Thursday, March 12, 2009

Where Are You Now by Mary Higgins Clark

I always enjoy read Ms. Clark's books as they are a quick read and entertaining. While searching my library's database, I noticed that there were several of Ms. Clark's newer books that I had missed. I headed over there and picked up Where Are You Now, and true to form read it very quickly. It was a pleasant read and I rate it a B.

From Amazon:
It has been ten years since twenty-one-year-old Charles MacKenzie Jr. ("Mack") went missing. A Columbia University senior, about to graduate and already accepted at Duke University Law School, he walked out of his apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side without a word to his college roommates and has never been seen again. However, he does make one ritual phone call to his mother every year: on Mother's Day. Each time, he assures her he is fine, refuses to answer her frantic questions, then hangs up. Even the death of his father, a corporate lawyer, in the tragedy of 9/11 does not bring him home or break the pattern of his calls.
Mack's sister, Carolyn, is now twenty-six, a law school graduate, and has just finished her clerkship for a civil court judge in Manhattan. She has endured two family tragedies, yet she realizes that she will never be able to have closure and get on with her life until she finds her brother. She resolves to discover what happened to Mack and why he has found it necessary to hide from them. So this year when Mack makes his annual Mother's Day call, Carolyn interrupts to announce her intention to track him down, no matter what it takes. The next morning after Mass, her uncle, Monsignor Devon MacKenzie, receives a scrawled message left in the collection basket: "Uncle Devon, tell Carolyn she must not look for me."
Mack's cryptic warning does nothing to deter his sister from taking up the search, despite the angry reaction of her mother, Olivia, and the polite disapproval of Elliott Wallace, Carolyn's honorary uncle, who is clearly in love with Olivia.
Carolyn's pursuit of the truth about Mack's disappearance swiftly plunges her into a world of unexpected danger and unanswered questions. What is the secret that Gus and Lil Kramer, the superintendents of the building in which Mack was living, have to hide? What do Mack's old roommates, the charismatic club owner Nick DeMarco and the cold and wealthy real estate tycoon Bruce Galbraith, know about Mack's disappearance? Is Nick connected to the disappearance of Leesey Andrews, who had last been seen in his trendy club? Can the police possibly believe that Mack is not only alive, but a serial killer, a shadowy predator of young women? Was Mack also guilty of the brutal murder of his drama teacher and the theft of his taped sessions with her?
Carolyn's passionate search for the truth about her brother -- and for her brother himself -- leads her into a deadly confrontation with someone close to her whose secret he cannot allow her to reveal.


Where Are You Now is classic Mary Higgins Clark. I always enjoy books set in NYC and most of hers are. I was intrigued by the fact that Carolyn's father died on 9/11 and was wondering if that may play some role in the story though it did not. I also enjoy reading about the wealthy and Ms. Clark always gives her characters the impression that while they may be better off financially than most, they are not better people because of it. I did think that some of these characters came across a bit flat, though, and did not really come to care about any of them or what happened. Though Carolyn is the main character, I felt like I reall did not know much about her. I also have to say that I had a good part of the mystery figured out, but that is because I feel like I know Ms. Clark's formula and she seems to not stray from it too much. I think this may be the reason why I haven't picked up some of Ms. Clark's most recent novels. That being said, I am not sorry I read this book, it just isn't one that will be near the top of any of my lists.

I am not sure what I am going to read next. I have a couple of library books to read, but I think I am going to grab one off of my shelves. I hope everyone is having a great day and Happy Reading!

3 comments:

CJ West said...

Saw that you were now reading Never Tell a Lie. I know MS. Ephron in passing and wanted to ask what you thought of her book.

CJ

Literary Feline said...

It's been a while since I last picked up a Mary Higgins Clark book. They are fun to read--quick and entertaining. For the longest time, she was one of my comfort authors I would turn to. Great review, Kristie!

Kristie said...

CJ West: I already read it a couple of minutes again. I enjoyed it a lot. THanks for commenting.

Literary: Thanks for the comment. That is exactly what she is... a comfort read that you know you can read quickly and help get me reading again.