I was intrigued by this book from the very beginning. Elsie, our protagonist, is shopping for towels and finds herself in a situation with an active shooter. She ends up killing the shooter and no other lives are lost. Rather than be seen as a hero, she second-guesses her decision. She sees a tall man, who it seems the shooter was aiming for, and seeks him out to verify that she did the right thing.

Note: there were references in this scene about how going into department stores was tough for her (I thought) and this was never brought up again or addressed.

Anyway, there is an alternate storyline about a "kill room" in the woods that hunters use to store their guns and burn the remains of their kill. Only a body was found burned. Clearly these two storylines are going to intersect, but it isn't until the end when you find out how.

I think two things missed the mark here for me: a cop that completely goes off grid and puts herself in danger time and time again and the kill room storyline trying to merge with the main storyline. It was hard to follow where the kill room storyline was going and even at the end I had to kind of stop and piece it together. But it is a decent thriller that kept me wanting to read more.

3.75 stars, rounded up

A super quick thriller that will keep you on your toes constantly wondering what happens next. The book starts off with a bang and never backs down until the very end, ramping up the entire book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I cannot wait to read more by Wendy Walker!

Highly recommend if you're looking for a quick thriller that will keep you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not going to lie, I had a tough time with this book. I think the inner dialogue did me in. It's usually not an issue, but it seemed this book was more inner dialogue than anything. Good story over all, I just struggled. (I put this back on my tbr list, and will re-read at another time.)
Thank you netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this ARC.

I love everything Wendy Walker has written and this is no exception. I absolutely loved this book. I whipped through it in a day because I was so caught up in the story. I loved the main character, Elise, as well as her partner. It was extremely well written and had a great pace for a thriller. It kept me guessing until the end. I cannot wait for whatever Wendy writes next!

This novel was only okay for me. The plot was well-structured. I enjoyed the dual perspectives in alternating chapters, which works well in building up the tension. The characters were complex, and I enjoyed the twists and turns. But the drama in Elise’s personal life was an unnecessary plot point that I found destracting from the from the overall reading experience.

What Remains by Wendy Walker. Pub Date: June 13, 2023. Rating: 3 stars. Wendy Walker has been a go to author for me in the past because I enjoy the way she weaves a thrilling storyline. Honestly, this book did not seem like her normal writing style and I found it to be just okay. This storyline starts off with Detective Elise Sutton at the store to buy towels for her daughters. Put in a life or death situation, she takes control and shoots a man who opened fire at the store. Following down a rabbit hole of mystery, she develops a stalker following the shooting and the reader is taken on the journey of what is real and what is in Elise's head. This book was a short read, so if you enjoy cat and mouse type mysteries then this may be for you. Thanks to #netgalley and #blackstonepublishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #whatremains

Pulse pounding and tense, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. The story starts off tense, building up to the the nerve wracking ending. The character development was rich and on point, really pulling the reader into the drama. With a well developed plot that gave an interesting perspective of crime and the trauma it causes, this was easily my favorite of Walker’s books to date.

This was intense! I’m not sure what’s happened to me, but apparently I’m onboard with a little action in my thrillers now. Who knew? Wendy Walker delivers with a psychological/crime thriller that is really a cover-to-cover cat-and-mouse game between Elise and a new “admirer” from the store shooting. How that psychological chess match gets started was gripping reading, even if I had to suspend a bit of disbelief!

When you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can change your life. That's what happened that day in the department store when Elise heard gunshots in the department store. Being a police officer, she drew her gun and went after that man. She could not in a million years imagine how that one incident would change her life. The story moved at a good pace, including a deep dive into Elise's world and that of her stalker. It was also well narrated.

this one was super creepy and fast paced! this was my first book by wendy walker and i'm super glad i picked it up. i loved the characters and the story.

I think I related to this book mostly because I'm a mom. I could put myself in the main character's position and consider how I would feel. That's a powerful way to get through to a reader! The whole premise made me think about how small decisions can be lifechanging. The storyline was intense and dramatic.

This was a great thriller!

Detective Elise Sutton is stopping to buy pink towels for her girls while her partner, Rowan, circles the car around the block. The last thing Elise expected was to find herself in front of an active shooting scene.

Elise is usually surrounded by cold cases. She is able to solve them due to her great attention to detail. She also still contributes to a class she used to teach and the way she taught it was from the killers' point of view and how to get away with murder.

On the day of the shooting, she has to make a hard choice. She uses her weapon to save the life of a tall man, Wade Austin, who is about to get killed.

The aftermath has her completely numb. She feels nothing until she is about to return to work from her leave. She unexpectedly meets with Wade. During those few hours, she opens up about her feelings and releases all her fears, but soon their reunion takes a dark turn.

Elise discovers that Wade Austin doesn't exist. No one knows who he is or how to find him. Wade is obsessed with Elise and becomes her stalker. He is one step ahead of her and her partner.

How is Elise going to keep her family safe?

Wendy Walker knows how to write them. I was submerged in this fast-paced thriller. I was rooting for Elise to teach Wade who was the Prey and who was the Hunter.

I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Elise is a detective who finds herself in a store with a shooter while off duty. She manages to kill the shooter saving several lives, hailed a hero. Elise is disturbed that one person, Wade, eluded police questioning following the shooter. Elise tracks him down and they talk about the day, and so much more. But Wade turns out not to be who he says he is. He begins to stalk Elise, putting her, her family, her partner and everyone she holds dear in danger.

Meanwhile, chapters alternate between Elise's story and a dead body found at a remote hunting cabin. These chapters were extremely interesting as the investors dug into the story behind the remains.

Wendy Walker is an amazing writer. So descriptive in her language, she truly transports the reader into the book. Il

This was an edge of your seat thriller, intense, action packed and creative. I'd definitely recommend.

I picked this up and put it down a bunch of times but I just couldn't get into it. I don't know what it was, maybe it was just hard to keep the characters straight. Sorry!

One of the more intriguing mysteries I've read in a long while! Enjoy Walker's writing style very much. If a novel grabs me first thing (I Sample all potential reads) and continues keeping me on the-edge-of-my-seat/intrigued where it's going, it's a Winner for me. Not bogged down with unnecessary details. Good character descriptions. The details of Elise's Cold Case descriptions are fascinating, and the fact the 'villain' is following them so closely is chilling. The tie-in of the chapters of the Kill Room are so well done. And you will really like Rowan.....

Wow. My brain is working overtime after reading this fast paced thriller. When Detective Elise Sutton walks into a store to purchase pink towels for her daughters, she never imagines how her life would be changed forever. When Wade Austin and Clay Lucas also walk into the same store, all of their lives become intertwined in the worst of ways. After the events that occurred at the store, Elise becomes obsessed with finding out what actually happened. As she digs deeper, she puts herself at risk time and again to get to the bottom of what happened. This story is fast paced and easy to read with twists all the way up until the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After killing someone during a department store shooting, Detective Elise Sutton withdraws from her life. When she runs into the man she saved, her life takes a dark turn. This was a great psychological suspense thriller by a great author of psychological suspense. I found myself racing through this book because I couldn't put it down. Although I really enjoyed it, I gave it just 3 stars because the ending left me a little wanting.

Wendy Walker just never disappoints! From the first page I just couldn't put this book down! More twists and turns than a roller coaster, it kept me glued to my seat till the very last jaw dropping page! I can't wait to read more of hers!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Walker, and Blackstone Publishing for an advance copy of What Remains in exchange for an honest review. Wendy Walker can do no wrong in my opinion and she proved this again with What Remains. We find ourselves following Elsie (a detective who specializes in cold cases) as she’s dealing with a stalker from a previous case. Around every turn there’s another twist and it’s a quick and fantastic read. This one is out now! I can’t wait to see what this author does next. 4.5 rounded up to 5 for GR!

Wendy Walker is one of my favorites and this one did NOT disappoint! In typical Wendy Walker fashion, it is fast-paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this eARC!