What Remains is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you on edge till the end. It is a total cat-and-mouse story with well-developed characters. I really felt for Elise and all she was going through.

I can empathize with Elise. As an ER nurse, sometimes the split second decisions we make have lasting consequences and it's a hard choice to make - but we do. I related with Elise in that moment, and during the aftermath. When a trauma patient comes in, we care for them without knowing so much about them - sometimes even without their name or their story. And there are times when we learn, after the fact, the truth of what just happened and learn the patient wasn't really a victim...

Feeling close with Elise, I found myself drawn to this book and the characters. Kudos to Wendy Walker for creating such a real environment and such an entertaining book. Once I was hooked, I couldn't put this book down.

I would rate this a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 because it is a good read but not one of my favorite books by Wendy Walker. It definitely could just be me, but I was a little confused at times and it jumped around a little too much for me. I feel like the characters were a little lacking and I got frustrated more than a few times with Elise for some of her decision making. I wish the characters had a little more depth so I would have cared a little more but again it wasn't a bad book, just not my favorite by this author.

After recently reading Don’t Look For Me, and really enjoying it, I was pumped to get this one. The plot is very complex and at times confusing as all get out. I also struggled with the character development especially towards the end. I could not understand why certain characters took certain action, and as a result, this one left me a little underwhelmed. It is still entertaining and makes a fun summer read so if you have been eyeing it, I would say to give it a try.

1.5 rounded up to 2

Wendy Walker shows how one moment can change everything:

Det. Elise Sutton is taking a few moments out of her busy life as a police officers to do something so mundane as buying her girls pink bath towels. What she did not expect was to be involved in a shooting, where she is forced to make a life and death decision, one that will forever change her. Elise is hailed as a hero, but she does not feel like one, she is told she made the right choice but did she really? When she connects with the man that she saved in the department store she hopes to get some closure, but what she gets instead is a stalker who is intent on playing a Cat and Mouse game with her threatening everyone she knows and loves

I am a huge fan of Walker and have enjoyed the majority of the books that she has released so I had high expectations for this book especially based on the premise and Walker ability with the psychological thriller aspect to her novels. However, I struggled with this book, i really had to force myself to sit down and read this book and it was not an enjoyment for me. This book starts out with a bang (literally) but really slowed down after that and I never really felt the suspense in the Cat and Mouse game that Walker was trying to present here, though I could tell that she was trying.

Elise is a frustrating character, and I don’t care if she’s this amazing cop/teacher about forensics (though we never actually get to see her do the forensics part) she puts so many people in danger with her stupid decisions and lies that she tells. I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to jump in the book a slap her to get her head on straight when she was making her decisions.

The whole Kill Room aspect felt a bit disjointed from the rest of the story and I wasn’t sure how Walker was going to bring that aspect over within the story and it does get there and I liked how she did it but it really wasn’t till the end. And in the end, I didn’t mind how Walker brought the whole story together, but does the ending make up for a slow plot and character I wanted to throw across the room. No I don’t think so.

I’m still a huge fan of Walker and I understand that I cannot love all her books, and I know I’ll pick up another book by her but this one was not for me.

Cheers!!!!

I have read and loved all of Walker's previous work and What Remains definitely followed suit! This one stands out from her others as they had more of a psychological suspense feel to them, whereas this one felt much more like crime suspense with psychological elements mixed in. As someone who is not a huge fan of police procedurals I'll admit I was a little worried when I realized what the book was about after going in blind, but was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the characters and how their police work was only a small piece of them.

You can truly tell how much research, heart, and empathy went into this book as it took on some extremely tough subjects such as public shootings, trauma, and a peak into what it's like on the other side from a police officers POV who was forced to make a decision while off-duty. The thought that went into this book really came across strongly and reaffirms the reasons for why I have always loved Walker so much as an author.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for my review copy!

I’m all for strong, smart and powerful women, but my gosh did it irritate me how often the MC would go off on her own, knowing the guy she is hunting down is a sociopath. This book was twisted and I couldn’t get enough. There were a lot of puzzle pieces to put together, which can sometimes feel like the author is trying too hard, but Walker did it just right.

4 stars...

Fast-paced, edge of your seat, nail biting thriller. This would be the perfect suspenseful “beach read” to pack in your bag for a summer day. Under 250 pages, this one can easily be read in 1-2 sittings.

I recommend adding this to your summer TBR!

Thank you to netgalley & Blackstone Publishing!

This novel has all the ear marks of an excellent thriller. It starts off with the protagonist Detective Elsie Sutton shopping for new pink towels after work for her two little girls. Suddenly, she is caught in the middle of an active shooter event, annd Elsie is forced to kill the young man with the assault rifle in order to save another shopper. Having never taken a life before Elsie is traumatized and feels the need to speak to the man whose life she saved, but he has disappeared. I could have given this book a few more stars if Elsie had been just half as smart as the author painted her. Also, the twists were quite predictable and easily guessed.

This book begins in a big, thrilling way…I was immediately intrigued by the plot and characters, but it turned into a slow burn and didn’t completely wow me the entire time.

There was the main story (the hook from the beginning which I loved), and a smaller, second storyline thrown in every once in awhile which didn’t grab my interest as much (and at times left me a little confused).
I figured it was important and the two would somehow connect, and I was always looking for the tie, so a fun little game going on in my mind.

Even though the thrills slowed down I did want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen and how everything was going to line up.

The plot was pretty entertaining & unique, it was well written with a few surprises sprinkled in.

The characters were okay, I would have liked to know a little more about them, and ended up not feeling muchof connection.
…and the MC, Elise, just made me question a lot of what she did- poor choices along the way which frustrated me.

So overall- did I enjoy this book? Yep. Was it my favorite? Nope…but don’t sleep on Wendy Walker’s books, Don’t Look For Me and The Night Before we’re both so great! Be sure to check her out!

A story about a stalker. Think you've read those before? Think again. Yes, there is a stalker in this story, but it's so much more than a story about a stalker. We have a badass female detective who is taking matters into her own hands in order to save herself and her family from danger. Her involvement years earlier in a cold case creeps up again when she is contacted by a man who was present the day she had to use her service weapon and take a life during a robbery in a store. Now she is unable to escape his presence, in her thoughts, in her phone, and even in her own home where she no longer feels safe. This story unfolds at breakneck speed and it very well written. I could not put it down.

3 STARS

I really enjoyed “Don’t Look for Me,” but found this one to be a little disappointing. It was slow, the plot was confusing, and the character development was meh. I was hoping for more action and suspense but this one felt a little flat to me.

4.5 STARS ⭐️

Y’all. Read. This. Book. (Or listen to the audio) But do it! What Remains by Wendy Walker was phenomenal.

This book starts off with a bang (quite literally). Detective Elise Sutton, walks into a department store to buy some pink towels for her daughters, and… what happens next will change her life forever. I don’t even want to give you more than the blurb on Goodreads. Just go in blind. Trust me on this one.

This is a faced paced thriller, that will make you think! (Seriously, I started to feel like I was a detective- think criminal minds) I was 100% immersed in this story at every turn; gasping, white knuckling my kindle, and goosebumps!

When everything finally tied together, my goodness was it scrumptious! I did NOT see that coming! Bravo, Wendy, Bravo!

Now, excuse me while I go add more Wendy Walker books to my TBR!

What Remains

Today (June 24th when I wrote this review) I finished a Netgalley copy of What Remains by bestselling author Wendy Walker. One afternoon detective Elise Sutton walks into a department store wanting to buy pink towels for her daughters till a shooter runs rampant. Elise knows she has to make the difficult choice to save a life she must take the other one. After she saves the man Wade Austin, he won’t let her go. Elise finds out Wade isn’t who he says he is and ultimately she has to do what it takes to protect her family and friends.



Pros

The story was good. I like the characters of Elise and her partner Rowan. I think they would make a better couple than her and her husband Mitch who cheated on her 4 years prior. The book talks about how even when we make the tough choices it doesn’t always mean we like doing it and the guilt can haunt you. I did not see the twist at the end which was good.

Cons

I felt the book dragged and it became long winded at times. It probably could have been cut down a bit.

Overall

If you’re a fan of mystery thrillers and of Wendy Walker herself, get a copy of What Remains which is out now.

“She saved his life. Now he’ll never let her go.”
•
Me: *gets popcorn ready; settles in for an action packed cat and mouse game* 🍿🍿🍿🍿
•
It pains me to write an unfavorable review for a Wendy Walker book, but I struggled so much with this one. It sucked me in immediately (with Elise, our police officer, shooting a civilian, saving another man’s life) and for the first 20-25% we were chugging right along. Then it was like we got stuck in quicksand and the rest of the book was an absolute slog. The action all but stopped and was replaced by endless inner monologue. 😣
•
It was somehow overly wordy but also choppy. Dramatic but unemotional. I felt so distant from what the character was experiencing, especially because she wasn’t making logical decisions as a parent or as a police officer.
•
So I didn’t jive with this one, but I appreciate the e-arc and would still read this author in the future. Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity!

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

WHAT REMAINS is a compelling story that drew me in from the beginning. I'm always drawn to stories of motherhood as well as cold cases, and this was a great blend of the two. I love how the author portrayed the main detective as a woman trying to balance her career and family. As a mother of young boys I am constantly juggling so many aspects of life and I felt seen in these pages. This was my second book by Wendy Walker and I look forward to what she writes next!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed so many of Wendy Walker’s books, and couldn’t stop thinking about Don’t Look For Me, so I was excited to read her latest.

This was such a tense, slow burn suspense, heavy on the police procedural but with a twist. I enjoyed the premise of what happens to the hero as the aftermath of trauma unfolds.

Told in dual POVs; Elise, a police officer, and The Kill Room, the story follows Elise after making the decision to take the life of a shooter to protect the innocent.

Unfortunately I had a hard time connecting to Elise, and was frustrated by many of her choices, but I appreciated the focus on mental health.

📖𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨
✍🏻Wendy Walker
🗓️6.13.23
🔪Thriller
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you @librofm @blackstonepublishing #gifted

Cold case detective Elise Sutton is at a local department store buying pink towels for her daughters, when suddenly A young man with a gun walks into the department store and begins shooting. Following the sounds of the gun shots she draws her weapon and witnesses the shooter aiming his weapon at a tall man. A split second decision changes her life she aims and shots the gunman and kills him, saving everyone life. She’s called a hero and the police without a doubt determine that Elise’s actions were justified. Elise is consumed by guilt for taking the life young gun man. Unable to find the tall gunman she saved she’s hoping he’s found and his testimony man will help her justify her actions. After an appointment she spots him driving down the street and she follows him, he tells her his name is Wade Austin, but the meeting does not end as Elise would have expected, he shows a darker side and becomes obsessed with Elise, he follows her every movement, and even threatens her safety as well as that of her family. Elise begins to conduct her own investigation into this man, and what happens next is a twisted cat and mouse game and Elise is determined to beat him before its to late!

GoodReads synopsis:

“Detective Elise Sutton is drawn to cold cases. Each crime is a puzzle to solve, pulled from the past. Elise looks for cracks in the surface and has become an expert on how murderers slip up and give themselves away. She has dedicated her life to creating a sense of order, at work with her ex-marine partner; at home with her husband and two young daughters; and within, battling her own demons. Elise has everything under control, until one afternoon, when she walks into a department store and is forced to make a terrible choice: to save one life, she will have to take another. Elise is hailed as a hero, but she doesn’t feel like one. Steeped in guilt, and on a leave of absence from work, she’s numb, even to her husband and daughters, until she connects with Wade Austin, the tall man whose life she saved. But Elise soon realizes that he isn’t who he says he is. In fact, Wade Austin isn’t even his real name. The tall man is a ghost, one who will set off a terrifying game of cat and mouse, threatening Elise and the people she loves most.”

This book hit it out of the park for me! Wendy Walker superbly wound together so many different plot lines into one amazing book. You see Elise’s personal life and her cop life blend effortlessly together. As Elise tries to piece together herself after the shooting, as well as solve another mystery of the “tall man”, you see the toll it takes on not only her, but her family and cop family as well. This book is incredibly fast paced and once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. It’s so interesting to see Elise shown as not only a hero but a victim as well. And the ending was a twist I didn’t see coming. If you love criminal, psychological thrillers seriously pick this one up

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Shoutout to @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for this amazing read 🖤