Follow Her Down by Victoria Helen Stone
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two decades ago, Elise and Kyle’s older sister, Robin was murdered. Elise moved away as soon as she could to try and get here life back. Kyle stayed but was consumed with conspiracy theories. Now, Elise has moved home and started a small cabin rental business. When a man that Elise was very close to is murdered, she begins to question her sisters murder and is fueled along by her brothers theories.
An amazing story from beginning to end, and wow that ending! I could read mystery thrillers like this all the time!

When Elise Rockwood was a child, her eighteen year old sister went missing, filling her family with lingereing pain and unanswered questions for years to come. Now, as an adult, her sister's murderer has confessed in the form of a note before committing suicide. Elise has managed to slowly build her life back up, moving back to her hometown and buying a series of cabins to rent out and cleaning up her act of drunken nights and many men. While she is still attempting to recover from her last break up, she is called into question by the police of her whereabouts of where she was the day her most recent ex went missing. Suddenly, her world is turned upside down, and she is plunged into the past while fighting with the present.

This was a riveting mystery with the past and present colliding and the suspicion going in every direction. The characters and atmosphere were created with great detail and thought, making the reader feel everything they were feeling and visualizing each scene as it played out. The storyline was well done, and the ending was far from predictable. Overall, this was enjoyable and mostly satisfying. Three and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing, for this ARC.

The synopsis of this book grabbed me right away. Messy family dynamics, a murdered sister, long lost secrets and conspiracies. While I enjoyed the book, it was slow to start. I usually like fast paced thrillers, and this one had the buildup for the first 60% of the book, then got to the twists and turns. I did like that it felt complete at the end, no loose ends, which is always a winner (I hate having more questions at the end). Overall, I enjoyed it!

Follow her down is a suspenseful page turner. I read this in one day! The characters are well developed. I really empathized with the main character Elise and all the feelings she was experiencing given her circumstances. I loved the conspiracy theorist references. There definitely was a major twist that I did not see coming. This was a very enjoyable and thrilling read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Follow Her Down by Victoria Helen Stone was such a great read. The flow of this book was spot and as were the depictions of grief. It was so interesting to see the family members and their experiences with it. The waists were really well done and they made sense and never left me feeling tricked. This is my second book by Stone and her writing just speaks to me.

"Follow Her Down" by Victoria Helen Stone is a riveting thriller that kept me eagerly turning the pages. Set against the backdrop of a secluded cabin, the story brims with constant intrigue and unpredictable twists. Throughout the narrative, every character is shrouded in suspicion, keeping readers guessing until the very end. Stone's adept storytelling kept me engrossed, craving to uncover the truth behind the intricate web of secrets. The characters are richly developed, adding layers of complexity to the suspenseful plot. As a first-time reader of this author, I found the story compelling, seamlessly weaving together past and present mysteries. The exploration of trauma and its lasting impact adds depth to the narrative, while the unexpected conspiracy element adds an additional layer of intrigue. Although the pacing may feel slow initially, the gradual buildup of tension leads to a satisfying climax. Overall, "Follow Her Down" is an enthralling read that left me eager to explore more of Stone's work.

I'm a huge fan of Victoria Helen Stone and this was another brilliant thriller by the author. Elise is trying to rebuild her life after several wild years following the disappearance of her sister. Then her ex is killed and soon after his partner and so the conspiracies begin.
Highly recommend

This was fantastic. I loved every second and couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Sometimes, when you're in the middle of a bit of a funk and it's been a long week at work, all you want to do when you have a spare minute and the night is quiet is get your nose into a thriller...and boy, did this one deliver on that brief!

This is a really sound whodunnit at the same time as being a whydunnit, and it is crammed with twists, turns, questions, and (most satisfyingly) answers. There's a lot to take in here - from the start of the novel and the murder to the end of the novel with the final twist, it really was a wild ride from start to finish.

The characters all had very distinct voices, and while the main character could be a little annoying at times, she was still good at heart, and that pushed the story along quite well. I think that there could have been a little more fleshing out of her beyond her relationships, but this was still very much a book written with a sound voice, which I really enjoyed.

This was just one of those page turners that I struggled to put down before it was done, and while it may not have been up there in every aspect, it was certainly a very entertaining read.

"Follow Her Down" by Victoria Helen Stone is a gripping and emotionally charged novel that delves deep into the complexities of trauma, family dynamics, and the quest for truth. Elise Rockwood's journey of healing and self-discovery unfolds with a raw and compelling narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Stone expertly navigates the intricacies of Elise's past and present, painting a vivid portrait of a family shattered by tragedy and haunted by doubt.

The author's skillful storytelling and masterful character development breathe life into Elise, Kyle, and the supporting cast, creating a rich tapestry of emotions and suspense. As Elise confronts her past and uncovers long-buried secrets, the tension mounts, leading to a riveting climax that leaves readers questioning the boundaries of trust and survival.

"Follow Her Down" is a testament to Stone's talent for crafting intricate plots and evocative prose, making it a must-read for fans of psychological suspense and compelling storytelling. Victoria Helen Stone's latest novel is a haunting and unforgettable tale that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned.

I have enjoyed many of this authors books. This one grabbed my attention from the beginning. I was very interested to see how everything connected in the end and I was not disappointed. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my gifted copy.

Follow Her Down by Victoria Helen Stone is a book filled with complex characters dealing with a ton of grief. Elise Rockwood and her brother Kyle were ten and thirteen when their older sister was brutally murdered at the young age of eighteen. I really enjoyed this story and thought there were a ton of twists and turns that I never saw coming. The ending was just the cherry on top of a perfect sundae of a novel.

𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌....𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕?!.....

This is my second read by Victoria Helen Stone and I was chomping at the bit to start this one. This one was a fast read because the end of every chapter makes you want more.

This book definitely had me on the edge of my seat. I swore this was going one way with the "theories", but clearly it was spot on. I definitely thought so many people were the killer at different times during the book, but I never suspected the true killer. I love how it all developed.

This one was definitely twisty and full of revenge, which is one of Victoria's specialties, in my opinion. I highly recommend this read!

Wow!!! Just wow!! Hands down 5 stars!! ⭐️ @victoriahelenstone is one of my very favorite authors… so you bet I jumped at the chance to read her latest book Follow Her Down!! ❤️Pub date is June 4th!!LOOK 👀 at this cover!!! It is stunning!!! 🔥🔥🔥

OMG this book was INTENSE!!! 😳Have you ever read a book and you can feel your adrenaline rushing?? 🤯I felt like I was there with Elise… and I had to know how this was going to turn out!! 😳 Especially in the second half… it was nonstop action… 😉

Small town vibes all over the place… Everyone knows that Elise is the girl whose sister was murdered when they were kids.. 😩… her boyfriend confessed to doing it…😠… but her brother Kyle won’t accept it… he knows there is more to this story….🤔

This book is so atmospheric!! I think that helped fuel ⛽️ my adrenaline rush… a deserted bunch of rental cabins… and Elise is all alone… except for the dude knocking at the door 🚪… the dude that WON’T go away..😩😳… There were so many freak out moments like that for me!! I was on edge… the entire time!! 😬

Who to believe?? I can’t believe Kyle could be correct… but I had to admit there was some sketchy business going on… 😏

That ENDING!!! Definitely a WTF 🤯🤯🤯 ending!! I NEVER saw that coming!! Here I thought the ending was all wrapped up… Wrong Kim!! Wrong!! 😂😉🤫🤐

The trajectory of Elise's life completely changed when she was ten years old and her eighteen year old sister, Robin, never came home from a party.

Now more than 25 years later her murderer has confessed and died but their mother still won't leave the house, her brother is wrapped up in the conspiracy theory side of the internet, and Elise is trying to find some much needed stability as a small business owner at a mountain lodge near where she grew up.

One thing that has the potential to derail her is an out-of-the-blue email from her ex Christian, who ended their affair two years earlier to return to his wife but now wants to talk. Recognizing this for the danger that it is, Elise declines -- and is shocked when police show up at her doorstep several weeks later to ask questions about his disappearance, and soon after, his death. She at first dismisses her brother's theories that Christian could be connected to what happened to Robin, but his persistence with his theories starts to change her perspective and affect her thin grip on the stability she so painstakingly built.

I've really enjoyed some of this author's other works but this one had awkward pacing for me. I felt like the way important information was added into the narrative was clunky and instead of feeling tension and fear I was just looking for the conclusion (which also disappointed me). I had a tough time really connecting to Elise and some of the motivations behind her actions, so this one was overall a miss for me.

𝖬𝗎𝗋𝖽𝖾𝗋. 𝖢𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗉𝗂𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗒. 𝖠𝖿𝖿𝖺𝗂𝗋.

"𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺."

Started out as a slow burn but hold on tight because it gets wild. Told in a past/present style of writing. I really enjoyed this cabin set mystery. This read explores trauma, grief, and mental health. I thought I had figured out the twists but I was proven wrong! The ending was shocking and leaves you wondering…will this become a series?!?

📙𝙵𝙾𝙻𝙻𝙾𝚆 𝙷𝙴𝚁 𝙳𝙾𝚆𝙽 📙
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛/𝚜𝚞𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚎 𝟺, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺(𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎🗓️)
𝙰𝚜𝚑’𝚜 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝟺 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝: Elise’s sister was murdered when she was 18 & it shattered her family. A man finally confessed to the murder, but her brother was frantically coming up with more conspiracy theories about it. She finally started to believe her brother after her ex was murdered.

🩷🩵💜🩷🩵💜🩷🩵💜🩷🩵💜🩷🩵💜

💭𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜... This one was wild!! I read it so fast too(which I love doing..such a rush🙌) It had so much going on, but was easy to follow. Here Elise was finally living a normal life owning these rental cabins(such a cool setting!) & then all shit blows up again & is her brother right about all these theories he has on their sisters murder all those years ago???? 🤯🤷‍♀️It’s hard to put this one down & will have you guessing up until the end! It’s like a slow burn🔥 , but also stuff is happening so fast so its quite the conundrum. I really want to go back & read this authors backlist…mainly the Jane Doe series…yall save the date for this gem…so dang fun!

Thanks @thrillerbookloverspromotions @victoriahelenstone for having me on this exclusive tour! Xo, friends!

Over twenty years have passed since the terrible summer when Elise Rockwood's older sister, Robin, was murdered. In the aftermath of this trauma, Elise's family fell apart: her mother's anxiety consumed her life; her brother became obsessed with conspiracy theories; and Elise spent decades drinking and pursuing empty relationships to numb the pain. But now Elise is starting to get her life back on track. She's set up a small cabin rental business close to her mom and brother, in the same woods where her sister vanished, and she's slowed way down on the drinking. But then a man she was once very close to is murdered nearby, and *everything* Elise thinks she knows about the summer when Robin went missing is going to be called into question.

This was another great one from Victoria Helen Stone! Elise was a flawed mess, and I loved her and loved how hard she was trying to be better, even as trauma after trauma kept piling on. I didn't know where on earth this was going - I had a few theories that were all incorrect - which was really fun! I will say it felt a little bit slow in the middle and the ending felt a bit rushed and abrupt (BUT -- THAT ENDING - !!!!!) Is it too much to hope for a Jane Doe/Elise Rockwood crossover book? I mean, I know it is, but a lady can dream...

I loved this quote: "Nothing to be done but make it go away. Make her go away. Hadn't it happened a thousand times before? A million? A woman's life was nothing compared to a man's future." DAMN

This book started off alow, but ended great. Elise Rockwood's sister went missing when she was 10 year old. Now years later, her ex-lover mysteriously dies on a hiking trail that he has been on multiple times. His ex-business partner is shot days later. Elise’s brother, Kyle, discovers that both men were in the area the summer their sister was murdered. Kyle and Elise had all sorts of great theories about what happened the summer their sister was murdered. I had some theories of my own.

Elise Rockwood’s sister was murdered at the tender age of 18, and it absolutely shattered her family. A man eventually confessed to killing Robin, but Elise’s brother, Kyle, always believed there was more to the story. He developed many conspiracy theories over the years, but Elise always refused to entertain them until her ex-boyfriend’s murder.

Follow Her Down was an emotionally charged suspense novel that kept me guessing until the very last page. The author did an incredible job conveying the complexity and enormity of the grief felt by the Rockwood family over Robin’s murder. The main character, Elise’s emotions were so palpable, it almost felt as though I was experiencing them alongside her. This book went in directions that I never could have anticipated and nearly all of the characters seemed to have a motive at one point or another, which made for a compelling read. I would recommend checking this one out if you’re a fan of suspense novels with unreliable narrators.

Thank you so much to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC!

A copy of my review will be posted to my Instagram account (whats.amy.reading) on March 11, 2023.