
Member Reviews

This was such a compelling fast paced thriller! I love the way Willingham writes, allowing me to get completely lost in the chapters. I did not see the ending coming and was hooked the whole way through! Another great book from this author.

I got sucked into this book immediately and couldn’t wait to finish it to find out what happened. The protagonist, Claire, lost her sister 22 years ago and it’s still affecting her strongly. She starts digging into the past and gets into some trouble herself. Strongly written and fast-paced!

[arc review]
Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Forget Me Not releases August 26, 2025
A recent career shift has lead Claire back to her hometown for the first time in fifteen years.
Being surrounded by physical reminders of her sister’s disappearance instinctively draws Claire to the Galloway Farm — the last place Claire has fond memories of her sister before everything drastically changed for their family.
Told partly through diary entries, Claire’s short stint working on the farm leads to uncovering forty years of buried truths.
I loved the remote setting, but so much of this story could’ve been solved almost immediately if one simple conversation was had between a mother and her daughter.
I think a third pov of a closely connected character in the present day, left unnamed to the reader until the very end reveal, could’ve added a lot of suspense, build up, and much needed dimension.
Ultimately, I’m left feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. First of all…. *any* Stacy Willingham book is a yes from me. This one is no different. Exceptional writer who weaves a tale of domestic suspense like no other.

WOW did I love this book! This is hands down my favorite book by her. I literally stayed up until 4 am this morning to finish it 😂
First of all, you know I love a good story that ties in the past and the present, plus having the diary was a great narrative move. I was honestly hooked from the very beginning! I was so desperate to find out how everything would come together and I was not disappointed.
This book was also super twisty, with a lot of fun surprises I didn’t even guess. It felt like the twists were super well-placed too, and it made it such a fun and engaging read.
I thought it was so well-written, and I loved how the author touched on themes of grief, family secrets, and it even had a cult vibe, which you know I love!
This one had everything I love in a thriller book. It has the mystery element that keeps you reading, some adrenaline-pumping moments that keep you on edge, and a satisfying ending that tied together generations of memories and trauma.
I will definitely be recommending this one to everyone when it comes out! In my opinion, definitely her best one so far! 🥰

This story is so good. I loved that it felt like a slow burn, the connections coming together gradually. But at the same time, I devoured it, like I blinked and was suddenly half way through the book. The mystery feels woven throughly, teasing you into believing you understand where things are headed only for a twist to come that, somehow, fits perfectly. Just a great thriller overall, definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc of the book!
Stacy Willingham doesn't miss! This was another incredible book.
I was drawn in from the first page and didn't put it down until the last.

I just love reading Stacy Willinghams works. Her latest book, Forget Me Not was a five star read! Pick it up!

An amazing, great paced thriller!
I loved every moment of this book
Thank you netgalley for the ARC

This book was phenomenal! It had my attention from start to finish. The twists were well thought out and the dual timeline had me wishing for more! A little
Bit of Manson vibes but I loved it!

Claire lost her sister Natalie 20 years ago. She is now a journalist living in the big city but when she gets passed over for a promotion and quits her job, she decides to head back home while she figures things out. She finds herself living and working at Galloway, the same place that Natalie worked before she disappeared. Clair starts to get weird feelings and finds some things that made her question what is really going on at Galloway and what really happened to Natalie all those years before??
Forget Me Not is a slow burn thriller that will have you on edge! Told in dual timelines, we see things from both Claire's POV today and Marcia's POV from decades before. The way things fall in to place is done masterfully and the ending was perfect. This was one of those that even when it seems obvious and you know what's going on, surprise!, no you don't! Highly recommend this one!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A haunting Southern thriller packed with slow-burning suspense, Forget Me Not is an atmospheric and gripping read that lingers long after the final page. With a chilling mystery, richly drawn characters, and a setting that feels both idyllic and sinister, Stacy Willingham delivers her best novel yet.
Journalist Claire Campbell has spent decades running from the past—specifically, from the disappearance of her sister, Natalie, 22 years ago. When a call from her father forces her to return home for the summer, she takes a seasonal job at Galloway Farm, a vineyard nestled in the coastal South Carolina landscape, where Natalie once worked before she vanished. At first, Claire sees it as a distraction, a way to pass the time before she can leave again. But when she stumbles upon an old diary filled with cryptic confessions and buried secrets, she realizes that Galloway Farm may hold the answers she’s been searching for.
As Claire becomes increasingly obsessed with the diary’s contents, she starts to uncover eerie connections between its pages and her sister’s case. The vineyard’s owners, a mix of reclusive and enigmatic figures, seem to be hiding something, and Claire’s relentless digging puts her in the crosshairs of those who would rather keep the past buried. With each new revelation, she’s forced to question everything she thought she knew—about her sister, her family, and the night Natalie disappeared.
This novel is incredibly well-paced, with a slow, unsettling unraveling of secrets that keeps you hooked. Willingham’s writing is immersive, making you feel the oppressive Southern heat, the quiet tension in the air, and the eerie isolation of the vineyard. The dual timelines add depth, as past and present weave together in a way that feels both seamless and devastating.
If you’re a fan of slow-burn thrillers that blend family drama with psychological suspense, Forget Me Not is a must-read. It’s a novel that not only delivers unexpected twists but also explores the emotional weight of grief, guilt, and the need for closure.

I was so excited to see new book by Stacy Willingham!! This book didn’t disappoint like all the previous ones! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc of the book!

Claire’s a journalist who’s been obsessed with a story about missing girls. Twenty years ago her sister disappeared. Claire was young when her sister disappeared. She’s never forgotten the impact it had on her family. After her sister disappeared and Claire finished school she left town. Claire hadn’t returned until her father called her to stay with her mother. Now that she’s back in her hometown Claire feels a sense of duty to solve the mystery about her sisters disappearance.
…
Claire returned home hoping to bury the past. Instead she found a chance to reset in a place she once shared with her sister. It’s taken twenty years for Claire to even murmur her sisters name let alone walk in her footsteps. Desperate to know what it was like to be Natalie Claire finds herself living in the memories of her sister.
…
Claire becomes immersed into her sisters dark past after discovering a diary.
All the lovely pieces come together once Claire focuses on her hometown. It’s thrilling and tantalizing reading Claire unfold pieces of the puzzle. It’s an addicting adventure and a compelling read.
…
This is what good stories are made of. Stacy Willingham wrote a solid murder mystery checking off all the boxes. I was immersed in the world she created. I could see the farm clearly and picture the room Claire stayed in. The story progressed at a steady pace giving readers the ability to see what was going on. The conclusion caught me off guard. I didn’t have that on my radar at all. My mind had conjured up a different scenario. I was pleasantly shocked with that outcome.

If Stacy Willingham writes it, I will read it. The end. As usual, I was hooked right from the beginning. Definitely a must read.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this novel.
What a good, twisty thriller from Stacy Willingham. I was so excited when I was approved for this book. I loved her first two novels and this one was just as good. I was hooked on this book from the first chapter and could t put it down.
I love a book where I honestly fear for the main character safety and there were multiple times I had to put this book down for a minute to bring my heart rate back down. I loved Clare and at times I just wanted her to drive away instead of putting herself in danger but her journalism curiosity just got the better of her and it was worth it.
I loved how this book just didn’t go where I was expecting it and the final 20% or so had so much twists. I just loved the ending so much.
I’m rating this book 4.5/5 stars rounding it up to 5 for this review.

"There is not moving on from that, but I know better than anyone that there is moving forward. A slow, painful lurching in some tenuous direction, each day that passes providing a little more padding. A cushion to help soften the sharp edges of pain."
I know two things for sure: I will certainly not be moving on (or forward) from this book any time soon and Stacy Willingham is one of the best thriller writers of all time (according to me)!
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Claire's sister went missing twenty two years ago. Twenty two years during which a man has sat in prison for the crime but no confession has ever been made and no body has ever been found. The family held a funeral, but has Claire accepted that her sister is really dead and gone? Maybe she's convinced herself she has.
When Claire finds herself back in the hometown she hasn't visited in fifteen years checking in on her injured mom, memories come flooding back and it becomes increasingly more difficult to ignore the inconsistencies in law enforcement's portrayal of Natalie's story.
On a search for escape, Claire finds herself accepting a summer job at Galloway Farm, a place she remembers her sister being happy. But what she finds between the vines is far from relaxation. Things don't add up around Galloway Farm, and the more Claire looks into her hosts' backgrounds, the more she is convinced there's some connection to Natalie. She can't stop herself from investigating the connection, but will she like the answers she finds?
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Once again, I would read this woman's grocery lists. Four books, four five star reads. There's just something about Willingham's ability to catapult the reader right into the center of the story that makes her novels impossible to put down. The puzzle pieces of her stories always leave me feeling like I know exactly what's coming, until the exact opposite happens and I'm left speechless. Forget Me Not is no exception. Even when I thought I knew every plot twist that could possibly come up, something completely out of left field (but that fit so seamlessly) popped up. I truly could not recommend this novel enough!
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Publishing August 26, 2025 but you can preorder from your favorite local bookstore right now!

Southern Gothic Chills!
When Claire's sister vanished after her 18th birthday, her world was shattered. The mystery has haunted her ever since, but it’s not until she rage-quits her journalism job and returns home for the first time in twenty years that the loss truly begins to cut deep.
Back in her mother’s house, Claire stumbles upon an old roll of film and strange remnants of her sister’s life—clues that might finally reveal what happened all those years ago.
Determined to retrace her sister’s last steps, Claire takes a job at Galloway Farm, the same seasonal work her sister did that fateful summer. But instead of closure, she finds disturbing episodes of déjà vu, eerie visions, and whispers of something long buried beneath the farm’s surface. When she discovers a 40-year-old diary chronicling a secretive, cult-like community, past and present begin to blur in unsettling ways.
Told through dual timelines, Forget Me Not masterfully builds tension, layering eerie Southern Gothic undertones with a slow-burning mystery that keeps you questioning reality. An atmospheric, chilling read with a truly unique twist.
#ForgetMeNot #StacyWillingham #StMartinsPress

What an emotional roller coaster. Claire’s life is in a rut. She didn’t get the promotion she was gunning for, she has no job, her mom (whom she hasn’t spoken to in 15 years) doesn’t want her around, and she’s given up her apartment for the summer. With nothing better to do, Claire takes a job at the last place her missing sister worked 22 years ago. She’s just looking for a place to feel her sister’s presence… but is that all she’ll find?
This book started off slowly and then, as it picked up, it aggravated me in the right ways. Many twists were had. You don’t know who to trust. But the end result is worth it all.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Stacy Willingham for the ARC. All opinions stated are my own.

Her sister disappeared many years ago & she moved away to start over. She finally comes back to town & ends up being drawn to the place her sister worked before she died. Finding clues along the way that what she thought happened to her sister may be wrong.
This is actually a slower thriller, but I still really enjoyed it. She slowly finds more and more puzzle pieces that keep you wondering what is going on. I will say my initial feelings of what might have happened proved to be right in the end but with a lot of wild details.
There were moments in the 2nd half of this book where I was thoroughly creeped out and scared, because this was written very well. I also felt like I was reading true crime with the way it was written, because it was just so believable of a story. It was also so intricate with every detail connecting and meaning something to the overall story.
I think this one will 100% be a hit. Even though it is slower at first, it is such a great story.
Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.