It Had to Be You (Under Suspicion series) by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke

Released 2024.04.16   | Finished 20234.04.23            | Borrowed from local library

If you have any immediate deadlines, stay away from this title!

The new story for the Under Suspicion news crew involves a near ten-year old cold case. Twins dubbed the Deadly Duo have been under suspicion of killing their parents.

Ten years ago, Sarah and Richard Harrington held a college graduation party in conjunction with her best friend Betsy and Walter Ward for their sons at the local yacht club. Richard and Walter were also two of three partners in a law firm. The couples had decided that everyone that attended the party had to be dressed completely in white.

Sarah and Richard left the party early to return to their summer home less than a mile from the yacht club. They never returned. Shortly after their murders, their bodies were discovered by the young woman that walked the family dog. Soon thereafter, the police were at the graduation party to break the news to the children, twins Simon and Ethan and younger sister Frankie. The third member of the law firm, who had arrived at the yacht club late, stated that he had observed one of the twin boys returning from the parking lot and the vehicle that the twins had driven to the party. The twins had been under suspicion of murder with both accusing the other of the crime.

Ten years later, Frankie is in her last semester of college, ready to receive her inheritance. She stays connected with her brothers, but they have not talked to each other since the investigation of the murders. Frankie wants answers and her family to be whole. She contacted Laurie Moran to see if the television producer would consider investing the cold case and do what she does best, do what the police were unable to do, solve the crime and identify the person responsible for the murders.

About the Authors

Mary Higgins Clark (December 24, 1927 – January 31, 2020) was of Irish descent. Her father died in 1939; he left a widow with three children to support. As the children became old enough to work at odd jobs, they did so. Following graduation from secretarial school, Mary went to work at Remington Rand. There she was a fellow employee of Joseph Keller and Grace Kelly.

Mary’s writing began when she was in high school. Her first published story was the result of a college writing assignment, forty rejections, and six years of trying to sell the story- it sold in 1956. Though Mary continued writing while raising a family and completing a degree at Fordham University in 1971, her first novel was released until January 1, 1975. Over fifty novels would follow in her writing career.

Alafair Burke (October 1969 -) is a professor of law, legal commentator, and American crime novelist with fourteen books in her name only and the Under Suspicion series with Clark. She is the daughter of a school librarian Pearl Pai Chu and crime novelist James Lee Burke. Her work in law includes serving as a judicial clerk in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and as Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney, Portland, Oregon.

Mary Higgins Clark Book List

1. Aspire To The Heavens, aka Mount Vernon Love Story 1968.01.01
2. Where Are The Children 1986.12.12
3. A Stranger Is Watching 1977.01.01
4. The Cradle Will Fall 1980.01.01
5. A Cry in the Night 1982.09
6. Stillwatch 1984.01.01
7. Weep No More, My Lady (Alvirah & Willie #1) 1987.01.01
8. While My Pretty One Sleeps 1989.07.01
9. The Anastasia Syndrome and Other Stories 1989.11.15
10. That’s The Ticket 1990.01.01
11. Voices in The Coal Bin 1990.10.01
12. Loves Music, Loves To Dance 1991.05.15
13. All Around The Town 1992.05.04
14. Milk Run 1993.01.01
15. Stowaway 1993.01.01
16. I’ll Be Seeing You 1993.05.05
17. Death On The Cape and Other Stories 1993.12.02
18. Remember Me 1994.05.02
19. The Lottery Winner And Other Stories (Alvirah & Willie #2) 1994.11.01
20. Let Me Call You Sweetheart 1995.05.08
21. Silent Night 1995.10.16
22. Moonlight Becomes You 1996.04.18
23. My Gal Sunday 1996.10.22
24. Pretend You Don’t See Her 1997.04.28
25. You Belong To Me 1998.04.21
26. All Through The Night (Alvirah & Willie #3) 1986.09.20
27. We’ll Meet Again 1999.04.26
28. Before I Say Goodbye 2000.01.01
29. Deck The Halls (with Carol Higgins Clark – Alvirah & Willie #4) 2000.11.30
30. On The Street Where You Live 2001.04.17
31. He Sees You When You’re Sleeping (with Carol Higgins Clark) 2004.11.03
32. Daddy’s Little Girl 2002.04.16
33. Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir 2002.01.01
34. The Second Time Around 2003.01.01
35. Nighttime Is My Time 2004.04.06
36. The Christmas Thief (with Carol Higgins Clark – Alvirah & willie #5) 2004.11.09
37. No Place Like Home 2005.04.05
38. Two Little Girls In Blue 2006.04.04
39. Santa Cruise (with Carol Higgins Clark – Alvirah & Willie #6) 2006.11.14
40. Ghost Ship 2007.04.03
41. I Heard That Song Before 2007.04.03
42. Where Are You Now? 2008.04.08
43. Dashing Through The Snow (with Carol Higgins Clark- Alvirah & Willie #7) 2008.11.18
44. Just Take My Heart 2009.04.07
45. The Shadow Of Your Smile 2010.04.13
46. I’ll Walk Alone (Alvirah & Willie #8) 2011.04.05
47. The Magical Christmas Horse (children’s story) 2011.10.25
48. The Lost Years (Alvirah & Willie #9) 2012.04.03
49. Daddy’s Gone A Hunting 2013.01.01
50. Inherit The Dead (multiple writers writing a chapter a piece) 2013.10.08
51. I’ve Got You Under My Skin (Under Suspicion #1 with Alafair Burke) 2014.04.01
52. The Cinderella Murder (Under Suspicion #2 with Alafair Burke) 2014.11.18
53. The Mystery Writers Of America Cookbook (multiple writers contributing) 2015.03.24
54. Death Wears A Beauty Mask and Other Stories 2015.04.23
55. The Five Dollar Dress (multiple writers’ short stories) 2015.06.02
56. The Melody Lingers On 2015.06.23
57. All Dressed In White (Under Suspicion #3 with Alafair Burke) 2015.11.17
58. As Time Goes By (Alvirah and Willy series #10) 2016.04.05
59. The Sleeping Beauty Killer (Under Suspicion #4 with Alafair Burke) 2016.11.15
60. All By Myself, Alone (Alvirah & Willie #11) 2017.04.04
61. Every Breath You Take (Under Suspicion #5 with Alafair Burk) 2017.11.07
62. I’ve Got My Eyes On You 2018.04.03
63. You Don’t Own Me (Under Suspicion #6 with Alafair Burke) 2018.11.06
64. Kiss The Girls And Make Them Cry 2019.11.05
65. Piece Of My Heart (Under Suspicion #7 with Alafair Burke) 2020.11.17
66. Where Are The Children Now? (with Alafair Burke) 2022.04.18
67. It Had To Be You (Under Suspicion #8 with Alafair Burke) 2024.04.16

Alafair Burke Book list

1. Find Me 2022.01.11
2. The Better Sister 2019.04.16
3. The Wife 2018.01.23
4. The Ex 2016.01.26
5. If You Were Here 2013.06.04
6. Long Gone 2012.05.22
7. All Day and a Night (Ellie Hatcher series) 2014.06.10
8. Never Tell (Ellie Hatcher series) 2012.06.19
9. 212 (Ellie Hatcher Series) 2010.03.23
10. Angel’s Tip (Ellie Hatcher Series) 2008.01.01
11. Dead Connection (Ellie Hatcher series) 2007.07.10
12. Close Case (Samantha Kincaid series) 2005.07.06
13. Missing Justice (Samantha Kincaid series) 2004.06.02
14. Judgment Calls (Samantha Kincaid series) 2003.07.01