I have read every book in the Under Suspicion series and this one did not disappoint. The mystery unfolds as Laurie delves into the deaths of a husband and wife. It’s a cold case but the twin sons have always been the prime suspects in their parent’s murders and consequently have not spoken in years because each thinks the other one is responsible. Their younger sister approaches Laurie to look into this case in the hope of clearing her twin brothers.
The story unfolds as clues are uncovered and new suspects arise. The reader is kept guessing throughout the plot development but one thing is certain: It is captivating and hard to put down.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this ARC,

It Had To Be You
I grew up reading my mother’s copies of Mary Higgins Clark’s books and while both have now passed, I was pulled to request this one. Thank you to @netgalley and @simonschuster for the gifted copies. You get exactly what you expect, Allafair Burke continues in the vein of MHC with characters who are good people wanting to do right by others. It’s not gritty or dirty and yes it is predictable but it just catapulted me back in time. This series follows Laurie Moran, producer of a true crime series that has a successful history of solving closed cases. Starting in the middle of the series did not hinder my enjoyment of this one. If you are looking for a quick, easy little who dun it, pick this one up. 4⭐️

This series, and anything Alafair Burke or Mary Higgins Clark is an immediate read for me.

I love how I can just pick back up with the series and the characters as if it has not been awhile since I read the previous installment.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am obsessed with everything MHC. I love how her stories can continue!

I have loved all of the books in the Under Suspicion series. This one was another great addition to the series and I hope Alafair Burke will continue writing stories now that her co-author, Mary Higgins Clark, has passed away. (That was a sad day for many of her fans.) The characters are so well developed and you will come to love ... or not care for ... them. Though this could be read as a standalone, I strongly encourage you to go back to the first book so that you can see them grow and develop ... especially Laurie and her son, Tim. As in previous books, there is a long unsolved murder and lots of twists and turns that will keep you invested in the story. I always find myself flipping through the pages to see what the next clue will be and if I can figure out who is guilty of murder. A light and easy read, you will find yourself sucked into the murder mystery and won’t be able to put the book down until you’ve absorbed the last word, turned the last page, closed the book, and decide that you can’t wait for the next Under Suspicion book to be released. Definitely a series to put on your to-be-read list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I will always remember when my Grandma got the new Mary Higgins Clark book. She was one of her favorite authors. When I saw this new book from her and Alafair Burke, I knew I had to give it a try. Even though “It Had to Be You” is apart of a series, it certainly is not necessary to read the prior books. It was easy to follow along and I did not feel like I missed anything. It depicts the story of two identical twins who are implicated in their parents’ murders. Because they are identical, it was impossible to determine which one did it. Ten years later, Laurie Moran, the producer of a well known television show, seeks to uncover the truth of what happened that night.

This was a nice, easy, whodunit. The plot and characters kept me entertained throughout the book and I liked how light it felt. Despite it being a mystery/thriller, it wasn’t a heavy book and I really appreciated that. I would certainly read another book in the series in the future and recommend it to others looking for a good mystery.

This is the eighth in the Under Suspicion series and I have read all the previous books. I love this series and am excited that it is continuing. The main person in the series is Laurie Moran who has a tv show that investigates cold cases. In this adventure a prominent lawyer and his wife are found dead at their summer beach house. It is the evening when they hosted a celebration for their twin sons in honor of their graduating college. The 22 year sons became the main suspects but there was never enough evidence to press charges. The boys became estranged and it is only now as their younger sister wants answers that they are willing to talk to Laurie about the case.

The format is investigative as they talk to people that the law enforcement at the time didn’t consider. There are a few surprises and red herrings along the way. The novels can stand on their own, especially this one. In the previous books there is a side romance storyline for Laurie and she gets married in Piece of My Heart (Feb 2020). This takes place roughly six months later and while she is settled into her new marriage her family life is barely a part of this story. I am glad that these characters created by the late Mary Higgins Clark can continue with the writing of Alafair Burke. (MHC wrote the first book in the series and then began to partner with Burke.) This is for anyone who enjoys the MHC style of mystery. They are not graphic and are clean for language and intimacy.

Oh man this book was so good. I love their writing styles. I rated 4 stars, I had it partially figured out. I will be going back to read the other 7 books.

It Had To Be You captivated me from the beginning. I didn’t anticipate the twists and I loved how the truth of the story was revealed little by little with plenty of red herrings to keep you continuously guessing. Alafair Burke amazes me with her skill at creating books that are so closely remniscent to the Mary Higgins Clark books I read in my youth. The nostalgia brings me to these books but the thrills and suspense keep me there!

I have posted this review on Amazon, Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6424521293

And Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/C54A535rLjG/?igsh=enByMmFoMTVzOG8y

I received this widget from Simon & Schuster in exchange for my honest review.

Always love Mary Higgins Clark! Just enough suspense and wondering to keep me interested until the end!

After 10 years, Frankie is ready to find out the truth about her parents’ murder, even if it means one of her brothers ends up in prison. As secrets are revealed and it becomes clear that the Harringtons were not the perfect family everyone thought they were.

I enjoyed this book. The story was interesting and the plot moved along at a comfortable pace.

Although part of a series, It Had to Be You can easily be read as a stand alone story,

Thank you to the authors, Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Another engaging read from Mary Higgins Clark/Alafair Burke. What could be more challenging to solve - a cold case involving identical twins charged with killing their parents, each one suspecting the other. I have to admit that I did have this one solved early on but it was still a very entertaining read. Love the premise of Under Suspicion, very appropriate given today’s focus on true crime, podcasts and cold cases. In my mind Frankie stole the book as I kept seeing the storyline through her eyes.
So glad that Alafair Burke is so effectively writing stories that have the true essence of my favorite author growing up - Mary Higgins Clark.
Many many thanks to Alafair Burke, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this four star read. Please keep writing Alafair Burke.

In It Had To Be You by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke, we are again treated to another episode of Under Suspension. The twin brothers, Simon and Ethan, are thought by many people to have murdered their parents. Each brother thinks the other is the murderer. Laurie Moran, producer of Under Suspension, decides to take up this ten-year-old unsolved crime as her next show. Thus begins a mixture of interesting characters, unexplained circumstances and many unanswered questions. All of this contributes to making this novel another great read by this pair.

This was a quick read and I enjoyed it greatly. I love the characters: Laurie, her dad, Alex, Ryan etc. The premise for this one was good, two brothers pitted against each other with trust issues. I had a feeling the killer was Dennis or Annabeth's dad, so it had me questioning them from early on. I can't wait for the next one in the series.

What would you do if you were at a family party only to have the cops show up to let you know that your parents were found murdered in their home? What would you say if a witness said it was one of your brothers who they saw at the scene; were your identical twin brothers playing everyone the night of the party and pretending to be each other while the other went to commit this horrible crime? You were 12 at the time of this horrible event and moved in with your parents best friends. Now 10 years later, your brothers are estranged because they each believe the other did it but all you want is your family back and to find out the truth.
.
This is what happened to Frankie; her brothers Simon and Ethan are labeled as the "Deadly Duo" and have been under suspicion since the night their parents died. Frankie is not sure what to believe but she wants to finally have some peace and get her only family back together. Despite the warning of her parent's best friends who continued to raise her, she contacts TV producer Laurie Moran whose show, Under Suspicion” is known for finding new leads in cold cases and either clearing or convicting people long suspected of a crime. She believes the case will finally be solved once and for all but is she ready for the truth? Is she ready for all that this is going to open up?

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and author for this ARC!

Thanks to Simon Books for the gifted copy of It Had To Be You.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Summary:
This is the 8th book in the Under Suspicion series by Alafair Burke and Mary Higgins Clark, but it was the first I read. It’s a solid installment and I expect readers who’ve read the first seven will really enjoy it. If you haven’t read them, you can still follow the book, but the emotional connection with the story might be lacking.

The basic premise is this: Laurie produces a TV program, Under Suspicion, that reviews cold cases to find new suspects, hand over evidence to the police, and bring the perpetrators to justice. It’s clear that the crew of the show have become like family and I loved watching their dynamic. The author does a good job of giving enough character background so new readers aren’t out of the loop, but not so much that long-time readers will be bored. It’s a tough line to walk and she did a great job.

In this particular installment, a seemingly perfect family is ripped apart by tragedy. Ten years ago, a beloved couple was murdered on the night of their sons’ college graduation party. One twin was seen leaving the scene, but no one knows which twin it was, and both of them claim they didn’t do it. Fast forward, the twins are estranged, both convinced of the other’s guilt. They turn to the Under Suspicion team to finally uncover the truth.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect but wish the book focused on it a bit more. The author gives a lot of air time to the crew of Under Suspicion and the background work they do on the case. I wouldn’t have cut this at all, but I wish the book had been longer to go deeper into the mystery, especially with investigating the other possible suspects.

Still, I loved the characters and am thrilled I’ve got 7 backlist books to get better acquainted with them - will definitely pick up book 1 next and start the series from there!

CAWPILE rankings:

Characters (3/5)
-It's the 8th in the series, so the cast of Under Suspicion are already well established in the series’ universe. Nevertheless, the author does a good job giving enough backstory so new readers don’t feel out of the loop, but not so much that long-time readers will be bored.

Atmosphere/Setting (3/5)
-Set on Cape Cod but it could have been anywhere really, miss opportunity for sure

Writing (3/5)
-Writing is okay. Some lines were cheesy, bordering on cringy. It's not winning any writing awards, but it's not awful.

Plot (4/5)
-The mystery aspect was solid for an 8th book in the series. It's a compelling case and the reader is given solid clues. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's good.
-The balance of story focused on the mystery vs the Under Suspicion crew felt off - I'd rather have had the book be a little longer and go more in depth into the mystery. I thought the amount of focus on the cast was right.

Intrigue (4/5)
It was fairly short and I really liked the characters and wanted to know what happened. Read it in 2 days.

Logic (3.5/5)
It's weird that this show can keep cracking cases that police can't, but okay, it makes for a good series.

Emotion (4/5)
Enjoyable to read! I particularly liked the cast of Under Suspicion and am delighted that there are 7 other books in this universe so I can continue getting to know them.

I love Mary Higgins Clark, I love Alafair Burke and perhaps I love them best together. There is nostalgia in this for me as my late grandmother introduced me to MHC. Just really enjoyed this one. Loved the twists, loved the family relationships and dynamics.

I have been a fan of Mary Higgins Clark’s novels for as long as I can remember. I haven’t read one in quite a bit so was excited to get the chance to read it. As usual I flew through it on the edge of my seat.

I loved reading from all the different perspectives in the story and how they intertwine. I liked that it was hard to trust any of the characters, because they all secrets.

It says this is part of a series and I looked to see I haven’t read any others, but I don’t think it took away from the story. I’m sure I was missing a bit of background on some characters but I found it went well as a standalone.

I am a long time fan of Mary Higgins Clark. I would sneak to read her books even when my mother said I was too young to read them. Her stories all feature a mystery that seems unsolvable yet will lead readers to the solve through many twists and turns that have you changing your mind with each chapter. Alafair Burke has done an excellent job of continuing Clark's legacy while enriching the library of titles she left behind. I've read many of Burke's library of titles and enjoyed every one.

How can you solve a mystery when the killer has an identical twin and the clues points to one or both of them? When a true crime reality show famous for solving cold crimes chooses the murder of their parents to investigate, the wounds are opened and the fingers are pointing, but what if it was neither of them? Choices will be revealed that never came to light that could save this family and solve the murder.

I’m a longtime fan of this series and was pleased to find this book felt like a return to form. The last few novels in this series felt formulaic and less engaging, but ‘It Had to Be You’ had very clever twists and turns. This is a page turner with an unexpected ending and I highly recommend it.