Member Reviews

This was really, really great...until the ending. I haven’t felt so let down and disappointed in a while.

It doesn’t take away from the book completely, but the ridiculousness/absurdity and far fetched circumstances were too much for me to buy.

But I did enjoy most of the book. Molly never gave up. And that was a nice change of pace.

And Nic’s storyline was equal parts creepy and smart. And telling. This is where we uncovered all the truths.

I felt the captor was too obvious as well. I know we are being led to see a few suspects and the truth is supposed to be shocking. I didn’t feel that way. I guessed it early on. For a couple reasons. The biggest reason was that I tend to choose the least obvious suspect.

I think I’d have loved this book entirely had Daisy not been alive at the end. For some reason, I just didn’t love the twist of her being a part of things. Choosing to live that life. Not after how she grew up and how desperate she’d been to leave. It didn’t fit. Just my opinion, of course.

Overall, I liked it, though. It was definitely nice to see women fighting back and not waiting for rescue.

Was this review helpful?

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
All opinions are my own.

I've read several of Wendy Walker's previous books and enjoyed them (Emma in the Night being my favorite), so I was excited to read this one.
It did not disappoint.
The plot was so intricate, at times reminding me of Where'd You Go, Bernadette and at other times reminding me of Room, which makes for quite the contrast! I'm normally someone who figures out the ending right away, but I didn't put all the pieces together until the author started to do so near the end.
I could not put this one down - I read a third of it in one sitting and then finished it up in less than a day. It was fun to read!
It's twisty and creepy and really dark, which is everything I am looking for in a thriller.
I highly recommend this one to others.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins press and the Author Wendy Walker for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
WOW!! I couldn't read this book fast enough!
Every time I thought I had it figured out, I got surprised again.
A most definite fast paced exciting thriller one of the best I've read so far this year.
I got to meet Wendy at a Thriller-fest event in 2019. I definitely HAVE to read all her other books!

Was this review helpful?

I finished this book a few hours ago and am still thinking about it. A family in turmoil. alternate chapters between the daughter as she searches for answers about her mother and her mother. while it was mystery, in a town with lots of potentially untrustworthy members as we race towards the identity of the master manipulator. a story, also of healing, of resilence and how do we live with unthinkable things

Was this review helpful?

Soooo good! I read this book in 24 hours!

Full of suspense, psychological drama, and "what the heck is happening?" moments, this book grabbed me from page one and didn't let me go!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I couldn’t put this one down! So many twists and turns. This was an awesome read! Thank you! Wendy Walker is one of my favorite authors because she keeps the readers engaged! Love it!

Was this review helpful?

Wow! It’s been a while since I started a book I didn’t want to put down, and this one kept me glued to my Kindle. The dual narrators provide constant evolution of a story with enough twists and turns to keep you wondering even when you think maybe, just maybe, you know who the perp is. A great read with a satisfying, realistic ending.

Was this review helpful?

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. A
Don't Lok for Me is a solid, suspenseful and well-paced Thriller--Wendy Walker does it again!

My favorite part of the book was the pacing--the story is told from Molly Clarke's timeline the night she decides to walk away from her life after running out of gas in the midst of a bad storm, and from the perspective of her daughter Nicole who isn't convinced her mom vanished on her own accord and is determined to figure out what happened after the police have given up. Each chapter, either working forward from the day Molly disappeared, or from the day Nicole started investigating on her own after receiving a new tip flows together perfectly---building suspense and making it very hard to put down.

This book is gritty, the backstories aren't easy and the characters make some really bad decisions and have lived some tough lives. I was continuously guessing who did it and had it wrong throughout a good portion of the book. There's curve balls to throw you off the trail too. If you're looking for thrillers where the females are gusty and strong (but flawed), this is a solid choice. If you want a thriller you can race through in a day, this is a solid choice. It'll also make you think twice about having your gas tank full!

Was this review helpful?

This was a thrilling and fast paced book. The character development was impressive and I really enjoyed being in the minds of Nic and Molly. The alternate point of views made me antsy in a good way! I was peeling my eyes open late into the morning hours needing to know the truth and what would happen to creepy sad little Alice! Sometimes these fast paced intense reads have me flipping and skimming because my desire to know what the hell is happening to slow my heart rate is greater than the words themselves. But! I prevailed and stuck with the words and I am glad I did. Wendy Walker did a great job with the build up and settings and making me feel like I was a part of the minds of all involved and yet it was internal whiplash.

I did enjoy the twists and turns and the ending which tied everything up nicely for me. I had a hunch it would play out a certain way halfway through and I was right but I still enjoyed it!

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I finished this one in one day. I have to say, it took me a lot longer to read it than I expected. It started out really strong and pulled me in but the middle ..... I found myself skimming sections. Of course, by then, I had already figured part of it out. I did find some of the characters creepy - especially Alice. The twist at the end was good

I would recommend this book to fellow readers.

Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the eARC.

Was this review helpful?

This is a story about malevolent forces weaselling into the cracks left by grief, guilt, and self-loathing.

This is a story about all the ways we hate and love and hurt the people we call family.

And this is a story about AMBIVALENCE.

◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️

It's been five years since the death of Molly Clarke's youngest daughter, and she and her eldest Nicole are still reeling with soul-crushing guilt: they played a part in it, after all.

Expelled and adrift, Nic throws herself into vodka shots and one-night-stands, waking up hungover and reeking of regret. Meanwhile, her mother, lonely and desperate, clings to a family whose love for her died the same day Annie did.

Is it enough for Molly to disappear and never look back?

Don't Look for Me explores what happened to her on the day she vanishes, and how her story dovetails with another missing woman from ten years past. It alternates chapters between Molly's first-person POV and also Nic's third-person hunt for her mother—and my GOD this was such a brilliant technical move on Wendy Walker's part!

Just as you’ve settled into Nic’s story, you fall into Molly’s. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger that won’t be resolved until two chapters later, when we cycle back to the right narrator. At first this was disorienting—and then it became utterly GRIPPING. (Like, holy shit—when Nic and Molly's narratives finally converge, I had the heebiejeebies it was so icky and good.)

I became insanely paranoid while reading this book. I constantly questioned which character to trust. And it turns out I was right to do so: just when you think you know how it'll end, you'll be proven wrong. And that twist—

By the end, no character is truly blameless; not five years ago, not now. Who is the victim? Who is the real villain? How is it possible for someone, a child, to be the source of revulsion and agony—but also love and redemption?

Don't Look for Me sucks you in and won't spit you back out until you have answers to these questions.

Was this review helpful?

From the point of view of a writing teacher, this book is noteworthy for its characterization and superior writing style. As a reader, the plot is fast-paced, and the popular alternating points of view technique keeps you reading well past your bedtime!

Was this review helpful?

I was given the opportunity to read this book before it was published, I haven’t read any thing by this author before but after reading this book I will definitely be putting her on, one of my favorite author. I was also given a short time to read it. There was no problem there, it had me at the first page and I couldn’t put it down til the very end. The characters gripped you with theirs stories right away. Molly Clarke, the mother who killed her youngest child, and the grief and guilt that she feels. The lost love of her other children and her husband. Did she leave on her own or was it something else? The story is fast paced and it has you guessing right to the very end. Many issues in this book, child abuse, drinking, children out of control,, police officers who are telling the true or not. I have a book club and I can’t wait to share this with them, when the book comes out. I know we will have a very good discussion over this book.. If you like a fast paced thriller, this is the book for you

Was this review helpful?

This book was so fast paced and so intriguing , I read it in two settings. I loved it. I’m going to search for all of Wendy Walkers books now. I highly recommend it for all mystery lovers.

Was this review helpful?

Wow. Wow. Wow. I finished this novel in the span of 24 hours and immediately thought, why is this only the second Wendy Walker book I’ve read?!? She is pure genius with her psychological thrillers!

Molly Clarke is a mother with the kind of guilt most people can only imagine. When she disappears one night on the way back from her son’s football game, it is determined that she just ‘walked away.’

While Nic has not always liked her mother, she has always loved her. They haven’t been close these last few years since the accident, but she would never leave her family like this. A new tip leads Nic back to the town of Hastings, where they found her mother’s abandoned car nearly two weeks ago.

As Nic moves from one tip to the next, she learns that Hastings has more than a few secrets…

Was this review helpful?

I did read it all in one day because I knew I wouldn't be able to fall asleep if I didn't know what happened! Twisty, with what seemed like the right amount of red herrings. A little bit creepy but not nightmare-inducing.

Was this review helpful?

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Every two weeks, Molly Clarke drives alone from her home to attend the home football game at her son’s boarding school. It’s a four-hour drive each way and, on this night, Molly has two problems: the gas gauge needle is bouncing off empty and she’s driving right into a terrible storm.

Molly’s life is in turmoil. Her children, Nicole and Evan, are angry with her; her husband, John, might be having an affair. And she’s not found a way to forgive herself for the horrific accident that claimed the life of her youngest daughter, Annie. Everything is a mess. But Molly is certain of one thing: she is not a good mother.

When the car runs out of gas, she walks through a torrent of rain to reach the gas station. But it’s closed and boarded up in deference to the approaching hurricane. Certain her family would be better off without her, she decides to walk away.

But does she?

Her car still sits at the side of the road, abandoned. There’s a note in a hotel room, suggesting she simply walked away. But her daughter, Nicole, needs answers. Despite her feelings, she’s certain her mother would never simply turn her back on her family.

What really happened? And where is Molly Clarke?

The richly-drawn rural town of Hastings is a small “blink once and you’ve missed it” kind of place that anchors the telling of the tale. Well-developed, nuanced, believable characters populate the narrative but it’s the underlying sense of uneasiness flowing throughout the story that keeps the reader on edge.

Molly and Nicole provide dual points of view for readers as the story alternately focuses on mother and daughter. While unforeseen events weave a tapestry of deceptions, lies, and closely-held secrets, the surprises in the unfolding narrative will keep the pages turning. Early on, readers will know exactly what happened, but as Nicole searches for answers, an underlying persistent obsession affects the telling of the tale.

When startling plot twists take the story in a new direction, readers will find it difficult to set this book aside. A shocking reveal near the end of the narrative will have readers questioning everything they think they know as the pulse-pounding suspense in this creepy, chilling story grabs hold of them and refuses to let them go.

Don’t miss this one.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#DontLookForMe #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

Received a advanced copy of this book from net galley Wow a twisty psychological thriller book that kept you guessing and couldn’t stop reading. Where did Molly go? Pulls you in the second you start reading it

Was this review helpful?

I was lucky enough to find out on Tall Poppy Blooms that this was a free read today (7/5). So downloaded, and finished in one day! Some might say this is a bit predictable however, I loved the twists and turns , especially at the end. The writing was concise and not dragged out. You really kept turning the page to find out what happens. A great beach read and one I did not want to put down. Well done! A solid 3.5

Was this review helpful?

I very much enjoyed this book! It was my definition of a thriller! It kept me on the edge of my seat! There were many twits that I did not see coming. One that even made me gasp out loud. Great book!

Was this review helpful?