I was reflecting after finishing Don’t Look for Me that I want to find a way to describe Wendy Walker’s books stylistically. While she writes psychological thrillers, the resolutions to her stories tend to blend a twist with layers of emotion and often healing. If they weren’t so heart-pounding, they could almost fall into dramatic fiction. Don’t Look for Me is another perfect example of Walker’s work and why readers grow to care about what happens to her characters. Smart, layered, and suspenseful!

What is Don’t Look for Me about?
One night, Molly Clarke walked away from her life. She left behind a son, a daughter, and a husband. Her car was found abandoned, far from home on a remote stretch of road. Women disappear all the time. Sometimes they leave their lives behind and just walk away. Molly left a note for her family, imploring them “Don’t look for me.” What really happened to Molly?

Molly Clarke was the perfect mother and wife before everything in her life shattered in one horrible moment. She lost her youngest daughter in a terrible accident—one she’s never forgiven herself for. In the wake of it, Molly and her family fell apart. Her older daughter Nicole has never forgiven her (or herself). For five years, Nicole has harbored guilt over what happened that day—guilt she often took out on her mother. Molly and her husband used to have an ideal marriage, but after that day they became like strangers. Molly suspects he is having an affair. She can’t totally blame him

That’s not the whole story of what happened to Molly on the night she disappeared, though. A storm kicked up and Molly ran out of gas. A man in a truck stopped to offer her a ride to town. She wanted to say no, but with him was a little girl that reminds her so much of the daughter she lost. Suddenly Molly wants to be home more than anything. She accepts the ride. But when it’s clear that they are not headed into town, Molly begins to get nervous. Is it really due to the storm like the man says, or did she make a terrible mistake getting into that truck?

Molly’s daughter Nicole may have spent years wallowing in grief and anger, but she can’t believe her mother would just leave the way she did. Nicole goes to the place where her car was found, searching for answers. Nicole finds a small group of locals who seem to want to help—a bartender who worked right near where it happened; an innkeeper who lets her stay; the police officer who helps even though it appears to be intentional. The more Nicole learns about that night and the town, the more disturbing it all seems. As Nicole gets closer to the truth, her mother may not be the only one in danger…

What did I think of Don’t Look for Me?
There is so much to unpack in this book. Molly and Nicole are the authentic characters that I have come to expect and love in Wendy Walker’s novels—flawed, grieving, and unable to pull themselves to the surface in the wake of tragedy. For Molly, this means thinking that she is a burden to her family—that they can’t forgive her. She may need to accept that her family would be better without her. For Nicole, this means spiraling into alcohol abuse and one night stands, destroying her once-promising future and becoming a shell of her former self.

The story follows two plotlines. One thread starts with Molly deciding to get into the truck, and follows what unfolds from there. That story is eerie, unsettling, and heart-pounding. The other thread follows Nicole as she goes to the place where her mother was last seen to try and find her. Nicole’s story is raw, emotional, and teetering on destruction. We learn through Nicole’s eyes that her father doesn’t really seem to be looking for Molly. Nicole is convinced he is having an affair, and she’s disappointed that he has turned away from her mother. Nicole is barely holding herself together, but she’s also the only person who seems to think something terrible happened to Molly.

Kidnapping stories are a tough read for me. The trapped, claustrophobic feeling the victim is experiencing seems to jump off the page and grab hold of me. However, in this case the story was so well-written and intriguing, I was able to stay glued to the page. In a way, the kidnapping brings Molly back to life. Initially she goes through what many women experience—the feeling that something isn’t right, but worrying about offending or causing a scene if she points it out. But eventually, the old Molly—the one from before the accident—takes over. This Molly is sharp, attentive, and good at reading people.

The key to Molly’s fate rests partly on Nicole, but partly on Molly herself and what she can learn from the girl in the house. Molly was a fantastic mother and teacher. She knows how to slowly build trust with this girl and glean information from her. The girl is erratic and often acts much younger than her age. At times she is kind, but she’s also cruel. She centers everything around herself. Rather than judge her, Molly sees her for what she clearly is—a girl who was raised in this house of lies, unable to go outside or interact with others. The scenes between Molly and the girl were captivating and frustrating. Why couldn’t this girl see that the man has been lying to her?

The two stories slowly creep closer together as Nicole follows any lead she can to find her mother, and Molly unravels what is really happening in the house she’s trapped in with the man and the girl. The closer Molly and Nicole get to uncovering the truth, the more terrifying the story becomes. I was in a chokehold reading this book. I couldn’t look away but I was also scared of what might happen next. The ending is satisfying in terms of resolution to the central tension, but also emotionally. Walker once again delivers a story that is equal parts suspenseful and heartbreaking. Will Molly and Nicole find a happy ending through all of this? And what will be left of their lives if they manage to escape?

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Terrific thriller. Molly Clarke is on her way home from her son's football game, a drive she's made plenty of times when she runs out of gas. The man who gives her a ride abduct her. As you read on, you realize this was NOT a spontaneous abduction. Love the way the author weaved the story, really kept me guessing. Also love the relationship portrayed between Molly and her daughter Nicole, who comes looking for her well after the search has ended. All of us should have someone like Nicole that never gives up on is!!

The Clarke family was a close knit family of 5. When tragedy strikes, a wedge divides the relationships. Molly, the matriarch, does her best to heal the relationships, and meets resistance.

In one of her attempts at an Oliver branch, she drove hours in a storm to see her son play football. On the way home, she gets stuck in the storm with no gas and seemingly disappears. A few days later, a note is found in a hotel room charged to her credit card saying “don’t come looking for me.”

While many in the family accept that she has left on her own accord, the oldest daughter Nic is not convinced. She goes to the town where her mother’s car was found and launches her own investigation. During which MANY twists unfold.

I loved this book!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I attempted (and failed) to clean out my “Currently Reading” items (FYI – I only read one book at a time and listen to one audio) last week by simply throwing ratings on some books I found to be average. Then I realized not only was this an ARC from NetGalley so I should probably spew something out about it, but that nearly all of my friends had 4 or 5 Starred it so I decided to give it a quick re-read . . . . and yeah, I stand by my 3 Stars.

The premise here is about a grieving mother who from all appearances simply walked away from her car and into the middle of a storm. A note is found at a local casino hotel room saying “don’t look for me.” We then fall into a dual narrative – one by the missing mother starting day one after she has disappeared and one by the daughter who is not willing to accept that she is gone starting thirteen days after her mother’s disappearance. The story unfolds until the two timelines converge.

I think my mediocre rating for this one can be blamed on a few things. First, when there are only a limited amount of characters the red herring suspects always seem pretty easy for me to spot. Which leads to a big “DUHHHHHH” moment when I finally get told whodunit. ACTUAL SPOILER AHEAD: (view spoiler) And I do seem to prefer my thrillers to either be campy fun or black as Mitchell’s heart so the Lifetime Television for Women types of tales just aren’t always my jam. (If you are looking for a missing person story that will knock you right out of your shoes, I highly recommend The Trap.) As for this one, when the shit about the apples came in, I was definitely NOT feeling like YAY SCIENCE!

And then the extra “twisty” reveal at the end? Dumb. It's dumb.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Don't Look for Me is a book about a mother who goes missing and her fierce daughter who is determine to find her. Nicole will find her mother regardless if all the evidence leads to the fact that her mother doesn't want to be found. The main theme in the book is about child-parent bonding and the strong love of a mother who fights to survive. It addresses loss, grief, and guilt. I loved how the author was able to weave together these three themes into a thrilling story.

It is well written and character driven. The story is told in two different POVs, Nicole the daughter and Molly the mother. When a family experiences a traumatic loss, each family member griefs differently and this was addressed in the book gently. It was also the main inner drive between Nicole and Molly. This is known to the reader because it was very well described in the writing. It's a fast pace read that will keep you turning every page just to find out what happened to Molly. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I hope you get to meet Alice, a character I loved!


Trigger warnings: grief, loss and mild violence

Don’t Look For Me is the second novel of Wendy Walker’s I have read, the first being her debut novel. It is a tense page turner that I nearly finished in one sitting. My only complaint (being a Floridian who’s survived a major hurricane) was how Molly got to be in the situation she was in. Highly unbelievable. But otherwise an interesting story with a twist at the end I did not expect or see coming.

I listened to a good part of this one and the narrator, Therese Plummer, was amazing. When I am late with a NetGalley book I always check it out from the library as well to give it a bump in the system.

**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest opinion. Sorry it’s late!**

THE TWISTS!!!!! This was my first book by this author and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the journey this one took me on

This book was so good! It was a new take on being taken. It was full of twists and I did not guess the ending! I have heard so many good things about this author, and I can’t wait to read more of her books!

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

I have to admit, the title of "Don't Look for Me" didn't exactly scream "must-read thriller" to me, but man, was I wrong! This book was a engaging from start to finish, and I couldn't put it down.

First of all, the alternating perspectives in the narrative were executed flawlessly. The story never lost its momentum, constantly revealing new information that kept me hooked. I blasted through this book in just two days, and if I hadn't had prior plans, I'm pretty sure I would've devoured it in one sitting.

One of the things I appreciated the most was how it kept me guessing. Some thrillers drop hints too early, but not this one. I had my theories, and just as I thought I had it all figured out, the story would throw me for a loop, making me question everything all over again.

What really stood out for me were the two strong, flawed women at the center of the story. It's refreshing to see well-drawn, complex female characters in a thriller. They felt real, and I could relate to their struggles and strengths.

I do wish there was a bit more time spent on the conclusion to wrap everything up and provide a bit more detail. But honestly, that's a minor thing in an otherwise fantastic read.

This was my first Wendy Walker book, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work. If you're a thriller fan, "Don't Look for Me" should be on your to-read list.

Molly Clarke’s family fell apart the very moment their youngest daughter dies. Molly forever blames herself and her husband seems to have fallen out of love with her. ⁣
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Molly then goes missing and everyone believes she’d abandoned her family- she couldn’t handle the guilt anymore. Her oldest daughter, Nicole, doesn’t believe that though. She doesn’t think her mother would just walk away from her family like that. ⁣
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Don’t Look For Me by Wendy Walker is a perfectly plotted psychological thriller. It’s creepy, suspenseful, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Walker had my heart pounding! ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁣
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𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

This was a five star read for me and influenced me to read more of Wendy Walkers books! This page turner ended up being my favorite.

Sadly, this thriller did not work for me. I enjoyed all the parts about the grief; however, I did feel that they were edging dangerously close to being "trauma porn". All the mystery parts were a miss for me. The beginning kept me entertained, but the ending was a complete disaster IMO. SPOILERS AHEAD. Was the abductor a psychopath? I am guessing, no? But then why was he acting so weird? He certainly exhibited SOME anti-social traits, and it appeared like he had some fantasies that he wanted to reenact...But at the end SHE is the one who was "evil". No. Just no. Psychopaths cannot be easily "played" like that by "evil women". I could not buy into this whole thing of the woman being the evil one in the end AT ALL. This was a pure and simple manipulation of the reader for the sake of achieving the "wow" factor in the very end. You did not expect that, did you?!?!? No, I did not. Because it was completely unbelievable, and ridiculous.

I cannot believe it took me so long to read this book! I originally received this ARC in July 2020 via @netgalley, but life got crazy (as it did for many of us during the pandemic) and I forgot about it until #thrillabookstaclub picked it as our monthly read earlier this year.

This was the perfect excuse to finally read this, and my initial reaction is: WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG!?

I absolutely loved it. It was the perfect balance of twists and intrigue, where the signs are all there and I felt like I was figuring out what happened, but still didn’t actually have a clue. I was floored by the ending (which scores major points in my book)!

I previously read All Is Not Forgotten, and really enjoyed it. So far, she is 2 for 2 in my book and I've already fallen behind on the latest release of What Remains, but I'm determined to not wait another year before getting to it!

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮:
🌧️ love domestic thrillers
🌧️ like disappearances during storms
🌧️ enjoy solving cold cases

This was addictive. Full of suspense, twists, and psychological manipulation. With complex characters and a mind-bending plot line, it will keep you on the edge of your seat, questioning everything. Get ready for a thrilling journey into the depths of the human mind.

Everyone thinks Molly has left her family. She leaves a note behind and her car is found. But Molly had run out of gas and accepted a ride from a man and a little girl. A little creepy and suspenseful, this story will leave you fearing what will happen next.

This is my first time reading this author but won’t be the last! This was a fast paced thriller that I couldn’t put down. It kept my interest and I didn’t want to put it down. I highly recommend this to thriller lovers.

Fun read. The story is captivating so it is hard to stop. This is a solid entry onto the list of her books.

I always seem to be on the opposite side of the popular train. This had such geat reviews and it just read like one of those bad 80s movies that never became a cult classic. A major miss for me.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This might sound like a funny reason to choose a title. But I keep seeing Wendy Walker’s name referred to by other suspense authors I follow such as Deborah Goodrich Royce and I thought, ok I need to begin reading this author. So glad I did! Don’t Look For Me kept me guessing the entire time and provided characters you couldn’t trust but still wanted to. I will be looking for more books this very day as I am heading straight to the bookstore!