Thank you NetGalley and Bookoutre for an amazing read. At first I found the story a little hard to follow but I think that was just me! After a few chapters I was totally invested in this story and couldn’t put it down. The author introduces us to her multifaceted characters and some story twists that grab you and won’t let go. Highly recommend this read and hope to read others by this author.

Stunning read! Fascinating plot, interesting characters, and a story that will take your breath away!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Please Don’t Find Me is my first by Wendy Dranfield.
AMAZING!!! This was exactly the kind of book I love to read but it’s nothing like anything I’ve ever read before. It was absolutely amazing! The plot was fantastic and the writing was superb. It had all the twists and turns that I look for in psychological thrillers. I did not want to put this book down. It pulled me in from the very first page and had me flipping pages so fast to see what happened next. I definitely recommend this one.
Thank you Bookouture, NetGalley and of course Wendy Dranfield for allowing me to read this eARC.

Please Don’t Find Me by Wendy Dranfield – A Gripping Page-Turner

It’s rare that I pick up a book and immediately feel the need to keep reading, but Please Don’t Find Me had me hooked from the start. Each chapter compelled me to do ‘just one more,’ making it hard to put down.

Mental health plays a significant role in the story, woven seamlessly into the struggles faced by each main character. Their challenges add depth to the plot, making them feel raw and real.

This was my first book by Wendy Dranfield, and I was thoroughly impressed. The storyline is well-crafted, filled with twists that kept me guessing.

The story kicks off with Julia Bowers returning home from a spa trip, only to make a horrifying discovery—her husband Robert is dead, and their six-year-old daughter Avery is sitting on the bed in the same room. Knowing she has to disappear, Julia stages an abduction, ensuring it looks like she and Avery were taken

Meanwhile, Officer Scott Walker, who once dated Julia before she married Robert, steps in to help. Although not officially part of the investigation, his past connection to Julia—and the secrets he knows—make him invested. One particular revelation surprises him: Julia never wanted children, yet here she is, protecting Avery at all costs.


#PleaseDontFindMe #NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture for the ARC. This book was SO good.. I think I experienced just about every emotion reading this! It’s a page turner, so be prepared to not want to put it down. This is my first read by this author, but definitely won’t be my last 😊

This was such a jaw dropping twisty book! Every time you think you know what's going on you don't! I love these type of books they are so suspenseful! Julia's husband commits suicide and now Julia has to take her daughter Avery and RUN! Why.. well you have to read! Is Julia as innocent as she sees or does she have reason to run? This book you will be reading all night. Excellent!

Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk and Bookouture for a copy in return for an honest review...

Wendy Dranfield is once again totally brilliant. As with all her crime thrillers, the pace is electric, the characters are phenomenal, and the plot twists absolutely grab the reader.
There was so much suspense, so much drama, and so much excitement that I couldn't put it down! I've been resting today with a fluey/cold thing, and it was the perfect excuse to read non-stop until I'd finished - Not that I need much of an excuse to read anything this author produces - She is absolutely wonderful.
As always, I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to review this story.

I was shocked that I didn’t anticipate the story unfolding that way and as it neared the ending. By the final stretch I was clinging to my seat. Luckily no harm came to any animals. I also liked how the ending hints at a possible continuation leaving you guessing.

Julia doesn;t have much luck with the men in her life, her husband commited suicide and her boyfriend is suffering with his mental health and is thinking of doing the same

Then Julia goes missing...

This is a story that dwells heavy with mental health issues but is a good solid read.

There are secrets and lies and is filled with drama and the characters all add something to the story.

This author is a good storyteller and I enjoyed my reading time

Julia’s husband hung himself in front of their daughter while Julia was an away on vacation. Julia is the one that finds his body. Her ex boyfriend is a cop who also struggles with his own mental health issues. Just as he is about to end his life he becomes aware that Julia has gone missing with her own daughter after her husband’s death. He begins his own investigation and secretly works the case to find her because he knows exactly what she’s capable of. As the story continues we learn more about Julia and why she is the way she is and what has lead her become this way.

Each main character has their own set of challenges that involve mental health which was a huge part of the story. They also have detailed backgrounds. It does get heavy at times but still interesting and such an important thing to have representation of.

The final plot twist that was revealed was so shocking. It was the only plot twist that I didn’t see coming. The ending was good and everything tied up nicely. It makes sense why it ended that way and there had been hints throughout the story that this would be how it would end.

The majority of the story was predictable with no suspenseful and shocking twist which made it not that enjoyable as a I had hoped.

The only character I liked was Natalie.

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

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy! I enjoyed this book and love everything Wendy writes! Very exciting to get the ARC! A must read!

I was completely hooked from the very first page. I found myself playing detective right away, trying to piece everything together. This psychological thriller is fast-paced and never weighed down by unnecessary details. The story follows Julia, who returns from a trip to find her husband dead and their child who had been left alone with him, witnessed everything. At first, you can’t help but feel sorry for Julia, but as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that she’s hiding a dark secret that destroys not only those around her but also herself.

Reading this book genuinely felt like watching an intense episode of Law and Order. If you’re a true crime fan or love detective shows and books, you will really enjoy this one. The author does an incredible job pulling you into the characters’ emotions, making you feel every twist and turn. The book is packed with suspense and drama. I honestly recommend it!

Trigger Warning: This book does contain suicide.

This book was hard to put down. There were just enough twists and turns. The character development was well-crafted. Suspenseful and mysterious

Thank you to NetGalley, author Wendy Dranfield and Bookouture publishing for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.

This was the first book I have read by this author and I must say she started it off with a bang! She gets you hooked in those first few pages.

The storyline was well done. It keeps you guessing and has that ‘just can’t put my finger on it’ sense when it comes to Julia and Avery. The author throws quite a few twists at all the right places.

A fast paced read that will keep you guessing. It was so very different from the usual psych thrillers out there right now.

3.75⭐️⭐️⭐️ rounded up.

DNF 47%

I don't know if it's the timing of my read or just the writing style but it was not my cup of tea.

The pacing started really nicely and had me hooked after about 3 more chapters, but it slowly started feeling slow for me like it didn't hook me to continue the next chapter, and the characters, I think that's the point of them acting a certain way but they just felt frustrating at some point.

But I don't leave most books in my DNF list so maybe when the time is right I will give it another try.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

This book was great. It had twists and turns i never expected. I loved this book and couldn't wait to get to the end to find out how it would end! Definitely worth the read!

Please Don't Find Me by Wendy Dranfield is an emotional roller-coaster ride right out of the gate. There were so many twists and turns I felt like I was being ricocheted right out of my seat.

Julia returns home from a trip to find her husband Robert has killed himself. Not only did he kill himself, but it seems he did it in front of their daughter. Feeling that it was a deep secret trauma from her past that Robert could no longer live with, Julia decides she and her daughter must disappear. She knows she needs to make it look like an abduction in order to pull this off. As the whole town, her mother and her ex boyfriend pull together to search for them, Julia knows she needs to keep several steps ahead of them.

The book was chock-full of shocking surprises and action. I loved the fast pace of this and had a hard time putting it down I highly recommend this book to any suspense lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy

This was a very refreshing book following tropes that are not seen too often. I really enjoyed it and was shocked by the surprise twist.

Julia walks into her house to find her husband, Robert, hanging from the eaves. Her daughter, Avery is in the same room.
Julia vanishes with Avery, and there is a suspicion that they have been taken.

Trigger warning - suicide and thoughts of suicide.

This has to be the most depressing book I have read this year. Every person is depressed or suicidal.
I have read a few books by this author, but this one didn't grab me and I personally did not enjoy it at all.
There are good reviews for it, but of course, this is my personal take on a book I have read.
Suspenseful - yes.
Just not my cup of tea.
3/5 stars from me.

Title: Please Don’t Find me
Author: Wendy Dranfield
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: May 22 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars

Story starts Julia Bowers comes home from a spa trip and finds her husband Robert dead and their little girl Avery sitting on the bed in the same room as her husband.

Julia knows she needs to vanish but wants it to looks like she and Avery your taken perhaps by the person who killed Roberts. So stages their abduction – first going through the house, pushing over chairs and rummaging violently through drawers. Even cuts herself to add some drops of blood to the mix.
Julia even scatters some of Robert’s items. She then gets the money she and Roberts have put aside and out they go.
When Officer Scott Walker learns of Julia’s situation, he goes to help but knows he isn’t part of the investigation so has to be careful. He dated Julia before she married Robert and he knows her secret. Also knows she never wanted to children so is surprised to learn about six year old Avery.

We soon discover that these characters are all complicated with secrets, resentments and unresolved trauma in many cases is holding then from moving on.

When I saw Wendy Dranfield had out a new novel I knew I wanted to read it ~ went into this story without any knowledge as to what it was about - other than I love this author.
I have only read four of her stories and all were GREAT!
These characters are all complicated with secrets, resentments and unresolved trauma holding them from moving on.

In a ‘’Letter from Wendy” Ms. Dranfield tells us she has continued to think about some of these characters and just may revisit sometime in the future. She also points out that she loves pets in fact her books usually contain animals- as she cannot imagine writing characters who wouldn’t want an animal in their lives - they can bring comfort in stressful times.

Hmmm Perhaps this story should have come with a trigger warning to ‘be fire to have your pet handy while reading this!

I love that one reader said – this story threw her from left to right by the sharp, surprising, and fantastic twists.

This is another great Dranfield story and is a glimpse of the twisted world of Julia Bower. Definitely a unputdownable nonstop read! I was sure I knew how it was going to end but had to keep on reading!

Not sure I can call it an enjoyable read but I certainly am looking forward to Wendy Dranfield’s next thriller with her typical complicated/complex characters and surely a dog or cat to help release some stress!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture
for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 22, 2025.