but her step daughter Riley is the perfect addition she never knew she wanted. When Riley goes missing her whole world begins to unravel and the nightmares of the past come to the surface as they try to find out where Riley went.

Wow! This book blew me away. I went back and read the first one, but this sequel had enough information from the first that it could have stood alone.

Where Are the Children Now?, by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke is a great sequel to Where are the Children? It isn’t a coincidence that Nancy Harmon’s step granddaughter is kidnapped. People know about her past and 40 years after the tragedy, she t seems that a new tragedy is happening. Her daughter Melissa is marrying the man of her dreams and his daughter. They skip a big wedding and move in together. Melissa is a true crime podcaster and a lawyer and it seems strange that she misses some clear signs of her new husband. Her brother Mike isn’t sure it was the best idea and he has no qualms saying anything. After a weekend moving their mom to the east end of Long Island, things turn upside down. Melissa’s stepdaughter is kidnapped. The police and her husband think it could be her. But she is being set up.. she has to be.. but who would want to set her up? She doesn’t know who trust and where to turn. But in true Mary Higgins Clark fashion, there are so many twists and turns. I had to keep reading to see how this was going to end. It was a quick read but an excellent suspense story. This was a four star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

Oh my, such a great continuation of the wonderful book by Mary Higgins Clark. That book was one of the first "adult" books that I read as a teen. I went on to read all of her books over the years and enjoyed the mystery of all of them! This book is well written and kept my interest. Twister of an ending!

Y’all! Alafair Burke truly has the gift like the Queen of suspense had, Alafair has that way of writing that draws you in and refuses to let you go..until you finish the book. This story..just wowzers!

Where are the Children? was Mary’s biggest seller and this one plays off of the original. Years after Nancy was convicted of killing her children and getting out of prison because the real killer was her husband; Nancy has moved on and has remarried and had two children. Those children were kidnapped and almost murdered by her ex husband but she was able to rescue them. Now years into the future Nancy’s daughter, Missy aka Melissa is about to get married to a widower with a three year old child. Everything is going fine until, that child goes missing…is it her Mom’s ex husband or someone from her lawyer past?

Suspense and mystery greet you with this story and you never want to come up for air until you finish, this story was written so well! The characters were perfectly researched, the plot was good and the anticipation and climax were amazing! I LOVED this story!! Kept me on the edge until the end. Five stars all the way!! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced readers copy!

I really enjoyed this book! While I have read the first book many years ago I was glad that I didn't have to re-read that one to enjoy this one. The author did a wonderful job of explaining things throughout the book. The ending was a surprise to me which I enjoy since some like this can be so predictable. Overall I highly recommend this book!

A FLASH TO THE PAST!

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. While her new marriage is crumbling, 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.

Melissa knows she must somehow follow the obscure dots to find Riley before it's too late since the detectives are useless right now because they truly believe Melissa did something to Riley and are now looking for a body. No-one outside of her immediate family believes her so she's on her own with finding Riley while hoping she can figure out why and how Riley was kidnapped before the police arrest her knowing she may never see her precious little stepdaughter again.

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 be 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 the writing was still current and contemporary. I am so pleased that I had the chance to read this terrific novel and I hope the author "Alafair Burke" who was a co-writer on many of the previous books 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 there were plenty more along the way. I did have a problem with a couple of characters. I thought they were shallow with some of their emotions and I couldn't connect with their feelings. All the words were properly written, but I 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".

I want to thank the publisher "Simon & Schuster" for the opportunity to read this story and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this entertaining book a rating of 4 SUSPENSEFUL AND MYSTERIOUS 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

I really enjoyed the story. It did feel slightly rushed at the end, but the plot twists were entertaining. The characters were likeable and relatable which kept me interested.

The spirit of. Mary Higgins Clark livees on in this 'sequel' to her bestselling "Where Are the Children" Nancy Harmon has lived through the kidnapping & murder of one pair of children, (for which see was accused) and then the kidnapping of the children she had later. Mike and Melissa survived the kidnapping, the ex-husband was killed, so everything should be fine. Right? But no, of course! Melissa and ike are helping their mother move from Cape Cod to Long Island. Melissa and her step-daughter are staying at the house when Riley goes missing. Is Nancy guilty of something this time? Ms Burke closely follows the style of Ms Clark when it comes to exposing both clues and red herrings. This book can easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone.

It’s not very often that a book gets a sequel 50 years later.
This was an excellently written book. The twists and turns didn’t stop. I’d say it’s even better than the first book. I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t want to put it down.
Highly recommend!

What a blast from the past. A classic mystery, it grabs you from the start. I remember the original Where Are the Children, but it isn’t necessary to know the story. A great suspense book you will want to read in one sitting.

WATC is a classic and this doesn't come close but it was nice to visit with some familiar characters! It's a fast read and has a satisfying ending. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

WOW!, What a fantastic “sequel” to Where Are the Children!! Kudos to the Queen of Suspense and Alafair Burke for this last great suspense novel!!

I read 'Where Are the Children?' probably 25 years ago. I enjoyed that book. So, I was excited when I was selected for an ARC through Netgalley for 'Where Are the Children, Now?'.

It started out slow to me. In fact, around the 30% mark, I thought about DNFing it. I'm so glad I didn't. I could not put it down once I hit the 60% mark. In fact, I finished it after midnight this morning. Who needs sleep, right?

Mark and Melissa have struggled in different ways, since they were kidnapped as children. Mark has faced it and dealt with his feelings, but Melissa has ignored it and lived a 'be happy life'. She has a True Crime Podcast.Melissa has meet a guy and gets married within a few months. Everything is going great in her life. Then, her step-daughter goes missing. She is thrown into reliving her childhood.

How much does she really know the man she married? Is someone from her podcast stalking her? What is really going on? My jaw dropped when I got answers to these questions.

Thanks to Netgalley, Simon Schuster and Clark for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🙃 Happy Reading 🙃

#netgalley
#simonschuster
#maryhigginsclark

When I saw this book pop up, I was immediately excited to read it! I love all of the collaborative works between these two authors and am a true fan of following characters over time.

In "Where Are the Children Now?" we get to see Melissa and Mike all grown up and dealing with their shared past in entirely different ways. Melissa's life motto is a strong "choose happiness" and she has made quite a name for herself as an author and podcast host. Mike is a boat captain in the Caribbean and seems to want to talk and sit in the feelings of their past far more than Melissa is able to tolerate. They are brought back together for both Melissa's wedding as well as their mom's sale of their childhood home. While preparing for the sale and move for their mother, Melissa's new step daughter goes missing.

I had started this book a few days ago but as soon as I got to the missing child part, I finished the rest of the book in one sitting. I had to know how the story played out. I had several characters that just didn't feel right and I was suspicious about their behavior but I still missed my guesses by a bit. The mark of a good suspense/thriller for me is struggling to predict the ending and that was true for me in this book.

Thank you for the review copy of Where are the children now? This is a great addition, and homage, to the enduring work of Mary Higgins Clark. This can stand alone from Where are the children should you be newer to MHC or following Alafair Burke's work but hey... treat yourself to some classic earlier MHC books.

What works is the connection to suspense, to tension, that these thrillers always generate and the placing of a familiar theme, indeed from MHC's first book from the 1980s, into present day lives and contexts while honoring the character driven focus that I feel is always present in a Mary Higgins Clark book. This one invites readers to care not just about the mystery but about the backstory and the characters. I always loved this author's work for the attention to character development along with plot development and Alafair Burke does justice to this style.

Sequel to Where Are the Children?
I wanted to like it more than I did. The plot was good, if improbable. The main character's repression of her childhood trauma was believable and lent credibility to the situation. The ending was unexpected, yet satisfying.

While I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for my review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book.

I have loved Mary Higgins-Clark for as long as I can remember. Her mysteries were some of the first "grown up" books that I started reading. When I saw this one available as an ARC, I put my name on the list and kept my fingers crossed. When I noticed that she had help writing this book, my hopes were a little lowered. I've been burned by "ghost writers" filling in for amazing writers before (VC Andrews anyone??) But this book stayed so true to the MHC style of writing, I would have never known that she didn't write the whole thing herself. It was a beautiful follow-up to one of her best selling books. Usually I don't love the "continuation" stories like these, but this one was so well done. The coincidences were written into the story and made it part of the mystery. I simply loved it.

Five stars for this amazing book for sure. If you loved "Where are the Children" you will love "where are the children now" =)