Don’t forget me by Rea Frey published by Thomas and Mercer for publication on March 1, ,2024
I received this book from NetGalley in the exchange for a honest review.
Wow what a ride that was, this book has had me guessing from the very beginning. I kept thinking I had it figured out and then there was twist upon twist and most definitely did not disappoint. It starts with Ruby going for a usual morning row in the neighborhood lake when a body was discovered of unknown origin. As the story unravels there are many family secrets, local super sleuths who try to guess the killer(s) and lots of drama ensues as well. It alternates from then to now and can be a little confusing at times as usually is for me but kept me interested.
Another good one from Rea Frey!!!!

It pains me to type this, but I didn't love this book as much as I wanted to. I liked it ok, but I loved the last book I read by this author, The Other Year. I recently attended an author event to discuss The Other Year, in which Ms. Frey was in attendance. She was lovely and mentioned her new book coming out next year, Don't Forget Me. I loved the previous book so much I wanted to give her new one a try!
Overall, I did enjoy the book and was invested in the story. The premise interested me from the start: woman finds a dead body while out rowing and the body is identified by many as someone close to our main character, despite her protestations that it couldn't possibly be the same person. I was hooked.
However, the writing in this book just did not feel as elevated as her previous work. There were a few things that happened in the story that just seemed too convenient and a little convoluted. I also felt that there were too many plot threads.
One thing that really didn't work for me, and honestly felt unnecessary, was the inclusion of a neighborhood chat forum. It really didn't add anything to the story for me.
I gave this book 3 1/2 stars. I didn't LOVE it, but I LIKED it, and would definitely read more by this author!

PUBLICATION DAY: March 1, 2024

Ruby’s life has not been going well - her troubled daughter Lily is missing. Her husband Tom is also missing. She doesn’t know if they are together or not, but is living in a state of misery wondering where they could be. Her life doesn’t get any better when, while rowing on the lake in her beautiful new community, she encounters a dead body - a body who everyone but her identifies as her missing husband. What’s going on here? Is this dead man really Tom? And if so, who killed him?? If Ruby thought her life was going badly before, she had no idea how much worse it could get.

PROS and CONS:
It took me a little bit to get into this one - a lot of then and now time changes. The characters are good (potentially unreliable - this created a sense of tension in the writing for me - is Ruby unreliable or not??) The community forum provided a change of pace in the writing, while adding additional details to the story. I didn’t love the main character Ruby, but I was super interested to see how it would all end. The twist at the end was great!

READ IT?
If you’re a fan of potentially unreliable narrators - then you’ll absolutely love this one!

3.5 Stars

I am a huge fan of this author, and this book did not disappoint
This author always seems to write from her soul, her characters make you feel like you are right there
This book will keep you on your toes and you definitely don’t want to miss it
That’s

Ehhh. This one started out with a lot of promise, but about 1/3 of the way in it started to fall apart. By the end I was disappointed because it felt like a juvenile attempt at writing a thriller/mystery and it suffered from trying to do too much and poor writing, especially when it comes to dialogue.

The now and then timelines were fine in theory, but in practice the “Then” timeline kept switching around with no notice - sometimes we were in Ruby’s childhood, sometimes at the beginning of her relationship with Tom, sometimes when Lily went missing, etc…And it skipped around (ie the then timelines were not chronological). I liked that the twists were sprinkled throughout the book and not all unveiled at the end, but at a certain point it was too many reveals and not very many of them were actually that surprising. I didn’t like that the narrator was unreliable/deliberately withholding info from us - that was not necessary as a plot device in my opinion. Ruby does a lot of stupid stuff that makes no sense, the community forum is an unnecessary and eye roll worthy plot device as well, the police are utterly useless - they would’ve caught the killer in the act in five minutes if this were real life, everyone’s reactions to their neighbors being murdered in cold blood were nonsensical (was this a neighborhood full of sociopaths?? That would’ve made more sense and actually probably would’ve been more interesting…). It was just ugh.


Potential spoilers below!!!!!

So many loose ends due to sloppy writing, for example: Why does Ruby not recognize her own husband’s dead body? Ok I get if she disassociates when she’s abused or when she “does something bad” but she was not present for the murder of her husband so why does she have a mental block on his face?? Ruby managed to cover up a hit and run???? Lol yeah right. Also did the kid die?? Why is zero information shared about this relatively major event?? Ruby also manages to convince her neighbor who is a JUDGE to help her cover up said accident (I think???) but at the very least he helps her secret away her mentally ill step daughter who potentially just killed someone even though he is the acquaintance of her husband, not her?? Huh??? Ruby has a lot more skills than it seems! Including writing weird rhyming riddles to taunt serial killers 🤣🤣🤣. I was cackling! Hmm what else made no sense…how the hell Lily pulled off all these murders without being caught of course, that goes without saying…argh my daughter just woke up from her nap so I’ve run out of time to list all the hilariously under thought aspects of this book, but rest assured there are many. Finally, the last line was completely ridiculous; I laughed out loud while my eyes rolled back into my head. Clearly aiming for a sequel? Needless to say I won’t be reading it.

2.5 rounded down. This could’ve been a 4 star read if the writing stayed as tight and the plot as strong as it was in the beginning. Sad.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for offering this as a Read Now in exchange for my honest review.

60/100 or 3.00 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was okay. The writing style flowed and it was a relatively quick read, but it was rather anticlimactic. It also does the thing that I hate which is giving us the POV of a character and not giving us crucial pieces of information the character clearly knows simply to use them at the end for the reveal.

Quick read decent thriller with an unreliable narrator. I was entertained by this book and while I figured out some of the twists there were still some surprises. Definitely an easy read and would recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this and was drawn right into the plot. Unfortunately, by the third murder the plot became completely implausible. I figured out the twist but I felt like it was contrived. Despite being one of my favorite authors, this was not my favorite by Rea Frey.

Ruby Knight, formerly Winslow, is grappling with the mysterious disappearance of her 17-year-old daughter, Lily, and the abandonment of her husband, Tom, when she comes across a partially decomposed body in the lake one morning. Everyone in the neighbourhood believes that it is Tom’s body that has been found, but Ruby doesn’t think so.

Detective Ellis suspects Ruby of the crime. As an abused wife, she had the motive to kill her husband.



Then Cassie, a neighbour, is found dead, and Ryan, another guy from the community, a day later, both killed the same way as Tom.



Ruby joins a group known as the Murderlings, that solve cold cases for fun. Now she turns to the group for an answer to who might be the real killer.



Meanwhile, Ruby’s own secrets are messing with her mental health. She’s losing chunks of time and repressing painful memories. Detective Ellis is convinced that the killings have some link to Ruby.



The book is written in the first person past tense PoV of Ruby in two timelines, Then and Now. The narrative is interspersed with messages from the neighbourhood forum, which give us an idea about the pulse of the community.



I guessed the identity of the killer around the 70 percent mark.



The police were rather inept. Aside from suspecting Ruby, there was no evidence of any method in the investigation. Despite suspecting Ruby of the murders, she is allowed to go home. Nor does anyone tell her not to leave town.



The forum provided comic relief and an unwelcome distraction that added nothing to the place or the plot.



The timeline was rather confusing. The Then timeline consisted of two different periods: Before Lily disappeared and Tom left, and Ruby’s own childhood. Particularly in the period before Lily disappeared, there were some comings and goings with reference to Lily and Tom that I found hard to keep straight.



Overall, the premise was good but the execution needed further polish. The pace was off and the writing loose.

When we start this book, we see Ruby rowing when she finds a dead body in the lake. For some reason, her neighbors are completely convinced that the body belongs to Ruby’s husband. Ruby doesn’t believe that and is shocked my the speculation that she is a killer and wonders why her neighbors are setting her up. When more people are murdered, the neighborhood starts an online community page devoted to information about a possible serial killer and the reasons they think Ruby is doing it. This is a very fast paced thriller that had me guessing and then saying “Wait, what?” It definitely was not what I thought. Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas &Mercer, and the amazing Rea Frey for this ARC. I throughly enjoyed it.

Dead body in a lake? Neighbourhood tea? Secrets? I couldn't snatch this book fast enough. I enjoyed this so much!!!

Loved it right away. Couldn't put it down!
I loved the twists that came up along the way and I appreciate a crazy female always.
I did end the book with a question that I expected to be answered and it never was.
Overall, very happy I was able to read this and will definitely recommend.

Was it murderlings or murderings? You gotta read Rea Frey’s DON’T FORGET ME to find out, and trust me when I say you’ll be glad you did! What an awesome whodunnit!

When Ruby Knight discovers a body in the lake during her morning rowing session the neighbors all believe that it is the body of her missing husband Tom. How is it possible that Ruby doesn’t know what her own husband looks like? For Detectives Ellis and Dent the mystery only deepens when they learn that Ruby’s 17 year old daughter, Lily is also missing. We meet Ryan, Cassie, Daisy, and Whitney, members of the cottage Grove Murder.lings, a local group that gets together to solve imagined, cold cases. We also get the pulse of the neighborhood by reading the cottage Grove forum messages regarding the happenings in the community. Everyone has an opinion as the body count continues to rise.

Is Ruby hiding something? Are the other members of the group hiding their own secrets? And what of the fact that Ruby’s mother is in prison for murdering her father? Is murdering one’s husband a hereditary trait; passed down the line?

This one has so many twists, and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing style is descriptive enough that I felt the breeze blowing off the lake, heard the footsteps outside my window and put the pieces together with Ruby and Ellis and Dent. I cannot wait to delve into some more of the author’s works as her devious mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Thank you @reafreyauthor and NetGalley for the ARC of Don’t Forget Me.

I adored The Other Year by Rea, so naturally, I was thrilled to dive into her highly anticipated debut "true" thriller.

Let me tell you, it absolutely lived up to my expectations! With its rapid pace and a conclusion that will leave your jaw on the floor, this book is a rollercoaster ride you won't want to miss. And trust me, the twist at the end will catch you completely off guard! The last chapter will send shivers up your spine and keep you thinking long after the sun has set.

First chapter starts of with a bang in finding a body in the lake. The finger of suspicion points squarely at Ruby's missing husband, making her the prime suspect in the eyes of everyone.

However, Ruby refuses to accept this narrative and instead channels all her energy into the search for her beloved daughter, who has mysteriously disappeared

This is just the beginning of a whirlwind of events that will unearth long-buried memories and reveal shocking truths about the individuals Ruby once held close.

As the story unfolds, secrets are exposed, and the true nature of those she once trusted will come to light. Brace yourself for a riveting journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, as Ruby delves deeper into a world she never could have imagined.

I love Rea’s writing, her captivating writing of this story had me hooked. The way the words flowed effortlessly on the page, keeping me on the edge of my seat, is a testament to the skill of the author.

I must admit that there was one minor drawback that I encountered. The multiple timelines, shifting between the past and present, occasionally caused me to become slightly entangled and momentarily lose track of the narrative. So, while this aspect may require a bit of extra mental effort, I still highly recommend this book for its captivating plot and thrilling twists!

My students will enjoy this fast read. A woman who loses time and an unknown body, that others claim is her husband is found. This is the first of a series of murders tied to her. It will open up topics of physical abuse and the effects of trauma on the whole family.

I liked the first part of the book a lot, the dropping of clues and secrets. I didn't care for the second part as much, the killer's motivations became unclear and it felt like there were too many murders. I guessed who it was. There is a lot about domestic abuse in the book, in case that is a trigger for anyone. So mixed feelings for me 3.5 rounded up

I LOVED this book! It was well written, it kept me turning the pages to figure out who was torturing Ruby. I did have a hunch as to who it was early on but was still shocked when it was revealed. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone and looking forward to follow up novels from Rea!

When a body is found, everyone assumes it’s Ruby’s husband who has been missing and of course she’s the obvious suspect. Only Ruby doesn’t believe it’s him and is more focused on finding her missing daughter.

This was a short and sweet read with a good mystery. There were a few twists I wasn’t expecting at all. I loved the parts with the neighborhood chat group and wish I could figure out who was who! It takes some time to understand what is going on, but don’t worry it will all unravel quickly.

“You see, my dear girl, there’s always a motive and it usually boils down to one of three things: revenge, money, or sex.”

Don’t Forget Me comes out 3/1.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

A well-written, exciting mystery from an author I had not read previously (one that I will watch for offerings from in the future).

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, give this novel a read, the action and surprises are frequent, and you will be holding on tight as you navigate through this roller coaster ride of a story (and your emotions follow each twist and turn).

I loved particularly enjoyed the "murderlings" the neighborhood group that would get together every week to see which of them could solve either fictional or cold murder mysteries (now THAT sounds like my idea of a GREAT time, I think I will consider setting up such a group in my own neighborhood.

Minor/possible trigger warning ⚠️: Although the novel does go into torturous details concerning the issue, the main character on this novel is subject to repeated physical domestic violence, which actually causes her to temporarily "lose time".

Hmmm... Leads one to wonder, when one of the abusers is found murdered, did the main character have a hand in causing the man's premature demise?

Dear readers, you will need to pick up a copy to find out this and other "spoilers".

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Don't Forget Me by Rea Frey, an author who is now at the top of my TBR list. This was clever, chilling, and filled with jaw-dropping twists.

Ruby has gone from a traumatic childhood to an abusive marriage, and her life becomes increasingly complicated when she discovers a dead body floating in the water near her home. Her neighbors are convinced that it's her estranged husband Tom but Ruby isn't so sure. She's convinced that he's still alive but as more members of their community are murdered and there's only one common thread, the investigation takes many unexpected turns. The big reveal is guaranteed to leave you stunned....