Thank you to Avon Books and Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my review. When reading this book, be prepared for a sleepless night for you won't want to put this book down. A roller coaster ride full of twists and turns. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating it gets from me!

A tense psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, FORGET ME NOT by Claire Allan is the first I have read by this author - and it won't be my last. It is tight, it is twisted, it is heart-stopping! I would often fall asleep late into the night reading it, I didn't want to put it down!

Elizabeth O'Loughlin is on a morning walk with her dog Izzy (and throughout the whole book I hoped and prayed nothing untoward would happen to Izzy. Thank you Allan for not taking the story in that direction) when she discovers the lifeless body of a woman, barely alive, the victim of a vicious attack. A nurse in her former life, Elizabeth immediately springs into action, dialling 999 for emergency services, and then cradles the woman urging her to hang on. Her injuries however are too severe and she succumbs to them but not before whispering urgently in Elizabeth's ear the words "Warn them!"

Rachel Walker is a troubled woman. Dissatisfied with her marriage, her husband growing ever more distant, Rachel embarks on an affair of sorts Michael, a student from her creative writing class. A schoolteacher, Rachel is in a class of students when best friend Julie rings her in tears, claiming "It's her, Rach! Clare's dead!" Best friends since school, now one third of their group/friendship was gone. But instead of going home, Rachel seeks the arms of Michael (her bit on the side) to soothe her pain. When she does venture home and tells her husband Paul, he is shocked but it is her teenage daughter Beth that is devastated by the news. Only their 3 year old is not privy to the news however little Molly is not completely oblivious. Kids know when something isn't right.

The loss of Clare is felt deeply by the two friends, Rachel and Julie, though both cope with it differently. When Rachel decides to visit the site of Clare's death, she notices a strange bouquet of flowers - forget me nots - tied with black ribbon and a very cryptic message. Then Julie receives a similar bouquet with an equally cryptic message as does Rachel. What does this mean? Both women are oblivious to the fact that on the gates of her isolated farmhouse, Elizabeth has also received a bouquet with its own message. But unlike the others, Elizabeth knows the significance of the flowers - FORGET ME NOTS. They were her daughter's favourite flower.

After receiving similar bouquets of forget me nots, it is revealed that Rachel and Julie could now be in danger. Particularly when a photo of the trio is left at Rachel's house with Clare's face angrily scrubbed out and a circle around her own stating "You're next!" Turning the photo over the teenage scrawl identified Julie, Rachel, Clare and me. Me? Rachel turned the photo back over and looked closer. In the background on the periphery was a face from the past. A shadow of a smile on her face. Laura O'Loughlin.

Elizabeth's daughter Laura had taken her own life two years before after a lifetime of never fitting in. Laura grew up with no friends and lived a very lonely existence, belittled and laughed at by her peers. Cruel pranks were played on her - one of which resonated with me deeply as having had similar things happen to me as a teenager. One such occasion saw Laura excited at being asked by one of the popular girls, to accompany them to the school dance. She was over the moon and her family had never seen her so thrilled and bursting with excitement. But when Laura asked this girl should they go shopping together for a dress, she turned and laughed at her and said she must be joking and that they wouldn't be seen with the likes of her! Laura was devastated! As anyone in that situation would be. The girl who had taunted Laura...her name was Clare.

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that there is a definite connection between Rachel, Clare and Elizabeth's daughter, Laura. The three best friends were at school with Laura though she wasn't part of their circle of friends, Rachel had vague recollections of a quiet girl on the periphery just listening, waiting and wanting to be a part of their group. We are given snippets of memories from both the perspectives of Rachel and Elizabeth of Laura during their school years. It paints a rather sad picture...one to which I can relate from my own "crool" years.

Throughout the story we are introduced to a cast of characters that aid the plot development. The police investigating Clare's death, DI Bradley and PC King; the media, including the devious Ingrid Devine (I think that was her name) who hounds poor Elizabeth until she gives in; Michael, Rachel's bit on the side, who begins as understanding only to end up giving ultimatums. I didn't like him. And Rachel was a fool to throw her marriage away without even trying to work things out on the selfish need to feel good. What about her children? Her marriage? Maybe I'm old school but I believe in marriage; you don't give up and toss it out just because things gets too hard. As one of the narrators, I guess it was this that made it difficult for me to connect with Rachel. I rather enjoyed Elizabeth's narration more who also had some secrets to hide.

Then someone approaches young Molly at nursery, who she refers to as "the bad man", reducing her to tears with the threat of taking her mammy away because she is bad. And when she can't reach Beth at home the police are dispatched, finding Beth locked in the bathroom in tears because someone had tried breaking in, Rachel knows she has become the killer's next target. A fact highlighted by the photo left on her doorstep stating "You're next!"

When Rachel disappears on a supermarket run, the race is on to find her before she becomes the killer's next victim.

FORGET ME NOT is a tense and twisted thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout. The story did take a little for me to get into (probably due to Rachel to-ing and fro-ing between Paul and Michael) but it soon became addictive as I watched the rest of the story unfold. I did guess who was really behind it all despite being given a misdirection that was incredibly clever, that I had to wonder was I wrong in my suspicions when being lead in that direction?

I was saddened for Elizabeth who had no one left and had lost so much. Particularly after suffering the stroke on top of everything else. It just made me want to wrap her in a giant hug.

There are the occasional clumsy sentences and wording, with extra words thrown in to make no sense whatsoever. I put this down to being an advanced readers copy and hoping these will all be editted out in the final version.

FORGET ME NOT is clever, compelling and intriguing. An addictive read that I could not put down.

I would like to thank #ClaireAllan, #NetGalley and #AvonUK for an ARC of #ForgetMeNot in exchange for an honest review.

When Clare's body is found by Elizabeth, it is so abrupt. She tries to save her and almost does but she dies as she utters, "Warn them." Warn who?? So Elizabeth starts investigating. Things begin to fall in place when each member of their childhood clique receive forget-me-not flowers with cryptic messages. Someone is wanting them to scare them and wants them to join Clare in death. Who would want such a thing? It takes a while to get going, but eventually the reader finds that these girls are linked and had perhaps made someone feel left out in school and someone from her life wants revenge.

Very enjoyable thriller. Poor Elizabeth - how much trauma can one poor woman go through! I felt so sorry for her as her once happy life turned into a living nightmare. The story is told from her point of view as well as that of Rachel, who is a pretty unlikable, self obsessed character. Elizabeth finds a dying young woman Clare, who tells her to 'warn them'. It soon becomes apparent that the people who have to be warned are Rachel and Julie, Clare's childhood friends. But who is out to get them and why?
Plenty of twists and turns, a couple of which were well signposted and I did find parts of it slightly stretched credulity, but all in all a satisfying read which kept me turning the pages.

Wow Claire has done it yet again what a amazing book. I went from person to person to person totally got them all wrong of who did what and why.
Claire's books are just going from strength to strength can't wait to see where we off to next with her. I read this in a day and I really need now to go and have some coffee as even stopping for that would have taken up to much time of reading. Thanks to NetGalley Claire and publisher for my arc copy for a honest review.

This is SO GOOD!

Claire Allen has weaved yet another excellently twisted story – the most twisted one yet! I thought I had it figured out, but nothing is ever so simple. You're left guessing right until the very end, and you're not disappointed. Brilliant writing. Would highly, highly recommend.

As Elizabeth sits with Claire in her final moments on that fateful morning, she hears two words from the dying woman, ‘Warn them’
Claire’s family are devasted by her murder, as are her friends, Julie and Rachel. Who would want to harm their friend, and why?
As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes apparent that Julie and Rachel’s lives are also in danger. And Rachel is next in line!
I am reluctant to say any more about ‘Forget Me Not’, it is such a page-turner of a book, I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I have to be honest this book didn't do it for me. The plot seemed weak the characters very unlikeable and uninteresting. I didn't even feel there was much suspense the writing style, however, made it a very easy read but I was very disappointed with the outcome using a character who had not been introduced I didn't like and just consolidated my lower start rating sadly.

This is a tight and twisted thriller with a killer opening section that hooked me in immediately. The main characters - Rachel, Clare and Elizabeth - are clearly linked and I was desperate to work out why, but Allan's writing kept me guessing.
I love the title - Forget Me Not - and that it links with the flowers that recur in the story. A great read, thank you to Netgalley!

Thanks to Net Galley for the preview copy of this book. Whilst an enjoyable enough tale I'd sussed out who the murderer was very, very quickly! Shame really as it could have been so much better. Sorry!

4.5 stars for Claire Allan's Forget Me Not!

Told from alternating viewpoints, Forget Me Not is the story of 67-year-old Elizabeth and 41-year-old Rachel. Elizabeth is out walking her dog one day when she makes a horrifying discovery - the body of a young woman, Clare. Stunned and shocked, she stays with Clare while awaiting the police, and hears Clare utter her last words: "warn them". Elizabeth has no idea who she is to warn, but one thing is certain - she has stumbled upon something very, very sinister.

Rachel is Clare's best friend, though caught up in their own lives, they've recently drifted just a bit. However, the news of Clare's death horrifies Rachel, and she quickly becomes wrapped up in the violence of it all. Who would do such a terrible crime? Everyone loved Clare. When she starts receiving threats herself, she realizes that this crime was not random, and that she may be more involved than she ever realized..

I read a lot of thrillers, but this was one of the best I've read in a hot minute. Allan's writing continues to mature from her first novel, and I cannot say enough just how much I enjoyed this read. I thought I had the ending figured out, and the twist actually threw me - something that is a rarity in the oversaturated field of thrillers these days. Highly recommend to others enjoying thrillers and suspense, and looking forward to more of Allan's work in the future!

Special thanks to Netgalley and publisher for an electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth is out walking her dog one day and stumbles upon Clare, who is dying from a knife attack. Clare whispers a few words to Elizabeth before help arrives. One of Clare's good friends, Rachel, is devastated by the loss of her friend. Both women are tied together over this senseless tragedy. Can they find out who her killer is before they strike again?
This was a moving story that had me hooked! This was my first by Claire Allan but definitely won't be my last. While I had my suspicions, I did not guess the twist or the identity of the killer.
Many thanks to Claire Allan, Avon Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* First of all, I feel the need to state that it adds an extra layer of creepiness that the author's name is Claire and the victim in the book is called Clare. That's cold. I like it. This is the third mystery/thriller that I have read by Claire Allan and like the two previous, I was gripped by the storyline and devoured it quickly. One early morning, grandmother Elizabeth is out walking her dog in Derry when she comes across a young woman who has been violently attacked. Elizabeth calls for help but it is too late and Clare dies at the scene. So begins a nightmare for everyone involved with secrets from the past refusing to stay hidden. I dare not reveal more of the plot for fear of giving away some spoilers. Let's just say it is intriguing and kept me enthralled until the very end. Not all is at it seems and no one is safe...

Out walking with her dog one morning, Elizabeth discovers a young woman, Clare, barely alive and covered in blood. The police and an ambulance are summoned and Elizabeth holds Clare’s hand and hears her dying breath “Warn Them”. Elizabeth is frail and in constant pain and lives alone in a remote farmhouse which is badly in need of TLC. Her encounter with evil leaves her shaken and upset.

Clare is one of a group of friends who met at school and formed a bond and Rachel and Elizabeth are shocked to hear of their friend’s death. The plot unfolds through two narrators, Rachel and Elizabeth. To aid plot development we are introduced to a cast of characters, including the police and the media; in the form of a particularly unpleasant female reporter who doorsteps poor Elizabeth. It soon becomes clear that the group of friends have a link to Elizabeth and they are also under threat.

This is a well-thought out plot with a big surprise at the end which I did not expect. A good psychological thriller but I have a few qualms. I find it hard to believe that an older, frail Elizabeth would wonder down to the scene of the crime more than once, or that she would continue to stay in her isolated home. Secondly, I was unsure about Rachel and her involvement, something didn’t sit right with me and finally Julie and her journey to the bottom of the bottle! Surely, you would just move away to somewhere safer, if only for a while.

That said. It is a good read and it does hold together well and I would recommend it. One last thing, the title ‘Forget Me Not’ – I could not for the life of me envisage the floral displays that played such an important role in the text. How were the stems covered in black ribbon?

Still, enough said. Enjoy!

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

When out walking her dog, Elizabeth finds a severely wounded woman, Clare, partially concealed at the side of the path. After calling for an ambulance she holds her hand and tries to comfort her, but fails to elicit her name before she utters just two words and passes away. The two words were meant for her long time school friends Rachel and Julie, but she fails to give Elizabeth their names. The two friends mourn the loss of Clare but are unable to provide a great deal of help to the police when they trace them, as she had never revealed the name of her new boy friend. Rachel, having visited Clare’s parents, finds that they have been sent a small posy of flowers together with a strange message. Julie and Rachel also receive identical posies with cryptic messages and the Police are convinced that they are from the killer. Julie and her husband retreat away from their home, Julie being on the verge of a breakdown, but Rachel stays put and is troubled with doubts about her husband, and is also concerned that she is getting into an illicit relationship. Elizabeth is hunted down by a reporter and events go from bad to worse, as she tries to protect her deceased daughter from critical publicity........ Claire Allan has produced another brilliant thriller that is extremely hard to put down. I certainly burned the midnight oil!

an elderly woman walking her dog stubbles upon a woman’s badly mutilated body. in her dying moments she whispers, “warn them”. events after changes lives forever.

whilst i enjoyed this book i did feel
disappointed by its ending.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Forget Me Not’ by Claire Allan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Elizabeth is taking her dog Izzy for an early morning walk when she comes across a young woman, Clare, the victim of a vicious knife attack lying at the side of a quiet country road and despite having severe injuries she manages to whisper ‘warn them’. A bouquet of forget-me-nots tied with black ribbon is left where Clare is attacked and then one arrives at Elizabeth’s home and also at those of Clare’s best friends, Rachel and Julie, each with a white card bearing a cryptic message. The police believe it’s connected to Elizabeth’s daughter Laura but Elizabeth can’t understand how as Laura took her own life two years ago.

‘Forget Me Not’ is a scary psychological thriller with a well-written and disturbing plot that had me hooked from page one. The tension kept increasing with each twist and turn especially towards the latter part of the story. It became increasingly chilling until the final page which left me feeling unnerved and totally surprised at the outcome. This novel is compulsive reading and definitely not to be missed.

It’s six in the morning during the hottest summer on record when Elizabeth O’Loughlin, out walking her dog, comes across Clare, a victim of a horrific knife attack, clinging onto life at the side of the road. Clare dies minutes later, but not before whispering her haunting last words to Elizabeth.

When it becomes clear that Clare’s killer has more than one murder on his mind, Elizabeth has to take drastic action or face losing everything. But what if she can’t stop a killer determined never to be forgotten?

I've read Claire Allan's other books and loved them, but I think this one is my favorite! It's full of suspense and surprises. I still can't get over that ending.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of Forget Me Not by Claire Allan
Pub Date: 30 May 2019

I liked the sound of this book, and it started fine,but then for me anyway, it never really got going.I found it really slow and none of the characters grabbed me so my interest started dipping.Not a good book for me I am afraid.I hope others enjoy it more.Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC.

Claire Allan did it again. Absolutely loved it. What an imagination. I'm in awe of this woman. More twists and turns than a roller coaster. When three school friends don't particularly like the odd girl in their class, did they think for one second that their actions of excluding her would affect their adult lives years later, leaving them terrified for their safety. Read this one if you do nothing else.