3.5 stars. I love Stacy Willingham’s atmospheric writing and her previous books have all completely hooked me. I enjoyed this one as well, but it was not a favorite.

In Forget Me Not we follow Claire, a journalist in NY, who has been desperately trying to avoid her past since her sister’s disappearance 22 years earlier. But when she receives a call from her father, she is forced to return home. She feels drawn to a the coastal farm where her sister worked that last summer and decides to accept a seasonal job. However, while she is there she begins to discover that something is not quite right at the farm. She is uncovering pieces of decades old unsolved crimes and they may be connected to her sisters disappearance.

I felt like the family drama and suspense was handled well and everything connected in an interesting way. There were a few twists I did not see coming. I also really enjoyed the cult like vibes that were explored in this book.

The ending felt a little too clean for me when there were still loose ends and things that didn’t necessarily add up to me. I wish a few of the characters motivations had been more fleshed out.

My ears turn up when I hear a new Stacy Willingham book is out. I loved "A Flicker in the Dark," even wrote her a fan letter, so I was thrilled to receive this ARC from NetGalley. This book did not disappoint with a compelling protagonist, an intriguing setup, and a creepy-dark atmosphere. There are twists in this that the best reader will likely not see coming. If you love Stacy Willingham, you owe it to yourself to read this. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

#ForgetMeNot

Thank you to St. Martins Press/Minotaur for an early electronic copy. All opinions are my own.

What can I say but I'm always thrilled to get to read a Stacy Willingham novel. My expectations of southern crime and atmosphere were met and then some. This novel of suspense gave me some Manson vibes. Anytime I see grooming, separation from friends, family, along with isolated locations and petty crime, my mind goes to who is controlling this group and what is the goal.

Claire Campbell's family has been torn apart. Over two decades ago her sister went missing, never found, yet an individual is doing prison time for the disappearance and presumption of death. With her job going nowhere, Claire decides to ride out the summer and her finances in the last place her sister, Natalie, was seemingly alive and happy. Welcome to Galloway Farm.

Soon Claire realizes nothing is or was as it seems. Her journalistic bones start kicking in putting her in danger. The farm and its odd inhabitants is atmospheric in the best way for a thriller reader. There was a moment of genuine thrill when our lead character was on the verge of being caught out a time or two. Those scenes always get me.

There were a few things I could quibble with but overall this is a good summer thriller to have at hand.

Thank you NetGalley and Saint Martin’s press for this ARC. I love this author’s previous books and this book was just as good. I was obsessed with this book from the beginning until the very end. I loved the character Claire. I loved how determined she was to find out the truth about her sister is murder and what happened. I love the Gothic Southern vibes. I also loved the creepy farmhouse. The twists, the turns the plot and the characters were amazing . If love thriller books this is definitely one for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)
Forget Me Not is a masterclass in psychological suspense. Stacy Willingham delivers another chilling, tightly woven thriller that had me questioning everyone and everything until the final page. Her writing is crisp, atmospheric, and full of emotional depth, making this more than just a twisty mystery—it’s a haunting exploration of memory, grief, and trust.

The pacing is pitch-perfect, the characters are richly drawn, and the reveals? Utterly satisfying. Willingham knows exactly how to keep you on edge while slowly unraveling a story that’s as smart as it is gripping.

Highly recommend for fans of Gone Girl, The Last Thing He Told Me, or anyone who loves a thriller with heart and brains. She’s quickly become an auto-read author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC—I couldn’t put this one down!

Forget Me Not is another master mystery. Stacy Willingham knocked this one out of the park. Five stars!

I will admit to not being the biggest fan of Willingham's previous thrillers (I read the first two and was very meh on them, so I skipped the one(s) that came after), but I'm glad I gave her another whirl. I read this while I was on vacation and had a hard time putting it down when I was supposed to be sleeping, so it was definitely engaging!

That said, it did rely heavily on one of my least-favorite thriller suspense-builders... (aka: "I found this mysterious hidden diary! It seems to be answering a lot of my questions! BUT... I'm going to read it two pages at a time and drag things out forever instead of just reading it in one sitting like a normal person.), so that was annoying, but I did like the dual timeline/reading the journal entries and trying to guess where it was going to land (I was kind of right and kind of wrong, which was fun).

Existing fans of Willingham's will definitely enjoy this, and maybe some former naysayers (hi!) will also be converted. I'll definitely be looking forward to her next one!

3.5 rounded up

Overall, I enjoyed this southern thriller a fair amount. It revolves around Claire, who is seeking answers for her older sister's disappearance from 22 years ago. After years of living in another city, Claire returns to her hometown to retrace her sister's steps and find answers. This book had dual time lines, a hidden diary, and plenty of twists and turns.

Title: Forget Me Not
Author: Stacy Willingham
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: August 26, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pages: 358
This thriller gives new meaning to the word "unputdownable".

Story is told from the POV of Claire Campbell-Present Day and Marcia Dalloway-1980’s

Claire Campbell has just quit her job as a crime reporter in NYC. She has been passed over for a promotion that she clearly deserved. The promotion went to Ryan a guy who really likes her.
As she is still trying to decide if quitting was the right decision, she gets a from her father that her mother has been an accident and broke her leg so is having a difficult get around as she cannot drive. He wants Claire to come home and help- but since he and her mother are divorced he asks her not to tell that it was his idea.

It has been fifteen years since Claire was back to her childhood home Claxton, a small fishing town in rural South Carolina home.
Twenty-two years ago her eighteen year old sister Natalie disappeared. Her blood was found in Jeffrey Slater’s car. Slater is is twenty-eight and has a record. Natalie’s friends know she has been seeing someone older they never met him as Natalie was meeting him secretly as she knows her family would object. When Natalie’s blood is found in his car along with a bloody shirt; police have little doubt that Jeff is responsible. He is found guilty and sent to prison.

Claire was seven years younger than Natalie and her ‘Presumed death’ has always bothered her.
Now back in her childhood home she explores Natalie’s room. She finds a shoe box with old photos as well as an undeveloped roll of film. She takes it to be developed but the sales clerk tells her it will take a few days perhaps a week as the film is very old. In the meantime the photos leads her to Galloway Farm the vineyard where Natalie worked the summer of her disappearance~

Thus Claire’s connection to owner Mitchell and Marcia Galloway and things get very interesting!!!

I just love author, Stacy Willingham thriller's!. This is my fourth and I totally enjoyed the three I read.
This story is the truly "unputdownable”!

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur Press for granted me the pleased of reading this WOW early uncorrected proof.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 26, 2025.

. . . . . ╰──╮ 4 ✩

to be honest, going into this I didn't know what to expect, the cover and plot both had me hooked and while I do be judging a book by it's cover sometimes, I don't always judge thrillers

but let me tell you when I couldn't put this book down I mean it! it had me hooked from the very first page !! I wanted to find out WHY and WHEN and-- I'll spare you the journalist self. speaking of. can we get more fmcs that are journalists? it's a dying industry and I loved Claire as an fmc. I normally don't vibe with thriller fmcs but for some reason Claire spoke to me.

the southern vibes & Galloway farm vibes hit so well, I felt like I was there at the farm! which I'll pass because it's low-key creepy and I don't do bugs ✌🏻 or snakes ✌🏻 but Willingham writing was lush and full!

I did peg some of the plot early on, but at this point I'd be surprised if I read a thriller and was flabbergasted with the twist. I'm not bragging, I've just read so many atp.

there was one plot twist that did get me and I like how justice was served in that way.

all in all, highly reccomend this thriller. it did not disappoint!

Forget Me Not was a book I tore through in just two days. I was hooked almost immediately and found it impossible to put down. I really enjoy Willingham’s writing style, which is why I picked this one up after loving her earlier novel, A Flicker in the Dark.

That said, I did struggle a bit with the main character’s leap in logic, connecting her sister’s murder to current events felt like a stretch, especially since she didn’t have much to go on. Even another character in the story calls her out on it, which made the conclusion feel somewhat forced.

Despite that, the story itself was engaging, with some solid twists and a well-executed dual timeline that kept things interesting. I’d definitely recommend this to fans of thrillers looking for a fast-paced, gripping read.

22 years ago, Claire Campbell’s sister Natalie went missing. Her body was never found and although someone was put in prison for her murder, there were still so many unanswered questions. Once Claire was 18, she moved to New York and never looked back. After getting passed over for a promotion that should have been hers and quitting her writing position, she’s at a dead end. No job, barely enough money to make it through the rest of the summer. So when her dad calls her to say that her mom’s been hurt and needs some help, Claire reluctantly agrees to come home. Once home she finds a box of Natalie’s things and starts questioning everything she thought she knew about her sister’s disappearance.

This story was so well written! I couldn’t read it fast enough! I was so sure I had it all figured out but I was pleasantly surprised to see where the story went in the end. I will say that at times the pacing of the story felt off and like it wasn’t flowing like it should. I really enjoyed how the story took place in present time as well as in the 80s to tell how everything started. This is definitely a story that stays with you even after you’ve finished it. I highly recommend anyone who loves a domestic thriller to read this!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

i can never pass up a Stacy Willingham thriller. I have loved all off her previous novels so i am happy to say I loved this one too.

Main character Claire goes back to the farm where her sister worked 20 years ago. The farm where she spent her last summer before going missing. Claire finds herself drawn to the farm and the strange owners. When Claire finds a diary written by owner she ends up with more questions than answers.

Really loved this book. The story going back and forth between the current time line and the diary timeline really kept me engaged and pushing for the next chapters. I was definitely invested in this decade long mystery. Another win by Willingham.

First of all I would like to say I’ve loved all stacy’s books so thank you for the opportunity to preview. I also love books told in multiple timelines - such a compelling way to uncover the story and what is really true! The cultish vibes drew me in from the start as well as the crime and inciting incident. The way Stacy wrote the whole plot felt oh so real, like it was happening to my sister in my neighborhood. It was both eerie and intriguing.

Stacy’s descriptive writing of the farm through first hand and diary entries was just chilling. I did not know who to trust through the many twists and turns! A sign of a solid thriller. Def recommend!

I love Stacey Willingham. Her thrillers are slow burn in the best way possible. This was another great one with a lot of moving parts. I lasso love how they always take place in the south. Really liked this one!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies of this book.

Stacy Willingham books have been on my TBR for a while and I’m so glad I snagged an ARC of her upcoming release!

Forget Me Not centers around Claire, whose sister disappeared 22 years ago. After quitting her job to go freelance as an investigative journalist and going home to help her mother after an accident, she finds herself with a temporary job at Galloway Vineyards and immersed in the same world as when her sister disappeared. As Claire uncovers clues and details from that final summer, she finds more than she bargained for and she quickly realizes just how dangerous of a game she’s playing.

I really enjoyed this thriller! It immediately had my attention and I found myself swept up in the story. Willingham’s writing is incredibly descriptive, really setting the scene and making you feel like you’re there. Written in alternating timelines and dual POV’s including diary entries, this book is a complicated family drama, pushing boundaries and questioning what it means to be a family. An underlying sense of dread pervades this book and I thought I had the story pegged, thinking it was predictable until suddenly it wasn’t and I was left reeling.

Forget Me Not has me hooked on Stacy Willingham’s style, and I can’t wait to read more of her books!

Claire lost her older sister Natalie and later she was found dead. This crushed her family. Her parents divorced, she left South Carolina to work in NYC when she was an adult. But after her mother had an accident and needed help, her father called her to come stay with her mother. Reluctantly, Claire returns home.

She snoops a bit in Natalie's old room finding some interesting things until. She overhears her mother tell her father, she doesn't need or want Claire home. So Claire decides to work nearby on a farm.

At times, I couldn't read/ listen fast enough as I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen. Described as "pulse-pounding" was accurate!

My thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this e-book. And to Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in return for a honest review. Page-turner from start to finish! Claire is an investigative journalist living New York, and decides to come back to her hometown to help her mother who has taken a fall. Due to unforeseen circumstances, she ends up at Galloway, a farm where her sister worked before she disappeared twenty-two years ago. All seems idyllic and peaceful at first, but she soon gets the feeling of something darker under the surface there. This is the first book I’ve read by Stacy Willingham and it won’t be the last!

Stacy Willingham's Forget Me Not is a riveting tale full of suspense, mystery, and drama. With her life crumbling around her, Claire is struggling to find a path forward. Her job isn't working out, her love life isn't working either so, when her dad contacts her asking for a favor, she figures why not and heads home. The problem? Home is where her sister was murdered. Forced to face the past, she learns that the mystery around her sister's death is very much alive and has roots buried deep within the town. Claire's family relationships and her very life hang in the balance as she unearths secrets that some will kill to keep.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc of this book! I would have to rate it 4.5 stars. This had me on the edge of my seat for a majority of the book, and I wasn’t able to guess the whole picture. The scenes were easy to visualize and I felt the same thriller magic as I did when reading A Flicker in the Dark. Definitely worth the read.