Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
What a dark and twisted thriller. I really enjoyed this one. The author touches on subjects that other authors fear too.
I definitely want to read more from this author.

Woah, this was a dark one, but it was such a hard-hitting psychological thriller that it worked so well. There's so many twists I was truly kept on the edge of my seat, especially with the fast pace. At the end I did become slightly confused because all the reveals seemed to happen simultaneously and so fast I almost couldn't keep up yet I enjoyed this so much that I think the twistedness of it all draws you in even more but its not for the faint of heart at all and the trigger warnings should be taken very seriously.

Woah! What a dark, at times heavy, twisty thriller!! I did not see that one coming!
Definitely a huge ***DV TW***
Klara is in a horrificly violent marriage ...and she's being stalked by a serial killer, is suicide the only way out?
The story is set in Germany 🇩🇪 so I wasn't familiar with any of the references, much less the pronunciations. But it contributed to the drab setting of the whole book (most of which takes place in one night)
I did have a slight issue with the believability of some of the scenes but the author comments on this in the afterward in the book and I was able to look past it. 3.75
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.

I've read all of Sebastian Fitzek's novels and can safely say that 'Walk Me Home' is my favorite to date. The narrative immediately grips you, taking you on a thrilling ride into Klara's mind as she races against time to outrun a mysterious pursuer from her past.

Fitzek's expertly woven storyline quickly delves into a unique web of emotions, delivering tension-filled moments that left me feeling at once terrified and completely immersed in Klara's plight. I found myself cheering for the protagonist, hoping for a miraculous escape from an unknown evil force.

If you're a fan of psychological thrillers and crime fiction, then this book is an absolute must-read. 'Walk Me Home' will have you captivated from start to finish as it unravels its captivating secrets. Brilliant work from Fitzek! Highly recommended.

I've enjoyed this author's books in the past, hence the request. Things unravelled very quickly at the end and there was a lot to pick up on (a little overwhelming) at the end of the story. I think it would have been even better if some of this had come a little earlier.

Walk me home by Sebastian Fitzek is definitely not for the faint heated and even comes with a warning at the beginning, dealing with some extreme subjects of abuse, violence, torture & murder to name a few. Fitzeks stories are always a bit unbelievable but that is all part of the appeal. It’s a difficult novel to review without giving away any spoilers but I liked the way just as you thought you had the story worked out it twisted into something else, I look forward to Sebastians next novel.

Walk me home is another psychological thriller perfectly written by Sebastian Fitzek. It has everything that is required in this gender: the right amount of anguish and plot twists.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this read.

I'm a big fan of Fitzek! I normally read his books in german, this was my first englisch edition. I love his writing style, he has a real talent to describe eerie moments without giving too much away - you always feel a certain tension which I love about well written thrillers like this one. Early on I was so sure where this was going, thinking I've figured it all out, which was sooo wrong. The twists really got me, they were SO GOOD! I thought that occasionally a few chapters were too long, dragging everything out a bit too much,, but all in all I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to read more from this Fritzek!

Although there was a trigger warning at the beginning of this book, the sexual and domestic violence that took place was way more than I expected. Also, the chaos of the story made it difficult to follow, with the twists being completely confusing and unrealistic. Almost to the point that I felt I needed to read it again to see what I missed, but I'm not actually going to do that. This book missed the mark for me, and I would not recommend.

Walk Me Home is a domestic thriller that is sure to keep your heart beating fast! It makes you wonder what you would do in a horrific situation....what decisions would you make to save your life? Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC

I would like to thank Netgalley and Aria & Aries for a review copy of Walk Me Home, a stand-alone thriller set in Berlin.

Jules has agreed to help a friend by taking his shift at Walk Me Home, a volunteer organisation that provides a soothing voice for single women as they walk home alone. His first caller is Klara who thinks she is being followed by someone she knows, someone who has threatened her life.

I read Walk Me Home with horrified fascination, because the author has a twisted imagination and it is very cruel. There is a trigger warning at the start of the novel for domestic violence, but I don’t think it quite encapsulates the sadism of the novel.

Having said that, this is a very good thriller, full of twists and turns and while I put it down frequently to take a break from the cruelty, I kept returning to find out what happened next. Both Jules and Klara have tragedy in their past and this is gradually revealed in flashbacks to those times. This means that the timeline in the novel isn’t linear, but it fits the increasing creepiness and sense that something isn’t quite right with either of them. Not that this is a shock, as anyone who has read the author’s previous work knows that the golden rule is never to take anything or anybody at face value. Still, I forgot it at the beginning and got quite settled into Klara’s highly improbable but riveting narrative until small doubts began to surface and left me desperate for the truth. It’s very well done.

The resolution is the most confusing part of the novel. It has plenty of twists and a complicated explanation that is both satisfying and somewhat weird in the dynamics it exposes. Abuse is probably the answer but that’s not entirely clear.

Walk Me Home is a potent mixture of misdirection, thrills, mystery, tension and violence that I can recommend as a good read.

This story was all over the place. It didn't line up with the blurb. I was mostly confused as to what was going on throughout this book.

I've loved some of Sebastian Fitzek's backlist titles in the past, and I've been meaning to read more of his work for a while now. I admit it was hook, line and sinker as soon as I read the blurb of the translation of his newest book Walk Me Home. I mean, have you seen it?! The woman who knows the day she is going to die because her killer revealed it to her, the phone service element, the life-threatening situation creating a bond between two strangers... It sounds like such a fantastic premise for an action-packed and exhilarating read, so that's why it came as a bit of a surprise I ended up having mixed thoughts instead.

It is a known fact that Sebastian Fitzek's thrillers tend to be on the over the top and unbelievable side in the first place, and I usually don't mind because the stories tend to deliver on an entertainment level. I'm not sure if it was just the strange reading mood I've been in lately, but the fact is that I wasn't as convinced by Walk Me Home this time around. Don't get me wrong, I still think that the premise itself is fantastic and it had SO much potential. The plot twists are clever, and there were parts I never saw coming. BUT. The execution was a bit lacking for me this time around.

Why would I say that? I found the structure of the plot to be highly confusing and a bit of a mess to be honest, and especially in the first half of the story. I struggled considerably to fully understand what was really going on, and it all felt a bit too jumbled and purposedly misleading. It took me a long time to get a proper feel for the story, and the structure and way the plot was developed slowed down the story considerably. True, things did improve in especially the last quarter or so, but still... It took me a lot longer than expected to actually reach that final page.

Apart from the structure, I also had issues with the content of Walk Me Home itself. I sure don't mind a dark and gritty read, but this story was particularly brutal with a focus on domestic abuse, rape, torture, mental illness and suicide among other things. Nothing I can't handle when these elements are incorporated well, but I felt like in this book in particular they were mostly used to shock the reader over and over again instead of adding anything substantial. The domestic abuse, rape and torture scenes are particularly gruesome, and it made for some very uncomfortable reading. Using these elements for shock value made the story feel a bit 'cheap' to me.

I can't say that I was a fan of any of the characters either, and I felt that their development was a bit one-dimensional. The plot switches between Klara and Jules as the story unfolds, but somehow I never actually warmed up to either (even though they both have a very tragic background and it should be easy to feel sorry for them). It might just have been that the unreliable narrator was amped up too high, making it frustrating to deal with them... But I wasn't a fan of how the plot twists and reveals around the characters were handled either.

All in all, sadly I don't think Walk Me Home lived up to that fantastic premise for me. It's not a bad read, but there were elements I simply couldn't get past personally. Most people do seem to have a better reaction to this book though, so don't give up on my account! Just make sure to brace yourself for a seriously twisted, pitch-black and frankly over the top ride... Don't say I haven't warned you.

I love the suspense and general confusion in this author’s books but this one lost me. I still believe in the sit or snd will still look forward to more of his books.

This author really pulls out all the stops to terrify you on every level and this is indeed a very dark thriller which focuses on domestic violence among other themes.
Fitzek writing style might not be for everyone but he has a great way to draw you into the story. And let me tell you, this is quite a disturbing story.
Sometimes it was hard to keep focus though, due to the back and forth. It's mind blowing. I felt I missed something and had to re-read to ensure I didn't accidentally missed a page.
I did not see the ending coming and it did shock me. Overall a excellent thriller and I will definitely be reading other books of @sebastianfitzek
Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This is a very dark thriller which focuses on domestic violence mostly among the themes but there is a trigger warning for this at the start of the book. As a survivor myself, I decided to ignore this as I have enjoyed the books by this author that I have read in the past. I'm glad I did take the chance and read this, although some passages were a tough read I believe they would be for most people and I did really enjoy the story with all it's twists and turns.

I love the idea of the "Walk me home" telephone services and the good they could possibly do in society the way it has become in some places but that service is just the starting place for this twisty thriller. Where it goes from there is to a place I really didn't see coming but was kind of obvious the steps that had to have happened once you had it all laid out in front of you.

This was a remarkable tale and one I would encourage others to read who enjoy quite dark thrillers.

My insides might have landed on my outside after concluding this book. You know, I am all about thrillers but horrified to the core?

Who am I kidding, I loved it.

Drumroll please…. Walk Me Home

Even the title is horrifying but the book will leave you complete “shook” and begging for your mama . If I wasn’t checking under my bed before, I sure am now …

This is a must read

Teaser:

The terrifying new psychological thriller by internationally bestselling phenomenon Sebastian Fitzek. Walk Me Home is Fitzek's most enthralling work to date.

The Walk Me Home telephone helpline service has proved indispensable. Staffed by volunteers, it provides a reassuring voice at the end of the phone, helping to protect lone women as they walk home at night.

Jules has only been working for Walk Me Home for a short time and has never had to deal with a truly life-threatening situation. But that all changes one Saturday night when Klara calls.

The young woman is terrified. She thinks she is being followed by a man. A man from her past. A man who drew a date in blood on her bedroom wall. And that day dawns in less than two hours...

For Klara – and Jules – the stakes have never been higher. Will either of them ever make it home again?

Fitzek has a writing style made for confusing you. When you pick up one of his books, you know it will feel like walking in a maze where everything can happen around the corner. For some readers his way of presenting a story might be hard to like, but I love being unsure about what’s going on. The plot in itself is created to make you question what is real. In this book we are thrown into a bizarre situation; A woman calls a help-line and the person answering realize he’s talking with someone who wants to kill herself. Talk about creating a nail-biting setting. Underneath it all, you just know that there will be secrets and twists, so you pay close attention while reading. Sometimes it was hard to keep focus though, due to the back and forth where you can’t be sure if something really happened or not. Again this is to my liking. It adds mystique and messes with your mind.

And yes, when all is revealed you will be shocked, needing to rethink everything. You will either love or hate it.

A warning: some of the scenes described are hard to read, so be prepared.

Fitzek also has an afterword where he explains that when people ask him about if he shouldn’t write more realistically, he says no. Literature can be an escape, and thrillers give you suspense that doesn’t always reflect terrible stories we read about. It’s a harmless way to face cruelty without the need to close our eyes. I like how he thinks, and might not be too annoyed by unlikely twists in the future.

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

TW: domestic violence, abuse, torture

Jules agrees to cover his friend’s shift for a “walk me home” telephone service for women who are scared to walk to their car or home at night. He receives a phone call from a woman named Klara. She tells him that she called by accident, to hang up before “he” knows she’s talking to him, or else “he” will kill Jules. Jules is not concerned for himself, but he is concerned for Klara. He can tell that she is terrified and he wants to help her, if only she’ll tell him where she is.

This book is set in Germany, so there are references to places that I don’t know anything about, but I don’t think that takes away from the story. There’s this sense of dread that I felt while reading the book, because of what the characters are going through or have been through in the past. I liked the short chapters. I didn’t guess the twists in this one, which is always nice.

I fully expect thrillers to use dark subjects but I believe they should have a purpose, something this book didn’t. There are terrible things in this world and books reflect our world but rape is not something that should ever be used just for shock and it added nothing whatsoever.

The main part of the book is slow, confusing and written chaotically, nothing like the description either.