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    If You Were Here: A Novel of Suspense
    If You Were Here: A Novel of Suspense
    If You Were Here: A Novel of Suspense
    Audiobook12 hours

    If You Were Here: A Novel of Suspense

    Written by Alafair Burke

    Narrated by Roxanne Hernandez

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    If You Were Here is a thrilling novel of suspense from Alafair Burke, the author Dennis Lehane calls “one of the finest young crime writers working today.”
     
    Manhattan journalist McKenna Jordan is chasing the story of an unidentified woman who heroically pulled a teenaged boy from the subway tracks. When she locates a video that captures part of the incident, she thinks she has an edge on the competition scrambling to identify the mystery heroine, but is shocked to discover that the woman in the video bears a strong resemblance to Susan Hauptmann, a close friend who disappeared without a trace a decade earlier.
     
    What would have been a short-lived metro story sends McKenna on a dangerous search for the missing woman—a search that will force her to unearth long-buried truths much closer to home…

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJun 4, 2013
    ISBN9780062280657
    Author

    Alafair Burke

    Alafair Burke is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen novels, including The Better Sister, The Wife, The Ex, and Find Me, in addition to the Under Suspicion series, coauthored with Mary Higgins Clark. A former prosecutor, she now teaches criminal law and lives in New York City. 

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    Reviews for If You Were Here

    4/5

    135 ratings18 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Lots of plot twists and suspense, up until the very end.
    • 5/5
      It took a while for me to get into this story and almost gave up on it mid-way. I'm glad that I decided to stick it out to the end. The final quarter of the book is worth slogging through the first three quarters! Looking back, I understand why Alafair Burke wrote it the way she did and can't think of a better sequencing or pacing. My advice, if you're equally tempted to give up, is to hang in there to the end. And excellent story, with fascinating back stories and socio-political commentary; also, very suspenseful. There are still questions left at the end for the reader/listener, but none of them are important to the conclusion of the story.
    • 3/5
      The reader is one of the worst I’ve ever heard. I finished the book because I wanted to see it through. But the voiceover was painful. It sounds partially computer generated and partially plain amateur. I hope Ms. Burke will advocate for better readers of her works.
    • 5/5
      Full of twists and turns....very impressive how Burke takes the reader into such detail over quiet a span of years as McKenna Jordan tries to make sense of mistakes..... or was she correct in her legal and writing careers that created such disasters for herself along the way?
    • 4/5
      Not my favorite Alafair Burke book, but still quite enjoyable. A few unique twists and “a-ha!” moments.
    • 4/5
      Alafair Burker is the daughter of one of my favourite mystery writers, James Lee Burke. I've been meaning to check out her work for years but until I found this audiobook on my library's electronic media site I had not made good on my resolution. Her writing is not as dark and violent as her dad's but compelling nevertheless.McKenna Jordan is a former Deputy Prosecutor in New York City but is now working as a journalist. She left the prosecutor's office ten years ago under a cloud. Also ten years ago a good friend, Susan Hauptman, disappeared without a trace. Now, as McKenna views an amateur video of a woman saving a young man from the subway rails she is sure it is Susan. This leads her into a week of terror and insecurity as she searches for Susan. She starts to doubt herself and everyone around her, including her husband.I would read more books by Alafair Burke based upon this listen.
    • 3/5
      Lots of good plotting, but this book is let down by a lack of focus in the writing so that it is at least 20% too long. Although I quite enjoyed it while I was actually reading it, it did not drag me back to it when I was not. I will try one of the writer's series books before I decide whether or not to follow her.
    • 3/5
      Behind in a few reviews so next couple (non review books) will be very briefRandom Thoughts Interesting premise Fast paced and never boring Didn't feel a real connection to any of the characters, although they were very real and extremely well developed (though was irritated by McKenna due to stupidity at times) Strong female character Well done but not extremely memorable, a good beach read Fabulous descriptions, made me feel like part of the story Liked that one of the characters was named Porter (my maiden name, I know its a geeky thing, but it made me smile when I read his name) Can't count the amount of times I wanted to slap McKenna for being so stupid and self righteous Characters bonded over Buffy the Vampire Slayer - I know such a silly thing but I giggled and loved itMemorable Quotes"Maybe the kids hadn't changed after all. Maybe it was the adult who were different.""McKenna was barely forty years old, but with a Librarian mother and an English Teacher father, she was one of those rare young people who was more comfortable with microfiche and dusty microfiche and dusty notebooks than WAV files and thumb drives.""But the boy was black, and Scott waas a white cop, and so - that's how this country still see things. Maybe it will always be that way."3/5 Dewey'sI picked this up at Book Expo America and am in no way required to say anything good or bad at it and I sure as hell received no money for it - just love to share the book love
    • 5/5
      Alafair Burke wowed me!!! Several times throughout this book; I thought I knew how all the pieces fell into place, only to find out that I didn’t. This was a book that was filled with rich wonderful characters that tore at your heart strings, caused you to hold your breath and run with the character in a hurry. I loved this book, esp. because it wasn’t all pat and dry. I loved the fact that there was more than one main character. All the characters were fully developed into people you felt you knew. Most writers have two or maybe three characters that the reader gets to know, love and or hate; this one bonds you to the majority of the characters.This book was more than a “who done it” and “why”; but a story of several lives and how they all mingled together to form the relationships. There was laughter, tears, uncertainty and puzzlement and finally the ending which was just as it should have been; even though I didn’t figure it out before hand. I applaud this writer! I bought this book via Amazon.com
    • 5/5
      Absolutely loved this book! This is the first book by Alafair Burke that I have read but I can tell you that it won't be the last. This book had my attention from page 1 and never let it go!This is the story of a journalist who is working on a story about an unidentified woman who rescues a teenager from the subway tracks seconds before he would have been killed. The plot thickens as it becomes apparent to the journalist following this story that the unidentified woman resembles a friend of hers who went missing ten years before. The story unfolds as the journalist works to uncover the truth surrounding the mystery of her missing friend and the secrets and lies that have been kept by those that she thought she could trust. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      Alafair Burke is the author of two wonderful series featuring recurring characters Samantha Kincaid, a lawyer and Detective Ellie Hatcher. In her latest book If You Were Here (a stand alone) she brings us another great protagonist - and another fantastic book for some hot summer reading. McKenna Jordan is a journalist for a NYC magazine. This is a second career for McKenna. She was an Assistant District Attorney for the city, but she resigned in disgrace after badly fumbling her first big case. Looking for her next story for the magazine, McKenna decides to follow up on a report of a woman rescuing a young man from certain death on the subway tracks; then disappearing. Bystander cell phone footage is blurry, but McKenna is sure the woman is her old friend Susan - who disappeared ten years ago. Her husband Patrick went to school with Susan and he's equally sure it can't be her. "She watched the video one more time. There was no way to be certain, but somehow the woman in the video looked more like Susan with every viewing. If Susan was still alive, where had she been all this time? Why did she leave? Why didn't she tell anyone? And why was she back now? Hooked! Oh yes, I do love this kind of book. And Burke takes it to a new level with If You Were Here. I loved the slow peeling back of layers as McKenna revisits the disappearance of Susan, the case that cost her her ADA career - and her relationship with her husband. We're along for the ride with McKenna chasing leads and wondering who is telling the truth. I really enjoyed McKenna as a character - she's dogged and determined, but not perfect. Burke's plotting was complex and intricately carved from seemingly disparate puzzle pieces just waiting to be clicked into place. Read carefully - ostensibly innocuous comments end up being subtly inserted clues to the final answer. And that final answer was nowhere near where I thought the book would go. Burke kept me guessing and kept me engaged from first page to last. This one's on my hot summer reads list. If you haven't read Alafair Burke yet - what are you waiting for?!
    • 4/5
      My rating: 4 of 5 starsIf you were here by Alafair Burke is a HarperCollins publication. This was a June 2013 release. I received a copy of this book from the publishers and Edelweiss. Nicky has been stealing cell phones from New Yorkers until one day in the subways he stole from the wrong lady. He was chased down and nearly killed on the tracks. The woman saved his life and also retrieved her cell phone.Now McKenna is doing a story for the magazine publication she works for about the incident. When a cell phone video surfaces, McKenna is stunned to see the woman in the subway bears a striking resemblance to her good friend, Susan , that disappeared ten years ago. McKenna begins to obsess about the disappearance again and contacts the detective assigned to Susan's case. This brings back memories of another time in MeKenna's life when she worked for the District Attorney's office. She had had to leave that job due to delving into an officer involved shooting of a young black man, that was supposed to have been self defense, but McKenna believed there was more to it. Soon after McKenna begins to look back into Susan's disappearance, things start to get ugly for her. She has major work related issues, and worst of all she feels like her husband is holding information about Susan and she can no longer trust anyone. Is Susan still alive? What does everyone else seem to know, but McKenna? This is a multi layered mystery suspense novel. Two old cases, one mostly forgotten and the truths long buried, the other one cold as ice. Now, someone is trying to kill people that were involved in both of those cases, and McKenna is at the very heart of the story. Everything unfolds at the perfect pace. The mystery continues to deepen and the suspense continues to build, with one twist after another. We are all pulling for McKenna and we hope she will be able to finally find peace in her personal life and in her professional life. The secondary characters that work with McKenna are also interesting and we hope they will also be able to finally shut the door on past resentments and find peace in their personal lives as well. This was very interesting and original novel. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy mystery, suspense with a bit of a darker tone. Overall an A
    • 5/5
      The backstory: This time last year, I read Alafair Burke's first stand-alone novel, Long Gone (my review.) I spent the rest of last year trying to only read one of her books a month. I failed. I read all eight in only seven months. While I'm still eagerly awaiting more from her two series, featuring attorney Samantha Kincaid and police detective Ellie Hatcher, I eagerly read her second stand-alone mystery, If You Were Here.The basics: New York City is abuzz with the news of a woman heroically rescuing a young man who fell onto the subway tracks and then running away. When prosecutor turned journalist McKenna Jordan researches the story she discovers someone took cell phone video of the woman, and she looks exactly like McKenna's friend Susan Hauptmann, who has been missing for ten years.My thoughts: Having read all of Alafair Burke's novels in seven months last year, I'm able to spot some of her patterns, even as she continues to improve her craft. When I sat down to read If You Were Here, I made sure I had pen and paper with me to create a detailed character map. Burke doesn't waste any details: every tidbit is significant, even if doesn't feel that way as you read. Admittedly, I was pretty proud of myself to spot a few trademark twists and turns, but as I bridged connections, I realized doing so made Burke's story even more impressive. As I beat McKenna to a few crucial plot points (admittedly, I was privy to more character's point-of-view than she is), I was even more gobsmacked by the 'how' and 'why'? In If You Were Here, I questioned everyone at least once. There's something satisfying about knowing who you as a reader can trust, but in this book I cared more about McKenna and her knowing whom she could trust. As a reader, I love encountering characters I can root for, and McKenna is one I'd love to invite to a dinner party and form a lasting friendship with. Favorite passage: "All those facts were true. But memory was malleable. It was selective. Some facts hardened, and others fell away."The verdict: If You Were Here is a smart, spellbinding mystery filled with surprises, but Burke elevates it to a higher level with characters and relationships who are as dynamic and complicated as the plot itself.
    • 4/5
      McKenna Wright is a heroine I can believe in. No super powers or jumping into a situation wiser women would get away from. She's smart, yes, but also blessed with common sense. She's married to a West Point grad and they were both friends with one of his classmates, Susan Hauptmann. They were aware that Susan had problems with her stern military father. Then Susan seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. She left behind everything in her life in New York City, and no clue where she had gone. No body was ever found.It has been ten years now and McKenna, a former assistant D.A. and now a journalist, is fact finding for a story about a young man who fell onto the subway tracks but was saved by a woman who ran off without identifying herself. When McKenna sees a tape of it, she is shocked to recognize the woman who saved him as her long-lost friend.McKenna is no longer a lawyer and that in itself is a strange story. Now she is trying to find Susan and gets into the middle of another strange tale.The characters McKenna meets along the way are believable as well. Through each one she learns a little bit more but doesn't know who to trust, even her husband is acting suspicious. Was he involved with Susan? Does he know she is actually alive? A detective McKenna had offended years ago becomes an ally in the hunt.I didn't figure out the whole story until it was spelled out to me in the final chapters, but then it made perfect sense. I requested the book because I had read Alafair Burke before, and I certainly wasn't disappointed this time either.Highly recommendedSource: Amazon Vine
    • 4/5
      Former prosecutor turned journalist, McKenna Jordan watches an amateur video of a woman saving a teenager from an oncoming subway train and thinks it’s an old friend who disappeared ten years earlier without a trace. Thinking this would make a good story, she begins to investigate it. But what turns out to be an obsession becomes more mysterious when things begin to hinder her research and open secrets that she shouldn’t have. This novel begins with an intense scene through the subway and quickly becomes a story filled with suspense with shady characters, secrets and a cop that has to deal with his own problems. McKenna seems to make matters worse as she tries to find the truth to her friends’ disappearance. The author has created a whirlwind of a story that kept me interested until the end. Even then she adds a little twist. One character (which I won’t divulge) didn’t quite set right with me, but the rest of the characters were great.
    • 4/5
      It is so nice to read a mystery/thriller that is not a series. This is more challenging for the author in that the entire persona of the lead character, journalist McKenna Wright, must be developed in the space of one novel. However, it's a treat for me to not have to deal with the character's history having evolved over a series of previous novels."If You Were Here" is a satisfying, engaging work. The first chapter grabbed my interest with a death-defying rescue performed by a mysterious woman. The plot evolves with many plausible twists and turns, surprising and satisfying the reader. Who wants a mystery to be straight forward and cut and dry? Alafair Burke certainly delivers a plot delightfully laced with the unexpected.In short, Alafair Burke provides it all: effective character development; suspense; thrills; an engaging plot; and skillful writing. "If You Were Here" was a real pleasure to read.
    • 4/5
      Journalist McKenna Wright sees footage of a woman rescuing a teenager who had fallen onto the train tracks.McKenna recognizes the woman as an old friend and former classmate of McKenna's husband at West Point. The woman had disappeared nearly ten years ago.Thinking that this might be a good story for her paper, McKenna begins looking into the woman's disappearance not realizing that in doing so, McKenna was placing her life and her husband's in danger.Also taking her time is a story McKenna was working on about a police officer killing a young man and the officer who is accused of shooting an unarmed man.McKenna becomes paired with Det. Joe Scanlin who feels he didn't do justice to his investigation of the missing woman - because Scanlin's wife was battling early Alzheimer's.Alafair Burke has spun a complex plot that moves nicely and has appropriate tension. The last hundred pages are very exciting as McKenna's investigation and the legal case come together.
    • 5/5
      What if your best friend had been missing for the last ten years, and suddenly you discover the picture of a heroic rescuer on the subway tracks looks very familiar? And then every file related to that picture just as suddenly begins to disappear? Alafair has written a compelling and multi-layered stand-alone novel that threatens to tear apart a marriage and leaves one wondering just how many secrets are kept by those around us. Her newest protagonist, a magazine journalist Mckenna Wright, begins a search for the missing woman who pulled a young man to safety moments before an arriving train. Convinced it is her missing friend a bystander captured on a video clip, she begins investigating and finds herself stonewalled at every turn. No one believes her, including her husband, and the police detective that initially investigated the disappearance almost a decade ago. A solid outing with a satisfying ending, Alafair’s hit gold with If You Were Here.