This was one amazing psychological thriller. Wendy Walker is becoming one of my favourite, don't miss authors. This was a well-plotted psychological thriller that I raced through. Every time I thought I had things figured out, I changed my mind. When Molly Harper disappeared, the search didn't last very long. The police figured she had walked away from an unhappy life, and finding a note that implies just that doesn't help. Her youngest daughter is dead and it was her fault, her husband hardly talks to her and is often not home at all, her son doesn't want to be embarrassed by her and her other daughter and her are constantly arguing and fighting, what reason did she have to stay? The story opens with Molly driving home from her son's football game and running out of gas. There is a storm raging, so the gas station is closed. A man and his daughter offer her a ride to town and she accepts. She is not seen again and her car is found on the side of the road. Where is Molly?

The story is told from both Molly's and her daughter Nic's point of views. Nic does not give up on her mother and follows up on every lead possible. She knows her mother would not walk away from her family. I don't want to give away the plot of this story, but I will say that the girl in the truck has a lot to do with Molly's disappearance and what happens to her after that. This book is creepy, atmospheric, suspenseful and scary. Everyone is a suspect as you don't find out who the culprit is until the very end. If you enjoy suspenseful read and thrillers, then pick this one up, I am sure you will love it.

Author Wendy Walker (https://www.wendywalkerbooks.com) published the novel “Don't Look for Me” in 2020. Ms. Walker has published five novels.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of violence, mature language, and mature situations. The story is set in rural Connecticut. The primary characters are Molly Clarke and her twenty-one-year-old daughter Nichole.

Molly has been to see her son play football and is on her way home. She runs out of gas in the midst of a huge storm. The next day the police find her car abandoned on the side of the road outside the small town of Hastings. There is no sign of Molly. The police discover her credit card was used at a nearby hotel. They begin to think that Molly simply walked away from her life.

This fits with the Clarke family circumstances. Five years earlier to the day Molly had killed her youngest daughter in a traffic accident. Her family had begun to fall apart after that. Walking away from it all seemed to be a reasonable conclusion.

Nichole had fought with her mother just before she disappeared. Now she is desperate to find her. When a new lead comes up Nichole travels back to Hastings. She had been there while the police had been searching. It has been two weeks since her mother disappeared. She doesn't want to go home without her.

Nichole finds that the residents of Hastings have many secrets. Nichole can't tell who to trust. Someone she has met in Hastings knows what happened to her mother.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 6+ hours I spent reading this 345-page mystery. The story is a little unusual. The part told from Molly Clarke's perspective is in the first person. Ms. Walker has done a superb job of creating a compelling plot. Twists and a surprising ending all contribute to making this a very enjoyable read. The selected cover art is simple but feels like a good choice. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Heart-pounding thriller! Scary, twisted and surprisingly until the end.

Molly Clarke disappears and is presumed to have left home on the anniversary of a tragic event. But her grown daughter Nicole does not believe it and doesn’t stop looking for her. The chapters go back and forth between Molly and Nicole as you get the full story of what really happened.

This is my fourth book by Walker and they get better every time. This book had me shacking my head. I was so wrong on many levels. I love it when I can't figure out the ending.
5 star must read.

An abandoned car, a note in a hotel, and a daughter who just doesn't believe it. That is a brilliant trifecta of starting points for a great thriller. I was intrigued by the premise of a mother fighting to return home when (almost) everyone thinks she left on purpose. I'm glad to say Wendy Walker's novel gave me exactly what I hoped for. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What do you do when your mom has disappeared, apparently on purpose? What if she has left a note and everyone, including your dad and brother, assume she abandoned you all? And what if you've been kidnapped but know no one is looking for you? It might be trite to bring up Tolstoy when discussing families, but each unhappy family truly does carry its own, specific trauma. How, to quote another genius, do you learn to live with the unimaginable? Wendy Walker truly looks into all the various family relationships in Don't Look for Me, gently investigating each for the small joys and cuts we give each other. It is this depth that gives the novel its emotional core and you can't help but root for the family, despite all their little barbs and neglects.

Don't Look For Me switches in perspective between Molly Clarke and her daughter, Nicole. While the former is looking for a way out and begins to get to know her captor, the latter struggles to make sense of the leads and the secretive locals. There are slight time hops here as well, as Molly's narrative tells us about her capture and works its way towards the moment Nicole finds herself in. Wendy Walker takes on a lot in Don't Look For Me, telling us about the Clarke family, Nicole's demons, and the history of the town and its locals. It's a credit to her writing that almost all of the characters do feel quite fleshed out, so that the reader can genuinely take them into account while trying to solve Molly's disappearance. I did struggle to initially get into the story, but once Walker has set up all the pieces it becomes riveting. As the tension slowly ramps up and the stories of the mother and daughter become more entwined, I found myself genuinely intrigued.

As mentioned above, Wendy Walker creates a whole range of characters for this novel, but it is Molly and Nicole who really shine. Both aren't in exactly ideal circumstances, dealing with guilt and hurt, trying to make the best of it and yet so undermining their own healing at times. However, as the novel continues, Walker shows us how they become stronger, more determined, smarter, more resourceful. It is done so gently, with baby steps, that by the end I was majorly impressed by both. Walker works well with the cliches of the thriller genre, creating memorable scenes and settings. At times spooky, at times heart-warming, I was thoroughly entertained throughout.

Don't Look for Me is a gentle but thorough look at a family in crisis and a daughter willing to do everything to find her mother. With tight scenes and interesting characters, I would recommend Wendy Walker's novel to any thriller reader!

I knew I wanted to read this book by Wendy Walker. I loved her previous books, “The Night Before” and “Emma in the Night”. I devoured this book in one day.

The main character, Molly, was very relatable. She was a resourceful and practical captive. Be prepared for this story to pull on your heartstrings. Her daughter, Nic, was headstrong and a colorful character.

The twists and turns in this story will keep you guessing throughout. It is defiantly a five-star thriller you don’t want to miss.

I received this galley for NetGalley.

The suspense in DON'T LOOK FOR ME is artful. Thrillers are hit-or-miss for me, but when an author truly nails the suspense, I am in heaven. Walker does exactly that.

One of my goals for 2021 is to catch up on my Netgalley reads! I went a little wild with requesting in 2020, so now I have quite the back log!

I just finished “Don’t Look for Me” by Wendy Walker. This particular book has been on my TBR for months and has been popping on quite a few fellow reading buddies as one of their 2020 faves.

This book I devoured a little over a day. It’s super captivating and keeps you hooked until the very ending. It’s a typical cat and mouse story with all the twists and turns that I love in a good thriller! I also am a sucker for a book that has a creepy child as one of the main characters! ha!

Majority of the book’s POV is between Molly (the main character) and her daughter Nicole and their quest to find answers. Both characters are dealing with a sensational amount of trauma and loss, but express their emotions is different ways, which of course left a wedge in their relationship.

I don’t want to give too much away since it is a guessing game. Obviously, it is too soon to tell if it’s a contender for a 2021 best, but overall great read!

Wow!

I absolutely loved this story and found myself completely connected and invested in not only the plot but the characters as well. I truly felt for them and the emotional pain the we’re going through as if I actually knew them and could personally relate to their situations.

Some parts were harder to read than others, mainly because as a mother it was hard to not empathize with the pain Molly Clark felt and lived with daily. Some parts were maddening, who could be trusted? And then some parts were surprising, while others were predictable (which never detracts from the enjoyment of the story). It definitely keeps you guessing though and trying to figure out what is going on.

I definitely recommend this story!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

4.5 stars

I devour Wendy Walker’s writing, and this was no exception. The reason that this is 4.5 instead of 5 stars is my own fault: I was totally convinced, pretty early on, that I knew who “Mickey” was. I read about 40% of the story thinking this, and then, when I turned out to be wrong, I had to rethink how I had processed the events of a good chunk of the story. I will say that I was glad to be wrong-- I don’t like to figure out the reveal before I’m intended to-- but I really thought I had this one.

*** 5 Stars ***

Yes, yes, yes!!! This was just what I needed to pull me out of a reading slump in time to start the new year strong.
Gosh I don't want to give any of this away because it is so suspenseful and intriguing. I couldn't put this down. Molly Clarke's car is found abandoned on the side of a road with a note found in a nearby hotel showing that she had to get away. Her painful past was too much to handle. But is that really what happened to Molly Clarke? Molly was actually on the way home alone, during a storm, from one of her children's football games when she runs out of gas and a man with a little girl stop and offer her a ride. When she accepts the ride, the doors lock and life is never the same.
This story alternates between Molly Clarke's POV and her other child Nicole, who is desperately trying to find out what really happened to her mother.

Stellar read, that I couldn't recommend more. I'm a huge Wendy Walker fan but this is my favorite from her so far! I really liked the main character Molly and her daughter Nicole. Well written and fast paced.

Special Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the book you can feel Molly and her families grief at the death of Molly's daughter. The whole family has not recovered. It would be understandable if Molly did just up and leave, after all she is blamed for the death. It appears she has, everything points to that conclusion. Until, her daughter Nicole receives some new information. Did Molly really leave? This is a perfect thriller. It had me thinking I knew the answer then some new information shows up. It wasn't until the very end until we find out what actually happens to Molly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for an ARC copy for my honest review. I look forward to reading more books from this author. 5 Stars out of 5!!

Five years after the death of her daughter and Molly Clarke is still entrenched in her grief. Her family hates her and she believes that they have every right to hate her. After all, she did kill her daughter. No matter how nasty they are to her, she is still there for every meal. For every football game. Then night Molly went missing. She had been at her son's football game and she never returned home. Her car was found and her credit card was used at a hotel. Then there was a note saying "Don't look for me." So everybody stops looking for her, except for her oldest daughter, Nicole. Nicole hasn't had an easy time since her sister died and she knows that she has been nasty and cruel to her mother, but she knows that her mother would never just leave them. Did Molly leave her family behind or is Nicole right that Molly would never willingly leave her family?

Don't Look For Me was a fairly predictable mystery novel about a woman who has taken a lot of abuse. And nobody was more abusive to Molly than Molly herself. I can't say that I would behave any differently if I was the one who killed my own child. Nicole was also a mess. She made a lot of risky choices after the death of her sister and it was just pure luck that she didn't end up in a situation similar to her mother - or worse. And then she did. The whole scenario was really predictable - even the "twist" was predictable. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.

Bottom Line - I have enjoyed Wendy Walker novels in the past, however, I was disappointed with the predictable nature of Don't Look For Me. I can promise you this, though, it won't stop me from reading her next book.

Details:

Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker
On Instagram
Pages: 352
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 9.15.2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Wendy's Walker's book, The Night Before. So, I had high expectations for Don't Look for me and it did not disappoint, This was a solid thriller with surprising twists and turns.

This book was a rollercoaster! I kept thinking I had it figured out, then a new twist would come which would make me rethink everything. I liked the back and forth views from Nic and her mom. It kept the suspense high because I would need to figure out what happened to Nic! And then Molly! And then Nic! The book also had a creepy aspect to it without being gory or gross, which I liked. Overall, this book was great. I have now read two of Wendy Walker’s books, and I have a couple left to read! She is turning into a must read author for me!

Awesome book! This definitely had me coming back for more and kept me guessing! I will be reaching more from this author in the future.

CREEPY READ! OMG Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are in the market for a new addition to your shelves, grab a copy TODAY. Well written, dark, thrilling, edge of the seat read. I actually didn’t want it to end. LOL. But, alas, they always do. But don’t fear, Wendy will grace us with another read before we know it!

LOVED IT!

**I received this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley for an honest review**

The thought is that Molly Clarke walked away from her life. Her family has been shattered from past tragedy and she just can’t handle it anymore. Her daughter Nic doesn’t believe that to be the case, so she refuses to stop looking for her mother.

I started this story thinking this entire family was trash. They had more drama than anything which you learn is jut grief talking. The husband was sketchy, the daughter was mean, and the son was a typical jerk of a teenager. It made you empathize with the mother, Holly, and you kind of understand her outrageous thoughts. I thought her decision making was terrible. She was obviously way too trusting and not questioning enough.

This was one wild story. Between Holly and Nic, I wasn’t sure what to think. I was guessing and second guessing what I thought was going to happen. I wasn’t sure who to trust but had my doubts about one person in particular. The author does a great job of painting a picture and making you want to assume it’s one person doing all of the crazy. Overall a pretty good read with great mystery.

What do you do when you really need a distraction during a global pandemic? You sit down with an edge of your seat psychological thriller like Don't Look for Me and get sucked right in from the very beginning. This story is everything a good thriller should be. The tension and suspense steadily rises as you turn the page, and it's the kind of story that makes you suspect everyone at one point or another. Parts of the story do require a stretch of the imagination but not so much that I couldn't stay lost in the book. It's well written, thoroughly gripping, and impossible to put down, and it's exactly what I needed in this crazy dramatic time.

I love Wendy Walker, and this one met my expectations. Molly Clarke is a married mom who hasn't been doing well lately. She has accidentally struck and killed her own child, her teenage children do not have time for her and don't seem to like her at all, and she's convinced that her husband is seeing someone else. When her car runs out of gas with a huge storm brewing, she accepts a ride from a man with a young girl inside a pickup truck. What happens next is a strategic kidnapping made to look like a runaway mother/wife who just doesn't want to be found. This is nail-biting suspense with cut-throat drama. You just don't know what's coming or who to believe. Loved it!