I can’t tell you how amazing it is that Alafair has continued the Queen of Suspenses legacy. Always a guaranteed GOOD read!

In this episode of Under Suspicion we have twin brothers accused of murdering their parents years ago with their sister wondering if her brothers are guilty. Why would the twins murder their parents on the night of their college graduation? Years later, as their estranged from one another their wives and sister still curious “whodunnit”?

This story flew by, it read easily and kept my attention from the first to the last page. The characters were very well detailed and the story/plot marvelously written. It was a cliffhanger and one that I didn’t even see coming. Four stars!

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

I have been a fan of the late Mary Higgins Clark’s work for years, so I am delighted that Alafair Burke is expertly continuing the 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘯 series. IT HAD TO BE YOU is book 8, but each book can be read as a stand alone.

LAURIE MORAN is a producer of a successful true crime show, Under Suspicion. She decides to investigate a ten year old murder mystery that has never been solved.

Ten years ago, the wealthy parents of identical twins Simon and Ethan were murdered while the twins were enjoying a lavish college graduation party. The police theorized that one twin committed the murders while the other one stayed at the party and provided an alibi for both. But which twin committed the murders? Ten years later, the twins are estranged and each twin believes the 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 committed the murder!

As the Under Suspicion crew delves into the murders, they stir up old suspicions and jealousies. Can they solve the murders before another one is committed?

MY THOUGHTS: This intricate mystery has fully-developed characters and an intriguing storyline. The main character, Laurie, is surrounded by supporting coworkers and family. Each of the twins has married, and built a fulfilling life with a lovely wife. They agree to talk to Laurie at the request of their younger sister, Frankie. As Laurie talks to the family members and the former best friend of the twin’s mother, the strong ties of family and friendship are revealed and tested. I actually liked each of the characters and was routing for them. The twist at the end was perfect! This cozy mystery has just the right blend of intrigue and secrets that will keep you turning the pages!

Mary Higgins Clark is always a solid read for me, and I am stunned by how seamlessly Alafair Burke blends her style with MHC.

It Had to Be You is the 8th book in the “Under Suspicion” series, named after the true crime TV show produced by our main character, Laurie Moran.

Laurie is off to solve another cold case, this time the “Deadly Duo”- twin brothers accused of murdering their parents 10 years ago.

As always, danger lurks around every corner and what was hidden will come to light.

Perfectly paced, It Had to Be You is a compelling mystery in an enduring and established style that makes me feel like I’m home.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the digital ARC in exchange for these honest thoughts.

This is another addition to the Under Suspicion Series. Truly a page turner, this will keep you guessing with the twists and turns.

We get to read the latest installment of this series by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. We get back to Laurie Moran and her team when they introduce the newest case they have been tasked to solve. This ten year old murder mystery made headlines when two brothers are accused of killing their parents and resulting in a rift between the brothers. As a result, their little sister is taken in by a family friend but is estranged from her brothers. Ten years later, family members are wanting answers. Will Laurie be able to find the answers the police could not find all those years ago?

As Laurie and her team start investigating and interviewing various members of the family, they start to see that the small town police department focused on the two brothers after a witness stated that they had seen one of them near the house. Will they be able to piece together the clues that went unnoticed all those years ago, or will they be too late as they get closer to the truth.

The continuation of this series allows us to catch up with all the familiar characters and see what they have been up to since the last time we left them. We get to see how life has fared for them and go along with them as they follow the clues. You keep turning the page to see what happens next and then realize that you are almost at the end which indicates that you should slow down. Once you get to the end, it all makes sense and you wish there was more and now am eagerly waiting for the next case. I really enjoyed this story and it keeps you guessing and trying to figure it out with them. I look forward to reading more from this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this privilege.

This story is a chilling suspense, with great beloved characters, and a jaw-dropping twist that you won’t want to miss
If you enjoy mysteries, thrillers, and suspenseful twists, It Had to Be You is definitely worth adding to your reading list! And of course it a Mary Higgins Clark book

It had to be you

By: Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke

Publish date: 16 April 2024

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

General Fiction (Adult), mystery and thriller

100 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read and review this book.

BOOK REVIEW:

I gave this book 5 stars. Mary Higgins Clark is one of my favorite authors and I was afraid that after her death the books would stop. I know that this book was probably written mostly by Alafair Burke but that is ok.

This is the eighth book in the series. This time the show is trying to see who the real killer or killer are in a ten-year-old murder. Laurie always gets a family member to agree first on them doing a special about the crime before they go into their investigations. This time the baby sister who will be turning 22 soon wants to figure out who killed her parents ten-years-ago. Was it one of her twin brothers or both or neither. She is finally ready to find out. Her brothers on the other really don’t want to find out because they each blame each other, and this has broken up the family. The family who took in the sister also don’t know who actually did the deed. There is a lot of family tension but also family unity. The authors had you guessing all along the way. There are many clues or red herrings in the book, but they are actually very good, and you could see why they are put there.

You will have to read the book to find out who did it and if the family can recover their relationships. Also just to let you know you don’t have to read the books in order but if you want to learn more about Laurie and her family you should start from book one.

My mother introduced me to Mary Higgins Clark years ago. Her books never cease to take me on a roller coaster of thrills, confusion, and so many twists and turns. This book constantly had me on the edge of my seat from the first page.

The story was good and the twist was unexpected. BUT it lacked that special something. Books that have come out after Mary's death have been a little off.

First time reading a book by Mary Higgins Clark. I wish I knew about her way before I started reading books in general. Everything about this book is the definition of suspend and Mystery. I love a book with a plot twist and this book definitely have it.

Ten years ago Richard and Sarah Harrington were murdered in their Cape Cod summer home. It was the night their twin sons, Simon and Ethan, were celebrating their college graduations. By all appearances it was the perfect family. The police quickly decided that the brothers conspired to kill their parents. An eye witness claimed to see one of them away from the party around the time the killings were happening. Both brothers insist that they never left the party all night. The Murder case went cold, but the brothers became estranged. They each insist that they weren't involved so it must have been the other one.

Now, the youngest child, daughter Frankie, wants to finally know what happened that night. She was only 12 when the tragedy tore her family apart. The brother's wives also want to know. They each have young families of their own and soon their children will be old enough to learn that their fathers are suspected murderers, at least in public opinion. The Deadly Duo.

Laurie Moran, investigative journalist and producer of a true crime show is under pressure to find an interesting case to feature or her show's format will have to be changed, in order to keep up with the more sensationalized competitors. Under Suspension always takes on cold cases where new I formation can be dug up and the unconvinced suspect can either be exonerated once and for all or finally brought to justice.

I really loved the characters and though I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, I was able to fully connect with the story. It does read well as a stand alone, though I will be going back to read the rest of this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to enjoy this e-ARC.

A quick read, part of a series but fine to read as a stand alone. Estranged identical twins, both accused of murdering their parents are part of the investigation into the cold case for the tv show. It took awhile to get deep in the story but I wanted to see how it got resolved betweenthe potential suspects.

Alafair Burke has done an excellent job of continuing the series after Mary Higgins Clark's passing. She honors Higgins Clark's style while putting her own stamp on the series. As a fan of both of them, I enjoyed this so much! This book is a fast-paced, suspenseful read with crisp, engaging writing that keeps readers hooked until the end. The story has layers of family drama and secrets from both before and after the crime. As these twists are revealed, doubt is sown as readers get clues and red herrings. Laurie, the protagonist, is a character that I like a lot. She's a smart, determined investigator but has been through quite a lot herself and is compassionate and kind and puts people before TV ratings. Although this is book eight in the series, it works fine as a stand-alone.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC

*4.5 stars

In this engaging read, a TV journalist takes on the investigation of a cold case. The premise is simple - there were person(s) under suspicion, but nothing was every proven. In this case, did one of the twins kill their parents or was it someone else altogether? The story is told from varying points of view, giving you a feel for the personalities and perceptions of those characters and showing how the family dynamics affected the siblings and their beliefs regarding the murder. Overall, it was a well-paced read, however not quite as suspenseful as some of the author's earlier works.

FTC: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This has not affected the content of my review.

I’ve long been a fan of Mary Higgins Clark, and love to dive into new books. Prior to this, I’d read two books in this Under Suspicion series and loved them both. Laurie Moran is a journalist who now runs a tv show where they investigate cold cases with at least one suspect who was never charged for the crime. This time, Laurie and her team look into the decade old murder of a wealthy couple who were killed on the night of their twin sons college graduation party. The twins were both suspected of orchestrating the crime together by impersonating the other. They each claimed to have an alibi and therefore never charged.

Now, their younger sister and their wives want to know what really happened that fateful night, so they call Laurie to take a deeper dive. Along the way, Laurie uncovers the truth through many twists and turns. I had my suspicions on who it was, but even I was surprised and shocked at the ending. This book is why I have loved The Queen of Suspense since I was a teenager. I’m so glad Alafair Burke is keeping this series going.

Thank to @simonbooks, @netgalley and @alafair.burke for the advanced copy of the book.

IT HAD TO BE YOU was another entertaining installment of the Under Suspicion series, which has been an enjoyable and consistent read since the beginning. This one is yet another compelling mystery to be solved by Laurie Moran and team, and really enjoyed the twists and turns as they put the pieces together. Will look forward to the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review IT HAD TO BE YOU.

It Had To Be You by Alastair Burke and Mary Higgins Clark is a wonder. It was an unsolved mystery. Ten years earlier, on the night of their graduation party, someone had killed their parents. Everyone thought it was one of them, twins, or maybe they’d been working together. A witness had seen one of them near their car in the parking lot. Was it over money? Over control or rebellion? They hadn’t spoken in years, although each had a relationship with their younger sister, who had been raised by their parents’ best friends. They each thought the other one was guilty as they knew they were not. Now, a true crime show from television had been contacted by their sister, Frankie. She wanted to know. Could she get them to cooperate?

What a wonderful investigative novel. The police had dropped the ball all those years before. Of that there was no doubt. It was a seaside community with locals and outlanders. This was an outlander murder, and they didn’t really care. Plus, they were in over their heads. The father was a lawyer and he expected them to be as well. One was, had done all he’d asked. The other hadn’t. Both were married, now. One to the woman who had been his girlfriend all those years before, one to the woman his father though was beneath him. One wife supported Frankie’s wish to know. The other didn’t. This was an intricately written book with clear lines drawn between the brothers and the law, or Laurie Ward, the woman who wanted to find the truth. Simon, the lawyer, agreed at his wife’s urging. Ethan said he would cooperate only after Laurie found something new. She did. He did. Eventually she discovered the very sad truth. It changed lives. Thanks Burke and Clark for a riveting novel!

I was invited to read It Had To Be You by Simon & Schuster. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
#Netgalley #SimonAndSchuster #MaryHigginsClark #AlafairBurke

Mary Higgins Clark never lets me down! I had a pretty good guess of who the culprit would be but was still surprised by how well it all wrapped up. I love that about her novels, the thoroughness and quick pacing. They’re clever and accurate without getting too heavily into the weeds. This is actually my first of the Under Suspicion series, but it works perfectly well as a stand alone. I look forward to going back and reading more in the series written with Alastair Burke.

Mary Higgins Clark is always a five star read for me - I'm so glad her books continue to be released despite her passing. I LOVE the premise of a true crime show bringing the truth to light. The book did a great job of convincing me it had to be one of the boys. I love the twists and turns.

Mary Higgins Clark is an author that I used to read as a teenager, and she proves once again that she’s still got it. I will admit, I haven’t read any of Alafair Burke’s solo work, but I’ll definitely check it out now.

There were some hints throughout the book that Laurie, the producer of a true crime show, was more than a passing character, but I appreciated the vague descriptions of her previous life, since I hope to read the series from the beginning. This is the eighth entry in the “Under Suspicion” series, but it can be read as a standalone, in my opinion—although you will get some spoilers about Laurie’s current family situation.

I did think that the action took a while to get going, but I enjoyed figuring out who might be responsible when all of the suspects had been presented. I’m proud to say that part of my guess was correct, but Clark and Burke certainly did not make it easy! There are twists in here that will have you second guessing yourself, and that’s a big part of why thrillers are such a popular genre. Just when you think you’ve narrowed down the suspect list, BAM, here comes another suspicious person! It’s, dare I say, quite fun.