A high-octane thriller playing with the concept of trust. Barry's writing is fast-paced and the flow of the story is perfect. With two characters having something to hide and finding it hard to trust, thrusting them into danger only adds to the suspense. What a great read.

When two women meet with secrets to hide and a killer lurking, you watch their journey to learn to trust each other to survive. Cait and Rebecca have been through the ringer and know how to live on the edge. This book is edge of your seat (or edge of the page) reading where you can’t put it down. It does read in a way that makes you feel like you are a part of the book watching the events unfold. Great read!

Definitely a page turner but there were inconsistencies in the story that kept bothering me. They were somewhat small inconsistencies (e.g. Texas mentioned as “east coast”; a Protestant-described church called as a Catholic Church; wasn’t that arm broken?; etc.) but they still bothered this reader. However, if you want a page-turning thriller, definitely pick this up.

Following the explosive release of her debut, FREEFALL, Jessica Barry returns with DON’T TURN AROUND, a timely, chilling thriller about two women fighting not only for their right to live, but for their lives.

At the beginning, we meet Cait Monaghan as she is waiting silently outside of a mansion in her ragged Jeep for a woman to emerge from the stunning house. We do not know why she is there, at first, but it is clear that this is a rescue mission of sorts. Cait is young and amiable, but she has an edge that makes her the right woman for this covert job. With minutes to spare before her cutoff time, a polished, beautiful woman emerges. After taking one last nervous look at her home, she jumps into the vehicle.

The woman is Rebecca McRae, the wife of a Congressman. And before the night is over, she and Cait will drive from Lubbock, Texas, 322 miles to Albuquerque, New Mexico, on a journey that promises to be stealthy, dangerous and life-changing for both ladies. Though Barry takes her time revealing the nature of their secret drive, the suspense is palpable as we watch two wildly different women try to engage with one another and pass the time. Alternating perspectives and timelines, Barry introduces us to them and their pasts as they continue driving through New Mexico, the desert adding a wild and isolated backdrop to their internal turmoils.

Cait is a young, ambitious bartender who dreams of becoming a journalist. For now, she writes think pieces that are often rejected, for minimal sums, but she is still chasing the high of her last viral article: a #MeToo-era description of her night with an up-and-coming country star that took a violent turn. Although Cait’s name was held off the piece, she cannot help running into people --- usually men --- with something to say to her about it. Readers will cringe as Barry chronicles each and every interaction with a man who says something to the effect of “but she went home with him willingly” or “it was just a night that didn’t make her see stars or sweep her off her feet.” This prompts her to join Sisters of Mercy, an organization that helps women in need. And Rebecca is definitely a woman in need.

As Barry unpacks Rebecca’s life, we meet an equally ambitious but much luckier woman whose marriage to a successful politician has afforded her certain privileges --- and, somehow, even more restraints. Rebecca once lived happily with her husband, Patrick, in California, where she was a teacher who loved discussing education and the rights of students. But Patrick’s ambitions outgrew his social standing there, and he begged her to return to his home in Texas, where he could rise quickly and hopefully make his way to the Senate. Unfortunately for Rebecca, Texas was not quite ready for her polished, gleaming version of a wife, preferring someone a bit more cutesy and silent.

As the women make their way across New Mexico, they finally reach a point where they feel it is safe for a rest stop. But at a quiet diner they cross paths with a leering, scowling man who seems to have a special eye on Rebecca, and soon after, their Jeep is followed, antagonized and practically run off the road by a truck. Before long, they are stranded in the middle of the desert with nothing but their pasts to keep them company --- and the threat of the trucker, whose attack on them somehow felt personal, despite their reassurances to each other that it was probably a teenager on a lark.

This meticulously plotted thriller manages to be just as chilling during the quiet moments as it does the more action-filled ones. Barry is a careful plotter, and although the book feels very current, I do not believe that the conflicts in it will become dated. She unpacks decades of misogyny and discrimination, and the women’s grief, fear and rage are universal in their portrayals.

Those who enjoyed FREEFALL may find DON’T TURN AROUND just a bit too twisty. Though Barry metes out the dread and darkness easily and powerfully, you’ll have to suspend your disbelief when the action scenes kick in. That said, it is the real-world issues that make the book strong and powerful; Barry elevates the genre by writing about such universal themes and highlighting the ways that they can become deeply personal. The twists do not stop with the thrills, either. Both Cait and Rebecca have some rocky pasts that will shock readers and upend their expectations just as quickly as the plot twists will surprise them.

Perfect for fans of THE BOOK OF V. and THE WHISPER NETWORK, DON’T TURN AROUND is a splendid addition to the new list of #MeToo titles and a fantastic thriller as well.

Synopsis: Cait Monaghan and Rebecca McRae are on a desolate road driving through the New Mexican desert. They've never met before tonight. Both have secrets to protect. Both of their lives are in danger. A truck pulls up fast behind them and it soon becomes clear that whoever is driving the truck is hunting them for sport. Someone wants one of them dead. But which one?⁣
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Quite an interesting read. I like how they started it off where you didn't know why these two ladies were even together. This was a quick read and different POVs and lots of red herrings too. Both of the main characters are really strong and it was a really good book.

I love this book. I first read her book Freefall and loved, just like this book. Jessica Barry catches your attention and never loses it!

Don't Turn Around starts with Cait picking up Rebecca at her home. They are driving together to Albuquerque, but we (the reader) are not told why, They have never met before, but they quickly must work together since it seems they are being followed. This book kept my attention for a while, mainly because I wanted to know where these women were going. Towards the end of the story, though, the author seemed to be making a statement, and I felt like the story was sacrificed for that statement. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

From the plot of this book, I was expecting thrills and suspense. Unfortunately, the book did not deliver much of that. This was a slow read and the ending just kind of fell flat. I did like the dynamic between Cait and Rebecca though.

It's midnight in Lubbock, Texas, and Cait Monaghan waits in her beat-up Jeep for her passenger to arrive, or for a signal from the house—three light flicks and the run is off, two flicks, call the police. Cait's a driver for a group that helps women in distress, and Rebecca McRae needs a lift. But the 322 mile trip to Albuquerque turns deadly after a truck runs them off the rural highway, and it's clear the women are being stalked. Barry's adrenaline-fueled thriller explores the Me Too movement, cancel culture, reproductive rights, and white male extremism. Buckle up, it's a heart-stopping ride.

Perfect for the #MeToo titles, this really twisty novel may be a bit much for some, but for me it just added to the suspense as the reader follows two women, one of whom is a Congressman’s wife as she flees from home. The trip through New Mexico is quite scary. Well plotted this book does an excellent job of addressing women’s issues. If you read Barry’s previous book, Freefall you will want to read this one.

Jessica Barry's sophomore novel packs in plenty of tension and fast paced action. While the topic might be "controversial" to some readers, the timeline provides a strong sense of urgency. Barry alternates perspectives and time as the characters speed towards their deadline, and when the big reveal happens, it genuinely surprised me and I appreciated the clues that had been left along the way. Solidly well done.

I could not put this book down. For those that read No Exit by Taylor Adams, remember that gripping edge-of-your-seat feeling you got when reading that book? Don’t Turn Around is right up there with it.

The style of Don’t Turn Around, while fast-paced and captivating, is a bit different than books out there. There’s no build up of backstory, the novel opens with Cait, a struggling writer and a driver with Sisters of Service, an organization that that helps when in sensitive situations while promising anonymity, picking up her client, a wife of a Texan politician who pales in the light of her husband’s stardom, Rebecca. These two strangers are destined to Albuquerque, but this journey is one that will face a myriad of challenges as they learn they have more than the will to survive in common.

The narrative switches their route to Albuquerque, flashing back to both Cait’s and Rebecca’s life of how they ended up where we see them now. I’m personally not always a fan of that style, it can be confusing, but here it creates a sense of mystery and is very alluring.

I read the book without reading too much of the description and I think it made the reading experience even better. So I’m not going to mention a lot of the plot here, because I think this is just one of those books that I want to shove in your hands and implore you to just read it and come talk to me when you’re done.

Very, VERY mixed feelings about this one.

I loved Jessica Barry’s debut thriller Freefall and was beyond excited to receive an advance copy of her second novel.

Alas, my feelings about this one aren’t quite as cut and dried as they were about Barry’s fun, exceptional debut novel.

To begin, I’d like to consider the problematic marketing of this book as a Thriller. The issue with this categorization is two-fold.

The first issue is more technical and the lesser of the two: While the book certainly employs aspects of the thriller genre and a large segment of it is formatted as such, the crux of the story is largely rooted in drama rather than thriller and sets the tone for the conclusion of the story. At its heart, this book is a drama about women’s rights, not a thriller about being hunted in the desert by a killer, as the publishers’ summary suggests.

Which brings me to the second, more bothersome aspect of the Thriller categorization: There’s nothing thrilling or fun (as the genre generally implies about a book classed as such) about women being denied basic human and legal rights.

Publishers: Could we please stop classing books about extreme hatred and violence toward women as Thrillers? This is not a beach read topic. This is not a fun topic. This is not a way to get your kicks, as many of us do, like reading a standard murder mystery.

Another issue: The book has multiple villains, the scariest of whom never technically engages in a single act of violence. But he isn’t the problem. While his role is at the heart of my issue with how this book is classed, if we read this as a drama and a cautionary tale about women’s rights, his character and plot line are well-drawn and apt for the story.

The other villains, however, stirred a deep sense of distaste in me. Men who simply hate women and act out violently against them impersonally don’t make good villains. Are they, by the textbook definition, “villainous?” Of course they are. They’re perhaps the quintessence of villainy. But for a novel, they function a bit like psychopaths or zombies as villains, in that there isn’t much that’s fun or interesting about an adversary whose motive is completely impersonal and is rooted only in brain-dead hate.

The last major issue I had with Don’t Turn Around was the needless inclusion of graphic animal violence. As I’ve discussed in previous reviews, animal cruelty and violence almost always plays as a cheap way to trigger emotions, serving no purpose to the story other than to upset and unsettle the reader. I’ll concede this point to an extent on the rare occasion when the incident is truly important to the story. Unfortunately here (as is often the case) the incidents were needless in larger narrative and serve only to upset readers who are sensitive to this issue.

But...This book is far from all bad and has many positive aspects.

First: As difficult as it is to read about, the danger of losing our basic rights as women is an incredibly important issue and Barry does an excellent job demonstrating just how precariously we retain these rights in today’s frightening political climate. Kudos to her for diving headfirst into a topic that many authors won’t touch for fear of backlash from religious conservatives and anti-abortion zealots.

Another positive: The actual thriller component of the story, which takes place largely in the middle of the book, is exceptionally well written in terms of suspense and atmosphere. The desolate landscape, the menace of both man and nature that Cait and Rebecca encounter, and the pacing are all top notch. This portion of the book is much more reminiscent of Freefall than the rest, and it is similarly well executed.

Finally, the friendship formed between the two protagonists is well rendered and satisfying. Though Cait and Rebecca don’t have much in common on the surface and don’t much care for each other initially, the way their relationship evolves throughout the story is poignant and endearing.

Note: Weighing overall pros and cons of this book would have resulted in a 3.5-4 star rating except that—as is my standard policy—one star has been removed for needless animal violence.

A riveting and fast paced thriller that is also a book if it’s time, part of the #metoo era. So well written and thrilling- a great read.

After reading Jessica Barry's Freefall, I was very excited for Don't Turn Around. The book had the same survival feel, where everything was happening in a truncated period of time and you learned more and more as the book went on about their backstories. This story tells of Cait, a woman who was shamed publicly after writing about a sexual encounter gone wrong, and Rebecca, a politician's wife looking to get an abortion.

I found it difficult to figure out which one was Cait and which one was Rebecca at the beginning because the writing was a little confusing, and I definitely had one storyline (Rebecca's) which I was really drawn to and I didn't care much about Cait's. I liked it, and read it really quickly, but it wasn't my favorite.

Jessica Barry's Don't Turn Around is the first thriller I've read in a while that kept me reading in every spare moment. I finished this one in less than 24 hours because I just HAD to know what happened. The tension and suspense was intense, the long empty stretches of desert highway in the dark left me feeling anxious. Fast paced, multiple viewpoints, strong women standing up for each other against a cast of really crappy men- what more do you need to know? This was the perfect binge read thriller!

This one was not what I was expecting at all, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There were lots of red herrings and misdirections and when you first start, you’re already patting yourself on the back because you can see exactly where it’s going. Except it doesn’t and you’re wrong haha.

What I liked most about this one is that it felt really unique and different. It also helped that the chapters were short and it flips between past and present and also randomly throws in a new character occasionally making you go who tf is that and how do they fit in here? When everything does come together I was definitely surprised and appreciated the subject matter the author chose to explore. I know that’s vague and probably annoying, just trust me you’ll want to be surprised. It’s also worth noting that @scaredstraightreads and I totally agreed on this even down to the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating. This never happens.

If you want an atmospheric, unique, and edge- of- your- seat thriller that simultaneously sheds light and insight into women’s rights and feminism, pick this one up today! And yes, today is PUB DAY for this gem! 🎉

As soon as I saw the synopsis on Netgalley, I emailed the publisher for a copy because it sounded like a perfect blend of some of my favorite movies- Joy Ride(2001), The Hitcher (2007), and in a way, Jeepers Creepers (2001), but without the paranormal aspect and with two badass female roles instead. It is also reminiscent of No Exit by Taylor Adams in a subtle way, if you have read that!

Other than these comparisons, 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 is particularly original and does an incredible job interweaving timelines and different POV’s, as well as challenging the reader’s initial predictions by surprising you with twists and turns- with the added bonus of a breathtaking, yet mysterious scenery of New Mexico’s deserted highways.

RATING: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow. That’s my first reaction to Jessica Barry’s latest thriller. This book is intense. Taking place over a single day, mostly on a dark, desolate, Texas highway, Don’t Turn Around is a full-throttle suspenseful read, ultimately highlighting the power of women, particularly women who stick together and support each other, no matter what. Cait and Rebecca had never met before their road trip, but, by the time the night is over, they will be forever bonded by their experience.

I found this book to be so powerful and so well written that I actually felt like I was in the Jeep speeding down the highway with Cait and Rebecca. It made me think about how I would feel in the same situation, and I think Jessica Barry herself says it best in the acknowledgements: “I researched a lot of dark corners of the Internet for this book, and while most what I found was infuriating and terrifying, I also found countless instances of sacrifice and support, bravery and defiance, of women holding each other up and protecting each other, both online and out there in the real world. I’ll carry these moments with me.” This. All of this. This is what it’s all about.


Don't Turn Around by Jessica Barry⁣
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Synopsis: Cait Monaghan and Rebecca McRae are on a desolate road driving through the New Mexican desert. They've never met before tonight. Both have secrets to protect. Both of their lives are in danger. A truck pulls up fast behind them and it soon becomes clear that whoever is driving the truck is hunting them for sport. Someone wants one of them dead. But which one?⁣
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Review: This one has so many elements I love in a thriller and I really enjoyed this one. I read it in two sittings and was flipping pages so quickly! This was a super fast paced read, with short chapters, alternating POVs, and multiple timelines. I loved the red herrings peppered in. The two women were strong female characters and there were nods to women's empowerment and women's rights addressed in a different way from most books. The vague escape was a solid hook for me and I was so invested to find out the cause for the trouble they were running into and who the target was. These elements all worked really well for me. However, it did feel like a lot of build up with an unfinished ending. I would have liked just an additional chapter to wrap things up!⁣
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