Clearly the best book she's ever written.

The premise is based on a true-life story. A promising college grad disappears, but his family receives a phone call from him each Mother's Day.

I've ready many of Mary Higgins Clark's books over the years, and I always enjoy her work. I enjoyed this one too, but it was a surprise, in the way the book was more than what I expected.

Mary Higgins Clark is moving beyond her role as a popular writer into something more. The array of well-developed characters and fascinating multiple story lines converged into an excellent read. The stories about these complex characters give the reader much to contemplate.

I would expect this successful author to crank out another interesting formula-style mystery. I was surprised how she is continuing to evolve and mature as a writer.

Absolutely excellent.

I have every book written by Mary and looked forward to this book. Either my taste in reading has changed or Mary needs to slow down in her publishing mode. The book was good but just didn't hold me from beginning to end. I've had it for a couple of months and eventually will finish the book but cannot get into it. It is truly disappointing. I have several of Carol Higgins Clark's books and they are improving. Time to retire Mary? I love ya dearly and go back and read your old books but this one just doesn't make the grade.

The premise of this book is that 10 years ago, Charles (Mack) MacKenzie, Jr. walked out of his college housing, on a beautiful afternoon right before his graduation from Columbia undergraduate, never to be seen again. However, every year on Mother's Day he calls his mother to let her know that he's OK. This year, his 26-year old sister Carolyn, interupts the conversation to tell her brother that she's going to find him no matter what it takes. The following day her uncle a priest at a local parish finds a note in the collection basket "Uncle Devon tell Carolyn not to find me." Instead of detering her from the task at hand it just makes Carolyn more insistent. As she begins to unravel the mystery someone close to her will have to act fast or all his secrets will be revealed.

I have to say that I thought this was one of MHC's best efforts recently. Even though it follows her formula I didn't figure it out until they said who it was. It kept me turning the pages and if you're looking for a good mystery that you can finish in one day - this is it! Enjoy!

This book was a fast read and a page turner. I found it to be *somewhat* predictable. Her books of late have not been as meaty and twisting as some of her earlier classic thrillers! I had a 'suspicion' who the bad guy was about 3/4 of the way thru, but then little twists had me thinking I was wrong. But in the end, I was correct! It was still suspenseful and fun to read. I have always loved MHC and always enjoy a good, light thriller. If you like books that are not filled with bad words, gory details and disturbing content - then this one is highly recommended!

Run...don't walk....and buy this book! It was wonderful! I could not put it down until I knew what had happened to Mack! I tried to figure out "who done it"...but could not! Wow...buy it now!

I have not read all of her books but, I've read enough to pretty much recap: Heroine trying to uncover something, lots of red herrings to (try to) throw you off (here's a hint: whenever MHC makes someone overtly suspicious, they had nothing to do with the crime), and ALWAYS the same type character who does it in the end (if you've read any of her books you know what I'm talking about). The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew are just as formulaic as MHC has become. For crying out loud, I guessed who the - I'll say "bad person" - was as soon as I was introduced to the characters. But I can't blame her...I mean if I could pump out the same plot with the same main characters over and over again with the same type ending and wind up on the best seller list, I'd do the same too (just look at how many Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books are out there)!

I wouldn't say I'm disappointed because the mystery was good, but there was an overload of characters and more police work than I usually care to read about...it didn't add to the strength of the story for me.

Also, I didn't feel the connection between Carolyn and her missing brother, Mack. She talked about him a lot, but it seemed to be just that - talk. I didn't feel sad at the end the way I'm sure MHC intended her readers to feel. It was an OK ending, and the epilogue certainly wrapped things up nicely, but it lacked a lot for me to be able to call this a satisfying read.

I've read every Mary Higgins Clark book ever written. Love the lady and love the way she weaves suspense and great characters (in this day and age, it's wonderful to find characters you can LIKE!). In recent years, MHC has shown glimmers, too, of delving into more complex psychological areas ala Ruth Rendell. Alas, to me, this book was incredibly formulaic. I never really got to KNOW Carolyn, the main character, or sympathize with her. Another issue I've noted lately is the author's tendency to write kindly of the wealthy and privileged - while those less financially fortunate characters are always portrayed as devious plotters. This is one of the few MHC books I may not finish - I simply don't care to find out "whodunnit."

I have been a fan of MHC for many years, dating back to when I was in junior high. While I was very excited to read this book, I was ultimately very disappointed.

The premise is really intriguing: a young man has been missing for 10 years and only calls his family once a year (on Mother's Day). The book gets off to a good start but loses momentum somewhere in the middle. I felt that MHC was stretching the events of the novel to fill pages. I was pretty bored with the novel after the first 150 pages and had to push myself to finish it.

Other thoughts:
- MHC always balances a full cast of characters, but there were simply too many characters in this novel! I had to constantly return to earlier pages because I couldn't remember who certain characters were.
- This is another one of those books where every major character has attended Princeton, Harvard, Columbia, etc. Why?? There are plenty of strong, non-Ivy league colleges in the country. The wealth and prestige of the main family added nothing to the book for me.
- The behavior of the police was unrealistic and their dialogue was very repetitive.
- The ending, while unexpected, lacked any tension or excitement.

While this was a nice change of pace from the traditional romantic suspense MHC wrote in the 80's & 90's, I expected better. It could have been better plotted.

Talk about boring. MHC started boring me with "On The Street Where You Live". I didn't finish that book and I forced myself to finish this one. She use to be one of my favorites, but this is it for me. As mentioned before, there were just too many characters to keep up with. I had to flip back a few times to see if I'd missed a certain characters introduction. There was absolutely nothing compelling about this novel. I'll admit to being surprised over who the killer was, but even that reveal fell kind of flat. I'm so glad I borrowed this from the libary.

The author says she got the idea for this novel from a true news story about a college student who disappeared without a trace just before graduation.

The missing young man of Clark's novel also seemed to have everything going for him when he disappeared without a trace and for no apparent reason. The family of the young man, Mack, has hoped for 10 years that he is alive. Their hope is fueled by a once-a-year phone call from Mack on Mother's Day. As the novel begins, Mack's mother is overwhelmed with the grief of not only losing her son, but now she has lost her husband on 9/11. Mac's little sister, Carolyn, is a recent law school grad who is determined to find him and see her mother happy again.

Then another student disappears, a young girl who is a neighbor of Carolyn's, and the police believe Mack may be responsible.

As Carolyn investigates, her own life is put in danger.

You'll want to read this book in one sitting, because every time you think you have it all figured out, another character's secret is revealed.

This is another great Mary Higgins Clark suspense. When you think you have it figured out she throws another curve at you. Excellent book.

Tell Carolyn she must not look for me! These are the words that kept me turning the pages! MHC has returned to her former throne as one of the "Queens of Mystery". This book was so reminiscent of her earlier work and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A great story with well-developed characters and those wonderful short chapters. I couldn't wait to find out "who done it" from the first page on. In addition to the cast of characters Ms. Clark gives us a good solid story here. Mack, a thriving college student with a hefty trust fund, suddenly disappears and is missing for almost 10 years. He does however, call home every Mother's Day and leaves a short greeting. His sister Carolyn has finally decided to take the bull by the horns to try and find him after his most recent call. Additionally, a woman by the name of Leesey Andrews recently turns up missing, and lo and behold on Mother's Day she calls home as well. Now, all the more reason for Carolyn to find her brother. It is very believable story and MHC gives us a denouement that is more than satisfying. Thanks Mary, great job!

I actually ordered this book for my wife. She loves to read and said this was a really good book. She said she would definitely recommend this book to her friends.

I took this to the pool and ended up finishing it that evening. Couldn't put it down. Even ordered pizza for dinner (the kids were thrilled, the husband was out of town) so that I wouldn't have to stop reading. I definately recommend it!!!

Loved the book. It was such that even toward the end I was not certain who was the guilty party.
I like that type of mystery.

I love MHC and haven't missed a novel. But again with the short novels they just don't hold up to her best work. It jumps around so much and feels like people are just been thrown in. She is one of my favorite writers and have loved all her work. This one feels like it was thrown together with much speed just to get it out.
If this should be the first time you read a book from her just know that all of her past books have been great.

I loved this book. I wasn't surprised, however. I love all the Mary Higgins Clark books. This one did not disappoint.

where are you now like i said thrilling as all her others i have all her books so far love love love them

Mary Higgins Clark has done it again. I read the whole book on the way from Hawaii to Chicago. I always enjoy reading her books.

I have read MHC's books for years. At one time when I worked at a hospital, we had a routing slip for who would have her novel passed along to them next. But, this latest piece was not her best work. I found myself having difficulty staying with it (which is normally not the case, I can hardly put her books down) and what frustrated me so much was that she introduced so many characters (I know, this has already been said) I had a hard time keeping track of them. I even found myself going back and rereading parts to reacquaint myself with some of the characters. The storyline seemed far-fetched to me too.

This was my first and will be my last Mary Higgins Clark novel.

Clunky, jerky, trite and dated dialogue. Hopelessly contrived boring plot. Cardboard characters.

How did this author get to be a bestseller? Unless perhaps she shares an audience with the bodice-ripper romance novels on the racks by the checkout counters.

I bought this late at night using my Kindle store access, looking for a good mystery to read, and I really regret that I didn't take the time to check out the 1-2 star reviews. It would have saved me 10 bucks and the frustration of a book that rapidly went from bad to worse.

Amazon does a great job in taking and shipping orders on a timely basis. This was gift for my wife who has just about every book written by Mary Higgins Clark and reads each of them more than once. This book is no exception to her fine writing.

I have read several MHC books and this one fits her writing style well. 'Where Are You Now' is a complex plot about a brother missing for 10 years with a lot of unexpected, fast-moving twists and an unexpected conclusion. MHC introduces a plethora of characters (about 27 with speaking parts plus another 15 or so referred to by name) all of which can be hard to keep up with. Even so, the book was an exciting mystery and a good read that I could recommend to anyone.

This book earned three stars vs. a stronger rating as parts of the book were too contrived. Many supporting characters provided a great deal of breadth and let the reader speculate on who was responsible for Mack's disappearance. However, that much breadth didn't allow for appropriate depth. Some good red herrings thrown in to confuse the reader, which is always appreciated. Yet the end came together a little too tightly and the epilogue wrapped up the story like a gift the receive is expecting; there are few surprises by that point. The main character's emotions are also not explored in any fashion in the last few chapters, yet that would better end the storyline that plot updates. Overall, an easy read, some surprises, good library book.

Don't miss this book!

Mary Higgins Clark fans will be delighted with this nicely told mystery, one of her very best. Families provide lots of drama for most people, and Ms. Clark wisely chooses to add family complications to increase the flavor of this excellent story.

What would you think of your only brother disappeared just before finishing college . . . except to make a brief phone call for Mom on Mother's Day? It's pretty frustrating, suggesting that he doesn't care about you at all. Sis is Carolyn MacKenzie, a bright lawyer whose clerkship has just ended sooner than she expected.

Carolyn decides to push brother Mack to permanently surface. He quickly sends a message to back off . . . but Carolyn is not going to do that. Badly dislocated lives are soon fractured in painful ways.

Other currents are moving swiftly in dark places, and soon there are other mysteries to solve. In the process, you'll meet a lot of vulnerable people with secrets to keep. You'll also meet some pretty questionable types. But who did what?

It's a great mystery premise to think about someone who is missing but stays in touch on Mother's Day. I had a hard time imagining what was behind such behavior.

I also liked the way Ms. Clark developed her characters. Lots of them are interesting, and you'll care about what happens to them.

But I must save my special praise for the mystery: It's hard to solve due to excellent misdirection and lots of subtle clues with multiple potential meanings.

Brava, Ms. Clark!

Clark is back in stride with this one. Where Are You Now? is more like her earlier suspense novels, and proves she's still got it. The dialog is crisp, sparkling and true to type; she constructed the Manhattan police detectives with such skill I think they're still in my head. Clark switches from first person to third, and multiple points of view, carrying it off masterfully--not an easy thing to do. It gives the reader a three dimensional experience, plunging them deep into a suspenseful, captivating mystery. Clark is clearly in love with Manhattan. With a magic touch, she brings buildings, restaurants, apartments and the East River to life in her narrative. Take this one with you on vacation, it will keep you very entertained during down time.

This book was so good! I am an avid Mary Higgins Clark fan, and finally, after 21 books, I guessed the ending. It's another one of those, incredible endings that makes you want to find someone and just sit and discuss it for hours on end. While the book isn't "action-packed", the suspense is incredible, and after spending 6-11 at a dance, i slept for seven hours and woke up early on my precious weekends and read it.

There is such an uproar for all the detective, crime and forensics shows on television that I found myself very pleased with this story as an alternative to the often times to graphic shows on tv.

You are kept guessing throughout the book. I frankly had one thought about how it would end but was then pleased that it actually went a different direction from what I had guessed.

I didn't give the book 5 stars because I thought it ended a bit to abruptly. I would have liked maybe a little more development of the last chapter before the epilogue. But, then again, I'm not a writer.

Mary Higgins Clark again does a fine job of providing a good bit of entertainment for those of us getting fed up with the fare on television.

Mary Higgins Clark has once again written a great book that kept me interested and turning pages. Twists and turns in the plot are expected and surely delivered.

I have been a fan of Mary Higgins Clark since High School. She was actually the author that got me interested in reading mystery novels. I just finished her newest book Where are you now?

This book didn't disappoint. It is a touching story about Caroline, a sister that lost her brother Mack 10 years ago. This wasn't one of those fast passed novels that you cannot put down. However, it was such a touching story that I found I couldn't put it down. I wanted to find out what happened to Mack as much as Caroline did.

The ending left me speechless. This is a must read!

This is such a good book. In the typical style of the Mary Higgins Clark, Where Are You Now? is suspenseful, keeping you on the edge of your seat. The plot is shrouded in mystery that keeps you reading until you come to the ending, which was really a surprise for me.

While it is not a Christian book, there is no sexual overtones or bad language and it is a good read for anyone who enjoys mysteries, Christian or otherwise.

"Mary Higgins Clark is the queen of the modern mystery and one of the nicest
authors writing today. Where Are You Now? introduces Carolyn MacKenzie who must solve the reason her brother only calls her family on Mother's Day. Is he in trouble, is he a criminal, is he dead? The twist and turns in this mystery will keep you glued to your seat and guessing the outcome till the end of the book."

Since others have already reviewed this book, I'm just going to put in my two cents worth. This books was cliched, non-engaging and seemed to have been written on autopilot. As another (more articulate) reviewer suggested, get it from a library or better yet, read some of MHC's early books, they were wonderful.

Due to illness problems I still have not had the time to read the book. Since things are getting better, I intend to start reading soon!!!! I have ordered two more books, Women's Murder Club books, and hope to finish MHClark's before they arrive!!!

Mary Higgins Clark continues to produce. Good book. Characters are depicted so well, I felt like a part of the family going through this series of circumstances with them..

Mary Higgins Clark's "Where Are You Now?" centers on the disappearance of twenty-one year old Columbia University senior Charles MacKenzie, Jr., known as Mack. He "was the perfect son, the perfect brother, handsome, kind, funny, an excellent student." Although Mack has been missing for ten years, there is hope that he may still be alive. Every Mother's Day, he telephones his family at their luxurious ten room duplex on Sutton Place. Mack's father, Charles Sr., was killed on 9/11, leaving behind a twenty-six year old daughter, Carolyn, who is an attorney, and his wife, Olivia.

Carolyn has just completed a clerkship with a civil court judge in New York City and plans to apply for a job as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan. First, however, she is determined to find out exactly why Matt went missing and where he might be now. When Mack's annual call comes through, his mom tearfully begs him to return. However, in her frustration, Carolyn cannot help but shriek, "I'm going to track you down, you lowlife, and you'd better have an awfully good reason for torturing us like this." Although Carolyn has asked the police for assistance, a detective informs her that they cannot launch an official investigation. After all, Mack is in touch with his family and apparently, no crime has been committed.

Clues emerge that make Carolyn even more determined to learn the truth. Someone, presumably Mack, leaves a note in his uncle's church collection basket, warning: "Uncle Devon, tell Carolyn she must not look for me." In addition, the elderly superintendents of the building where Mack lived at the time of his disappearance appear to be nervously hiding something; their stories are inconsistent with earlier statements that they made. The stakes are raised when another college student, Leesey Andrews, drops off the face of the earth after leaving a trendy club near Greenwich Village at three in the morning. Besides Leesey, two other girls in the last ten years have also vanished under similar circumstances.

Clark constructs her plot carefully, and she inserts enough red herrings to maintain a high level of suspense until all is revealed. Her prose is crisp and lucid, and she populates the book with an interesting and varied cast. Carolyn is an appealingly flawed heroine who has a quick temper and tends to behave impulsively. Thirty-two year old Nick DeMarco, Mack's former roommate whom Carolyn secretly admires, owns the club where Leesey Andrews was last seen and is considered a prime suspect in her disappearance. Elliott Wallace, the staid CEO and chairman of Wallace and Madison, handles the MacKenzie finances. He has been close to the family for a long time and is in love with the widowed Olivia. Aaron Klein, Elliot's long-time employee, is being groomed to succeed his elderly boss. Another one of Mack's former roommates, Bruce Galbraith, ended up marrying the woman Mack was seeing. Clark juggles these and other characters adroitly and throws in some juicy twists and turns to add spice to her tidy conclusion. "Where Are You Now?" breaks no new ground in a well-worn genre. However, when Clark works within her comfort zone, as she does here, she produces entertaining novels that are sure to please her legion of loyal fans.

I love MHC. I have read all of her books and I am a huge fan. I am dissapointed in having to say that this book left me bored to tears. It drug on and on. The premise is good-I highly anticipated reading this book and couldn't wait for it to come out. Once I got started it just became a convoluted mess. Too many characters to follow, which I guess were to be red herrings but all it did was add to confusion. I honestly got bored and couldn't wait to finish...not to find out the ending but just be be put out of my misery. Thankfully, I had a bonus reward and got this book for just a couple of bucks. Buy it used y'all or get it at the library or wait the year and get it in paperback. Trust me...you aren't missing a thing.

I had a difficult time finishing this book. There were many characters introduced and I too, like another reviewer had a hard time keeping up with each of them and if they had any significance to the plot. To me, the story kept going in circles, same situations, same discussions, I kept thinking "is this going anywhere?". To me, the book was boring. It had an interesting concept and I thought a different ending would've been more appealing. Nonetheless, I will be more careful with my next MHC novel and read the Amazon reviews first. This may be the last book I ever read of hers.

I really enjoyed reading this book---so much that I stayed up until 1am to finish it. And since the ending surprised me, I can say it's a great book. It has lots of action, characters you can relate to, mystery, murder and surprises. That to me is a great book.
I think MHC is one of the all time great writers and I will always enjoy reading her stories. To think she came up with the idea for this one by reading a newspaper story makes me realize how her mind works----and I find that to be quite fun.
If you want a good beach or airplane ride story, this is for you. Enjoy.

This book is soo interesting and riveting, Carolyn plans to find her brother no matter what it takes, and Mack wants her to stay away. I love the mystery behind this book. I couldn't put it down. I also suggest Love Returns Through The Portal Of Time

The author states at the opening that the idea for this novel came to her when an article in a newspaper caught her eye about a missing person who called home every Mother's Day. I am in awe of her talent and in admiration of her ability to craft an intriguing novel on that premise.

She weaves an incredible tale, and several options for the reader to peruse about the puzzle of what really happened to law student, Mack McKenzie. He had the world in the palm of his hand, when he seems to drop off the face of the earth. Even his father's death on 9/11 doesn`t bring him home, yet he calls his Mother every Mothers Day.
Ten years later on this Mother's day his younger sister puts her legal career on hold and vows to find him, or find out what happened to him so she and her mother can have peace.

This riveting ride with all its twists and turns is well worth the price of admission. Only a truly gifted writer can pull it off so well, and without the sex and profanity that other writers feel the need to use. Just goes to show, if you have the talent you don't need the shock value. Highly recommend it.

I have been a MHC fan for the past few years and have slowly been catching up on all her previous efforts.
I finished her more distant and far superior While My Pretty One Sleeps two days before starting her latest.
One of the MHC hallmarks for me is that you are instantly hooked with the first paragraph. This book didn't do that for me. I had to force myself to keep at it.
It didn't really start to gel until 80-100 pages in.
The whole plotline with the father and 9/11 felt forced and added zero to the story line. I can see that maybe she wanted to pay tribute to 9/11 but it just seemed added on.
Also the main character tells her part of the story in first person and that seemed out of place with the rest of the story. As well as her love interest never really seemed to spark with her.
I will say though that the ending was very very good. I didn't see a certain twist coming although I did guess another one from the first chapters.
All and all not her best effort, I would wait for the paperback or take it out from the library, it definitely wasn't worth the $16 I paid.

If you have a free afternoon, this book won't disappoint you. Carolyn's brother disappeared over 10 years ago. He calls his mother once a year on Mother's Day.

Carolyn sees the toll his disappearance is taking on her mother. She also wants to get on with her own life. She tells her brother she is going to find him on his most recent call.

On that same day, a young student disappears while walking home from a club.

Carolyn begins to search for her brother while uncovering many connections to the new disappearance and other cases of missing girls.

This book held my interest. Early on I suspected someone but the connections were a total surprise.

You will enjoy this book. It is as good as early MHJ books.

Over a decade ago Charles "Mack" Mackenzie Jr. disappeared while attending Columbia University with plans of going to Duke University law School after he graduated. However, since he vanished Mack has called his mother annually to wish her a Happy Mother's day and to let her know he is okay. Although he knows she became a widow on 9/11, he has not changed his annual routine as he tells her nothing else about where he is, what he is doing, and why he left.

Mack's younger sister, Carolyn, a recent graduate of Duke Law School, informs him when he calls that she will find him to bring him home. However Mack leaves a note for his uncle, Father Devon Mackenzie of St. Francis church, to tell Carolyn to leave well enough alone and not seek him out. Carolyn becomes even more resolute to at least confront her older brother face to face to ask why.

The queen of suspense is at her best with this riveting tale that has the audience enthralled with wondering why Mack vanished. Readers are hooked from the onset as we learn of the "vigil" that his mother and sister do starting midnight on Mother's Day; Like Carolyn, fans want to know. The heroine's investigation is terrific as she begins to learn the truth why her brother vanished. Mary Higgins Clark provides her fans with an excellent family thriller.

Harriet Klausner

I think I've listened to my last MHC book. I wouldn't have completed it if I had any other books with me on this trip. Far too many characters were introduced. I couldn't enjoy the story for trying to remember who the character was. With all the great reviews I can only guess that readers either are very loyal (I suspect), or they have very low expectations.

I really enjoyed this new book by Mary Higgins Clark. I have read all of her books and this one could possibly be one of my favorites. It is a story of a missing brother who calls every year on Mother's Day. His father was killed on 9/11 but he failed to come home even then. His sister Carolyn is fed up and wants to find him and bring him home. The cast of characters is plentiful as usual, but I was going from one to the other thinking I had it all figured out. I was suspicious and right on one primary player, but it still had so many twists and turns I couldn't put the book down. I'm amazed at how author's minds work and how they can come up with such interesting plots. I have been disappointed in some of her books, but this one I REALLY LIKED. Can't wait until next year Ms. Clark.

I've read all of MHC books and I'm getting bored with some of the recent ones. This one is no different. I can honestly say I didn't care who the killer was by the end of the book. I agree that the character development wasn't there. At the end it seemed like she just picked someone to be behind all of it and gave them a convenient excuse but didn't really drop any hints along the way. I would wait to get this book at a library or buy it in paperback, it's not worth buying a hardcover.

MHC has truly "jumped the shark" with this latest book. I have read every single one of her mysteries novels and miss early mysteries like "Where are the Children?"

I have watched over the years as MHC has become a totally formulaic writer....very short "chapters" of two or three pages, presenting several different point of views, including the villain, in hopes of confusing the reader, etc. But this latest book was just too much!

MHC introduced so many minor characters that I honestly had trouble keeping track of all the names, story lines (like the one w/ the superintendents) that seemed very under-developed, and and ending that just seemed thrown together. I think the premise was very intriguing but the book in reality was really boring.

I haad a difficult time putting this book down, but that's usually the case with a Mary Higgins Clark mystery. I was so curious about Mack's disappearance that I wanted to read ahead, but restrained myself as it's too much fun to guess the villain and find out if I'm correct. Carolyn is the intelligent and determined heroine I've come to expect, which reminds me of another expectation: a "clean" novel. Thank you, Mary Higgins Clark!