What Remains by Wendy Walker

Elise is a cold case investigator who is faced with a horrible decision when witnessing a shooting at a department store. Dealing with the consequences of her actions, she becomes emotionally connected with one of the men in the store.

Wendy Walker may be my only auto-buy thriller author. I just love how she writes engaging mysteries with twists I usually don’t see coming, but they are not overly scary or graphic. I am always immediately hooked and entertained through the entire book and this one was no different.

I ended up listening to the audio which was excellent. Since this was told primarily in inner thoughts, the narration made it really come to life for me. I loved the unique point of view of a police officer being stalked. Her thoughts and clinical thinking was fascinating. It was a great combination of emotion and process. This was a suspenseful, creepy and engaging story!

Thank you to @blackstonepublishing for the ebook and audiobook! This one was out in June so you can go get it now.

What are you listening to this weekend? Music or audiobooks or podcasts?

#whatremains #wendywalker #netgalley #blackstonepublishing #mybooks #audiobooks #audiobookrecommendation #audiobookreview #bookreview #canadianbookstagrammer #booksta #canadianbookreviewer #bookthoughts #booksbooksbooks #gifted

I was so happy when I saw this book as an audiobook choice on NetGalley. I had been seeing it all over Bookstagram when it first came out and I was excited to read it. So I requested it right away. The cover really drew me in too. It just looked like a cool book, with a bad ass chick on the front who looked like she was out for revenge. So again, I was so excited to receive this ALC. But I’m afraid it wasn’t my favorite. This was a good story. Very original. I thought the writing was great. But I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but I was just expecting so much more. I’ve been reading many books lately that are under the thriller category, but I’ve been finding them not to be very “thrilling”. The stories are good and I do get invested in them, to finish them and find out what happens. But where’s the excitement and suspense? Where’s the anticipation of what’s going to happen? It just wasn’t a book where if I wasn’t listening to it, I had to get back to it asap because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I liked the storyline. I liked the MC and I thought the narrators did a great job. 👏🏻But something was just missing for me. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read or listen to this if it’s on your tbr. You may love it. I’ve seen other reviews where people really liked it. So don’t go by my review. I think I read too many thrillers and my expectations are just too high now. 🤣And if I don’t get that big jaw dropping moment, I’m disappointed. And I think that’s what happened here.
This was ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!! I did like it, but just not thrilling enough to satisfy my interest.

This is already out in stores everywhere. Pub date was June 13, 2023.
I’d like to thank @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for giving me this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator was okay, not my favorite. I would have liked to have a male do the male parts. I didn’t realize this was part of a series, the mass shooting as the main topic of this one made it really tough to follow along with. Overall didn’t end up loving this it was fine

I’m a fast reader, so listening to this audiobook was painful. The female speaker‘s voice wasn’t engaging. She seemed bored, and it made the reading boring. The book has way too much internal dialogue. It’s very repetitive, and the female character is annoying.

If you want to try this one, skip the audio version. The narrator's reading of this book was not engaging at best and distracting at worst. I found myself completely lost as to what was happening on several occasions throughout the book. I was not able to connect with any of the characters, and the plot just never really grabbed me. Rounded up to three stars giving it the benefit of the doubt that I might have liked it better had I been reading it rather than listening to it.

I really enjoyed this book! It is well written and kept me interested and wondering how it was gonna end. The mystery was really unique and well written. 10/10 highly reccomend!
Special Thank You to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me a free copy of the audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Elise Sutton is an expert at solving cold cases and knows how criminals think. She finds herself at in an active shooter situation and makes a difficult choice that she is having a hard time coming to terms with. She connects with the man whose life she saved and finds validation for her actions. Unfortunately he becomes obsessed with her and begins to challenge her knowledge by invading her life and threatening those she cares most about. Elise struggles between keeping her family safe and losing control. It is a fine line.

This was a good story, the premise was so intriguing. As the story unfolds I really struggled relating to Elise. I didn't understand the reason behind many of her actions. More than once I found myself shaking my head in frustration. The story is told with alternating perspectives and narrators that don't really come together until the end. I really enjoyed how that was written. Perfect summer read, just didn't knock my socks off. Regardless this is an action packed story that never lets up until the ending.
3 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

‼️ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ : ᴍᴀss sʜᴏᴏᴛɪɴɢs ‼️

ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇʟʏ sᴛᴏʀʏ (sᴀᴅʟʏ) ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ᴍᴀss sʜᴏᴏᴛɪɴɢ. ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪs sᴛᴏʀʏ ɪs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴘ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀss sʜᴏᴏᴛᴇʀ ᴠs. ᴀ ʙʏsᴛᴀɴᴅᴇʀ/ ᴠɪᴄᴛɪᴍ’s ᴘᴇʀsᴘᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ᴀɴɢᴜɪsʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡs ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇss ᴛᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʟɪғᴇ ɪs ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇs ʜᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ɪɴᴇxᴘʟɪᴄᴀʙʟᴇ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ғᴇʟʟᴏᴡ sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴏʀs. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘsʏᴄʜᴏʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀsᴘᴇᴄᴛ ɪs ʙʀɪʟʟɪᴀɴᴛʟʏ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ!

ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴀᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴀʀᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ! ɪ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋs (ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ) ᴏɴ sᴘᴇᴇᴅ 𝟷.𝟸𝟻x , ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ɪ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ᴀᴛ ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀʀ sᴘᴇᴇᴅ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀʙsᴏʀʙ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ sɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ. ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴍʏ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴡᴇɴᴅʏ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ɴᴏᴛ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜᴇʀ!

ʟᴀsᴛʟʏ, ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴀ sʜᴏᴜᴛ-ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟸𝟸 ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ᴍʏ ᴀɴxɪᴇᴛʏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴏғ! ᴡᴀs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ/sᴇᴛ-ᴜᴘ. ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀʟʟʏ ᴍʏ ʙɪɢɢᴇsᴛ ғᴇᴀʀ.


📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @ʙʟᴀᴄᴋsᴛᴏɴᴇᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ @ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴄᴏᴘʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖

This book has received a lot of hype and I think that it is pretty well deserved. I went into this book blind and I think you should too, so I will skip the synopsis. This book drops you right into the action and sends you on a twisty psychological rollercoaster with a shocking conclusion. There were several different pieces to the puzzle and I could not figure out how they all fit together. But they did and it was so interesting to see how it all worked out in the end. This book is for my readers who like all the tension, twists, strong female characters, and bad guys who make your skin crawl.

✨Audio Review✨

What Remains
By Wendy Walker
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4/5⭐️
Pub day: June 13 - out now!

Wow, the start of this was incredibly gripping with a loan shooter in a large store and the question of “how would you react” hovering in the air. It was uncomfortably close to real life but as the story unravels there are so many layers to unpack. I really had no idea where the story was headed and how everything was linked but I thought it resolved in a way that felt honest.

This is the second book I’ve read by Wendy Walker and both psychological thrillers had intense first chapters that sucked me in. The complex concepts into the psyche of the characters kept me engaged and anxious until the very end.

The audio was really good. Both Gabra Zackman and Peter Ganim exuded trepidation and unease to really bring this story to life.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for the alc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love cat and mouse scenarios in thrillers and this one is written so well. The dual viewpoints work great and I enjoy the feeling of just the facts, but also the thread of emotion that runs underneath. I had to stop reading it late at night because the terror at being stalked felt all too real, but immediately picked it up again in the morning because you can't stop reading this book. The characters are compelling and the storyline perfectly paced to give you an amazing thrill ride of a reading experience. Another fantastic book from a favorite author!

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing Audiobooks for an early review copy in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars. DNF at 28%. If this was a book I would have skipped ahead to the end. I could not get into it.

Gabra Zackman did a good job narrating.

Elise Walker is a detective who happens to be shopping for towels for her daughters when a shooting takes place in the store. She kills the shooter and cannot get past the guilt of taking a life. She also can’t stop thinking about the “tall man” who was in the line of fire of the gunman, making her question everything including whether or not it was necessary to kill the shooter, despite the accolades and recognition she is given for saving the other lives in the store.
Through her investigation, she finally finds the “tall man” again and discovers that he is Wade Austin, an insurance broker. Why would he be involved in this case? The more she digs, she finds he isn’t who he says he is and she finds out he’s been stalking Elise and her family, and is clearly obsessed with her. Elise is going to have to beat him at his own game if she’s going to get through this all alive.
Consistently paced, complex characters with loads of unpredictable twists and turns made this a fantastic read. This grabbed me and didn’t let go until the very end. I’ve enjoyed Wendy Walker’s other books and this was no exception.
My only criticism was the narrator was very clipped and not enjoyable. She sounded like she was not enjoying her work. Just my opinion.
Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

WHAT REMAINS by Wendy Walker and read by Gabra Zachman and Peter Ganim was a tense cat and mouse thriller!

I have seen so many reviews about this book and when I saw @NetGalley had the audio available, I hoped my request would be granted. Being post-publication, I am extra grateful to @blackstonepublishing for the access!

The beginning is an intense scene of a quick errand turning into a shooting where Elise Sutton makes her move as a police detective, saving a man's life. Now that man is connected to her and becomes a threat, using Elise's expertise against her.

I really enjoyed the cat-&-mouse intensity. The side story of the hunter's "kill room" was an interesting feature and it worked for me (though I have never heard of such a thing in any hunting circles I have flitted through).

In many thrillers I have found that there have to be people who make profoundly bad decisions. This is no different. I am often torn by the reality of this level of decision making and how easy it is to see a bad decision on the outside, to having it an obvious dumb move in order to make the scenario work. This story was one where it felt easy to see the wrong decisions, but I could understand it a little. Her thought process did rationalize it some, and ultimatelyI have no idea how I would feel in those shoes. I didn't consider this aspect too much while reading; just an afterthought.

While I was listening to the story, I was drawn in to Elise's process of making sense of the traumas she experienced. The narration was a good fit for the character. I felt the trauma being pushed down while trying desperately to figure out what to do.

I am glad I listened to this story. It reminded me of some of my favorite detective shows I used to watch. I would definitely recommend it to those on the fence. This may be an author I want to explore more!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Wow! I read this book in one day!

I will say this book started off making me feel really heavy and sad because you could feel the grief so intensely from Walker’s writing. I almost wanted to quit but I’m so glad I didn’t! It was never slow in any part and it was very consistently paced, it was just heavier than the books I normally read.

The book starts off with a cop in a store buying pink towels for her daughters. Then quickly turns into an active shooter situation and she has to make a split second decision that will forever change her life. She has to take the shooters life to save another but did she make the right choice?

There are two storylines in this book and they do connect but not until the very end so that part was a bit confusing.

Overall I LOVED this book! It was so intense from start to finish.

4.5/5 stars and I will be buying a copy for my physical shelf!

Detective Elise Sutton is off duty and out shopping when she hears the sound of gunfire. Running towards the sound, she sees two men, one with a gun in his hand, the other frozen in place. She takes out the man with the gun and is hailed as a hero, but no officer who has to take a life ever feels like a hero. As Elise struggles to deal with her feelings of shock, despair, and guilt, she meets with the tall man, otherwise known as Wade. The more she talks with Wade, the more she begins to wonder just who this man really is. She begins to follow him, just as he is following her. The cat and mouse scenario that plays out is nail biting

Happy Thriller Thursday🖤 What Remains by @wendywalkerauthor was not what was I expecting, but in the absolute best way! The story follows Detective Elise Sutton after she is in a department store public shooting. The twists that follow are surprising and just when you think you have it figured out, another twist is revealed! I highly recommend this crime psychological thriller. It is narrated by two Earphone Award winners!

Thank you to @blackstonepublishing and @netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Next up from Wendy Walker is What Remains.

"Detective Elise Sutton is in a department store when a young man starts shooting. Elise shoots him to save an innocent's life. She struggles to come to grips with taking a life until she meets with Wade, the man she saved. But she soon realizes he isn't who he says he is. He's a ghost who's now threatening Elise's life and her family. Elise must find a way to stop him before he escalates even more."

There's a body found at a hunting shelter that's being investigated. You think you know the connection between the storylines but Walker keeps us guessing. I yelled at Elise a few times because it seemed like her decision-making was terrible. The final twist is a definite a-ha moment.

Great audiobook performance from Gabra Zackman and Peter Ganim. Their voices are perfect for the characters.

Another great story from Walker.

I’m so torn on this one. Did I like it or didn’t I? I definitely liked the mystery and trying to figure out how things tied together. I hated how the main character made such dumb decisions though. Overall I’d say an ok read and worth picking up.