I've only read a few books by Ms Walker and this one by far is my favorite.I mean OMFG- this book!

It has a fair amount of creep factor but it is not horror in any way. Fair warning set time aside for this jaw dropping on the edge of your seat book before you start it because it is really that freaking amazing.Ms Walker both stops and breaks your heart with Don't Look For Me.

Another huge draw with this book are the characters.Molly and her daughter Nic are well developed and not quite completely likable. If you've read any of my past reviews you might recall that is a HUGE plus for me most of the time.And little Alice...oh Alice...

While I did figure out most of the twists, there is one I didn't see coming and it's one hell of a shocker.

Don't miss out on this amazing book!

Nic is the only one who doesn't believe that her mother Molly just walked away from their lives- leaving behind a note in a casino. It's been two weeks since Molly left to see her son at school and didn't come home. Yes, she was responsible for the death of her daughter Anna but this? Well, Molly isn't just gone- she's been kidnapped by "the man" and his daughter Alice and she's being held in a cabin in the woods. The cabin is surrounded by an eight foot fence, complete with barbed wire. AND, the man has locked her into progressively less accessible places in the house, with only Alice to talk to and feed her. What is his game? Molly doesn't know but you'll feel her tension as you read her POV in this page turner. There's a big twist here and I'm not going to spoil it for you. Nic is terrific (alcohol aside, we should all have a daughter this dogged) and Molly is, well, you will root for her. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is indeed a real page turner from a master of the genre.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Wendy Walker for the opportunity to read and review her fabulous new thriller - 5 stars for a book you won't be able to put down. On a personal note - I read this book right after I read Dear Child - both kidnapping books. So even without a global pandemic - I may never leave my house again!

Five years after a horrific accident that killed her youngest daughter, Molly is trying to get through each day but it feels like the rest of her family is slipping through her fingers. Her husband, John, may be having an affair; her oldest daughter, Nicole, is acting out and they were just in a horrible fight. Her son, Evan, is away at boarding school but she travels to all his home football games. When she gets to his game, he blatantly ignores her. Desperate, she heads for home as a powerful storm sweeps through the area. Then she runs out of gas. When a truck stops to pick her up, she thinks her prayers are answered, but is her nightmare just beginning? When Molly doesn't come home, her family starts searching for her until they find a note saying she left and not to look for her.

I seriously questioned every male in this book as the "bad" guy and was still surprised at the ending. This book has the absolute creepy atmosphere of being held against your will in the middle of the woods and the author is so skilled and making you feel all of that fear and desperation. The story is told in alternating POVs from Molly and her daughter, Nicole. It is a gripping, suspenseful read that you just can't miss!

I will admit, I was not invested in this book until 50% in. It started to pick up right around that point in the book and held my interest through to the end. The ending however blew my mind and I did not expect that to happen. I always love that in a book! I really felt for the main characters as their mother/daughter relationship was tested in the story and also for Alice. It saddened me deeply to see how an adult can easily manipulate a child and that child still love them unconditionally. Pick this one up next week when it hits publication date!

I managed to do a little bit of reading today during this time of chaos (Oregon is currently on fire). I actually only had a few pages left of Don’t Look For Me by Wendy Walker. Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress for sending me an ARC of this thriller! It’s out on Sept 15th. I started this book a few days ago and it really did consume me. The entire time I was reading I was trying to figure out who did it and why. 4.5⭐️! I’d say one of my favorite thrillers this year. I absolutely loved it!

Holy crap! This was one of the wildest rides! It is all so real and could really happen. I felt SO bad for Molly, having hit her child with a car and killing her. She will never forgive herself, nor will her husband and other children. The grief has gotten the best of her, especially when her husband is having an affair. So one night during a storm, Molly simply leaves. She’s parked her car on the side of the road, out of gas. A man and little girl happen along and pick her up. What she thinks is only a night turns into so much more. This guy is weird. There are so many twists and turns. She can’t understand but it seems he is keeping her here against her will. The kid is a little strange too. Meanwhile, Molly’s daughter Nicole continues to search for her. She feels so bad for the horrible things she’s said to her mother the last time she saw her. But the closer she comes to the truth, the more sinister things become. There’s no place safe and no one to save them. And who can they trust?

I loved this book. My adrenaline is really pumping.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, NetGalley and Wendy Walker. This is my honest review

This book was like an actual Criminal Minds episode & as somebody who absolutely LOVES Criminal Minds, this was the perfect book for me. I feel like whenever I’m reading a book, I can always tell right away if it’s going to be a good read for me & that was definitely the case with this one. From the very beginning this book caught my attention and I just wanted to keep reading.

Molly Clarke has been through the ringer. She once led an idyllic ordinary life. Math teacher by day, doting mother and wife by night. Her husband was successful, she lived in a big house, drove an Audi. If only money and comfort could buy happiness.

Because ever since a family tragedy years before, Molly has blamed herself along with her entire family. The once loved mother is treated with hatred and contempt by her own children and her husband has a wandering eye. Maybe more wandering than that.

So when Molly disappears one rainy afternoon, it almost seems like she had it coming. Like she deserved it. But sometimes, all it takes is for something to be gone, for everyone to realize just how much they actually missed it. Does she want to be found or was it time to start over?

Don’t Look for Me is a great twisty tale of desperation and finding what was lost. It’s also a tale of redemption and realizing that sometimes it takes going through hell to finally find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out September 15, get your copy!

This is a dark and twisted story, but I really enjoyed it. Molly has just about reached the end of her rope and is ready to walk away from everything. Just for a moment, she considered it, but she can’t do it. When stranded, she accepts a ride from a man and a little girl. Then the nightmare starts. Molly’s daughter, Nicole, can’t believe her mother would just walk away. No one else seems to care except one cop. He is being ever so helpful. Nicole finds that everyone seems to be telling her only partial truths. Who can she trust and is her mom still alive?

"Psychologically rich, a brilliant, emotionally-charged, edgy thriller by the master of suspense. . . Full-throttle, dark, creepy, and relentless!" Top Books of 2020.

A huge fan of Wendy Walker thrillers, DON'T LOOK FOR ME is her best yet! My heart was pounding with the suspense. Once you start reading, you are immediately pulled in and hooked.

Meet a family of four: wife and mother, Molly Clarke, husband John, daughter Nichole, and son Evan. They once a family of five. This is the day their world changed.

Molly feels alone. Her family is torn apart. Now spends her time driving Route 7. The long dark roads, four hours each way. To visit her son at boarding school. On the way, there is a Gas n' Go near Connecticut in a small rural town.

It is late October. Her son is a junior and is a starting lineman. She makes this trip every other Thursday to watch his home games. He really does not even care if she is there. Like her daughter and husband, they do not care about her. She drives four hours to that she could feel loved. Her daughter hates her. It was all her fault.

A storm is coming. It is raining. She cannot die. She must take care of her children, even though they are almost grown. She feels like a horrible mother. Her child is gone. A hurricane was approaching. A small creepy town of Hastings. She thinks maybe she should just walk away and leave it all behind.

She whispers to herself, Don't look for me.

She is walking, a storm approaching, raining. She is out of gas. A truck stops, and she sees a small girl inside. Maybe it is a family man out to get last-minute supplies before the storm.

He offers to give her a lift. Once the door closes, she realizes she is not safe. The doors lock. She is kidnapped. Who is this man, and who is this strange little girl?

What does this man want with her? Why is he holding her hostage? When will she die? Will, her family concerned enough to look for her, or will they think she left of her own accord?

Nichole has her own guilt and is determined to find her mother.

No one knows where Molly Clarke is being held. More dangerous is the person who has her. What about the woman who disappeared years earlier? How will she escape? What if she puts her family in danger?

From this dark and creepy farmhouse, Molly is smart and clever. So is her daughter. She must get out of this situation and get back to her family. She realizes she wants to live. However, how will she leave with this strange little girl (she will make your head spin), and the creepy dolly who has eyes and cameras watching her every move?

As secrets are unraveled, the danger heats up. Walker keeps you in suspense and the atmospheric settings are vivid and descriptive. Not only is this a mysterious killer psychological thriller—an emotional story of grief, healing, family, and heart—a broken family with the courage and survival skills who desire to mend their relationships.

Spine-chilling and unsettling, get this one on your list. Hope you enjoy the Hitchcockian twist! Top Books of 2020.

Fans of Taylor Adams No Exit, BA Paris, and Ruth Ware will devour this one. Cannot wait to learn the inspiration and the story behind the story. Check out my upcoming Elevator Ride with Author coming Sept 15!

A special thank you to #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an early reading copy.

Be sure and check out Wendy's previous books. Highly recommend all of them.
All Is Not Forgotten
Emma in the Night
The Night Before

#JDCMustReadBooks Blog
Host & Creator of An Elevator Ride with the Author Series

A phenomenal psychological suspense novel!

I am a huge Wendy Walker fan. I’ve enjoyed all of her previous novels. After reading the description for “Don’t Look For Me”, I was even more excited to start reading.

Molly Clarke is driving home and thinking about her particularly awful day. She needs to stop for gas as the light has been on for a little while now and home is still two hours away. A Gas n’ Go station is up ahead.

Molly figures her husband, John and her daughter; Nicole will both be out for the evening. John will likely be out having drinks with friends. Nicole having just turned twenty-one has many new options of places to go. These options keep Molly up at night, watching the clock and worrying. Molly knows Nicole avoids her and John pretends to be asleep when she gets into bed. Even her son, Evan has changed. Evan attends a boarding school off the road she travels now. Molly makes this four-hour trip every second Thursday to watch his football games. Her heart twists as she remembers how Evan acted after the game.

A dismissive husband, an angry daughter, and a cruel son….

Molly thinks about Nicole’s final words to her after their argument the other day…words that gutted her.

Five years ago a horrible tragedy tore this family apart.

Molly sees the dark clouds above. A hurricane is coming. A category four they say. Molly has driven right into its path. She stops the car on the side of the road and when she tries to start it again, it won’t turn over. She’s out of gas. The entrance to Gas n’ Go is just about thirty feet away. She runs towards the gas station and her tears fall.

When she gets to the entrance of Gas n’ Go she sees there are no cars and no lights inside the store. There is a cardboard sign. She stares at the words…

Closed for the storm!

Again she thinks about Evan, Nicole, and John. How they stopped loving her five years ago.

“I am a bad mother”

Words in her head like a prayer.

“Walk away. Just walk away”

Headlights come her way. A truck stops. A friendly voice tells her she shouldn’t be out with the storm coming.

What will happen to Molly Clarke?



Another thrilling read from Wendy Walker!

After the impactful opening chapter, I was hooked. This was an unputdownable read with terrific twists and turns that I flew through in just one day. The story is told from Molly and her daughter, Nicole’s point of view, which I really enjoyed. The characters were well fleshed out and intriguing.

An unforgettable psychological thriller that deals with the relationships between parent and child, and husband and wife. A story about grief, anger, loss, blame, and forgiveness.

Wendy Walker has yet to let me down and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!



I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Ok, so in Don't Look for Me, a woman is taken on a dark, dreary night. She supposedly leaves a note telling her family not to look for her. But her daughter is unmoved and doesn't believe her mom would abandon her. Of course, she's right. Mom has been kidnapped and is being held at a house with a weird old dude, and his daughter.



There are a couple of parallel stories here, between mom and her daughter looking for her. Don't Look for Me was one of Fall's most anticipated reads, and it really didn't disappoint me. There were several twists I didn't see coming, and lots of unexpected happenings. It's a good book to try and guess what the heck is happening. And you might end up being wrong.



Thrillers and mysteries have quickly become my favorite genre to read, and Don't Look for Me is a good example of why. At times it's riveting and uncomfortable. This was was worth the wait.



5/5 Stars

Molly Clarke's family wants nothing to do with her or at least she is feeling this currently in her mind set. She accidentally killed her youngest daughter in a terrible tragedy, she suspects her husband of having an affair, her eldest daughter got kicked out of her prestigious prep school for drinking, and her son won't acknowledge her presence. One night she runs out of gas near a small town two hours from home in the middle of a storm. Molly gets out of her car to walk and find help, and starts wondering if maybe she should just walk away from it all. She never returns home and is declared missing. Did Molly just walk away or did something else happen?

I think this might be Wendy Walker's best book to date. A spine tingling thriller with loads of twists and turns. You don't know the ending until you read it, even if you think you've guessed it. Perfect fall suspense read!

Don’t Look For Me was a fantastic, keep me on the edge of my seat thriller. I know it’s a good Wendy Walker book when I’m anxious for the characters and what is going to happen. Wendy Walker continues to impress me with her books. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I will update with the link once I share on my Instagram page.

Don’t Look For Me (Wendy Walker)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Molly’s relationship with her husband and kids has been crumbling ever since her youngest daughter died. On a particularly tough day of fights and disappointment with her family, Molly’s car runs out of gas and she gets stranded in a storm. When she disappears and a note is found with her goodbyes a few days later, daughter Nicole is more determined than ever to figure out if her mom really left them or if something more sinister happened.

Great thriller!

Thanks to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for a review.

#fiction #netgalley #bookreview #dontlookforme

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

When driving home one night and Molly's car breaks down on a stormy night and police find a note in a nearby hotel room saying she's leaving her family; the investigation is closed. But her daughter doesn't believe the note.
Told in the POV of both Molly and her daughter this is a fast paced thriller .

I loved the dual POV and the writing style with short chapters. There are a lot of interesting people in the town where she diasppeared from and everyone has a secret it seems.

It was slightly predictable, with a little twist at the end but I'd recommed it!

Molly Clarke walks away from her life one stormy night, abandoning her car miles from home and leaving a note at a nearby hotel. Her shattered family can’t be put back together, but her daughter doesn’t believe her mother just up and walked away. What really happened to Molly Clarke?

Wow. Wow. Wow. I loved how the writing switched between Molly and her daughter’s experiences. I really enjoyed seeing events through both of their eyes. It really kept me on my toes. I was constantly curious about the different characters and trying to figure out possible suspects. There was a lot going on, but it was easy to keep track of it all. This thriller was fast-paced and I didn’t want to put it down!

This was good! Did Molly Clarke leave her family after blaming herself for her daughter's death or did something happen to her? I wish that part of the mystery had been left in the dark a bit longer, but I liked how Ms. Walker wove everything together throughout the book so that the reader wasn't sure what was misleading and what was important. Who was telling the truth? Who was lying to protect themselves or someone else? Is the whole darn town together in some scary plot? I also think Ms. Walker did a terrific job of character development, one that felt like it went beyond the boundaries of the story itself. I could easily pick up another book with one of these characters in it and already know them very well. This is my second book from Ms. Walker and I will definitely be back for more!

Molly is a suburban mom. She tries her best for her family but suffers as the repository for all their pain and following the death of one of the family’s children. Her daughter verbally abuses her, her son ignores her, and her husband has found a mistress. One dark rainy evening after visiting or at least hoping to visit with her son at boarding school Molly runs out of gas and accepts a ride with strangers. She realizes quickly the strangers do not have helping her in mind. The strangers arrange for a note to be found in a nearby hotel room, a note that appears to be written by Molly indicating she’s gone to find a new life, and to please not look for her. But look for her they do. After a few days Molly’s husband calls off the search and they return to their suburban home. But 10 or so days later Molly’s daughter gets a call from a possible witness and she returns to the site to search.

The story gets a little overwritten as the daughter searches and Molly deals with her captors. It seems like a lot of the same ground is covered multiple times. And the ending is just too sweet for me. As much anger and isolation as Molly’s family members experienced before it just doesn’t ring true. But overall the book held my interest and had me rooting for the characters.

Thanks Netgalley for my copy!

On a stormy night in a rural town, mother Molly Clarke has disappeared. Did she plan her own disappearance or is something sinister at play?

I enjoyed the structure of this book and how the reader gets to experience both the mom and daughter’s perspectives. There are many different suspects and at first it’s not clear what’s going on with the disappearance. However, pretty soon I was able to guess what was going on and how it would end. And then at the end there was one last twist that seemed out of left field and don’t feel like a good pay off.

So while not the greatest thriller I’ve read, it was an enjoyable read...solid 3 stars!