Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC. Second in the Nora McTavish books and a solid book. I enjoyed the continuing character development of Nora. She is a very relatable and resilient character. This book was highly entertaining and kept me guessing on the outcome. I will continue this series and look forward to any upcoming additions that will be added to Nora's life. This was a very quick read but a fun ride. Recommend this series to all.

This book has elements of a procedural as well as a domestic thriller. What makes it different from other crime thrillers is that it's told from the point-of-view of a family advocate. Nora McTavish used to work for Child Protective Services, but is now self-employed as an independent family advocate in Oregon. A childhood friend she hasn't talked to in years contacts Nora for help with a tricky custody case - Tess thinks her husband is guilty of murder! Nora has doubts about parts of Tess's story, but falls in love with her young daughter, Kendra. Nora gets very involved in this case, so much that her own life is soon in danger. 

Nora's willingness to fight for her clients is shown in a side custody case where the system is failing a young couple with developmental disabilities. Nora gives an impassioned speech in court to the judge defending the couple's right to raise their daughter. This is the second book in a series, but worked well for me even though I didn't read the first one. There are times it gets a little melodramatic, but I still enjoyed this engaging story. I was kept guessing until the very end about who could be trusted and who couldn't. I would be interesting to read additional books if this series continues.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

I really enjoy murder mystery stories that have strong but broken female protagonists. While Nora certainly ticks most of those boxes, I didn’t feel truly connected to her. I didn’t feel like I got a full understanding of her character. Maybe because this is the second in a series of which I have not read the first. The story was a twisty who-dunit that had me guessing until the end. Lots of red herrings. The mother/childhood best friend was a terribly sad character but who I had difficulty finding sympathy for. I have a low tolerance with people/characters who resort to alcohol when dealing with tough life situations. I found the other custody battle interesting but was not sure why it was included. Maybe there is a literary ying/yang mirroring thing going on that I missed learning about in English lit classes.

Never Come Back is a mysterious thriller full of action, drama, secrets, and lies. I was completely hooked on this story and these characters! This book has very binge worthy writing and set the scene perfectly. I felt like I was there in that tense house.

Nora is a family advocate who is visiting a childhood friend to help her with a custody case. She’s willing to offer her support but starts to notice that everything is not as it appears. Her main goal is to help her friend’s young daughter safe, but she gets way more than she bargained for with this case.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Joe Hart, and Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait for everyone else to read this on April 1st!

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will post a Tiktok review within the week before it releases.

Giving this a 4.5 because it grabbed my attention from the start! I had not read the first book in the series, but did not have any major problems following the storyline.
I really enjoyed Nora’s character development as she tries to help her friend, Tess, while also questioning everything.
There is a parallel storyline in which Nora is also helping a husband and wife, both developmentally delayed, who are fighting to keep their daughter,Ivy..
Overall, really enjoyed reading this story and the writer’s style.

The second Nora McTavish novel, Never Come Back (2024) by Joe Hart sees her helping a former childhood friend, Tess Grayson with a custody dispute. Nora is a former child protection worker suffering from PTSD who runs her own Family Advocacy Agency. When she reconnects with Tess, Nora is concerned for the welfare of ten year old Kenny Grayson and is willing to assist. As the family custody battle intensifies, Nora’s concerns grow increasingly disturbing, making her wonder if Tess is telling her the truth. When Kenny disappears, the action and tension ratchet up into a dangerous confrontational finale. Two family custody battles form the basis of this suspenseful thriller with a four and a half stars rating. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

Nora is a family advocate with her own business after working years in the system.

Joel and Gayle are on the autism spectrum and come to Nora for help. Their daughter was taken away and is in the custody of their grandmother. Nora agrees to help them get little Ivy back.

At the same time, Nora’s childhood friend Tess calls as she needs Nora’s help in a child custody case. Tess’ husband, Neil, is accused of having an affair with one of his student’s and killing her. Nora agrees to visit Tess and help in any way she can.

Slow start, but once it gets going it doesn’t stop until the very last page.

Ah, so good. The twists really got me and I could not put this one down! I’m out to get the first Nora McTavish book – Where They Lie – and definitely can’t wait for more!

RECOMMEND

“Our problems can always be traced back to ourselves. Nothing in the natural world even comes close.”

This is book two of Nora McTavish and now instead of working for Child Protective Services, she has her own business as a family advocate. Nora receives a call from her childhood friend Tess, for help with custody of her daughter. Tess’s husband is suspected of murder and she doesn’t want him near their daughter!

You know how sometimes in a thriller you have to suspend disbelief? Not with Never Come Back! Absolutely believable situations which only makes the anxiety and tension more intense. I didn’t know who to trust (aside from Nora) and was caught off guard more than once. There’s a rising sense of dread and feeling of impending doom, that leads to pulse pounding action!

Nora is easily the biggest draw for me. She’s empathetic, intelligent, strong willed, fights for the underdog and is self aware. She knows she has childhood trauma. Some days she deals with it better than others, but she KEEPS GOING! Not only that, but she uses her knowledge and experience to help others, especially the most vulnerable. She takes someone to task for their inexcusable behavior and does it with gusto and no nonsense, that I literally said, “YESSSSSS!” I’d definitely want Nora as my advocate in any given situation. Tess’s whip smart nine-year-old daughter is also a stand out, with a heartbreaking wisdom beyond her years.

Never Come Back ticks ALL the boxes for me. Atmospheric, clever plot, wonderful characters, mystery, surprises and action! My heartstrings were even tugged a few times. This can be read as a standalone, but I’d definitely recommend reading Where They Lie (book one) first. It’s also excellent, and provides deeper background on Nora and her motivations. I’m ready for book three!!

Thank you Joe Hart for the beautiful gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Scroll down for potential spoiler trigger warnings.






























⚠️Trigger warnings: prejudice of the intellectually challenged, child custody battle, gun violence, death, Mention of stalking, suicidal ideation, depression

Never Come Back is an engrossing domestic thriller with plenty of twists and turns. I loved the quaint mountain town setting, the academia with Edgar Allen Poe references, and the complex and flawed protagonist Nora McTavish. This story was the second in the series and worked well as a standalone. I found the pacing slow at times and a bit repetitive but overall it was well plotted and I did enjoy the story. I was fascinated by Nora’s traumatic past and her job as a family advocate. I was not impressed by Tess and found her selfish and self serving- her motives were questionable and she used her past friendship with Nora to her advantage in her bitter custody battle. The characters were well developed with many layers which made the story more authentic and appealing.

My rating 3 1/2 stars out of 5 ( I took a 1/2 star away due to the middle part that was a little repetitive and slow paced)

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC that will be published April 2 2024.

This one was even better than the first. The characters are so complex. Nora is fascinating to read. I was drawn into the mystery and enjoyed the twists I didn't see coming. I did guess the villain pretty early but it didn't take away from the story and the reveal was still shocking. I can't wait for book three.

This book was amazing! Never Come Back by Joe Hart, is the second book in the Nora McTavish series. I haven’t read the 1st book, but I’ll definitely read it soon. This book is my first book by this author and really enjoyed his writing style. There was a lot of twists and turns and was surprised by the ending! Thank you NetGalley and Joe Hart for this Arc review copy!

Never Come Back by Joe Hart has Oregon family advocate and former forensic investigator for CPS Nora McTavish investigating two very different domestic cases. It is a very highly recommended domestic thriller.

Nora is settling into her new practice at Sanctuary Family Advocacy when Gayle and Joel Pearson ask for her help. Gayle’s grandmother, Arlene Jones, has taken custody of their daughter Ivy, seemingly based on their intellectual disabilities. The two can prove that they are good parents and have done everything asked of them. Nora accepts their case and finds them a lawyer, no charge, but it's not as easy as it seems.

Next Nora receives a phone call from childhood friend Tess Hannover Grayson. They haven't spoken for years. It seems that Tess's husband, Professor Neil Grayson, was arrested and later released for the murder of student Allie Prentiss. The two are in the middle of a divorce and custody dispute over nine-year-old Kendra (Kenny). Nora visits Tess to catch up and offer support but soon becomes embroiled in the custody case that is increasingly turning treacherous.

This is an exceptional followup to the first Nora McTavish novel, Where They Lie. She continues to be a very sympathetic, trustworthy protagonist and her character is further developed in this outing. Nora did have a difficult childhood, to say the least, but her background also gives her insight and empathy into the cases she works, as does her time with Child Protective Services (CPS) as a forensic investigator. She is really a great character with keen insight into human character and an eye for details. I'm looking forward to more investigations by Nora.

The pace is fast and includes plenty of discoveries, disclosures and twists in the plot. What seems obvious quickly escalates into a dangerous situation and those involved may not be as reliable as they seem to be. The suspense and tension rise with each chapter and the action will thoroughly hold your attention. While it is a domestic thriller, it also delves into the territory of a psychological thriller and a murder mystery, making it even more critical and dangerous. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

This book is the second book in a series that follows a social worker with a dark past. Nora had a terrible past because of things her father did. She uses this pain and suffering as a social worker to help other children. In this book, she left her social worker job and is now a family advocate. She gets a call from an old friend to help her fight her ex for custody. Her ex is accused of murder and Nora becomes wrapped up in this case to solve it and protect the child.

I enjoyed this book! I love Nora as a main character. She seems very real and her pain seems real. She struggles with her past but we see her trying to use it for good. I liked having a thriller from a different point of view other than a police officer. It puts an interesting twist on the story. This was a quick read and I kept reading to figure out the truth. The twists were good and interesting as well.

It wasn’t a five star for me because I do feel like a few of the characters were annoying and bothered me.

I would definitely recommend this one! Thanks so much to netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to #netgalley and #thomasandmercer for this ADC in exchange for an honest review!

𝑴𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
This is book 2 in the Nora McTavish series and my first book by @joehart and I must say I’m amazed that I haven’t come across this author before. This was a solid thriller that had me guessing right until the breathtaking end!
I have it on good authority that you can read this as a stand-alone but if you want more in-depth on the main character’s background I’d advise you to read book 1!

Loved that the MC here was a family advocate instead of the usual detective or cop, it lent a certain authenticity to the story, especially since it revolves around the custody of a child. The pace was never slow and all the characters had unique voices, especially little Kenny!

I will definitely be reading more by this author and might catch up with the first book in this series as Nora is an intriguing character!

4* decent intro to this author. Sad that the characters weren't really likeable.

This has good bones, decent writing and had me into the tale enough that I read it in a couple of hours, despite not liking Tess or her use of Nora. The characters felt real, none more so than Kenny, the pre-teen caught between her warring parents, but I was also a bit irritated at how little the police and characters, especially the ones being 'used' (trying not to spoiler here) didn't protest more and seemed OK with non-answers.

It also felt like the parents gave up on their marriage far too quickly, with the mother moving on to a new lover, and the father existing in a sort of limbo. Nora was decent and blurred the lines a little for what seemed like not-unreasonable reasons, and yet at the same time, she knew something was amiss with a particular event that had to involve the cops, yet stayed quiet about it. In a case where cops themselves were already not looking top shiny. Still, it ended half decently, but I didn't warm to Tess and I didn't see why Nora didn't challenge her machinations sooner.

Arc courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer, for my reading pleasure.

Never Come Back by Joe Hart is #2 in the Nora McTavish series and can be easily read as a standalone. The first chapter and I was hooked! What a roller coaster read that had me chomping at the bit to finish every last morsel. The ending had me gasping. This book is easily one of my favorites for 2024 and I can't wait to devour more of Joe Hart's books.

Alright, so I just finished the second book in the series, and gotta say, I've got some mixed feelings. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but there's something about the first book that just hit different, you know? The pacing in the first one was like zooming down the highway, which I loved, but this time around, it felt a bit forced, like someone slamming on the brakes every few chapters.

Now, let's talk about the main character. Man, I'm a fan. Like, a big fan. They've got this charisma that just draws you in, and even though the story kinda lost its way, I was still rooting for them the whole time. But here's the thing, I kinda missed the point this time. Like, I was expecting some big revelation or a major plot twist, but it just didn't hit me like it did in the first book.

I'd say it's worth a read, especially if you're invested in the main character like I am. But don't go in expecting the same adrenaline rush as the first time around. It's still a solid addition to the series, just maybe not as mind-blowing as I hoped.

Did Neil do it? Nora finds herself questioning her assumptions when she helps her old pal Tess when Neil, Tess's husband is suspected of many bad acts. Nora's a family advocate as much as anything and she's concerned about young Kendra. A murder changes her view and makes her worry about her own safety. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me but know that some of this is a tad predictable (oh those secrets and lies) but the characters are good.

A big five stars from me!
This is my first book by Hart and wow! I was so engrossed in this book and could not decide who to trust.
Nora McTavish spends her days as a family advocate providing comfort and justice for those without anyone else to turn to.
Tess Grayson, a long lost childhood friend calls asking for Nora's help - her husband has been accused of killing a student at the university he works at. Tess doesn't want her husband near their daughter Kendra.
Nora starts to wonder about her own childhood with Tess and whether Tess is hiding something now. Nora starts to become confused about who she should be trying to protect Kendra from.
Nora was such a great character- so real, flawed yet genuine. It was different too- reading from the perspective of a child-protection advocate.
The story was fast-paced, suspnow I need to read the first one in the Nora McTavish series! They are very much stand-alone so not necessary- but I absolutely want to!
A huge thank you to @joe_hart_author
@thrillerbookloverspromotions and @netgalley for the advanced copy and having me on this #booktour

I enjoyed this book. I liked the main character, Nora and her persistence + loyalty with her job as well as her relationships. I did not realize it was the 2nd book when I requested it, so I am eager to read about her in the first one. I did have a suspicion as to “who did it,” but I liked how it was revealed to us readers. I do not feel it was obvious, I just had a hunch and I pretty much almost never get it right 🤣 I also LOVED how quickly Nora bonded with Kenny, and how the child was drawn to her, that is so important as a mother to have friends that your children feel safe with (Tess was awful but that bit I did love regardless). My list of authors whose books I enjoy continues to grow 🤭

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Thomas & Mercer for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.