It took me a bit to connect with this book but it ultimately really worked well for me. It starts with a bang but I think that took me out of the character piece a bit which made it a slower start for me. But, once I connected with Elise (the main character), it came together well. It's a really compelling story with a lot of interesting exploration of crime, trauma, and the emotional impact of both. This one really did a great job with character development while also including a propulsive plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. All in all, I really enjoyed this one ... it's one that you may enjoy if you like a strong mix of character and plot!

What Remains is a cat and mouse thriller about what happens to Elise after she’s deemed a hero for stopping a public shooting. Elise struggles with her role in the event and when she meets the man she saves she doesn’t fully understand the chain reaction she’s set off after realizing he’s not who he says he is.

This is a character driven plot. Elise went through a lot in this book. She struggled with the shooting and the events after while continuing to struggle with personal issues leaving her feeling isolated. I really struggled with Elise; I don’t know how she stayed and worked through everything. I don’t know how she didn’t lose faith in those around and just pushed through it but she did. I guess you don’t truly know what you have inside until you’re tested.


This is my second book by Wendy Walker and her writing style sucks you in and immerses you completely into the story. You feel like you are there next to the main character feeling all the emotions and pressure to solve the case.


Thank you @blackstonepublishing @wendywalkerauthor and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Some of my favorite novels are by Wendy Walker! This novel didn’t disappoint! This was a thrilling crime novel with plenty of twists! I need find the characters secrets to be infuriating at times but necessary to keep the suspense going! Another unputdownable read!

Thank you NetGalley for this read!

The main character of this novel, Elise, is a police detective in Connecticut. At the outset of the book, while off duty, she kills a shooter in a store, the first time she has ever killed someone as she usually works on cold cases. Mired in guilt, she at first feels better when she tracks down a survivor of the shooting - until she discovers he’s not who he says he is and starts stalking her. Interspersed with this are chapters about a police investigation in a nearby town whose connection to the main story takes some time to unfold.

I’ve read and really enjoyed three of Wendy Walker’s previous four novels (she also has a fifth one that was an audible exclusive but is going to be published in written form later this year). Somehow she can get away with crazy thriller antics that annoy me in other writers. And I did enjoy this one too, but have to say it was not my favorite of her books. Elise just makes WAY too many stupid decisions for a police officer, it really strained credibility for me. It sure kept me turning pages though, and there was a good twist at the end I didn’t see coming.

3.5 stars

Pink towels.

The decision to buy pink towels for her two daughters will change Detective Elise Sutton’s life forever.

While in the department store, shooting erupts and Elise sees a man aiming a gun at a tall man and she shoots the gunman.

Elise has tremendous guilt afterwards and seeks the man she saved to justify her actions.

Bad move.

Soon, the man she saved begins to obsess over her and stalk her.

I really enjoyed this book. The author really showed how the stalker got into Elise’s head. Mind games.

Four stars for the psychological suspense novel.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and op are my own.

Police procedural + thriller + stalker + murder = entertaining, yet likely forgettable?

Female cop shoots perpetrator of a mall store shooting, regrets it, meets with victim she has supposedly saved, and goes down a loooooooong rabbit hole of crazy, with the net result of some pretty scary stalking and life-threatening moments.

I was a bit confused by the back and forth to a ‘killing room’ being investigated as well as this story line; it all made sense in the end, but puzzled me most of the time.

At the end of the day…it was fine, but not memorable.

I am a huge fan of Wendy Walker, and was eagerly awaiting this new book. However, it wasn't my favorite. The characters, especially the main one, made terrible decisions. The plot didn't make 100% sense to me, and I found myself skimming towards the second half. I'm happy to say I'm an outlier here, and many others are loving this one. I am still excited to read whatever Walker comes out with next even if this wasn't a favorite of mine.

The author’s writing is so realistic. The vivid description gripped me. I felt that I am not reading the book but it’s all happening around me. I love how wonderfully author has taken us in the personal life of protagonist. Then there is a crime scene. The beginning is so profound and excellent. The author has done such a great job by taking us in the life of each character. It not often happens that we get to read the perspective of each character.

The protagonist’s suffering, her personal and professional life with what remains and what‘s been at stake has been well written and put together throughout the book with deepening feelings and prevailing mystery. The investigation is certain to keep the readers at edge with a slow-burn mystery but a lot of things happens in the book. The vibe is atmospheric with grotesque, blood, strange murder, and the missing person. There were too many suspects with hidden history, facades, mystery and secrets. Trying to get to the bottom of grotesque murder, people’s disappearance, find the shooter and narrowing down the suspects; all of these has been turned into a pieces of puzzle connected with mysterious past. The ending was twisted, shocking and horrifying.


•First Person
•Atmospheric
•Dual Perspective
•Dual Timelines
•A game of cat and mouse
•Grotesque Murder
•Police/ Detective Investigation
•Strong and emotional FMC
•Action- Packed
•Fast Paced

Thank you Netgalley, Author and Publisher

Wendy Walker's latest release. WHAT REMAINS, is an action-packed thrill ride perfect for readers who enjoy:
-Police procedurals
-Independent female main character (who sometimes makes very questionable decisions)
-Cat-and-mouse chase
-Dual settings/timelines

"She saved his life. Now he'll never let her go."

This book hooked me from the first page because of how intense it was! When Detective Elise Sutton goes into a department store to buy pink towels for her daughters and hears gunshots ring out, she ends up having to take one life in order to save another. When she later finds that the man whose life she saved is stalking her, a game of cat and mouse is set in motion.

There was a subplot about a kill room, which was a little confusing at times, but I liked how it connected to the main plot in the end.

This was an enjoyable book. The only thing that keeps me from rating it higher is that I couldn't really get on board with some of the decisions that Elise made.

Thank you, @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for the gifted e-arc of this book!

3.5 stars

Great read - I have always been a fan of this author and this book continued my enjoyment of her writing! Will recommend and be adding to my bookshelf!

The title for this book was perfect.
What Remains..
What does remain. After you take a life. Even when it's in self defense or when you think someone else's life is at risk. You have to pull that trigger and take down a suspect. His life is over. Your's is never the same. That is what happened to Detective Elise Sutton when she has to take out a young man who is firing a gun inside a department store.

Elise is a wife, mother, partner. She's good at her job and has never had to fire her gun at anyone. This day is different. She had no other choice. She could not take a chance that people would not be harmed. Killed. She heard the gun fire and reacted as any detective would. She saved a man who was in the line of fire. Little did she know what a turn her life was about to take.

This story is not about a shooting. Not exactly. It does start out with one but then it goes in another direction. It had me wondering and guessing at first. I thought Elise was a good cop. She only did what she had to do that day. When she finds the guy that she saved things go in direction I did not expect. Elise loves her family. But she sure put her life in danger following a stranger. She put her daughters, her husband, and her partner in danger. Maybe it was from the shock of her killing a young man who had mental problems. Maybe she lost her will to live. Maybe she thought she could do it all. She did what no one should have ever done. Lack of sleep? Lack of good judgement?

This book is very good. It made me feel like I was in the the store. Looking under the overpass. Seeing the cabin in the woods. The descriptions are well done. From how the boy's parents were dealing to how the women who had been stalked and assaulted felt. It has feeling. How do you handle taking a life. Even in a case like this? It would have to be hard for the normal person. Even a well trained detective. The crimes talked about in this story are pretty bad but necessary for you to understand how a person can do some of the things done. Also knowing how some people try to get away with things.

From the time I started this book to the very last word I waited for it to wow me as did this author's other books. It did not. But it was still good. It held my attention and had me guessing at things. I did find it hard to believe that a cop, a detective, would do the things Elise did. A mother and wife. She was very careless even though she thought she was doing the right thing and protecting her family. It was foolish.

This was almost like reading two different stories in one for a while. Until they merged and you see how they play out. How the two become one. How things are woven together. I have to give it to this author she is great at doing that. This was no exception in that.

Thank you #NetGalley, #WendyWalker, and #BlackstonePublishing, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Four stars and I do recommend it. It's good. It just didn't wow me.

Almost 5 years ago I received an advance reader's copy of Wendy Walker's The Night Before. I liked the book so much I checked out her other novels and have been a big fan ever since. So yes, I was excited to read What Remains and it did not disappoint.

Detective Elise Sutton is married with two kids. Her job is solving cold cases. While at the grocery store a harrowing situation unfolds and things start spiraling out of control from there. (The publisher synopsis goes into more detail but I think it's way more fun to go into a story without knowing too much about the plot.)

As readers, we sometimes do ourselves a disservice by getting caught up with the book's genre rather than just letting a story play out. There are thriller, mystery, and suspense elements throughout but in my opinion the driving force is the character and pondering what you would do if you living this nightmare. It made for an intense read. Very effective storytelling as I couldn't put the book down.

I absolutely loved this book. I actually read it in a day which is the first time I have done this in quite some time. I loved the main character, Elise, as well as her partner at work. It was extremely well written and had a great pace for a thriller. It kept me guessing until the end. I remain a huge fan of this author’s work and can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Pub date: June 13, 2023.   

SYNOPSIS: 

She saved his life. Now he'll never let her go.
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

A cat and mouse thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Well written, engaging, and suspenseful with a satisfying end.

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 previously read "Don't Look for Me" by Wendy Walker and loved it! So when I saw "What Remains" come up on Netgalley, I immediately requested it and, again, I was not disappointed. We are taken on a truly thrilling and suspenseful journey of Detective Elise Sutton's emotional journey after shooting and killing an active shooter in a department store she was shopping in while off-duty. Even after being deemed a hero by her department, family, and community, Elise feels guilty and can't stop asking herself if killing this young man was necessary and justified. To help herself feel better, she finds Wade Austin, the tall man who she ultimately saved from being executed by the department store shooter, and talks with him in hopes of answers and relief. While this meeting had good intentions and started well, it ended with Wade being aggressive and obsessive over Elise. This is just the starting point of his obsessive and scary obsessive behavior - that threatens her family, partner, and her own safety. Elise has to end this, somehow, someway - before he goes too far.

"What Remains" is an extremely well-written, fast-paced, and perfectly structured novel. It's told in dual-perspective and alternating timelines/locations, which leads to the best amount of suspense and mystery. I love how everything connected and the different twists Wendy Walker perfectly executed. Elise is an interesting character and I feel her personal experiences where important to explaining her decision-making and thought-process throughout the book. Overall, this was well-crafted and I can feel the love Wendy Walker put into this thrilling, creepy book!

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing, Wendy Walker, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wendy Walker is such a talented author. All of her books are so different.
This one is about a detective that shoots an active shooter. She is being called a hero, but she is consumed with guilt.
Then she is contacted by one of the people she saved that day. Things take a terrifying turn, she realizes he is not who he seems 👀

What Remains by Wendy Walker is the psychological suspense you won't want to put down. The book literally starts off with a bang... an off-duty detective, Elise, is shopping for bath towels when she hears the unmistakable sound of gunshots. There is a shooter in the store and she is faced with the choice to take one life in order to save another.

Elise is overcome with guilt and wonders if she had to pull the trigger in order to protect the shoppers that day. That is, until she meets the man she saved. The man who has become obsessed with her. Although her detective spidy-sense has alarms ringing, Elise pursues "Wade" which sets off a suspenseful game of cat and mouse where the multiple layers of the story converge for a major 'aha' moment.

The book had my heart racing! I loved all the forensic information and can't help but wonder what the search engine of Ms. Walker looks like!

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and Wendy Walker for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book was released 6/13/23.

If I could explain this book in two words they would be heart pounding! Wendy Walker has this way of quickly demanding your attention that will take you deeper and deeper with each chapter you read.