Another winner for Wendy Walker! Definitely a solid read from start to finish and all the ups and downs kept me on my toes!

Top notch, never saw that coming, not your average detective story!
Fast paced and enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and kept me hooked from the very first chapter. Elise is a cold case detective who ends up taking a life to save another and there the problems begin. If you’ve liked Wendy’s other books you will love this one.

What Remains centers around Detective Elise Sutton. Elise walks into a store and stumbles upon a robbery in progress. Elise is then faced with the impossible decision of taking down the armed shooter in order to save all of the innocent shoppers' lives. What happens next, turns Elise’s world upside down and ends up in an intense game of cat and mouse leaving the reader wondering who is the predator and who is the prey.

I knew that I would like this one because I enjoy Wendy’s writing however I had no idea the thrill ride that I was in for when I started What Remains. I initially found myself immediately captivated by Elise’s story. What Remains is different from her prior novels that I've read. Emma in the Night, American Girl, The Night Before, and Don't Look For Me would all be classified more along the lines of domestic suspense whereas What Remains is more of a crime thriller. Also unlike her prior works What Remains has some intense action scenes and a more fast-paced. Not to mention What Remains has an epic twist that will leave you gasping for breath.

Wendy Walker killed it with her characterization of the main character Detective Elise Sutton. Elise was so well written and I understood her thought process so well that she felt as it felt as if I knew her in real life.

What Remains is my fifth read by author Wendy Walker and it lived up to and exceeded all of my expectations! I loved Wendy’s prior works but I have to say that What Remains is my absolute favorite by her! I highly recommend this brilliantly written and highly entertaining read.

What Remains by Wendy Walker will be available on June 13, 2023. Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

I have long been a fan of Wendy Walker's books and with some extra time following her prior release, I was really anticipating this one. This was a unique spin on what could have been a procedural story, but Walker really made it into something different and kept my interest page after page.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Blackstone for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Book Title: What Remains
Author: Wendy Walker
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
My Rating: 3.7 rounded up!

I went into this knowing nothing about it only that I like author, Wendy Walker.
This is my fifth and I loved the other four books I read.

Story starts when Detective Elise Sutton and her partner Rowan are near the end of their work day and as they pass Nichols a mega department store, she states she wants to run in and pick up new pink towels for her daughters and their currents one are close to rags. The next thing she hears shouts inside the store. She sees the shooter taking aim at a tall man and she's is forced to make the decision to end one man's life to save another man.
She did the right thing~ Correct? Then why is she feeling guilty? She is put on leave of absence which she actually needs. She then meets the tall man whose life she saved. He identified himself as Wade Austin (we find out that isn't his name) He stalks her and her children and is also threatening her.

She saved his life now he won’t let her go.

Readers describe it as a unique thriller. I have to agree!
It was a fast read as I was so curious where this was going and how Elise was going to solve it.

Want to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 13, 2023

My fifth Wendy Walker novel and she didn’t disappoint. A compulsive and suspenseful page-turner with great characters, action and twists.

I am a longtime Wendy Walker fan and have read all of her books. However, What Remains seems so far off from her normal writing style. Her books typically hook me in early, have that unputdownable feeling, strong investment in the characters, and some good twists and secrets revealed along the way. This sadly, had none of those components for me. This was pretty mediocre and I was quite bored along the way, continuously putting this book down.

Ever since this approval came in from @netgalley I have been so excited to read it! Finally, I felt like it was time, I just couldn’t wait any longer, and boy was it a doozy.

Detective Elise Sutton saved his life, and now, he’ll never let her go.

Detective Sutton is drawn to cold cases because she thinks of them as puzzles. She’s always looking for how the pieces fit together. One afternoon she’s shopping in a large department store when she hears gun fire. She ends up neutralizing the shooter and is hailed as a hero. However, she’s unprepared for guilt she feels afterwards. On her leave of absence from work, she starts connecting the pieces as to who the shooter was, and soon realizes things are not as they seem. She can’t let it go, but will she be able to solve this puzzle before it’s too late?

This one was a fast paced, super fun thriller. There were lots of moving pieces and it kept me engaged. The characters were well developed, and I even felt drawn to the side characters. The twist was super fun and kept me guessing as well. This was my second Wendy Walker book, and I loved this one as much as the last. This author is quickly becoming an author I seek out and auto-buy.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher Blackstone Publishing, @blackstonepublishing, for my advanced copy in exchange for this honest review. Check this one out June 13th!

Elise Sutton is a cold case detective. One day while out, she's is forced to make the decision to end one man's life to save another man. Everyone sees her as a hero, but she doesn't feel like that! She feels guilty and traumatized by what she did. She is put on leave of absence from her job. She then meets up with Wade Austin, the man whose life she saved. She realizes that he is not who he says he is, in fact, Wade Austin isn't even his name. And now, he is threatening Elise and the people she loves. We now have a game of cat and mouse.

I have always enjoyed Wendy Walker's books, and this was another one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Wade was such a creepy character and you never know what he's going to do next, and I loved that I didn't predict how it was going to end. Definitely an entertaining thriller.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Out June 13 .

There was a lot going on, and by the end I was not sure that I cared about any of it. There became too many moving pieces and my investment in the story waivered the farther into the story I got. Never a good sign, it was easy to put down at night, when I live for stories that make me want to stay up past my bedtime.

Elise Sutton is a detective that specialized in cold cases. She enjoys her work and has achieved a good work/life balance until one fateful day. While entering a department store, Elise faces an impossible situation. She must take a life to save another one. To make it even worse, she learns that the man she saved is holding secrets and is not who he claims to be. Will this predicament destroy Elise’s life?

I'm a big fan of Wendy Walker and I was so excited to be able to read her new book. She has never let me down yet, and WHAT REMAINS is no exception. It is a very well written, fast paced thriller that I had a hard time putting down. This is an excellent thriller that I highly recommend! 4.5 stars

Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog @coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Kinda freaking out over here …

I pray I can do this book AND Wendy Walker justice with my book review .

I’m a huge fan of Wendy Walker, in case you can not tell. I have read them all, Emma in the Night, Don’t Look For Me, The Night Before, All is Not Forgotten to now, What Remains!

I literally squealed in delight when my approval email came in. How did I get so lucky ?

I will tell you one thing, What Remains, does not disappoint . Not that a Walker book ever could but just WOW! This book exceeded my already high expectations and has left this little chatter box utterly speechless .

The character development was on point, the storyline was narrated with precision and the twist? Well, you are going to have to read it to find out but I promise you, it will leave your jaw on the floor .

In true Walker fashion, there is no way you could rate one of her books less than 5 stars without it being considered criminal. So here it goes, What Remains breaks the 5 star scale and soars to my number one spot of books read thus far this year .

Kudos Ms, Walker, you own my little black heart

after devouring wendy walker's first book of mine, DON'T LOOK FOR ME, I had high hopes for this one, and while I enjoyed it, it definitely wasn't my favorite.

I loved the premise of it - a cop who saved a local store from a tragic event ends up being the victim of a stalking herself, only to find out that not all is as it seems... I certainly thought it couldn't be that obvious, so I was a bit disappointed to learn that there wasn't a big twist like her other book.

wendy walker's writing is so entertaining, and the story absolutely sucks you in whole!! the MC elise was a very unlikable character, but I felt that way because some of the "ugly" traits she continues to exhibit throughout the book was very realistic for people going through trauma. I loved the representation of it all!

what disappointed me was the old fashioned trope of "oh the bad guy is stalking me and told me that he would harm my friends and family if I told anyone so obviously I'm not going to tell anyone" 🙄🙄

LIKE NO TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!! GET SOME HELP!!

anyway, what I loved most about this one was elise's support system and how they all reacted to her trauma differently 😰 and boy was the main antagonist creepy!!!

overall, this book just reminded me a lot of how to get away with murder and I found myself wishing that some of the outcomes were different just a little bit

thank you to netgalley and blackstone for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! this one's out next june!

rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: new zealand sauvignon blanc

This story had me invested! I really didn’t know what to expect with Wade, and I didn’t see it coming. It did seem a bit drawn out for what the impact was at the end, but Wendy walker has always been a must-read for me.

This was the first book by Wendy Walker that I have read. I enjoyed it. It was interesting and very well written. I was unable to guess the ending, which is always an added bonus in my book. I read this one in 2 days, as it was very entertaining.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this. I would definitely recommend this this book to other readers.

Elise Sutton is a bada**. She would disagree with that sentiment, like most female law enforcement would, but it is nevertheless true. After having to make a less than split second decision in an armed shooter situation, Elise’s life changes but not in anyway that anyone could have predicted. What follows this incident is a twisty and dark thrill ride. Wendy Walker absolutely knocks your socks off with What Remains. And I predict it will absolutely be one of the best books of 2023.

This was a fast-paced thriller that had to scared to go to sleep. I go to sleep before my husband gets home 2 nights a week and I was convinced someone was in my house.

This book revolves around a badass detective who witnesses a shooting. Even though she is deemed a hero, she knows something wasn't right. Her job and her marriage suffer and she keeps investigating on her own.

Then add in a class that teaches how to commit the perfect murder, burned human remains, and a girl missing....

I definitely recommend this one when it publishes in June 2023!

What Remains is my second read by Wendy Walker with Don’t Look For Me being my first. This book had a couple dynamic plot dimensions as well as points of view. This book had a feel of clinical as well as cynical to me. It was psychological as well as psychopathic. I liked it, it grew on me, and I feel it took a lot of creative gusto to write.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an intense thriller! This story follow Elise, a detective who was recently involved in a crisis in the community that has left her shaken. After the crisis, Elise met with a witness, Wade to debrief with him. However, Wade isn't who he says he is and begins to stalk Elise. He always seems one step ahead of her, and it is almost like he is reading her mind.....

This is the perfect book for crime and detective novel lovers! I enjoyed the twists and the dual time frames in this book.