IT HAD TO BE YOU
By Mary Higgins Clarke/Alafaire Burke
Genre:Mystery
Publishing date:April 16 2024

This book is #8 series of Under Suspicion. It does read as a stand alone however as I didn't read any of the other books in the series and was not lost at all.

Television Producer Laurie Moran starts investigating a 10 year cold case about a pair of twin boys accused of murdering their parents. Due to lack of evidence the police never charged the twins. The sister Frankie however decided to have the case reopened to finally get to the bottom of the case and find out who murdered her parents.
As the invitation continues and secrets are emerging people are getting upset.


I found this book fun to read as there were many surprises along the way. I give this a solid 4 star read!

I loved this next installment of the Under Suspicion series. You do not need to read the previous books because each book is it's own crime to be solved. The Podcast directors life does have background leading up to this book, though.
I loved the unique clue that solved the entire case! Well done!

I have been a long time Mary Higgins Clark fan and love the contrast that all her books have a certain predictability with style of writing and excellent character development and an unpredictability of the guilty culprit. This novel was no different! I love the Under Suspicion series and so was excited to see yet another installment of the book. There is something so wonderful about curling up with a mystery book where some of the characters feel like friends or family. This was a typical Burke/ Higgins Clark collaboration with all the best aspects of a great "who done it" novel. Just a trigger warning that the book does include content involving domestic violence.

Great mystery! I always love any book associated with Mary Higgins Clark, and this did not disappoint! I loved the story line tied into the mystery, it gave an opportunity to connect with the characters. Even not knowing where the mystery would take us, I found myself rooting for all the characters at some point, Although this book is part of the Under Suspicion series, it can be read as a stand alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Suhuster for the ARC!

I always enjoyed reading the latest book by "Mary Higgins Clark". I really miss reading her they were always great books. This latest book had me captivated till the end of the book. Her story telling was never too much information just the right amount of information and clues to understand what is going on. In this book I didn't see that ending coming and who was the killer. Amazing and relaxing read that once you get into it you don't want to stop till you find out who did it. Laurie Moran's character keeps on coming and doesn't give in till she finds the answer. I really hope there is another book telling us what will happen next to her bread cast Keeping us in suspense.

I’ve been a fan of the queen of suspense since I was a teenager. I’m so thankful that Alafair Burke has kept her legacy alive.

Laurie and her team are following up on a story about twin brothers accused of killing their parents. Under Suspicion investigates the cold case of twin brothers suspected of killing both of their parents. It’s not been proven yet who was responsible for their death the night of the twins college graduation party.

This is a fast paced detective mystery with characters you can’t help but root for.

Is it possible the brothers might not have done it? Or is their sister Frankie ready for the heartbreak of learning who the killer was?

I have loved Mary Higgins Clark for years and I was so excited to be approved for an early copy from NetGalley. The initial set up of characters was tough, but once I got into the book I couldn’t stop reading. Full of twists and turn I didn’t predict, this book kept me guessing. Ten years ago a family lost their parents to murder and the only suspects were twin brothers. Now, they agree to look in to the murders again to see if one or both of the twins did indeed kill their parents. I just realized that this is book #8 in the Under Suspicion series. I have not read the others (although I will now track them down), but this book stands alone.

This was my first Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. And wow what a read. Thank. you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read this ARC early. I did realize this was a part of a series, so I will be backtracking to read the rest of the books in the series. There were a lot of characters and keeping up with them was a little tough. Overall a good read and looking forward to starting the series from Book 1.

I started devouring Mary Higgins Clark books as a teen. Even though she is no longer with us, it warms my thriller heart to see her name still authoring new books and we have Alafair Burke to thank for keeping her legacy alive. This is #8 in the Under Suspicion series but it reads like a stand alone. I have not read the previous stories yet and was not lost at all. In this one, Laurie Moran, TV Producer, investigates the unsolved murder of Sarah and Richard Harrington on the 10th anniversary of the crime. Tragically the couple was murdered on the night of their identical twin sons’ graduation party. The twins, Ethan and Simon, are under suspicion. One of them had motive and means, the other has a solid alibi. Is everything as it really appears? Why are the twins estranged 10 years later? Laurie is going to uncover all those old secrets and find out who really killed the Harringtons! Thank you Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and the authors for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on April 16, 2024

A good story overall though I do wish it was a bit easier to get into at first, with all the characters its hard to keep up with who’s, who and if we are in present or past.

Another mystery from Mary Higgins Clark and Alastair Burke! I give the followup in the Under Suspicion series 3 stars. At this point in the series, you know what is going to happen. It’s A + B = C. The same formula for every Under Suspicion novel, and I was hoping for a bit more twists and turns. You know what’s coming next, the main characters have not progressed that much. There is a cliffhanger of Laurie and Alex being pregnant now for next book but it felt like every chapter was a repeat of another book in the series. I enjoyed the previous book more because it wasn’t related and was a mystery not covered by the team of Under Suspicion. However, I do enjoy the family dynamics that each of these books cover and the mystery of who did it in the end.
Also, thank you to Simon and Schuster for letting me read and review this title early.

Ten years have gone by since the parents of identical twins were killed after the twins college graduation party. The killer was never found and the police hardly investigated as they were positive that one of the twins did the killing, or they both did it. Since the killing, the brothers have been estranged each accusing the other of the killings.
Their younger sister tired of the estrangement and the case never being solved, reaches out to Laurie Moran, the producer of the hit TV show “Under Suspicion.” Laurie and her team have been accredited with solving other cases that had been languishing in other cold case files. Agreeing to take on the case for the TV show, Laurie stipulates that both brothers must agree to be interviewed and come on the show. Long held secrets, jealousy, abuse and lies all come to an explosive end when the killer is finally revealed. The characters were real and their dialogue was as expected whether they were doing the investigating or being investigated. The twists and possible suspects kept me invested in this enjoyable read.
Alafair Burke has co-authored this former Mary Higgins Clark Series and it is appreciated by this reader. As the authors are and were favorites. Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this arc. The review and comments are my opinion.

Another great addition to the Under Suspicion series! I was a teenager when I read my first Mary Higgins Clark book, Where Are the Children. I loved it so much that I went to my local library and started checking out all of her books in order of publication. Thirty years later, and her books are still just as enjoyable. Alafair Burke has also become a favorite of mine, so having them co-author this series together is a definite win-win. When I saw this available as "read now", I quickly hit that button, then re-read the entire series to refresh my memory of the characters and to enjoy the stories all over again. This was an interesting, fast-paced mystery that I flew through in a few hours. This particular cold case was definitely one of my favorites out of the series. Twin brothers suspected of killing their parents. Each accusing the other of being the guilty one. Definitely not a cozy little mystery. The main characters are endearing, and I've grown to love them like family. I am hoping that Burke will continue with this series in honor of Queen Mary. I am not ready to let these characters go.

Thank you to the authors, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

This is the 8th installment in the Under Suspicion series. Laurie Moran and her team are on the cold case of murdered parents potentially at the hands of one or both of their twin sons. Laurie is feeling pressure at work and her work is suffering so she needs to knock this one out. Laurie is looking into a ten year old cold case of the murder of Sarah and Richard Harrington who were murdered on the night of their twin sons college graduation. Laurie reaches out to the family and Frankie the daughter and sister to her identical twin brothers Ethan and Simon wants the case solved as does Simon’s wife Michelle. Both brothers had been drinking and each accuse the other and have since been estranged. Once Laurie and her team begin to unravel the case it soon heats up and lots of twists and turns begin. There is never a dull moment and from the moment you pick up this book you will not want to put it down. The story and mystery are interesting but so are the depth of the characters in the story that makes is so real. This one is a winner and will not disappoint. Was great to read on a cold snowy day. Highly Recommend.

What a great book! I devoured it in one sitting because it was so hard to put down. I didn’t realize this was a part of a series, but is seemed fine as a stand alone story. Great investigative work, interesting characters and lots of secrets and twists I didn’t expect. Highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been reading Mary Higgins Clark book since I was a teenager and have read all of the Under Suspicion books, so I was more than thrilled to be given the opportunity to read an ARC copy of “It had to be You.” I’ve loved following the lives of Laurie Moran and her family through the series, and this one was no different. I’m so glad the story gets to live on with the help of Alafair Burke. What a great team! The story of identical twins accused, but never convicted, of killing their parents tears their family apart. Interesting plot with plenty of family drama. Because I’ve read so many by the author, I knew early on who I thought was the guilty one, but I was taken on a nice journey before it was revealed. Another excellent read.

What isn't to love about a Mary Higgins Clark novel. My grandmother was a die hard fan and I have also enjoyed the books. This is the first in this series I have read so the other 7 are now on my TBR. The authors did a great job keeping you engaged and guessing at each turn and twist. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

5 stars!! So many times my jaw was on the floor. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Publication date April 16, 2024.

My FIRST MHC book… I am familiar with and have loved what I've read from Alafair Burke’s previous work. But, a Mary Higgins Clarke mystery has been on my (bookish) bucket list! Super excited I got to read an advanced digital copy!

For starters, I am a SUCKER for stories about twins. What roped me into this one was that the twins insisted after a decade the other was guilty of murdering their parents. The truth could’ve been a million possibilities! I was further intrigued to learn that the Under Suspicion producer was not merely drumming up ideas when she opted to pursue THIS case for a season of her show.

AMAZING concept. Not sure if all the books in this series unfold in this manner, but I liked it!

ALSO, I enjoyed the alternating perspectives from different characters. This helped to reveal the full picture to the reader without tremendous excess. I was satisfied with both the pace and mysterious nature of the case.

The book features an endearing group of well-developed characters in a whodunit storyline, against a modern, journalistic backdrop. My only criticism would be that it had a strikingly similar feel to some police procedurals. This was likely a result of it being the eighth book (I was very late to the show) in a series about a television production (which I would imagine is a very structured process). OVERALL, I truly enjoyed It Had To Be You. I am highly interested in the previous books in this series!

Special thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the amazing digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #simonbooks #undersuspicionseries #ithadtobeyoubook #mystery @mary.higgins.clark @alafair.burke @bookshell_f

“It Had to Be You” was a roller coaster of a read. There were so many twist that you didn’t see coming. This book kept you on the edge of your seat and made you want to keep reading.
The Under Suspicion crew is working on their next case for the show. When they find one that they agree on they have to get everyone on board to start filming. As things come into the light the questions start coming. Did the accused actually commit the crime or was someone else lurking in the shadows?
Highly recommend this book.