Where are You Now? - Mary Higgins Clark

== WHERE ARE YOU NOW ==

=== MARY HIGGINS CLARK ===



=== IINTRODUCTION ===

Mary Higgins Clark, née Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins was born on December 24th 1927 in New York. She is classed as the ‘Queen of Suspense” in America and has written endless thrillers and crime novels, picking up lots of awards on the way.
I can’t say that I am a big reader of her works but I have read a few ...
...while searching for some new reads in the library I came across ‘Where Are You Now’, it had 305 pages – just a decent size ( I do like to be able to finish a book in one sitting if it grab’s my attention) and a description that told me that the book was “From America's Queen of Suspense comes a gripping tale of a young woman trying to unravel the mystery of a family tragedy -- a quest with terrifying repercussions”.
Sounded like it might be ... more

WHERE ARE YOU NOW

MARY HIGGINS CLARK

IINTRODUCTION

Mary Higgins Clark, née Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins was born on December 24th 1927 in New York. She is classed as the ‘Queen of Suspense” in America and has written endless thrillers and crime novels, picking up lots of awards on the way.
I can’t say that I am a big reader of her works but I have read a few and I have usualy enjoyed them.
So while searching for some new reads in the library I came across ‘Where Are You Now’, it had 305 pages – just a decent size ( I do like to be able to finish a book in one sitting if it grab’s my attention) and a description that told me that the book was “From America's Queen of Suspense comes a gripping tale of a young woman trying to unravel the mystery of a family tragedy -- a quest with terrifying repercussions”.
Sounded like it might be a good read so I added it to my ever increasing pile of books (I am so glad Lancashire Council are so generous with their book allowance!!)
.

STORY

The plot is all about the disappearance a college student by the name of Charles MacKenzie Junior, known as Mack to his friends and family. Mack, was a good son and brother but had disappeared ten years earlier when he was just 21.
Mac’s sister – Carolyn – is an attorney in New York and she is determined to find out what has happened to her missing brother.

Once a year, on Mother’s Day, Mack has called his mother and told her that he loves her, each year telling her “I’m okay, but don’t look for me.”

Carolyn is getting increasingly frustrated with his annual calls home and having to watch her mother’s worry about the uncertainty of the welfare of her son. This time, when Mack calls, Carolyn gets on the phone and tells her brother that she is going to find him. He immediately hangs up, and from that moment on, Carolyn’s life turns upside down.
The following day her uncle a priest at a local church finds a note in the collection basket "Uncle Devon tell Carolyn not to find me." This makes Carolyn more adamant that she WILL find Mack.
When another student disappears the police believe Mack may be responsible.

As Carolyn investigates, her own life is put in danger as fights to find her brother, find the kidnapper, and find the truth

WHAT DID I THINK

Well I did read it in a day, so yes I found it some what riveting.

I thought that it was a decent story with well-developed characters. I liked the way that the author, without making it too confusing, managed to switch the view of the story between the eyes of the perpetrator, Carolyn, the police and others characters.
.
The language throughout the book is simple but at the same time descriptive, allowing the reader to be pulled into the story without having any difficulty understanding it.

I started asking myself is Mack alive or dead ?
If he is alive, if he is a serial killer ?

There are lots of red herrings that keep you interested, especially as Carolyn questions people about Mack’s disappearance – like his former landlords, the Kramers, who seem to be hiding something, and even Uncle Devon who doesn’t seem to want Mack found.

Eventually though all of the questions are answered in a quick fashion and we are given a somewhat surprising climax.

WAS THERE ANY DOWNSIDE TO THE BOOK

I have to be honest and say, yes there was.

I felt that there were far too many characters in this novel I found myself regularly having to go backto earlier pages to remind myself who certain characters were.

I also found the way that the police was portrayed was unrealistic and their dialogue was very repetitive.

I agree that there were some good red herrings thrown in to confuse the reader, but found that the end came together a little too tightly and thought that epilogue wrapping up the story was a little like a get out.

CONCLUSION

This was an easy read with some surprises.
It is certainly a fast paced thriller but the end is missing something. I personally was disappointed with the ending. I am not saying that this book is a waste of time, just that I’m sure the writer could have given it a far better end.

I will award ‘Where are you now” 3/5 stars, but I still would recommend it as it was a decent read and other people might like the ending better.
 

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