Where Are You Now? (2008) by Mary Higgins Clark

📞 Ten years ago "Mack" Mackenzie walked out of his apartment without a word and has never been seen again. However, on every Mother's Day after that, there's been always a short phone call from Mack to his mother, saying that he's OK. Before anyone receiving the call has time to ask anything, however, he'd ring off. Thus, his family "accepted" that Mack is alright; he just wants to be left alone.

📞 On the tenth Mother's Day after he's been missing, however, his little sister Caroline couldn't take it anymore. She shouted over the phone that she will search and find Mack no matter what. After that, a piece of paper was found inside the collection bag at a church. It's a message to Caroline from Mack, to leave him alone. She brought this evidence to the police, but the detective in charge wasn't interested.

📞 When a girl called Lissie Andrew was missing after leaving a bar alone at night, the same detective found out that Caroline lives at the same apartment building with her, and suspected that there's probably a connection somehow of these two missing cases. The police then connected Lissie's case with other missing cases of young girls, one of them only days after Mack had gone missing ten years ago. Did Mack has something to do with the crime, then? When the police suspected him, Caroline is determined now more than ever, to seek the truth and to clear her brother's name.

📞 This is my second Mary Higgins Clark of the year - the first was Pretend You Don't See Her, which I liked. Where Are You Now? might not as fascinating as Pretend You Don't See Her, but it's equally highly entertaining. I can see similarity in tropes from both novels. The main characters are young women. There are always a long list of suspects. They are usually connected to one another or are acquainted with the heroine, either relatives or professional acquaintances. I guess these connections enabled the author to throw curfews and red herrings on the plot. I have no complain, because that is what makes a good suspense novel, doesn't it? Needless to say, I was enjoying this much. Same as the first read, I have also listened to the audiobook. I found it both soothing and exciting at the same time, which was what I've needed after a tedious time.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐