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Where Are the Children #1
La Maison du guet
Voulant échapper au terrible secret de son passé, Nancy a changé de nom, d'apparence et de couleur de cheveux, avant de quitter la côte Ouest et de venir s'installer à Cape Cod où elle a épousé Ray Eldredge dans l'espoir de pouvoir enfin revivre normalement. Sept années de bonheur se sont écoulées dans sa nouvelle maison avec son mari et deux beaux enfants, Michael et Missy. Puis, un matin, paraît dans le journal régional un article sur un procès pour meurtre qui a fait couler beaucoup d'encre en Californie. L'article est illustré par la photo d'une jeune femme ressemblant étrangement à Nancy. Le jour même, Michael et Missy disparaissent mystérieusement. Le passé et le présent deviennent alors inexorablement liés. Nancy a-t-elle perdu la tête à la lecture de l'article qui la replonge brutalement dans un passé qu'elle a désespérément tenté de fuir ? C'est ce que redoute la police.
221 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
2124 people are currently reading
42803 people want to read
About the author
Mary Higgins Clark
638 books13.6k followersThe #1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark has written thirty-eight suspense novels, four collections of short stories, a historical novel, a memoir, and two children’s books. With bestselling author Alafair Burke she wrote the Under Suspicion series. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she has coauthored five more suspense novels. Her sister-in-law is the also author Mary Jane Clark.
Clark’s books have sold more than 100 million copies in the United States alone. Her books are beloved around the world and made her an international bestseller many times over.
Clark’s books have sold more than 100 million copies in the United States alone. Her books are beloved around the world and made her an international bestseller many times over.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,528 reviews
February 4, 2020
It's been too long since I read a book that I rated a 5 star rating. The plot thickens from the second chapter onward. The book is about plotting and characterization. There weren't too many 'big' words in the book. Consider, that even popular thriller writers, say, like David Baldacci, often throw in a difficult word or two.
Mary Higgins Clark doesn't waste any words. They came piling in, one after another, until I felt sure, each sentence will make me understand a new thing about the Cape (the setting) and its people. It was a delectable experience to read Where are the Children.
The plot of the books is like many of its kind, but what I want to underline is that the book has aged well. There are so many thrillers saturating the market that I feel I need to try and make you read this one, just in case you overlook it.
It's one of the best books by the author, and I will go back for more, especially if it is of the same. The same in terms of quality. The same in terms of pacing. The same in terms of expectations. The book is not brilliant, but the achievement of the author is that she makes it look easy. She does the simple thing simply well. You might say I liked the book. You are right. I think you might too, and I hope I'm right as well.
Mary Higgins Clark doesn't waste any words. They came piling in, one after another, until I felt sure, each sentence will make me understand a new thing about the Cape (the setting) and its people. It was a delectable experience to read Where are the Children.
The plot of the books is like many of its kind, but what I want to underline is that the book has aged well. There are so many thrillers saturating the market that I feel I need to try and make you read this one, just in case you overlook it.
It's one of the best books by the author, and I will go back for more, especially if it is of the same. The same in terms of quality. The same in terms of pacing. The same in terms of expectations. The book is not brilliant, but the achievement of the author is that she makes it look easy. She does the simple thing simply well. You might say I liked the book. You are right. I think you might too, and I hope I'm right as well.
November 15, 2013
If you look at this book in the context of its time, it's actually sort of shocking. The plot is really tightly wrought and the characters are strong and likable in a way that seems natural today, but was very bold back in the day.
I see Mary a lot at crime writing functions and she is always the best dressed, most glamorous author in the room. (Granted, this is not a high bar, but still)
I see Mary a lot at crime writing functions and she is always the best dressed, most glamorous author in the room. (Granted, this is not a high bar, but still)
December 2, 2022
Where Are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark is a 2023 Pocket Books publication. (Originally published in 1975 by Simon & Schuster)
If I have my information straight, this was MHC’s first novel of suspense, which was originally published in 1975. Of course, we all know she went on to earn the ‘Queen of Suspense’ moniker and had a very long, successful career.
I can’t tell you with complete honesty, if I ever read this book before, but if I did, it was too long ago for me to remember- so I'm happy to see the book has been reissued so I can read it before Alafair Burke's follow-up- which I am so excited about!!
(Burke co-authored a series with Clark before her death, so she is familiar with Clark’s style of writing, and I hope she will continue to keep her legacy going. It seems fitting that Burke would begin with a story featuring Nancy's adult children.)
But before I get ahead of myself- let's take a look at this classic:
Nancy was in her twenties when her two children were murdered, and she became the prime suspect. She was convicted of the crime, but was let go on a technicality. She started over, got remarried, had more children, and lived a quiet life off the Cape, hoping a key witness would stay hidden and that she would never be recognized or retried for murder.
Unfortunately, the absolute worse happens when Nancy’s children disappear- again!
For a book written back in the mid-seventies, this story featured some taboo topics, for its time, such a pedophilia, which publishers were apparently concerned about. Though there are some signs of age, this story stands the test of time very well. The suspense is indeed intense, and although I am a jaded reader, I was on the edge of my seat a few times.
Overall, I thought for a first-time suspense writer this book was well executed and fast-paced. I can see why Clark became so popular! This is a quick read and a real page turner, too. I can’t wait to see how Burke continues this story with Nancy’s adult children!
4 stars
If I have my information straight, this was MHC’s first novel of suspense, which was originally published in 1975. Of course, we all know she went on to earn the ‘Queen of Suspense’ moniker and had a very long, successful career.
I can’t tell you with complete honesty, if I ever read this book before, but if I did, it was too long ago for me to remember- so I'm happy to see the book has been reissued so I can read it before Alafair Burke's follow-up- which I am so excited about!!
(Burke co-authored a series with Clark before her death, so she is familiar with Clark’s style of writing, and I hope she will continue to keep her legacy going. It seems fitting that Burke would begin with a story featuring Nancy's adult children.)
But before I get ahead of myself- let's take a look at this classic:
Nancy was in her twenties when her two children were murdered, and she became the prime suspect. She was convicted of the crime, but was let go on a technicality. She started over, got remarried, had more children, and lived a quiet life off the Cape, hoping a key witness would stay hidden and that she would never be recognized or retried for murder.
Unfortunately, the absolute worse happens when Nancy’s children disappear- again!
For a book written back in the mid-seventies, this story featured some taboo topics, for its time, such a pedophilia, which publishers were apparently concerned about. Though there are some signs of age, this story stands the test of time very well. The suspense is indeed intense, and although I am a jaded reader, I was on the edge of my seat a few times.
Overall, I thought for a first-time suspense writer this book was well executed and fast-paced. I can see why Clark became so popular! This is a quick read and a real page turner, too. I can’t wait to see how Burke continues this story with Nancy’s adult children!
4 stars
March 25, 2025
Page turner that lacked depth. Overall, it is a quick read with some squirminess and great atmospheric descriptions.
March 1, 2023
Seven years ago, Nancy Harmon fled the west coast and landed in a small Cape Cod town. She wanted to live a solitary life anonymously after having been convicted of killing her two children and later having that conviction overturned on a technicality. She’s now remarried with two children and it’s her birthday, which she doesn’t normally celebrate. Her son and daughter are outside playing when she discovers something that threatens to shatter her world. But, when Nancy goes to bring her children inside, there nowhere to be found.
I knew immediately that suspicion was going to be pointed directly at Nancy. What I loved about the story is that we’re given the answer to this mystery right away, even though we don’t know the why or whom. It’s what made it compelling as there are little clues given to people in the town that on their own don’t seem meaningful but to us? We know it’s relevant and are on the sidelines just praying that someone assembles them and figures this thing out.
My book club selected this as a tribute to the author, who died in January. I recall reading Mary Higgins Clark when I was a young teen and loved her stories but somehow missed this one. This was her debut fiction novel and it doesn’t feel like a first-time effort. I’m also glad I chose to listen to it, and though it was the first audio version (found an old used copy), the narrator delivered an excellent performance. She had my nerves on edge from the very beginning and her pacing was perfect. Lastly, while this was written in 1975, there’s not a thing about it that feels dated. This story is timeless.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
I knew immediately that suspicion was going to be pointed directly at Nancy. What I loved about the story is that we’re given the answer to this mystery right away, even though we don’t know the why or whom. It’s what made it compelling as there are little clues given to people in the town that on their own don’t seem meaningful but to us? We know it’s relevant and are on the sidelines just praying that someone assembles them and figures this thing out.
My book club selected this as a tribute to the author, who died in January. I recall reading Mary Higgins Clark when I was a young teen and loved her stories but somehow missed this one. This was her debut fiction novel and it doesn’t feel like a first-time effort. I’m also glad I chose to listen to it, and though it was the first audio version (found an old used copy), the narrator delivered an excellent performance. She had my nerves on edge from the very beginning and her pacing was perfect. Lastly, while this was written in 1975, there’s not a thing about it that feels dated. This story is timeless.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
January 6, 2019
Una novela de intriga muy interesante. Me encanta como esta autora realiza la narrativa a través de los diversos personajes a través de cortos capítulos, en donde solo quieres pasar páginas para saber más y conocer al culpable. Son libros adictivos.
August 21, 2025
Re-Read 2025
Yes, I had to read it again when I saw it at my local library. I have read a lot of suspense thrillers in my lifetime, but Mary Higgins Clark's debut into the genre will always be the standard by which I live. The story of Nancy Harmon, who finds her second life disrupted when her children, Michael and Missy, go missing. When the local police discover that Nancy was once charged with the drowning murders of her children, Peter and Lisa, but a missing witness sets her free, they ask, " Nancy, where are the children?
All these years later, I still believe this is one of my absolute favourite suspense thrillers ever. I think I was about 13 or 14 when my mother went on a Mary Higgins Clark buying binge, and this was the second of MHC's books that I read.
The story of a young mother who has the unthinkable happen... her children go missing, but as the police begin their investigation, they realize it isn't the first time.
Let's face it, your children going missing is any parent's nightmare. I always thought Mary Higgins Clark was brilliant in planting little seeds of doubt in the reader, while at the same time giving us so many different character perspectives, including the perpetrator. All I know is that no matter how many times I have read this book, I always hold my breath until we find Michael and Missy.
Goodreads review published 03/08/22
Yes, I had to read it again when I saw it at my local library. I have read a lot of suspense thrillers in my lifetime, but Mary Higgins Clark's debut into the genre will always be the standard by which I live. The story of Nancy Harmon, who finds her second life disrupted when her children, Michael and Missy, go missing. When the local police discover that Nancy was once charged with the drowning murders of her children, Peter and Lisa, but a missing witness sets her free, they ask, " Nancy, where are the children?
All these years later, I still believe this is one of my absolute favourite suspense thrillers ever. I think I was about 13 or 14 when my mother went on a Mary Higgins Clark buying binge, and this was the second of MHC's books that I read.
The story of a young mother who has the unthinkable happen... her children go missing, but as the police begin their investigation, they realize it isn't the first time.
Let's face it, your children going missing is any parent's nightmare. I always thought Mary Higgins Clark was brilliant in planting little seeds of doubt in the reader, while at the same time giving us so many different character perspectives, including the perpetrator. All I know is that no matter how many times I have read this book, I always hold my breath until we find Michael and Missy.
Goodreads review published 03/08/22
June 30, 2011
I think I've gotten pickier as I've gotten older. I devoured Mary Higgins Clark's novels when I was in junior high and high school. I loved being a little scared and trying to figure out who the killer was. (I think that may have been a carryover from my elementary-aged love of Agatha Christie novels.) I didn't have as much fun with this one.
I picked up this book at the library because I hadn't read a novel like this in ages. And now I kind of remember why. As enjoyable as the story was (who doesn't like a mystery every once in a while?), there was no characterization. The main characters could have been anybody on the street. I had no tie to them and no reason to care about them, other than that their two little kids were missing, which obviously tore at my heart. Clark also has no eye for detail. There would be scenes where I thought only two people were in the room, and suddenly a third person was talking and I couldn't figure out where in the world they came from.
Clark also has absolutely no subtlety when it comes to foreshadowing. A character discovers that his neighbor Nancy Eldredge is actually Nancy Harmon, who was convicted of killing her two children seven years earlier and got off on a technicality. Only after this character figures that out do we start hearing about how Nancy always looked familiar to him. I need to hear about those nagging little inklings before they're realized, not after.
Also, Clark freaking SUCKS at writing children's dialogue. She just does. Every novel of hers that includes a child has the worst and most stilted dialogue. I have never heard any child speak like the kids in her books.
Basically, my editing brain would not shut up during this whole novel. I just couldn't make that voice in my head go away. It kept telling me to make this change, and make that change, and ask the author what the crap is going on here...
I picked up this book at the library because I hadn't read a novel like this in ages. And now I kind of remember why. As enjoyable as the story was (who doesn't like a mystery every once in a while?), there was no characterization. The main characters could have been anybody on the street. I had no tie to them and no reason to care about them, other than that their two little kids were missing, which obviously tore at my heart. Clark also has no eye for detail. There would be scenes where I thought only two people were in the room, and suddenly a third person was talking and I couldn't figure out where in the world they came from.
Clark also has absolutely no subtlety when it comes to foreshadowing. A character discovers that his neighbor Nancy Eldredge is actually Nancy Harmon, who was convicted of killing her two children seven years earlier and got off on a technicality. Only after this character figures that out do we start hearing about how Nancy always looked familiar to him. I need to hear about those nagging little inklings before they're realized, not after.
Also, Clark freaking SUCKS at writing children's dialogue. She just does. Every novel of hers that includes a child has the worst and most stilted dialogue. I have never heard any child speak like the kids in her books.
Basically, my editing brain would not shut up during this whole novel. I just couldn't make that voice in my head go away. It kept telling me to make this change, and make that change, and ask the author what the crap is going on here...
March 8, 2023
Exciting and suspenseful. I need to read more from this author.
May 29, 2023
I can absolutely see how this book would have been amazing at the time of its release. However, for today’s audience I found it a bit trite with the weak and docile expectations for women. The crying and confusion felt like an archetype of a 1960’s housewife. Aside from that, I’m sure this topic was groundbreaking in its day and am thankful it paved the way for being able to discuss facets of abuse.
April 5, 2024
5/5 🌟
4/5 ❤️🩹
2/5 🥰
0/5 🌶️
1/5 🔎
5/5 😰A
5/5 🎭T
2/5 👻
⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️
Pedophilia
Kidnapping
Child Abuse
Child Death
Racial Slurs
Confinement
Sexual Assault
Domestic Abuse
Grief
Murder
Homophobia
Gaslighting
Stalking
Mental Illness
Infidelity (kissing)
Emotional Abuse
Adult/Minor Relationship
Toxic Relationship
🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️
Nancy Harmon long ago fled the heartbreak of her first marriage, the macabre deaths of her two little children, and the shocking charges against her. She changed her name, dyed her hair, and left California for the windswept peace of Cape Cod. Now remarried, she has two more beloved children, and the terrible pain has begun to heal -- until the morning when she looks in the backyard for her little boy and girl and finds only one red mitten. She knows that the nightmare is beginning again....
🌎📖OVERALL REVIEWS📖🌎
Courtesy of Storygraph
COMMUNITY REVIEWS
SUMMARY OF 1,914 REVIEWS
Moods
mysterious 82%
dark 81%
tense 80%
emotional 41%
sad 23%
challenging 13%
adventurous 10%
hopeful 4%
reflective 3%
informative 1%
Pace
fast 70%
medium 25%
slow 4%
Plot- or character-driven?
Plot: 61% | A mix: 29% | Character: 8% | N/A: 1%
Strong character development?
No: 40% | Yes: 33% | It's complicated: 21% | N/A: 4%
Loveable characters?
It's complicated: 48% | No: 26% | Yes: 23% | N/A: 1%
Diverse cast of characters?
No: 82% | Yes: 13% | It's complicated: 2% | N/A: 1%
Flaws of characters a main focus?
Yes: 50% | No: 24% | It's complicated: 23% | N/A: 2%
Average rating
3.8
🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔
OMG! This was much better than I thought it would be! SO GOOD!! And that ending…👩🏻🍳😚 chef’s kiss!!
Now I want to read the sequel to this and I will definitely be adding more Mary Higgins Clark books to my reading diet!! Bad pun, I know 😏. If you decide to read this, Bon Appetit!!
RATING KEY:
🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scared/Anxious - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading
🎭 Comedy/Tragedy- based on if I laughed or if there was a tragic event and how it affected me. I will mark the Masks with either a C or T to indicate Comedy or Tragedy
👻 Spooky/Creepy -based on if this had any occult or paranormal themes and if those elements creeped me out or gave me anxiety!
4/5 ❤️🩹
2/5 🥰
0/5 🌶️
1/5 🔎
5/5 😰A
5/5 🎭T
2/5 👻
⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️
Pedophilia
Kidnapping
Child Abuse
Child Death
Racial Slurs
Confinement
Sexual Assault
Domestic Abuse
Grief
Murder
Homophobia
Gaslighting
Stalking
Mental Illness
Infidelity (kissing)
Emotional Abuse
Adult/Minor Relationship
Toxic Relationship
🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️
Nancy Harmon long ago fled the heartbreak of her first marriage, the macabre deaths of her two little children, and the shocking charges against her. She changed her name, dyed her hair, and left California for the windswept peace of Cape Cod. Now remarried, she has two more beloved children, and the terrible pain has begun to heal -- until the morning when she looks in the backyard for her little boy and girl and finds only one red mitten. She knows that the nightmare is beginning again....
🌎📖OVERALL REVIEWS📖🌎
Courtesy of Storygraph
COMMUNITY REVIEWS
SUMMARY OF 1,914 REVIEWS
Moods
mysterious 82%
dark 81%
tense 80%
emotional 41%
sad 23%
challenging 13%
adventurous 10%
hopeful 4%
reflective 3%
informative 1%
Pace
fast 70%
medium 25%
slow 4%
Plot- or character-driven?
Plot: 61% | A mix: 29% | Character: 8% | N/A: 1%
Strong character development?
No: 40% | Yes: 33% | It's complicated: 21% | N/A: 4%
Loveable characters?
It's complicated: 48% | No: 26% | Yes: 23% | N/A: 1%
Diverse cast of characters?
No: 82% | Yes: 13% | It's complicated: 2% | N/A: 1%
Flaws of characters a main focus?
Yes: 50% | No: 24% | It's complicated: 23% | N/A: 2%
Average rating
3.8
🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔
OMG! This was much better than I thought it would be! SO GOOD!! And that ending…👩🏻🍳😚 chef’s kiss!!
Now I want to read the sequel to this and I will definitely be adding more Mary Higgins Clark books to my reading diet!! Bad pun, I know 😏. If you decide to read this, Bon Appetit!!
RATING KEY:
🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scared/Anxious - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading
🎭 Comedy/Tragedy- based on if I laughed or if there was a tragic event and how it affected me. I will mark the Masks with either a C or T to indicate Comedy or Tragedy
👻 Spooky/Creepy -based on if this had any occult or paranormal themes and if those elements creeped me out or gave me anxiety!
May 8, 2023
3.5 ⭐
I took the plunge! I read my first book by the Queen of Suspense, Mary Higgins Clark!
It was a case of #bookstagrammademedoit and I was glad I took a chance. I was impressed with how the author planted seeds of doubt and how she mastered multiple points of view.
Inspired by the New York Alice Crimmins case, MHC wrote about a beautiful young mother who was accused and later convicted of murdering her two young children. Upon her case being overturned due to a technicality, she’s released from prison, relocates, remarries, and embarks upon a new life. Then seven years to the day marking the death of her two children, the two children from her second marriage disappear. Is something sinister at play here? Is it the mother? Or has the real murderer come back?
I’ll be honest and admit to being a little freaked out. It was definitely a little edgier than the psychological thrillers I normally read. I’ll also admit to not connecting to any of the characters and being disappointed at the predictability of the plot. Regardless, this is the author’s debut book and it’s obvious that she’d perfected her skills, going on to be an accomplished author. I think I’m curious enough to read the much-anticipated sequel recently published.
I borrowed this copy from my local library.
I took the plunge! I read my first book by the Queen of Suspense, Mary Higgins Clark!
It was a case of #bookstagrammademedoit and I was glad I took a chance. I was impressed with how the author planted seeds of doubt and how she mastered multiple points of view.
Inspired by the New York Alice Crimmins case, MHC wrote about a beautiful young mother who was accused and later convicted of murdering her two young children. Upon her case being overturned due to a technicality, she’s released from prison, relocates, remarries, and embarks upon a new life. Then seven years to the day marking the death of her two children, the two children from her second marriage disappear. Is something sinister at play here? Is it the mother? Or has the real murderer come back?
I’ll be honest and admit to being a little freaked out. It was definitely a little edgier than the psychological thrillers I normally read. I’ll also admit to not connecting to any of the characters and being disappointed at the predictability of the plot. Regardless, this is the author’s debut book and it’s obvious that she’d perfected her skills, going on to be an accomplished author. I think I’m curious enough to read the much-anticipated sequel recently published.
I borrowed this copy from my local library.
October 1, 2016
I came across this book when I was in high school. I borrowed it, read it and returned it the next day...
I was horrified, chilled and appalled at the way the main female character was treated, but equally amazed and thrilled at the ending which allowed her to twist the dirty deeds of her tormenter back on himself.
One of the reasons this subgenre became so popular was that until the 1970s (and the movie "The Burning Bed") very few people were willing to admit that a man could hurt his wife. In this book the audience - the readers - see that it is all too easy for a man to do so, especially when he appears to be suave and good and nice.
I recently read another Clark book and it had a different theme, but was based on a twisted phsyche as well.
The things that people do to each other...
I was horrified, chilled and appalled at the way the main female character was treated, but equally amazed and thrilled at the ending which allowed her to twist the dirty deeds of her tormenter back on himself.
One of the reasons this subgenre became so popular was that until the 1970s (and the movie "The Burning Bed") very few people were willing to admit that a man could hurt his wife. In this book the audience - the readers - see that it is all too easy for a man to do so, especially when he appears to be suave and good and nice.
I recently read another Clark book and it had a different theme, but was based on a twisted phsyche as well.
The things that people do to each other...
March 6, 2020
Very dated, and not in a classic or vintage way, kind of like those mile high, teased- up bangs in the eighties. Not a good look on anyone. Filled with annoying tropes and beyond kitschy dialogue.
If you’re looking for classic, atmospheric suspense, read Daphne DuMaurier, not this.
My book club read it because the author recently passed away, and the setting for this novel is local for us.
If you’re looking for classic, atmospheric suspense, read Daphne DuMaurier, not this.
My book club read it because the author recently passed away, and the setting for this novel is local for us.
April 20, 2017
Mary Higgins Clark based her first suspense novel on the real life case of Alice Crimmins. Alice was a beautiful young mother who dominated the news in 1965 when she was accused of murdering her two young children. Mary Higgins Clark read about the case and as she explained in the forward of the book she based Where are the Children? on her suppositions of Alice's life after she was finally paroled.
In this story Alice is reimagined as Nancy Elderage a young woman who was tried for the murder of her own two children, Peter and Lisa. After her husband commits suicide and she is released from prison she starts life over in Cape Cod. She remarries and has two more children Michael and Missy with her new husband Ray Eldridge. One day the children disappear while playing outside and when her past is conveniently revealed in the town's newspaper on the day of the disappearance suspicion naturally falls on her.
I picked this book up because I saw a piece on Many Higgins Clark on CBS Sunday morning. I was so impressed with her life story and the book's connection to a real crime that I wanted to read it. The book is so specific to the 1970's. It's a real time trip. As for the mystery itself it was quite well thought out if somewhat predictable. The topic of pedophilia was not discussed much in the 70's so I can imagine the topic of this book was quite shocking when it came out. Overall it was a quick and enjoyable read. I also enjoyed learning more about Mary Higgins Clark. When her children were quite young her husband died leaving her the sole breadwinner of her family. She decided to become an author to support her family and despite many rejections and the failure of her first book she preserved to eventually become the Queen of the suspense thriller. If you would like to lean more about Mary Higgins Clark, her interview with CBS can be found here: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mary-higg...
In this story Alice is reimagined as Nancy Elderage a young woman who was tried for the murder of her own two children, Peter and Lisa. After her husband commits suicide and she is released from prison she starts life over in Cape Cod. She remarries and has two more children Michael and Missy with her new husband Ray Eldridge. One day the children disappear while playing outside and when her past is conveniently revealed in the town's newspaper on the day of the disappearance suspicion naturally falls on her.
I picked this book up because I saw a piece on Many Higgins Clark on CBS Sunday morning. I was so impressed with her life story and the book's connection to a real crime that I wanted to read it. The book is so specific to the 1970's. It's a real time trip. As for the mystery itself it was quite well thought out if somewhat predictable. The topic of pedophilia was not discussed much in the 70's so I can imagine the topic of this book was quite shocking when it came out. Overall it was a quick and enjoyable read. I also enjoyed learning more about Mary Higgins Clark. When her children were quite young her husband died leaving her the sole breadwinner of her family. She decided to become an author to support her family and despite many rejections and the failure of her first book she preserved to eventually become the Queen of the suspense thriller. If you would like to lean more about Mary Higgins Clark, her interview with CBS can be found here: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mary-higg...
February 20, 2020
Gosto muito da escrita desta autora, infelizmente falecida recentemente. Mas este livro não me prendeu particularmente. Apesar de pequeno e de leitura fácil, a história não me prendeu e achei simples demais. Mas não desisto dos livros desta autora fabulosa
December 12, 2019
Eletrizante !!!! Não se consegue largar até ao fim!!!
Adoro esta escritora, este foi o primeiro livro dela e está excecional. Com este livro terminei o meu Goodreads challenge 💚💚 venha 2020!!!!
Adoro esta escritora, este foi o primeiro livro dela e está excecional. Com este livro terminei o meu Goodreads challenge 💚💚 venha 2020!!!!
December 13, 2016
یک داستان جنایی هیجان انگیز که تا تمومش نکنی نمیتونی بگذاریش کنار.
داستان در مورد زنی هست که در هفتمین سالگرد کشته شدن بچه هاش، دو تا بچه ی دیگه ش گم میشن. برای خواننده ای که جنایی زیاد خونده، به قدری سرنخ از قاتلِ آدم ربا هست که سریع تشخیصش بده. با این وجود همچنان جذاب و هیجان انگیزه.
شخصیت "ری" خیلی دوست داشتنی بود. پدری که بچه هاش گم شدن و همسرش مظنون اصلیه. اون حتی نمیدونه که آیا بچه هاش رو بار دیگه میبینه یا نه اما از همسرش حمایت میکنه. در حقیقت نمی خواد همسرش رو هم از دست بده.
داستان در مورد زنی هست که در هفتمین سالگرد کشته شدن بچه هاش، دو تا بچه ی دیگه ش گم میشن. برای خواننده ای که جنایی زیاد خونده، به قدری سرنخ از قاتلِ آدم ربا هست که سریع تشخیصش بده. با این وجود همچنان جذاب و هیجان انگیزه.
شخصیت "ری" خیلی دوست داشتنی بود. پدری که بچه هاش گم شدن و همسرش مظنون اصلیه. اون حتی نمیدونه که آیا بچه هاش رو بار دیگه میبینه یا نه اما از همسرش حمایت میکنه. در حقیقت نمی خواد همسرش رو هم از دست بده.
February 20, 2019
Este livro merece as cinco estrelas inteiras. Um livro que não tem assim tantas páginas mas que todas são carregadas de mistério que se completa num thriller brilhante. Tem todos os ingredientes essenciais, sem perder o interesse nem por um segundo. Esta autora nunca deixa de surpreender.
August 19, 2025
I first read this book in 1976, when it originally came out in paperback. I was 16 and had just gotten a job at a bookstore. Where Are the Children? was a red-hot bestseller, flying of the shelves, and thrusting Mary Higgins Clark to the top of the mystery/thriller genre, a place she held for many years thereafter.
When I read it back then, I remember being so caught up in the suspense. One night while in the middle of the book, my parents were out of town, my brother off at college, so I was home alone, and I getting so tense from the plot that I had to call my aunts long distance in California to help alleviate the huge nervous energy I felt not knowing how the story was going to end 🤣
Well, just a few days ago, I picked it up randomly at the library, wondering what I’d think of it now, nearly fifty years later, having read many hundreds of books more, including dozens and dozens more mystery/thrillers.
It’s a decent, quick read. The writing is somewhat pedestrian but gets the job done. It’s heavily plotted, relying on at least one giant coincidence and many smaller ones, and also requiring that many important details not be told by characters who know them, but it keeps moving at a rapid clip.
I believe it was pretty original when this book came out to show a thriller from both the criminal’s and the victims’ points of view (not a spoiler, we see this from the get-go), a style of storytelling that can really amp up the suspense when done correctly, as it mostly is here.
I see there’s also a recently-released (2023) sequel Where are the Children Now?, which has gotten pretty high Goodreads ratings, so, while I’m in the mood for light reading, I may check it out just to see where they take the latest incarnation.
When I read it back then, I remember being so caught up in the suspense. One night while in the middle of the book, my parents were out of town, my brother off at college, so I was home alone, and I getting so tense from the plot that I had to call my aunts long distance in California to help alleviate the huge nervous energy I felt not knowing how the story was going to end 🤣
Well, just a few days ago, I picked it up randomly at the library, wondering what I’d think of it now, nearly fifty years later, having read many hundreds of books more, including dozens and dozens more mystery/thrillers.
It’s a decent, quick read. The writing is somewhat pedestrian but gets the job done. It’s heavily plotted, relying on at least one giant coincidence and many smaller ones, and also requiring that many important details not be told by characters who know them, but it keeps moving at a rapid clip.
I believe it was pretty original when this book came out to show a thriller from both the criminal’s and the victims’ points of view (not a spoiler, we see this from the get-go), a style of storytelling that can really amp up the suspense when done correctly, as it mostly is here.
I see there’s also a recently-released (2023) sequel Where are the Children Now?, which has gotten pretty high Goodreads ratings, so, while I’m in the mood for light reading, I may check it out just to see where they take the latest incarnation.
March 30, 2023
MHC has a way of writing that completely engrosses you. This is a re-read for me (before i read the sequel) and i am just as invested in it as i was the first time around. I am not a mother and i can not imagine what Nancy is going through - but i feel her pain in MHC’s writing. She uses intricacies and multiple characters/POVs throughout the narrative and still makes it all tie together beautifully in the end. This is what a lot of authors try to do and fail. I was on the edge of my seat and flew through this one. If you haven’t read MHC before- this is a great one to start with.
July 25, 2021
Where Are the Children is a lamentable novel. Mary Higgins Clark shows off an almost staggering propensity for telling instead of showing, generalizing instead of offering specificity, and sloshing on the melodrama at every turn. The plot is clumsy, fraught with implausible coincidence despite being prosaically simple, and so littered with red herring, unnecessary clues, all of which would have comfortably led the characters toward the solution of the mystery, that I actually found myself pitying the antagonist by the end—not exactly rooting for him, but ruing his profound and embarrassing ineptitude.
On the plus side, Clark delves into pedophilia in a manner that is not wholly one-dimensional, and the various pieces of the story fit together reasonably well, such that events from the past seem to foreshadow and reinforce events in the present. That's about all I can say in support of this book. The plot isn't terrible, but the characterization, setting, pacing, descriptions—are all so poorly rendered that the book is altogether painful to read. Given all of that, how did this book launch the career of such a successful and illustrious mystery writer? All I can think is that the writing is just so easy to read—so mindless and devoid of challenge—that it acts sort of like day-time TV, drawing in a dazed audience to sit rapt and attentive because of the pure vacuousness of the experience.
I'm actually quite unhappy to have to slam this novel. I picked it up with significant reservation, having had forewarning that Clark was not a good writer. However, I am from Cape Cod—born and raised—and my older brother had a bit part (with a single line) in the cinematic version of this novel, I guess picked up as an extra because they filmed it on location where we lived. I was hopeful that there would be some fun descriptions of the Cape that would evoke a clear sense of place and that the minor characters and stores and architecture would feel nostalgic. Alas... There are so many books so much more engaging and thought-provoking and fun and funny and genuinely dramatic and memorable than this one, I would advise readers to give this a decisive pass.
On the plus side, Clark delves into pedophilia in a manner that is not wholly one-dimensional, and the various pieces of the story fit together reasonably well, such that events from the past seem to foreshadow and reinforce events in the present. That's about all I can say in support of this book. The plot isn't terrible, but the characterization, setting, pacing, descriptions—are all so poorly rendered that the book is altogether painful to read. Given all of that, how did this book launch the career of such a successful and illustrious mystery writer? All I can think is that the writing is just so easy to read—so mindless and devoid of challenge—that it acts sort of like day-time TV, drawing in a dazed audience to sit rapt and attentive because of the pure vacuousness of the experience.
I'm actually quite unhappy to have to slam this novel. I picked it up with significant reservation, having had forewarning that Clark was not a good writer. However, I am from Cape Cod—born and raised—and my older brother had a bit part (with a single line) in the cinematic version of this novel, I guess picked up as an extra because they filmed it on location where we lived. I was hopeful that there would be some fun descriptions of the Cape that would evoke a clear sense of place and that the minor characters and stores and architecture would feel nostalgic. Alas... There are so many books so much more engaging and thought-provoking and fun and funny and genuinely dramatic and memorable than this one, I would advise readers to give this a decisive pass.
August 23, 2023
I created a Goodreads account for the sole purpose of writing this review.
This book was AWFUL. I read it in one day as fast as I could just so it would be over. I groaned through the whole thing and at the end I threw it.
From the FIRST CHAPTER it's obvious what is happening and I said "oh so the husband did it then and he's back to do it again?". And then the following chapters are just melodramatic and stupid. And oh my god SO COINCIDENTAL! Ridiculously so that I found myself constantly rolling my eyes and asking myself, is this for real?
I found myself starting chapters and saying "and then this will happen..." And. It. Did. Every time. Jesus. Predictable, stupid, STUPID writing. And all the pieces just magically fall into place sooooooo coincidentally.
The day that the children are kidnapped again, an ex-lawyer JUST SO HAPPENS to be reading about the case of the first missing children. And he spots something no one else ever has! Wow!
A doctor with a past with the mother decides that he MUST come forward because he can help!!! And only He can get through to her... with "truth serum"....... Wow!
The only guy keeping her out of jail decides ON THAT DAT that he must visit her to extort her and catches her right as her children have been taken and she's "losing her mind"!!! Wow!!
What are the odds?!?!?!?!?!!?!!! :)))))))))))
Ridiculous. Ridiculous. RIDICULOUS.
Also WHY. Why does her ex-husband stalk her for YEARS and spend all this time watching her, over SEVEN YEARS, and decides to do it that year? Why???????
And why does her current husband not seem to care at all about his children?? Only his ridiculously cliched shocked and fragile wife?????? Jesus Christ.
I could cut this book up, make a jacket out of it's pages and then go stand in the rain and get pneumonia and I would still have a better time with it then than I did reading it.
This book was AWFUL. I read it in one day as fast as I could just so it would be over. I groaned through the whole thing and at the end I threw it.
From the FIRST CHAPTER it's obvious what is happening and I said "oh so the husband did it then and he's back to do it again?". And then the following chapters are just melodramatic and stupid. And oh my god SO COINCIDENTAL! Ridiculously so that I found myself constantly rolling my eyes and asking myself, is this for real?
I found myself starting chapters and saying "and then this will happen..." And. It. Did. Every time. Jesus. Predictable, stupid, STUPID writing. And all the pieces just magically fall into place sooooooo coincidentally.
The day that the children are kidnapped again, an ex-lawyer JUST SO HAPPENS to be reading about the case of the first missing children. And he spots something no one else ever has! Wow!
A doctor with a past with the mother decides that he MUST come forward because he can help!!! And only He can get through to her... with "truth serum"....... Wow!
The only guy keeping her out of jail decides ON THAT DAT that he must visit her to extort her and catches her right as her children have been taken and she's "losing her mind"!!! Wow!!
What are the odds?!?!?!?!?!!?!!! :)))))))))))
Ridiculous. Ridiculous. RIDICULOUS.
Also WHY. Why does her ex-husband stalk her for YEARS and spend all this time watching her, over SEVEN YEARS, and decides to do it that year? Why???????
And why does her current husband not seem to care at all about his children?? Only his ridiculously cliched shocked and fragile wife?????? Jesus Christ.
I could cut this book up, make a jacket out of it's pages and then go stand in the rain and get pneumonia and I would still have a better time with it then than I did reading it.
March 7, 2011
Haven't read any of Mary Higgins Clark's books in quiet a while. After reading this one I realized again why I love her writing. Throughout the whole book I was trying to figure out who the kidnapper/murderer was and what happened to Mack. Every time I thought I was right I was proven wrong. Her books are so easy to read and flow nicely through the chapters.
April 20, 2017
Nem sempre o que parece, é!
Uma leitura bastante empolgante e cheia de surpresas... gostei muito.
Uma leitura bastante empolgante e cheia de surpresas... gostei muito.
February 5, 2020
Apesar de este ser o primeiro livro da escritora, apesar de ter só 200 páginas este livro a meu ver é um policial fantástico.
Tenho pena de não ter conseguido ler de seguida...
Adorei e recomendo vivamente.
Tenho pena de não ter conseguido ler de seguida...
Adorei e recomendo vivamente.
February 1, 2016
Unfassbar, welche gymnastischen Übungen MHC dem Zufall in WINTERSSTURM abverlangt; tagelang wird das Schicksal nach diesen Dehnübungen massiver Muskelkater geplagt haben. Nicht minder strapaziert wird die Gutgläubigkeit des Lesers, wenn an einem einzigen Tage, dem Geburtstag von Nancy, ihre zwei Kinder entführt werden, ein ehemaliger erpresserischer Belastungszeuge nach Jahren wieder auftaucht und ein griechischer Gastronom just die Immobilie besichtigt, in dem die Kinder gefangen gehalten werden. Übrigens ist die dabei anwesende Maklerin eine Partnerin des Vaters der Kinder, und wem es an Zufällen noch nicht reicht, der freue sich darüber, dass an diesemTage X gerade ein Jurist den Fall er ersten Kindestötungen studiert hat – denn vor sieben Jahren sind schon einmal zwei Kinder Nancys getötet worden und sie geriet unter Tatverdacht, und nun genau wie ein hinzu geeilter Arzt, der Nancys Mutter liebte, der Armen zur Hilfe springt.
Wollte man in die Details gehen, so werden diese Zufälle immer haarsträubender und legen die Vermutung nahe, dass MHC für ihren ersten Thriller zahlreiche Einfälle hatte, sich nicht entscheiden konnte und schließlich alle bunt kombiniert hat.
Dabei wird der Leser nicht gefordert, im Stile eines Who-Dunnit zu mutmaßen, wer der Entführer ist, denn das erfährt er gleich auf der ersten Seite, sondern die Spannung resultiert aus der Frage, ob die gekidnappten Kinder dieses Mal gerettet werden können.
WINTERSTURM richtet sich an Leser, die vorzugsweise lieber mitfühlen als mitdenken.
Dialoge und Charaktere kommen lauwarm daher und die Spannung hält sich in Grenzen. Überzeugend ist nur der eisige Sturm, der über Cape Cod tost und für Gänsehautfeeling sorgt.
Wollte man in die Details gehen, so werden diese Zufälle immer haarsträubender und legen die Vermutung nahe, dass MHC für ihren ersten Thriller zahlreiche Einfälle hatte, sich nicht entscheiden konnte und schließlich alle bunt kombiniert hat.
Dabei wird der Leser nicht gefordert, im Stile eines Who-Dunnit zu mutmaßen, wer der Entführer ist, denn das erfährt er gleich auf der ersten Seite, sondern die Spannung resultiert aus der Frage, ob die gekidnappten Kinder dieses Mal gerettet werden können.
WINTERSTURM richtet sich an Leser, die vorzugsweise lieber mitfühlen als mitdenken.
Dialoge und Charaktere kommen lauwarm daher und die Spannung hält sich in Grenzen. Überzeugend ist nur der eisige Sturm, der über Cape Cod tost und für Gänsehautfeeling sorgt.
November 13, 2015
Opinião completa http://soberanadanoite.blogspot.fr/20...
Foi, pura e simplesmente, incrível!
A história faz-nos dar voltas e voltas à cabeça, a tentar juntar peças, a pensar "hum... Foi aquele" "afinal parece que não. Deve ser este". Até que, a 1/4 do final do livro... Oh meu deus! A sério? Nunca pensei!! E é nesta altura que as pessoas também começam a desvendar peças que faltavam e que eles percebem quem realmente foi.
E depois é uma correria frenética para salvar as crianças.
Foram 200 pag fantasticas! Adorei cada uma!
E Nancy e Ray formam um casal de sonho!
Estamos, sem dúvida, sob um excelente romance policial.
Estava com as expectativas baixas e surpreendeu-me imenso!
Foi, pura e simplesmente, incrível!
A história faz-nos dar voltas e voltas à cabeça, a tentar juntar peças, a pensar "hum... Foi aquele" "afinal parece que não. Deve ser este". Até que, a 1/4 do final do livro... Oh meu deus! A sério? Nunca pensei!! E é nesta altura que as pessoas também começam a desvendar peças que faltavam e que eles percebem quem realmente foi.
E depois é uma correria frenética para salvar as crianças.
Foram 200 pag fantasticas! Adorei cada uma!
E Nancy e Ray formam um casal de sonho!
Estamos, sem dúvida, sob um excelente romance policial.
Estava com as expectativas baixas e surpreendeu-me imenso!
December 5, 2019
I'm not much of a thriller reader, I prefer mysteries that I have to puzzle out. But this book is a makes me reexamine that bias. I was sure was the person who killed
The book was very well written and had me turning the pages as fast as I could. This 45 year old book also made me realize I'm never going to be able to read all the great books before I shuffle off this mortal coil. I want to be reincarnated as a librarian.
The book was very well written and had me turning the pages as fast as I could. This 45 year old book also made me realize I'm never going to be able to read all the great books before I shuffle off this mortal coil. I want to be reincarnated as a librarian.
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