Wendy Walker does it again with this crime based thriller that dives heavily in trauma response.

The first chapter opens as Elise is shopping in a department store looking for pink towels for her daughters and mindlessly thinking how many shades of pink towels they actually have to choose from. That’s when she hears shots fired. She is a cop but isn’t on duty and wants to hide like everyone else, but her training finally overcomes as the threats come closer.
Her life will never be the same again after this day from the choices she made.

The story is told from two prospectives, Elise’s current story and a mysterious “The Kill Room” scenario. I was shocked at the end at how those were connected.

I typically don’t worry with TW, but I feel this one might be important: Mass shootings with PTSD.

Wendy Walker hit it out of the park (yet again).

I became an immediate fan of her writing when I devoured "All is Not Forgotten" - it kept me on the edge of my seat and then slammed me with a sucker punch at the end of it.

This is a thriller/ mystery - so I don`t want to get too into the details but basically:

We start the story with our main character, Elise, in a department store when an individual comes in and starts shooting.

AND

Elise is a detective.

From there we jump into her feelings following the incident and as she tries to piece everything together. This book is told from dual POV - Elise is one of the narrators, but we don`t know who the other perspective is. What we do know is that as Elise tries to solve what happened in that department store there is another crime that might somehow be related to her incident.

As usual, I enjoyed the writing, the character development and the story. I thought that this one wasn't as shocking as some of Wendy Walker's previous thrillers - but was still really solid.

A fast-paced page turner. I would go back for more.

Happy publication day to Wendy Walker and "What Remains".

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Thank you @netgalley & @blackstonepublishing for my e-ARC!

This is a hard one to review. While I wasn’t swept away by the premise (I generally dislike themes with shootings in public places) I did appreciate the very clever plot line.

This book was like a giant puzzle that keeps the reader in the dark for most of the time. Written in two not-too-distant timelines ("Then" and "Kill Room", i.e. the present), it explores the emotional turmoil the protagonist, Det. Elise Sutton, goes through after she shoots a gunman in a shopping mall.

As she tries to come to terms with killing a man before he could actually carry out his plan, Elise is plagued by a million questions. Should she have hesitated? Would he really have pulled the trigger? Why was he even there?

Before we know it, we are drawn into Elise’s tormented journey as she seeks redemption for her actions. Like her, we crave answers. Who was this shooter and who is the mysterious man who was in her line of fire and has now vanished? Soon we learn that the mysterious man she saved is now stalking her, which puts the whole experience into a new perspective.

Little by little, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place until we have a complete picture of what really happened and why.

Brilliantly crafted and full of emotional tension, this book explores how the mind responds to trauma and aggression.
It is definitely a thriller that reflects our times.

Elise Sutton is a cold case detective and one day while out buying towels for her young girls she is put into in impossible position of having to take a life to save others. I loved how smart, vulnerable, and twisted this one was. . Elise is questioning everything that happened that day and it just won't leave her mind, something just wasn't as it seemed. We get Elise feelings and you just feel for her so much. I really enjoyed the intense pacing as Elise is bound and determined to find answers but also the view of the kill room that we learn about as they investigate it. The intense case had me flipping to see what he was up to next and how this all connected.

Thank you to Black Stone Publishing and Netgalley for my Gifted copy

I enjoyed this one! Despite starting with a big, intense event right out of the gate, it took me some time to get into the story. The plot felt a bit slow, and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Our MC, Elise, frequently makes some very questionable choices, which had me wanting to smack her at times. I did think the villain, Wade, was a really interesting character just in the decisions he made and the way he planned things.

Eventually, I became invested in seeing how everything would wrap up. So, while I wouldn't say I loved this one, it was an enjoyable read. Overall, I'd give this one a 3.5/5

What Remains by Wendy Walker is a gripping thriller where Detective Elise Sutton, an expert in solving cold cases, faces a harrowing choice that turns her life upside down. After saving a stranger's life, she spirals into guilt and soon discovers that the man she rescued is not who he claims to be, setting off a dangerous game that puts herself and her loved ones in peril. Wendy Walker is an auto-read author for me so I was super excited to hear she was releasing a new thriller this month! This was an absolutely gripping read! Right from the first page, I was completely engrossed in the story, caught up in the thrilling cat-and-mouse chase, the unraveling secrets, and the deep dive into each character's background. One aspect that I particularly enjoyed was the alternating perspectives between Detective Elise Sutton and the kill room. This narrative technique added a refreshing dynamic to the story. I was fascinated how Wendy Walker weaved in details on how to commit the perfect murder which added an extra layer of suspense. I also appreciated the way Elise balanced between following protocol and taking matters into her own hands. It added complexity to her character and made her journey all the more compelling. Throughout the book, the writing style and pacing were spot-on, ensuring that I remained engaged and eager to discover what would happen next. However, the only aspect that didn't resonate with me as much was Elise's personal drama. In my opinion, it could have been omitted without compromising the overall strength of the book. I highly recommend picking up What Remains if you're a fan of psychological thrillers.

If you ask anyone who knows me, they know I LOVE Wendy Walker. Ever since I read the first book, I automatically get excited for her next!

Sadly, I struggled with this one. It is a slower pace story, and I was just waiting for something to happen page after page. I couldn't connect with the characters, no matter how hard I tried. Writing this review makes me so sad because Wendy is always an instant 5 Stars when I finish her books.

While this definitely wasn't my favorite, I'm looking forward to the next!!

Detective Elise Sutton spends her days working on cold cases. She has a keen ability to understand the minds of criminals and how to crack old crimes. But when shopping for her family at a department store, she is faced with a shooter and has to make a split-second decision to shoot the man. Wade Austin, the man she saves, mysteriously leaves the scene. Although hailed as a hero, she is haunted by taking another life. When Elise finally meets Wade, she is soon caught up in an intense cat and mouse game as the man she thought would be grateful, starts to stalk and threaten her. She is determined to figure it all out while trying to also protect her family.

In What Remains, author Wendy Walker has created a captivating story that was hard to put down. Elise decides to take time off to unravel what is going on, acting as a lone wolf. Her actions and decisions are often foolish and very dangerous, but this keeps the tension high. There is a secondary story also taking place that, at first, seems unrelated but Walker does a good job bringing everything together. A gripping, solid thriller.

4,5 ⭐️
I found this one hard to put down and I’m glad I had a “rest” day during my travels so I could devour it pretty fast.

I love the way the author has brought together the stories by the two narrators and I really enjoyed the fast paced cat-and-mouse game

What Remains by Wendy Walker
3.5-4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wendy Walker's newest book tells the story of Elise Sutton, a cold case detective from a small town. Elise was in a local department store when a shooter entered the store and she made the choice to save countless lives by taking his. As she works to find a new normal and battles her PTSD from the event, the thought of a survivor in the building has not left her memory. When Elise meets Wade Austin, she had a sense of comfort and closeness being able to talk about the event but that quickly dissipated as she began to know him and he revealed the danger he’d been hiding.

What Remains is well written and a solid read! I enjoy a suspense/psychological thriller and I liked this because of the subtle hints that guided the reader through the twists in the book (yet you still feel surprised!!)

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone publishing for allowing me to read an advanced reader's copy of this book! Thank you to Wendy Walker for writing another great book!

Trigger warnings- gun violence in a public place, assault, PTSD/mental health, drug use

In typical Wendy Walker fashion, we're brought into the story of a police officer defending innocent lives and being forced to take a life. She feels guilty for taking this young man's life and begins to withdraw into herself. She ends up opening up to the man she saved. That was her first mistake and one that followed her through the entire book. Definitely kept me guessing!

“We all see ourselves a certain way. Then we catch a glimpse in a new mirror or a photo we haven’t posed for. We hear our voice on a recording and are stunned at how we look and sound.”⁣
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Thank you so much @thrillerbookloverspromotions @blackstonepublishing @wendywalkerauthor @librofm for my amazing copies of What Remains!⁣
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I’ve read one or two Wendy Walker books, and they always make me squirm and anticipate the worst. She gets under my skin and stays there like a tattoo to remind me that it’s not that far fetched in today’s society. What Remains was such a creepy and indulging cat and mouse game that had me on edge.⁣
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Audio was phenomenal. Gabra Zackman and Peter Ganim had amazing dual POV. I never favored either/or like I usually do where there’s two readers. It’s a great listen that I highly recommend.⁣
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Such an interesting concept and always great delivery. Wendy Walker is such a great thriller writer and y’all have to check this book out ASAP! What remains is out 6/13! ⁣
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QOTD: I’m in a major slump. What should I read and get out of my funk?

Thank you to @blackstonepublishing and @netgalley for my advance copy!!! Wendy Walker is an auto buy for me so I knew I was in for a treat!

This book seeps in tension. Walker really knows how to write about trauma, and we had a lot of it in this book. Its full of obsession, deceit, and a bit of self-loathing. Her characters are vivid and full of real-life emotion. Even the “villain” which has moments of humanity. Elise becomes a hero in an instant and then is left to pick up the emotional pieces herself. We get lots of inner dialogue (in the best way) and her attempt to accept the guilt that is involved with a work casualty.

The pacing is very well done in this one as well. It is perfection in suspense as Walker is so good at. I truly did not know where this one was going. I thought I picked up on a major red herring halfway through and I was still wrong! I appreciated the two storylines running simultaneous and I liked seeing the intersection. This gave me a bit of How to Get Away with murder vibes a bit which was intriguing. I also thought the length was perfect and the ending complete. A smash as expected!

This book has two separate storylines. One where police are investigating a murder at a remote kill house that is used by hunters in the woods, and the story of Elsie, a cold case detective who while shopping, shoots and kills a man who opens fire in the store. The man whose life she saves becomes obsessed with her and begins stalking her. This creates a true cat & mouse chase story!

At first I had a hard time seeing how the two story lines connected, but they came together at the end perfectly and left me shocked! While I was rooting for the main character, Elsie, there were times I wanted to scream! Due to all that she was going through, she didn’t make the best decisions and took matters into her own hands…. A LOT! It did leave for great suspense.

I flew through this book and it definitely did not disappoint !

When Elise kills a mall shooter she is considered a hero, but she begins to spiral wondering if it was necessary. When she bonds with one of the witnesses, she starts to feel relief about her actions- until he starts to become aggressive. This ends up in a wild game of cat and mouse where Elise is being targeted and her life begins to unravel in every way.

This is my third book I have read from this author, and my least favorite. The chapter format was a bit confusing, but I wonder if that was just formatting for the arc/ebook and if it would be more clear in a physical copy. The Kill Room chapters took a long time to prove relation and it took me a few of these chapters to realize the narrator was not the same as the other book, which led to a lot of the confusion.

I liked the build of the story, but a lot of Elise's behavior was too crazy for me to follow. I understand her motives in playing Wade's game, but she talks so much about protecting her family that not reporting him breaking in and hiding in the house seemed too dangerous and out of character. Aside from Rowan, I did not find any characters to be likable so I did not necessarily care what happened to anyone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own

Let me say that Wendy Walker is a favorite author and I will still seek out her books in the future. Previously I have read three of her titles( All is Not Forgotten, The Night Before, Don't Look for Me) and they have all been four-star hits. But What Remains wasn't my favorite. It wasn't a psychological suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat. I had many moments where I started and put aside the novel. I had a difficult time connecting with a character that decided to never confide in any other character. Also, I was consistently distracted from the case of her taunting stalker by her personal obsession with checking up on her husband. However, the last few chapters were very intense and that saved it a little bit.


There are plenty of fabulous reviews and high ratings so I am an outlier in regards to my feelings.







#WhatRemains #NetGalley.
Expected Publication Date 13/06/23
Goodreads Review 12/06/23

Wendy Walker is a new go-to author for me and I really enjoyed this! I couldn’t put this down, it was so engaging and while there was no huge twist to me it didn’t take away from the story! Everything wrapped up and came together in the end. So good!

Thank you NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Wendy Walker for the advanced copy of What Remains in exchange for my honest review.

Another winner from Wendy Walker! (Say that ten times fast)

This book starts off with a bang and doesn't let up until the end. I was completely enthralled the entire time I was reading, which is no easy feat for me these days.

I have loved everything I've read by Walker so far, and I feel confident saying fans of her previous books will enjoy this one too!

Thank you NetGalley, Wendy Walker, and Blackstone Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love Wendy Walker's books! This is my third one of hers and as usual she did not disappoint! I absolutely loved it. This story is told in dual timelines but is super easy to follow along! This one kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I couldn't put it down. This was one of the best police procedural books that I've read in a very long time and I loved the twist that it came with!

Wendy Walker has quickly become an auto-buy author for me and I highly recommend checking her books out!

4.5 stars for me rounded up to 5!

I loveddd Don’t Look For Me by Wendy Walker. When I saw she had another book releasing soon I needed it! I loved the ride What Remains took me on. I was hooked from the very first page and enjoyed the dual audio narrators so much. What Remains is mysterious, suspenseful and fast paced book. While I wish there was a bit more character development I can’t deny how I loved all of the twists and turns the book gave to me - it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. Read this one and after you’re finished check out Don’t Look For Me!