Wow!!!! Talk about intense!! This is my third experience with this author and by far my best. I’m not even really sure how to review this book as I believe it’s best gone in blind. I love that Walker gave us such flawed characters to root for. An unspeakable devastation and an impossible situation drives the plot and drives it in a gripping and addictive way. I’m just blown away! Don’t miss out!

My first book by this author. Definitely kept me interested. Well developed characters, who all were quite messed up. Not usually a fan of a dysfunctional family, but with the psychological thriller aspect to the book, it kept me interested. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I have conflicted thoughts on Don't Look For Me.

I did enjoy the pacing of the novel; Walker drops you into the action right from page one and amps up the tension on every page after that. The situation, at the beginning, was entirely realistic as where Molly's thoughts. I appreciate how dark and deep this was. All of the characters are dealing with loss and trauma in some ways and the way they cope with that takes many different forms. The writing was witty, sharp, and overall enjoyable. Molly and Nic were both headstrong women that I loved rooting for. On top of that, they were smart. Molly did what she could to save her daughter, using her background as a science teacher to help her try and escape. Neither was a damsel in distress waiting to be saved.

I did feel like there was too much internal monologue that got repetitive. At first it did aid to the character building of the characters but after a while, it wasn't necessary. I did like how the ending connected a lot of the lore of Hastings from the last 10 years so we could get answers to that. But part of the ending just didn't sit right with me. I appreciate a good twist but this seemed to be out of left field to me.

4.5/5

A parent’s absolute worst nightmare comes true when a total fluke accident ends in tragedy. On her way home one night, Molly rounds the blind corner to her driveway just as her nine year old daughter races out to catch the ice cream truck. Annie is struck and killed by her own mother’s car.

Five years later and the family still hasn’t recovered. John, subconsciously blaming his wife for the accident has fallen out of love with her. Her middle child and only son, Evan, has disappeared off to school, seeking the positive affirmation that he’s enough from the football field. Nicole, her eldest, was expelled from high school and has fallen into a never ending merry go round of alcohol and strange men.

Molly is riddled with guilt. Though every investigation confirms she did everything right and the accident was truly that, how can she ever forgive herself? Not only has she lost her daughter, but the death is on her conscience and has pushed the rest of her family away.

After visiting Evan’s school for a football game, Molly gets stuck in an oncoming hurricane without gas. The day has been a total nightmare - from Nicole reminding her that Annie’s death is her fault to Evan outright ignoring her at the game, it feels like nothing can go right. Taking to the street to find shelter, Molly is relieved when a man with his daughter picks her up and brings her back to his house to wait out the storm.

But Molly’s anxiety radar is on high alert, particularly when the man refuses to bring her back to town the next day and his daughter, Alice, seems to know a bit too much about her. When confronted, the man traps Molly in a barred room, keeping her captive and forcing her to spend time with Alice for extended periods of time.

It’s clear Alice knows no other life and as Molly slowly gains her trust and peppers her for information, Molly suspects she isn’t the first woman who has been held captive here. Conspiring against her captor appears futile and when her daughter returns to the town on a new lead, Molly begins to worry that if she fails at becoming Alice’s “second mommy,” her daughter may be the new target.

This novel kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough! There were enough red herrings to keep me guessing but the pieces played out perfectly. The character development was really well done and the tragedy the Clarke family experienced was heartbreaking. I can’t recommend this one enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this novel.

This book was just okay. I did not care for thriller trope this book follows. The synopsis was very vague and that was what made me pick up this book. However, I can not stand this trope. I nearly did not finish this book. The ending was surprising and had a twist I did not see coming but I did not enjoy the story overall. I would give this three stars for the ending but I almost did not make to the end.

This was a quick read, but it still took me a while to get into it. I had a hard time connecting with both of the main characters. Some of the plot points just seemed disjointed as the reader, and the details revealed felt a little bit random. It was pretty obvious to me who the culprit was, but I will say that the "big twist" at the end I did not see coming. That did finally wrap up some of the previous plot points, but I still felt unsettled that everything was too neat and tidy. It didn't seem realistic enough.

Overall I liked this book much better by the end, and it was a solid 3.5 star read for me, but it wasn't my favorite from Wendy Walker.

My goodness. What a story line! It sucked me on from the very beginning. This train wreck of a cast of characters was a bit far fetched at times, but I loved every single hot mess story of their lives!

Loved it!! Enjoyed the characters, story and writing style. I was suspicious of everyone in the small town of Hastings, including Molly's husband. I pretty much thought everyone was guilty. Molly was my favorite character, although she must not watch Dateline or any of the other murder shows on the ID Channel. NEVER get into a stranger's car or you will either end up killed, locked in a basement or something equally as horrible. I felt bad for her. She had so much guilt for what happened to her youngest child. Plus her husband, son and daughter seem to blame her non stop. Nic was extremely hard to like in the beginning. The stuff she said to her mother was inexcusable. There were so many twists and turns. I never figured out the true identity of Mick until Molly did. I hate to say this but I found Alice extremely annoying. I'm not sure how Molly lasted so long being around Alice and playing games. At times Alice was purposely cruel. I guess it's understandable in the environment she grew up in. I loved the book but the ending wasn't my favorite. The part that I didn't care for was Mick's accomplice. I was definitely shocked and never saw that coming. That person seemed even worse than Mick. There are some crazy people out there.

Definitely recommend it. A great mystery/thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have not read Wendy Walker before, but oh does she write a good thriller! The pacing of the novel was excellent and you really felt the emotion from the characters. She did a great job of weaving past, present and mother and daughter's stories together. This kept me on the edge of my seat and parts I couldn't read at night. It will keep you guessing, highly recommend it. If this is any indication of her talent, I will be checking out all of Ms. Walker's books!

I could not stop reading this book!!! What a fresh, creepy, mind blowing, twisty thriller!! It seems that Molly, who has had her share of tragedy recently, has chosen to walk away from her life. She even left a note behind, asking her family to not look for her. Suspicions arise especially with her daughter, Nic, who is determined to find out the truth. Enter in a cast of interesting characters and a "missing" housewife who finds herself in a very unique situation. Every time I thought I had things in this book figured out, I was wrong! That made is so thrilling and enjoyable. A super solid thriller that I am sure will do well this year. Thank you for the ARC!

This book is a psychological thriller/suspense that keeps you guessing. All the pieces don't come together until the end and their were many twists and turns I didn't expect. This is a quick read that will keep you going! I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for a copy and my honest review.

Molly has been ridden with guilt for 5 years. She knows her husband doesn’t love her anymore, he’s probably having an affair. Her oldest daughter Nic is on a self-destruction course, blames Molly for their family’s grief and her son Evan is embarrassed to be seen with her. One night driving home through a major storm, she runs out of gas. She thinks, what if I just disappear? They’ll never miss me. They’ll be glad I’m gone. And just like that she’s gone... Nic is determined to find her mom. Her dad wants to give it up and come home. But Nic doesn’t believe she would just leave them... but She thinks back to that morning she disappeared. She said some horrible things, would she leave? Nic goes back and starts to piece things together.

I really enjoyed this book. I recommend this book.

Don’t Look for Me gave me the creeps- in a good way! I totally bought into the storyline and could not wait to see how it played out. Although I saw some twists coming, others caught me by surprise. I loved the alternating narrators so I could follow the hunt but also know where the hunted was located. Very well done and I cannot wait time read more from this author.

This had the makings of a great book but it fell short of its goals.

Molly's POV is an interesting one,I found myself skimming the parts with her daughter,but it feels like something is missing.
I like the idea of this novel more than the execution.I will suggest going in with as little info as possible.
This isn't a bad novel just a lackluster one.


I received a copy through Netgalley.

Creeptastic characters filled with mega tension! My first by this author but not my last. Yikes, she can really keep you guessing.

A mother disappears after going to see her son's college football game eight hours away from home. She gets caught in a severe thunderstorm and trust a stranger and his daughter to get her to safety. Little does she know that she is going to be held captive and her family is led to believe that she just ran away because a note is left in a hotel room saying she does not want to be found.
But her daughter does not believe it, and comes back into the area she disappeared after a strong lead brings her back to investigate. It's a race against time as she attempts to find her mother and quickly learns the small town is full of secrets and hardly anybody can be trusted.
I read this book within a few days because it was packed full of suspense, especially when the kidnapper starts taking an interest in the daughter, becoming obsessed with her. As the plot thickens, all things fall into place but I was somewhat surprised at the climax of the story. This was a very good read and I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book. I loved the suspense, I was on edge the entire time I was reading. What I enjoyed the most is that I wasn't exactly sure who the baddie was. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I would suspect someone else. I also enjoyed the two main characters points of view. I was completely invested in all of the characters. The story became a little convoluted towards the end and somewhat unbelievable but despite that it was engaging. If you are looking for a book with lots of twists and turns, then this is the book for you. Ultimately you will not be able to "Walk Away". Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one was fantastic!
Molly Clarke lives with guilt after a tragic family accident. Her husband hardly acknowledges her, her daughter says hateful things and her son wants nothing to do with her. When she fails to return from a road trip after a storm, everyone assumes she's walked away from her life. Until her daughter receives a call leading her to believe otherwise bringing her back to the town of Hastings.
Don't Look for Me was unputdownable. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I don't want to say too much about it, because it's just one you must pick up to read for yourself. I was literally guessing until the end and even then did not see it coming. Not only was it thrilling, it's super creepy! There's one young character in particular that gave me chills time after time. Highly recommend. I'll for sure be picking up Ms Walker's backlist.

Molly Clarke's entire family is shattered when a terrible accident happens, and her youngest daughter is killed. Molly is unable to forgive herself, her husband walls himself away and stops loving Molly, the oldest daughter gets kicked out of school and is lashing out, and her son has turned cruel and punishing towards her. After a particularly demeaning day, when Molly runs out of gas just feet away from a gas station, she considers just walking away from it all. Who would even care? But after she hitches a ride with a stranger she has a change of heart. But it is too late. That stranger has plans for Molly....
This story is told in alternating parts between Molly while she is in captivity, and her daughter, who is convinced her mom didn't just walk away from them and is searching for her, It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat....one of those nail-biting, is-she-going-to-get-there-in-time-to-save-her kind of books. If you enjoy a good thriller, then this is perfect for you.

Molly Clarke doesn’t want to be found. At least that’s what investigators say when they find her car abandoned on the side of the road and a note found at a nearby hotel. They call it a “walk away” which is when someone simply walks away from their life and starts over. Her daughter, Nicole doesn’t believe that’s what happened to her mom and she’s determined to get to the bottom of her mom’s disappearance. ⠀
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Another great thriller in the books 🙌🙌 It held my attention through out especially the parts from Molly’s point of view. Despite Nicole’s flaws she was super smart and I enjoyed playing detective right along with her. It was fun uncovering the town people’s secrets and trying to piece together who might be responsible for Molly’s disappearance ( I guessed wrong!!). My only complaint is that certain events that took place towards the end seemed really unbelievable. The story seemed really realistic for the most part so I was a bit disappointed in that part. This was a super creepy, suspenseful read though and it’s perfect for the fall season.