Don't Look for Me is the kind of book that you'll accidentally fall asleep reading because you just. can't. tear yourself away.

The Night Before (Walker's book from 2019) pulled me in and kept me engaged throughout, but this one did that on a whole other level.

It opens with Molly Clarke driving through a category four hurricane. The way Walker sets the scene had me right there with Molly, glancing at the gas light and ruminating about all the things that are eating away at her (both for the past five years and just from that morning). And then... Molly is off the grid. Nowhere to be found. !!!!!

Highly recommend. Won't give any plot details away, just, if you like mystery/suspense/thrillers: Give this one a try for sure.

Molly Clarke is missing. Her car is found abandoned on the side of the road after a hurricane. Then, days later a note is found in a nearby hotel that says she is walking away from her life. She is a wife and mother dealing with the grief of losing one of her children. Did she really walk away? Or is there more to the story? Her daughter Nicole is determined to find her mother, one way or the other.

I raced through this one, as each chapter ending had me wanting more. I enjoyed this thriller and would highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

I almost put this book down before I got through the first chapter. Having read that the story concerned a woman who may have walked away from her life, I started getting uncomfortable knowing what was probably coming. So many books offer increasing violence to create excitement. Wendy Walker instead builds a slowly growing dread from not knowing who to trust or who is telling the truth. There is a need to keep reading in the hope that what happens next will begin to unravel the falsehoods.

THE STORY: When Molly Clark disappears, her family has reason to believe she has walked away from her life. A family tragedy has torn the family apart. The oldest daughter, Nicole, guilty about the last angry words to her mother, starts on a quest to find her. What will she discover and will it be soon enough?

FIRST LINE: "The sky grows dark as I drive."

WHAT I THOUGHT: Uncomfortable and disturbing in the beginning, the reader can't help but go along hoping for the best outcome for the people you come to care about.

The book is told in two voices, mother and daughter, weaving through alternating chapters. Molly talks to the reader in first person while Nicole's sections are in third person. The plotting is twisty, disconcerting, and much more intricate than expected. It's scary is how plausible the story is.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED I devoured Don't Look for Me and found the story unexpected in many ways. Plan to stay up late. It's a hard book to put down.

Disclaimer: A copy of Don't Look for Me was provided to me by St. Martin's Press/Net Galley for an honest review.

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (September 15, 2020)
ISBN-10: 1250198704
ISBN-13: 978-1250198709

THE AUTHOR: "WENDY WALKER is the author of the psychological suspense novels All is Not Forgotten, Emma In The Night,The Night Before, and Don't Look For Me. Her novels have been translated into 23 foreign languages and have topped bestseller lists both nationally and abroad. They have been featured on The Today Show, The Reese Witherspoon Book Club, and The Book of the Month Club and have been optioned for television and film. Prior to her writing career, Wendy practiced both corporate and family law, having earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her undergraduate degree from Brown University. Wendy also worked as a financial analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Wendy is currently finishing her next thriller and managing a busy household in Connecticut." (from Amazon)

This was my first Wendy Walker novel and I will be reading more by her, for sure. Great storytelling. My favorite thing was that you know from the start what has happened, even if the author keeps you in suspense about the details. However, she throws in some twists to keep you guessing. I enjoyed the back and forth narration between the mother and the daughter who is looking for her.
I'm thankful for the advance copy from Netgalley.

I received a copy from NetGalley. Did she walk away from a life that was too painful to keep living or did something happen to her? Nicole is convinced her mother didn't just walk away and is determined to find her. The book is split between Nicole and her mother's points of view. And once again the past never stays in the past and our choices don't just effect us. A good beach read or to do in one sitting.

I received this from Netgalley. This book was wild with me going back and forth on who the culprit was. It kept me flipping the pages. There were so many options of who it could be.

We are taught from an early age to be polite to strangers, our elders, teachers, law enforcement. But we are also taught not to get in the car with someone we don’t know; don’t be lured away from the playground with candy or the promise of petting a puppy. When do you cross that line from being polite to being more concerned about a situation and being rude if necessary?

Molly disappears during a terrible storm while driving home from her son’s high school football game (in another town). Her car is abandoned on the side of the road with her cell phone inside. A few days later, a note is found in a nearby hotel room telling her family that she has left and “don’t look for me”. After an exhausting community/police search, no trace of her can be found. The search is called off and everyone goes back to their lives as best they can.

What would you do? Would you continue to look or obey her wishes and let her go? After all, her entire family is still reeling from her youngest child’s death a few years ago. A death that was her fault.

“Don’t Look for Me” by Wendy Walker is a twisted tale of lies, deceit, hatred, anger, obsession, and guilt. The story unfolds as a witness comes forward after the search for Molly has ended. Everyone believes that the witness is simply after the reward money; one million is a nice nest egg. Nicole, Molly’s daughter, does not believe that her Mother would just walk away from their family even though they have all treated her very badly as they blame her for Annie’s accidental death. Nicole decides to meet with the eyewitness to determine if she might just be telling the truth.

As Nicole tries to track down exactly what happened the night her mother disappeared, she finds that no one in the town is telling the truth and they all have something to hide.

This story made me quite uncomfortable sometimes. But aren’t those the best kind? The ones that make us ugly cry, ache for something more, make us uncomfortable? That doesn’t mean it was not a good book, it was. Some of the dialog/scenes just disturbed me.

As for me, I can tell you what I would do. My husband, daughter, sister, niece, or someone else I love disappears… you’d better hide well if that is your intent because I am never giving up!

Publication Date: September 15th 2020
Format: eBook
Genre: Thriller, mystery, suspense
Cover: Perfect
Rating: 4 stars
Source: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this great book!
#/DontLookForMe #NetGalley

I absolutely loved this book! I read in it 2 hours because I absolutely could not put it down. Every time I came to the end of a chapter, I had to keep going. This was the first book I've read by the author but I will be definitely looking into her other books!

After the loss of a child, Molly Clarke’s family and she herself were never the same. Because the auto that had killed her child was driven by Molly, and even though it was an accident, Molly and especially her daughter blamed her.

One night, Molly disappeared. It seemed she didn’t want to be found. Her car was found abandoned miles from home and as the investigation delved deeper into her disappearance, a note was found at a nearby hotel. The police called it a walk-away stating it happened a lot, where a woman would disappear; desperate to leave her life behind and start over.

Most would agree that is what happened, but Molly’s daughter, was not buying into that theory and was determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. As much as she had laid the blame on her mom for killing her little sister she had her own guilt to live with, as she was supposed to be babysitting. But she knew her mom would never leave her or her brother and husband. She just wouldn’t cause that kind of pain!

So pull up a chair and enjoy all the twists and turns that author Wendy Walker has fashioned into this gripping mystery. It will take you a while to guess who the true psycho really is, so be prepared to be just a little bit shocked!

Marilyn Rondeau

Whoa!


This book has one twist and turn after another! It’s no surprise that I couldn’t figure out who was the bad guy. The town of Hastings was full of liars, and people who had their own agendas.

The characterization was well done. Especially poignant were the portrayals of the family members who were still grieving the loss of the youngest child; the mother daughter each blame themselves for what happened. Their feeling are raw, and they are behaving in ways that are not unexpected. Then the worst thing imaginable happens.

The twist at the end completely floored me. This was a psychological thriller at it’s best.

Character study made while living under a threat of a madman. A twisty superbly written novel about a kidnapping and a house of horrors. A mom us kidnapped and finds herself mothering a young child while being held captive by a madman.

Creeptastic! LOVE IT!!!!
Don’t Look for Me is a suspenseful psychological thriller about a woman who seems to have abandoned her family during a dark and stormy night.

Molly Clarke's family was destroyed by a terrible accident. Years have passed, and her children can’t forgive her. Her husband is distant and no longer seems to love her. While driving home one night during a terrible storm, Molly contemplates running away from her family. Shortly after, she goes missing. The police believe Molly abandoned her family, but her daughter Nicole won't give up hope that her mother didn't simply walk away and continues to investigate her mother's disappearance in the small and strange town of Hastings.

The narrative is split between Molly and Nicole. Both characters hold their own and develop throughout. Both are dealing with the trauma of loss in different ways, and the events of this book highlight their emotions. The transitions between Molly and Nicole were smooth and I was equally interested in both of their stories.

This book sucked me in from the very beginning and kept me distracted, which is much needed right now! It’s packed with tension, suspense, drama, and some sick and twisted characters. It also kept me guessing and had me suspicious of almost every character. There are some unexpected twists and turns, but none are over-the-top. Parts are a little unbelievable, but not ridiculously so. A couple of moments had my heart jumping out of my chest, and the final scene gave me the chills--little Alice is one creepy child!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

DON’T LOOK FOR ME by Wendy Walker is a fast-paced and gripping psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Full of twists and mind games, I couldn’t put this one down. On a stormy night on her way home from watching her son’s game, Molly Clarke goes missing. Her car is found abandoned and a couple of days later, a charge on her credit card leads her family and police to a note with an explanation of her disappearance that says “Don’t look for me”. The case is ruled a walk-away, but did Molly really leave behind her broken family and their grief-ridden life from a tragic accident years before? Molly’s daughter, Nic doesn’t believe her mother would leave them and following a new tip in the case, she returns to the town where Molly disappeared to investigate on her own. The story is told from two perspectives, Molly’s and Nic’s. As the chilling plot unfolds, we learn from Molly what really happened to her. Despite the possible danger, Nic is determined to find the truth, but is not sure who she can trust. It is a race against time for both women and wow, what a wild ride! I really enjoyed this riveting and suspenseful story of family, loss and grief and highly recommend it! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

Molly Clarke disappears during a terrible storm with all signs pointing to her walking away from her former life. A life tangled in tragedy and pain that anyone would want to escape. But did she leave by choice or is there more to her vanishing act? … (I’m not telling! You’ll have to read to find out!).⁣⁣⁣
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⁣I could not put this book down! I am in the midst of painting shelves and my kindle is now covered in white bits because I was reading between every coat. The action of the book picked up quite quickly, but maintained its pace throughout. Was it a touch farfetched? Perhaps. But, not so much so that it lost its command of the reader. I had serious concerns because everyone seemed guilty and in turn, danger lurked around every corner.⁣⁣⁣
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⁣I make no secret of the fact that I find it difficult to find a REALLY good thriller. It is the genre I read most frequently, but am left the least satisfied. Storylines begin to blend together and they are often too predictable. Well, HOLD THE DARN BUS because @wendywalkerauthor is in town. She made it impossible for me not to love this number.⁣⁣⁣
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It comes out on on September 15, 2020. As you’re getting organized for the school year, mark it down in your agenda/family calendar/outlook etc. etc. etc. – you get the point. If you are a thriller junkie or even someone that is testing the waters of thriller books, this one will leave you wanting for nothing other than more @wendywalkerauthor.⁣
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#wendywalker #dontlookforme #stmartinspress #thriller #sloane_reads #netgalley #fridayreads #newreleasefriday #fridayreading #newreleasebooks #og🇨🇦bookenablers #🇨🇦bookenablers #bookphotograph #bookaesthetic #bibliophile #booknerd #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #bookaddict #bookrecommendations #thrillerbooksaddict #thrillerbookclub #thrillerbooksofinstagram #thrillerbookstagram #booksbooksbooks #womenauthorsrock #womenauthors #womenauthorsrock #canadareads

Five years after the death of her daughter Annie, Molly and her family are still hurting from the loss. Molly feels like her son and daughter don’t forgive her for Annie, and she suspects her husband is cheating. So when she disappears, it’s almost the perfect situation. But Nicole isn’t ready to let her mother go just yet. Told in alternating viewpoints from Molly and Nicole, Don’t Look for Me tells the story of Molly’s disappearance, a family that needs healing, and a daughter’s determination to find her mother.

Everything from the way Molly disappears to the town setting has this creep factor. Something always feels off, but everyone is ignoring the warning signs. This one was really hard to put down, so I didn’t make as many notes as I usually do when I’m reading because I didn’t want to stop reading. It’s fast-paced, and it’s captivating, and you don’t know who to trust. Loved the twists and the elements of surprise; very well done! Thank you, St. Martin’s for sending this one along.

Don't Look for Me is quite the psychological thriller with a very twisty suspenseful conclusion. It's a story of family dysfunction and grief while at the same time the dysfunction of another 'family'. Molly Clarke accidentally hit and killed her young daughter and from that day on the family went into a spiral. Molly feels guilt, her daughter Nicole feels hatred, At the same time Molly's husband and son pull back. Returning from her son's game, while a hurricane is brewing, Molly's car runs out of gas and she accepts a ride from a stranger. Now she has disappeared and seems to have gone off by herself not wishing to be found. Nicole decides she can't let that happen and returns to the small town where it all seemed to occur and refuses to give up the search. In the meantime Molly, now a captive, looks to the events that turned the family's life upside down while dealing with her present circumstances. Can a family so torn up with grief once again find each other both within themselves as well as locating and accepting the realty of the missing parent's situation?

I have to start by saying that I had never ready of Wendy Walker's other works. After reading this one, I will definitely look for the others.

Molly Clarke goes missing on a stormy night coming back from her son's school game. Where did she go? What happened? The police come up empty and a vague note says she could not continue on with the life she had and not to look for her.

Molly accidentally killed her young daughter which caused the family to spiral. Her husband did not love her any longer. Her son did not want anything to do with his mother. Her daughter went down a slippery slope of alcohol and casual sex.

While driving through the storm to return home, Molly runs out of gas outside of a small town, where people are not who they say they are.

There were some good plot twists along the way. Though I had figured out "who did it," how the story plays out was a good read and kept my attention.

This was a good read while sheltering in place and would recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley, Ms. Wendy Walker and the publisher for an advanced copy of Don't Look for Me in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for Don’t Look for Me. In the first chapter Molly is driving home in a Cat 4 hurricane. She gets out of her car to walk to a gas station. At this point, I suspended realty.

A child’s death entrenched itself within a completely dysfunctional family. Characters desperately needed to be fleshed out. If anyone was written in a compassionate light, I might have given them my sympathy. Clearly, I missed what other readers were raving about.

Two weeks go by and the police were winding down their search even though a $1,000,000 reward was offered for her safe return? The daughter, Nic, appeared to be the only one searching for her. Why? Between Nic and Molly, there were lots of conversations with oneself. I needed more showing, less telling. Sadly, I found the ending underwhelming.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Don't Look For Me is a fast passed thriller and pretty hard to put down. It's about a family who's has lived through a tragedy and for two of them, it's impossible to get past or move one as they are both filled with guilt. It's a story with characters filled with deceit and some who are liars. It's also a story of love; love of parents for children, love of children who chase to find answers and love of those who you never thought you could love. It's a great story that keeps your heart pumping - I loved it! Thank you NetGalley3Don'tLookForMe#StMartinsPress

Don’t Walk Away is a tense thriller that will take you down so many paths that you’ll desperately want to know how it will all turn out.

Molly Clarke was a loving wife and mother of three until she lost her young daughter. It was an accident. Nicole, the oldest child, is grieving the loss of her sister. She cannot stop blaming her mother but also feels guilt in her sister’s death. Molly can no longer take living with her pain and plans to walk away from her life so that her family, who she believes no longer loves her, can finally move on. Driving one night in a storm, she runs out of gas and accepts a ride from a stranger. The police in the small town of Hastings, where her car was found, assume she simply walked away from her life as a note to her family is found. But Molly never meant to leave. She is being held captive. And in addition to her capturer, a strange young child named Alice is also being held with her.

This fast-moving, nail bitter of a story is told in dual narratives. Molly describes her ordeal as she struggles to outsmart the man keeping her and Nicole details her search for her mother as she knows that Molly would never have left her family.

Author Wendy Walker does a wonderful job bringing the reader into the sleepy town of Hastings where everyone we meet is hiding something and could be the person behind Molly’s abduction. This is a heart-pounding thriller that you won’t want to put down.

Many thanks for this delightfully creepy book.