This book sucked me in from the very beginning! I found it to be a really great psychological thriller. There was suspense, drama and overall it was just really good! This book has alternating POV's with Molly and Nicole which I really liked. I read this book in one sitting because it was so captivating to me!

Thank you Netgally and St. Martin's press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Loved!! This is a fast paced action packed, suspenseful psychological thriller. Well written, loved the damaged characters in this book, the plot blew me away!
5 stars!

Going to make this short and sweet, if you enjoy great psychological thrillers with really good character development, a totally believable storyline, and a story that gives you that creepy feeling, then this book is for you!!
There are no cons with this one, all pros. I loved so many things about this book, the attention to detail was excellent. I highly recommend!! Well done….
I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest unbiased opinion. This is a 5-star review. Highly recommend.

My favorite Wendy Walker read to date! This story gripped me from the beginning and didn't let up at all. The story is told in alternate POV'S -- those of Molly Clarke and her daughter, Nicole. Through these alternating chapters, we learn about the issues facing the Clarke family, and how they were falling apart. Would Molly really just up and leave her husband and 2 kids, or did something more sinister happen? This book has a great, twisted cast of characters. Nobody can be trusted. I did have an idea of what would happen at the end, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of this novel.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book!

Molly Clark, in an impulsive move, partly because her husband was having an affair & no longer loved her; because her daughter hated her & her son was embarrased by her presence, walked away from her life on a storm-swept night. She decided to leave the life she built behind while she had the opportunity, with only a small suitcase, her purse & phone & the clothes on her back. Then she ran out of gas in the middle of a storm & was picked up by a man & his daughter. That was the last time she had an opportunity to contact her family.
And so the novel begins. This terrific read by Wendy Walker entertained me all the way through. When I began reading, I had the awful feeling that Molly Clark would never be seen alive. When her daughter Nicole (Nic) begins her own investigation into her mother’s whereabouts, the plot begins to round out. At that point I was worried for both mother & daughter. Both of them end up in the dying, post industrial town of Hastings. Nic feels all the major players are lying to her & she just can’t get off the barstool when the night time comes. The police believe Molly is a “walk-away” &, after a rather cursory investigation, stop looking for her.
I just loved this novel! Ms. Walker did a wonderful job developing the plot & major characters. Her writing was polished & engaging. At the conclusion all the loose ends were brought together, my questions were answered, & I was left saying “Wow!” to myself. I’ve read a few of Wendy Walker’s novels & loved them all. But this one was my favorite. I recommend it to those readers who enjoy domestic thrillers, women’s fiction & psychological drama.
Thank you, MacMillan U.S.A. & NetGalley for the opportunity to read & review this novel. This review consists of my own honest thoughts.

This was awesome! Creepy, suspenseful and unpredictable from start to finish. This is my second book by Wendy Walker and it’s sure to be a bestseller.

When Mollie Clarke travels out of town to attend her son’s football game, she never makes it home. Her car is found abandoned and after the authorities find a note presumably written by Mollie, the search is called off and she is presumed to have “walked away” from her life.

Mollie and her family had suffered a terrible tragedy a few years before and had each struggled to get back to some semblance of a normal life. Mollie’s daughter, Nicole, feels tremendous guilt over her mother’s disappearance and when she receives a credible tip, she decides to go back to the town where her mother went missing and conduct another search. Nicole soon learns that the town has secrets and it is hard to know who to trust.

I can’t even say which part of the story fascinated me the most because I don’t want to give away any details. This is a fairly safe story for sensitive readers. It has just a very minimum of violence. This is one that you won’t want to pass up!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

Book Review: Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker
(Published by St. Martin's Press, September 15, 2020)

4.5 Stars.

Chapter Fifty-Three.

"...I do not know what I am seeing, but it has led me into a deep pool of confusion...."

- A protagonist, "Don't Look for Me" by Wendy Walker.

With a twist so shocking, the reader will be compelled to re-read this chapter, just to reacquaint the forsaken thought process completely flummoxed from what was proffered up to this point to get to surely where this gripping family drama /crime thriller was headed.

Humdrum elements of daily suburbia routines and life along rural routes crossing the Boston-Albany/Schenectady corridor, - who woulda thunk?

This novel is a sparkling example of how good writing, effective use of dramatic irony, and the exceptional creativity of an author to patch it all together, doesn't need any of those sexy, shiny objects to concoct one gem of a tale and knock the socks off the poor, unsuspecting reader.

And Wendy Walker is one such terrific author, whose works I'll definitely anticipate.

Unputdownable!

Review based on an ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.

"There are so many shades of gray that sometimes I feel life is one long, beautiful, cloudy gray."
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Wow! Don't Look For Me is my first Wendy Walker novel and it will NOT be my last!
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The Clarke family suffered a major tragedy five years ago and all four members are reeling from the loss. Molly, the mother, loves her family but feels no place in their lives anymore. Her daughter hates her, her son won't acknowledge her, and her husband sometimes doesn't even come home at night. One stormy night, Molly disappears into the rain. Is she dead? Or did she simply run away from her family, hoping they wouldn't look for her so she could start anew?
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Parts of this book were CHILLING AF. I was so compelled to read on and on and on to know what happened and at the same time horrified (in a good way) at the story. This is definitely a twisty thriller/mystery with so many red herrings that you will be guessing all the way to the end! I highly recommend picking this one up :)!

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Hard to put down, makes you sad, angry, just a great read. The Clarke family is broken. The youngest child Annie, was killed by a car which was driven by her mother, Molly. It broke everyone. Molly disappeared leaving a note asking them not to look for her. But did she really disappear? Full of tension, a gripping thriller.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Molly Clarke's life is falling apart. Her marriage is on the rocks after the loss of their 9 year old daughter, her children and husband blame her for her death, her son doesn't acknowledge she exists, and her daughter hates her. While driving home, feeling rejected by her family, she is caught in a storm and runs out of gas. She gets out of her car and decides to leave it all behind. Days go by and Molly has still not returned home and her daughter begins looking for her. Did her mom just leave them without a trace or did something more sinister happen?

I really enjoyed the book. I don't want to give away more than my description because part of the enjoyment of this book is the slow reveal of events. It is told in dual perspectives and timelines - Molly on the day she disappears and her daughter, Nicole, starting two weeks later. I would recommend this to any thriller fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. You can purchase this book on September 15, 2020 or preorder now.

This book was amazing! It reminded me of a mix between Gone Girl, The Room, and Orphan (the movie). It was fast-paced and had short chapters which made it easy to get through. The switching POV wasn't confusing at all. There were multiple twists that I couldn't figure out and Don't Look for Me was more engaging than most thrillers I've read this year. It is by far my favorite thriller of 2020. 5/5 stars!!

Don’t Look for Me, by Wendy Walker

Short Take: Kill all DARLINGs before you start this book.

(*Note: I received an advance copy of this book for review.*)

Good morning, my beloved nerdlings! Today I want to discuss something very serious that affects all readers at one time or another- the most dreaded DARLINGs (Dumb Annoying Real Life Interruptions - Not Good). We’ve all been there - the heroine is just about to open the door that’s been locked for 200 pages, or the villain raises the knife, and suddenly, lunch break is over or the doctor calls your name or the kids need fed. You’ve just been hit by a DARLING, and it’s LITERALLY THE WORST.

I raise this issue right now, because I just read Don’t Look For Me, and if there’s ever a book that demands a DARLING-free day, this is it. Until you have blocked out the time to finish it, do not, I repeat, DO NOT start. Don’t flip the pages, don’t crack the spine, don’t even sniff it or turn on your ereader until you have a clear schedule. Trust me, have I ever steered you wrong?

Ok, maybe that one time. Or that other one.

Anyway.

Molly Clarke has a life that most people would want to walk away from. After a horrific tragedy, her nearly-adult son and daughter push her away. Her marriage is hanging by a thread that’s unraveling every minute. Surely anywhere, any life, would be better than this one.

And that’s what happens. Her car is abandoned, there’s a note, it’s totally obvious what happened to Molly. Probably.

I’m not going to dump a lot of plot details on y’all, because I know you’ll be reading the book anyway, right? I will say that Molly is a great character - imperfect and walking that fine line between stubborn and resilient that’s probably kept more than one person going through bad times. Should Molly keep clinging to being a mother, or should she put her own well-being first? Her daughter, Nicole, is her mother’s girl for better or worse, and even as part of her wants to just let Molly disappear, that stubborn/resilient streak keeps asking questions.

For a book I’d classify as Ludicrous Speed,, Don’t Look For Me is also a thoughtful look at what happens to a perfect family when the unthinkable happens. Is there such a thing as “unbreakable” when it comes to the bonds we have with each other? Where’s the line between respecting boundaries and giving up?

There was at least one twist I saw coming, because I’ve been doing this a long time and I know some stuff about some stuff, but duckies, this is a thriller in the best sense of the word. Like literally heart-pounding, breath-holding, OMG all the way through. And let me just tell you, a DARLING while you’re reading this book will have you howling in frustration. So do whatever you have to do to kill all of them. Call off work, reschedule your doctor’s appointment, load the fridge with pre-made snacks and tell the kids they’re on their own. Would Auntie Nerdy ever let you down?

Maybe don’t answer that so fast.

The Nerd’s Rating: FIVE HAPPY NEURONS (and a big bottle of water, I forgot to hydrate while I was reading. Seriously, it’s that good.)

A fast, action packed, and suspenseful psychological thriller. I was on the edge of seat. Molly disappears from her family and the search that ensues is nothing less than twisty and creepy just the way I like my thrillers. I enjoyed the characters especially Alice - what a strange little girl she was.

Molly knew her family never forgave her for her part in the accident that killed her daughter. How could they when she couldn’t forgive herself.​

She thought her husband was having an affair, her daughter wouldn’t talk to her, and her son purposely avoided her when she went to see him at school.​​

One day on her way back from driving to her son’s school but not seeing him, she runs out of gas and a storm hits.

​​Molly starts to walk to town in the pouring rain and a Good Samaritan stops and asks if she needs a ride. She was hesitant to get in, but she saw a little girl with her father and figured it would be safe.

​​But was it safe to get in this truck? We found out it definitely wasn’t.​​

The tension was very “thick” and didn’t stop for the entire book.

​​Wondering what really was going on and how Molly was going to get out of this situation will have you turning the pages and biting your nails.​​

Psychological thriller fans will devour this book. ​​

DON’T LOOK FOR ME is chilling, well crafted, and oh so good. I couldn’t put it down.​​

All I can say is READ IT - this is Wendy Walker’s crowning glory. 5/5​​

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Don't Look For Me is a novel of suspense. That should be the only categorization. To call it a thriller or even a mystery is slightly misleading. The reader will know the secret very early on, and the foreshadowing builds the story from there. There are tense moments. Some harsh intakes of breath may be in order, and there might even be a compulsion to yell at the characters, like you would the girl in a horror movie who goes into the dark basement to check out a strange noise. For me, I was able to put together the "whodunit" early on, which normally would be a bummer. But Don't Look For Me has something crackling beneath the surface that will compel you to keep turning pages. These characters will get under your skin, at turns tugging your heartstrings, and frustrating you to distraction. This book is an emotional maelstrom; exploring grief, guilt, obsession, depression, hate, love, and anger. Once you reach the startling conclusion, you can finally let out that breath you didn't even know you were holding. Wendy Walker seems to up the ante with each successive book, and Don't Look For Me is a story made to be devoured in one sitting.
3.25 stars

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.

Wendy Walker has a way of pulling me right into a book and never wanting to set it down! I think Ive read all of her books now in one or two sittings. (and thats only because I fell asleep or had to go to work!)

In Dont Look For Me, Molly's car has been found on the side of the road. a few days later, a note is found in an empty hotel room explaining that she has left and not to look for her. The police and her husband believe the letter, saying Molly has never recovered from the child she lost and has been separating from her life for some time now. Her daughter, Nicole, isn't convinced. After receiving a call to her cell phone with a new tip about her mom, she heads to the small town of Hastings to find her. She is determined to find her one way or another, even if its just for an explanation.

This story is told in alternating viewpoints and kept me turning the pages! Wendy Walker is amazing at telling stories from the viewpoints of the "missing" and the "searching". The entire book I find myself wishing I could just make the two viewpoints meet so I can figure out the mystery!! This is a summer read you don't want to miss for sure!

I received a complimentary galley of DON’T LOOK FOR ME by Wendy Walker for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley!

Publication Date: 9/15/2020
Rating: 4.5 / 5
DON’T LOOK FOR ME begins with Molly Clarke. She’s making the four hour drive home from her son’s school when she runs out of gas just before reaching the gas station. Given the looming storm, it turns out the station is closed and Molly is left with few options. In a life that has been filled with tragedy, this is just one more difficulty to endure.

The narrative switches to the perspective of Molly’s daughter Nic two weeks later. Molly’s car was found abandoned by the side of the road and after a few days of searching her clothes are found at a local hotel with a note telling everyone that she is sorry, but she’s leaving. Concerned that her parents’ strained marriage means her father isn’t putting the effort into finding Molly that she should, Nic has begun to lead the charge to track down her mother.

I was hooked to this story from the very beginning. In the opening we get a glimpse into the daily struggle that is Molly’s life. The tragedy that she has endured hit me right in the heartstrings. Molly has a husband who has grown distant and children who are angry and embarrassed by her. It doesn’t seem like Molly has anyone in her corner, so the author did an amazing job of convincing us that Molly might make a choice to start life anew.

The alternating perspectives between Molly and Nic give us the story from two sides, what happens to Molly immediately following the opening sequence and the aftermath after the police have given up and Nic has not. The two POVs were well balanced and I was hooked into both perspectives more and more as the story went on.

As the story built, I did have my suspicions as to what was going on, but the author managed to throw me some surprises that I did not see coming. Her characters and the story she develops for them is very smart and I enjoyed it throughout. This was one that kept me reading and I finished it in less than a day!

This was my first Wendy Walker book and it will most certainly not be my last. I highly recommend you add DON’T LOOK FOR ME to your TBR. This book will be out on September 15, 2020!

My favorite book so far this year! If you like twists and suspense this book is amazing. I had never read a book by Wendy Walker before this book and immediately after finishing Don't Look For Me I bought them all!! The plot was so good and the author really gave depth to the main characters.

At first glance this thriller appears to follow the popular storyline of a missing woman whose mysterious disappearance must be solved. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely a plot I'm always down to read. However, Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker has so many layers and twists that it's definitely in a league of its own. I was immediately drawn into the story of Molly Clarke who after visiting her teenage son at his private school disappears without a trace during her drive home on a stormy night. Just days after her disappearance a note is discovered in a hotel room that leads the police and Molly's family to believe that she has walked away from her life. Molly's daughter Nicole refuses to believe that her mother is capable of this and she vows to relentlessly pursue the investigation even if it means she's in it alone. Nicole travels to the small town where her mother's car was discovered on the side of the road and thus begins a breathless ride to solve the mystery of what happened to Molly. In addition to Molly's disappearance we learn that Molly and her family have been reeling from the tragic death of her youngest daughter a few years prior and we see the ramifications of this grief in each individual family member and the family as a whole.

The novel alternates perspectives with each chapter between Molly and Nicole and I was on the edge of my seat with every reveal. Even if you think you've said, "What?!, No Way!" for the last time, think again as this book will have you captivated until the very last page. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a quick thrill ride of a book that kept me guessing right up to the last page. Molly and her daughter, Nic, are both compelling protagonists. Their traumatic history lends itself to the story and makes their questionable choices believable. I look forward to whatever Wendy Walker writes next.