Wow!! I love when a mystery/thriller keeps me on the edge of my seat and this one did not disappoint. Every time I thought I had it figured out, there was a new twist that had me sitting here with my jaw hanging open!!!


Definitely add this one to your list! I listened to the audio and it’s 10/10 worth it.

This book is INTENSE. I’ve loved all the author’s books so far and this one was no exception. I could not put the book down and was stressing up until the very end.

There are also so many twists and turns and lots of things I didn’t see coming. If you’re into thrillers with runaways/kidnapping, possible murder, and some cultish vibes then this is the book for you! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. I will read any book that Stacy Willingham puts out, I just enjoy her writing style and I know I’m going to get a solid thriller. I would place this title right in the middle of the pack as far as her books go, not at the top with A Flicker in the Dark but enjoyable and fast-paced.

What I enjoyed: I love the multiple POVs when one of them is in the form of a diary from the past (so mysterious!), the main character was someone I could root for, I’ve said it before and I’ll never stop: I.Love.Cult.Shit so when the book opened with a Manson quote I knew it was going to get a bit culty, the central mystery was fun and interesting.

What I didn’t love: I wish the diary POV gave a bit more, I needed more details and I wish it went a bit darker than it did, and I felt the ending was a bit rushed, I prefer twists and turns to be sprinkled throughout a book and this one seemed to have them all jammed in at the end.

Overall, a fun enjoyable summer thriller that was engaging and a great audiobook to sit and listen to in the sun!

Claire has recently quit her journalist job and is working freelance. She has come for the summer to help her Mom after she had an accident. Her mom is not happy to see her. There are so many ghosts and unanswered questions at home. She finds a shoe box with photos and an undeveloped roll of film from her sister. Claire goes into town to see if the film can answer her questions about her sister. She goes to Galway Island to see where her sister worked before she disappeared. She finds a lot more.

I went into this book blind I had no idea what this book was about and what I was in for. I think I'll be thinking and trying to piece together what I just read for awhile. I'm still scratching my head. The narrator and the writing was great. I got a tad confused with the many different characters and who is whom. A twisty thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

This book is everything I want in a mystery—gripping, smart, and impossible to put down. From page one, I was hooked. Stacy Willingham masterfully leads the reader through twists and turns, always staying one step ahead, yet offering just enough answers along the way to keep you racing forward. Every question that popped into my head was addressed seamlessly, making the pacing feel pitch-perfect.

The characters were rich, layered, and incredibly relatable. Their emotions and decisions felt real, making the stakes of the story even more intense. The entire plot was believable in the best and most chilling way—like this could actually happen.

I had the pleasure of also experiencing the audiobook, and WOW. Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker brought an extra dimension to the story. They breathed life into each character with such depth and nuance, it felt like I was right there with them. The narration added emotional weight and tension, making an already fantastic book even better.

If you're looking for a suspenseful, well-written, and addictively clever read, Forget Me Not should be at the top of your list!

Who would like it: Stacey Willingham fans, true-crime fanatics
Rating: 3.5/5 = Entertaining and would recommend

Synopsis: Claire Campbell is an investigative journalist feeling stuck in her current work & life in NYC and stuck in the past ruminating over her older sister's disappearance & suspected murder. Claire travels back to her hometown in search of connection to her sister who feels like a distant memory but who has more in common with Claire than she thinks. Digging into her sister's past Claire uncovers more mysteries than answers but she can’t shake the feeling that she is the only one who can find out the truth.

Blurb: This is my second Stacey Willingham book (first being All The Dangerous Things) and I can already tell she knows how to write an atmospheric, southern mystery. I listened to the audiobook and the narration enveloped me into the story. I initially found the pacing slow but that was truly just to lay the groundwork for the main plot reveals. This was the type of mystery and thriller that felt comparable to listening to a true-crime podcast. It was an entertaining read and one that I would recommend to any fan of Stacey Willingham or true-crime fan.

Acknowledgement: Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

4/5 Stars!
Forget Me Not is a thriller from Stacy Willingham. Twisty, tense, and full of suspense, this murder mystery kept me guessing until the very end. The plot twist was so well done…
I’ve read all four of Stacy’s books and have rated every one a solid 4 stars.
Highly recommend this one (and her entire backlist!)
The narrator was amazing and made me feel immersed in the story.

First of all, I love reading books set in my home state of South Carolina, and I love it even more when authors get the vibes right, which Willingham did. After the death of her sister, Claire spends her time moving far away from home as a journalist. When her father calls and asks her to come home and help her mother, she reluctantly agrees. But when the opportunity presents itself to spend a few weeks at the place her sister spent her last summer, she can't help but take it. Maybe she might find clues about what happened to her sister, Natalie.
What follows is a story about family, identity, and letting go of guilt. I liked the characters and the setting. The story itself had good flow and pacing. Compelling characters and I was engaged most of the time. The farm is run by a Manson-esque man named Mitchel, and while he was supposed to be the villain, I feel like we didn't see that as much as I wanted to. It wasn't until the end where things sort of came together, (which is to be expected) but sometimes I couldn't believe where the story was going because of how his character was written.
Outside of that, the story was good, I had a good time, and the narrator is one of my favorite narrators. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham.

It's hard not to love a "return to my small childhood town," twenty years after an impactful crime has occurred. That's exactly what Claire does, seeking a summer job an hour away from her hometown where her sister disappeared years ago.

Initially Claire is enamored with this new position. But after finding the diary of the matriarch of the vineyard, it becomes quickly clear that not all is well in paradise. And could this involve her sister's disappearance so many years ago?

I was initially hooked to this story. It got muddy towards the end, and harder to follow, but overall, this was an enjoyable summer thriller.

I have always loved Stacy Willinghan novels, so I had high expectations for this story and this one held up! I l was hooked from the start of this book and enjoyed listening to it.

“Forget Me Not,” by Stacy Willingham, is my favorite book by this author yet. It had multiple twists, some predictable, others unexpected. I enjoyed the setting and vivid descriptions. The audiobook narrators perfectly captured Claire’s personality. I highly recommend this book to fans of twisty thrillers.

This book didn't really grab me as much as I wanted it to. I liked the main character but the whole situation seemed unreasonable to me.

I am a fan of Stacy and if she writes it, I'll read it. Her first 2 were some of my favorite thrillers, but the last 2 just have not been for me. It felt like there was too much happening and nothing at all at the same time, if that makes sense. Once everything started coming together, it just got confusing and hard to keep up. Maybe that makes it more complex and psychological and hit the goals she was going for, but for me it was too much. Additionally, the journal being in third person really just made it even hard to keep up with when the rest of the book was 1st. The audio for this was the most enjoyable part, and the narrator did a great job keeping me engaged when the story didn't really.

This author sells you a story that slowly twists and turns and you forget you are actually reading a thriller until it gets to the tada moment and you realize all along you were given clues and breadcrums and you knew the end before you actually due. Claire finds her self out of work and out of family and decides in order to become whole and happy she needs to go back 22 years to the time her sister disappeared . The story is then this seemly weaving of Claire and Natalie finally communicating after 22 years. Its cryptic, eerie, interesting and I didnt actualyl see the end. For me it was a tad too slow of a journey.

Mystery set in South Carolina. A gal returns home years later. She was avoiding home due to her sister’s disappearance and assumed murder. She uncovers gobs of secrets. The pace was somewhat slow, but still good. Both narrators were good.

I love Stacy Willingham’s books! The narrator of this audiobook is also one of my favorites. This book is fast paced and keeps you guessing. Has a dual timeline - which I personally love. Great read!

This slow burn mystery definitely kept me turning the pages. While it wasn't a nail biter and I predicted a few things along the way, I was invested enough to see how it all unfolded, and the ending tied everything up nicely. If you're into true crime vibes, family drama, and mysteries that take their time, this might be right up your alley, especially if you're already a fan of the author. Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker did a great job narrating this audiobook. They really enhanced the experience and kept me engaged!

AN INTRIGUING SOUTHERN THRILLER

SUMMARY
Claire Campbell’s older sister Natalie disappeared several decades ago. Claire has never forgiven herself for not doing more to prevent her sister’s disappearance. Natalie's boyfriend was arrested and convicted of her murder shortly after her disappearance.

Claire, an investigative journalist living in NYC, returns to South Carolina to care for her estranged mother. While at home, she visits Galloway Farms, a place she knows Natalie worked during the summer of her disappearance. When she's offered a job and a place to stay on the farm, without thinking, she jumps at the chance to be in the exact location her sister had once been. But as soon as Claire settles in the guest house, she discovers a diary that changes everything.


REVIEW
FORGET ME NOT is an intriguing southern mystery and thriller set on a small island of the South Carolina coastline. Claire’s complex obsession with the loss of her sister, twenty-two years ago, permeates much of her life. Claire’s well-drawn character is the pillar of the story. She is strong and persistent but a bit impetuous, which frequently gets her in hot water, especially while at Galloway Farms.

The story is intense, and the writing is nicely plotted with plenty of family dysfunction to go around. Author Stacy Willingham grabs readers with Claire’s pain over the loss of her sister and never lets go. Parts of the story were slow, but overall this was a good read.

I listened to the audiobook of FORGET ME NOT, and the pacing, tone, and inflections by the narrators convincingly captures the essence of the story. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Publisher Macmillan Audio
Published August 26, 2025
Narrated Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

I finished Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham in a day. It was so good.

Karissa Vacker is an amazing narrator. One of my favorites. She does such an awesome job and has such an engaging voice. She is so easy to listen to. Helen Laser is also a favorite. Bravo with the narration, ladies!

I really enjoyed this listen. There are so many things that were intertwined throughout the book. I had to re-wind and re-listen to several parts to catch all the details and the names of characters. I enjoyed that it went back and forth from the present to past and how everything was wrapped up with so many "ah ha" moments.

I definitely recommend this one! 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ll be honest and say I am not a huge fan of Stacy Willingham but boy did she reel me in with this one.

Twenty-two years ago, Claire Campbell’s older sister, Natalie, disappeared shortly after her eighteenth birthday. Days later, her blood was found in a car, a man was arrested, and the case was swiftly closed. In the decades since, Claire has attempted to forget her traumatic past by moving to the city and climbing the ranks as an investigative journalist... until an unexpected call from her father forces her to come back home and face it all anew.
With the entire summer now looming ahead―a summer spent with nothing to do in her childhood home, with her estranged mother―Claire decides on a whim to accept a seasonal job at Galloway Farm, a muscadine vineyard in coastal South Carolina less than an hour away from where she grew up. At first glance, Galloway is an idyllic escape for Claire. A scenic retreat full of slow-paced nostalgia, as well as a place where her sister seemed truly happy in that last summer before she vanished, it feels like the perfect plan to pass the time. However, as soon as Claire starts to settle in, she stumbles across an old diary written by one of the vineyard's owners, and what at first seems like a story of young rebellion and love turns into something much more sinister as it begins to describe details of various unsolved crimes. As the days stretch on, Claire finds herself becoming more and more secluded as she starts to obsess over the diary's contents… as well as the lingering feeling that her own sister's disappearance may be somehow tied to it all.

This one is the definition of slow burn but when it gets going, it GETS GOIIIIINNNG. Willingham will have you questioning everyone and trusting no one as a dark and twisty mystery unravels. I really liked our main character and found her very realistic and one that I was rooting for when it came to solving the case. While some things i predicted others i certainly did not but was satisfied with how everything turned out. I would recommend doing this on audio as the narrator is phenomenal and an excellent voice for the character