Wow! Wendy Dranfield has pulled a blinder with this dark, dark thriller!

Julia returns home and instantly senses something is wrong. Her husband is dead with their young daughter sitting in the room with his body. He took his own life and Julia knows why; keeping her secret would be too much for anyone.

Julia is a fascinating and complex woman; I don't think I've ever come across a character like her in a book before. A psychopath with a conscience? Does such a person exist? I felt so much sympathy for her at times yet found her behaviour abhorrent. Officer Scott Walker is determined to find Julia and feels it's the least he can do after he walked away from her years ago, a decision that has haunted him since that day. He is a great character with lots going on and a heart of gold underneath his obvious anguish.

A brilliantly put together plot where nothing is as it seems. Another big winner!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Wendy Dranfield and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This was fantastic, I haven't stopped thinking about it even though I finished it some days ago. It is utterly compelling and completely drew me in immediately, dark and disturbing at times which made it all the more better for me. I loved it

The story is about Julia. When she gets home she finds her husband dead and their little girl in the same room. Why would her husband put their daughter through this knowing how this would affect her for years to come. .When her ex partner who is a cop comes to hear of this he wastes no time in coming to her aid. He will soon wish he hadn't.
Great book that you can't put down.

this book is disturbing in all the right places. it feels bad to have been addicted and wanting to read such a eeeesh kind of plot and book but wow it was just so dam good.
the book is so well written. the details, the pace. the tension build. its just all so perfect. and you are afraid every step of the way the character is. you are tense from the very beginning.
Julie returns home from a trip and finds her husband dead. but her young daughter is there with him, thankfully alive. straight away she knows she has to go. but to do so she needs and does present the house as if there has been an abduction. thats what she needs those who finds the scene to believe. but why?
the officer who becomes involved in this is Scott walker. who knows Julia from before. but Officer Scott also knows things from her past. he needs to know what happened because things arent adding up.
what comes next is superb. and i have to admit the added issues installed into this book was handled brilliantly. the characters were grey and strangely relatable because of this. but the shocks and disturbance just keep building throughout until well, you just wait!
this was a stunning book. so different from anything ive read before and that is really hard to do in this genre.

This book reminded me of the movies "Enough" and "Double Jeopardy." The majority of the story was pretty average, with her ex-boyfriend detective investigating her husband's murder and peeks into Julia's history. The final twist in the story made up for the the slow pacing earlier and had me shaking my head in disbelief at the conclusion.

Please Don’t Find Me is a dark, twisted thriller that grabs your attention from the very first page. Julia’s world shatters when she comes home to find her husband, Robert, has taken his own life, leaving their young daughter, Avery, alone with his body for hours. On the surface, they seemed like a happy family, but Julia knows the truth: Robert had been carrying the weight of her dark secret, and it ultimately destroyed him.

Just days later, Julia and Avery vanish, and it looks like an abduction; but nothing is as straightforward as it seems. Is Robert’s death tied to Julia’s secret? And what really happened to Julia and Avery?

This is a seriously messed-up story, but in the best way. Once the twists start to unfold, the guessing game fades, and what’s left is excitement. Wendy Dranfield crafts a charged thriller that keeps you hooked, even as the truth becomes increasingly disturbing.
Told in multiple POV, both in 1st and 3rd person, it can be read as a standalone novel. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and hope you enjoy it as well!

Thanks to Wendy Dranfield, Netgalley, and Bookouture for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. (Expected publication: May 22, 2025)

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!!

I was very pleasure to read "Please Don't Find Me" by Wendy Dranfield, and I must say, it is an addictive and jaw-dropping page-turner. From the very first page, I was hooked, as the suspense builds steadily throughout the narrative. Surely it's a gripping narrative that left me breathless. Dranfield masterfully weaves a tale full of unexpected twists and turns that kept my heart racing from start to finish. Each chapter unfolds with an intensity that ensures you remain on the edge of your seat, eagerly anticipating what will come next. This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys thrilling suspense and expertly crafted storytelling. I highly recommend.

Manipulation meets Mama-Bear meets Mental Health. That's what I think about when I think about this book. Julia will do whatever she needs to do to protect her daughter and keep her deepest secrets buried. Could that even mean murder? Could that mean driving her husband to commit suicide? This book is full of so many emotional twists and turns. I wouldn't call them shocking, but absolutely captivating and made me want to keep turning the pages. I like that the author represented mental health in such a way that was respectful and shows that she did her research on the topics.

This book will make you feel all the feels. Angry, sad, excitement....so be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions, in the best possible way. When I think about reading psychological thriller, this is exactly what I am looking for!

Trigger Warning: Mental health issues

Thank you NetGalley for the EARC.

Please Don’t Find me was such a good and easy read. So many dark twists! This book was so hard to put down.

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.