Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. It has two identical brothers, one who killed their parents, and one who had a solid alibi. They both claim the other twin did the murder. Years later they are estranged but still want to clear their names.

enjoyed this mystery thriller! It had me questioning whodunnit the whole time! The suspicion on the twins built tension throughout the book. I liked the characters of the show and how they added an element of detective work to the book. I didn’t see the ending coming which is always a good thing in a mystery/thriller! However, I still feel like it was just missing a little something for me to give it 5⭐️.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Shuster for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 (rounded up to 4)/5

My first ARC review! Thank you so much @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book!

Mary Higgins Clark will always have a special place in my heart. I read Daddy’s Little Girl when I was in middle school and have been hooked on thrillers ever since! As the Queen of Suspense, she did not disappoint with It Had to Be You.

Synopsis: 10 years earlier, the parents of identical twins Simon and Ethan leave their sons’ graduation party only to be found gunned down in their home later the same night. No one understands how such a horrible crime could have happened to a seemingly perfect family. Police and the public believe the twins killed their parents. Even the twins believe the other one did it, yet the crime remains unsolved. A decade later Laurie Moran, producer of Under Suspicion, gets involved to finally crack the case. Family secrets are revealed. Was everyone right about what happened? Or will the brothers finally be able to clear their names?

This was a quick and fun read! I did not realize when I picked it up that it is part of the Under Suspicion series, but thankfully it is set up so that each book can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed that this was a crime novel but from the perspective of producing a TV show rather than from the police. This book was filled with suspense, twists and turns. Every other chapter left me with a different theory. I enjoyed the fast pace and trying to guess who was behind the murders!

I have loved reading Mary Higgins Clark’s novels over the years. It Had to Be You, the newest collaboration with Alafair Burke since her death, does not disappoint. I was intrigued because I didn’t expect to ever have the opportunity to read any more books by her. Also, I was unaware of the Under Suspicion series. All of that made me appreciate more the opportunity to read it.
I am sure the format of a podcaster reexamining a past unsolved mystery will attract readers. The fact that the suspects are identical twins makes it interesting, since their younger sister was the one who went to Laurie Moran to try to get her help . Another interesting element is that each twin believes the other one was the murderer. That obviously makes their involvement in the murder questionable.
Overall I liked the story. It isn’t groundbreaking, but rather a “comfortable “ read that fulfills the longing for one more story from a beloved writer. That alone makes it worth reading.

Another great book in the Under Suspicion series. I truly enjoy Laurie as a character and how she investigates and eventually clears any suspicions. The twins are accused of murdering their parents and have been estranged since the crime has occurred. Frankie believes that the police did not investigate very well so she contacts Laurie. Once Laurie agrees and persuades the twins as well as others to appear on the show everything changes. The twins can finally live a happy life and be reunited after so many years. The true murderer is caught thanks to Frankie helping Laurie. A fantastic book!

I had so many suspects in mind and was completely wrong when the culprit was revealed.
It Had to Be You is about a double murder that took place 10 years ago and was never solved. Everyone believes the twin sons killed their parents the night of their graduation, but there was never enough evidence. Now Laurie Moran is revisiting the case with her show Under Suspicion to help the family get answers.
This was my first book by Mary Higgins Clark and the 8th book in this series. However, I felt like I didn't miss out on that much by not reading the others.
I really enjoyed the story. I felt fully immersed in the characters and couldn't wait to get all the details of what happened so long ago. So many people looked suspicious and I did not see the ending coming.
I also noticed that this was a nice, “clean” thriller. The language was clean. It wasn't spicy. Frankly, the murder wasn't even gory.

This was a great page turner that had you questioning everything till the very end. Definitely a mystery. Big twists & easy to read. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you netgalley & Simon Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Another fantastic book from one of my favorite series. It Had To Be You by is the eighth book in the Under Suspicion series and it did not disappoint! Available 4/16/24.

A family torn apart by the murder of their parents. The identical twin brothers (sons of the murdered couple) are still the main suspects nearly ten years later but have never been charged. Each accuses the other. Is it all a ruse to avoid prosecution?

Enter the true crime/unsolved mystery gurus from the Under Suspicion TV series. To mark the ten year anniversary of the murders, Laurie Moran and her team begin asking questions in hopes of having the investigation reopened. But not everyone wants to see this case revisited…

Family secrets, money, shoddy police work, and questionable characters are front and center with this one. A super quick read filled with suspense. If you are like me, you’ll be flying through the pages to find out all the answers and won’t be able to put it down!

I loved this! If you are a fan of mystery/suspense without the gore be sure to pick this one up. These can be read as standalones but I do encourage you to read in order to better understand the characters.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review! I am crossing my fingers that new books will continue to be released for this wonderful series.

5/5⭐️

This was a wonderfully written mystery, crime, and fiction book with characters I enjoyed (despite some of them doing despicable things). The plot was intriguing, the pacing of the storyline was perfect, and it was a mystery worth reading to the end to find out what happened. Kudos to the authors for having a strong woman investigator who was intelligent and compassionate. The way she approached cracking the case, being sensitive to the needs of those she investigated, and applying pressure to those she needed to apply pressure was terrific to read. I highly recommend this book!

4 stars!

I’m a huge fan of this series with Laurie and under suspicion plot line. This time they have to clear the name of two twin brothers. Their parents were killed, but which one did it?

Murder, twins, a true crime tv show. all the elements of a twisting plotted story. The books would be well served to provide a chart of the cast of characters. they were not fleshed out enough to remember them as their names came up. Ending was satisfactory.

I highly enjoyed this book by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. I've long been a fan of Alafair Burke and have read several books by MHC and really liked this team up between this two authors. This was a highly engaging and suspenseful story that had me thinking about it long after I finished it! I would highly recommend reading this book for any fans of these authors or fans of suspense/mystery books in general.

Enjoyed reading another Under Suspicion book in traditional MHC fashion. Alafair Burke does a great job continuing on in the name of MHC in this quick mystery read. This books focuses on the reopening of a case for a true crime show by Laurie Moran and her crew. It delves into the murder of two parents and whether one twin son committed the crime. It has traditional MHC twists and turns and is a fun, quick read. Highly recommend.

This book opens with the perfect family celebrating the achievements of handsome twin sons. Everything seems great on the outside, but when the parents are found murdered, the sons are looked at as the prime suspects. Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke have created a well-crafted mystery with a pretty good set of red herrings for the reader to follow. When a true crime show wants to reignite the story ten years later, things have changed and more information becomes available. This is a classic mystery that will keep you guessing. I recommend it. I received this book from Net Galley and have left an honest review.

I absolutely adore how effortlessly I can dive into the next installment of the captivating Under Suspicion series. Once again, Laurie steps into the spotlight with another intricate case awaiting her keen investigative skills. This time, the spotlight falls on twin brothers accused of the unthinkable - murdering their parents, albeit with a compelling twist. Each sibling points the finger at the other, and being identical twins, the truth seems an elusive mystery. Laurie, with her trademark investigative brilliance, returns to the fray. True to form, she orchestrates her investigation through her television show, Under Suspicion, compelling suspects to face the cameras and confront their truths head-on.

This latest addition to the series is succinct yet enthralling, propelling the reader forward with each turn of the page. The story effortlessly maintains its pace, ensuring readers remain fully engaged from start to finish. Characters are easily distinguishable and some even manage to win over our affections. I did wish for a few more pages. Here's hoping for another gripping installment soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for granting me the opportunity to delve into this ARC and share my thoughts.

Really enjoyed this book. Was quite surprised by the killer. I enjoyed the character development and the family story. I would highly recommend it.

Publication date: April 16th, 2024
Page count: 272
Genre: thriller
Setting: Cape Cod
POV: multiple

Chef’s kiss! Mary Higgins Clarke introduced me to thrillers as a child. She is still the author that I am most excited to read. love her writing style. Her books are well thought out, with writing that is engaging and easy to read.

Fast moving fun read. It was a treat that I did not want to end!


Thank you to author, publisher, NetGalley for advanced copy. This is an honest voluntary review.

Is it worse to be suspected of murder, or to expose your life to a deep investigation?

Ten years ago, the parents of identical twins Ethan and SImon threw their sons a huge party near their vacation beach home south of Boston. Later that night the parents are found murdered in their home, and the local police quickly focus on one or both of the twins as being the murderer.. The case was never brought to trial, but the press dubbed the boys the “Deadly Duo” and the pall of suspicion hangs over both of them even ten years later. Each twin is convinced that the other killed their parents, and they have remain estranged. It is their younger sister Frankie who decides that it is time to resolve the matter once and for all, and 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. The brothers themselves are initially reluctant to bring the case back to the public’s attention, as are others in their orbit…and it turns out that the “perfect family’ had a lot of secrets that will be brought to light. Will Laurie and her crew be able to finally solve the case and, if so, will the twins and Frankie be better or worse off at the end?

This is the eighth installment of the “Under Suspicion” series collaboration between Alafair Burke (daughter of famed crime novelist James Lee Burke, as well as a successful author in her own right) and the late Mary Higgins Clark. That said, this book works perfectly well as a standalone novel, so readers who have not read any of the preceding books shouldn’t be put off. The character of Laurie Moran, who herself experienced the murder of a loved one and having to live under the glare of public interest, is compassionate towards the people whose cases she investigates. She also has to deal with office politics and an overly-ambitious co-worker. As she looks into the case, she is not convinced that either or both of the young men are in fact guilty; there are others who were and are close to the family who may have had a motive to kill one or both of the parents, and it soon becomes clear that the police did not do a thorough investigation. It Had to Be You is a quick and enjoyable read, and while I figured out who did it relatively early on it was still a fun read that Mary Higgins Clark fans will enjoy., as will those who enjoy true crime shows. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me access to an early copy of this entertaining story.

#8 in the Under Suspicion series follows Laurie as she looks for her next unsolved true crime to feature on her tv show. This double murder took place almost a decade ago and it’s always been assumed to be one (or both) of the identical twin sons. Neither were ever charged due to lack of evidence to convict, but it led to the brothers’ estrangement. Their little sister, now an adult, is ready to find out the truth. Whatever that may be.

This is the only book of the series that I’ve read. It did well as a stand-alone book. There were a lot of characters and sometimes I would forget who was being referred to, but usually the next sentence offered a reminder, as if to read my mind and know I would forget. For 85% of the book it was a solid and steady 4 stars. The ending/reveal wasn’t as exciting as I was hoping and ended dropping it half a star by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing this ARC. This review is being shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date 16 Apr 2024

I’ve enjoyed all the Under Suspicion books and this one is no exception. The characters are complex and interesting, the cold case is one you find yourself invested in and just when you think you have it figured out….there's the classic Mary Higgins Clark twist at the end. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.