Now this is how you write a good thriller! My year of thrillers has been full of duds and I did not enjoy most of the books I’ve read. I’m so glad Don’t Look For Me delivered. I was hooked from the very first page and could not stop reading.

Don’t Look For Me follows the disappearance of Molly Clarke. Was it just a “walk away” as the police claimed or is something sinister afoot? I definitely suggest going into this blind because it made the reading experience so much more engaging.

The plot was gripping and so fast-paced. Walker’s writing kept me interested and I was anxious to find out what happened to Molly. However, I did find the middle to lag a bit but it picked up pretty quickly so I’m just going to overlook that because the plot was executed really well.

The ending was not what I expected and this was a welcome surprise because I enjoy books that can keep me guessing. I can usually guess what happens in most mysteries but the twists in this novel totally took me by surprise.

Overall, this was a great thriller! I highly recommend if you’re looking for a thriller with strong women, surprising twists and great writing.

I'm going to be a bit of an outlier here, as most readers have tested this much higher. I usually like this authors book, she is on my look out for list. Why this didn't resonate with me is partly due to the subject matter, which is a trigger for me, and partly due to the fact that I didn't feel any emotional depth. It was just a story that was related, day by day. Also, found the writing not to be up to her usual standards. Like I say, I seem to be in the minority, so by all means give it a try.

Don’t Look for Me hooked me from the first chapter. A suspenseful psychological thriller was just what I needed right now. It is full of suspense and drama. It had me on the edge of my seat and wondering about every character. Some are too twisted and dark, which I didn't particularly like. There are some decent twists and turns,
I liked it that there were two narrators, Molly and Nicole, and both of their stories were interesting. The final scene gave was truly creepy.

Another great novel by Wendy Walker. This is a thriller that keeps you guessing. Nic's mother disappears- did she leave on her own, has someone taken her or worse has she died or been killed? Nic doesn't stop the fight to find her mother. She keeps going back to the town where her mother was last seen to try to find clues. Through her journey she is trying to figure out who she can trust and who she can't. The story alternates between her POV and her mothers. This was one that was difficult to put down. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this author’s previous books. Like obsessed. However when I started this book, I didn’t have the same feeling of excitement. I’m currently shelving this book to read later.

This is a great thriller told from two vantage points one of Molly and the other of her daughter Nic. The way this story unfolds is gripping and the story is fantastic until the end. I felt disappointed in the resolution of the book but would still recommend it to others.

Don't Look For Me tells the story of Molly Clarke and her disappearance in the middle of a hurricane. Did she walk away? Was she kidnapped? Her daughter, Nicole, seeks to find the truth with the help of the townspeople. Will she find what she is looking for before she gets too close?

This book had the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up. There were parts to the story where I was on pins and needles and could not wait for it to keep going. I loved the alternating storylines between Molly and Nicole's perspectives. As always, Wendy Walker weaves a seamless mystery that has you suspicious of everyone. There is an element of sorrow, grieving, and dread that makes you so sad and exhausted for the characters. I loved the ending the most of all. It was satisfying while, at the same time, it answered all of my questions. Another solid from the queen of domestic family drama thrillers herself.

Wow this book was full of twists and turns. Just when I thought I had it all figured out there was yet another twist. Loved the story and love that I had to keep guessing until the end

When Molly Clarke was driving home after a long day, thinking over how her family had been indifferent to her, at best, and cruel, at worst, she wasn’t paying all that much attention to how much gas she had. But she had been determined to drive home, despite the coming storm. She was just trying to make it to the Gas’N’Go before her car gave out, but she didn’t quite make it.

The previous night, her husband had pretended to be asleep when she’d come up to bed. He couldn’t even talk to her. That morning, she’d gotten into an argument with her oldest daughter Nicole. Words were said, words designed to make Molly feel small and hurt. It had worked. Then, when Molly had driven all the way to her son’s boarding school to watch his game, he’d acted like he hadn’t even seen her, turning away to go to the locker room with his friends.

So it’s understandable that she’d been too distracted to notice her gas gauge. But Molly made it to the side of the road, only about 30 feet from the gas station. And the rain was only starting, so she could run along the highway and get there all right. But when she does, she finds the station closed down for the storm. Molly doesn’t know what to do. And then she sees the headlights.

A man and his young daughter in a truck stop to check on her. He offers her a ride to the local inn, so she gets in the car. But as soon as he hits the door locks, Molly starts to feel uneasy. Even when his 9-year-old daughter Alice talks to her and tries to put her at ease, Molly still feels in her gut that something is wrong.

Nicole gets a phone call from a woman in Hastings, the small town where Molly’s car had been found almost 2 weeks ago. Nicole had spent several days there after her mother had gone missing, searching the empty fields with the police and the volunteers from the town, but there had been no sign of her. Then, something was found in a local hotel room—the clothes Molly had been wearing that night. The room had ben charged to her credit card. There was also a note. Molly asked her family to let her go, not to look for her.

The police figured she’d walked away from her family, from her life, from the guilt that had been eating her alive ever since the car accident that had killed her youngest daughter and split the family apart.

But Nicole couldn’t believe her mother would do that. She had to keep looking. She had to check every potential clue, every crazy who had called in a tip, looking to get a piece of the reward money. But the harder she looks, the more questions she has. The more people in town she talks to, the more lies she is told. Will she be able to uncover the truth in time to save her mother, or at least, to save herself?

Wendy Walker’s latest thriller, Don’t Look for Me, is a chilling story of a family’s disintegration, a mother’s disappearance, and a daughter’s determination to find the truth. It’s a story of strong women and the lengths they would go for their family.

I struggled with this one. There is one story line that was particularly difficult for me to read about, so I resisted. But at the same time, I kept getting drawn further and further into the story, into the characters, and I couldn’t stop until I got to the end. The end makes it all worth it, but it’s a troubling journey to get there. Don’t Look for Me is not for the feint of heart!

Egalleys for Don’t Look for Me were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Don’t Look For Me by Wendy Walker

Brief Summary: Molly Clarke vanishes after driving through a storm on a dark night. A note is found in a hotel telling her loved ones “Don’t Look For Me.” Her relationships with her husband, daughter, and son have been strained since she hit and killed her daughter Annie in a car accident; however her daughter Nic knows that her mother wouldn’t leave them and refuses to stop searching. This is my first book by Wendy Walker and I was excited to read it.

This book waxed and waned it’s grip on my attention. It took me over a month to read, but I finished the last 40% in one day. Unfortunately, some breaks I took in reading it were so long, I worried I was having a hard time keeping track of some of the details. It had some pretty brilliant twists but the ending was really abrupt.

Explanation of Rating: 3/5 I was impressed by some of the twists and connections, but I just didn’t get sucked into it like I usually do with a good thriller.

If you like this genre, definitely give it a chance. I saw many positive reviews of this book and I may be in the minority!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Don't Look For Me begins on a dismal, rainy night, and those storms set the stage for an emotionally charged, gripping page turner. I highly recommend starting this one fairly blind. Addressing the aftermath of trauma, complex grief, substance abuse, and marital distress after a loss, the story was complex and deeper than many books I’ve read in this genre. The most spine tingling book I have read in ages and I loved it!

A tragedy that happened some years ago has shattered a wonderful loving family. The mother, Molly Clarke, can’t deal with the burden of grief, anguish and pain anymore, and has decided to walk away from this wretched life.
DON’T LOOK FOR ME will take one on a fast-paced, gripping ride that keeps one’s nerves on edge. The suspense intensifies as one turns the pages.
Spinning riveting mysterious suspense is definitely Wendy Walker’s forte!
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for this suspenseful read.
#DontLookForMe
#NetGalley

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a five star thriller! Don’t Look For Me has all of my favourite elements and is definitely a winner!

When Molly is driving home from her son's college football game, a storm hits, and she runs out of gas. The next day, her car is found on the side of the road, but Molly is nowhere to be found. Did she run away to start a new life, escaping her guilt, marriage problems, and conflict with her children? Or has something happened to her? Molly's daughter Nicole cannot believe that she would willingly leave her family, and is determined to find out what happened.

I could not put this down! The plot is so intricate and well crafted! I love when characters are connected in different ways and their storylines are intertwined! Molly has a complicated past that is filled with tragedy and was truly heartbreaking to read about. All of the characters are complex and well developed. I especially loved the descriptions surrounding one unique child, but I won't say anymore!

I loved Wendy Walkers previous novel, The Night Before, and found this one to be just as good, if not better! I suspected just about everyone and was coming up with all kinds of plot twists of my own throughout the novel, only to be surprised right up until the end! This is a twisty thriller with an ominous, eery atmosphere that will keep you guessing! However, it is also a story of a family overcoming grief and learning to re-connect with one another. Highly recommend!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Atmospheric and creepy, but the characters were never fleshed out to feel very strongly about their survival or otherwise.

Wow! I could not put this book down. I suspected every single person and still the ending shocked me. This story had so much to it, such as family relationships, dealing with guilt and grief, internal issues and the will to survive. If you like surprise endings then this is a must read.

This was my first read by Wendy Walker that I received through NetGalley.
It's a story of a missing mother held capture by a man and his child as a 2nd mother. The mother's true daughter is looking for her, but is she trusting the right people to help her?
This was a unique style of jumping between the mother and daughter's point of view. The characters were not easy to connect with, which lost me in caring about the story, but I still was interested in the outcome, which seemed a little rushed to wrap up. I will probably not read another book by Wendy Walker.

The Review
The Title/Cover Draw:
I’m not really sure what drew me to this book. I do like the minimalistic cover, but I think it was more the synopsis than anything else.

What I liked:
The story is told from 2 different points of view: Molly and her daughter. Each entry gave a little more insight but never told you everything that happened.

What I didn’t like:
Some parts made the main character deep in thought..almost repetitively at times which got a little boring.

What kept me reading:
I really wanted to know if she was found! It was riveting in that respect.

The Characters:
I cared about both women, even though I didn't necessarily connect to either of them.

The Ending:
It’s super twisty!

Reminds me of:
Panic Room meets Where Did You Go Bernadette?


You can see my video review here:
https://youtu.be/Vw4xx2vtXYY

I have been on a thriller kick lately and was eager to read this one based on other reviews, but for some reason, this one was so slow to me. I liked the overall premise and liked the alternating chapters between Molly and her daughter Nicole. But why were such big things revealed so quickly? Unfortunately, I was pretty sure of her captor's identity much earlier than it was revealed, so that big "aha moment" was a let down for me. Molly and Nicole's inner dialogue was overly repetitive with their guilt and "bad mother" or "bad daughter moments." How many times did Nicole have to think the word "vodka" to herself? The author did a nice job of painting a picture of this family after their trauma years earlier and it was the perfect explanation for her disappearance, but it got tiresome very early on.

Although I had times where I wanted to walk away from this one, I appreciated the unique plot twists and I am glad that I finished it.

*Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh my goodness. I read this book in one day. It was so suspenseful and scary. The ending wasn’t my favorite but I really enjoyed the ride getting there.

DNF at 28%.

Man, I just couldn’t get into this book!! I’ve read one of Wendy Walker’s books before and really enjoyed it, so I assumed that would be the case with this one as well, but...

I genuinely didn’t care about any of the characters. I also didn’t feel intrigued enough to read the whole book to see how the mystery was solved. I ultimately decided to put this down bc I started zoning out/not paying attention to what was going on.

Maybe her next book will be better, but this just didn’t work for me 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️