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Where Are You Now?

Review

Where Are You Now?

Twenty-six-year-old law school graduate Carolyn MacKenzie is on
the fast track to a successful legal career. But before she can
pursue her own goals and move forward with her life, she is driven
to solve a decade-old mystery that has tortured her family.

Ten years ago, her 21-year-old brother Mack walked out of his
Manhattan apartment without a word of goodbye, leaving behind a
promising future and a loving family. The disappearance of Mack and
the loss of her father in the attack on the World Trade Center have
taken their toll, not only on Carolyn, but even more so on her
mother Olivia.

Once a year, on Mother’s Day, Mack calls Olivia to tell her
he is okay, but he refuses to say where he is or what is keeping
him from returning home. For the past decade Olivia has lived with
false hope, believing Mack will one day return, and Carolyn has
stood by --- helpless --- watching her mother suffer. But this year
is different. When Mack calls, Carolyn interrupts the conversation
and tells Mack she is going to track him down --- no matter what it
takes.

Olivia is enraged that Carolyn has threatened Mack because she
believes her son is either in grave danger or in serious trouble.
Elliott Wallace, a trusted family friend who is enamored with
Olivia, also advises Carolyn not to pursue the matter.

The next morning, during a Mass celebrated by Carolyn’s uncle
Devon, someone folds a message inside a $20 bill and leaves it in
the collection basket. The note asks the priest to warn Carolyn to
back off.

Despite her mother’s angry reaction and the threatening
message, Carolyn is more determined than ever to find her missing
brother. She goes to the police, who initially brush her off, but
she does not give up.

After visiting the building where Mack used to live, she becomes
convinced that Gus and Lil Kramer, the superintendents, know
something about her brother’s disappearance and have
something to hide. Mack’s former roommates aren’t much
help, either. Handsome and charming Nick DeMarco has his own
problems, and Bruce Galbraith is downright hostile.

During her search, a college student goes missing not far from
where Mack was last seen, and police get involved. The further the
cops dig, the more they find clues tying the young woman’s
disappearance to Mack. They begin to suspect that Mack could be
missing for a reason. Over the years several young women have
disappeared in the same area, and Mack quickly becomes their
primary suspect. The closer Carolyn comes to finding her brother
and proving his innocence, the more deadly the consequences.

Mary Higgins Clark has done it again. America’s “Queen
of Suspense” has written a fast-paced thriller with an
unexpected twist. WHERE ARE YOU NOW? is also a surprisingly
touching story about living with heartache and the enriching power
of love to overcome loss.

Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt (dvolkenannt@charter.net) on January 24, 2011

Where Are You Now?
by Mary Higgins Clark

  • Publication Date: April 8, 2008
  • Genres: Fiction, Thriller
  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  • ISBN-10: 1416566384
  • ISBN-13: 9781416566380