This is a story about malevolent forces weaselling into the cracks left by grief, guilt, and self-loathing.

This is a story about all the ways we hate and love and hurt the people we call family.

And this is a story about AMBIVALENCE.

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It's been five years since the death of Molly Clarke's youngest daughter, and she and her eldest Nicole are still reeling with soul-crushing guilt: they played a part in it, after all.

Expelled and adrift, Nic throws herself into vodka shots and one-night-stands, waking up hungover and reeking of regret. Meanwhile, her mother, lonely and desperate, clings to a family whose love for her died the same day Annie did.

Is it enough for Molly to disappear and never look back?

Don't Look for Me explores what happened to her on the day she vanishes, and how her story dovetails with another missing woman from ten years past. It alternates chapters between Molly's first-person POV and also Nic's third-person hunt for her mother—and my GOD this was such a brilliant technical move on Wendy Walker's part!

Just as you’ve settled into Nic’s story, you fall into Molly’s. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger that won’t be resolved until two chapters later, when we cycle back to the right narrator. At first this was disorienting—and then it became utterly GRIPPING. (Like, holy shit—when Nic and Molly's narratives finally converge, I had the heebiejeebies it was so icky and good.)

I became insanely paranoid while reading this book. I constantly questioned which character to trust. And it turns out I was right to do so: just when you think you know how it'll end, you'll be proven wrong. And that twist—

By the end, no character is truly blameless; not five years ago, not now. Who is the victim? Who is the real villain? How is it possible for someone, a child, to be the source of revulsion and agony—but also love and redemption?

Don't Look for Me sucks you in and won't spit you back out until you have answers to these questions.

From the point of view of a writing teacher, this book is noteworthy for its characterization and superior writing style. As a reader, the plot is fast-paced, and the popular alternating points of view technique keeps you reading well past your bedtime!

I was given the opportunity to read this book before it was published, I haven’t read any thing by this author before but after reading this book I will definitely be putting her on, one of my favorite author. I was also given a short time to read it. There was no problem there, it had me at the first page and I couldn’t put it down til the very end. The characters gripped you with theirs stories right away. Molly Clarke, the mother who killed her youngest child, and the grief and guilt that she feels. The lost love of her other children and her husband. Did she leave on her own or was it something else? The story is fast paced and it has you guessing right to the very end. Many issues in this book, child abuse, drinking, children out of control,, police officers who are telling the true or not. I have a book club and I can’t wait to share this with them, when the book comes out. I know we will have a very good discussion over this book.. If you like a fast paced thriller, this is the book for you

This book was so fast paced and so intriguing , I read it in two settings. I loved it. I’m going to search for all of Wendy Walkers books now. I highly recommend it for all mystery lovers.

Wow. Wow. Wow. I finished this novel in the span of 24 hours and immediately thought, why is this only the second Wendy Walker book I’ve read?!? She is pure genius with her psychological thrillers!

Molly Clarke is a mother with the kind of guilt most people can only imagine. When she disappears one night on the way back from her son’s football game, it is determined that she just ‘walked away.’

While Nic has not always liked her mother, she has always loved her. They haven’t been close these last few years since the accident, but she would never leave her family like this. A new tip leads Nic back to the town of Hastings, where they found her mother’s abandoned car nearly two weeks ago.

As Nic moves from one tip to the next, she learns that Hastings has more than a few secrets…

I did read it all in one day because I knew I wouldn't be able to fall asleep if I didn't know what happened! Twisty, with what seemed like the right amount of red herrings. A little bit creepy but not nightmare-inducing.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Every two weeks, Molly Clarke drives alone from her home to attend the home football game at her son’s boarding school. It’s a four-hour drive each way and, on this night, Molly has two problems: the gas gauge needle is bouncing off empty and she’s driving right into a terrible storm.

Molly’s life is in turmoil. Her children, Nicole and Evan, are angry with her; her husband, John, might be having an affair. And she’s not found a way to forgive herself for the horrific accident that claimed the life of her youngest daughter, Annie. Everything is a mess. But Molly is certain of one thing: she is not a good mother.

When the car runs out of gas, she walks through a torrent of rain to reach the gas station. But it’s closed and boarded up in deference to the approaching hurricane. Certain her family would be better off without her, she decides to walk away.

But does she?

Her car still sits at the side of the road, abandoned. There’s a note in a hotel room, suggesting she simply walked away. But her daughter, Nicole, needs answers. Despite her feelings, she’s certain her mother would never simply turn her back on her family.

What really happened? And where is Molly Clarke?

The richly-drawn rural town of Hastings is a small “blink once and you’ve missed it” kind of place that anchors the telling of the tale. Well-developed, nuanced, believable characters populate the narrative but it’s the underlying sense of uneasiness flowing throughout the story that keeps the reader on edge.

Molly and Nicole provide dual points of view for readers as the story alternately focuses on mother and daughter. While unforeseen events weave a tapestry of deceptions, lies, and closely-held secrets, the surprises in the unfolding narrative will keep the pages turning. Early on, readers will know exactly what happened, but as Nicole searches for answers, an underlying persistent obsession affects the telling of the tale.

When startling plot twists take the story in a new direction, readers will find it difficult to set this book aside. A shocking reveal near the end of the narrative will have readers questioning everything they think they know as the pulse-pounding suspense in this creepy, chilling story grabs hold of them and refuses to let them go.

Don’t miss this one.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#DontLookForMe #NetGalley

Received a advanced copy of this book from net galley Wow a twisty psychological thriller book that kept you guessing and couldn’t stop reading. Where did Molly go? Pulls you in the second you start reading it

I was lucky enough to find out on Tall Poppy Blooms that this was a free read today (7/5). So downloaded, and finished in one day! Some might say this is a bit predictable however, I loved the twists and turns , especially at the end. The writing was concise and not dragged out. You really kept turning the page to find out what happens. A great beach read and one I did not want to put down. Well done! A solid 3.5

I very much enjoyed this book! It was my definition of a thriller! It kept me on the edge of my seat! There were many twits that I did not see coming. One that even made me gasp out loud. Great book!

Molly can't forgive herself for accidentally killing her youngest daughter. Neither can the rest of her family. Her husband is distant and has been cheating on her. Her daughter is rebellious and constantly throws her Molly's mistake up to her. And her son avoids her like the plague. She's feeling hopeless, lost in grief and worthless to her family. Then one dark, stormy night Molly disappears.
Did she decide to willingly leave her family behind, thinking they would have a better life without her? Did the weight of her guilt consume her to the point of no return? Or did something much more nefarious happen to Molly?

This was a well crafted, twisty story. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. I had to know what would happen next! Additionally, the emotional responses of all the characters was very believable.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 Lost Sleep Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
This asks a very important question...If Everything points in one direction. all the "Evidence", etc. would your family...your daughter know and believe it was all false...

This tale was set up perfectly for the reader to not have a lovely night's sleep. Instead, the reader would want to read this through the night into the morning to get to the end. I know I did.

Finally! A good thriller and suspenseful book! Very good characters and tense storyline that keep you guessing until the end. Would highly recommend reading this book.

An absolute page turner! Stayed up reading all night, what a great book! A burdened Mother driving home from her college aged son's football game, goes missing during a storm. Did she leave her surviving daughter, her son, her husband, or did something else happen to her, if so, why, and who? You won't stop until you know the answers, overcoming adversity, living life to the fullest is the moral of this poignant story!
I highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

This was a gripping, terrifying, sad and hopeful story. You can never tell the family dynamics from looking from the outside

Excellent book. I enjoy Wendy’s style of writing. Is he really trying to get in touch with someone to help her. When she becomes friends with the little girl maybe she will help her get free. It wasn’t until her daughter put herself aside that she knew something wasn’t right

Wendy Walker is fast becoming a favorite of mine. This latest work is exceptionally good. It had me on the edge of my seat, needing to know what happened. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow! Creepy fantastic thriller, I could not put this book down. Molly has endured more than her share of tragedy, including the death of her own daughter when she was at the wheel of her car. As depression and blame from the rest of her family sets in, Molly drives off one night not realizing that it will change the rest of her life. While she isn’t really planning to leave her family, the choice may be taken out of her hands as she meets up with a horrible man that night during a storm when she has run out of gas. Scary as hell, edge of your seat ride with lots of twists and turns. Highly recommend.

I’m going to jump on the Wendy Walker bandwagon with all my fellow 5 star reviewers for this one. This was outstanding. Walker writes a smart, sophisticated thriller captivating readers on each and every page from start to finish. I thought that I had the twist figured out but, oh no, there was more coming! The alternating viewpoints and well-articulated characters drew me inside their minds. In particular, the character Alice was brilliant addition. Her interactions elevated this to a whole new level. Congratulations Wendy Walker on another huge success!

I liked the story behind this. Molly is depressed as she has been hit with heartache and guilt from her actions (which were by mistake) and then within her household even more. How easy would it be to just disappear and cast all your worries and heartache to the side? Well, that is what Molly's family thinks happened though as the story unfolds it seems that this is even more sinister than that. When her daughter who decides not to give up goes searching for her she will uncover so much. Yet, at the same time learn really just how strong she is even though she has given up on herself.
There was one part with Molly that truly broke my heart and it was when she was meeting her son off the field as he was going I believe into the locker room. It was the way he dismissed her even though she drove a bit to see him play, she did not have to but she wanted to. And the way he treated her just broke my heart because that is something that no mother wants from her child. Molly is a survivor and you can tell in how she learns to handle her captive and the little girl who is also captive. I liked that Molly did not give up and just said whatever it is what it is. The author did a great job of not rushing the timeline from start to finish along with the way she built the mystery around the characters. I had no clue who was the bad guy until her daughter had the haha moment and started putting two and two together. Drama, tension, mystery, crazy people all rolled into a good story.